FudoTwin17: Hi! I know I haven't updated in a while, but I have an excuse!

Cat: It's kinda bad, but-

FudoTwin17: I had health issues. Moving on!

Goldfish # 1: Already?

Cat: Yep.

Dog # 1: She doesn't own YJ.

FudoTwin17: No matter how much I wish I did. *tear*

Chapter 4

"Vote for Prom King and Queen today!" One of the cheerleaders shouted. Voting for the king and queen really wasn't that high on her list of things she wanted to do, but people were continuing to pester her. They were five days away from Prom.

Eight days, or one week and and a day, from the mission. She was more interested in the mission.

Besides, why would she get a date? Most guys didn't want to ruin their reputations with the other gender by spending any time with her. Plus, she wasn't very pretty, or at least she wasn't in her mind. All she saw was short, skinny, and not very curvy.

She might even describe herself as ugly.

But that was fine with her. She was a boy wonder, not a girl wonder. Who cared if no one liked her?

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. She didn't want to think about it. It only made her feel worse. After all, if she didn't think about it, she didn't have to look it straight on, and if she didn't look it straight on, it couldn't hurt her . . . right?

"Hey!" The voice startled her. Not many people talked to her at lunch, and Artemis was sick, so why was someone talking to her?

"U-Um, hi." She stuttered, realizing who it was.

"Just thought I'd come over, seeing as no one else is sitting here." Josh smiled. "Isn't there anyone here for you to sit with?"

"You." She replied, instantly regretting it. Blush crept up to heat her face. Thankfully, she managed to ward it off.

"Yep, me." He replied, looking away to hide his own blush. She didn't notice seeing as she was paying more attention to how much shorter her skirt was than she wished it was. At least she got to wear whatever dress she wanted for prom . . . if she went.

"So," She started uncomfortably, "How are you?"

"Oh, uh, fine." Josh replied. He looked as if he were struggling with himself about something. Then, it was as if he finally got up the courage to do what he wanted to do. He opened his mouth-

Just as Grayson stood a little straighter. She pulled her phone out of her sock, which he rose a questioning eyebrow wondering how on earth he didn't notice the fact that there was a phone there, and opened it. She glanced at the screen and giggled.

"It's just Wally." He clamped his mouth shut, "He sent a text about how hungry he is. Now, what were you going to say?"

He started to sweat. "Um, I just wanted to tell you that you have something on your shirt."

"What?" She asked, looking at herself, "Where?"

He paled, "Um, right there."

She continued to look down, "Where?"

"Um, here." He pretended to brush something off her shoulder, "Uh, got it."

"Um, thanks." She smiled at him. He forced his blush down the best he could, but knew he was failing miserably.

"Uh, are you alright?"

"What?"

"You're kinda red." She replied.

"Oh, uh, just this awful heat." He replied, trying to point out how hot it was in the garden that the students were eating in that day as a special treat. He prayed that it would go down, preferably before he did.

"Ah, yeah." She replied, looking a little hot herself.

. . .

Dustin, Dustin Bins, captain of the basketball team, glanced at the odd sight. He, along with Arty Drew, captain of the soccer team, Mia Made, captain of the cheerleaders, and Candy Seller, captain of the swimming team, all were staring. It wasn't a normal sight.

They watched as Josh got red and flustered, then looked away to hide it. They could clearly see that Rux was too busy being self-conscious to really notice. Once his blush was down he looked at the female.

"I bet that Josh will finally take the initiative and ask her out." Arty said, clearly staring at the two.

"Nah, he'll back out just like usual." Candy replied. She blinked.

"Maybe she'll drop a few hints." Dustin replied, clearly captivated by the two as they walked around the edges of the real issue that they should have talked about.

"Never." Disagreed Mia, "She doesn't think he'll go for her. If a girl thinks like that she'll never drop a hint or bat an eye."

Arty glared at her. "Come on! You know they like each other!"

. . .

Rux doubted he would ever really go out with her. She was just a . . . a stop for gas on his road to his real destination. What would a guy like him want to do with a nobody like her? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

But . . . it was high school. Who would care if she struck out once? Who would remember? She didn't have any real friends to share the memory with, and Artemis wasn't at school.

What was the harm?

Well . . . .

She shook her head, trying to clear all threatening thoughts. She was going to go for it.

She was going to go for it.

She was going to go for it.

What was she waiting for?

. . .

"I think she's going to give him a hint!" Dustin said, staring as if he were watching his favorite show. Maybe it was a hobby of his to watch his friends or something. Wouldn't that be awkward?

"No, I doubt it." Disagreed Candy. "He's too cowardly and she . . . well, she hasn't exactly been treated the best."

"No," Arty caught the slight movement of her hand, "I actually think she's going to do it! Really! Her hand moved!"

. . .

Rux moved her hand. She could do this. She had this in the bag. She would get through it.

. . .

"Are-" Mia began, but was cut off.

"Watch!" Commanded Dustin unnecessarily. They were all watching as if the two were a television or a computer or worse, some teenage girls phone. "Her hand's moving!"

. . .

He was looking at something far away, as if thinking about something that he was going to do that he regretted already. His hand was on the seat next to him, perfect for grabbing. WHY COULDN'T SHE DO IT?

She sighed. She could back out whenever she wanted.

. . .

"Rux is going for the win!" Dustin announced happily. He had been operating in the shadows trying to help his friend get the girl since day one. He wasn't ready to give up. Not yet.

. . .

Rux was a millimeter away. Just a millimeter. She could . . . . She could . . . .

She couldn't.

Rux sighed and pulled her hand back. She was an ugly coward. She could face Clayface with her masked face held high, but she couldn't hold her own against a boy.

Coward.

. . .

The small group sighed unhappily. They all wanted to see the two shy kids together.

"What was so hard about grabbing his hand? Come on, Rux!" Complained Arty. He really wanted her to go for it.

"Hm . . . maybe," Candy's eyes glinted with menace in the warm sun, "we can help the two out. After all, it's only our sworn duty as loyal friends."

"Yeah!" Agreed Dustin excitedly, "It would be against the bro code not to!"

"And against the sister code not to help out a fellow sister in her times of boy trouble." Mia smirked.

"Let's do it!" Arty smirked.

"First, secret fliers." Candy said brilliantly, "That way, we avoid her . . . less friendly sisters and still get the word out!"

"But what do we put on the fliers?" Asked Dustin. He, for some reason, was having a moment. He couldn't think of what they were trying to do.

The rest of them looked at each other, similar evil glints in their eyes. In the end, it was Candy who finally spoke the words that would condemn them all:

"Rux and Josh for Prom King and Queen."

Then they all moved so that they looked like they were not thinking, looking, or even facing the other table. Jessica, who was once their friend and part of their close circle of friends, had walked by. Jessica still thought they were close, but they were tired of the crap she pulled.

They were tired of the evil that she was.

FudoTwin17: I hope you liked that!

Cat: It sure changed from what you originally wrote.

FudoTwin17: Yeah. I started writing about Wally and Rob, but I thought of something better that I could do for next chapter. And sorry I haven't had much Kal in here, but . . . . I'm sorry. I've just been getting the hang of his character and finding that point where I can show his asterousness to his best advantage hasn't shown up yet.

Cat: Next is the whole 'feeling bad about herself part'.

FudoTwin17: Remember the whole 'best advantage part' of Kal? Well, as much as I hate showing Robin as someone who hates themselves, I needed it. I will use it next chapter and OH I HATED WRITING THAT! Here's the thing. For this, I had to think like a poor girl who watched her parents die, find out it was murder, get kidnapped by the murderer, hear about the murderer escaping, go through Juvenile Detention, get grabbed by a man she knew nothing about, and never get shown any real kind of love, care or gentleness.

Goldfish # 1: That's a lot.

FudoTwin17: Oh, yeah.

Cat: Anything else?

FudoTwin17: Yeah. I'm also making her a lot better next chapter since I hated writing this one. Be thankful that next chapter is the explaining chapter. So tired. Review. Bye.