A/N: Thought I'd let you know the ages for all of the characters:
Mar'i: 13 (Near 14)
Zachary: 14
Damian: 15
Don and Dawn: 15
Jon: 15
Sophie: 16
Lian: 16
Rose Wilson: 18
Chapter 9: The School or The Mall?
The last lesson before lunch-break had just ended and Sophie was already mentally drained. She always told herself that she could skip a night on patrol for a decent night's sleep but she never did. Sophie slung her bag over her shoulder while carrying her books in her other arm, she left the classroom after all of the other students had left in their big crowd to escape from the teacher. The redhead stepped into the hallway traffic and took the route towards her locker, dodging the idiots who walked through the wrong side of the hallway.
"Sophie!" A voice called out to her from the other route beside her. It was someone she frequented classes with.
"Yeah?" She replied.
"You still need to hand your form in for the fieldtrip," He informed as he walked past her.
Sophie smiled to him over her shoulder, "Will do."
She eventually made her way to her locker and cracked it open, it had a habit of jamming. As the small door opened her eyes met the picture she had placed on the inside of the door, it was a groupshot of her team all happy together during Sophie's last birthday party.
"What an awful picture." An annoying voice spoke beside her.
The redhead placed her books into what space was left in her locker and closed it with some force. "Not now Sara." Sophie replied to the girl in the black and white cheerleader outfit. Sophie attempted to walk past the blonde's group that had surrounded her, one of the girls pushed her back against the locker.
"Why not?" The blonde questioned.
"Because it's lunchbreak," Sophie answered.
The group of girls laughed for seemingly no reason to Sophie, nothing in that exchange was even remotely funny.
"We've already ate." Sara sassed.
Sophie's eyes moved up and down Sara, "Clearly."
The bitchy blonde's jaw dropped and her group looked towards her. "Uh girls, did she just call me fat?" Sara said astounded.
"I think she did." One of the girls said.
"She totally just did Sara." another answered.
Sara stepped forward and got into Sophie's face, "You better watch yourself, bitch."
A gap opened between the group of girls when a black haired boy pushed through them, "Move."
Sara turned to the boy with a disgusted look on her face, "Ugh, it's you."
Damian returned the look, "I thought you was supposed to be on a diet?"
The cheerleader huffed and stomped away with her group following her, "You're digusting Damian!"
Damian turned to his partner and shrugged, agreeing with what Sara said. Sophie chuckled and moved the strap of her bag up further her shoulder, "Thanks Damian," she nodded.
Damian opened his locker that was two down from Sophie's and placed his own books into his locker, he turned to Sophie with an inquisitive look on his face, "You planning on going to the cafeteria?" he asked. Sophie nodded yes. Damian closed his locker and walked back towards the redhead, "Kent is playing on the field right now, he said he has something to talk about. We'll go afterwards"
Sophie forgot there was a football game going on right now, she felt stupid when she realized that was the reason for Sara being in her Cheerleader outfit. She was more shocked by Damian offering to eat with her for once. "Lead the way Damian," Sophie smiled.
The two walked through the hallway maze of Gotham Academy until they eventually stepped through the double doors and out into the open air. They stepped past other students and ducked their heads from flying objects such as frisbees and footballs. They eventually came up towards the football field and saw Jon removing his blue and red helmet and taking a seat at the end of his team's bench, he soon spotted his friends and waved over to them. Damian and Sophie walked over to the visiting team's sidelines while putting up with the odd looks from the other Metropolis High players.
"Hey guys," Jon smiled.
"You're dad finally let you join the team?" Sophie asked.
Jon squirted water into his mouth, "He said only if I make it fair, fall down when I get hit and all that."
"I would show no mercy," Announced Damian. Sophie and Jon chuckled at his statement, "Which is why you aren't in any clubs." Jon smirked. Sophie nudged Jon's arm, "I hear the drama club is recruiting, you might be good at that." She teased.
Damian folded his arms in protest, "What is it you wanted Jonathan?"
Jon took another swig of water, "Can't I just ask my friends to come and visit me?" He smirked.
Before Damian could retaliate one of the players of Metropolis High came over to the three of them and looked towards Damian and Sophie, "Sorry guys but you'll have to leave the sidelines."
Jon looked up from his seat, "Come on Ryan, they're my friends."
Ryan was near the same size as Jon except that he had short black hair and a band-aid recently placed over a cut on his left eyebrow.
The player shook his head, "You know how coach is."
Sophie smiled to the player, "We aren't G.A. spies or anything."
The football player laughed, "How would I know?"
"You wouldn't," Sophie teased.
The football player laughed at Sophie and called over to the group of players a few meters behind him, "Pen!". A pen flew into the hands Ryan who then reached one of his hands out towards Sophie. She looked towards Damian who had an unimpressed look on his face and then towards Jon who looked away with a smirk on his face. The redhead decided to reach her hand out towards the football player who took her soft hand and began writing on the back of it. A harsh voice called over to Ryan and a whistle blew.
"Call me," he said to Sophie signaling with his pinky and thumb as he jogged over to the Metropolis High group huddle.
Damian and Jon turned towards the now blushing Sophie, a smile on Jon's face and small grimace on Damian's.
"Nice job Soph," Said Jon.
"What a simpleton," Said Damian.
Jon stood up from his seat and stepped closer to his two teammates, "Anyway guys, I was thinking we should throw a 'Welcome to the Team' party for Mar'i and Zachary," he grinned.
With the smile still on her face Sophie replied, "I like it the idea Jon."
"Sure, why not." Damian shrugged, "As long as it doesn't affect Drama club."
Jon and Sophie looked towards Damian, extremely confused.
"What?" He asked.
"You're actually in the Drama Club?" Sophie asked, stifling her laughter.
Damian didn't see what was really funny, "Well, Yes. I enjoy the theatre."
Sophie and Jon looked at each other to try and attempt not to laugh but that didn't last. The two burst into fit's of laughter.
"Shouldn't you be at school?" The store clerk asked.
Lian gave him an annoyed look, "Should be, yeah."
The archer then took her change from the clerk's hand and grabbed her drink from the counter. She walked out from the store and into the mall, she looked around to everyone walking through to see if she could recognize anyone, thankfully she couldn't.
Lian was skipping her day at School due to the fact that she had a presentation to give. She'd rather go one on one with Superman than do some public speaking. Her plan was simply to waste away the day the day doing absolutely nothing and it was going to be glorious.
That was until she heard a familiar deep voice, "Skipping school are we Red?"
Lian facepalmed and audibly groaned, "Of course if it was going to be anyone, it would be you."
She turned around to see a handsome blonde boy dressed in a purple jacket looking smugly towards her. "What's your reason?" Don asked.
"They tried to get me to do a presentation," Lian answered, "What about you?"
"Didn't feel going in," Don shrugged.
Lian chuckled a nodded towards Don to walk with her. "Sometimes I forget that you and Dawn are twins." She said.
Don smirked at the comment, "Why? Because Dawn is the smart one?"
Lian turned to her friend, "Pretty much." she answered honestly.
"Why are you archer's always so direct?" Don asked.
Lian let out a small laugh, "We wouldn't be good archer's if we missed the point."
Don nudged Lian's shoulder, "Well, You're not wrong."
The two carried onward just talking about whatever came to their mind, Damian's complaining, Sophie's teasing, Mar'i's happiness and even Gar's teaching. They both eventually decided on actually doing something so they made their way towards the nearest theatre. The two bought tickets to see the latest sequel of superhero action films "Mighty Man: The Second Reckoning."
The two took their seats and watched the previews, waiting for the movie to start. When the tile opening began to roll the two felt a tap on their shoulders. They both slowly turned their heads in unison and looked behind them to see the smug look of a golden haired woman.
"Time to go kids," Artemis told them.
"God damn it." Lian huffed.
Artemis grabbed Don's jacket before he could speed off.
Artemis stepped from her seat and escorted the two teenagers out of the theatre and sat them down on on a nearby bench outside.
"Talk," Artemis spoke, "Why are you skipping school?"
Don placed his hands on his chest and pretended to be offended, "Artemis, would I do such a thing?"
"Cut the shit Don, aren't you in the wrong state?" Artemis asked. She was right, Don sped down to Star City from Central City after all.
"Yup, Dad can't find me here." Don replied.
Artemis hid her laughter, she would probably have done the same. Her face remained stern and looked towards Lian, "What are you doing Lian?" she sighed, irritated with the fact that she constantly acts up when it was to do with school.
"Skipping school, clearly." Lian replied.
"No," Artemis huffed, "What are you doing? You're parents are trying their hardest and you know that," She lectured.
Lian tilted her head back and sighed towards the white ceiling, "Come on Aunty, don't pretend you didn't do the same."
Artemis turned to Don and frown, "Go back to school Don, If I find out you don't then I'll tell your mother."
"You got it," Don replied, he more than happily sped off from the two archers and ran back towards Central City.
Artemis moved over to where Don had been sitting and sat down beside Lian. "I would have done anything for a childhood like yours Li," She said.
Lian chuckled.
"Roy and Jade have tried their best for you so you should do the same for them." Artemis continued.
Lian sighed "You're right," "I'm sorry." She finished.
The red archer stood up from the bench and smiled to her aunt, "I'll go back to school. No promises on the presentation though."
Artemis stood up and placed her hand on her niece's shoulder, "That'll do, now if you don't mind I have a movie to finish." She grinned.
Lian shook her head and then hugged Artemis, "You're a monster."
"I know." Artemis agreed.
A/N: Sorry for another AN in one chapter but I need you guys to know how excited I am for you all to read what I have in store for all of these characters.
*Somewhat of a Spoiler?*
Just know that there is a second arc dealing with some consequences and changes for a few characters that I hope are executed well.
