Title: A Day at Gotham Academy

Rating: K

Pairing: Artemis X Robin friendship

Artemis scowled at her reflection and yanked the green tie out of her hair for the fifth time. Why couldn't she get this right? She fought super villains the police couldn't handle on a daily basis and she couldn't even do her own hair?

"You must really be out of it," Her mother commented and Artemis jumped. "You didn't even notice me."

"Just a little nervous." Understatement of the century.

"Let me help," Her mother smiled and wheeled into the room. Artemis bent down on her knees and frowned. The floor wouldn't have been so cold if the private school didn't have a freaking uniform with a skirt. "It won't be so bad," Her mother said as Artemis got off the floor.

"Doubt it," Artemis muttered as she left for the long trek to the good side of town.

X

"Good Lord," Artemis murmured as she stared into the school. The place screamed money. Awards donned every hall way, students had designer backpacks and there was a different gymnasium for every sport in the world. "What a waste." And they couldn't have used the money to help out people who aren't filthy freaking rich?

"Pretty sure muttering to yourself isn't a good way to make friends," Came a voice from behind her. Artemis jumped. She really was out of it.

She turned and sized the kid up. He was short, with messy black hair and a perfectly pressed uniform. "Pretty sure sneaking up on people isn't a good way to make friends."

"True," He said a grin on his face. "But I'm not the one trying to make friends, am I?"

She could feel a scowl etching its way onto her face and the kid immediately backed off. "Kidding," He said, pushing his hand out. "I'm Dick Grayson."

Artemis could hear Wally guffawing at his name in the back of her head. "Artemis Crock," she said, grasping his hand in a shake. She looked down at her schedule. "Do you have any idea where room 402 is?"

"Yeah, that's my homeroom. Guess we'll be seeing a lot more of each other."

Great.

X

Most of the classes passed with minimal interruption.

...Probably because she glared at anyone who tried to get close to her.

Artemis knew it was petty of her, but she really didn't want to deal with any rich kids, much less be their friend. What would they do when they figured out she wasn't spoiled rotten? It would save her the trouble if she didn't try to make any friends. Dick still followed her around like a lost puppy though. No matter how hard she tried to shake him off, he just popped up three seconds later. Artemis snapped when he sat next to her at lunch.

"Would you stop following me around? I don't need your pity," Artemis raised her voice into a high pitch. "Oh, there goes the new poor girl with the scholarship, she doesn't have any friends," She grit her teeth and looked away. "Just leave me alone."

Artemis heard Dick sigh and sit next to her. She turned to him, ready to lay it on him until she saw the look on his face. His eyes were hard and his frown was deep. "I promise I've never thought that about you. I saw someone in a new environment that needed a friend. That's it. I just want to be friends with you."

"Oh." No one had ever said that to her. There was always a motive, a secret. Artemis could tell Dick was telling the truth. It was hard for her to adapt to a new environment. She thought back to what she said to KF when she first saw him. All of a sudden she felt ashamed. Artemis coughed into her hand to hide her embarrassment. "Sorry."

"It's cool. Want to go get lunch? Today they're selling pizza."

X

"So. Have fun today at school?"

There's something familiar about that smirk…

"Dick?" Artemis asks in a hushed voice.

"That's a rude thing to say."

She narrows her eyes at Robin, but shakes it off. There's no way.