"Awfully quiet there, champ," Wally joked.
I glanced up at him. Had I been anyone else. Had I not taken out the one person who was like a sister to me. I would have found him funny.
"Go away," I spat.
"I'm just trying to-"
"Wally," Robin cut in.
Wally sighed but stepped away. Robin took his place.
"How're you feeling?"
No witty banter, no playful tone. He was trying. But right now, I didn't want him to. I wanted to lash out and hurt someone just as much as I was hurting. But it couldn't be Robin. Not him. Not anyone on this team, no matter how annoying.
"I'm fine, Robin," I lied.
I offered him a smile, drawing on happy memories, the few I had at least. It was enough. He grinned and walked away. I really wish he had stayed.
I've never believed in a higher power. No god or goddess. No higher power past one's own self control. But if Aisha's god was watching, the one whose necklace was always around her neck, they certainly were to be thanked. I held in my rage so much my stomach ached. And the congratulations and 'I'm proud of yous' from Canary worsened it. Aisha was my friend and now she was gone. The one person I could connect with was gone. Enough of the woe is me. Anyway, I almost didn't go to school but some part of me sort of craved a change in this never ending maze of routine and school was one of them. I woke up earlier than Conner and M'gann, who had to leave before me. The only one awake was Batman. He didn't say a word as I invaded the kitchen for food. I was almost sure that he'd fallen asleep staring at the computer screen. Not meaning to disturb anyone, I went back to my room, slipped into my uniform and slid in my contacts and shouldered my school bag. My ride usually came from Canary's motorcycle but I couldn't legally drive and didn't want to wake her so I headed for Loki.
"Where are you going?" Batman's voice rang out as soon as I had readied Loki and had the bridle grasped in my hand.
"School," I replied.
"Not bringing Sanchez?" he asked.
Was it really so weird to carry him around?
"No," I replied.
Never would I have thought that I'd be having a serious conversation with Batman about Sanchez. A stick for crying out loud!
"You usually bring him everywhere," Batman pointed out.
Was he trying to connect? He didn't further the whole early hour questions but was focusing on a stick I carried around as a pet.
"I guess I outgrew him, okay?" I snapped.
I tugged Loki forward and left. Surprisingly, Batman let me go.
"It has been far too long," Loki crowed.
He lowered his neck, snuffling the ground. I pat his neck.
"Thanks for the ride," I said.
Loki shook his mane.
"You're serious about school?"
I nodded. Loki seemed to eye me.
"You've changed."
I shrugged and once again shouldered my bag.
"So?"
Then I headed to school.
Back to the whole to be thanked thing, Barbara was standing in front of her locker which wasn't too far from mine. I cast a weary glance her way and then opened my locker. Tennis shoes fell from it, worn and muddy. I stared at them, aware of the snickering from the peanut gallery which gave me a clear idea who had been so nice as to sully my textbooks. I glanced at Barbara. God be praised.
"Did you do this?" I asked.
'Go ahead. Lie. I dare you,' I challenged mentally.
"Me?" Barbara gasped, suppressing a smile.
I flashed her a grin, as if I was in the mood to find this funny. As if her petty little pranks were funny to me too. It worked. She didn't even seem scared as I approached, closing the distance between us.
"You know Barbara, if it were any other day, I wouldn't have cared. I mean, sure, I would have retaliated in some way but other than that, I'd just shrug. Ignore it. Tell me, do you believe in God?" I asked.
She stopped laughing.
"Yes. Why?"
Suspicion, that was good.
"Start praying," I ordered.
And then I grabbed her hair, pulling her down enough so I could knee her in the face. I felt her nose break under my knee and blood seeped from it, staining my skirt and ,well, everything else. Her head whipped back up so fast, I was surprised she didn't have whiplash. Her hand flew to her nose and her eyes held murder.
"What the heck?" she screamed.
Did these rich preps never curse?
"I said start praying. Did you think that was the end?" I demanded.
"It better be."
The voice froze me.
"Dinah," I said without turning as she walked up.
I only used her name when I really couldn't care less. It made her seem…normal. Her hand rested on my shoulder, firmly. She looked evenly at Barbara.
"I'm so sorry for Ariel's behavior," she said.
Her hand gripped my blazer and she pulled me away.
"He should have know," she mumbled as she dragged me. "He should have know."