It's just you (and your imaginary friends)
.
Kyle was the new kid.
His family moved around a lot, so he was used to being the new kid. He learned how to make friends quickly. In his opinion he was pretty good at it.
By lunchtime of his first day Kyle was already chatting happily with a bunch of guys around his table.
"There's something you should know about our school," one of the guys mentioned. "You should probably steer clear of Wally."
"Who's that?"
He pointed to a table near the back of the cafeteria. Wally West, age fourteen, stood out because he was eating lunch by himself.
"Why should I steer clear?" Kyle asked curiously. "Is he a bully?"
One kid snorted out laughter, until he saw Kyle's face and realized he was serious. "If you get too close to him, the teachers might think you're a bully."
"Huh?"
"He has this thing called 'epilepsy'," one of the other boys explained, "which makes him have seizures all the time."
Kyle looked back at the redheaded boy in confusion, as if he expected Wally to have one right now.
"It's in his brain chemistry - or something. He'll be normal one minute and then he'll start rolling around on the ground foaming at the mouth, for no reason at all."
"He does not foam at the mouth," another kid defended. "Don't be an ass."
The other guy pointed at the one who just spoke. "See, that's what I mean! If you say the wrong thing to him everyone gets mad at you. The teachers here are super-protective about him."
"That's true," the second kid continued with a tilt of the head. "You can't laugh, or tease him, or make jokes about it. You'll get detention just for looking at him the wrong way. The safest thing you can do is keep your distance."
"That's what happens when they let the special needs kids into a regular school."
"He's a grade under us, so you probably won't see him much anyway. Just keep it in mind."
They said this out of concern. They didn't want Kyle to get into trouble. The best way to do that was to avoid confrontation completely.
The kids at this table were probably the cool kids. Kyle was lucky to be in with the popular crowd so soon. But he didn't think it was "cool" or "popular" at all to deliberately avoid other people.
.
Apparently, Wally ate lunch alone everyday. Maybe he wanted it that way. But it looked so depressing to Kyle.
"Hey, Kyle!" His friends waved at him and gestured to an open seat.
He smiled. "No thanks. I'm having lunch with him today." Kyle ignored their surprised and confused expressions and walked past them.
Maybe it was pity that made Kyle carry his tray to Wally's table... but Kyle didn't think that made it wrong.
"Hi!"
Wally looked up in surprise.
"You're Wally, right?" Kyle said, more as an introduction than a question.
"Yeah?" he replied cautiously.
"Name's Kyle," he said with a big smile. "Is it okay if I sit here?"
"You don't have to."
The tone made Kyle hesitate, but he didn't hear "no," so he sat down. "I'm new in town, so I'm still getting adjusted to everything."
"Okay..." Wally returned his attention to the food on his tray.
"Have you lived here your whole life?"
"No. I used to live in Blue Valley," he answered without looking up.
"Cool... So how long have you been here? Is it nice?"
Wally glanced at him. "Are you talking to me because some teacher told you to?"
The question stunned Kyle for a moment. "...No."
"Really?"
"No one's making me be here, Wally," he said, hoping the sincerity would show through his voice. "I just - I thought you would like some company. That's all... Do you want me to leave?"
Wally stared for a moment. Then he answered, "Not really."
So Kyle stayed. But he wasn't sure how to make conversation after that. They ate in silence.
"It's nice," Wally spoke up.
"Huh?"
"Central City," he clarified. "It's a nice place to live."
Kyle smiled and nodded. "Good."
.
The start of another school day. Kyle and many other students were walking across the pavement towards the main building.
Wally's mom drove him to school and parked the car next to the sidewalk. She and her son said their goodbyes and he got out and walked away. Wally was out of the car for only a few seconds when...
"UGH!" He made a gasping sound like someone had punched him in the stomach. Then, also just like someone had punched him in the stomach, Wally dropped to the ground. His body spasmed against the pavement.
He was having a seizure.
"Whoa, it's a bad one," Kyle heard someone murmur.
Wally's mom dashed out of the car with a pillow in her hand. She rolled her son over and set the cushion beneath his head and neck. Wally's face was scraped up and his eyes were vacant.
Kyle stopped and stared without any conscious intention to. He had never seen a seizure before, and it was scary. This wasn't mild twitching. Wally was rocking his body so hard it looked like he was really trying to hurt himself. But his expression was completely empty. After a few moments, a wet spot formed at the front of his pants.
It was like watching a car crash - Kyle couldn't look away. He could only glance quickly at the other students walking past him. Some looked uncomfortable, but all of them deliberately ignored Wally and calmly walked towards the school. Apparently they were used to this. It was unofficially forbidden for students to make fun of Wally, so they didn't say anything.
He didn't know how long he watched the mother kneeling by her convulsing child, but eventually Kyle snapped back to awareness.
I shouldn't be staring! It's rude to stare!
He quickly turned away, but a voice stopped him from running.
"Wait," Wally's mom called out. "Before you go to class, could you please bring us back his spare clothes?"
"Huh?"
"Wally keeps a change of clothes in his locker, in case of..." She trailed off. Kyle made sure not to stare at where Wally peed himself.
"O-Okay..."
The mother told him where his locker was and the combination.
"If you're late for class, just tell the teacher Wally needed help. They'll understand."
Wally was still shaking throughout this, oblivious to their conversation. Kyle left them behind and went into the building.
The hallways were packed with noise and students rushing to get prepared. Kyle didn't have his locker in this new school long enough for the trip there to become a habit, but it still felt strange going to someone else's locker instead. Only slightly worried of getting in trouble, he found Wally's locker and opened it. Inside, stuffed between the books, was a pair of jeans and boxer briefs. Kyle wondered how often Wally needed to replace them.
He heard from somewhere that there was a difference between epilepsy and photosensitivity. Wally's seizures weren't triggered only by blinking lights. It happened randomly, for no reason at all.
Does that mean he has to deal with it all the time? He has to worry about it everywhere he goes?
No one gave Kyle a second glance as he carried the clothes outside. By the time he returned, the seizure had ended and Wally was sitting in the backseat of the car. Kyle could only see his head and shoulders. Wally looked embarrassed and angry. His jaw was clenched. His face was red.
Kyle quietly walked up to the open window, feeling awkward. What was there to say to a teenager who just wet himself?
"Um... here." He held up the folded pants and underwear.
Wally quickly grabbed them without making eye contact. "Thanks," he quietly grumbled.
"Thank you," his mom said politely.
"Can't we just go home?" Wally asked.
"You already missed too much school this semester," his mom said.
Wally frowned and began changing inside the car.
Kyle waited outside. He had no idea what he was supposed to do in this kind of situation. He wanted to leave, but he felt like he missed his chance somehow.
Fully dressed, Wally got out of the car. He and his mom said their goodbyes again, and she drove away. Wally waited until the car was out of sight, and then he slumped to the ground.
Kyle panicked and moved to help him, but Wally cut him off with, "I'm fine. Just tired." He sat on the pavement with his eyes lowered. "I just wanna catch my breath before heading to class."
Kyle stood and watched him. He probably should have just gone inside already, but there was something he wanted to ask.
"Do seizures hurt?"
Wally looked up with surprise. Kyle was worried he asked something stupid.
Eventually Wally shook his head. "No. I'm sore when I wake up, but it doesn't 'hurt' hurt... I'm unconscious when it's actually happening, so I don't even know what's going on."
"That's good... I guess."
"It's not the seizure itself that's bad, it's the unpredictability. I never know when it's gonna hit me next, so I have to be ready for it all the time. That's what bugs me."
"Okay..."
Then Wally added, "You know... I think that's the first time anyone asked me that."
He looked up at Kyle again with an embarrassed smile. "Would you mind helping me up?"
Kyle got Wally up to his feet. The redhead said seizures didn't hurt, but this one at least took a lot out of him, Kyle thought. They walked into the school with Wally's arm around Kyle's shoulders. The hallways were empty by now. Kyle was ready to escort him all the way, but Wally pulled back at the end of a hallway.
"I'm okay now. I can walk on my own." So Kyle let him go. Wally diverted his eyes. "I go this way, so..."
Kyle gave a little shrug. "Later."
Wally nodded. "Later."
And they went in opposite directions.
By the time Kyle finally entered homeroom, the class was already in session. "You're late," the teacher told him irritably.
The mother said Kyle would be excused if he told the teacher he was helping Wally.
But he just said, "Sorry," and walked to his seat.
.
By a stroke of luck... or not, depending on how he looked at it later... Kyle found Wally in the hallway another day. No one else was around, giving them a chance to talk.
"Hey." Kyle ran up to his side and matched his pace.
"Hey," Wally replied.
They were both silent for a few steps. Kyle was working up the nerve to voice his curiosity. "Uh... You said that you try to be ready for it all the time... but just how often does it happen?"
"You mean having a seizure or losing bladder control?" Wally asked emotionlessly.
"I... I meant the former... but either, I guess."
"I dunno. It's random. It's hard to measure." Wally answered while staring straight ahead. "Every other day. Maybe less."
"That much, huh?"
"It's not like I lose bladder control every time, you know," he said defensively, putting emotion into his words for the first time. "That part's rare. Like, really really rare. I only keep spare pants in my locker for just in case."
"Okay."
He lowered his head. "You must think I'm pretty lame..."
"Just the opposite," Kyle said honestly.
Wally lifted his head back up and raised an eyebrow. "Opposite? How's that?"
"I think you're amazing, Wally," Kyle said. "It must be tough to live with epilepsy. I'm impressed that you're dealing with it as well as you are."
The redhead stopped walking. "Are you making fun of me...?" he asked quietly.
Kyle stopped and looked back at him. "No, I mean it."
Wally was silent, watching him carefully.
"I think you're really strong, Wally," he continued. "Getting seizures all the time... And the way everyone treats you... You have to be strong to deal with all that. If it was me, I don't know if I could live like that."
Wally narrowed his eyes. "So what would you do? Kill yourself?"
Kyle's eyes widened. "Th-That's not what I meant."
"Then what does 'not living with epilepsy' mean?!"
"Well, uh..."
Wally grit his teeth, and then he shouted, "I don't want to have epilepsy, you know! I didn't do this to myself because I thought I was strong enough to deal with it! I deal with it because I have to! What the hell do you expect me to do?!"
"What are you getting mad at me for?" Kyle raised his voice, trying to defend himself. "I'm not making fun of you or anything. All I meant was that it's a good thing you can handle everything without breaking down, I guess."
"What the hell does that mean?!" Wally yelled louder. "You think not breaking down is some kind of accomplishment?! Would it be more normal if I hid under my covers crying all day?!"
"I..." Kyle faltered. "I just-"
"You people don't get it! I have a life! I can't stop living my life just because it's hard! You're 'impressed' just because I come to school and let people treat me like a cripple?! You think that's the reason I'm 'amazing'?!"
Wally screamed at him. "Screw you! You don't know anything about me!"
He ran past Kyle and down the hall. In the back of his mind, Kyle noted that Wally could run pretty fast when he was angry.
.
Maybe this was what the others meant when they told him about Wally that first day. Say one wrong thing, and you'll hurt his feelings.
But none of the teachers gave Kyle detention, so apparently Wally didn't tell on him.
Kyle didn't tell anyone about the fight either. He spent his time with his other circle of friends and life went on like normal. He stopped having lunch with Wally.
He saw Wally down the hallway one day. They made eye contact. It looked like Wally wanted to say something, but he didn't. Kyle didn't either.
Exactly which one of us is supposed to apologize?
Kyle honestly thought he didn't do anything wrong. Wally was the one who shouted at him.
He wondered about it on and off, and came to the answer while doodling in his notebook.
Whichever one wants to patch things up, I guess.
.
He walked to Wally's cafeteria table and sat down without asking permission.
"I'm sorry for making you mad the other day."
Wally looked at him with the same guarded expression Kyle had grown used to.
Kyle continued. "I really wasn't trying to offend you, or patronize you, or anything like that. I'm sorry if that's how it sounded... Okay?"
Wally watched him for what felt like a long time. Then he started picking at his food again. "It's not your fault," he mumbled. "I've been having problems with my family recently... Stress was building up for a while, I guess. It was only a matter of time before I blew up at someone."
"What kind of problems?"
"My uncle's trying to ground me again," he said bitterly.
"You live with your uncle?" Kyle asked.
"No. But he's still trying to get me grounded." He noticed Kyle's confused expression. "It's complicated."
Kyle nodded. He didn't know much about Wally's family dynamics, and realized he probably shouldn't intrude.
"You know," Kyle spoke up hesitantly, "this might make us start fighting all over again but... there probably are people out there who really do fall apart when bad stuff happens. Of course, I don't think it's 'okay' or 'normal' to fall apart. But you shouldn't sell yourself short for avoiding it either."
Wally was quiet for a moment. Kyle was worried he really would get angry again. But the redhead gave a faint smile and said, "Thanks."
"So... we're cool again?"
He nodded and smirked. "Yeah, we're cool."
.
Kyle alternated between eating lunch with Wally and his other friends. One day he invited Wally to eat with all of them together, but the redhead didn't feel like it. Kyle's other friends were not-so-subtly relieved that he declined.
Kyle picked at the macaroni and cheese-like-substance on his tray. "Ugh... I really need to start bringing my own lunch."
"I'll finish it if you don't want it," Wally said. His own tray was already wiped clean.
"Knock yourself out." He pushed the tray towards Wally, who quickly started scarfing it down. "You eat an awful lot."
"It's 'cause I'm a genius and the brain consumes more calories than any other organ," Wally replied between bites, which got a laugh out of Kyle.
After a few moments, Kyle spoke up again. "Uh, I have a question."
"Uh-huh?"
"I tried doing some research on epilepsy earlier." Wally paused for a second, but he didn't seem too uncomfortable, so Kyle kept going. "Is there a difference between 'tonic-clonic' seizures and 'grand mal' seizures?"
"No. They're just different names for the same thing," Wally answered. "But I never liked calling it a 'grand mal'."
"Why not?"
He shrugged. "I dunno. I just don't. It sounds so..." he struggled to find the right word, "...archaic."
"It sounds artful to me," Kyle said with a smirk.
"You would think that, you doodlebug," Wally said, returning the smirk.
"The website I was on said there were lots of types of seizures and epilepsies. I never knew that before."
"Neither did I until it started happening to me. The word 'seizure' really just means when your brain fires off more impulses than your body can handle. People think it just makes your body shake, but it could also be a tingling feeling, or heartburn, or a messed up sense of smell, or anything... But it feels weird explaining that to people when I only get the tonic-clonic kind."
"So you've never had the other types?"
"Well... In the beginning I had absence seizures, which is basically where I 'turned off' and stared into space for a few seconds. I didn't even know I was doing it, and my parents didn't realize what they really were. But then my tonic-clonic seizures started after a week or two. My parents say I haven't had another absence seizure since."
"So, you had one type, but only for two weeks. Then you switched to a completely different type that lasted over a year... Is that normal?"
"Who knows," he said with a sad smile. "I have a pretty rare form of epilepsy. Nothing about it is normal."
.
"You've been hanging out with Wally a lot, Kyle," the girl sitting next to him said before class started.
He shrugged. "Yeah, I guess."
"You're a saint, you know that?"
Kyle raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"You know. Being so nice to him all the time. You're a total saint!"
He stared at her for a moment. "Anyone can be a saint... You should try it sometime."
She didn't seem to notice the bitterness in Kyle's tone. She just smiled, shook her head and said, "I could never do what you're doing. I mean, aren't you scared he'll start wigging out when you're around? It's not a pretty sight."
"A little. But you get used to it."
She just laughed and grinned. Kyle felt an intense irritation bubble up inside him.
I'm not doing anything special. This isn't being a saint; it's not being a jerk. Are you even listening to yourself?!
Kyle paused when a new thought occurred to him.
Is this how Wally felt when I said he was amazing?
Kyle didn't say anything for the rest of class.
.
Kyle visited Wally's home. His room was decorated with a collection of posters, photographs, newspaper clippings, and other memorabilia about the Flash. (Kyle also noticed a small metal object on the shelf that looked suspiciously like a used bullet, but he chose not to ask about it.)
"You like the Flash, huh?"
"Is there anyone in Central City who doesn't? Besides the Rogues, of course."
"But still, you're an all-out fanboy."
"Guilty as charged."
"Have you ever seen him in person?"
"A few times. The first time I met him, he gave me that." Wally pointed to an autographed photo taped to the wall.
To Wally
You're a super awesome kid
THE FLASH
"That was my prized possession when I first got it," Wally said with a far-away look on his face.
"Not anymore?"
Wally shrugged. "You know how it is. Everything seems bigger and better when you're a kid."
"So have you ever met Speedy?" Kyle asked.
Wally looked at him strangely. "Uh... n-no. Why would I?"
"I just thought if you've met the Flash, you might have seen his sidekick too."
"Oh." Wally rolled his eyes. "Why does everyone get that mixed up? Flash's sidekick is called Kid Flash. Speedy is a different guy entirely. He's Green Arrow's partner out in Star City."
"Oh, I see. So have you ever met Kid Flash then?"
He smiled and shook his head. "Not yet..."
.
Kyle was taking books out of his locker when one of his friends came running up to him. "Hey, Kyle, I need a favor. Could you let me copy your science notes? Just this once, please?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Thanks, dude."
They got out their notebooks and he quickly started scribbling what he needed before class started. "Thanks again, Kyle."
"Just passing it along, I guess."
"What do you mean?"
"I actually had a lot of help with this from Wally. We've been studying together." Wally was technically a grade below Kyle, but he really was a genius when it came to anything in science, especially chemistry.
"Wally?" It took his friend a moment to match the name with the face. "Oh... Right... Him."
He finished with his homework and put the notes back in his bag. "I, uh, heard he had another attack in class yesterday."
Kyle nodded. "Yeah, he said it was a mild one though."
"Yeah, but still. Poor guy... I wonder how he got like that anyway?"
"There was a gas explosion in his garage about a year ago," Kyle answered nonchalantly. "The blast threw him back and he hit his head pretty hard. Most of the doctors think the trauma from that is what caused the epilepsy, but one of his doctors thinks there's a genetic factor too. You see, Wally has a very rare form of epilepsy, so no one really knows how to classify it or treat it. That's why he keeps trying new brands of medication."
He looked at Kyle suspiciously. "How do you know all that?"
"I asked him about it."
His eyes bugged out. "You asked him?!"
Kyle looked back casually. "Yeah."
He looked at Kyle like he did something really stupid. "Dude, you can't ask things like that. You can't just waltz up to a guy and throw his disability in his face like that. That's not cool."
"I was just asking." He added, "And epilepsy's not a disability. It's a disorder."
"You know what I mean," he said with an eye roll. "Did ya ever think talking about his 'disorder' would embarrass him?"
"Maybe, but so what? Wally's got thicker skin than that. And if he doesn't want to talk about it then he doesn't have to answer."
"You're missing the point. You need to be sensitive when talking to people like him. You ought to-"
"You haven't said one word to Wally all semester, and you're telling me how to talk to him?"
He blinked. "Well, I, uh..."
Kyle closed his locker and walked away. "Grow up."
.
It was Central City. So it was only a matter of time before Kyle got caught up in a Rogue attack.
People on the street were panicking. Kyle was just one of several people who happened to be nearby when the chaos started. He wouldn't learn the whole story behind what was happening until later.
The Weather Wizard could create disturbances in the atmosphere. That day he was experimenting with a machine that would allow him to make earthquakes as well. But he wasn't able to fully control this new power, so he ended up causing a lot more danger for nearby civilians than the Rogues' code of ethics usually allowed. Cracks and craters appeared in the streets; cars screeched loudly as they struggled to avoid crashing. People on the sidewalks, Kyle included, fought to keep their balance while escaping.
Two streaks of red and yellow appeared in the area. They stood still just long enough for him to get a look at them.
The Flash was a grown man, covered in red from head to foot. His protégé was smaller and leaner. He couldn't have been any older than Kyle himself. Yellow costume with bright red hair and red goggles. Kyle had seen them on the news, but this was the first time he saw superheroes in person.
The two heroes sped up again, dashing in and out through the area, alternating between keeping Weather Wizard distracted and getting people to safety.
Buildings were starting to get damaged by the quake. Slabs of concrete broke off and crashed into the sidewalk. As one fell towards Kyle, Kid Flash picked him up and carried him away.
"Crap! You're heavy," Kid Flash cried. "I really need to work out more!"
Kyle was too overwhelmed to care about being carried bridal-style. Kid Flash ran around cracks and debris, carrying the teenager as far from the danger as possible. For Kyle, it felt like being strapped to the hood of a racecar. It was scary, and yet... really incredible.
Kyle couldn't see much of his face through the mask and goggles, but something in his expression changed. "Oh no, not now," Kid Flash said in a panicked tone.
"Wha-"
They wobbled and fell. Kyle didn't know why Kid Flash fell. Maybe he tripped on something. The momentum sent Kyle rolling along the ground. For an instant he felt something hit his head. The next instant everything went black.
.
What's going on?
"Is he okay?"
"He's just knocked out. He'll be fine."
I hear voices... Who is that...?
"It hit me at the worst possible timing."
"Don't beat yourself up over it. We still managed to take care of things, at least."
Am I dreaming?
"I wanted to save him. I was so scared he'd get hurt."
"Yeah, it's tough when it's someone you know."
"You know, everyone else at school avoids me. I used to eat lunch alone every single day. But he came right to my table and started talking to me, just to cheer me up... I felt like he pitied me... But it still made me happy."
.
Kyle's eyes shot open.
He sat up quickly, then winced and grabbed the back of his head.
"Easy, easy," someone told him. Kyle looked around. The Flash was kneeling right beside him, and Kid Flash was standing a few steps behind his mentor. "We stopped Weather Wizard. Everything's okay now."
The Weather Wizard was gone. Police were interviewing civilians, and paramedics were giving first aid. The battle was over.
"You bumped your head back there," Flash told him. "It doesn't look bad, but you should let the paramedics check you out before you go home, just to be safe."
"Sorry for dropping you," Kid Flash said, looking embarrassed and guilty.
"Sorry for being heavy," Kyle replied with just a hint of bitterness.
The scarlet hero stood up. "Well, we should get going ourselves." He and his sidekick turned.
"Wait a sec," Kyle called. They turned back as Kyle got to his feet. "Before you go... I feel kinda silly for asking, but, since you're here... Could I get your autograph?"
The Flash grinned. "No problem. I'm always glad to meet a fan."
Kyle shook his head. "No, not you - I mean, no offense! But I was talking to Spee - uh - Kid Flash."
The younger hero raised an eyebrow behind his goggles. "You want my autograph?"
"It's actually for my friend, Wally West," he explained. "You see, he's a huge fan of you two. And he already has the Flash's autograph, so I figured he would enjoy having the complete set."
The two speedsters looked at him silently.
Kyle raised an eyebrow, feeling slightly uncomfortable under their gazes. "Is that okay...?"
Kid Flash laughed and shrugged. "Sure, why not? Got something to write with?"
"Always."
Kyle searched through his backpack. He took out his sketchbook, flipped it to a blank page, and handed it and his pencil to the yellow-clad teenager.
"You said his name's Wally, right?"
"Yeah."
Kid Flash wrote it out in large, showy handwriting.
To Wally
Thank your friend
He got you an autograph from
Kid Flash
He gave it back to Kyle with an amused grin. "That's the first autograph I ever wrote. It might be worth a fortune someday."
"I don't think he'll be selling it."
The Flash spoke up. "Wally's lucky to have a friend like you."
The two speedsters ran off before Kyle could respond.
.
In Wally's bedroom again, Kyle handed him the sheet of paper with Kid Flash's signature.
Wally silently stared at the page for a long time. His expression was unreadable.
"Something wrong?" Kyle asked.
He glanced up at him and said, "Is this really Kid Flash's autograph?"
"Yeah. Of course."
"You sure you didn't just write it yourself?"
"Hey, I'm an artist, not a forger! That signature is one-hundred percent authentic."
"I'm just kidding," Wally said with a grin.
Wally grabbed some scotch tape out of his desk and proceeded to tape the paper to the wall, right next to his autographed photo of the Flash.
As the two boys stepped back and admired the handiwork, Wally said, "Thanks a lot, Kyle. This is a great present. Really."
Kyle smirked. "What're you thanking me for? I keep telling you I didn't write it."
"No, but you asked Kid Flash to write it. It was really nice of you to think of me."
He scratched the back of his head. "It's really no big deal. Just right place right time."
"Well, I still think it's nice."
A moment of silence, and then...
"You know... I'm not hanging out with you just to make you feel better," Kyle said.
"Huh?"
"It's not charity. I'm your friend 'cause I like you." Kyle looked at him. "I just wanted to make sure you understood that."
Wally paused. Then he smiled.
"Ditto."
.
Author's Notes: (Chapter posted 5/23/2015. Author's Notes edited 5/27/2015.)
After reading some reviews, I decided to say some more about Kyle's identity.
Since I don't read enough American comics to see much of Kyle Rayner's personality, and since he's not a Green Lantern here, and since I don't know if I'm gonna use him again, I figured he wouldn't be any different than an OC anyway. My intention was to make it ambiguous on whether this Kyle was Rayner or an OC, so the reader could pretend based on their preference. But looking back... who would prefer that he was an OC? Maybe it was a weird idea.
Either way, he does not secretly have a Lantern ring in this chapter. The whole point was for Wally to make a normal friend outside of the superhero business. But maybe after he's grown up... Who knows? Like I said, I don't know if I'll use him again.
I was inspired to write this chapter after re-reading volume 13 of "Natsume's Book of Friends," where he first meets Nishimura and Kitamoto. Wally has Robin and Speedy, but I figured he should make at least one friend in school too. I love Special Episodes like these, that switch perspective so it's the outside looking in.
I wrote this before, but this seems like a good place to remind people. Neither Wally's symptoms nor the characters' reactions to him is meant to represent a "normal" case of epilepsy (If there is such a thing - There's so much variation that I honestly believe there isn't). My intention was to make this an example and not the example. I appreciate the good response I've gotten so far, and I apologize if I offend anyone in the future.
Chapter title comes from the song "The Kill" by the Dresden Dolls.