Author's Note: I can't wait to see how many pages and words this story ends up being. It's going to be loooooooooooooooong. Like probably the longest story I've ever written. Like, longer then SS1 and SS2- maybe even combined.

Also- sorry, I posted the wrong chapter initially, and I'm just replacing it now.

No one wanted to be back at school on Monday, except possibly Cisco Ramon.

He met Caitlin on the front steps of AV High, and his best friend gave him a huge hug.

He hugged her back tightly, letting out a sigh.

"Were you able to talk any sense into your parents?" Caitlin asked, walking with him as they went into the building.

"No," Cisco sighed, waving at Julian as he joined them from his locker. "I didn't really talk to them about it. I didn't want to say anything that would offend my Abuela or Abuelo, and Dante was so on-board with all of it..."

"It's okay," Caitlin said soothingly. "We'll plan something for you to say at lunch. Reasons why you can't go, or even alternatives. I had a couple ideas last night."

Cisco let out a breath. "Alright."

The bell rang, and Cisco and Caitlin hurried to put their things in their lockers before joining Julian to walk to class.

Cisco and Caitlin didn't get another chance to talk until lunch that afternoon. They plunked their lunch treys down at basically the same moment and slid into seats. "Alright," Caitlin started immediately, leaning in. "I thought of three ideas you could propose to your parents instead of going to your grandparents every single weekend for the rest of your high school life."

"Shoot," Cisco responded, leaning back and waiting for her to begin.

"First off, we have that you could go up one day a week instead of two. The second is that you could go up every other week for the whole weekend. And the third is the same thing, except you and Dante could alternate weekends. You go up one week, he goes up the next. That way your grandparents will have help whenever they need it, you don't have to see your brother that much, and if you every needed to have a weekend free you could switch with him or something."

"I actually kinda like that one," Cisco admitted, taking a bite of his soup. "But how do I even get them to see why I don't want to do the original plan in the first place?"

"You're just going to have to be honest with them," Caitlin said with a shrug. "Tell them that you still need time for enjoyment and friends, and while you love your grandparents and want to help them, you are just finding it really tough to believe that you are going to have to give up all your free time."

Cisco leaned foreword and buried his head in his hands, sighing miserably. "Couldn't you... come with me or something?"

"Cisco..." Caitlin said, patting his back. "This is between you and your family. The only reason I even know about it is because you told me. Don't you think it would be a little weird if I came with you?"

"No..?" Cisco tried, then sighed again. "Yes."

Caitlin nodded in agreement.

Whatever else they were going to say was interrupted as Winn and Felicity came over to the table. "Hey guys," Felicity greeted, setting down her lunch. "What's up?"

"Nothing much," Cisco said casually, shrugging. "Just talking."

"We having a nerd-meeting on Wednesday?" Winn asked. The other three stared blankly at him. "Sorry, are we having a "study group evening" on Wednesday?"

"Nerd-Meeting," Cisco snickered. "Yeah, sure, works for me."

"My house?" Felicity offered. "My mom probably won't mind."

"I'll have to check with my mom and ask Julian and Barry but it works for me," Caitlin agreed. "The usual time?"

"7:00 sounds good," Winn said. "I need to go over that chemistry quiz that Wells said we're having. He always throws in those really weird problems about Freezing-Point Depression and I never remember how to do the work."

"I can help you out with that," Caitlin told him, taking a gulp of milk. "It's really quite simple."

"Yeah, if you're a chem and bio genius," Felicity grumbled, but she sent Caitlin a grin to assure her there were no hard feelings around her intelligence.

Cisco snorted. "Says the girl who is going to get the highest high honors of like anybody ever in math!"

"That's math! It's different."

"Yeah," Caitlin agreed. "It's harder."

Felicity rolled her eyes.

Julian came over to the table and found his seat next to Caitlin, kissing her on the cheek in greeting. "Hello, everyone," he said, taking a bite of his lunch.

"You good for a nerd-meeting on Wednesday at 7:00?" Cisco asked, grinning.

Julian's confused frown only made the table laugh harder.

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"You know what the best thing about Thanksgiving is?" Kara asked as she and Mon-El sat together in their astronomy class, waiting for Hank Henshaw to arrive and start teaching.

"What?"

"The leftovers." Kara sighed dreamily and leaned back in her chair. "Would you believe that I had stuffing and turkey for lunch? Yum."

Mon-El laughed. "All we got to take home was the cranberry sauce," he grumped. "and a couple of pieces of pie."

"Cranberry sauce and pie is good," Kara said optimistically. "Well... not together. But apart, they are."

Hank came into the classroom and stomped to the front. "Attention, class," he said blandly, calling them to order. "Today we are going to be looking at the stars in Orion's belt."

After a long and frankly rather dull lesson, Mon-El and Kara gathered their things and walked out of class. "Sometimes I wonder why I take this class," Mon-El sighed. "I like the projects -don't get me wrong- but Henshaw could do a little better with the in-class lectures."

They walked together down the hallway and towards their lockers to prepare for study hall. After that, school would be over and they would be homeward bound. Kara was relieved- holidays always made her tired, even though the logic in that didn't make much sense.

"What's your favorite part about Thanksgiving?" Kara asked suddenly.

Mon-El blinked, stopping with her as she gathered her books. Normally, he would have thought the action a little bit weird, but they were in the middle of a conversation and he wasn't just going to... keep walking. "That was random."

"Not really," Kara shrugged. "I told you what mine was before class, and I was going to ask you your favorite part but then Mr. Henshaw came in."

"Right then, favorite part of Thanksgiving..." Mon-El paused and wrinkled his nose. "I dunno. I don't really like Thanksgiving all that much. I mean, the food's good and stuff- so I guess the food? Getting to sleep in, maybe?"

"Aw, but on Thanksgiving you get to spend quality time with your family," Kara protested. "I mean, my grandparents came down after Thanksgiving day, and Alex and I went shopping with my grandmother. I think that's really my favorite part, not the leftovers."

Mon-El laughed, slinging an arm casually over her shoulder as they continued down the hall towards his locker. Kara flushed, in parts surprised and pleased.

"I don't really have a family like that, though," he said. "I mean, you're super close with your mom and sister, but when I go to see my family I'm basically just babysitting the whole time. My grandmother is in the hospital with dementia and my grandfather died a super long time ago. And then the other side of my family is all in Alaska."

Kara's face slumped. "I'm so sorry, Mon-El," she said. "That's so awful."

Mon-El shrugged, bumping shoulders with her and dropping his arm once they reached his locker. "I don't mind. It's been like this for forever, you know? Never known any different."

Kara's forehead scrunched. "Still doesn't make it right."

"No," Mon-El grabbed his books and tucked them into his backpack before he and Kara continued down the hall. "But it makes it easier."

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"I'm getting bored with the mundaneness of the drama life of AV high," Iris complained at lunch the next day. "I mean, come on. Felicity and Oliver got back together. Kara and Mon-El are the same as they've always been. Sara and Leonard are basically slow burn to the max-"

"Hey!" Sara protested, shoving her friend lightly in the arm.

"Barry and I never have a falling out, Maggie and Alex are the classic will-they-won't-they-couple, but in between episodes where things happen-"

Both Thea and Sara wrinkled their noses, confused.

"As in they're boring and nothing interesting's going on with them," Iris elaborated. "Laurel doesn't have a boyfriend or even a crush, according to Sara, Caitlin and Julian are basically already married, and any other couple out there we don't have much business knowing about!" She huffed. "I know, I know. But I can't have ins everywhere in school."

"You forgot about me and Roy," Thea pouted.

Iris leaned in, interested. "Oh? Did something happen?"

Thea's mouth slid off to the side. "Well. No."

"Exactly!" Iris exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air. "Nothing interesting ever happens around here and I'm getting bored with just the same old classes."

"Dude, we literally just started school again," Sara snorted. "Do you really expect there to be some sort of excitement only two days after break ends?"

"Yes," Iris huffed.

They fell into silence for a moment, before Iris spoke up again. "What we need is a sleepover."

Sara and Thea both raised their eyebrows, interested.

"And not just any sleepover," Iris continued. "I want to have a sleepover with you girls, and Caitlin and Felicity and Kara."

"Not Maggie and Alex and Laurel, too?" Thea asked, thinking of the other girls in the extended friend group.

"Meh." Iris shrugged. "Seniors aren't into all that drama and excitement- especially not them."

Sara mirrored her shrug. "You'd be surprised. Anyway, continue your 'super sleepover planning'."

"We should all play truth or dare," Thea said, nodding decisively.

"Laaaaame..." Sara groaned, leaning over the table. "How old are we- nine?"

"Truth or Dare is not lame!" Thea exclaimed defensively. "I remember this one time when I played it at a sleepover when I was... um, okay, ten, and I was asked who my biggest crush was, and then when I told them who it was, they went completely berserk and texted him!"

"Well, that's all fine and traumatic and all," Sara said, rolling her eyes, "but that really wouldn't work for any of us because we all have boyfriends or are in a mutual friend-zone that we are working towards changing."

"Like you?"

"Like me," Sara confirmed. "I'm telling you ladies, someday I'm going to kiss that Leonard Snart."

Iris giggled, nudging her in the shoulder, and glanced at Thea. "Alright, spill. Did you kiss Roy? You said you were going to over vacation when you texted."

Thea slumped down in her seat, giving away the answer before she even spoke. "No..." she mumbled. "I was going to, but then Rasia called us down for lunch! What's a girl supposed to do, kiss him and run? No no no, that's not at all romantic enough for my first- hmm, nope: fifth kiss. But my first kiss with Roy, anyway."

"Girl, you've kissed someone five times?!" Iris gaped.

"Like you haven't."

"Not five different people!" Iris protested. "Unless Barry is five different people."

Sara giggled. "Well, you guys all beat me, I haven't even had my first kiss."

Thea sighed, patting her forearm. "Poor, innocent, young Sara-"

"I'm older then you!" Sara huffed. "I just haven't gotten around to it yet. I'm much too busy for a boyfriend- you two are basically all I can handle."

Iris laughed, and Thea shrugged. "Okay, okay, point taken. Let's get back to that sleepover. Which house?"

"Thea's, obviously. Her house is the biggest," Iris said. "Or mine, 'cause I'm the one who's inviting you." She frowned, scrunching her mouth to the side. "Gonna have to get Barry out of the house though. Don't want him to be traumatized by anything we do."

"Oh yes, six girls, very traumatizing," Sara agreed sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Whatever will Barry do?"

"Maybe I can put in a good word and get one of his male friends to have him over," Iris said thoughtfully, ignoring her. "Ah well, we'll figure it out. I'll start a group text tonight after I check with my dad to figure out timing." She grinned suddenly. "I'm excited! We haven't done something like this in ages."

Thea tilted her head to the side contemplatively. "Yeah, it may very well be the first time since... 3rd grade?"

"Fourth... fifth?" Sara mused. "Fifth. Sixth?"

"Does it matter?"

"Noooo..."

The bell rang and all three of them jumped. Iris stuffed a large piece of bagel in her mouth and reluctantly put the rest of it into her lunchbox. "We better get going," she said. "Talk later?"

"See ya," Sara said, skipping away through the cafeteria.

Thea walked away with a wave to go and join Roy as they walked down to their lockers and Iris went in her own direction towards her first class after lunch.

Hopefully, Iris thought, by the time the sleepover was over, she would have plenty of good drama to distract herself with during history class.

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"Hey, Caitlin!"

Caitlin turned around and smiled when she saw Kara coming down the hall towards her.

"What's up, Kara?"

"Are you going to be going to that sleepover thingy on Saturday night at Thea's?" Kara asked, joining her friend in walking down the hall. "I wanted to know if you were going first because I don't want to be the only one not in the Iris-Thea-Sara group. That would be kinda awkward."

"Yeah, I was thinking about going," Caitlin said. "I think Felicity is, too, so you won't be alone."

"Great, thanks," Kara nodded. She was silent for a moment, then suddenly blurted: "Um, this is going to be really awkward, but how can you tell when a guy wants to kiss you? I mean, normally I would just ask sister but my she isn't... well, she isn't into guys so she won't really get it and nearly all of my other friends are male."

Caitlin smiled. "Uh... I might not be the best person to ask," she admitted. "When Julian first kissed me it was totally spur of the moment. Like, we weren't even dating. With you and Mon-El... Maybe it's the kind of thing that you could bring up at the sleepover?"

Kara fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. "Yeah, I guess..." she mumbled. "I just don't want them to totally overreact. And you and Julian just seem to have such a good relationship..."

Caitlin tiled her head to the side, considering the question again. "Maybe you should just talk to him?" she suggested. "I mean, it might seem like a super awkward conversation at first, but sometimes communication is just the best way to go. Ask Mon-El if he wants to keep moving your relationship foreword, or tell him that you are ready to kiss him whenever he is. You don't want to force him into anything, and I'm sure he doesn't want to force you, just with how he is. You guys are gonna be at a standstill forever if no one says anything."

"Okay," Kara nodded, taking a deep breath. "Thanks, Caitlin. And maybe I will bring it up on Saturday... I guess I'll just see what the other girls have to say. My life-drama doesn't tend to be very interesting."

"I know what you mean," Caitlin agreed. "Drama is only fun if it's someone else's."

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The now officially named "nerd group" meeting convened at precisely 7:00. Barry arrived at 7:03. They were all very impressed.

"I'm convinced you're getting better, mate," Julian said, patting Barry on the back. "I think Iris' trick of setting your watch back ten minutes might actually be working."

Barry beamed and pulled out his math book. "That would be nice," he said. "I can't imagine that my first job is going to be as forgiving of lateness as my teachers."

"It's my personal opinion that if you put enough work into your job and do it well, people will be able to overlook little rules that you break," Cisco spoke up. "Like, per say, chewing on gum during class."

Caitlin's mouth dropped open a little. "They let you chew gum?"

Both Cisco and Felicity nodded, then exchanged glances. "Gee, I thought I was the only one," Cisco sighed.

"Sorry, hippy," Felicity grinned, nudging his shoulder. "Whenever you think that your special, you're most likely not."

"Oof," Winn winced, setting down his books with a thump and massaging his shoulders. "Harsh."

"Dr. Wells told me today that no matter how good you are at something, someone is always going to be better," Caitlin sighed, leaning back against the chair she was sitting in front of. "I'm really trying to figure out if he's telling me that I need to work harder, or if he was just... you know, being Dr. Wells."

"No one's better then you at chemistry, Caitlin," Julian said, slinging his arm around her shoulders. "Except maybe me."

Cisco snorted, Felicity shook her head, and Barry looked a little uncomfortable. Caitlin glared at her boyfriend, and shoved him lightly in the side. "It's moments like these when I understand why people think you're pompous," she huffed.

"Guilty," Julian shrugged. "It's just part of my charm."

Winn coughed. "Um, anyway," he said, looking like he was debating whether to laugh or cringe so hard he fell over. "About that chemistry test tomorrow..."

They settled down to work in their normal positions: Caitlin sitting pretzel leg with her textbook in her lap, back against a chair; Winn stretched out on his stomach with his head propped up on his hand; Julian slouched over his book, chin resting his palm; Felicity sitting with her weight propped up on one hand, notes on the floor in front of her; Cisco rolling around on the floor like a fish, book held above his head; and Barry sitting with his legs out in front of him, crossed at the ankles.

Halfway through the study session, Donna Smoak brought out plates of store bought cookies and crackers. They all dug in eagerly, and Caitlin gave Felicity an envious look. "You're mom is so awesome," she said with a sigh. "My mom probably wouldn't even let me have you guys over. She nearly bit my head off when Julian came over for Thanksgiving."

Barry gave her a sympathetic look and Winn patted her shoulder. "I feel you, girl," he said. "Life is tough when you've only got one parent, especially when they don't pay attention to you."

Felicity propped her head up on her hand, taking another bite of cookie and watching her mom bustle around the kitchen through the open doorway. "Yeah, she's pretty cool," she agreed. "I guess I just don't really think about it. This is how she's always been."

"Normality is what is taken most for granted," Julian said sagely. Barry nodded, impressed, and he grinned. "You guys can totally quote me on that."

Caitlin giggled, bumping his knee with her own. "When did you get so wise, Julian?" she teased.

He grinned at her. "Maybe after I decided to turn my life around and stop being pompous. Because Caitlin Snow, you are easily the smartest person in that chemistry class."

Author's Note: Well, hello there filler chapter. *insert eye-rolling emoji* Sorry if that was awful- I had to set a the sleepover up and I didn't want to start anything too exciting.