Many people thought that the cheer team was a clique but it was more akin to little warring factions that came together for the love of the sport. Well, mostly.

There were the ones that were the stereotypical snotty types that only stayed on until the end of football season for the social status, the year rounders who just wanted to go to sporting events for free, the wide eyed Freshman that thought High School would be like the movies and the few that simply loved to cheer. Megan was a wide eyed Freshman first but the longer she was on the team, the less it was a misguided attempt to live in a teen sitcom.

After the news broke that Wally got Artemis pregnant the cheer team did become a proper clique. Some of the snotty girls even stood up for Linda even though they weren't on the team anymore.

While the united front thing was nice, it blew up in Megan's face. Since she was friends with Wally she became an outcast. The rumor mill was unaware that Wally and Linda weren't together at the time. Wally and Linda both were basically radio silent about the breakup until now. Even when Linda explicitly stated during practice that they were broken up it didn't stop anyone from calling Wally a cheater and Megan a traitor. As many times as Linda tried doing damage control and insisting she didn't care, the team pressed on with their ostracization of Megan. It only got worse when it was discovered that Artemis was moving in with Wally.

"Listen, they're having a baby together. Of course they're cohabitating." Linda rolled her eyes as the information was relayed to her. "Why the actual fuck do you all come to me with this? Do you honestly think I want to be obsessively wrapped up in my ex-boyfriend's business? I don't care! In fact, I quit!" Linda tossed down her poms and grabbed her gym bag on her way out.

And somehow, it was Megan's fault.

"You should have been the one to tell her Morris." Megan threw up her hands in defeat. "It has nothing to do with me. And why would I tell her something like that? She said so herself that she didn't care. Neither should any of you."

"Miss Lance do you have a minute?" Linda asked as she knocked on the door to the counselor's office. She had only seen her a few times to discuss classes, her future plans and in general, academics. This was her first time coming to her with something deeply personal.

"Of course Linda. What can I help you with?"

"My life's a mess." She took a deep breath before she began.

Wally sat down at the lunch table smelling faintly of alcohol. "Where were you for third period?" Conner asked. It was very much unlike him to miss or skip class. Wally sighed. "I needed to get away. I know that I messed up and that I'm an asshole but I don't need a pack of wild cheerleaders reminding me every five seconds. Notes in my locker, in my car, on my seat in class. I'm sick of it." He confessed. "My Dad's away at a sober house or something so I snuck to my parents house and took the edge off."

"Is that wise?" Dick asked. Wally shrugged. "Probably not." Zatanna entered the cafeteria and waved Dick over. "I'll be back." He sighed. Zatanna pulled him into the hallway and he frowned. "You can't text?" "Shut up." Zatanna snapped. "We're the King and Empress of meddling and we need to get these cheerleaders under control." "Why do you get to be the Empress?" "Because I have the bone structure. Are you in or are you in?"

"I'm out. I'm not playing any part in anything." Megan said as Zatanna got in the passenger seat of her car. "This isn't about Operation SpongeBob and Patrick, it's about your bitch ass teammates being bullies and involving themselves in situations that don't affect them. I totally get standing by and behind your girl, but to my knowledge Linda isn't cut up about it." Megan sighed and banged her head into her steering wheel. "I'm too old for this shit. And they hate me by association and it's gotten worse since Linda quit the team."

Zatanna gasped. "What? Why?" "She got fed up with everyone telling her Wally's business. They're a bunch of drama hounds." Zatanna groaned and leaned her head back. "Thanks for being my lift to and from school though. I really do appreciate it." Megan offered a closed mouth smile. "No problem."

It was 4 o'clock in the morning and Artemis couldn't sleep. She had yet to reach the "uncomfortable" stage her mother warned her about and she wasn't sure she'd be able to survive it at this rate. She got out of bed, which her body protested, and made her way to the fridge, hoping to find something to quench her thirst. She rubbed her belly idly as she ended up downing three bottled waters which immediately sent her to the bathroom.

"For all my pain and suffering you had better be the closest thing to perfection." She looked down and told her belly.

Since coming back from Southampton things between her and Wally were about as tense as they were Sophomore year.

Even though they were now living together they rarely talked to each other if it didn't have anything to do with the baby. There was an air of almost hostility about them but the peace was so delicate and Artemis didn't want to be the one to break it. After she finished in the bathroom she looked at herself in the mirror.

Her dark circles had dark circles and the lightning did her skin no favors. She studied her features and wondered which of them her baby would inherit. Certainly not my widow's peak. She hoped.

As she tried (for the 10th time that night) to find sleep she dreamed of her little girl with her father's sweet smile and not a trace of her mother to be found.