Wally desperately wanted to be a gentleman about his and Artemis' sleeping arrangements. The spare room was steadily becoming the nursery so Wally slept on the couch for the first couple of nights.

Sure it hurt his back and neck and the living room was drafty as all get out, but he didn't want to be creepy by sharing the bed with her. Artemis insisted that she wouldn't find it intrusive. "What can you do? Get me more pregnant?" She deadpanned.

So that's how he found himself sharing his bed with her on a snowy Saturday afternoon.

Artemis was trying to take a nap but she complained that she was cold. "Want me to turn up the heat?" She shook her head. "No, you can warm me up. Don't wanna raise the bill too much." Wally nodded as he laid on his side. She leaned back into his arms and he automatically reached out to rub her belly. He told himself that he was doing it in an effort to soothe the baby but deep down he knew he was doing it to be closer to her. "She's so rowdy." Artemis snapped Wally out of his thoughts with her soft words. "She's just saying hello." "With her feet in my ribs?" "I never said she was doing a good job."

They lay still for a minute and for a second Wally thought at least one of them was asleep until he felt a little nudge against his hand. "What should we name her?" Artemis turned her head to face him and he felt a flutter in his chest. She really is beautiful. He thought to himself. "We should give her a name that she won't be crucified for." "Oh definitely. She'll need to be able to spell her name too."

Laying there with her discussing names for their unborn daughter brought him a strange kind ease for the first time in the last couple of weeks. Artemis sensed something was up but he didn't want to tell her about his torture at the hands of the cheer team, she didn't need that kind of drama.

Once Artemis was finally asleep Wally rolled out of bed.

"When did Happy Harbor become Degrassi?" Conner growled. Dick turned to him. "You watch Degrassi?" "Last summer me and Megan watched each other's favorite shows. You should have seen the pure look of scandalization on her face when we watched Game of Thrones." Conner said with a fond smile before getting serious again. "But I mean it. What's up with all the drama?" Dick sighed. "It has become a real shit show around here."

After Linda quit the team the school descended into madness.

Reports varied but what was known for fact was Linda shut down in every other aspect as well. She wasn't active in student government or club activities. She had started eating alone and she didn't do much out of school anymore. "Let's get to the bottom of it." Dick said as he saw Linda out the corner of his eye. Conner shook his head. "Count me out entirely. I want no parts. Just tell me what you find out." "That counts as some parts you know?" Conner rolled his eyes. "No direct involvement then."

Dick took a deep breath before making his way over. "I know that we haven't talked in ages but I just wanted to make sure that you're okay." Linda looked at him with her jaw set. "I'm fine. " She spat. "I mean, anyone could understand you being pissed. Those pom pom waving demons had no right to insert themselves into matters of no consequence to them." "I don't want to be a charity." She whispered. Dick sat next to her and rubbed her back as she started to cry. "Everyone feels like they have to defend me or pity me and I'm sick of it! I was doing just fine before everyone came nosing around. Wally and I handled things privately. It's not anyone else's concern. I just, I feel there's so much happening and it's all too fast." She wiped her face clean. "I just want things to be normal. I'm tired."

The weight of her words crashed on Dick like a ton of bricks. "What is normal anyway?" Linda looked at him, almost as if she was peering into his very soul. "It's what you make it." She declared.

For the first time in her life Linda wasn't in control.

Not only was it scary, it bothered her. Not knowing what was going to happen or what the day had in store. This was uncharted territory. A freedom such as that would be cause for celebration if she wasn't who she was. Linda Park, the girl with a plan, the girl with direction. She looked at herself in the mirror and catalogued everything about her physical appearance.

Well, she could still control the way she looked. She could cover up her dark circles and practice her best smiles all she wanted. She could switch up her eye liner. She could wear a different shade of lipstick. She could eat herself sick and gain five pounds. She could get a tattoo, get a piercing.

Anything to be back in control.

Linda straightened her back as she assessed herself. When she turned around she saw how long her hair had gotten, it was almost to her waist now. A small petty voice in the back of her mind told her to grow it ages ago. Maybe Wally would like you more if your hair was like hers. It taunted. Linda glared at herself, at the echo of her insecurities. Clearly, it doesn't matter. She searched her closet for her craft bin before pulling out the sharpest pair of scissors she owned.

And she realized that she wasn't truly in control, not ever. She was pushed. Pushed by her parents to do well in school, to go to Harvard. Pushed by High School politics, pushed by teachers, peers, coaches. Do her best, be the best.

But this time it was her hand guiding her where she wanted to go. Her desire to please people turned her into a puppet.

She looked herself in the eyes as she made the first cut. As her hair got shorter she felt more free.

With every snip she felt lighter, like a weight had been lifted. She didn't understand how something as simple as cutting her hair could be so freeing but then it hit her.

She was cutting her strings.

Linda Park was a puppet no more.

It took the intervention of Wendy and Karen to get the girls under control.

They both had left the team after football season to better focus on school but the girls still loved and respected them. Karen held a bonfire in her backyard and set everyone straight. "If Linda wanted help she would have asked for it. What some of you chose to do to Wally was beyond rude and unwarranted. All involved should be ashamed." Wendy said as she roasted a marshmallow with shaking hands.

"Don't let it happen again. We have to stick together but that doesn't mean butting in where we don't belong. Did it ever occur to you that by behaving like pack animals and constantly bringing it up had a negative impact on Linda? Put yourself in her shoes." Karen wasn't seething as much as Wendy but Megan could see the disappointment in her eyes.