Author's Note: Guys I'm thriving- as I'm editing this chapter to prepare for posting I'm sitting outside in the sun in SHORT SLEEVES! We love a heat flash in March :D :D
"Today's the day ladies," Sara said in a low voice. She, Thea and Iris were camped out behind some convenient lockers, their eyes locked on Nate Haywood, who was fiddling with his combination lock.
Thea looked over at Iris. "You ready?" she asked, grinning.
"I am," Iris confirmed. She put her hands in the middle. "For Natari?"
"Hey, ship names are my job!" Thea protested, but she put her hand on Iris'.
"For Natari," Sara confirmed, putting her hand on the top.
Iris and Thea strode towards Nate and casually 'bumped into him'. The three of them tumbled in different directions on the floor, a few kids forced to jump out of the way to avoid tripping over them.
"Oh my gosh!" Thea gushed. "I'm so so sorry." She got to her feet and made a big show of noticing Nate for the first time. "Hang on... you're Nate, right?"
"Yep," Nate replied, smiling. "You're Sara's friends, right?"
Darn. Iris and Thea exchanged looks. This wasn't going as planned.
"Uhh, yeah," Iris said, an idea striking her. "I didn't know you guys knew each other."
"Yeah, we were friends in middle school," Nate explained.
Still behind the locker, Sara bit back a growl of frustration. This was what happened when you based an entire plan off of someone following a script they didn't know existed.
"You know, she might have mentioned you," Thea mused thoughtfully, then added with laugh: "Not nearly as much as Zari, though."
Iris gave her a look, playing along. "Thea!" she scolded.
Nate looked suddenly bashful. "Wait... Zari talks about me? Like Zari Tomaz? I didn't even know she knew you guys."
"Yeah, a little," Thea lied, shrugging offhandedly. "And yes. She talks about you basically all the time." She paused. "That probably sounds really creepy. It's not- I swear."
Nate laughed. "No, no, that's fine. What does she, uh... what does she say? About me?"
Iris waggled her finger. "Now that is strictly confidential," she said teasingly. "Thea shouldn't have said anything at all, which means that we should be making our exit before she spills anymore tea. Have a great day, Nate."
"Sorry we bumped into you!" Thea called over her shoulder as Iris dragged her away.
Sara waited until they had turned the corner before hurrying after them to celebrate. "That went great!" she cried, grabbing Iris and Thea's hands. "I bet that Zari and Nate will be together within the week."
"Hold up," Iris said, putting up her hands. "You put in all that work and you're just leaving it up to chance now? Nate is still a high school boy. The chances are still quite low that he'll make a move on Zari."
Sara shrugged, unable to get what Leonard had talked to her about out of her head. "Yeah..." she agreed. "But let's at least give them a little time. Some things have to happen naturally, you know?"
Thea and Iris looked at each other and laughed.
"Naturally," Thea scoffed, starting off down the hall. "Who gets in a relationship naturally?"
"Don't think it's possible," Iris agreed.
Sighing, Sara shook her head and followed them down the hallway.
AV-High-AV-High-AV-High-AV-High-AV-High-AV-High-AV-High-AV-High-AV-High
Thea: Hello everyone. Welcome to the biggest group chat in AV High history
Iris: lol that's so not true
Iris: There's literally 9 people in this gc it's not THAT big
Felicity: Big enough for me
Felicity: I don't have like half these contacts who is everyone?
Nia: Yah same
Nia: I'm Nia Nal btw
Nia: Thanks for including me in this guys :) :)
Thea: Well duh you're a part of the squad now
Sara: Poor you XD
Thea named the group chat Princesses of Prom Dresses
Alex: This is Alex Danvers
Kara: And Kara Danvers
Laurel: Laurel
Sara: Sup dooodes it's Sara
Caitlin: Hey guys! It's Caitlin!
Thea: Alright I think that's everyone
Thea: We are gathered here today because I want to plan a giant dress-shopping excursion to Macy's and beyond to get our Prom Dresses
Iris: She wants to do it all together so we don't have duplicate dresses because who wants that?
Thea: Um yeah but ALSO because it's fun?
Kara: ooooh I'm in! I need a dress
Alex: Why isn't Maggie on this?
Thea: I talked to her- she's getting a suit and she didn't want to spoil the surprise for your dress. She's cool w it I promise
Alex: Ok
Kara: So what are we thinking for timing? My calendar is open and ready to plan lol
Caitlin: Weekends work best for me
Nia: Same
Laurel: We still planning on dresses AND a sleepover?
Nia: Ooh funnnnn
Thea: Yep! So Sat into Sun?
Felicity: I'll check hang on
Kara: Works for Alex and me!
Laurel: Same for Sara and Laurel
Iris: All clear
Thea: Wait seriously
Thea: It was that easy lol
Sara: XD
Nia: I'm good to go!
Caitlin: Ahhhh sorry guys I can't make it Saturday night D: I can do the dress shopping tho
Caitlin: I'm meeting Julian's parents on Saturday for dinner
Caitlin: Please send help
Thea: NOOOOO Caitlin D: D:
Felicity: I'm back and can make it!
Felicity: Aw CAITLIN D:
Caitlin: Don't reschedule tho it's totally fine
Iris: ru sure?
Caitlin: Yes definitely
Thea: Ok :(
Thea: Then dress shopping and to my house afterward
Laurel: Sounds like a plan
AV-High-AV-High-AV-High-AV-High-AV-High-AV-High-AV-High-AV-High-AV-High
Kara and Winn were standing in the parking lot, waiting for Winn's mother to show up. Kara reached over and rubbed her friend's arm. "You ready?"
"No," Winn mumbled, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Granted, I don't think I ever will be ready."
"No one expects you to be," Kara assured him.
Today was the day that Winn Schott Sr. made his reappearance into his son's life. Mrs. Schott would be picking them up (Winn wanted Kara with him for all of this), and when she brought them home Winn's dad would be there.
A shout made them both look around. James was running across the blacktop, waving at them. "Hey," he panted when he got close enough, hands on his knees. "Sorry- I wasn't sure if you'd left yet."
"Nope," Winn replied, smiling a little. "Still here."
James straightened up and put his hand on Winn's shoulder. "If you need anything- and that includes a place to crash for the night- give me a call. We have a guest bedroom with the most comfortable pull-out couch in the world."
"Thanks man," Winn grinned, before asking, "How'd it go with Lena?"
"Wait, whaaaat?" Kara asked, intrigued. "How did what go with Lena?"
James looked a little bashful. "I asked her to prom," he explained, hooking his thumbs into his belt-loops. "She said yes."
Winn broke into a grin. "Hey!" he cried exuberantly, slapping James on the arm. "That's exactly the kind of news I needed to hear right now."
Kara was smiling, too. "I'm happy for you two," she told James brightly. "Honestly I think you'll make an adorable pair."
There was a honking horn from behind them and Winn glanced over his shoulder. "That's my mom," he reported, his face falling a little. He looked back to James. "I'll text you later, okay?"
James nodded. "Good luck, man," he told his friend, before turning and walking off.
Kara looked over at Winn. "Shall we?"
"No time like the present," Winn sighed, and he led the blonde to his mom's car.
"Thank you for being here, Kara," Mrs. Schott babbled as she pulled out of AV High's parking lot. "I know it means a lot to Winn- honestly, it means a lot to both of us. Winn, I've already dealt with the parol officer and everything so when we get home it'll just be your father, okay? You don't have to do or say anything to him that you don't want to. I made some cookies so that we can just sit at the counter and eat but no one expects you to talk."
Winn nodded stiffly. "Thanks mom," he muttered. "Not-talking isn't exactly my forte, though."
"Are you sure you want me to be around for all of this?" Kara asked softly. A part of her was kind of hoping Winn would decide he actually didn't want her there, because sitting and eating cookies with the newly reunited Schott family sounded majorly awkward to her. "I don't want to intrude-"
Winn gave her a look. "He's the one intruding," he said harshly. "You've been there for me more in the last five years than my dad has over the course of my entire life."
Unsure of how to reply, Kara put her hand on his knee.
When they arrived at the Schott's little house, they found Winslow Sr. standing on the porch with a smile on his face and his hands clasped in front of him. "Winn!" he cried as soon as the teen got out of the car. "Look at you. Look at how much you've grown!"
Winn nodded stiffly at him. "That's what happens when time passes," he said stiffly.
Winslow's smile dipped a little but it relighted when he saw his wife. "And my darling. Did I see that you made cookies? I haven't had a good chocolate chip cookie in... well, I can barely remember the last time."
Mrs. Schott smiled at him and led them all inside. It was only once they were in the kitchen that Winslow noticed Kara. "Oh? And who's this?" He nudged Winn with an elbow and didn't seem to catch the way his son went board-stiff. "A girlfriend?"
"No," Winn replied.
"Ohhhh..." Winslow said in, still teasingly. "Not yet, anyway."
"No, dad, we're just friends," Winn said harshly. "Which you would know if you had been around last year when I got my heart broken."
Kara's cheeks lit on fire and Winn seemed to know immediately that he'd said something wrong. "Kara," he began, spinning to face her.
"It's fine," she mumbled, sticking her hands in her pockets and not looking him in the eyes. All of the sudden she did not want to be here at all.
The four of them sat down to cookies but no one seemed to have much of an appetite, save for Winn Sr. He inhaled three chocolate chip cookies in a row before letting out a groan of satisfaction. "Now this. This right here is what home tastes like." He put his hand on top of Mrs. Schott's. "Thank you, my love. I know how busy you are."
"Cookies don't take that long," Mrs. Schott replied faintly, giving him a responding pat on the hand.
As soon as Kara felt she had been there long enough to fulfill her promise to support Winn, she got to her feet. "Sorry to bail on you all but I have a ton of homework," she lied, making for the exit. "Uhh... nice to meet you, Mr. Schott. See you in school, Winn."
She barely waited for any of them to reply, just grabbed her coat and hurried out of the house. She pulled out her phone and called her mom. "Hey! Change of plans- can you pick me up now?"
"Oh, I thought that the Schott's were going to drive you home?" Eliza replied.
"Change of plans," Kara repeated. "They were still... reunion-ing, so I figured I should give them some space."
"On my way," Eliza reported. "I take it it went well, then? I thought for sure we'd have Winn sleeping over tonight."
"Uh, nope, no, it went pretty badly," Kara replied with a strained laugh, setting off down the sidewalk in case any member of the Schott family came outside and found her still in their driveway. "I'll... tell you about it later."
When Eliza pulled over on the side of the road to pick Kara up, the first thing she did was give her mom a hug. "Thank you," she said seriously as she pulled away and buckled her seat belt.
Eliza raised her eyebrow. Affection wasn't exactly uncommon from her girls, especially Kara, but it always surprised her a little. "For what?"
"For being..." Kara screwed up her face, unsure of how to word what she wanted to say. "There. For being there."
Touched, Eliza reached over and put a hand on her knee. "Always."
Author's Note: Ok soooo my reason for doing this is because I never really covered the whole Winn-brokenhearted drama, because I jumped right in with Mon-El and didn't think of it. So this is my way to still use the plot muahaha XD