"You're fucking flawless, you absolutely ate that shit up," Selina was still squeezing her, arms tight around her neck while Harley was gripping her waist. "I'm so fucking proud of you, Pam."
"You did it!" Harley was close to tears. "Pam, you really did it!"
"That last set was killer!" there was Dick.
"An exemplary performance," Pam could hear the pride in Diana's voice.
"You earned every point," Bruce's hand was on her shoulder.
…and suddenly Pamela felt another presence. She separated slowly from Selina and Harley. Usually, she made sure to keep her smiles semi-cautious around her mother, that way, when she inevitably said something that broke a little part of her, she could effectively mask the pain. But on this occasion, Pam was far too happy to wear a mask for her.
She'd succeeded. Finally, Pamela had triumphed at something that was all her own. Something that didn't require she share credit with her brilliant parents. This victory was hers alone. Not Selina's, not Bruce's, not Diana's, not Dick's…and certainly not her mother's. This was Pamela's athletic achievement, and like Bruce had said, she'd earned every point.
"Seems you managed to make the trip worth my while," her mother smiled, not exactly warmly, but with more behind her eyes than her typical silent disappointment. "I'm impressed."
That statement nearly stole Pam's breath, but before she could respond, a teenage reporter was approaching her, thrusting a tape recorder in front of her to say, "Lois Lane, Metropolis Academy Chronical. Pamela Isley, how does it feel to succeed where you failed last year?"
Pam tore her eyes away from her mother to answer the question. "Vindicating. I'm…proud, of what I did here today."
"And if you had to pinpoint a highlight of this victory for you?"
"My mother was here to see it," the words slipped out before Pam could stop them, and her face instantly went beet red. A flash of something passed through Lillian's eyes, but in the next instant, it was gone.
/
"Settle down, everyone, settle down," Principal Waller was saying into her microphone. "Happy Friday. Now, as soon as you let me get on with the announcements, I can let you get on with your day."
Harley settled in with a sign, resting her head on Pam's shoulder. She hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, her mom had picked up an extra shift, leaving Harley to take care of Zeb and his toothache until like 2am. Sometimes, Harley liked to imagine what it would be like to live in Pam's house, with all its silence and empty, open space…peaceful, she imagined.
Like, sure, Pam had her own issues and challenges, and her home life wasn't exactly "cozy", but she could always, at the very least, get a full night's sleep. Harley was a little jealous of that. But at least Pam was generous, with her money and her time, and her energy too, if that makes sense…It was easy for Harley to feel peaceful around her, and that's not something Harley really was. Pam was the first person she'd ever met who could slow her down.
"Here," Selina was whispering, nudging her with a coffee cup. Frowning, Harley lifted her head from Pam's shoulder, taking the cup from her as Selina sat down, reaching around the blonde to hand one to Pam as well.
"What's this for?" Harley whispered back.
"It's something with a lot of sugar and caffeine."
"No, I know what it is, but why?" Harley wondered.
"You liked one of my pictures at like 3am, you stalker. Thought you'd need a little pick-me-up. Just drink it and be grateful."
"—in the world of athletics, I'd like to congratulate Junior Pamela Isley on her girl's singles tennis state championship. Could you stand, please, Ms. Isley? It's been 5 years since one of our girls has won that title, so let's give her a round of applause."
Pam readily got to her feet, her grin filled with satisfaction, looking ridiculously cute in her letterman's jacket. Dick whistled and Harley led the rest of the auditorium in applause.
"Gotham Preparatory Academy is proud of you, Ms. Isley," Waller said as the applause began to die down. "This afternoon we'll be hanging a championship banner in the gym in your honor. We appreciate all of your hard work."
Pam was in the process of sitting back down when a male voice yelled, "Dyke!" from somewhere behind them. Harley's posture suddenly grew rigid, Selina shooting up from her chair as Pam sat down, the brunette turning around to shout, "Who said that?"
"Please, Ms. Kyle, sit down," Waller instructed, her tone firm.
"Whoever it is, he's just salty she wouldn't fuck him," Selina shot back, making sure that she was heard, even without a microphone.
"Ms. Kyle!" Waller was pissed. "I will see you in my office as soon as we're done here."
"Whatever," Selina mumbled, rolling her eyes as she sat back down in a huff.
Harley waited until Waller had moved on to turn to Pam, taking her hand and whispering, "Are you OK, Red?"
"I'm fine," Pam's response was tight, her mouth barely moving when she spoke, and she pulled her hand away at the same time, instead picking up the coffee Selina had brought for her.
"Pammy, I don't—,"
"Harley, please," Pam stopped her. "Just…not right now."
Rather unsuccessful in hiding her annoyance, Harley slumped back into her chair, glowering at Waller. When she couldn't stand being silent any longer, she snapped her head in Selina's direction, hissing: "You've gotta be more careful."
Selina raised an eyebrow, beyond surprised at her tone. "I'm sorry?"
"That's the kinda shit that gets people suspended, Selina. And if you're not allowed to compete at Nationals we're screwed."
Harley could tell Selina was working hard to keep her voice down when she responded, "First off, chill out. You've had a taste of power but you're not on my level, alright? So pipe the fuck down, you're not ready to challenge the throne. 2nd, I don't get suspended, I know how to use my privilege. And 3rd, maybe you should defend your own girlfriend next time."
"Or," Pam leaned forward to speak to both of them. "You two could let me defend myself."
"Oh, sure," Selina chuckled at that. "Because you have such a sterling track record of that."
Diana, who was sitting a row behind them, butted in to say, "You three need to either drink your coffee or take a nap, you're very crabby this morning."
"I was in an excellent mood until I had a slur shouted at me during morning assembly," Pam disagreed with Diana's assessment.
"I'm sure it was J," Bruce gritted.
"Oh, I know it was," Pam said. "And we're not going to retaliate."
Even Bruce seemed bothered by this. "Pam, he—,"
"Is not worth it," Pam finished for him. "Anything I do in response will just confirm it for him, and that's more dangerous than him yelling at me because his daddy doesn't love him, or whatever, I have little interest in psychology and no time for him."
Harley watched Pam as she spoke, watched some of the empathy leave her eyes, replaced with something colder, like she could suddenly empty the warmth from her. And Harley…found herself curious, in a way she couldn't quite explain.
But no one could really argue with what she'd said, and so they didn't.
"—and I hope to see you at tonight's game," Waller finished.
/
"Hey."
"Yes?" Pamela allowed Harley to lead her around a corner by the arm, separating them from their peers and from Selina who'd been sacrificed to Waller in the name of Pam's honor.
"That guy's a prick," Harley said, taking Pam's hands in hers and looking her in the eye. "And you deserve to be defended."
Pam sighed first, leaning forward until she was resting her forehead against Harley's before she smiled. "I appreciate that, Harley. I appreciate you and Selina and Bruce and Dick and Diana…but I promise you I can take care of myself."
"I know, but—Pam you're…I don't know," Harley shook her head, evidently undecided on where that was headed. "It's like, you're brilliant and so cool...except you're also kind've a nerd? But so hot that nobody notices? And you're also, like, innocent, in some ways…but also not?"
Pam raised an eyebrow, not sure if she should be charmed or offended. "I sound like quite the enigma."
"You are," Harley laughed, checking the hallway before kissing her. "But anyway, listen, I miss you."
Now it was Pam's turn to chuckle. "Harley, we see each other every day."
"Yeah, but we're never alone anymore, and when we are it always feels kinda rushed," Pam could tell this saddened Harley. The blonde was holding onto her jacket now. "What are you doing tonight?"
Pam brushed a lock of hair behind Harley's ear, her eyes tracing her jawline… "Tennis season is over, so homework, I suppose."
"Let me take you out," Harley insisted.
"Like, on a date?"
"Yes, on a date," Harley giggled. "We're dating, aren't we? So let me take you out, just me and you. We can get some dinner or something."
"OK," Pamela found herself smiling. "I'll meet you at yours."
/
Principal Waller was sitting behind her desk when Selina entered, her hands steepled in front of her, one eyebrow already raised in judgement. "Close the door," she instructed.
Selina obliged her, not wanting to prolong this. "So, what do you want?"
"Sit down, please, Ms. Kyle."
"I don't think I will," Selina replied, adjusting the strap of her backpack that hung over one shoulder. "Amanda—can I call you Amanda?"
"Absolutely not."
"—Amanda, you and I both know this is nonsense…and by nonsense, I mean bullshit."
With a deep sigh, Waller stood as well, walking around her desk and choosing instead to lean against it, arms crossed. "You can't be saying the f-word in assembly, and you can't be saying bullshit in my office."
"Oh, but it's totally cool for J to call Pam a dyke? Slurs are chill as long as they're PG-13?"
"I'm not sure who it was…"
"It was J."
Shaking her head, Waller changed the subject. "So what's the scoop on Isley?"
Now it was Selina's turn to raise an eyebrow, her expression gradually shifting as she realized she might not need to play defense here. "I'm not sure what you mean."
Smirking, Waller said, "Don't get cute with me, Kyle. Y'all made a big stink in the cafeteria last month and if it's my job to protect you from bullies, I'm gonna need to be clued in."
"We are the bullies, Amanda," Selina was purposefully condescending as she finally took a seat, crossing one leg over the other. "What Pam needs is protection from bigots."
Waller nodded in understanding. "Mrs. Isley is not gonna like that."
"No," Selina agreed. "And Harley isn't exactly subtle, so we're fighting an uphill battle here."
Chuckling, Waller placed her hands behind her on the desk. "I was wondering why y'all adopted that new girl so quick. Haven't seen many personnel changes in your little gang since I've been dealing with you."
Selina took a moment to narrow her eyes at the woman in front of her. "There's something about you that just scares the shit out of me."
"Right back at you," Waller granted with a slight smile. "Run along now," she nodded towards the door. "And don't make me have to call you back in here. I preferred it when you were subtle."
/
Pam was surprised to see her mother at the dining room table on her way out the door. She hadn't heard her come home…but she'd already changed out of her work clothes, so if Pamela were to construct a timeline, she'd probably find that her mother had returned home while she was in the shower.
"Where are you headed off to in such a hurry?" Lillian wondered, peering over the frames of her reading glasses to study her.
"Just…out," was all Pam could say. "With friends."
She was wearing a dress, peacoat and heels, not exactly an outfit she'd wear for a casual night out, but her mother didn't see her often enough to synthesize her wardrobe patterns.
"You look nice," Lillian offered, taking a sip from her wine glass. "I assume by 'friends' you mean your little posse?"
"I don't have many others," Pam attempted a joke, hoping her mother wouldn't dig for any further information.
"Will the blonde be there?" she asked. "The one you're tutoring."
Shit. Attempting to appear casual, Pam said, "In all likelihood," and then, "Selina's sort of adopted her. Bought her a whole new wardrobe."
"So I saw," Lillian's smile was tight. "And her makeup came from you?"
"Yes, I—,"
"It's the wrong shade, her foundation," she explained, standing and crossing the room to retrieve her purse, fishing a bow-wrapped package out of it. "I told her I would remedy that, so if you see her, make sure she gets this," Lillian handed the package to her daughter. "Consult me next time before you're generous and I can make sure a mistake like this one doesn't repeat itself."
/
"Alright, check it out, you're gonna be so impressed," Harley was grinning from ear to ear. "Well, shit, actually, maybe I should tempter expectations a little."
"Harley, is…is this where we're eating?" Pam wondered, looking up at the diner's glowing open 24hrs sign.
"OK, yes, but—no no no, don't give me that disappointed look!" Harley pointed an accusatory finger at her, opening the door so Pam could be the first inside. "It's the diner my mom works at, buuutttt….that means you don't have to pay, for once. And! Just wait until you see the menu."
Harley watched as Pam's look of minor concern turned into a charmed smile. Pfft, easy. "Harley, I really don't mind paying, you know that, right?"
"Nope," the blonde shook her head. "Not tonight, OK? This time it's my treat. And I got reservations," she smiled, leading Pam to a booth in the back corner. "This is my favorite booth, cuz see? You can pick out your ice cream flavor ahead of time," she nodded at the case of ice cream choices just beside them.
Pam allowed Harley to take her coat, folding it neatly before placing it on the bench they wouldn't be occupying. "I imagine you've spent a lot of time in this booth."
Harley nodded, sliding in after her. "Home away from home, really. And look," she reached across Pam to grab a menu. "They serve like everything under the sun. Perfect spot for picky eaters."
"I'm not a picky eater," Pam scoffed. "I'm just a vegetarian."
"Exactly," Harley flipped to the veggie section for her. "It's not classy, but…it's me. And you seem to like me alright," she shrugged, trying to hide her self-induced blush.
Smiling softly, Pam gently placed her fingers beneath Harley's jaw, turning her face until they saw eye to eye. "I like you a lot."
They were kissing when the waitress—thankfully not Harley's mom—came around with some water. "Can I get you cuties anything else to drink tonight?"
"Two Shirley Temples, please," Harley ordered for them.
"Harley, the amount of sugar—,"
"Just live a little, alright, babe?" Harley teased, taking her hand atop the table. "Have you ever had a Shirley Temple?"
"No, but—,"
"Then you haven't truly lived," Harley wasn't about to take no for an answer.
Recognizing her defeat, Pam sighed, giving her consent to the waitress in the form of a small nod.
Smiling, the waitress made a note and left them.
"But anyway," Harley brought their attention back to the menu. "This is what I wanted you to see." She pointed to the first page of the breakfast menu and Pam narrowed her eyes to read it.
The first item listed now read "Pamcakes" rather than "Pancakes".
Pam blinked at first, likely thinking it was a typo, but then realization seemed to dawn. "Harley," she covered her face to hide her smile. "That's…everyone else who reads this menu is going to be so confused," she was giggled now, and Harley joined her.
"Ma's in charge of updating the menus, I made sure to get that edit in before their latest reprint," she explained. "What do you think? Pamcakes is now diner official!"
Finally pulling her hands away from her face, Pam turned to her, a genuine happiness in her tone when she said, "I think…I'm very lucky, to be your girlfriend, Harleen Quinzel. Very lucky. And I'm sorry if I occasionally fail to show my appreciation."
Harley shook her head, kissing her again. "Today was weird and hard. Let's focus on us instead. Just me and you."
"OK," Pam agreed with a smile. "But, before we can do that…" she stood to reach over the table and into the pocket of her jacket, producing a wrapped package. "This is from my mother. I guess you had a conversation about cosmetics."
"I…think 'conversation' is a little generous," Harley said, quieter now, muting herself. "You know…" she ran her fingers over the ribbon in a repetitive motion, staring at the delicate wrapping. "I think Selina is as scared of her as you are."
"I'm sure she is."
"Selina doesn't seem like she's scared of anybody…except for your mom."
Neither spoke for a moment, but it was Pam who broke the silence. "She's afraid of Talia."
Harley nodded in understanding. "It can be tough to love somebody who feels like they belong to someone else."
"Bruce never belonged to Talia, she's just…a distraction for him," Pam said. "When things start to get too real between Bruce and Selina, they look for outlets."
"And you're Selina's outlet," Harley found the words had already left her mouth. She'd meant to say them, but maybe not this early in the evening.
"I was," Pam agreed, the confession surprising Harley. Pam wasn't always stellar at self-reflection. "But I'm not here to be someone's outlet. We deserve our own love story."
