As Lark tightened the laces on her dance shoes Dana came running back into the rehearsal hall. Ass Miss McCracken called them all over Dana smiled at Lark and gave her the thumbs up. It seemed that Dana and Terry were once more a couple. Lark smiled back, but her heart didn't just sink, it plummeted to the pit of her stomach and lay there, silently crying.

"I have your costumes." Miss McCracken said, indicating some bags over in the corner. "Each is named. Go and find the bag with your name on, then go to the changing rooms and try the costumes on. Meet back here in full costume in ten minutes."

In excitement the cast rushed over to get their bags. Lark walked over last and picked up the remaining bag, hers. She walked slowly to the changing rooms, and found herself a cubicle. She could hear Dana excitedly telling anyone who would listen that she and Terry were once more a couple.

Lark pulled on her costume dejectedly, trying to force herself to be happy for Dana. In the end she convinced herself that all that mattered was that her best friend, and the boy who she fancied, were both happy. She stepped out into the communal changing area to see that everyone else was in costume. They were all in dark, midnight colours. Dana looked sensational in a short, deep red dress with low cut front and black strappy sandals.

Lark looked at herself in the mirror. Her own costume was not as revealing. Black tights and leotard with a silvery spider design on. Compared to Dana she looked incredibly plain. She sighed, Terry would not even have noticed her on the stage in Dana was there. She pulled on her dance shoes.

"Lark!" Dana said, coming over to her. "You look gorgeous, that leotard shows off your flat stomach." She leaned over and whispered in Lark ear. "Thank ou so much for convincing me to talk to Terry. You really are the best friend a girl could ask for."

"Thanks Dana." Lark said. "You look fantastic."

"I know." Dana said as they walked back to the hall. I can't believe that the show opens in less than four days. We have two more rehearsals before the first night."

"Yeah. It's gone so quickly." Lark agreed, but her mind wasn't really on the play.

Everyone assembled in the hall looking fantastic. All of the dancers were dressed exactly the same, and Lark was glad of this effective camouflage. It meant that she could easily hide from Dana. She had nothing against Dana, but she didn't feel like listening to Dana go one about how wonderful Terry was all day.

After their first dress rehearsal, which went really well, they got changed and headed for home, leaving their costumes in the school. Everyone was panicking about there only being one more rehearsal left, but for some reason Lark couldn't focus on anything at that moment.

She got in and couldn't even focus on her important homework. In the end she closed down her computer and stepped into a hot shower. The water was slightly too hot and burned her skin, but she barely felt it. Her whole body felt numb. She let the water wash over her hair and her face. She licked the moisture from around her lips. After about half an hour the futility of standing moping in a shower dawned on her. She stepped out and wrapped herself in a warm bathrobe, letting her wet hair dry naturally. She walked through to her bedroom to find that she had a visitor.

"Don't you ever use the front door?" She asked.

Batman shifted position so that he was sitting on her bed facing her. "No. I got here nearly half an hour ago, you've been in the shower a long time."

"I find it relaxing." She said.

"Is anyone else around?" Batman asked.

"No. The old ladies are out at the theatre tonight and there aren't any kids staying at the moment." Lark replied.

Batman removed his mask and placed it on the bed. "Are you OK?" He asked finally. "You seem downcast."

"I'm fine." Lied Lark. "It's just the stress is getting to me a bit. School work, the play and everything."

"I came for a number of reasons." Terry said. "Firstly to say that we ran some tests on that grease on your tissue. It was the same grease used on the school equipment. I also found that the chemistry lab has the ability to make Dextorine. The ink and paper used to write the note were from the school store and the knife is a cook's knife. I found a set missing one knife in the kitchens."

"So we are definitely dealing with someone in the school?" Lark asked, brushing her hair.

"Either that or someone who has access to all of the school rooms." Terry said.

"So is there any other reason for your visit?" Lark asked.

"Two more." He replied. "One of them is Bruce."

"Oh." Lark couldn't manage to say anything else.

"I want to apologise for the fact that he hasn't been in touch. I think you shocked him with your news the other day. Truth is, I've barely seen or heard from him since yesterday."

Lark finished brushing her hair and turned to face Terry. "I'm sorry." She said.

"For what. It's Bruce who has done something wrong. He just doesn't realise what a great person you are. I didn't realise that fully until today."

"Really?" Lark asked.

"What you did today, for Dana and I, that was really.well I don't know what to say." Terry stood up. "It takes guts to do that sort of thin, especially when you." Terry was about to say 'When you fancy one of the people' but he didn't want to sound big headed.

"Forget about it." Lark stood up and went over to the window, expecting as always that she would have to open and close it for Terry.

"No. I was just wondering. Why did you do it?" He asked.

"Does it matter?" Lark asked.

"It matters to me."

"Because having you two happy and back together is easier than seeing you moping around the school dejectedly." Lark replied.

Terry looked at her and then walked over and hugged her tightly. "Thank you." He whispered in her ear.

Lark let him support her, knowing that if he let go she would probably fall to the ground because her knees felt like unset jelly. She had often dreamed of hugging Terry, but never in her dreams had he been thanking her for getting him and Dana back together. After a few moments it was Lark who broke their embrace.

"You should go." She said. "You probably have innocent citizens to save."

Terry pulled on his mask and made his way to the window.

"By the way." She said, as he stepped onto the fire escape outside her window. "If you have a moment could you find my Phoenix costume? I left it in the Batcave."

"Sure." Batman replied. Lark closed her window and went over to her bed. She lay there not even tired. She had her back to the window as she snuggled up to her teddy and let a single tear fall onto his soft brown fur. From the fire escape Batman watched her sadly before turning around and flying down to the ground.