Ch.2

At the end of the day Raven met with Kori Anders, Robin, Terra, Garfield, and Cyborg, as usual. But this time, Raven told her Secret Friends to wait. The six teenagers, all six almost opposite in every visual way possible, waited for Hermione. "Hermione," Robin called, "Come with us."

Hermione was a bit reluctant at first, but then, finally, agreed. "Where…where are we going?" "You'll see," Garfield said. And the seven teens walked towards the forest where their Secret Warn-out Hideout/Hut laid. They called it the SWH. They pronounced it as the "swoosh." As would be expected, it was Garfield that came up with the idea. They didn't hang out with each other during school hours; they waited until the school-day was done to truly become themselves.

The Swoosh was hidden beneath dark, fading leaves. The Sun was hidden deep in the dark forest, and at first glance, the gray doors to the hut were not visible. The shingles on the roof were falling off, hay-colored grass tossed over the holes in the roof. It was old, but there was beauty in it. "Here it is," Garfield chimed in. "The Swoosh." "Come 'on, Hermione," Terra said. And the seven teenagers walked into the old, fading building.

Just as they entered the Swoosh, Hermione fainted, falling down onto the wet floor. Robin bent down. "Hermione?" "Hermione?" Robin and Raven picked up her limp body and laid her on the old couch that they had in the Swoosh. Robin made sure she was alright, and sat down next to her. So did Raven.

Her hair was a fading strawberry blond, and right now, her skin was ghost-white. She was skinny, and her clothes were loose, old, and seemed conservative. But, Robin thought, she was beautiful. Her light, crystal blue eyes said so much about her.

In about an hour, she woke up. "What…what happened?" She asked. "You fainted," Robin said. "Are you alright?"

Hermione looked at Robin. "Umm…yeah. I guess."

Robin: "Do you want us to take you home?"

Hermione: "Ummm….I don't know…"

Robin: "Do you remember?"

Hermione: "What?...remember? Remember what happened? Yes…."

Robin: "You fainted."

Hermione: "Not only. About a week ago. What happened. And then I drove out to Jump City…..i remember it was horrible, what happened, and they all…

Raven: "It's o.k. to tell us, you know. We won't tell anyone. You can trust us."

Hermione. "I don't know….They didn't. They said it wasn't but it was and They tricked me and…."

Raven: "It's o.k., you can trust us. With everything."

Hermione (after a long pause; sounds very sudden): "Hermione's not really my name. It's……….Carrie. Carrie White."

And then Carrie told the six other teenagers the rest of the story. All of the horrors. And then, they weren't surprised that she had fainted.

She ended with, "And it's going to be the same in this school, I know it. I don't have any friends and sooner or later they'll start picking on me. I don 't have any friends…"

"We're your friends, Carrie," Robin said, "And if anyone makes fun of you I'll kick their ass."