HULLO! Well, I got a few questions from my last chapter, and – don't worry! – all will be revealed shortly.

Chapter Eighteen: Pool Party!

"Dude," said Gar, "why did you ever leave this place?"

They were resting in the Lounge and it was a little past three. The jukebox with stereo speakers were pounding and the huge flat-screen TV had football on it (A/N blah I hate football).

Dick looked down at the floor. He knew exactly why he left…

Dick was ten. He had just come home from Gotham Academy, his heart as low as the ground he walked on.

He walked into the Main Hall and saw his adopted guardian reading a book while walking down the stairs. He looked up.

"Oh, Dick," he said. "How was school?"

Dick looked at him and went into the direction of the Rec Room. Bruce put on a concerned face and followed his son.

He found him sitting in front of the TV, mindlessly playing video games.

"Dick, what's wrong?"

He kept on playing.

"Dick?"

He paused the game.

"I hate it here," he said.

"What?"

"I hate it here!"

"What? Why? You have everything a kid could ever want!"

"I just don't like it here, ok!" His voice was growing louder. "I hate this City, I hate this place, and I hate that stupid Academy you make me go to!" Then he ran to his room and slammed the door. A tear rolled down his check as he remembered the events that took place that day.

"Leave me alone!" he shouted.

"Or what, circus boy?" said a boy about his age.

"Ha! Circus boy!" laughed his goons.

"Clown!"

"Freak show!"

They all laughed their heads off, pushing him around.

"Leave me ALONE!"

"Go on, run home to mommy! Oh, that's right. You don't HAVE a mommy!"

His eyes burned and he let out a yell, punching the kid in the stomach. He fell off of his feet, and the others looked at him.

"You really ARE a freak show," one of them said.

He sniffed and wiped away his tear as he heard talking down below.

"I don't know what to do, Alfred. I don't know how to get through to him."

"Do you honestly want my opinion, sir?"

"Of course"

"Well, I believe young Richard dislikes it here."

"But why? He's got everything a boy could dream of! (At this age, anyway). Why would he want to leave?"

"Dick doesn't need high-teck video games or rich schools or mansions, Bruce. He needs a normal life."

"What are you suggesting?"

"That we move"

"Move?"

"Yes. Somewhere where Master Dick won't be recognized as easily. Where he can go to a public school and have a home and not a palace, like this."

"But I have work here, Alfred! I can't just get up and go!"

"It's never stopped you before, sir. You can always come back on occasion. I know a young Spanish couple who will be more than happy to take care of the Mansion while we're away. And, besides, I believe young Master Dick has earned a normal life, don't you?"

There was a pause. Then Bruce finally said:

"The West Coast might be nice"…

"HEY, DICK!" Gar shouted.

"Huh?" he said, snapping out of his flash-back.

"I asked you a question and you zoned out for like, ten minutes!"

"Oh, sorry, Gar. Well, Bruce just – uh – had work he needed to do in Jump City and so we – left. Who wants to go swimming?" He didn't want his friends to think he was pathetic, or something.

They all agreed and followed him back out into the Main Hall, when two red-headed twins blocked their way (A/N guess who…?).

"Senior Dick!" they chanted in unison. "Buenos dais!"

"Mas! Menos! That you?" he said with a smile on his face.

"Si!"

"Hey!" He gave them each a noggie and they laughed. "Oh, guys, this is Mas and Menos. They're Juan's kids."

"¡Hola¿Cómo usted hace¡Soy Mas, y soy Menos! Es agradable ¡para satisfacerle! Aquí estamos en Guatemala. " And they shoved a photo of themselves in Guatemala under Vic's nose.

The five teens looked at Dick questionably.

"They only speak Spanish," he explained.

Then, with absolutely no accent, Vic said:

"Hola! Me amigo el Cyborg-o!"

The twins looked at each other, shrugged and took back their picture.

"Mas? Menos? These are my friends."

"Hola!" they sang.

"Hola," the group repeated back, lamely.

Then, the boys' eyes rested on Kori, and they zipped over to her right away.

"Hola, senorita!" they said, drooling. Then, they glared at each other. (A/N I have to do the dialogue, so I'll do it once in Spanish and, in parentheses, English)

"Ella nunca saldría con usted, Mas, ella tiene gusto de mí." (She would never go out with you, Mas, she likes me.)

"¡ninguna manera¡Ella es la mía, feo!" (No way! She's mine, ugly!)

"¿feo¡Soy su hermano, el elegante!" (Ugly? I'm your twin, smart one!)

Then, the two boys dove for each other, rolling around on the floor. The band cracked up.

"Mas! Menos!" said a sharp, female voice. It was Rose Maria. "¡Consiga aquí, AHORA!"

The twins reluctantly walked over to their mother.

"Si, Momma?" they asked, nervously.

"Le dije no incomodar a Senior ¡Grayson y sus amigos!"

"Apesadumbrado, Momma"

------

"CANNON BALL!" shouted Gar, jumping into the pool and making a title wave.

Dick, Terra, Victor, and Rachel shielded themselves from the on-coming water.

Kori nervously poked her head out from the bushes.

Vic saw this action and said:

"Come on, Kor! The water's great!"

Soon, the entire group cheered her on, including Rachel!

She bit her lip and stepped out from behind the potted plant. Dick felt his jaw drop and hit the bottom of the pool.

Kori was wearing a two-piece suit. It was a pinkish-purple tankieny and boy shorts with palm trees printed on them. She twirled a lock of crimson-red hair as here friends whistled and hollered. Soon they were chanting "Go Kori, go Kori, go, go, go Kori!" After a moment or so of that, she got enough courage to dance to their chants a little bit. That only made them chant louder. Then, she ran to the diving board, and did a perfect pencil dive.

When she came up, she pushed her dripping hair back and spat out some water.

God, she looks good wet, Dick thought. Quit being such a pervert!

"Hey," said Gar, suddenly. "How many people are there?"

"Six," said Rach. "Why?"

The six looked at each other and grinned.

"CHICKEN!" they all yelled.

After a couple fun games of Chicken (Terra was on Gar, Kori was on Dick and Rachel was on Vic; Vic and Rach won most of the games), they dried off and went inside to see what kind of junk food was kept in the cupboards.

Alright. That's a wrap! For now… looks around evilly.

Luv ya,

Tprinces