It's Just The Way You Look At It

By: TTFAN

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Tara felt uneasy about sitting in her old class again. It was the same old room, people, teacher, but a different subject. She couldn't remember when she actually started to care about how well she did in school. The blond figured she must've picked it up in Kansas, staying in places for a long time does weird things to you.

She looked around the room, no sign of her best friend Garfield, better known as Beast boy. They wrote to each other everyday. After each month, the amount of letters started dwindling. He stopped answering her phone calls.

"Ms. Markov?" Markus Parker said as she looked up, "please pass these cards back."

First day of school was easy. You barely did anything but fill out delaine cards and get page-long lists of school supplies.

Tara passed the small pieces of paper back. It all just seemed so…different. She still was popular amongst the entire school. She was practically a legend there, her reputation of taking down men twice her size in a cage fight. Not to mention the fact she had a few mob connections. No one seemed to notice, she wasn't that kind of person anymore.

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Richard 'Dick' Grayson stared at the board, how was he of all people to be stuck with the most annoying teacher in the entire school. He ran his fingers though his black hair. Head on his arm, his eyelids nearly shut, until…

SMACK

"I'm awake," Richard said, laughter echoing in the background. Several inches from where his head used to be, was a wooden ruler. This lady couldn't be a teacher, maybe a deranged nun, but a teacher?

"I'd expect you to stay awake. You wouldn't want detention on your first day do you?" Grace Freeman asked. She was known at the church as Sister Grace. How they allowed her to teach here, was a mystery to all the students.

Raven, told him that a background check showed her to be a liable representative of the community, as long as she didn't preach in class it was 'okay'…not. It didn't really matter, Raven didn't like her much either, then again Raven doesn't really like anyone.

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As soon as the bell rang, everyone ran out of class. Raven was always the last to leave. She never felt the need to get 'run over' by the rest of the class. That was just stupid. She causally walked to the cafeteria, sitting in her average spot, the corner.

"Is there anything new?" Terra asked, already waiting at the table.

"Nothing really, I'm sure you were greeted well?" Raven asked as Tara shuddered.

"Not exactly what you call a warm welcome. A group of freshman kept stalking me and asking me stuff, but there's not much of a difference," Tara replied. Raven stared at her incredulously.

"I'm getting a strong vibe from your emotions. Something's wrong, what is it?" the empath asked as Tara stared into the small opening of her water bottle.

"Gar. Did he leave without telling me?" Tara asked sadly. Raven wondered Tara won't say that other thought of hers. She knew her well enough, that the question was hanging off the tip of her tongue.

"No. He…found someone else," Raven said as Tara grabbed her bottle of water and chugged the rest of it down.

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Garfield Logan scratched the side of his head in frustration. He was on the brink of tearing every green hair off his head. Why did people make math so hard? What was so good about it anyway? To his luck he found Richard sitting right next to him. He poked Richard with the eraser part of his pencil.

"How do you do number one?" Gar asked.

"Beast boy, they're just testing you on what you know. You don't have to know all the answers. This quiz doesn't count," Richard whispered.

"Yeah, but I don't want the teacher to think I'm stupid," the boy replied. He could tell Richard was trying to reframe from saying "you are stupid."

"Fine. First you-"

"Mr. Grayson, please do not help Logan with his work. As…good as your intentions maybe, I'd like to see what he is capable of. If that's understandable," Mr. Parker said.

"Yes sir," said Richard as Gar sulked.

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School requirements claimed that students in Gotham County High school had to take at least four classes of science. Raven chose astronomy. She took a seat next to a girl with long red hair; it was the only seat left. The teacher told them to talk to the people surrounding them, probably wanting the students to get to know one another first. A bit strange since class programs rotated and by senior year everyone would know who was in their grade.

"Hello my name is Kory Anders," the girl said as Raven nodded. Kory…where had she heard that name before?

"Kory?" Raven asked in bewilderment, finally realizing where she had heard that voice and seen this girl.

"You remember! Oh friend Raven I'm most certain we will have the most wonderful senior year," Kory said hugging the girl.

"Kory…you're hugging me," Raven muttered, the class staring at them.

"Do you not like the hugs?" Kory asked confused, breaking apart as Raven shook her head.

"Now, I see our new students are getting along," Denise Yerken exclaimed with a Swedish accent.

"You probably haven't met me before. Karen, Karen Beecher," the girl behind her said extending a hand. She had dark skin, black hair tied in two puffs.

"You're president of the student body and this is Kory," Raven stated as Kory moved forward in front of her face, a huge grin plastered on her face.

"Hello, as told by Raven my name is Kory, would you like to be my friend?" she asked as Karen stared at her awkwardly.

"Uh sure?" as soon as those words left her mouth, she was greeted with a bone crushing huge.

"Does she always do this?" Karen asked, rubbing her aching arms.

"You have no idea," Raven replied.

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The final bell was a strange thing for Victor Stone. He really wished he wouldn't have to tell her. Vic was athletic, standing at a six foot four, along with bulging muscles, training for the Olympics. He knew he would make it someday, until that accident, leaving him half metallic. Not that it would show, he was wearing a hologram projector. A girl finally came out of the building and ran to greet him.

"So Victor, what did you want to talk to me about?" Marcy Reynolds asked.

"I…you'd still like me if I changed right?" Vic asked, a bit desperate. It was like he was trying to convince himself more then he was her.

"You haven't been taking drugs have you? Didn't I tell you they would mess up your health and you'd never-?"

"No it's not that," Vic said taking her by the arm, leading her to a secluded area.

"Victor? What is it?" Marcy asked.

"Promise you won't tell anyone," he said as she stared at him incredulously, and then nodded. He took a deep breath, almost forgetting to breathe as he reached for the ring on his left hand. As he pulled it off the disguise flickers, soon revealing the half man, half machine.

Marcy stared in shock. She didn't move, not even a whisper escaped her lips. Head tilted downward Victor, better known as Cyborg from his friends, turned around and walked away. He knew it was over as relief and sorrow swept him away like, dust in the wind.

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Richard wished Victor was here now. He would know what to do, but he was in college. He once said "there comes a time when you have to decide. Follow your heart Dick. That's all there is to it."

He watched as Kory walked to him in one direction, and in the other, Barbara Gordon wheeled her way over. They said the Joker shot her in the spine, paralyzing her waist down. She had orange hair, and light blue eyes.

"Hello Friend Robin!" Kory shouted giving him a hug, it wasn't the kind she used on other people, the one that would leave their muscles aching.

"Hey Richard, how's it going?" Barbara asked with a light smile. Richard smiled back, wondering what led him to fall in love with both women. Barbara was intelligent, compassionate, known about his alter ego, and had fought along side him for years. Kory was bubbly, so innocent and…just different.

"Who is this?" Kory asked, feeling a short panic as she finally realized this was the girl she saw in numerous photo albums in Wayne Manor.

"Kory, this is Barbara, a good friend of mine. Barbara, this is Kory, my…girl friend." Richard said, immediately regretting his words, seeing the smile on her face falter.

"Nice to meet you Kory," Barbara said extending a hand.

"It is a pleasure meeting you as well," Kory said ignoring the handshake and hugging her.

"Okay…" she said, it was strange someone running up and just hugging you. Barbara didn't feel any jealousy or hatred towards this girl. Come to think of it, it might've been impossible to hate Kory.

"You're really lucky, to be with him," Barbara said to her.

"I assume you have been in the relationship with him as well?" Kory asked as Barbara nodded.

"I'm happy he's found someone like you. He always needed someone to brighten his day," she said hands placed on the wheels of her chair, pushing forward.

"Only…you wish he were still with you," Kory said, practically reading her mind. Barbara stopped, then resumed towards the exit.