Sanzojoe: Raven is always the toughest of nuts to crack, haha! BBRae will be sort of a slow burn in this story, but I will make sure to add plenty of cute moments in between! Think of it as their relationship in the show but like they will actually be endgame, haha! Thanks for reading!

Sora: It took me a while to come up with a way to incorporate their names, tbh. I'm still trying to think of how to tie in Beast Boy and especially Robin. You have no idea how much that means to me! I've been in your place, and I can tell you it's all about practicing and reading. The more you familiarize yourself with the fandom you're writing, the more it becomes second nature to write them. Writing, as a craft, isn't a 'natural' talent so that is an advantage. It's all about practice. Thank you so much for your support! I know what you mean about fanfictions keeping the memory alive! That's basically why I write for this fandom too!

LilyTimbers: Yeah, I understand what you mean, haha! Sometimes I find myself glancing over exposition I'm already familiar with. I did take my time trying to figure out how I could divide them. I wanted a sort of equal division, and similar to Miss Paint's story, I wanted to adopt the way she tied in group conflicts and divisions into the story. I found it very interesting! Oh, there will be plenty of Donna and Omen. I'm not super familiar with Omen's character, to be honest, but I've been reading the comics, and I've gotten a sort of basic blueprint for it. And yes, the party will be very important moving forward (probably will be a long chapter too haha), so I'm building it up! As usual, thanks for the support!

uglygurl22: So happy to see another loyal reader here! I'm glad you're enjoying it! I am putting tons of focus onto my character arcs because I feel I'm strongest there, and I also thrive off of character-driven stories! Thanks for reading and reviewing!

Golemn XIV: You're not the only person whose said that lmao! Oh my, you bet Flinx will be making an appearance! Wally and Jinx are one of my favorite ships in this fandom, tbh! Thanks for the read and review!

. . .

"Alfred?" Dick called out after stepping into an empty Wayne Manor. It appeared to be abnormally quiet considering Alfred usually had some sort of classical music playing.

"Al's not here." Jason walked out of the kitchen bouncing an apple between his hands and staring at Dick with a coy smile. "Troublemaker finally got out of detention for the day?"

Dick sighed, refusing to play into Jason's games. "I'll be up in my room then." He started up the stairs.

"What? Tired of seeing my face?" Jason snorted and took a bite of the apple, leaning his elbow on the railing of the bottom stairs to watch him retreat. "You're as bad as Bruce."

It was a challenge. Jason's typical way of starting an argument. The teen thrived off of conflict, and Dick didn't necessarily blame him for it as irritating as it was. He had grown up on the streets by himself. Picking fights and asserting dominance were a means of survival. However, it didn't mean Dick was willing to bear Jason's adjustment period. The sooner the rebel realized he was only making his own life worse, the sooner they could all be at peace, maybe even call themselves a functional family.

He almost laughed at that. A functional family was a goal Dick would never have the privilege of experiencing.

Dick froze and let out a deep breath. "Trust me, I've tried to get used to your face, but you refuse to make it any easier to get to know you or even like you."

"Maybe I like it that way."

Dick stared at him, though his expression was mostly obscured from Jason due to his dark shades. "Then why the hell are you even here? You're nothing but a brat who likes to complain about having food on the table, getting a good education, and, oh yeah, not living alone on the streets."

Jason huffed and paced on his spot, not willing to admit there was a hint of truth in everything Dick had said. "I'd rather be in the streets free to do my own thing than be trapped in this hellhole," he yelled the last few words as if anyone else in the house would hear him.

"So you'd rather be staying out there starving to death? You know what? I don't care. Do what you want. I don't get why Bruce even insists on me talking to you. You're impossible to talk sense to." Dick waved his hand dismissively and stomped up the stairs.

"You know you're nothing but a daddy's little boy who does everything he's told."

"Grow up, Jason," Dick returned, refusing to look back or let his words get to him, no matter how much he wanted to turn back and tell him all his truths to his face. It wasn't worth the effort. He'd only push back harder like he always did.

When he got to his room, he slammed the door and threw his bag on the bed. A paper on his desk instantly caught his attention. He snatched it and glanced at it, frowning as he did.

At the store to buying some groceries. Master Bruce will arrive late again, but he insisted you dined with Jason again, today. Call if you need anything.

Alfred

Dick groaned, threw his shades to the side, and ran both hands through his hair. He paced around the room before deciding he didn't feel like having yet another fight with Jason for the day. Picking up the phone, he scrolled to one of the top contacts on his list and dialed the number.

"Dick?"

"Can I eat at your house today? Make some excuse that we have a project to work on or something."

He could almost hear her smile through the phone. "I knew you'd call. Sure you can."

. . .

Gar absolutely despised silence.

He presumed it had to do with his ADHD considering even as a child, Gar tended toward laughing, talking, and just moving around making lots of noise. He had developed his jokester antics early in elementary school, starting by messing with his female classmates by either bringing in beetles and other 'disgusting' bugs from the playground to scare them or popping balloons next to his unsuspecting classmates to watch them jump out of their seats. He had even decided to join Band in early middle school because that was certainly a 'productive' way (as his foster family at the time had explained) of making lots of noise.

Ultimately, Gar had decided playing an instrument took too much effort and patience. And Gar was anything but that. His favorite thing about that class, however, had been the spotlight. Performing in front of the whole school during their concerts and watching them all stand up and clap afterward, essentially celebrating him with lots of noise, brought him a kind of high no other hobby had. Thus, when he had joined theater in his second year of middle school, he had decided right then and there it was his dream to become an actor.

Unfortunately for him, when Rita and Steve had taken him in that same year, he had quickly learned Steve wasn't fond of the idea of having a child as an actor. Rita as a former actress, of course, had been ecstatic about the idea. But it wasn't enough to convince Steve, and as usual, she always ended up conforming with his wishes.

And, as usual, it figuratively left Gar and Steve at each other's throats, which more often than not always began with an awkward silence like the one they were currently partaking in.

Gar almost wished a car crash outside would interrupt the awkwardness of their dinner or, at the very least, Larry would turn on his usual hard-rock music in the kitchen and start singing at the top of his lungs (even though the man insisted he didn't sing but Gar had walked in on him doing it more times than Larry liked to admit).

But nothing of the sort happened, and Gar was stuck at the table with Rita and Steve, playing with his food and avoiding Steve's eyes like they were the plague.

"How was detention today?" Rita tried to start a conversation, but it was clearly not the topic of Steve's choice considering he let out somewhat of a choked groan upon hearing the question.

"Fine." He knew better than to elaborate on a topic of conversation Steve didn't want to hear.

"The company has been taking some investments recently I believe will be very beneficial for us in the future." Steve began, grabbing his fork and knife and proceeding to slice into his thick, almost red steak. Gar cringed as he watched it happen from the corner of his eye. Seeing as how undercooked it was, he probably could've resuscitated the cow had he tried.

That poor, poor animal, he thought.

"That's great, honey." Rita smiled and continued chewing on her own steak which was much more well-done than Steve's.

"Speaking of, I should start bringing Garfield to the office. Let him gain an experience first-hand before Stanford."

When Gar didn't answer, Rita did so for him. "That sounds like a wonderful idea, honey. Right, Gar?"

"Yeah, sure," he muttered.

"Talk louder, son. A future CEO doesn't mumble his words."

Gar placed his utensils down unintentionally hard and caused the sound of the glass plate to echo across the dining hall. He looked up at Steve. "Yes," he stated loudly, his words somewhat shaky from containing his temper.

Steve appeared satisfied with that. "We can start next Saturday then."

He frowned, his stomach almost flipping. He tried his best to say his next words with a calm demeanor. "I have Theater practice on Saturdays."

Steve didn't answer for a moment, taking a sip of his water and looking straight across the table since he was sitting at the head seat. "Then cancel. Theater practice won't help you get into Stanford, and it's a waste of time."

Gar gritted his teeth. He wanted so badly to just open his mouth and call him out on his bullshit. He knew exactly how much Theater meant to Gar. He was just doing it to establish his dominance. However, upon catching Rita's concerned glance and the slight shake of her head, he pursed his lips and bit his tongue, physically preventing himself from making that mistake.

If there was anything he didn't want to do, it was to disappoint Rita. The woman was an angel.

"Fine."

. . .

"Koriand'r!"

"Yes, sister?" she asked after Alissa had opened the door to their mansion and had spotted Kami standing there with an annoyed expression and her arms crossed. Clearly, she wasn't in the best mood, and Kory internally prepared for their incoming conflict.

"Where have you been!? We were supposed to call mother and father fifteen minutes ago!"

"I apologize. I just got out of detention…"

"Detention!?" Her sister raised both eyebrows before she regarded her with a coy expression. "The princess of Tamaran in detention?" She burst out laughing. "I cannot wait to tell mother and father about this!" She walked past her, making sure to bump into her shoulder rather hard, and headed for the living room where they had the computer they used for video chatting with her parents.

Kory frowned, realizing she'd made the mistake of letting her sister know about her accidental punishment. She followed her into the living room where Alissa was already setting up the equipment for their call. "Kami, I would appreciate it if you did not-"

"Mother and father should know how much of a troublemaker their daughter is turning out to be. Perhaps they'll send you back home if they do."

Kory clenched both fists but didn't otherwise express her anger outwardly. "But I did not get into detention for being a troublemaker. On the contrary, I-"

"Mother! Father!" Kami called out in Tamaranean when the call went through. "How wonderful it is to see you!" She smiled, though Kory knew better than to think it was actual joy on her sister's expression.

"Komand'r!" Her mother exclaimed happily, sitting by her father who had somewhat of a faint smile on his expression. "Where is your sister?"

Kami sent her sister a dismissive glance before rolling her eyes and making some room on the couch for her. Kory hesitantly sat down and smiled when she saw her parents, putting on the usual facade of cheerfulness she did on camera for her parents. Sitting next to her sister during the calls had never been a pleasant experience, but if it meant getting to see her parents, she would do it, of course.

"Koriand'r! My two beautiful daughters, as stunning as ever. How is your education coming along?"

"It is going well, mother," Kory answered before her sister could. "I really enjoy my sister's school. I have already made enough friends to celebrate Blorthog with!"

"That is wonderful news, Koriand'r. Have you perhaps met any potential suitors?"

Kory felt her face get warm and swallowed a little, avoiding looking at the screen directly. "Not potentially, mother, no." On one hand, knowing exactly what her parent's motivations for her moving there were troubling. On the other, she did have a certain 'potential suitor' in mind, not that she would let them know.

"My, what a shame. Has anything-"

"Mother, father, do you realize your youngest daughter is already getting into trouble in school?" Kami interrupted her, and Kory suddenly felt her stomach drop. If she wasn't avoiding their faces before, she was certainly doing it now.

Her mother appeared confused while her father narrowed his eyes, talking for the first time since their conversation had begun. "What do you mean, Komand'r?"

"Kory, here, got herself a detention in school."

Her mother gasped. "Is this true, Koriand'r?"

Kory sighed and nodded silently.

"But why would you do such a thing?"

"It was actually an acc-"

"I did not send my youngest daughter halfway across the world to become a troublemaker! I thought we were very explicit in our terms about sending you over there."

Kory desperately wanted to tell them she hadn't even asked to be sent halfway across the world, but she decided against it. They were angry enough, and it would only worsen her situation.

As her father continued his lecture, Kory only nodded, avoiding Kami's sly smile and the amusing snort she'd let out every once in a while when Kory would flinch at her parent's yelling. Eventually, her parents decided they had more serious matters to attend for the time, so they left the video call but not before giving Kory another explicit warning about getting into more trouble.

"Two strikes," her father had told her before hanging up.

"You better watch out, Kory." Kami had stood up with an amused expression, leaving her sister sitting at the couch by herself.

"Two strikes."

. . .

"Pass the salt, will you, son?" Silas asked from across the table.

Vic did as told before continuing to chew on his pasta and meatballs. They sat in silence, and Vic really hoped it would stay that way. Every time, without fail, his father would manage to rope him into a typical 'how was your day' talk before moving on to the topic of his future and his crumbled leg.

"How was your day, son?"

Vic cringed, moving a piece of pasta on his plate with his fork. He was not having it today. "Fine."

"How is your detention going?"

"Fine."

"What about your classes?"

"Fine."

Silas frowned, finally noting how Vic didn't seem to want to talk. "How is your leg?" he finally asked.

Vic sighed and put his utensil down. He crossed his arms and refused to stare him in the eye. "You could've started with that if it's what you wanted to talk about. No need to make any small talk."

Silas watched his son with a tender gaze, disappointed this was where their relationship had fallen to. He took a deep breath. "I know I'm a little hard on you, sometimes, Vic…"

Vic turned to him at the sound of his name. His father was akin to calling him 'son,' so hearing his actual name come out of his mouth felt unusual. If anything, his mother had been the one to always call him by name. While she tended toward a motherly, caring presence, Silas had always adopted a strict, no-funny-business sort of attitude. Vic hadn't minded much back then. His mother and his father complimented each other's attitude very well and would balance each other out. However, after his mother's death, Silas' attitude had grown intolerable, and it was then their relationship had started to fall apart. That was until Vic decided he wanted to make him proud.

After all, Silas was the only family he had left.

"But it's because I care about you and your future, and I want you to be happy." He paused, and Vic wasn't sure whether he should say something or not. Upon realizing his son wasn't going to say anything, Silas continued talking. "I love you, Vic, even if it seems like sometimes I push you too hard… I would never force that prosthetic on you. I was just convinced it was the best choice for you, but if you don't want it, I won't continue to insist. But I don't want you to think your future is over after this."

"Dad, I can't play football," Vic pointed out, clenching his fist and gritting his teeth, not out of anger for Silas but out of anger for himself. Maybe if he hadn't gone to that party that night and decided to leave early, just maybe that car wouldn't have crashed into his. He wouldn't have gone to the hospital. He would've still been able to play. Jinx would still be with him, and he wouldn't have driven such a distant wedge between him and his friends. "What else do I have?"

Silas placed a hand over his son's. It was such a soft and gentle move, Vic almost thought his mother was back. But upon seeing his father's face, he felt disappointed. His mother was gone. And so were his future dreams.

"Football isn't everything you are, son." Silas offered a small smile. "You will find something else you're talented at. This is only a small bump in your journey. You still have time to figure things out."

Vic slowly looked up with his father, smiling a little as he did. He took his hand in his and squeezed it. "Thanks, dad."

. . .

"Did you get it?" Raven asked after getting home and spotting her mother at the stove cooking.

Arella remained silent, and it was enough of an answer for Raven. She sighed and put her bag down, going over to sit on their two-chair dining table.

It was quiet. While Arella remained in her mental haze, Raven contemplated their options. Their money was running out fairly quickly, Raven had just been fired from her job after detention took up her after school time, and the cafe was struggling too much to keep her around as an 'optional employee.' There wasn't much they could do to keep afloat. Soon enough, they would be evicted out of their apartment, and Raven wasn't about to let her mother and her live on the streets.

She stood up from her chair, expression firm and determined. "I'm dropping out."

Arella turned in an instant at the sound of that, eyes wide and mouth agape. She struggled for words for a moment before she managed a coherent sentence. "Raven-I, no, I can't let you do that! Your education is your most important-"

"I can't study like this, mother. You're clearly unable to work in your condition and without any money, we'll be evicted, and it's not like I can continue school on the streets."

"But you'll be throwing away your scholarship!" Arella insisted.

"It won't matter if we're the ones thrown out. Besides, I can always continue my education another way after we gain a more stable living."

Arella frowned. "I can't let you do that, Raven."

"I'm not giving you a choice."

"You don't understand. That scholarship is the onl-"

"It's settled. I'm not taking no for an answer. If you can't get a job you can keep, I need to be the one-"

Arella's frown morphed into an expression of anger, and she slapped a hand on the side of the stove loudly to get her attention, so much the pot of water she was boiling spilled over the side and almost fell on either of their feet. Fortunately, it didn't, and before Arella could say a word, her eyes closed, she reached a hand to her forehead, and started murmuring something.

Raven sighed. Of course the woman would have an attack precisely now. She walked around the puddle of hot water and gently led her mother to the living room to sit down. "Calm down. We can talk about this another time."

"My… meds…" her mother muttered in between all of the jumbled words coming from her mouth.

Raven hurriedly got up and went to retrieve her mother's medication from her bedroom. Once back, she quickly opened the bottle for her and handed her a water bottle along with the pill. Her mother didn't hesitate to swallow it down.

For a few minutes, the mother and daughter sat there quietly—the former desperate to get a handle of her thoughts and emotions and the latter locking hers up and throwing away the key.

"You should rest. I know the meds make you sleepy. I'll clean up the kitchen for you."

"Raven…" Arella grabbed her wrist before she could walk away. "Please promise me something..."

Raven frowned as she watched her mother.

"You can't quit your school."

"Why not?" Raven furrowed her eyebrows. She knew her mother cared about her education, but it also seemed like there was a bigger reason as to why she was so insistent on her daughter remaining in Titan Academy.

"Your- You can't…" Her mother muttered before closing her eyes.

"Arella?"

The sounds of her slowed breathing and the gentle rise and fall of her chest made Raven sigh. She took a blanket from the closet and covered her mother with it. She watched her for a second. The only time she ever saw a semblance of peace in her mother's expression was in her sleep. That brought Raven somewhat of a comforting feeling. Even if she herself often struggled to sleep or run away from nightmares that often felt like they were an incarnation of evil, as long as her mother got her rest, it assured her one of them would be okay.

"I promise, mother."

. . .

"Hey, Raven, how's your morning?" Lilith approached the lone girl in the corner of their homeroom classroom. Though people generally steered away from sitting near the girl or even directing a word toward her, Lilith was one of the few people who didn't hesitate on starting a conversation with her. If anything, Lilith was the one she'd consider closest to the title of a friend.

"Fine," she replied, not taking her eyes off of her important essay assignment for her English class. Unfortunately, the essay was due Friday of the coming week, and it was already the middle of the week, yet Raven had barely had time to start on it. Usually, she was on top of everything, but with her recent on-going issues, it was getting progressively more difficult to concentrate on her schoolwork.

Lilith took a seat on the desk beside her and smiled gently at the girl. "You don't sound fine. You should take a break. Stressing out this much can't possibly be good for you."

"This essay is due next week, and Ms. Jiwe already thinks I'm slacking."

Lilith chuckled lightly. "Ms. Jiwe? That woman is an angel. You're her favorite student. I don't see her ever saying that."

"She didn't say it, but she thought it."

Lilith rolled her eyes and stood up, looking over her shoulder to read her paper. It looked to be an in-depth analysis on a mythical ancient city called Azarath. "Since when can you read minds?" she pointed out as her eyes traced over the contents of the paper.

"I knew you were going to ask that." Raven glanced at her slightly, and if Lilith hadn't known her, she would've probably thought it was a glare. However, she had gotten strangely good at deciphering Raven's different 'blank stares,' and this one was her own way of playfully smiling with her eyes. "And the answer is forever."

"Ooooh, Mistress Raven, enchantress of the dark arts, can you tell what I'm thinking of now?" Lilith entertained the joke while flailing her fingers and doing creepy ghost sounds, some of which gained the attention of a few of their classmates, but neither of the girls appeared to care.

Raven narrowed her eyes as she examined the girl's expression. "That you should probably start packing up because class is about to end, and you have a History exam to get to."

Lilith burst into quiet giggles while shaking her head. "Not at all. I came over here to see if you were going to attend Bee's party on Saturday."

Raven instantly frowned, losing all playfulness to her tone. "Pass." She looked back at her paper.

"Aw, come on, Raven. I promise it'll be fun! You won't be alone. You can hang out with me and Donna."

"And your other popular friends?" This time, Lilith couldn't decipher her tone, and she was left wondering whether that was a jealous remark or the girl simply didn't care. Even to her closest friend, Raven was a mystery.

"You know I don't like that crowd. I just went along with them because of Donna. And I know you don't like them, so that's why I didn't even ask you to come sit with us." Lilith frowned, feeling a little guilty.

"You're right. I wouldn't have considered it, and I don't blame you for it. But please don't drag me along now. I have a lot of work to do anyways."

"You're always working, Raven. And this is Bee's party we're talking about! You know Bee gets along with everyone, and she wouldn't mind you being there at all!"

"I'd rather refrain from Karen trying to drag me along to her loud and annoying activities."

"It's called having fun, Raven. You really need to try it sometimes. You're going to end up completely alone if you keep acting this way."

"I wouldn't mind it."

Lilith looked especially hurt at the statement. She stood up straighter, watching the girl for a moment, but Raven didn't bother to turn to look back at her. She sighed. "Alright, Raven, if you want to be alone, go ahead. But you know you always have a friend in me, so anytime you're ready to stop acting like this ice queen, you know where to find me." Then she walked off, her ginger hair swiping to the side as she did.

Raven finally looked up at Lilith's retreating figure. She watched as she joined Donna and Kory on the front seats, sitting by them and easily partaking in whatever funny stories they were sharing considering they were almost laughing their butts off their chairs.

Friend, Raven repeated in her head. She looked back down at her essay and continued writing. I don't have any friends.

. . .

"Hey, Vic," Mr. Palmer called out before he could exit his engineering course.

Vic turned around, somewhat confused as to why the man needed him. He didn't think he had any overdue assignments, and his grade for the course was okay for the moment. "Yeah, Mr. Palmer?"

Mr. Palmer smiled warmly at him. "Take a seat, please." He signaled toward the chair in front of his desk.

Vic did as told. "Am I in trouble or..?"

Mr. Palmer let out a gentle laugh. "Not at all! I was just curious to know if you've considered joining the Robotics team. We could use someone with your set of skills."

"The Robotics team… Erm." Vic frowned. "My skills? I mean, I guess I'm okay at all this technology stuff, but I'm not really interested in it."

Mr. Palmer appeared surprised. "Really? You always seem so focused on your work in this course, I thought you really enjoyed it."

"Nah, Mr. Palmer." Vic shook his head with a smile. "I'm a football player, not an engineering nerd. No offense."

Mr. Palmer reclined back in his chair, watching his student with amusement. He chuckled lightly as he shook his own head. "Vic, just because you play football doesn't mean you're not a good student in the sciences."

"I don't know. I'd say it'd probably ruin my reputation as a sporty student at this school."

"On the contrary, handling many talents is a blessing at this place. That's what colleges look for in their students."

Vic's eyes fell down to his hands, and he looked somewhat deflated. "I don't think I'm going to college, Mr. Palmer."

Mr. Palmer furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean, Vic? You're one of my best students. I've always thought you had a good chance at attending MIT."

"MIT?" Vic huffed. "I'm not that smart. I was planning to get a football scholarship to a college, but I got in an accident last month, and I can't play anymore."

"So you've given up on applying for college?"

"What college's gonna take someone like me?"

Mr. Palmer gently shook his head. "A lot of colleges would be grateful to take a student with a brain like yours."

Vic was silent as he thought about his words. He sounded genuine in them, but then again, Mr. Palmer was the nicest teacher at the school. He was extremely gentle and caring with his students, so it'd be understandable that he was just trying to cheer Vic up. It didn't mean his words were that true per se. Sure, Vic had a natural talent for his class, but it was mainly due to everything he'd learned from his mother and father since he first started noticing their work. It didn't mean…

"But, anyhow, I would love to have you join our Robotics team. I promise it's not a huge commitment. In fact, you can come to experience it for a day to see what it's about, and you can decide if you want to join then. Just give it a chance. I think we could really use someone like you on our team." He slid a paper across from him. "Here's our schedule in case you want to show up."

Vic picked up the paper and glanced at it, thinking about it for a second before sending his teacher a small smile as he got up. He neatly folded the paper and stuck it in a pocket of his backpack. "I really appreciate the offer, Mr. Palmer, but I don't think I'll take it."

Mr. Palmer sighed, looking a little deflated. "Very well. But if you change your mind, the door's always open."

Vic gave him a thumbs up before exiting his classroom and heading to the cafeteria.

"That man's just too nice with his students," he murmured to himself, thinking there was no way the Robotics team would gain anything from someone like him.

. . .

"You wanted to see me, Ms. Jiwe?" Gar asked as he walked into his English classroom before lunch. He held his hands together like a scolded child, hoping this wasn't about his deteriorating grade in the class.

Ms. Jiwe smiled warmly. "I want to discuss your grade in my class."

Well, shi-

She signaled for him to take a seat, and he obeyed, his stomach doing acrobatics as he did. "How bad is it?"

"Garfield, I've never had a student fail the essay I give for extra points in the class." She let the essay fall gently in front of him, the paper displaying a big, fat F at the very top. "Not until you came along."

If Gar had felt any hope for his English class before then, it had vanished now. He sighed, remembering this was the personal essay they had had to write about their goals and ambitions for the future only a week prior. The essay he had forgotten to write, and he had managed to put together five minutes before class.

Ms. Jiwe watched him expectantly, awaiting an explanation.

"I forgot about it…" Gar sheepishly explained.

Ms. Jiwe's stern expression (a rare sight considering the woman always handled his students with care and understanding) indicated it wasn't a sufficient explanation. She picked up her own copy of the essay and read the first and only sentence aloud. "I would like to be a Hollywood movie star and act alongside Dawyne Johnson in an action film."

Gar cringed as he heard it, staring at his teacher with an embarrassed smile.

"You misspelled Dwayne."

Of course he did. He had written it in a hurry as he was walking to class.

"I, um, answered the prompt, didn't I?"

Ms. Jiwe sighed and put the essay down. She looked like she was trying to keep her frustrations inside. Gar generally had that effect on the adults in his life.

"The point of this essay was to write an in-depth explanation of your goals and ambitions for the future and why they are what they are."

"Well, um, I'm in theater, so I guess that's the reason?" He let out an awkward chuckle.

"Garfield, please take this seriously. This essay is meant for my struggling students to have a chance to improve their grade for the class. You just lost it. I've given you a lot of chances, but you haven't taken them. If you don't pass this last essay due next week, the most important in the course, you won't pass the class at all. This class is a requirement for graduation and a prerequisite for your senior English course, so you won't graduate on time if you don't pass."

Gar gulped down his apprehension. Steve would definitely kill him then. "Is there anything else I can do to get my grade up? Anything at all?"

Ms. Jiwe sighed, looking at her student with a disappointed expression that made Gar feel extremely guilty about his lack of effort in her class. "Unfortunately, no. This essay is your last chance. I recommend you look for a tutor. If you get me an essay before the deadline next week, I will look it over for you and give you advice on how to improve it. It can serve as extra credit and help you get a better grade on the final product, but you have to have an essay by then, and not just one sentence."

"Okay…" Gar looked deflated. "Thanks, Ms. Jiwe. I promise I'll try my best."

"I hope so. I really don't want to have to fail you. I rarely fail students in my class because I care about their transcript, but I also won't give a passing grade to someone who doesn't deserve it."

"I understand." Gar let out a deep breath and stood up, waving goodbye to his teacher and heading out of the classroom. On the way to the cafeteria, he spotted Toni organizing her books in her locker. "Toni!"

Toni turned and smiled at Gar. "Hey, Gar. What's up?"

"Can you still help me with my essay for next week? I really, really need your help."

Toni's face morphed into a somewhat uncomfortable, forced smile, and she chuckled awkwardly. She closed her locker gently and pursed her lips. "Um, yeah, about that…"

Gar felt his stomach drop.

"The Robotics team is really busy with the upcoming State Championship in two weeks not to mention I have choir practice all week because of regionals next month…" She blurted out a few more excuses before finally admitting. "I'm really sorry, Gar. I really can't help you."

Gar felt absolutely heartbroken, but he wasn't about to force Toni to help him when she was so busy. He shook his head with a sad and forced smile as he slid his hands into his pockets. "Don't worry, Toni. It's really okay. I understand."

Toni looked relieved. "Oh, thank you! I'm sure you can find someone else, no? Now, I have to go. We're having a Robotics emergency meeting right now. No hard feelings, right?"

"We're cool."

Toni smiled before running off, leaving Gar standing there in the empty hallway.

He was practically and utterly screwed. Toni had been the fifth person he had asked for help, and he was running out of options quickly. From the corner of his eye, he spotted a female figure walking into the library in the distance. No one but one person spent their lunchtime in the library.

He bit his lip. Perhaps it was a bad idea, but now he really didn't have another choice, and they did have detention for the next two weeks together. Maybe she could help him then? He took a deep breath and tried to build up some courage before he made his way into the library hoping he wasn't prematurely setting up his deathbed.

"You better not mess this up, Gar…"

A/N: I promise things will start picking up the next chapter! The party will be in approximately two more chapters, and it will be well worth it! Lots of drama will unfold, and it's going to kickstart the main conflict! Other characters will start making their appearances too! Thank you all for your support, I love you so much! Stay safe :)