CHAPTER 2

School was picking up a familiar pace, even though it was only day three. Barry had spent the last two afternoons at STAR labs working with Cisco and Caitlin as well as Harry and HR. Harry and HR both also worked at school. Barry was leaving Harry's science class when he saw something he DID NOT want to see. "Hey, Iris!" Eddie Thawne walked up to Iris in the hall

"Oh hey Eddie," Iris said meekly. She smiled and tucked her loose hair behind her ear. Eddie looked at her and started flirting with her. Barry felt himself fill with anger. Eddie's moves were so smooth. Plus Eddie was a junior. Barry knew he could never be with Iris. They lived together. But it was so hard for him sometimes She was just so gosh darn beautiful he really needed something to get his mind of her or someone...

Right now all he wanted to do was run. So he went to go find Cisco in ethical hacking club. He and two other people approached the door at the same time. Barry recognized Oliver as one of the people because he was so popular. The other person he recognized as the girl in his history class with Mr. Henshaw. Her name was Kara, Barry's eyes lingered on her. They awkwardly filed through the door. Barry approached Cisco.

"Bro can we go run?" he asked

"Yeah man let's go!" Cisco logged out of his computer.

They went out to the track and started talking while they were jogging. "I can't get Iris out of my head," Barry says

"I know just the trick," Cisco says "you see that girl over there?"

"Yah, Who's she?" Barry responds

"She's a junior, Nyssa. She's Mr. Al Ghul's daughter" Cisco says

"Mr. Al Ghul the PE teacher?" Barry asked

"Yup, she is single and ready to mingle!" says Cisco putting emphasis on mingle "she's hot, single, and did I mention she's incredibly single."

"She's not my type," Barry says.

"If she's not your type you don't have one," Cisco says

But then Barry remembers the girl from his history class, the one he saw at ethical hacking club.

"What about Kara?"

"Winn's friend?" Cisco says Barry nods assuming that's why she was at ethical hacking club. "Oh, my gosh how can you tell me that Kara is hotter than Nyssa" Cisco exclaims "Do you actually like her?"

Barry shrugs and says " woah, I actually think I do. I need to work out these feels, let's go to STAR labs."

Back at the Ethically hacking club Oliver walked up to Felicity "So were you able to get into the phone?" he asked

"Yeah it was a little tricky but I got it," she handed over the smartphone "not sure what your friend is doing with a Smith inc. the corporate phone though,"Although Oliver was the sexist kid in school, his evident stupidity broke the trance he had on Felicity. To her, he was a dumb playboy jock. But in reality, he was much more. Oliver panicked momentarily but kept his cool.

"His dad works there, that's all," he smiled. Felicity nodded even though she wasn't paying any attention to his words. Oliver exited and sighed once he was out of sight.

…

Barry and Cisco walked into STAR labs where they found Caitlin sitting in the cortex doing some homework.

"Sup guys what's up?" she asked lightheartedly.

"I need to run," Barry didn't stop he walked straight to the treadmill and started to run.

"What's his deal," asked HR as he wandered near.

Cisco shrugged."How are you doing HR?" he asked

"Good, but it's not easy being a high school counselor. Especially because I have to pretend to Randolf Morgan because there can't be two Harrison Wells in this earth!" he said, "Speaking of the other Harrison Wells were is he?"

"Grading papers," Caitlin answered

"Okay! Keep an eye on Barry okay? I'm going out," HR left.

"Let's go watch Barry run I guess," said Cisco. They walked to the treadmill and watched Barry run from the observation room. Cisco looked at the mere inches between his and Caitlin's hands. Then he took a leap of faith. He reached for Caitlin's hand and grasped it in a tight hold. But she slapped it off.

"CISCO!" she yelled, "I TOLD YOU WHAT HAPPENED IN THE CORTEX THIS SUMMER WAS NOTHING!" Barry stopped running.

"What happened this summer in the cortex?" Barry asked a little offended he wasn't aware.

"It was nothing," Caitlin looked away.

"It was definitely something," Cisco argued.

"It was just a hug, a friendly hug!" Caitlin pleaded.

"It was far from friendly!" Cisco argued again. This is not how Barry wanted his day to go, he kept running as they bickered with each other.

…

Oliver finally had what he needed. He scrolled through the phone and found the incriminating evidence against Bob Smith, founder of Smith inc. He printed it out and drove to his secret hideout. His hideout was in an old shut down building that was still owned by his family. He suited up. Tonight he was going after Smith once and for all.

He ambushed Smith in his penthouse. He spoke in a raspy and deep voice. "Bob Smith you have failed this city." he pulled back his bow and aimed it at Smith's head. "You've overpriced essential medicine so the people who need it can't afford it." Smith whimpered and begged. It made Oliver feel good. "You can either lower the prices immediately or die!" Smith babbled and cried. "You have 24 hours," Oliver finished and shot an arrow out the window, escaping.

Less than a half an hour later Oliver saw that the price had lowered, and he smiled to himself.

…

Days turned into weeks as school inched on. Wally had loved every minute he spent with Jax, Winn, Kara and Jesse. The whole group was walking when they saw the sign for the basketball try-outs. "Do you play West?" asked Jax.

"Of course!" Wally answered, "I played in Keystone, how competitive is the team here?" Jax laughed a little.

"Hardly competitive at all, we haven't been good since John Diggle graduated two years ago. But they say he's coming back to coach this year!" Jax explained "So I think we have a shot," he mimed shooting a basketball.

"Aight let's try out then!" Wally said.

So the next day they showed up in the gym where around forty guys were warming up. Wally was wearing a jersey from the team he played for in Keystone. At the tryouts for that team there was at least seventy kids trying out for the same amount of spots, so he wasn't nervous. Diggle blew three sharp blasts on his whistle and gathered all the boys together. Diggle went to West Point Army Academy which was only a short trip away from the high school. He was the star power forward for their basketball team. "Listen up! There are twenty spots on this team. Ten varsity, ten JV. I will not tolerate laziness, I will not tolerate arrogance, and I will not tolerate selfishness!" he barked as he instructed the boys. Wally enjoyed the tryouts. Playing basketball again made him feel at home. But then he saw someone he did not expect to. Leonard Snart.

"You see that?" he walked up to Jax, who looked just as in shock as Wally.

"Yeah…" he said staring at Snart. He was working his way around the three-point line making shots. Wally tried to continue tryouts like he didn't see him but it was difficult. As the tryout continued it was clear who were going to be the starters. So after three days, the rosters posted outside the gym weren't at all surprising.

Varsity

James Olsen- Center

Eddie Thawne- Shooting Guard

Jefferson Jackson- Small Forward

Wally West- Power Forward

Leonard Snart- Point Guard

"Good job Eddie!" Iris complimented him "You looked really good out there," he smiled back at her. His face was still glistening with sweat. And Iris couldn't stop staring at him. "Ready to go Wally?" Iris had gotten her permit and was giving Wally a ride home. The second they got out of sight from Eddie, Wally started to laugh. "What?" asked Iris.

"You totally like him," Wally replied.