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CHAPTER 7

The basketball season moved along right with the school year. And the Ridgeside Redhawks finally had the team they had been waiting for. Even when John Diggle was playing, Ridgeside lost a couple of games in the season. And they never even got to the finals of the district championships. After only the third game, and third win, of this year people were saying that this team was championship bound. Of course, some people said it was just dumb luck. As the season progressed the team bonded. Of course with an exception of one player. Every time the team would hang out after a game or practice, Snart would stay back. "I'll pass," he would say.

Iris would sit in the stands with her friends Lucy Lane and Sara Lance every day during practice. Usually, Snart hardly noticed them. He would come to school, practice, then get out of there as fast as possible, talking to as few people in the process. He happened to look up at them during a water break once. Sara Lance noticed him and smiled at him. Snart looked away. 'That was odd,' he thought to himself. Later that day he looked up in the stands again, and again Sara smiled at him. This time he gave her a nod showing that he saw her. 'Why is she smiling at me?' he thought. He was used to everyone treating him like what he was. A criminal. He was fine with it, he liked it actually. A certain amount of fear surrounded his name, kids won't look at him in the eye in the halls, it was peaceful, nobody bothered him. But Sara didn't really seem to care. It annoyed him at first, but then he rather liked it. She would smile at him and he would give her a smirk back, not an actual smile just a smirk.

…

"Dammit Mick," Snart muttered under his breath. He was expecting a ride home. He was standing outside of the gym looking into the parking lot, where Mick's truck should be. He checked his phone, but just like the last fifty times he checked, Mick still hadn't texted him. It was cold enough that you could see your breath, but Snart didn't mind the cold. But he did mind being stuck at school when he could be anywhere else. "Great stuck at the worst place in the world," Snart said to himself, slumping onto a bench.

"Waiting for a ride?" a voice said from behind him. He rose his fists slightly, his instincts told him to be ready to fight. But he turned around only to find Sara exiting the gym.

"Oh, hi," Snart said plainly lowering his fists. "Yeah, what about you?" he answered, she walked toward him.

"Same," she said. "Mind if I sit?" she didn't seem to be afraid of Snart at all, it was off-putting.

"Go ahead," Snart said gesturing beside him. 'Great now I'm going to have to actually talk to her,' Snart thought to himself. But he had an idea and pulled something out of his back pocket. "Care to play?" he asked, revealing a deck of cards. Sara smiled.

"Love to," she responded. Snart dealt out the deck and they played for roughly fifteen minutes until Sara's sister Laurel arrived.

"Sara," she called from the car. Laurel then saw her sitting next to Snart. "Let's go," she said a little more sternly. Sara waved goodbye then hopped into the car. Snart was alone again, he walked home. He figured Mick wasn't coming.

…

"New seats," Professor Stein announced to his Physics class. It mostly consisted of seniors although there was one particularly bright junior in the class. Felicity Smoak. As the entire class rose from their seats, shuffled around the room, and sat back down, Felicity found herself next to Oliver Queen. She internally groaned. 'Looks like I'll be doing all the labs single-handedly,' she thought as Oliver gave her a smile.

Oliver was absolutely thrilled. He tried not to show it. He tried to mask his emotions. A chance to interact with Felicity, not just Arrow business, without having to lie to her, without having to keep up the arrogant idiot character he was forced to behave like. He noticed the clear frown on her face. He couldn't really blame her. He wouldn't want to be partners with the Oliver Queen she knew either. He still wasn't sure why what she thought of him, matter so much to him.

He could tell that Felicity saw through him. Most people treated him a certain way because he was rich or popular or handsome. So Oliver acted like most other rich, popular, and handsome people in public. To keep up appearances, so people wouldn't ask questions. But Felicity wasn't distracted by his fame or money, or even his looks. She treated him like he was a jerk because honestly, that's what he was. He was impressed by her. By her smarts and her will and how she held Oliver accountable in a way. She didn't give him a free pass to act like a jerk. And it was rather refreshing. As he made a mental list of all of the great qualities his new lab partner possessed he thought 'Plus she's pretty cute,'. He went as white as ghost at his thought. This is the first time he realized how he felt. Did he like her? Did he really like her? Feelings were something even the Green Arrow couldn't see coming.

…

"Hey Snart," Laurel walked into the parking lot. Snart was leaning against Mick's truck. It was lunch. Mick perked up and approached Laurel in an attempt to sort of scare her off. But she was determined.

"Whaddya want?" Snart asked unamused at Laurel's confidence. She gave him a fake smile. She was filled with entitlement.

"What I want, Snart is for you to stay away from my sister," She said.

"Hate to break it to ya lady, but you don't tell my friends what to do," Mick replied.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll stay away from Sara," Laurel said walking away, looking proud of herself.

"Mmmm...I don't like her," Mick said.

"She's being protective of her little sister, I suppose I understand," Snart said, thinking of Lisa. "But It doesn't mean I have to listen to her," Snart smirked at Mick.

…

Oliver was a little off. He couldn't focus. He kept thinking about Felicity. He looked at her in a whole new light. He was studying after school with Tommy in the library, but he wasn't talking. He was just sitting there, thinking. Specifically about Felicity. Tommy instantly noticed something was up. "What's wrong Ollie?" he asked.

"Huh? Oh… nothing, where were we?" Oliver said. Tommy smiled, it was clear his friend's head was somewhere else.

"C'mon man, you can tell me," Tommy said. Oliver's mind was racing. He could tell Tommy about this right? It wasn't compromising anything. Plus Tommy was his best friend, and right now he really needed someone to talk to. He knew Tommy wouldn't tell anyone, he knew Tommy could be trusted. "Oliver?" Tommy asked again, a little concerned. Oliver hesitated then spoke.

"It's..." he paused. "I..." he couldn't seem to form words. "Her," he pointed to Felicity she was walking by outside with her friend Barry. "I can't get my mind of this girl, she's just so beautiful and so amazing and when I see her I feel good and when I don't see her my life just feels wrong," Oliver said. This made Tommy so saddened as he just now realized Oliver would never be with him, ever.

"I see…" Tommy said. He took a deep breath and smiled at Oliver. "You're Oliver freaking Queen," Tommy said. "You can have anyone you want! Hell, I'd date you!" Oliver laughed. He didn't realize Tommy wasn't joking. But Tommy laughed too, helplessly. He always knew he and Oliver could never be. And Oliver going after some girl was old news for Tommy, but still, it felt painful.

"Thanks, man," Oliver put his hand on Tommy's shoulder. Tommy valued Oliver and his friendship above everything. And no matter how much it hurt him to see Oliver thinking about girls, he was still happy to be Oliver's friend and to see Oliver be happy.

…

Snart noticed something in the next few days. Laurel would pick up Sara directly after practice. Like she didn't trust Snart to keep his distance. This annoyed him a lot. He needed a window, just a few minutes, to talk to Sara. So he got to work. He had a skill for working out timing, he used to have to help out his father with heists. So he figured out the timing perfectly. "I'm going to need a favor Mick," Snart said before his practice. "And considering you left me here while you went off drinking the other night I would say you owe me one," He added.

"Fine, what do you need?" Mick asked. Snart grinned.

"You're not going to like it," Snart said.

"What…" Mick looked suspiciously at Snart.

"I need you to talk to Laurel Lance," Snart said. Mick groaned. But he knew he owed Snart and didn't really have a choice. Snart had it all planned out. All Mick had to do was cut her off as she entered the gym exactly three minutes before practice ends and distract her from entering for five minutes. Giving Snart just enough time to talk to Sara. So he did just that.

"Hey, Lady!" Mick shouted at Laurel as he cut her off from entering the gym.

"What?" She said in a judgemental tone.

"What's your problem?" He asked.

"My problem?" She tried to push past Mick.

"Your problem with Snart," he clarified blocking Laurel from moving past him. She stopped eager at a chance to defend herself.

"My problem with you and Snart is that you're criminals. And I'm guessing not very good guys. You're just the kind of people who I don't want anywhere my sister! Now I think that's a pretty good reason to have a problem with you," She said folding her arms.

"Now listen," Mick said "You don't know anything about us. You look down on us because we're bad people while you hang out with d-bags like Oliver Queen? The only difference between your friends and mine is that yours have money. Now just because your hot Laurel Lance, doesn't give you the right to boss us around as you please," He said. Now he had gotten Laurel angry, which was exactly his goal. Laurel was steaming, but a little part of her knew he was right.

Meanwhile, Snart ran up to Sara after practice. "Sara, Are you coming to our game tomorrow? We are playing Chino Hills,"

"Of course, I'm looking forward to it," Sara said back.

"Great, see you in the stands" Snart looked down at his watch, his time was up. "See ya around," He said jogging away. He went out to find Laurel yelling at Mick. "Let's go, Mick," he interrupted. Then he looked over. "Laurel," he said snidely. As Laurel gave him a judgemental look."Well done," Snart said to Mick once they were out of sight. Mick's words hit Laurel hard. And she could get what he said out of her mind.