A/N: Okie dokie, so I'd like to start off this chapter with an apology. I wrote like half of this while it was basically three in the morning…I'm sure it shows in some parts. Oh, and a MASSIVE THANK YOU to those who have followed or favorited (like three people lol) and to Tinteii, speedreader1999, and KeepCalmAndLoveRedHood for the lovely reviews. c:
Zatanna sighed listlessly and crossed her legs. Her eyes focused in on the board, but she wasn't actually seeing anything. The foreign letters and numbers were too much for her to take in, and she had no clue what was going on. Zatanna looked down at her own paper and was completely lost.
"Miss Zatara? Is there a problem?" Mrs. Dennel, the teacher asked kindly.
"Um, no. I'm fine," she managed to say.
Mrs. Dennel peered at her over her glasses. "Would you like me to go over any of the problems?"
Zatanna quickly looked down at her test and saw all the red x marks. How about all of them? "Uh, could you go over number four, please?"
Mrs. Dennel nodded, rotating around to begin writing. "…And then you just divide both sides of the equation by sixteen, and your answer is twenty-nine over two." She turned to face Zatanna once more. "Understand?"
"Um, yeah. Thank you," she lied smoothly. Zatanna remained hopelessly jumbled and baffled for the rest of the period. When the bell—her savior—rung, she instantaneously groped around for her belongings and got ready to speed out of that class.
"Zatanna? Stay behind, please." She froze and was imbued with pure trepidation. People shot her sympathetic looks on their way out, which Zatanna deliberately ignored. She tapped her finger rather impatiently on her notebook, waiting to get this upbraiding over with as soon as possible. "So, you probably know why I'm talking to you. Miss Zatara, you're lagging behind in class already, you haven't done your homework, and it's only the fifth day of school."
"I know…I just don't understand math in general. The rules and formulas and everything just don't stick in my head," Zatanna sighed, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.
"Many students have a hard time with math, Miss Zatara," Mrs. Dennel said benevolently.
"Yeah, well I'm definitely one of them."
"Yes. In order to help you, I strongly suggest that you get a tutor. When I was around your age, I too struggled in math. So, I got a tutor and my grades improved drastically. And now, here I am," she said.
"Uh, I'd love to take you up on that idea, but I don't think a tutor is going to help in this case," Zatanna muttered.
"I'm sorry Miss Zatara, I am going to have to beseech you to get a tutor—if it doesn't work out, then you are permitted to stop."
Zatanna sighed deeply. "I guess I could. I'll just ask Rocky or Dick to help me."
"I don't advise having a close friend tutor you; it wouldn't be conducive to your studies. Try meeting someone new and ask him or her to teach you," Mrs. Dennel recommended. "Well, you'd better go on to your next class. Remember my advice!"
She whirled around and scurried out the door. "I will."
"Ugh!" Zatanna yelled in frustration. She fell—literally—into the vacant seat next to Rocky. "I can't believe this."
"Who pissed in your apple juice?" Rocky inquired casually, taking a sip of her water bottle.
"Mrs. Dennel. She's making me get a tutor for math because I'm 'lagging behind,'" she exclaimed indignantly, putting air quotes around the teacher's words.
"Okay. So, just ask Dick or me to help you," Rocky shrugged.
"Can't. She says it 'wouldn't be conducive to my studies,'" Zatanna sighed. She rested her head down on the table in despondency. "I don't need a stupid tutor. I am an independent girl who don't need no tutor!"
Rocky's placid expression contorted to one of horror. "Zee, please never say that again."
"I know," she groaned. "This tutor thing is messing with my head."
"Just get a tutor then. It can't be all that bad."
"I just don't look forward to all the quality time I'll be spending with lovely quadratics. It's bad enough."
"Zee, you'll be fine," Rocky assured.
"I hope so."
Babs couldn't help it—she was staring shamelessly at Dick. Only when he glanced over in her general direction did she look down at the ground, the faint blush barely perceivable upon her cheeks. She was so immersed in her inward daydream; she didn't her the loud bell ring.
"Babs! Earth to Barbara Gordon!" Cassie yelled, waving her hands zealously in front of Babs' face.
She snapped rather reluctantly out of her daze. "Huh?"
"Ooh, you were totally staring at Dick. You were—um, what was that vocabulary word?—rubbernecking him!" Cassie squealed.
Babs opened her mouth to speak but quickly closed it. "I'm not even going to deny it," she shrugged, unabashed.
"You've got it bad for the Dick," Cassie stated.
"I—yeah. I guess so," Babs admitted. For the past few days, she'd found herself walking faster in the hallways to catch up with him, always snagging the opportunity to sit next to him in class, and simply, well, rubbernecking at him at times. "I guess I do."
"Well, he left his book in his desk. You should go return it to him," Cassie said, her tone mocking. "That way you can actually talk to him rather than staring at him like a puppy." They stood up and Babs quickly snatched the book from his desk. Sure enough, the name Dick Grayson had been scrawled on the cover messily. "I'll catch up with you later, Babs." She exited the room.
Babs clutched the old book to her chest and walked into the hallway, following the familiar blue of Dick's shirt. She dashed to his side. "Hey, Dick?"
He turned around and smiled kindly when he saw her. "Babs, right?"
"Uh, yeah. Um, you left your book in History," she informed lamely, holding out his book.
"Oh. Thanks—I would've been dead if I didn't have this book with me," he chuckled. Babs nearly grinned. The sound of his laugh was mellifluous and dulcet in her ears.
"No problem," she nodded. As he walked forward, a blush crept its way on her face. With a contented sigh, Babs marched into her Algebra class. When she sat down, she was too far steeped in her nostalgic longing to notice Mrs. Dennel's words.
"Miss Gordon?" The simulation cast by her daydreams shattered.
"Um, yes?"
Mrs. Dennel gestured for her to come up to her. Barbara complied hesitantly, although she wanted nothing more than to return to her seat and reverie some more. "Barbara, there is a girl in one of my earlier classes; she's not doing so well. For the past week you've been here, you have shown propensity for this class, and I really think that you should become her tutor."
"Uh…sure, I guess so. Who am I tutoring?"
"I'm not sure if you know her—Zatanna Zatara?"
"Nope, I've never seen her."
"Well, this will be an opportunity to make a new friend, won't it? I'll arrange for you two to meet up on the library tomorrow at three, please be there."
"I will." It wasn't like she had any other choice. Babs returned to her welcoming seat and got lost in her fantasizes once more.