Wally has a bad feeling about tonight. He had everything set up. The drinks, the chasers, the food. (Roy was bringing other stuff, but he didn't discuss any further than that.) Perhaps he had invited too many people, or maybe he had invited not enough people. He put his faith in his friends to get the word out but what if people had actually decided to go to that lame Halloween dance anyway?

His uncle and aunt had left for a wedding out of town and made him swear to not throw any parties.

"Wallace West. Roy, Dick and Garth are coming here to study and that's it." his aunt said, twirling her car keys around her finger. "We hear any trace of a party being thrown and we will drive straight back here lightning speed. Are we clear?"

"Crystal," Wally gave her his million dollar smile and politely closed the front door behind her. He threw his fist in the air and waited. And waited.

He was just about to sit down to see what was on TV when the doorbell rang.

Speeding over to it, he opened the door to see Victor, Garth, Malcolm, Donna, Dick and that international student he recognized as Koma Anders' sister.

"Greetings!" the international student smiled. "Thank you for inviting us into your home!"

Wally gave her a grin and stepped aside to let his friends in.

"Are we the first ones here?" Donna asked, looking around. "Oh, and I hope you don't mind that I brought Kory, she was feeling down so I invited her-"

"Pft, no problem," Wally replied, waving it off with his hand. "The more chicks, the better."

Donna gave him a look of disgust and went over to the food table.

Soon enough, more and more people had begun to arrive. It started with a couple of seniors, all except Karen who stayed for the Halloween dance. Roy arrived eventually, holding two brown paper bags and beer.

"The fun has arrived, ladies and gentlemen," he exclaimed as he walked in the house. "And I bear gifts!"

Wally's eyes narrowed. "Roy, please tell me that whatever is in that bag is legal."

"Hm," Roy tucked his hand underneath his chin. "It depends what state we're talking about here. And it depends on who you ask. Relax, Wallace, they're just brownies. Koma brought them."

He turned to see Koma Anders walk in with her usual gang, the burnouts. Baran Flinders almost broke his door down when he walked in, and it occured to Wally that he had not invited this many people.

"Jeni!"

Wally saw Victor make his way over to the door to greet the pink haired girl. Her face practically split in two to see him and she immediately seperated herself from her friends to go say hello.

Wally smacked his forehead. "I told my aunt and uncle that there wasn't gonna be a party. If they find drugs here, so help me, God, I will throw you into the bay."

Roy rolled his eyes. "So dramatic. Take a chill pill-"

"I don't want pills!"

"It's a figure of speech, good lord. Have a beer, go flirt with some girls, it's what you do best. Shoo," Roy muttered, his hands ruffling through his hair. "I see a brunette at 10 o'clock. Later."

Wally watched him as he made his way over to the corner where a group of girls were standing. Roy tapped on the shoulder of the shortest girl and ran a hand through his hair before jumping backwards and slamming into the corner of the dining table.

It was Jade Nguyen.

Donna and Kory burst out laughing and hid their smiles behind plastic red cups.

"I get it, Harper. You just can't get enough of me," Jade snickered. "Honestly, I didn't know kissing was so meaningful to you. But then again, when you haven't done it in such a long time-"

Roy turned as red as the apples in the fruit bowl. He began arguing with her before she waved him off with a black manicured hand.

"So, are you and Katherine a thing now?" Garth asked Dick when they got to the kitchen to refill their cups.

"God, no," Dick shuddered. "She's been spreading rumours that we hooked up and that we're together. It's kind of ridiculous."

Garth laughed. "I heard she has a boyfriend in jail or something. His name's Fang apparently. Probably one of Koma's crooks."

Dick raised an eyebrow. "I can't believe they're here. And I can't believe Roy's getting stuff from them either. He's changing. It's weird."

Garth shrugged it off. "Nah, I think he's still the same guy. He probably just wants to forget that he ever hooked up with Jade."

"Yeah, can you imagine? They've hated each other since the third grade."

Garth laughed, taking a sip out of his cup. "The line between love and hate can be a blurry one, my friend."

Dick rolled his eyes. "Okay, Nicholas Sparks. Okay."

Donna watched as Kory giggled and drank what was in the cups that were handed to her. A crowd of jocks was already beginning to form around them, and soon enough they were chanting "shots, shots, shots, shots".

Kory slammed down the glass.

"Another!" she belched, her red hair a frizzy mess.

Donna put her hand on her shoulder. "Kory, don't you think you've had enough?"

"The limit does not exist, Donna. My people can handle the most alcoholic of beverages."

Donna sighed as she watched Kory stumble away from the table and towards the kitchen. Donna followed to go pour her a glass of water.

"Yes, hello, good sirs," Kory slurred, looking at Roy, Dick and Garth with a dazed expression. "I am looking for the lavatory. It seems that this is not the lavatory."

"Oh, actually, we just take a dump in the sink," Roy started.

Dick elbowed him in the ribs. Donna shot him a look.

"Alright, Roy, you're disgusting, we get it," Donna commented. "Dick, can you help me get her to Wally's bathroom?"

Dick put down his drink and walked over to her, hitching one of Kory's arms across his shoulder.

"Oh, Dick Grayson, the hero," Roy sneered. "Are you gonna help her pee too?"

Garth smacked him upside the head. "What's your problem? Is it Jade? Did she shoot you down again?"

Roy glared at him and pushed him aside, taking a swig of the remainder in Dick's cup.

"Can you two stop? Let's go, Dick." Donna placed Kory's other arm around her neck and started going upstairs.

"Dear friends! Where are we going?" Kory exclaimed, pressing her face against both of theirs.

"The lavatory," Dick muttered through gritted teeth, trying to ignore the sensation of her skin being pressed against his.

"Oh, how glorious! I enjoy lavatories very much, I spend a lot of time there. Reading and thinking and p-"

Dick turned the doorknob of the bathroom with his other hand, struggling to support Kory's dead weight. Kory went inside, failing to close the door. Donna quickly slammed it shut.

Dick sighed and leaned against the stairwell. "She's heavier than you would think, right?"

Donna laughed, nodding. "Yeah. I just hope she doesn't throw up. It seems all I do nowadays is hold peoples' hair when they barf. Kory, Mom-"

They heard a flush and a sink turning on. And then an "Ow!".

Donna knocked once on the door. "Everything okay in there, Kory?"

"Yes, everything is splendid!" Kory shouted back. "It seems my foot just got attached to a bucket is all!"

Kory opened the door, her red hair still frizzy and looking slightly like a bird's nest, but other than that she looked alright.

"Oh, Donna, my glorious friend. Thank you for getting me to a place where I can urinate freely."

Donna winced. "Oh, no problem, Kory."

"And you!" Kory exclaimed, her green eyes landing on Dick. "You helped! What was your name again?"

"Dick," he replied, although in this context he wished he had said Richard.

She laughed and threw her arms around him. And then cupping his face, she pressed her lips against his.

He froze. He had no idea what to do. All he could think about was the fact that he was kissing a drunk girl he had never spoken to, with Donna watching him and probably other people in the hallway as well and he could taste vodka on her lips and that it actually wasn't so bad.

And then she steps back, and he could count her eyelashes from here, but her green eyes are watery and she's not herself and she probably won't even remember him by tomorrow.

She gives him a friendly smile, as if she hadn't just pounced on him, throws her arm around Donna and makes her way downstairs.

Donna looks at him and shrugs in a way that says, I have no clue what just happened.

And Dick stumbled into the bathroom to wipe off the traces of her lipstick, but it didn't leave anything. Shrugging, he made his way downstairs and dodged a vase by a hair's breath. It shattered behind him.

"That was an antique!" Garth exclaimed, rushing over. "Wally's gonna be pissed."

"What the hell is going on?" Dick questioned, his eyes trying to find his friends.

"Roy provoked Baran like the idiot that he is," Garth sighed, dodging a lamp. "He knows that guy has anger issues and he does it anyway. He's not called Mammoth for nothing."

Baran was on top of Roy, beating the archer beneath him to a bloody pulp. Donna let out an aggravated yell and tried to pull Baran off of him, only to be shoved aside. Jade and Kory ran over to her, but she waved them off.

"You'll kill him like that, stop-" Victor yelled as he and Ryo pulled on each of Baran's arms. Eventually they stood the giant up on his feet. He shoved both of them off his arms.

"That'll teach him," he growled.

"Party's over!" Wally yelled. "Everybody clear the fuck out!"

The crowd let out a disappointed moan as they packed up their things and left. Dick and Garth placed Roy on the couch as Donna tended to his wounds. Wally was slamming his head repeatedly on the door.

"I'm so dead," he kept saying. "They'll disown me."

"We'll help you clean up," said Garth, already stacking the unused cups into a tower. "Don't worry, we still have two hours, right?"

"No, actually, they're staying the night."

"Well, there you go, Wally," Donna chimed, putting a soaked bandage on the cuts on Roy's forehead. "Stay positive."

"Is he gonna be alright?" a voice from the kitchen wavered. It was Jade. Behind her was Kory splayed out on two dining chairs, sound asleep.

"What are you still doing here?" Wally retorted, but she ignored him, making her way to Roy.

"You idiot," she muttered under her breath as she took a seat next to the couch.

Dick, Garth and Donna froze. Donna cleared her throat and said she was going to get some more bandages. She pulled Dick and Garth by their collars to the kitchen. She signalled for Wally to follow.

She closed the sliding door behind them. "Oh my goddess, did you see that?"

"Jade Nguyen has a heart," Wally noted. "Who knew?"

Kory let out a yawn, and tried to get up from her chairs, only to slip and fall in between the two.

"Actually, dear friends," Kory starts. "Jade is merely thankful for what Roy did."

Garth raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Baran had been trying to, er, 'hook up' with Jade. She did not reciprocate feelings. I believe the correct term that Baran used was 'cold blooded skank'."

"That misogynistic bastard," Donna fumed. "Going around, slut-shaming girls-"

Wally stopped her before she could continue her rant. "And then what did Roy do?"

Kory blinked. "Oh, I did not hear what he said, but I know that Baran was very angry and became very violent."

"Oh my god," Donna exclaimed, letting out a deep sigh. "They're in love. They don't know it yet. But they are."

"Yeah, and Roy's an idiot," Dick scoffed. "He knows Jade is the best martial artist out there, she can fight her own battles. Love, love, love. And what is it good for? Absoloutely nothing."

"Oh, come on, Dick," Wally rolled his eyes. "Don't be such a Debbie Downer. Now, let's surprise them and see if they're making out."

Donna slid open the door and they all stepped outside. Jade was nowhere to be found.

"Damn it, she was my ride," Donna groaned as they made their way to the couch. Roy was still asleep.

"If you guys help me clean up," Wally rested his hands on the top of his head, looking around the room. "I can drive you guys home."

"Nah," Dick muttered, pulling out Wally's vacuum cleaner from the cupboard. "I'll drive them, but we'll help you clean up anyway."

Two hours later, they had finally left the house spotless. Kory and Donna took out the trash, Dick vacuumed, Wally washed dishes, Garth dusted and Roy slept.

Kory had sobered up at this point, fixed her appearance and picked up her purse to leave. They all got in Dick's car and waved goodbye to what was a very distressed and tired Wally.

Donna sat in front as Roy laid on top of Garth and Kory's laps. It wasn't crammed, considering what a big car Dick drove. Garth was dropped off first, and his dad seemed to be the most relaxed when Dick pulled up in the driveway.

Donna blew a kiss to Kory as she got out of the car, thanking Dick for the ride and sneaking into the house as quietly as possible.

And then it was just Kory and Dick. And a snoring Roy, of course.

Kory tried desperately to make conversation, but either Dick wouldn't reply or only in one word answers.

When they reached her host family's house, she thanked him for the ride and gently laid down Roy's head to the side.

"Wait."

She stopped, her eyes meeting his in the rearview mirror.

"Kory, right?" he said, turning around.

She liked the way he said her name.

"Yes."

"Can I ask you something?"

She hated those words. She hated confrontation.

"You are wondering why we had lip contact," she said.

"Er," Dick turned red. "Kissing. But yeah."

Kory nodded. It was always better to rip the bandage off.

"I suppose I just felt like kissing you," she shrugged. "And you're one of the only boys at school who are kind to me. And who can tell me apart from my sister."

Dick felt ashamed he didn't know which class they had together. He looked away.

"On my first day, I asked you where my Algebra classroom was," she began. "And you were the first one who did not lie to me."

"Oh, well, that's just the right thing to do-"

"And you were the first one to do the right thing," she replied, giving him a small smile. He returned it.

"Well, I thank you for escorting me home," said Kory, breaking the comfortable silence. "I will see you around, Dick Grayson."

And with that, she left the car, taking out her keys from her purse, still slightly stumbling before reaching her door.

He waited until she was inside and the door was locked. That's what you're supposed to do, right?