"So, uh, how did you notice I was missing?" Robin asked as we all made our way back to headquarters. I looked over at Wally, to see him with a mischievous grin on his face. There was no way he would tell Robin what happened, only just tease him.

"Tempest, did Red tell you where you'll be enrolling?" Wally asked, trying not to run ahead. I nodded.

"Yeah, uh… Keystone High School or something. I'm not sure," I replied, rubbing the back of my neck. Wally's face just lit up.

"Great! You'll be going to my school!" Robin seemed slightly unimpressed, but just continued walking, speaking after a little while.

"You know, Gotham Academy is much better. It's where I go," he stated with a triumphant smile.

"So what makes it better, then?" Wally teased. We all just walked the rest of the way in silence, myself giggling at the boys' childishness.

"We're here," I announced, stopping at the cave.

Upon entering, we noticed that everyone was gathered around in the main headquarters.

"So, what's happening?" Wally asked as he entered the room. He seemed awfully happy about something. I could feel some eyes looking at me strangely as I walked in, my legs barely covered by what I was wearing.

"Hey, Tempest, what happened to the scars and bruises that Cade gave you?" Robin asked, looking me up and down. I wasn't sure. I had completely forgotten about them, actually. They seemed to go away, so I didn't worry about it. With a shrug, I simply smiled. Why dwell on it, right?

For a few seconds, I could feel myself getting dizzy and light-headed. Artemis asked if I was fine, so I just tried nodding and staying as happy as I could. I didn't want them to start thinking I was a drama queen… Even if I was.

"I'm going to get some fresh air, okay? I'll be back in a sec," I told Wally, touching his shoulder and walking out. I heard him say an innocent, "What?" as I left. It was easy to tell that they were giving him the kind of look that said, "We know something's going on, so spill."

Walking out into the moonlight, everything was beautiful. The sky was a silky navy blue, the moon like a giant gem decorating it. The stars were like small jewels used to help bedazzle the night. With each step, the cool breeze pressed against my skin and I found myself smiling in the darkness. I took a deep breath in before I eventually reached the edge of a cliff. It was unknown to me where I was exactly or why I walked to a cliff, but it just seemed natural.

Like an instinct.

I walked over to the edge of the cliff and sat down, dangling my feet over it. The water underneath was beautiful and clear, the moon reflecting off of it. So wrapped up in my own thoughts, I didn't even notice Cade come over and sit next to me. There were words that I wanted to tell him so badly, but I had no idea what those words really were and my voice decided that silence was the best remedy for the situation.

Cade and I sat there quietly for a countless amount of time, simply staring at the ocean and admiring its beauty. I was the one to speak first, but not to Cade.

"Well, this is whelming," I joked, sensing a thirteen and fifteen year old presence.

"Really? Are you serious?" Wally asked, sitting down next to me. I could tell he wasn't completely impressed with my catching on to catchphrases. Laughter escaped me as I leant back and looked up at the sky.

"It's amazing…" I said, just under my breath. I could hear Robin whisper something, but I didn't hear what it was, only Wally following it with, "Dude!"

As I sat back up, I realised that Cade was starting to leave.

"Wait…" I spoke softly, gently grabbing onto Cade's hand and pulling him back. With a bit of hesitation, Cade finally obliged, so I grinned at him in thanks. "Where are you going to school?"

"Keystone," Cade replied immediately, not sounding too enthusiastic.

"Great, I'll have a psychopath at my school…" I heard Wally say quietly, so I shot him an evil look.

"That's great! Maybe we can all stick around together?" I suggested. Cade just raised an eyebrow to me, looking a little unimpressed. Perhaps that was a no.

"Sure, I'll bring my lightning-proof suit," Wally joked, receiving another evil look from me.

"'Wall-Man'? Please… Shut up." Robin was too busy laughing at Wally's embarrassment to really join the conversation. "We should go. It's getting late and I'm tired."

Everyone agreed and we ventured off, heading back to the HQ. Robin and Cade walked off in their own direction, while Wally escorted me to my room.

"Good night, beautiful," he said as he wrapped his arms around me. I followed suit and hugged him back.

Hopefully school the next day wouldn't be too bad.

~~~.~~~

When I woke up, I could feel the school day kick in hard. I didn't want to get out of bed and I definitely didn't want to go to school!

"Good morning, sleepy-head!" M'gann greeted her, floating around the kitchen. Did she have to so earlier in the morning?

"What's the time?" I asked, sounding really tired and uninterested.

"It's about half-past seven! You'll have to start getting ready if you don't want to be late for your first day of school!" I groaned and returned to my room, spreading myself across the bed. Whoever invented the concept of 'school' was definitely someone who didn't like sleep. I saw Cade pass my door, looking as dead as I felt.

"Tempest, you have to get up!" M'gann called again. I had fallen asleep and when I checked, it was now quarter past eight. It took a little while to get there and school started at nine!

"Yes, Mum!" I responded sarcastically, my head buried into my pillow. I rolled off of the bed and landed on the floor, not bothering to even try standing up. "Ah, the pain... the agony!" Wiggling my way over to the drawers, I heard a voice that I hadn't heard too often coming from the doorway.

"Uh, what are you doing?" he asked, standing there. I attempted to turn around completely, but it didn't work, so I just rolled onto my back like a sausage and looked at Conner. He had a somewhat confused look on his face, before he shook his head, amused and walked off. That was over, but my struggled to reach my clothes continued.

"Will she reach it in time, or will she fall short?" I became a commentator of my actions, continuing to squirm over to the metallic dresser. Lifting my hand up, I pulled back the drawer, not taking into consideration the distance between myself and the drawer, feeling it hit me in the head. With a low groan, I managed to pick myself up, as much as I didn't want to. It was like I was being tortured! I could barely even see what I picked out to wear; I just threw it on... Until I realised both my top and bottoms were on backwards.

"This is going well..." After correcting my outfit, I ran outside and slid into the bench. Talk about pain – and it was the edge as well!

"Tempest, are you alright?" M'gann asked, racing over to help me out. I groaned and looked at her with my eyes partly open, still tired as could be. My voice was low and rough,

"Mum, can I skip school today?"

~~~.~~~

After a little while of time spent on the bus, I arrived at Keystone High School, feeling really nervous. I didn't know what it would be like, or what to expect, so I just walked around, absent-mindedly, trying to find Wally or Cade. There were eight periods throughout the day, but I hardly paid attention to any. The only reason that I was going to school was so that I had something to do during my time and could get away with being 'normal'.

Eventually, lunch came around and I found myself sitting alone at the cafeteria, my elbow on the table and my head resting in my hand, while my other hand was tapping its fingers along the top of the table.

"Guess who?" a voice said from behind me, covering my eyes. Wally!

"Um, someone who decided that blinding me would be a brilliant way to get my attention?" I joked, pulling him down next to me and wiggling my butt over a little so he had room. "How was class?"

"Uh, boring. I have a paper due tomorrow. Where have you been? You were supposed to be in my classes," Wally replied, a little confused.

"Really? Oh, I have no idea where I was. I just walked into a random classroom and sat down. The teachers didn't seem to mind..." Wally just looked at me strangely again, before shrugging it off and continuing to talk.

"So, what should we do this afternoon?" he asked, raising his eyebrow at me repeatedly, trying to be sexy. If anything, it looked quite funny. As hard as it was, I managed to refrain from laughing, but I still didn't know what he meant.

"What do you mean? Like, like... a date or something?" I noticed that he had pulled out a banana and was eating it profusely as I talked. He merely nodded before swallowing his food and elaborating.

"I guess. I just mean go somewhere. Anywhere. It doesn't bother me," he responded, shrugging and raising the corner of his mouth slightly so I knew he was thinking about it. I looked at the sandwich that he had now pulled out and was shoving into his mouth, so I decided perhaps food was a logical decision.

"Why don't we get ice cream?" I asked, watching as he piled the food into his mouth and nodded happily. If only I could do that and not get fat...

~~~.~~~

I spent the rest of the day with Wally, still paying absolutely no attention to where I was going. Where was I going, anyway? During the middle of a class, I found myself, partially coming back to reality, so I tapped Wally's shoulder and asked what class we were in.

"Biology. Aren't you paying attention?" he replied, with a slight laugh after he spoke.

"Is something wrong, Mr West?" the teacher asked, turning around to face myself and Wally.

"Sorry..." I said to Wally telepathically, giving him the biggest puppy-dog eyes I could.

"No, sir..."

~~~.~~~

When we walked out of biology, I couldn't help but get overexcited about the fact school was almost finished!

"Hey, I'll be right back," Wally told me, entering the bathroom as we passed it. I was left alone, getting a few different looks as I leaned against the wall behind me; some were confused, some were flirty and some people actually stopped to talk to me. But as I stood there, I swear I saw Cade pass me. And what's more, he smiled at me. I thought it was probably my imagination, but the sight was still a nice one to see.

One guy whose name I didn't even bother asking for had stopped next to me and put his arm around me. I just looked at him with a raised eyebrow as he complimented my outfit. Without any idea what I was wearing, or if I was even wearing anything at all, I looked down to see what I was garbed in. I had on a denim skirt and a black singlet with a yellow 'Batman' symbol on it. My cheeks became red as I realised I would have to go back to HQ wearing a shirt which had Robin's mentors symbol on it.

Delightful.

"So, do you look hot in everything you wear, or is it just because you're wearing Batman?" the guy tried flirting with me, but it wasn't working. I just stared down at my shirt, embarrassed that I was wearing the singlet that I was wearing.

"Everything she wears. Now you can leave," Wally said, walking back over to me and putting his arm around my back so I could get away from the creep. I was still staring at my shirt, my cheeks red. "Hey, are you alright?"

"Uh, yeah... Have I been wearing this all day?" I asked Wally, still staring down at my shirt.

"Yeah, why?"

"Oh my God, you're kidding, right? I haven't been wearing this all day, right? People around here may be fine wearing their favourite superheroes symbols, but I'm not quite that confident, seeing as I'll have to see him this afternoon!"

"Why don't you turn your shirt inside out then?" It was a feasible thought, but I decided I would leave it until the last period before I even reconsidered it.

~~~.~~~

It took a while, but eventually, the final bell rang and I was walking outside with Wally, admiring the scenery. The grass was definitely greener here, compared to the cave.

"It feels so weird to be here..." I muttered to Wally, who just nodded absent-mindedly.

"Hey, were we still getting ice cream?" he asked, walking speedily toward the closest ice cream vendor, seeing as he couldn't use his super-speed. Figures.

I tried following behind, but he was too quick for me. By the time I had reached him, Wally had already bought his ice cream – a scoop of everything.

"Where do you want to go now?" he asked, eating his ice cream while I waited for mine.

"Uh, we can go to the beach?" It was the only place that I thought of and frankly, the only place that really made me feel good.

"But I thought that the sand there got in your hair." I could tell that he was attempting a joke, but it didn't work very well. With a sarcastic laugh, I pushed him softly.

"I don't know. I just like it there." I had looked away to see the ocean view, and when I looked back, Wally was giving me a 'You don't say' kind of look. Again, I found myself pushing him because of his childishness.

"I'm going to lose my ice cream soon!"

"Well, I think you've already lost your mind." I winked at him and finished eating at the same time as him. He just gave me a teasing smile and nudged me back. We had arrived at the beach and were walking on the sand, hand in hand. The sunset was already occurring, thanks to the amount of time it took me to figure out where Wally had gone when he bought the ice cream.

"This is romantic..." I stated under my breath. I could see Wally smirking a little bit, but soon stopped when we both saw Cade glaring at us. Awkward could not be used to properly explain the situation; it was an understatement. I felt my stomach tie itself in knots repeatedly as I released Wally's hand, feeling somewhat terrible. I still hadn't forgotten what he had said to me. "I love you, Shanelle... You've meant everything to me." The words still rang through my head like the sounding of a pistol, and I knew that wouldn't end anytime soon.

"This sounds like a regular question, but are you alright?" Wally asked again, nudging me with his elbow. I just stared at Cade for a while, processing what he had said to me.

"Oh, yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," I finally responded after a while of blanking out of reality.

"Are you sure nothing's wrong?"

"Yeah, nothing's wrong. Everything's fine." Everything's wrong. Nothing's fine.

We continued walking and Cade passed by me, stopping for a split second before continuing. In that short amount of time, I felt a strange piercing sensation in my arm, but decided to just ignore it. I must have been going crazy and perhaps it was just from me leaning on it all day.

"How can you eat like that? I have to watch every little thing I eat, but you devour anything!" I commented, patting his stomach.

"I have a serious metabolism."

"I wish I was like you and able to eat practically anything."

"Hey, I don't care if you're fat or what, you're still amazing." Ah. He was dead now.

"Excuse me?" I put my hands on my hips and walked up close to him, being as confronting as I could.

"Not saying t-that you are fat, just if you were, I... wouldn't care..." I smiled at him for a second before shooting him an evil eye. At that point, I started feeling really dizzy and weird.

"Is it me or is everything spinning?" I slurred, blinking repeatedly, trying to get my balance back.

"Uh, it's you. What was in that ice cream you had?" Suddenly, I found myself singing to a song I didn't know and dancing like a person who was absolutely smashed, thanks to a night of drinking.

"Tempest, are you okay?" Wally asked, trying to grab a hold of me as I spun around.

"I'm fine! Never been better! Actually, I guess I've been better! We've all been better at some point, haven't we? Like that time I owned a pet unicorn and called it 'Paul' and then we found out it was a girl. Those times were fun!" I rambled, watching as Wally's expression became really confused. I found myself babbling on about things I didn't know anything about.

"We'd better get you back..." Wally mumbled, dragging me by the hand like I was a little child. I had no idea what had happened, I just hoped it would stop soon.

~~~.~~~

We arrived back at the HQ, Batman standing there, emotionless, as he saw me enter with my Batman singlet. I was still on a strange high, so I completely forgot. By now, the babbling had stopped, but I started rolling around on the floor and barking like a dog, then mewing like a cat. All that time, I knew exactly what was happening. I just wasn't able to control my actions or words.

"Rooo-ew," it was a mix between a cat and a dog and frankly, I didn't want to know where I got the idea from.

"What happened?" I heard Batman's monotonous voice ask Wally as he followed me into the headquarters.

"I'm not sure. One minute we're... Never mind. Then she starts acting like this!" Wally answered. I could see normally, feel normally, and think normally. I just couldn't control myself at all!

"Please, help me..." I said to Wally and Batman telepathically, as the physical me flopped around on the ground, mumbling something about being a sausage.

"Uh, Wally, what is she doing?" I heard M'gann's voice come into the room as she tried not to laugh. It felt as though I was a completely sane person stuck in the body of a mental patient. I saw him cast her a glance and immediately noticed that she had stopped laughing. Soon, Conner entered the room and just stared, unsure what to make of the situation.

"I haven't seen these kind of ailments before. Has she had any exposure to drugs of any kind?" Batman asked, studying my behaviour. I wished it would stop, but no. My body had other plans. My body stood up and started jumping around the ground of four that were watching me curiously, trying to figure out what was happening. Then suddenly, I felt myself walking over to Conner and kiss him right in front of M'gann. I tried hard to regain my self-control, but nothing worked. I was just scared that I would do something completely fruity!

I tried apologising telepathically as soon as I saw the looks on their faces; Wally was a little distraught, M'gann a little upset and Conner annoyed. I knew they had to take into consideration that I couldn't control any part of me but my mind, but I could still understand how they would have felt. That's when I started getting really worried. As soon as I saw them, I ran into the kitchen and picked up a knife, both of my hands gripping onto it, which made the hand that was on the blade bleed.

No, please no.

"What is she doing?" M'gann asked, watching, slightly terrified, as I brought the knife closer to my own stomach, a big smile painted on my face but a breaking heart in my chest. If there was one thing I didn't want to do, it was die! And thanks to whatever had happened to me, it was merely seconds away.

The group rushed over to me and tried convincing me to put the knife down, but I ended up threatening them, despite the fact it wasn't really me doing any threatening.

"One step closer and I'll do it! I swear! It'll be just like cutting a cake; I'll be the cake and I'll cut up the cake!" I exclaimed with an innocent laugh. I didn't want to be the cake! I wanted to be in control of myself and making sure that everyone else had one less thing to worry about.

"Ah, gosh, now this is annoying! I mean really! Why can't this ever happen to one of you? Perhaps I'm just unlucky!" I found myself commenting excitedly again, but this time, it was kind of true. In a second, I dropped the knives on the bench that was next to me and wormed my way to my bedroom, making 'blub' noises.

What was going on with me?

When I arrived at my bedroom, the first thing I did was jump on my bed. I had the strange urge for it, but it didn't seem nearly as exciting as it did when it passed through my body's mind. As much as I didn't want to, 'I' really did want to, so I found myself jumping up, higher and higher. Then bang. I landed next to my bed in a heap on the floor.

At least I'd be able to sleep tonight.