~* Downtime *~ “Yeah, really,” Nicole added. “This has been like, the busiest year of my entire life, and I’m not even a cheerleader.” She shot us a glance. Jennifer and I giggled as I answered. “Um, yeah, about that…” Allison laughed. “Uh oh. I know that tone.” “Me too. What’re y’all plotting?” Nicole teased. “Nothing,” we answered in unison.

---

I couldn’t help feeling just a little nervous as Nicole and I carried our lunches down the hall to where the GLBTSA were holding their meeting. I didn’t really know what to expect, even though Nicole said she had talked to several members. I at least knew Katelyn would be there though, and that somehow helped.

Only a handful of students, mostly juniors and seniors, had gathered when we entered, though a few sophomores like us had come as well, including Katelyn, Trent and Laura. They both waved.

“Hey guys. Glad you could make it.”

Katelyn smiled nervously as she approached us. “Me too. Everyone’s been waiting for me to finally explain why I’m here, but I needed to know you’d be here too.”

Nicole gave me an odd stare, and I smiled, squeezing her hand as we took the two seats near Laura. “Katelyn and I had an interesting talk the other night.”

“Uh huh,” she teased, stealing one of my strawberries. Katelyn fidgeted nervously, tugging at the hem of her shirt while watching the door.

“I guess that’s everyone-” she started, before the door swung open. Maria stepped inside and made a bee-line for Katelyn, wrapping her in a hug.

“Sorry I’m late.”

“It’s okay,” Katelyn answered with a relieved sigh. She turned to face the small gathering. “Maria’s not … well, ‘like us’,” she paused to shiver. “God, I can’t get used to saying that.”

One of the older students, a tall guy with neatly trimmed black hair and wire framed glasses smiled as he shook his head. “It’s okay Kate. Take your time. We’ve all been there, remember?”

Katelyn slowly nodded. “Yeah. Maria’s straight, but she’s my best friend, and this kind of concerns her, so I asked her to be here to support me for this.”

Maria smiled warmly. “Since it’s sorta my fault anyway, even though it was an accident, I couldn’t not be here, chica. You’re my best friend, my sister.”

“The thing is, I’ve been coping with these weird feelings for awhile now. I like guys. I think Zack Leihman is the hottest senior in this school, but… I also think Victoria Esquire’s kind of cute.” Her cheeks blazed bright red as she rambled, going into detail about how she accidentally kissed Maria, and ending with her approaching me the other night for advice. She barely held it together as she finished. The taller guy stood and approached, pulling her into a hug.

“It’s okay. Genuine bisexuality or just plain curiosity is nothing to be ashamed of. For the longest time I had a crush on Vicky too. Now she’s one of my best friends, and I’m kind of hoping to meet ‘Mr. Right’,” he teased. “Everyone’s story is different, but the fear, uncertainty, and doubt are all perfectly normal.”

“You have no idea,” Nicole added as she smiled at me. “When I first met Robin I had just been dumped by my boyfriend, but it was a long time coming. Thing is, when I kissed her that first time I fully expected her to freak out and run off.”

~oOo~

“Moira?! What are you doing here?” I practically squealed as I raced across the gym, completely abandoning our regularly scheduled cheer practice to wrap the bassist in a hug. She giggled as Lucia, dressed in a plain white hoodie and jeans, strolled up beside us.

“Nikki said you were at practice, so we thought we’d drop in while we’re in town. Sorry your prom plans didn’t work out by the way.”

“Oh, that’s fine. We went into it fully expecting them to say they couldn’t make it.” Without missing a beat I turned to Lucia, catching her in a quick hug. She smiled as she returned the gesture. “You’re not heading back home with Jessica and Kris?”

She smiled as she shook her head. “Nah, I’m going to crash on Moira and your step-mum’s sofa for a few days first. I’m wiped out.”

“Robin?” Chelsea called.

“Sorry, they need me. Will you guys be heading back soon?”

Moira nodded. “Regina, Luce and me’re headed out for frozen yogurt once we get back to New Haven.”

Lucia wrinkled her nose. “She swears it tastes just like ice cream, but I’ll be the judge of that.” She laughed, waving as she turned to depart. Moira chuckled.

“Good luck with your practice, hey?”

“Thanks. Nationals are next month, and I am so nervous.”

Moira laughed. “Ask Lucia how many sticks she’s snapped mid-performance. Shite happens. The only thing you can do is muddle through and hope no one notices. If you act like it’s intentional, people just might start to believe it.”

She had an oddly serene smile as I turned to rejoin my squadmates. We had moved from using Victoria or Angela’s back yards to the gym so that we could begin coordinating our routine to specific positions now. It was fitting that Moira came back to Alpine Springs when she did. I had hoped she’d be able to see what she inspired.

“What was that about?” Victoria asked as I got back into position. I giggled. I’d already thought of a clever half-truth.

“That was Moira, the daughter of the lady I talked to about pulling some strings for a live band for the prom this year, since we couldn’t get Heedless Despair. She’s kind of Nikki’s adopted sister, too.”

Tracy giggled now as Victoria’s face lit up. “Oh, yeah! Robin I owe you so much for helping with that. Even though this isn’t your prom, the entire planning committee wants you guys to be considered guests of honor for bailing us out.”

I shrugged as we fell into position. “Really, it’s no big deal. I just happened to know someone who knows someone who has connections and pulled some strings. I won’t be able to ask for any more favors for awhile though.”

“Ready? Five six seven eight!”

~oOo~

Friday afternoon I had a rare moment of no homework due to the stars aligning and teachers all giving either light assignments we finished in class, or tests, and with no cheer practice, no lost orphans, and no kittens up trees, the four of us decided to act like normal teenagers for once. We hit the Alpine Springs mall.

After some light shopping wherein I picked up a cute new belt and freshened my stock of fingernail polish on Allison’s advisement, we hit the food court, gathering around one of the small round tables to enjoy our meal.

Jennifer lazily dipped one of her french fries into her chocolate milkshake, nipping the tip with a satisfied smile before breaking the comfortable silence. “It feels weird just sitting down and hanging out like this, you know?”

“Yeah, really,” Nicole added. “This has been like, the busiest year of my entire life, and I’m not even a cheerleader.” She shot us a glance. Jennifer and I giggled as I answered.

“Um, yeah, about that…”

Allison laughed. “Uh oh. I know that tone.”

“Me too. What’re y’all plotting?” Nicole teased.

“Nothing,” we answered in unison.

Jennifer glanced at me with an amused smile. “Should we tell her?”

I reached over to squeeze Nicole’s hand, leaning over to whisper in her ear, even as Jennifer did the same with Allison. Both girls’ eyes widened as we revealed what we were planning for a theme for our cheer routine.

“Oh my Gawd… You’re serious aren’t you?” Nicole spoke breathlessly then started to giggle too. “You guys are either going to take first place or get laughed right out of there. That’s… um… That’s bold. But I definitely approve.”

“Oh me too,” Allison added as she tore into her salad again. “You’re sure the organizers are okay with it?”

“We made sure to clear it with them before we even started planning, after they shot down our last idea. The hardest part is going to be getting the costumes just right without leaving anything that could cause a,” she paused, searching for the right words then finger-quoted, “wardrobe malfunction.” She nodded confidently then giggled.

She was just about to take another chocolate-dipped french fry between her lips when I suddenly felt as though someone were standing right behind me, which she seemed to confirm. She had a massive grin, waving at someone directly behind me. I tilted my head back to find Kathy smiling back. “Hey guys.”

Allison quickly slid her chair over to make room for her to join us, and Kathy happily plopped down after borrowing a seat from an empty nearby table. “So um, I got my sign-up sheet today. I talked to Mrs. Ellis, and she thinks a spread in the next yearbook about summer life is a great idea.”

Allison perked up. “So you’re definitely coming?”

Kathy smiled nervously as she nodded. “It’s going to be kinda weird with my sister being there and all, but yeah. I’m probably not taking my good camera though. It’s technically my dad’s anyway. So how’s life in the Robinverse?” she teased as she glanced over at me.

“Exhausting as usual,” I shot back, but laughed. “We were just talking about how this is the first time in awhile any of us have been able to just hang out and not have somewhere one of us need to be later. Don’t get me wrong; I love cheer, and Girl Scouts, and everything else, but I’ll be glad when it’s time to go to camp again.”

“But isn’t being a CIT like, a huge responsibility?”

“Yeah, it is, but for me camp is like a vacation. I’m signing up for both two week sessions just to get the most out of it.”

“Me too,” Allison added. Nicole shook her head.

“I want to, but I’ll only make the second session. I’m going back to that rock camp I hit last summer. I hear the bass instructor really knows her stuff,” she joked with a grin. “A whole two weeks without Robin though. Man, that’s going to be hard.” She squeezed my hand as she leaned into my shoulder, and I turned to kiss her cheek. Kathy smiled.

“You two are sooo cute together. Anyway, I just wanted to stop and say ‘hey’. I’ll see you guys at school tomorrow. Oh, is it true you’re going to get Heedless Despair to play at the prom?”

Nicole shook her head. “We were asked if we could talk to them, but they just finished their US tour, and they’re only human. We did get someone to pull some strings and get another band to play though. They’re not Heedless Despair, but they know their stuff.”

“That’s great. Personally I think asking HD would’ve been too much anyway, but I figured someone would ask you guys sooner or later. I’m surprised you’re not in a band though, Nikki. You’re good enough to keep up with freaking Shadowfang. Anyway, later guys!”

Nicole giggled as she watched Kathy walk away. “I’ve seriously thought about trying to start a band, but honestly, dating Robin’s all the adventure I need right now.”

Allison glanced at me with an amused grin. “Well you’ve got a keyboardist right here, and Katelyn can really belt it out.”

“That just leaves guitar and drums,” Jennifer added, shooting Allison a knowing smile. Allison shook her head.

“Don’t look at me! I just play for fun.”

“So do I,” Nicole answered. “But being in a band could be fun too. I’ve had more than a few garage bands take interest, but none of them really struck me as anything but leeches. If the right band comes along then maybe I’ll think about it, but you guys come first, then school, then music.”

“Don’t you want to be a big star, though?” I just had to ask. Nicole laughed.

“Sure I do, when I’m older. Remember, Moira didn’t get her big break that long ago. I want to make it big, but I don’t wanna lose sight of the people I love in the process. We’re only sixteen.”

Jennifer smiled as she raised her milkshake to toast Nicole’s comment. “You’re only a teenager once. It’s about time you two finally figured that one out.”

Allison laughed as she shook her head. “Given what we’ve all been through both separately and together I can safely say-”

Jennifer reached over to poach a bite of Allison’s salad, interrupting her.

“Hey!”

~oOo~

Allison and I parted ways at least for the moment, after Nicole dropped us off, and I found Margie inside, sitting on the sofa. She had her legs folded up beneath her, and had apparently not heard me come in. She had a brand new laptop resting in front of her, with a partially pencil-sketched storyboard in front of her. She smiled when she finally looked up at me.

“Oh, hey Robin.” She turned the computer toward me. “The publisher provided me with a new computer so I can stay in touch with my art team. This is the partial storyboard I uploaded to show them. I’ll probably finish it this weekend. The internet’s amazing isn’t it?”

“You’re telling me. I got to spend last Thanksgiving with Nikki’s family while staying in touch with Ash’s. So what’s the next series going to be about?”

“Initially six months will have passed since Raven Wing’s turnabout. Aria Blade’s mysteriously vanished and even the raven god can’t help locate her.”

“Because he bound himself in the form of the little girl, or because helping wouldn’t be any fun?”

Margie giggled. “Both actually. I’ll be meeting with Moira this weekend to sketch her as the leader of a coven of dark sorcerers.” She shifted her finger across the laptop’s touchpad, bringing up a separate window with a sketch of a life-sized doll that bore a strong resemblance to Solace’s updated stage persona. “This is the one I have for Solace, Shadowfang’s silent assassin bodyguard.”

“Oh, nice! That looks just like her, only creepier. I’m guessing they’re not the ones responsible for the disappearance though, are they?”

“Responsible no, involved, yes. Let’s just say the way Shadowfang ‘acquired’ Solace will bring up old memories when a porcelain doll figurine version of Aria Blade turns up. Raven Wing’s going to see red, and then someone’s going to see black and blue.” She giggled again, adding, “Want me to spoil the rest?”

“That’s okay. As long as Nikki and I get first run copies.”

“You bet! So, any plans for the evening?”

“You first,” I teased. She smiled as she closed her laptop.

“Kelly and I had a dinner date, sort of. She’s working late again so we had a little picnic up on the roof at the hospital.”

“So you don’t have any plans then? Well, Kenpo’s cancelled tonight since Dad’s attending a national martial arts conference thingie in New York. I don’t suppose you’d want to lounge around and watch movies with your baby sister?”

Margie’s eyes lit up as she set her laptop aside. “You pick out the movie, and I’ll get the popcorn.”

I held up a small bag of DVDs from the video rental store. “Done and done. I got that romantic comedy we were talking about the other weekend, plus that new Disney movie just for nostalgia’s sake.”

“Nostalgia, nothing. I want to see it too,” she teased, planting a kiss on my forehead before she rushed into the kitchen. Before long I could hear the distinct sound of popcorn popping, and Margie soon emerged with a heaping bowl of popcorn in one hand, and two ice cold cans of red cream soda in the other.

“You’re sure you don’t want to spend the evening with your friends?” Margie asked as we settled in to watch the first DVD. I shook my head quickly.

“We spent most of the evening at the mall together, and tomorrow night Nicole and I are going out to eat after cheer practice. Besides, I want to spend time with you, too.”

“You’re such a sweetheart,” she answered, wrapping an arm around me. I snuggled close with a contented sigh as I popped open my soda.

“I’m finally learning to slow down, by the way. It was sort of something Nikki said that made me realize it though.”

“How so?”

“Ally and Jen were teasing her about how we almost have the makings of a band, if we asked Katelyn to sing, and she answered that she’s not really interested in starting or joining a band right now. She says she’s more interested in hanging out and having fun.”

“In other words, she’s learning to feel like a teenager,” Margie advised, giving me a knowing smile. “She’s learning to trust, not just you, but herself. She has a long, hard road ahead of her if she’s ever going to come to grips with what happened, but I know she can do it, and you’ll be there to help her, just like she’s there for you.”

“That’s what friends are for,” I answered, paused, then smiled. “Well, girlfriends too.”

She giggled at that as she nodded, an almost distant, serene smile crossing her features. She seemed to stare past the television as she echoed, “Girlfriends too.”

“You okay?” I asked, giving her a sidelong glance. She looked back at me, smiled, and nodded.

“Things with Kelly are … complicated right now.”

“You’re not going to break up are you?”

“No no, it’s not like that.” Her cheeks flushed. She shifted her gaze, but I could see just a hint of guilt.

I giggled as I leaned up to kiss her cheek. “Come on. You can’t leave it half-finished.”

“Someone saw Kelly and me together at the hospital and asked if I was her girlfriend, and she said yes. Up until now we’ve been avoiding using labels like ‘dating’ and ‘girlfriend’ because we were both afraid of … well, of damaging our friendship, you know?”

I nodded. “That’s kind of how Nikki and I started too. We were crazy about each other, but afraid of what the label ‘girlfriends’ would do. It almost got us in trouble at camp a couple of times because we weren’t being honest with each other or ourselves, though.”

Margie laughed. “Yes, exactly. So we had a long talk over our little picnic. We’re officially a couple. I guess we have been for awhile now.”

“Yeah, you have. Every time you’re in the same room together you both positively glow. It’s adorable,” I teased. She giggled.

“Just make sure to give Kelly time to tell Allison though.”

“My lips are sealed.”

“Um, what happened to the movie?” Margie glanced back at me. I held up the remote and giggled.

“I paused it about five minutes back when I realized neither of us was actually paying attention.”

~oOo~

By the time the credits rolled on the second movie I could barely hold my eyes open. Margie smiled as she squeezed my hand.

“I’m going to call it an early night, kiddo. I’ve got meetings in the morning, and a web conference tomorrow afternoon, plus I need to work on the Shadowcraft sketches.”

I nodded sleepily. “Me too. Just remember you have a team now, so don’t work yourself too hard.”

She giggled as she took my hand and pulled me up off the sofa, into her waiting arms. As we walked upstairs, she answered. “I may have a team, but as team lead it’s my job to make sure they understand exactly how the characters are supposed to look. One of them has a son about your age who’s a big fan, by the way. Do you think Aria Blade could sign something tomorrow?”

I nodded as we reached my room, pausing to smile back at her. “If I’m not awake when you leave, just leave it on the kitchen table and I’ll get the girls to sign off on it too.”

“You’re a gem. Sweet dreams kiddo.”

“Night, sis,” I answered, turning to disappear into my room.