[II] Whispers [ STARGIRL ]

|Eight: Mental Games|

Olivia was the first one in to the school the next day and as she shook her head, she looked around quickly and she found Kiara staring at her.

"Can we talk?"

"What do you need?"

"I don't need anything, but... Courtney Whittemore, Yolanda Montez, Beth and Rick have offered me a spot on a team. The Justice Society of America, and I told them that I would join... as long as you got a spot."

"Courtney was the one who put my dad in a coma in the first place, Kiara, I don't know if I want to work with someone who put my dad into a coma and catatonic state."

"Your dad had it coming, he was mentally, verbally and physically abusing you and Junior. You can't expect me to not be happy, that you don't have to deal with it anymore."

"Am I supposed to be happy about watching my brother, suffer because of seeing our dad in a coma for so long?"

"You know what your father did, he doesn't. That isn't his fault and it isn't yours, but I'm begging to you join the Justice Society with me. I can't do this alone..."

"You are not alone in this, Kia, you have Rick with you. You will always have Rick, that much is clear to just about anyone that sees you two."

"Look, Olivia, I need you to join the JSA. I have a plan that I can't put into action on my own, in order to take out the adversaries, that are trying to take out Courtney and the others. Please, I need some help here. I know that you are angry with me."

"I'm not angry at you, but... what is this plan of yours?"

"I'll explain later, Olivia, but I need your help to execute it. Can you just trust me for once, without knowing exactly what I have planned? Please just trust me?"

"Yeah, okay. I will join up, but Rick and you can't tell anyone else about my abilities. Not until I'm ready, do your understand me?"

"I understand, Livvy, I won't tell anyone. I will make sure that Rick doesn't tell anyone about it either, I just can't believe that I finally found a plan that might actually work."

"If you just think about your plan, I can learn, all about it that way."

"I might use that as an advantage much later on, but for now, no thanks, we need to talk about this in person for it to work."

"All right. See you later Kiara."

"Back at you."

The mental link was at an end and Kiara's eyes were turned away, as she was walking over to Rick. The two of them, they hugged briefly and Olivia smiled a little bit at the sight of it.

Olivia, she walked silently down the hallway and unfortunately for her she ended up walking into Cameron Mahkent.

"Hey, sorry Cameron." Olivia said as she grabbed her books again, stacking them up, before tossing them all back into her bag in a hurry.

"No problem. You doing okay with everything that's going on? All that stuff with your dad and stuff?" The quiet artist asked and Olivia nodded a little with a sad smile.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Thanks for asking and all, but I'm doing okay. How are you doing, Cam, I heard that your dad is back in town." Olivia said and Cam nodded a briefly sad look going across his face. "Hey, you all right?" She asks and Cam sighed.

"Uh, it is just my Mom's birthday today." Cameron admitted and Olivia looked at him, with realization in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Cam." Olivia murmured and she sighed. "If you wanna skip, we can." She offered and Cameron laughed a little bit at the words.

"Since when does Olivia freaking King skip school?" Cam asked as she smiled a little sadly.

"Since I found out that you were in pain." Olivia said matter-of-factly and Cameron shook his head.

"I appreciate the thought, Olivia, I really do. But I can't really skip any school, especially not today. If my dad finds out..." Olivia nodded at the words.

"I get it, Cam, don't worry about it. I would get probably in the very same amount of trouble, if my dad, ever caught me skipping." Olivia noted and she nodded. "See you in Math?" She asked.

"You got it." Cameron walked away as he spoke and Olivia swiftly read his thoughts as he walked by.

"I miss you Mom."

Olivia sighed at the thought and she walked onward to her next class and she saw that Cindy was walking quickly toward her.

"Shit."

She thought to herself and Cindy was facing off with her. "What the hell, do you want Burman?" Olivia asked and she was staring at Cindy, who stood in her way, directly barring her way out of the hallway, and, effectively now... from entering her class.

"Where is Henry?" Cindy almost sounded like she was accusing Olivia of it and Olivia's eyes darkened in the familiar anger, that tore her apart whenever someone accused her of something.

"Not here, Cindy, he is over at the hospital with our dad. He wanted to be there, while he wanted at least one of us to go to school. So with that out of the way, are we done here, Cindy?"

"Watch your tone with me, King, I will destroy your reputation at this school... more, than you could ever hope to salvage from it." Cindy snarled and a loud cough came from behind Olivia, who silently continued to glare at Cindy.

"Is there a problem over here, with a few people, Olivia?" Kiara asked coldly and Cindy silently stared at her, over Olivia's shoulder and silently standing casually on Olivia's other side, was Rick.

Having followed Kiara's lead effortlessly, it was no surprise to Olivia that the two of them easily moved like a team to stand on either side of the smaller girl.

"Why don't you just for once, just mind your own business, Zarick? I guess with your family gone, you've got no business of your own." Cindy was walking a thin line, and although Olivia sensed the bubbling rage from Kiara and the fury from Rick, that was completely on Kiara's behalf, the two of them both kept their cool. For now.

"Stay away from my friend, Burman, before you have a problem that you're going to have real trouble, just dealing with." Kiara's voice was hinting at a real threat, while Cindy scoffed and she just walked away from them. "Just a coward like the other bullies... you okay, Livvy?" Kiara asked and Olivia was trembling, before she nodded a little.

"Yeah, I'm good. Thanks for that, you two." Olivia murmured and Kiara was smiling a little, before the two of them were walking to their class and Olivia walked into her Bio class in silence.