Day 2
"Pool Day." Linda read from the schedule on the wall. "Kaldur and La'gann are going to adore this! Should I wear my blue and red swimsuit, or my pink and blue one?" I point to the red and blue one. I have rather strong feelings about the colour pink. And skimpy uniforms. I don't see why Linda, Cass, Zatanna and the others all have to wear skirts and leotards. It's unpractical, and sexist, even if they do have super-powers.
I pull out a simple black one piece, with a halter top, and black shorts. And huge black sunglasses. I hide my face under the sheets of my bed, to switch between a flexible domino mask I borrowed from Dick, that I use when I stay at the WatchTower. I also carry water-proof, darkened, electronic goggles, ones that can analyse any substance, and let me see underwater.
"Isn't that a little much, Bat-chick?" Zatanna asks sweetly, when she sees my goggles. I stare at how unpractical her swimmers are. I convinced Meghan, Artemis and Linda to go with some less revealing suits, and here, standing in front of me, is Zatanna in a bikini that barely covers her features.
"Isn't that a little, um, little?" I mutter, growling a little, instinctively. Dinah stands at the opposite end of the pool.
"We will be working on trust exercises today! I have observed your relationships, and I've paired you with the person you are not the most compatible with." I sigh. "La'gann and Connor, Kaldur and Virgil, Jaime and NightWing, Meghan and Kara, Linda and Raquel, Karen and Artemis, Batgirl and Zatanna." Of course I'm with that...witch. And that's not technically an insult, either! She really is a literal witch!
"Ok, Batgirl, Connor, Virgil, NightWing, Kara, Raquel, Artemis, you're all going to fake 'drown'. Your partners will rescue you. Imagine you're at a beach." Dinah instructs. I dive, barely making a splash into the water. I'm not as good in the water as Kaldur or La'gann, but I'm still third best in West Gotham. Dinah counts us in. Just when she finished, Zatanna gets a puzzled look on her face.
"Wait." She says stupidly. "Which beach is it?" I almost want to face-palm myself.
"It doesn't matter! Just hurry up and rescue me, or I'll rescue myself!" I yell.
"Fine. Fine. Fine. Ok." Zatanna sighs. Soon it's only me in the water. Then she gets an eveil smirk on her face.
Make sharks appear in the pool.
"Loop eht ni raerppa skarhs ekam." She whispers. Connor gasps.
"Batgirl! Get out of there, now!" He yells. I go to my waist reflexively for my belt, then I realise I don't have it. I can see dark shapes moving towards me. The wall on the pool was built especially to keep us in. Only someone who could fly can get over it.
"Oh for bat's sake." I mutter. I move my hand to the shark's stomach. They instantly relax. Ok, now think of a plan. "Anyone want to pull me out of here?" I ask. Dick gives me his hand.
"Smart move." He says. Zatanna grins.
"Thanks, I-"
"No, I was talking to Batgirl. You're move was a jerk one." Zatanna looks shocked. So does Dinah.
"Um, class dismissed for the rest of the day." She says, then quickly walks to her private cabin.
"But, NightWing, you and I kissed, remember?" Zatanna says sweetly.
"That was a long time ago. And I tried to push you away at first." Dick corrects her. Everyone, except me, looks confused between Zatanna and Dick. Not me. I know what's going to happen. In a flash (why Wally?), Zatanna is kissing Dick. And being the annoying boy he his, he doesn't fight. I grab my towel, and walk away, sighing into my palm. No one sees me leave. Thanks, Bruce.
I change into my uniform. There is an insufficient amount of bad guys out here, but I can still go exploring for a few hours before it gets dark. And I need to blow off steam. The amount of times this has happened, I should be used to it. But that doesn't mean I'm any less angry at the witch.
I left a note on my bed, telling Linda, Artemis and Meghan not to worry. I go to the same hill Dick and I stayed at last night. I rip all the daisies from the ground, and pile them around a tree. I can't believe that Dick can't just get her off the team.
Whether I like it or not, I have to stay at this camp. So I walk back to the cabin. Thank god everyone is asleep. Well, almost everyone. Wally is leaning against the wall of his cabin.
"Why are you up?" I ask quietly.
"Mr. Grayson wanted me to tell him when you got back." I breathe in sharply.
"Please don't. You've seen the way he acts with Zatanna. I just need some space."
"Yeah, I've seen the way he acts with Zatanna, Barbara. And I've seen how he acts with you. Let me tell you, Zatanna's no threat."
"Wally, that's not my point?"
"Then what is?" This catches me off guard. Wally looks me in the eyes. "You need to take out your anger on someone. About your life. Your dad doesn't know about half of your life. Bruce is dangerous to tick off. That only leaves Dick. You seize every opportunity to strike out at the people who love you. Think about that." Wally says, before disappearing.
I peel off my uniform and change into some black PJ's. I try to sleep for an hour, but I give up. Wally's words keep on replaying in my head. I turn of my flashlight and pull out a book. Twenty minutes later, someone turns on their flashlight.
"Couldn't sleep?" They ask quietly, and I recognise them as Meghan.
"No." I whisper.
"Me neither. My psychic mind isn't going to sleep, and it's particularly loud at night when I can hear everyone's dreams." Meghan walks over to my bed and sits cross legged.
"Would you all please either go to sleep or let me join your conversation?" Linda whispers. She joins us on my bed. Pretty soon, so does Artemis.
"When I got back, Wally talked to me." I whisper. "He said I strike out at those who love me. Honestly, what do you guys think?"
"Barbara, you just...you've been let down a lot in your life. Who can expect you to trust anyone?" Meghan says quietly.
"I've known NightWing since I was ten. We're nearly twenty-one." I whisper, bury my face in my arms. "Why do I always have to overreact and get so angry all the time?" I sob into my knees. Artemis, always the practical one, makes me face them.
"Babs, you can't help it if you get angry when Zatanna and NightWing do stuff like that. If anyone did that with Wally..."
"Or Connor..."
"Or J'al..." We all look at Linda. "Kyrptonian." She informs us.
"I'd be super pissed off." Artemis continues. "Whatever you and NightWing's relationship is, it natural to get jealous over other girls." Artemis puts a hand my shoulder. "But, really, Babs, it's your choice. If you think you can't put up with NightWing anymore, just end it. Otherwise, sit tight, it's going to be a bumpy ride."
