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People at school apparently sucked, and groups were hard to get into once they’d formed. Cass had heard about these sorts of things; in the films she’d watched when she’d still been new to the manor. She’d also heard about them during dinner conversation- whenever they managed to all sit down to eat together. On some memorable occasions she’d even heard about them when out on patrol (one time, Tim had been so focused on complaining to her about how some kids in the yearbook club kept making him feel like an outsider because he didn’t share all their hobbies and wasn’t into school sports that he’d crashed into one of the cities many gargoyles mid grapple. The thought of his frustrated curse still made her chuckle.)
However, when she’d been watching all those shows and movies (Dick was particularly fond of Clueless and Mean Girls and had made those subject of family movie nights on multiple occasions) she hadn’t thought it’d be something she ever had to deal with. But stood there in the Gotham Academy hallway, frozen and stressed about if she’d even fit in, she was worrying.
To be fair, had you asked Cass even three months ago if she’d ever go to school, she’d have laughed. Her? In school? No thank you.
It wasn’t that she thought she wasn’t smart, or capable. And Cass didn’t think she was too good for school either. But she’d never realized she could- take up that sort of space. That she’d be welcome somewhere to learn with other people. Where her learning didn’t mean that they would lose out, somewhere she was allowed to be wrong without that defining who she was.
But a lot had changed in three months. She’d shadowed Tim at school for a day. Bruce had had a business trip she couldn’t tag along on, Dick was off in Blüdhaven busy with his own life, Jason had been off world with the outlaws, and Cass had not wanted to be alone. So, she’d followed Tim around school all day. It had been pretty funny, startling his classmates by popping up when they least expected her. And being there had made her realize that while there was a lot, she could learn from her family, school had something they couldn’t give her- people and their language.
She’d made a lot of progress in the time since she’d escaped her father. She could speak and understood most words said to her. She had sign language for when words wouldn’t work. She had access to communication that couldn’t be taken away from her. But recently she’d felt like maybe she had learned all she could. That what language she didn’t have now would never come.
Except that day of following Tim around at school had made her realize that maybe there was more, just that the rest of the bats weren’t able to open that door for her. So, she’d gone to Bruce and made her case. Being at school would be good for her social development and she’d get to practice English. She’d be able to hear lots of different people speak all the time, get to learn in settings and situations where the language she’d built so far didn’t cover everything. She’d have a reason to push, learn more, expand her boundaries. Plus, it’d help her develop independence in a new setting. Maybe, she’d even make some civilian friends.
Bruce had been ready to agree to her demands the moment the words “I want to go to school” had left her mouth. But she’d also put all this work into coming up with reasons and she didn’t want to let that go to waste, so she said all that anyways.
Within three weeks, he’d gotten her enrolled in in-person school. They’d gotten her her uniforms (and while she didn’t love wearing it, the fit was a bit wonky and it all felt far less practical than she’d like, the skirt did have a lovely swoosh to it) and she’d picked out a bag and stationary set she liked. Not that the stationary set was necessary, but Dick had insisted it was a rite of passage, that picking your school supplies for your first year of school was something that just had to happen. And who was Cass to deny her oldest brother the joy of getting to take her out shopping for things.
Through it all, she’d found she was quite looking forward to it. To the new challenge of being in school, the chaos, all of it. But now that she was there, stood alone in the hallway by what she’d been told was going to be her locker, she felt tiny. Tim was off somewhere else in the building, with his friends. She’d see him during lunch- he might even pull her to sit with him and his friends. But Cass wanted to do this herself. To prove she could pull it off, that she could beat the high school social system. It’d be hard but she could do it, she’d prove-
“Hey, you look lost. Need a hand?” A voice pulled her from her thought spiral.
“I- no it’s-” She looked up, and what words she’d been able to scrape together dried up in her throat. Before her was quite possibly one of the prettiest girls she’d ever seen. Her blonde hair was tied back into a ponytail though some strands of hair had already escaped. Her eyes were a bright light blue, and the way her smile reached her eyes made Cass’s knees go weak. But most captivating was how open her body language was, a sense of joy and kindness radiated off of her with a sort of honesty Cass didn’t get to see often- especially not directed towards her by a stranger.
“Really, it’s no problem. I’m happy to help and god knows you need someone here who doesn’t give a fuck about cliques and all that shit. Some of the kids here are so focused on who knows who it makes you want to scream.” The blonde nudged her side and gave Cass a wink, “us outsiders gotta stick together you know.”
Cass snorted a laugh at the other girl’s words, before giving a brief nod.
“Ok, lead the way.”
“Well- if we’re going to be friends, I’m Steph. Or well, Stephanie technically, but really only my mom calls me that- or my dad when he bothers to show up. I’ve only been here since the start of the year but honestly most of the people here have been in the same schools and social circles since they were in diapers, so getting an in is both a pipe dream, and honestly a waste of time.”
Cass followed along, nodding and humming in response to Steph’s words.
“You going to introduce yourself? Or am I gonna have to guess? I mean, that’s fine too but we might be going a while considering how many names there are.”
“Cass” she responded, offering Steph a small smile.
“Well Cass, I think you and I are going to be great together.”
Cass barely knew Steph, they’d barely been talking for 10 minutes, but still, she couldn’t help but agree. They were going to be great, together. Because if there was something Cass knew, deep in her bones, it was that she wanted Steph- whatever she was willing to give, and she would treasure her so long as Steph let her.