• October 22, 2016 (High School Homecoming, Senior Year) •

It was the day of the much awaited Homecoming dance. Zachary was in his room getting ready for the event, wearing an ivory white suit. He was standing in front of the mirror as he fastened the cuff links on his wrists when the door to his room opened without being knocked and he knew who it would be.

Aviana.

She had a habit of barging into his room without warning and that once was no different either.

"Hot damn, Zachary, you hit different in a suit," she remarked offhandedly as she stepped in.

He turned towards her, "and is that a compliment or...?"

She shrugged, "like this is the only time I would actually feel sorry if I bashed your head with a baseball bat."

A slight smile threatened to break out on his face, "oh... Thanks, I guess? You clean up real well too, I might admit."

Ava raised an eyebrow skeptically, "is that all?"

She was wearing a jet black dress which took him by surprise since black wasn't really her favorite color but it looked ravishing on her.

"Not really, maybe I should rename your contact as blackbird instead."

"I came to tell you I'm wearing black because I am already dressed for your funeral so you better watch your back," she smiled sweetly though her words were laced with sarcasm.

"Now you seem like Wednesday Addams," he spoke up, attempting not to laugh at the way her eyes flashed, "damn, you even have that secretly planning a murder expression on your face... Such a natural. If there ever is a remake of The Addams Family, I will make sure you get casted as Wednesday."

"You will make sure? And who are you, the director's best friend?" However, she changed the topic, "besides, this dress matches with Connor's jacket."

"Ah so that's the real reason. I'm never myself into couples matching outfits but good for you."

She rolled her eyes, "it was not on purpose though."

"Didn't ask... Gwen wanted me to wear navy, but my suit was already ordered in white. So I couldn't change it."

"Do you think I have time to listen to you and your whatever last minute date you've got for tonight?"

"Woah, rude as always," though he noticed she was still looking at him as if waiting for an answer so he added, "but honestly, you look good. Just don't record it on your phone and use it against me later on."

"What do you take me for? A professional blackmailer?"

"If the FBI hired you, I bet you could give them a run for their money," he replied, brushing his hair back from his forehead.

She ignored his reply as she stepped out, "whatever... Now hurry up, Mom and Dad are waiting for the photos."

"What photos?"

"Ugh... It's Homecoming, they need a reminder of how much we have grown up since the day we moved in here. Something like that. I forgot the main initiative but it was somewhere along those lines."

He followed her out, "I bet whatever initiative they had would crumble to dust. Because photos and us just don't work well together."

"Zach, Ava, both of you look adorable," Morena Smith was holding the camera while her husband Jonah had just stepped in. He was checking the car out and had already given Zach a hundred instructions on safe driving and not crashing on his way back.

If only he knew that Zach had once almost crashed his car on the way back from Dover, he would never have agreed to let him drive again.

"Alright now both of you, stand here and give me a lovely smile," Morena gestured to them to stand in the center of the living room so that she could take the picture.

"You mess up the photo and I'll mess up your suit," Ava threatened under her breath while Zach merely rolled his eyes in reply.

But couldn't prevent himself from adding a sarcastic remark, "in all fairness, I doubt any picture with you could ever come out good."

"What did you just say?"

And right when Morena took the picture, a series of chaos was about to be unleashed if not for Jonah who had to come in between the two. "we thought you both might have grown up but you proved us wrong. Be home at time and safely in one piece please."

"Sure Dad," both replied in unison straightening up, but their glares directed towards one another hadn't ceased as they left at last.

When the picture got developed from the camera, it showed Zachary on the carpet laughing with Aviana reaching out to smack him in the face with a cushion. Those two were always a wreck such that any pictures they were in together would always come out as a hilarious chaotic mess.

***

Kara was not much excited for the Homecoming dance, gatherings always used to make her nervous and she preferred not going to such parties. But Aviana and the rest of her friends had insisted a lot so she had to come along.

She was thinking about the latest mission she was assigned alongside the Young Justice when she picked up a glass of orange juice and took a sip from it. It was too sweet for her taste so she turned to put it back but bumped into the person behind her as she hadn't been looking.

And the orange juice that was in her hands seconds earlier, had spilled all over that person who unfortunately was none other than Zachary.

"Oh shit, I'm so sorry," she apologized to the boy who's white shirt was now stained with her orange juice.

"It's alright," he replied, "good thing I wasn't wearing my coat. Maybe that will cover it up."

Kara still looked quite apologetic, "still I am really sorry. If there's anything I can do to help..."

But she couldn't complete the sentence as Aviana approached Kara and was about to tell her something, but then she spotted Zach with the orange stain on his shirt and burst out laughing, "serves you right for wearing white today though."

His eyes flickered slightly, "it's not my fault."

"I wouldn't be surprised if it were."

But Kara spoke up, "no actually, it's my fault. I wasn't looking and..."

Aviana waved off her concerns, "hey, it doesn't matter. Right, Zach?"

Zach didn't reply but he was looking down on his shirt as if thinking what to do about it.

"You two know each other?"

"Just know? Oh my God, Kara you have no idea," Aviana remarked dramatically. Connor had joined them too by then.

"So like you guys are related," she assessed.

Zach nodded, "she's my sister."

"Not biological, thank goodness," Ava added in, "can you imagine what would have happened if he was my biological brother? I would have died of shame..."

Zach rolled his eyes and Kara was quite surprised that he didn't look in the least offended. It seemed as if he was rather accustomed to Ava's dramatics by then. Instead, he was wiping off the stain with a wet tissue but though the orange color faded, the stain was still there. "Even if you're not my biological sister, Ava, you are still stuck with me for eternity."

"Ah, the torture..."

Connor was laughing by then because it was very seldom that he got to be in someone's company who could surpass the level of his own dramatics. And Ava seemed to surpass that level by a considerable degree.

"Anyways, an introduction is due," Ava spoke up, "Kara, as you know now, this is my utter nuisance of a step brother, Zachary Smith. And Zach, this is my best friend Kara Danvers who I absolutely love now because if she hadn't spilled juice over you, I would have totally done that instead. Best friend goals, am I right?"

"Pleasure meeting you," Zach replied politely but saved a glare for Aviana. However, he just recalled something and asked, "wait, you're from the Danvers family?"

"Yeah."

"But wasn't their daughter named Alex or so? Maybe I am mistaken."

Connor spoke up, "no you're not, Alex is her elder sister."

"Oh..."

Kara asked, her curiosity increasing a bit, "how do you know my family though?"

He smiled slightly, "well, your Dad was Best Man at our parents' wedding."

"This one here was real disappointed since he wanted to be the Best Man," Ava added, laughing as well, "but turns out Dad knew having Uncle Jeremiah would be much safer than giving the post to a 13 year old who suffered from constant mood swings."

"I did NOT have mood swings. Never had, never would."

"Liar... Just imagine the chaos that could have ensued if he were to give a speech. Mom and Dad's perfect day would have been ruined."

"Oh come on... I might have given a speech nevertheless but you thought of burning it in the hearth so your fault really."

"Fault, nah. I saved the day. As for your shirt, see if wearing your coat hides the stain or maybe ask Luke if he has a spare shirt," Ava suggested, judging the stain up close, "or better still go without it altogether, I bet Gwen wouldn't mind."

Connor's laughter increased, "Aviana, he can not go around shirtless. Even if no one minds it."

Zach's face was tainted a faint pink and so was Kara's because he was in that current predicament due to her.

"Well I do mind," Zach snapped back, "and it's fine, I'm wearing the coat over it even if it doesn't hide the stain."

At the end of the dance came the part most of the students were waiting for; the announcement of the Homecoming King and Queen. The commentator had gone up on the stage where the silver crowns were already placed.

"And the Homecoming King and Queen are..."

There was utter silence in the ballroom and then finally the names were announced.

"Connor Kent and Aviana Lawson!"

Ava looked utterly shocked, "excuse me, what?"

Connor held his arm out for her to take, "after you, my lady."

However, Zach spoke up, "hey Ava, shouldn't they have announced you two as Wednesday Addams and Joel Glicker instead?"

She turned despite the fact that people were waiting for her and Connor to go up on stage but for her, that could wait. "Shut up," she remarked with a sarcastically sweet smile then accompanied Connor up to the stage.

"Is she always that rude to you?"

Zach turned to see Kara standing beside him and smiled, shaking his head slightly, "we are both on a mutual level even though Ava makes sure to be a lot more expressive."

"Yeah, she's like that... But really nice deep down though."

"I know," his smile widened and he retrieved his gaze from her, "I might never admit it to her but she really is the best sister I could ever ask for."

***