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Karen took big mouthfuls of her burger and tried to speak coherently.

"You aint like Wayne! No one on the planet could be that paranoid. His paranoia has paranoia. Besides, he doesn't like guns, and you do. So what the hell was you're mentor thinking?"

She took a drink to swallow her food, then started talking again.

"If you like Drake the Snake then date him. But If you really like someone else... Then you really shouldn't beat around the bush. You'll get thorns."

This all made sense in her head as she said it and believed she was really giving sound advice.

"You should just tell Clark how you really feel. I mean it's not like he meant to stick that yummy tasting hot dogs between your gaboos. Clark never means to do anything. Mostly he does everything by accident. I tell ya he's the luckiest clutz I ever met."

Linda nodded throughout most of what Karen was saying, she kinda made sense, and it was a lot better then having Frank yell at her. Then she mentioned Clark, the incident with the hot dog, and Karen thought that she liked him.... What?! Linda nearly sprayed milkshake all over Karen, unusual for someone who was usually more reserved.

" What?! Clark... you think I like Clark? No way. He's such a ..... farm boy. Just way to boring for my taste. It's like he's vanilla or something.I was only talking to him at the game to tell him that I was planning on leaving for New York at the end of the year. I prefer a guy with a bit more ... flavor. Someone fun and exciting... still."

Linda became quiet.

"My last boyfriend was completely nuts. I have a record for attracting all the weirdos.. There was one guy I kinda liked a while back. But it would never work. "

"Yeah, we trounced them!" Wally gushed on his cell phone to his aunt Iris as he walked across campus. Wally's aunt Iris was his favorite person in the whole wide world, a no-nonsense reporter with a heart of gold. He made it a habit to call her after every one of his games.

"Well, maybe not trounced, exactly, but we did win. The team still has a few kinks to work out. I think Chris and our pitcher Benjamin are fighting, and Bobby's still a jerk to the rest of the team. But you know...can't pick your teammates."

Wally shrugged, as if Iris could see that as he listened to her respond.

"Huh? Oh, outside of baseball, don't have a lot going on right now. I'm working on a surprise party for Chris for his birthday with Cassie. No, Cassie's still dating Chris. No, they haven't broken up for like two whole months. I know, it's practically a new world record for them!"

Wally saw Teddy and a few other kids seated in the bleachers. He couldn't tell who anyone else was, but Teddy was a bigger kid and his profile stood out. Wally gave them all a wave.

"Nah, I don't have a girlfriend right now. There is this one girl I kinda, sorta, have a crush on, but I don't think she even notices I exist. Why? Well, cuz I don't wear my red underwear on the outside of my pants." Wally guffawed. "She reminds me of you, though. She's a hard-hitting reporter who never lets anything get her down."

Wally scrunched up his face.

"What? No! Lois Lane! Not Linda Park. Linda Park's dating Clark Kent."

Wally listened to Iris.

"I didn't realize I had talked about her so much. No, I don't think she's my type. She's more of the type of girl who things happen to rather than the type that make things happen, you know?"

"No, Lois is awesome, really! I think I might have a chance with her, I mean, if I can get her to stop thinking about Superboy for five minutes. I just need a chance..."

"What about this one?" Dani pulls out of the pile a fighting game that requires Four players. The object of the game was to get the four heroes to solve the mystery, fighting minions and opponents to reach the main villain. It was called 'Ultimate Defiance'

"But we need a fourth...Anyone up this late at night? Any bright ideas?" She slyly glances at Querl.

Cassie blinks towards Querl a few seconds...

"Oooookay. Well then I guess you're our fourth then."

Cassie then quickly hands out controllers to Chris, Dani, and Querl.

"Okay ladies and gentleman prepare to eat my dust!"

"If you don't like Clark then you shouldn't be dating him..." Karen wasn't too quick to pick up cues at all, but must have been because she was hungry.

"Yeah that Jason guy, total creep. Good thing you broke up with him. I mean really who wears two masks? Right? Creepsville."

She took another bite of her burger and asked her a question.

"Whos this guy you crushed on? I mean one thing I've learned since you saved the school is that you got guts girl! Your my roommate so It comes with the territory. My Advise? You still wanted that part right? Use that courage and go after your guy, because If you don't, someone may snatch him up right from under your nose."

She finished chewing and got serious.

"I mean it. You tell him how you feel and don't let anything let in your way. Don't forget you have to ask him out on a date. That's important."

The picnic dinner continued with small talk and shy smiles, not particularly awkward. There was just things that didn't need to be talked about that were being glossed over, things they could talk about later. Or never at all, topics that could be covered with time and dust and left to rust. Memories that would be willingly altered to leave a better portrait of how things used to be.

Teddy ate most of the remaining food and helped Billy clean up as the light waned into darkness. Together, the two returned to Billy's dorm room, bid a cheerful good night to one another before parting so that Teddy could return to his bed and a pleasant night's sleep.