Kaldur 'Ahm is one of the best swimmers in the United States of America. From breaking records to setting higher ones, he had done it all. For most he looked like a normal teenage athlete, tall, muscular, but what not many people knew that he was an orphan.

Not that he had no parents, because he had been taken in by Arthur Curry, how had since become his coach as well, he had no true idea who his parents were, no name, no photo, no memories. So he went about everyday life accepting and forgetting that he knew nothing about his family history.

But often when he found himself in doubt he turned to the small hope that his biological father and mother were out there in the world, living a happy life, and having a happy environment. Because as he's grown up his own values are set in stone, true happiness is something that doesn't belong to you personally- but is pure bliss from looking towards your heart.

He had great friends at his school; his best friends were Tula and Garth. Both excellent in the water as well, but for different reasons to him. Tula was in the synchronised swimming team and Garth was a water polo player. And in their spare times out of their hectic schedule they found time to be surrounded by more water, often hanging out at the beach.

But soon their three had separated into one and two. Tula and Garth starting a relationship and often leaving him to feel like the third wheel when they spend anytime together. Kaldur would never admit it to their faces though, because he was too kind hearted for that, with a heart of gold and eyes of silver he was the centre of many girls' attention.

None of them had caught his eye though, once setting hopes on Tula. But those were easily diminished as Garth had lay claim to her heart. But he knew that he would be fine, after all, he had been doing fine for all his life.

And he was in his heaven right now. In the pool, water rushing up and down his arms at he pulls with the muscles he has, moving his head to the side for a breath before pushing it back down to look at the bottom of the floor.

He turns and pushes of the wall at a speed faster than Michael Phelps and his arms move again, his mantra in his head letting him focus and keep going. This was for a personal best, which for him, meant breaking his own records.

His fingers hit the end wall and his head surfaces, gasping for breath and shaking his head slightly. The ringing in his ears hasn't stopped, but he doesn't mind, it sounds like a crowd somewhere was cheering for him, and he loved the cheer. The energy, the hype, the nerves that accompanied every single race he competed in.

"That was excellent, Kaldur." Arthur praised, lending a helping hand to Kaldur who tore his goggles off and exited the pool His chest rising and lowering in attempt to get the oxygen flowing through his body again. "A little shaky on the dive, but other than that it's a new PB, you should be proud of yourself."

"Thank you, Arthur." Kaldur panted, drying his face off with the poolside towel. "It is something I have been working towards and I am glad that I have finally completed my goal." Arthur just smiled and wiped the writing off the board. "Dinner will be early tonight, I believe Mera has called and asked us to present ourselves nicely, there will be guests."

Kaldur sighed, "Is this another potential business partner?" He knew what Arthur and Mera ran was close to a kingdom, but he also knew that within the house he had certain responsibilities he couldn't turn away from, like meeting with the potential new partners of his company.

"It is, but I promise it will not be as bad as the last incident. They've even got a daughter, around about your age." Arthur smiled, placing a fatherly hand on his shoulders.

"If you say so." Kaldur smiled, "I'm hitting the showers, I'll be home before six."

...

He walks across the busy road with a clutter of papers in his hands. School bag lazily slung over his shoulders and his worn out sneakers baring the most of his rushed walk to school. Once again, he was nearly late for school.

Among the students he had earned a reputation as the time broker. Because no matter what he would be late. Which is why his track coach often told him a time one hour prior to the event, just so that he could arrive on time- but of course he didn't know that.

Picking up his speed he clumsily walked into a pedestrian, spilling coffee all over his notes. Not bothering to say sorry, because really- his notes had been ruined, he grumbled and kept walking, going to get t school before the bell and then see what he could salvage from his brown and wet notes.

Turning into the school he shuffled through the crowd of seniors, who had later starting times, to get to his homeroom. Tripping over his undone shoelace he crashed into the door, successfully opening it, but unsuccessfully saving his notes. Splayed across the room, he gingerly got up and smiled in apology to the teacher who just glowered at him with unnecessary hate.

Picking up pages of his notes on by one he piled them up into his arms once more and took the spare seat at the back of the class, sinking further down into his chair as the teacher continued to glower at him.

"Mr West." The old lady clipped, her lips pushing together into a tight line, "How do you explain this time how you are nearly twenty minutes late to school?" The class al turned to look at Wally, some with looks of sympathy and some with humoured smirks.

"Um, traffic?" He shrugged, still shuffling his papers on the desk, trying to arrange them into some sort of neat pile. Not succeeding and only further damaging the sheets, Wally looked up with puppy dog eyes and a sorry smile.

The shrewd teacher sighed and rolled her eyes, "Another detention after school, Mr West. Remember, one more and your suspended from the track team for a month." Wally opened his mouth to protest- they had a regional meet next week- he couldn't miss that. His arch-rival was going to be there, and no way was he going to be missing a chance to deflate Hamish McCormish's ego.

Thinking better of it he just got up and snatched the pink detention slip with his name written on it in cursive lettering. Groaning and falling back onto his chair, he waited for her to continue the lesson. He tried to ignore the constant aching in his belly, but alas, he could do nothing about the monster inside of him.

When he gets to practice Jay Garrick is waiting for him. "Wally, m'boy." The old man greets, patting the red head on the back. "Word is that you were late today, again." Jay raised his eyebrows and smiled cheekily.

Which was one of the many reasons Wally liked jay, not only was he a family friend, but he had a great sense of humour. One that most people his age wouldn't have kept, for it was far too 'immature' for him to have. But Wally didn't mind, in fact, Jay had been rubbing off on him.

"Twenty minutes." Wally smiled, "Next detention and I'll be out for a month."

"A month?" Jay nearly screams, "We've got that meet next week and I'm not losing to the Hammock boy." Wally cracks up, because he knows Jay knows Hamish's name, this was just his way of making things lighter.

"Are we going to train, old man, or are we just going to gossip like Joan?" Wally grinned back, referring to Jay's wife Joan, who was equally as good natured and fun loving as Jay was- if not more. She often supported him at his meets when his parents were too swamped with work or it was a meet close by.

"For that I'll let you run until you drop, twelve laps warm up." Jay smiled, blowing his whistle as Wally speed down the track, envisioning winning another title and being on top of that podium.

When Wally gets home he can smell the chicken in the oven and hear the television on the news, his Aunt's voice sounding from the speakers. "Smells good, mum." He calls, stealing a chip from the bowl as his mum quickly tries to swat his hand away.

"Hey dad." Wally says, sitting next to him on the couch. "Work okay?"

"Works great, squirt. Jay says that you were late again today." Rudy smiles, "What happened this time, Wally?" And Wall feigns hurt because really, since when was it his fault that he was late. Rudy just smiles and turns back to the screen, where his sister is reporting about a United Nations meeting.

Wally West loved his family; he loved the food, his parents, his room and most of all he loved being able to be who he was.

Wally West, science genius and star track runner for Keystone High.

...

She knew things were dark, they were made like that. She knew that if you were too down guarded the world would kick you hard and fast on the ass before you could say 'change'.

She had always known she was different to other girls. She wasn't mean, she didn't like going behind people's backs…much. She knew when she was hurting someone's feelings. And she knew when she herself was being alienated.

She had friends, sure… but her friends weren't friends.

Being part of the cliché clique of the 'populars' was more down than up. The school looked to you, the teachers looked to you, the parents knew you and you had to immerse yourself in the self-righteous Barbies that hosted Happy Harbor High School.

Okay so maybe she had lost herself getting to this point, but the only part she had lost was her natural pale complexion, swapped out for a more, artificial, tan colour. She had her haircut to just below the shoulder and her 'signature' look has always, and will always be her tight fitting cardigan. Something her mother had given her before she was cruel taken away on a raid in her town.

She had been taken in by her Uncle John, a kind hearted soul who had taught her nothing but acceptance and love, because he was the only family she had left, and vise versa. He had lost his wife and child in a car accident that involved a drunk driver, causing him to drop to the lowest point in his life.

She had witnessed her uncle go from happy to depressed, holing himself in his house for days on end and only coming out when he was called to work and called by her mum when she felt like he needed to be cared for.

Megan had been exposed to the blade of reality at such an early age, losing her cousin and aunt when she was five, and her mother when she was seven. Something that she rarely talked about.

"NO!"

She hated the nightmares that plagued her sleep when she thought about it, the screaming, the blood, the night, and then a hooded man. There had always been that hooded man. The one that had pulled the trigger and severed her only tie to herself.

She had lost everything and nothing that day.

"Shut up and don't you dare tell anyone! Or I swear I will hunt you down and finish you the way your mummy died."

Her trust in other human beings…

"Help! Somebody help!"

Her tears…

"No, mum… No…NO!"

Her innocence her sweetness…

"You're too sweet, Megan."

She hated all the lies she had to put up with, all of the secrecy.

"Megan, I love how you are so nice."

Whenever someone talked about her niceness, she could almost guarantee it was a jab to the fact that yes, she was naïve. But not only did she know about it, she exploited the fact they thought she couldn't think for herself and maybe she got off of things that she really shouldn't be doing, but they started it.

That's how girl world works.

And in girl world she had to learn how to protect her heart, and fast.

She had to learn how to manipulate the people around her.

She had to learn how to act innocent and unknowing.

She had to act like the first seven years of her life had never happened.

The worst part was that she wished she was that innocent.

She wish she could be unknowing.

She wished with all her soul that she could openly tell people that she had been in a tough situation, that she could stop publicly ignoring the seven years of a rocket launch into reality. She wished on the shooting stars that crossed the sky that she had a place out in the world that was better than her place in the school.

Even though she knew that her deepest desires were nothing short of near impossible she wished, every night at elven minutes past eleven she would sit by her window, looking out on the stars that floated around blissfully and wished.

She wished that in the future she would find proper friends, proper people and finally be able to be herself and nothing but.