WARNING: This is a Snowbarry fanfic. (I also have a Westallen fanfic called Secrets Not Secret Anymore if you ship Barry and Iris together though)

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any part of DC Comics characters or the CW TV shows

Comic book fans: I haven't read the comic books, so everything I've based my story on is the CW TV shows (and Wikipedia).

Lastly: I still don't really know what I'm doing. Tell me if I'm doing something wrong or you have a suggestion! (Reviews greatly appreciated!)

Dr. Caitlin Snow was not having a good day.

Her fiancé Ronnie: gone.

Her (once) promising career: over.

Her boss: condemned to a wheel chair for life.

And Barry Allen: comatose.

She looked down at the man who had caused he so much pain so many years ago. It was hard to still feel resentment. What had happened to them hadn't been Barry's fault, and even if it had been, it had all happened so long ago. And he was just so still and pale, lying in the STAR Labs Cortex on an IV drip, with so many different machines monitoring his vitals. This motionless man surrounded by apathetic medical instruments and detached beeping wasn't the man she remembered. This man was not her Barry Allen. (But as she remembered, he had never been hers anyway.)

Cautiously, she glanced around but the Cortex was empty. She leaned over and whispered-scolded "Bartholomew Henry Allen, wake up so I can be mad at you."

The man with three first names didn't even move.

Letting out a brief huff of disappointment, Caitlin turned back to monitoring his vitals. Taking care of Barry Allen made her reminiscent of her old high school days...

...

About 11 years ago...

Bartholomew Henry Allen was not looking forward to the 'best four years of his life' as Iris put it.

The teenager dreaded going to high school. Face it, he was set up perfectly to be bullied. His name was Bartholomew, something that everybody was reminded of at the beginning of every year or when there was a substitute teacher. He was the son of both a convicted murderer and the cop who'd put him away. He had been analyzed by shrinks. Like that wasn't enough, he was lanky, uncoordinated, already a foot taller than everyone in his grade, and super smart with a tendency to ramble on a tangent about nerdy things. He was destined to be bullied in high school, just as he had been since he was 11.

His best (and only) friend Iris would stick up for him when she was there, but she wouldn't always be there to protect him and he couldn't have her fighting all his battles. Besides, Tony Woodward was working on getting the award of 'biggest asshole in the universe' - which Tony seemed to be focusing all of his energy in 'cuz he definitely wasn't working on increasing his GPA.

His first day of 9th grade, Tony stuffed Barry into his own locker. Being stuck in the cool metal cage did not help his chronic tardiness. It looked like his predictions for high school were spot on.

Tony would yank Barry out of the crowded hallway and beat him up in a secluded hallway. After he lost interest, Tony would leave after saying "Looks like you were born to take a beating, Allen." Barry limped to his next class.

He would trip Barry in the hallway.

He'd take his lunch money.

Steal his gym clothes.

Barry learned to hate to words "Looks like you were born to take a beating, Allen."

...

It was taking a toll. On a particularly bad day some time in October, Barry limped into the nurse's office with a bloody nose and split lip, cradling his right hand.

He entered the overly cheery room, and saw a small Latino boy (didn't he have math with him?) with a few ice packs. The boy's long dark hair was wet. Barry told the nurse that he'd fallen down the stairs. She looked dubious, but went with it. She gave him some ice packs and tissues, and was going to wrap his wrist (which he'd hurt when he'd stupidly tried to fight back) when the phone rang.

Barry watched her face as it went from calm, to panicked and pale.

She rushed out carrying the first aid kit, saying something about boys being a bit too rough during gym class and broken arms as she lurched out the door.

"Dude. Seriously?" the other kid in the office said, dragging out the 'u' in dude, and waggling his eyebrows on 'seriously'.

Barry was confused. "What?"

"You fell down the stairs? What are you going to tell her next time, you walked into a pole?" Barry started. That actually had been the next excuse he was going to use. The boy tusked. "That's just as believable as what I told her. And do I look like I ate too much candy?" Barry let out the first laugh since he'd started high school. This kid was awesome.

"Cisco Ramon." The boy introduced himself.

"Barry Allen. So what happened to you?" Barry nodded at the various ice packs on Cisco Ramon's small body.

"What happens to every super-genius when they don't do Jake Puckett's homework. He gave me a swirly, then a few extra hits for the fun of it. Some people just don't get that I've skipped two grades and I'm still smarter than them. You?"

Barry wasn't sure how honest he should be. High school was full of backstabbers - or at least that's what all of Iris' silly TV shows said. He decided to go with some of the truth, just not all of it. He didn't want to scare this kid away, Cisco was cool - he was wearing an awesome Star Wars t-shirt. Maybe they could form some sort of nerdy friendship together.

"Tony's a dick."

Cisco laughed. "That's the truest thing you've said since you got here. Wait, which Tony?"

Barry was starting to feel comfortable with Cisco, maybe a little cocky. "Does it matter? They're all dicks."

"I have a cousin named Tony." a clear feminine voice called out. Barry almost fell over in surprise. Standing in the doorway, holding a large manila envelope was the prettiest girl he'd ever laid eyes on. She had short brown hair and beautiful brown eyes that Barry felt himself falling into. She was even prettier than Iris, who, up until about five seconds ago had basically been his standard for pretty.

Annnnd she was talking to him. "What? No, I wasn't talking about your cousin, just the Tonys that go to this school. Unless your cousin goes here, because if that's the case, all the Tonys except your cousin are dicks." Barry paused his rambling and looked at Cisco. "I'm not making this any better, am I?"

Cisco had the nerve to laugh.

"Relax, my cousin is kind of a jerk." Barry let out a tiny sigh of relief at the pretty girl's words. "I'm Caitlin Snow. You?"

Barry was completely flustered. There was a pretty girl who was having an actual conversation with him! She wanted to know his name! Oh crap, his name, he should probably tell her now.

"Barry... Allen..." Barry sounded kind of unsure.

Caitlin raised an eyebrow. "Is it Barry or Allen?"

"It's Barry Allen, well actually it's Bartholomew Henry Allen, but everyone calls me Barry." Barry couldn't believe how nervous he was. He was so nervous, he'd told her his full name. Nobody hangs out with someone named Bartholomew, especially not really pretty girls. This was it. It was over. He'd blown it.

"Interesting... three first names..." Caitlin mused. She turned to Cisco. "And you are?"

"Cisco Ramon, super-genius extraordinaire," Cisco replied without missing a beat.

"Well, would the boy with three first names and the super-genius extraordinaire mind helping me out?" Barry blinked. He hadn't just blown it? "I just moved here from Nevada. I need to bring these transfer forms to the main office, but I'm a little lost." Caitlin continued. Barry blinked again.

Cisco replied before Barry could open his mouth. "Yeah, we're cool, I mean, we'd love to."

Barry blinked again, all his injuries forgotten. Well, forgotten until he moved to stand up and jostled his hand. He sat back down. "I would, but I'm waiting for the nurse to wrap my wrist. I think it's sprained." He said, gesturing to his right hand, "But maybe, um, I could give you the grand tour later?" he asked tentatively.

...

Barry stared in awe at Caitlin Snow. She was amazing. She was wrapping his wrist like a... a... a wrist wrapping expert! Barry was little dazed and light-headed as her slender fingers ran around his wrist. Nobody (other than Joe and Iris who were basically family) had been this nice to him since his mother had died. He could barely wrap his head around what was happening. After his offer to give her the grand tour, she had laughed, and all his hopes and dreams had plummeted.

Then the most incredible thing happened. Caitlin had smiled and asked "Why wait until later? I'll wrap your wrist for you, we'll go to the main office, I'll drop off my transfer papers, and you guys will give me the grand tour of the school."

It took all of Barry's efforts not to squeal like a little girl and keep his cool (or at least what was left of his dignity) when he nodded in agreement.

High school was looking up.

...

Present*

Caitlin smiled at her hands with nostalgia. She had been remembering the first time she'd met Barry. She'd been so nervous and she still remembered how they'd walked side by side in the hallways. She remembered thinking that they were going to be friends for a very long time.

She just hadn't known the world had other plans.

*back to the time at the beginning of the story when Barry is in a coma

I hope you guys liked it, please follow and review! (For those of you who are wondering, I am continuing this story - I have big plans...)

Also, if you have any thing you really want to see happen between Barry and Caitlin as high schoolers (or Barry, Cisco, and Caitlin's friendship) post your ideas in a review of shoot me a PM, I could probably fit it in - they have four years of high school they need to go through...

Are there any other members of the Arrowverse you guys want to see in high school with Barry, Caitlin, and Cisco? Felicity? Ronnie? Hartley? Linda? Eddie?

And for the really smart ones who are looking at POVs and the past and present, the part in the past isn't supposed to be Caitlin's flashback, just more of showing the readers what happened in the past... you know what, please just go with it, I'm starting to confuse myself. I will at some point get to all the story being in the present with both Barry and Caitlin's POV...