"You did what?" Anya shrieked, nearly leaping up onto the countertop.

Carol took a hearty swig of her strawberry lemonade.

Anya's parents were out of town on business for the weekend, so her best friend took the liberty of kidnapping Carol for a sleepover. Although it was a week or so before the semester started, a break from the outside world was appreciated even if it was for one night.

The place was a vision; Carol felt like she had strayed into a fantasy every time she set foot in the apartment. It was amazing how large the kitchen felt. The black wall cabinets were perfectly accented by the white base cabinets, capped with ebony. Of course, only the newest appliances graced the room. Refrigerator, dual-ovens, flat top stove, and even the silver toaster was probably worth more that Carol could make in months. She tried not to look at the glass chandelier that hung from the high ceiling.

Amazed, Carol took a seat next to her friend at the large black granite island that easily felt like a sea of stars. Anya had put out a bottle of expensive wine, a pitcher of lemonade, and a large bowl of Cheez-It cheese crackers to share.

"I told Jason I wanted to be friends," Carol restated. "Point blank, to his face."

Anya's purple hair had been pinned back in an interesting fashion that Carol honestly thought looked ridiculous. But that was the glamor life for you; styles that didn't make sense. Her baby pink two-piece pajamas were quite cute though. However, Carol didn't quite like how petite the silky shorts were.

"I can't believe it," Anya snorted, slurping the last of the red liquid in her wine glass. "I cannot believe you did that!"

Carol swirled her own pink beverage, smiling to herself. She replayed the memory again over and over since it had happened. After confronting Jason, they sat around for almost another hour simply talking about dogs, of all things. Apparently, they weren't Jason's favorite animal, which was a relief for Carol as she preferred birds over most four-legged pets.

"I thought you liked Jason," her best friend continued, refilling her cup. "You said you were going to tell him how you feel."

"And I did," Carol grinned. "I told him that I wanted to be friends and to keep having coffee every once in a while."

Anya slid the bowl of orange crackers closer and shoved a handful into her small mouth. Girl talk always made her hungry; hungry and frustrated.

"So close," she groaned. "Heavens forbid the man from liking you back."

"We don't know that," Carol interrupted. "We just both agreed to stay friends. You can't assume other people's feelings now can you, Anya?"

Anya glared at Carol fiercely, upset that her friend would dare to call her out on her bad habits. She sipped her wine this time instead of chugging it down.

"I'm just saying," she fumed. "I'll have to wait for the stars to align or something in order for you to get together with this guy."

Carol chuckled, taking her own handful of Cheez-It.

"I keep telling ya, Anya," she teased. "If it's meant to happen, it'll happen."

"But I want it to happen now!" Anya whined, flopping dramatically on the shiny tabletop, feigning to sob. "I'm gonna die from the suspense, Cara!"

Carol sighed, munching on the addictive chips.

"Where are you parents again?" she asked, glancing around the glamorous kitchen. "New York? Or is it Chicago?"

"Metropolis," Anya corrected, drawing up in her seat. "They're trying to meet with the elusive Bruce Wayne while he is away on business. He's as slippery as they come, and my parents are just as ambitious."

"It's like they were made for each other," Carol grinned.

"Seems like it huh?" Anya smirked, her glossy pink lips glowing in the lighting. She had previously gone to a party a few hours before Carol came over; her flawless makeup was the only give away. "I'm hoping they never find him."

"Why not? Doesn't that mean your family will become all the wealthier?"

Carol watched as her best friend's nose crinkled as she snorted in disgust, shoving her wine glass away.

"I dunno if you've noticed, Cara, but Bruce Wayne is Gotham's prince. He's charming and extraordinarily rich; not to mention a huge popular icon. I wouldn't be surprised if my parents were spreading my name around like it was common currency."

Carol set her beverage down, resting a comforting hand on Anya's shoulder. As respectable as the Cole's appeared to be, marrying their only daughter off only to crawl up the social ladder wasn't entirely beneath them; they had been trying to set Anya up with any rich man they could ensnare since she was in high school. Marrying for money was something that Carol couldn't wrap her brain around. It was a topic Anya vehemently despised; flirting with rich guys was not the same as spending the rest of your life with a man you don't love.

"Isn't Wayne in his fifties now?" Carol asked briefly.

"At least late forties but he doesn't look it, huh?" Anya chuckled.

"Mmm hmm," Carol agreed. "I will admit he's an attractive man."

"Seriously! He is!" Anya squealed, as she launched forward. "I swear it's that face of his. He has the perfect jaw!"

"I think it's his eyes and his dashing smile," Carol admitted.

"I love his smile!" Anya shouted, flinging back into her chair, nearly toppling out of it. "Gosh I would do anything for him to flash that look my way!"

"Marry him?"

Anya's playful shove seemed a little too rough. A subtle message to divert the topic.

"No!" she hissed. "Anything but."

Carol lightly chuckled as she hid the wine bottle behind the pitcher. Drunk Anya wasn't good company, so it was best to limit her alcohol consumption. She watched her friend reach for her glass and downed the remaining liquid.

"If you started dating someone, wouldn't that convince your parents to leave you alone?" Carol inquired.

Anya shook her head, returning her own goblet to the island.

"I've tried it before," she sighed. "Besides, there's not a lot of decent guys in my little swimming pool of sharks."

"Have you ever met anyone outside the swimming pool?"

A smug grin pulled at Anya's thin lips.

"Maybe," she jeered.

Carol rested her chin in the palm of her hand.

"Well go on," she insisted warmly.

"What if you know him?" Anya whined. "You'd throw me under the bus."

"It's not fair that I have to tell you about my 'love-life' and you don't have to tell me yours," Carol frowned.

Anya mumbled in agreement before leaning closer.

"It's one of the bartenders at that one place we found on the edge of the Diamond district," she admitted softly.

"That hole in the wall place with the weird hobo outside?"

"No, no, not that place. The other one with the old pillars and fancy looking carpet."

"Oh, that one!"

"Yeah, like I was saying, he's a bartender I met one night," Anya continued, keeping her tone low. "We just hit it off."

Carol sipped her lemonade lazily.

"You weren't drunk, right?" she interjected.

"No, I was not!" her friend snapped. "I only had two drinks!"

"What'd he look like?" Carol asked suspiciously.

"Decent," Anya snorted. "Dreamy brown eyes, long caramel hair, casual build. He even had a full sleeve of tattoos."

"Please don't tell me he wore a man bun."

"Yes, he did, and he looked great," the rich woman stated assuredly.

"I'm glad you think so," Carol sighed, taking a quick sip of her drink. "Did you have any conversations or did you just stare at his hair the entire time?"

"Of course, I did! What do you take me for, some inbred, uncultured swine?" Anya picked up her cup, realized it was empty, and glumly returned it to the black tabletop. "We talked about all sorts of things; the weather, politics, traveling, schools, the latest crime sprees, and I even tried to bring up religion but he wouldn't have that."

"Sounds like he was the definition of fun," the words felt a little too monotone as Carol spoke them. "I mean you like him, right? Are you planning on seeing him again?"

"Well," Anya simpered leisurely. "I've actually seen him three times already."

"Three?" Carol choked on her beverage, coughing and sputtering. Anya quickly pulled the crystal chalice from her friend's hand, slamming it on the table before turning back to pat Carol's back. The unpleasantness passed eventually, and Carol breathed deeply, embarrassed yet glad she made it through the endeavor. Anya rushed to fetch a glass of water from the tap.

"Was it that impressive?" she teased anxiously, sliding the cup towards her.

Carol gratefully gulped the liquid down.

"It was actually," she admitted dryly.

"It's not too much too soon," Anya rambled. "I mean you've met with Jason like what four, five times already?"

"Something like that," Carol agreed, trying to count the instances in her head.

"I think you'd like him," her friend continued, looking around for the wine bottle while appearing to be befuddled. "Leo's a good guy."

"Who?"

"Leo," Anya repeated. "The bartender I met."

"His name is Leo?" Carol snorted. Who names their kid Leo these days?

"Yes, his name is Leo, Cara." Anya did a lap around the island before returning to her seat. "Haven't you been listening?"

"Evidently not," Carol mumbled into her water, dangling the bottle with her feet.

"Have you seen my wine?" Anya grumbled. "I didn't drink it all already, did I?"

"It's quite possible. You do drink pretty fast," was the first excuse that popped into Carol's head. She slid out of her chair, skillfully grabbing the wine bottle and keeping it out of Anya's view. "Do you want me to grab another one for you?"

Dolefully flopping onto the cosmic granite, Anya shook her head, her violet curls spilling everywhere. Just casual drinking tonight, thank goodness.

"Nah, I think it'd be best to stop while I'm ahead," she moaned.

"Tell me more about Leo," Carol called from the fridge, pretending to be searching for a specific snack. She slipped the wine bottle into a wooden latus structure that held its fellow brethren. "You said you were talking about the crime spree that recently happened?"

"It was pretty bad," Anya's voice grew quiet. "A couple of store robberies and murders. I really don't want to go into details."

"Do the authorities have any idea who it is this time?" Carol inquired as she joined her friend back at the obsidian island. "The Riddler and Penguin are usually busy this time of year."

"Oddly enough no one knows," Anya replied. "I mean there's whispers that it's Zsasz, but there's been no confirmation."

A chill crept down Carol's spine. Criminals were normal in Gotham. They were flies on a farm; the everyday norm. Some people even had bets on which super villain was going to break out next. It was the few crazies that couldn't be reasoned with that scared Carol. The ones that you could almost count on to kill you, and you'd know that the police would be looking for your body not your screams.

"I hope not," Carol muttered.

Anya put a reassuring hand around her friend's shoulders, pulling her close against her side.

"No worries, Cara," she said. "Batman caught and locked up that psycho last week. There's no way he's out already."

Carol nodded in response but her mind still swirled with news broadcasts past of Zsasz's carved face and mad eyes. Anya leapt out of her seat, dragging Carol up with her.

"I just remembered," she exclaimed excitedly. "I have that movie you haven't seen yet! The one that's basically reversed Twilight. It's amazing how cliche it is. We have to watch it tonight!"

Carol had no choice as Anya led her into the entertainment room, not at all anticipating the rom-com about to be forced upon her. At least it would get her mind off of monsters and mass murderers.