by Lisa Yee
Wildcat nodded. “Okay, then,” he said. “Hawkgirl, you’re in!”
Bumblebee made sure Hawkgirl’s Nth Metal belt and wings were in working order before sending her out. In the spoon and egg race, competitors had to weave through an obstacle course while carrying a spoon in their mouths, balancing an egg on it. In this last event of the last test, it was all powers, all weapons, anything goes.
Wonder Woman would have loved to be in the race. While some of the other challenges had been tightly monitored, this one was a free-for-all, and everyone would be going all out. Wonder Woman knew it would be the culmination of all she had learned at Super Hero High, and that she could nail it. However, in her heart, she felt that this was Hawkgirl’s chance to show herself, and her grandmother, what she was made of.
As Wonder Woman sat on the sidelines, she was confident that her team would do well without her. They were that good. For a brief moment, when it was announced that the eggs housed villainous birds of prey that instantly hatched at the slightest crack, Wonder Woman sat up in anticipation. This was a challenge she had never faced before. She hoped Hawkgirl was up for the battle.
As the game began, the teams were cautious, careful not to let the eggs slip from the spoon. Still, they jostled one another and were soon flying and racing and running, using their powers and skills to throw their opponents off. It was Captain Cold who first threw his egg, knowing it would explode into an evil bird of prey, but Hawkgirl was ready for him. When the egg hit her and the bird appeared, she grabbed the bird and flew skyward, all without dropping her own egg.
Wonder Woman leaned back and watched with satisfaction. But now she was not facing the games. Knowing that Hawkgirl had everything under control, Wonder Woman was facing the stands and basking in the pride and happiness on Hawkgirl’s grandmother’s face as her only grandchild competed in hopes of bringing glory to Super Hero High.
Wonder Woman caught her mother’s eye. Hippolyta looked solemn, and for a moment, Wonder Woman was scared. Had she let her down? Then her mother gave her a barely perceptible nod, and Wonder Woman knew that she had done the right thing. She might not win Super Triathlete of the Year—not officially—but what she had just gotten was far more valuable.
In the end, Interstellar Magnet took home the third-place trophy. There was only one point separating Super Hero High and CAD Academy for the championship, with Super Hero High coming home the victor. As the team accepted their trophy, the audience gave them a rousing standing and flying ovation. Team Super Hero High held their hands together and bowed deeply in appreciation for everything they had earned that day. But perhaps no one felt more like a winner than Wonder Woman.
Later, she congratulated Magpie, who was named Triathlete of the Year. But she and the rest of the CAD Academy team looked at Wonder Woman with disdain.
“The championship should have been ours,” Captain Cold said, making it sound like a threat.
“Maybe next year,” Wonder Woman said brightly. “Congratulations on your second-place win.”
“Live evil,” Captain Cold said bitterly to Wonder Woman. “Live evil!”
“No, thank you,” Wonder Woman replied.
Back in the locker room, the team was celebrating. Everyone looked thrilled, except Golden Glider, who appeared to have a stomachache.
“Look!” Katana cried triumphantly. She was holding up her sword. “This was hidden behind some of the towel bins. That Cheetah,” she said, gripping her sword even tighter. “I’ll get even with her!”
Wonder Woman watched as Katana brandished her sword and sliced the air, barely missing Golden Glider. That was when she saw it. “It wasn’t Cheetah,” Wonder Woman gasped. “She didn’t do it. Golden Glider, may I have a word with you, please?”
“What?” Golden Glider said, barely looking at her.
“Why did you do it?”
“Do what?”
“You know what I’m talking about,” Wonder Woman said. “The threatening notes. Exchanging Katana’s sword with an inferior one. Stealing my lasso. Trying to bring down the team.”
Golden Glider yawned and picked a piece of lint off her T-shirt.
“Live evil,” Wonder Woman said evenly. Golden Glider looked up, startled. “Your shirt says ‘live,’ ” Wonder Woman pointed out. “You wore a headband that said it, too.”
“So?” Golden Glider replied, looking uncomfortable.
“In the reflection of Katana’s sword, the word ‘live’ looks like ‘evil.’ ‘Live evil’ is the unofficial motto of CAD Academy. Your brother goes there, doesn’t he?”
“Maybe,” Golden Glider said.
“That’s right,” Wonder Woman nodded. She now realized why Captain Cold had seemed so familiar. He had the same ice-blue eyes as Golden Glider—and the same arrogant attitude. “You thought that by sabotaging our team, his would win. But what I don’t understand is why you would do that to your own school.”
“Leave me alone,” Golden Glider said. “You have no proof.”
Wonder Woman reached for her Lasso of Truth. “I’m sorry,” she said, “but I need to know.”
Golden Glider seemed surprised to find the lasso around her wrist. Instead of looking aloof, she looked sad. “Everything in my family is about my brother, Captain Cold. I thought that if I could help his team win, my family would be proud of me,” she confessed. “When you first came to our school, I knew you’d be on the team. Everyone knew that. If I could have gotten you to quit and go home, CAD Academy wouldn’t have had any competition. And I’d be a hero in my house right now.”
“There are better ways to be a hero,” Wonder Woman told her as she took her lasso back.
Golden Glider lowered her head. “Are you going to tell Wildcat?” she asked.
“No, you are,” Wonder Woman said. “You tell him that you made a mistake, and I won’t tell him or Principal Waller about the threats and notes you sent me.”
Golden Glider nodded.
“Now there’s someone else I need to talk to,” Wonder Woman said.
Cheetah was sitting with Wildcat in the empty LexCorp Arena. As Wonder Woman approached them, Wildcat stood up and patted Cheetah on the back. “Good work,” he said.
Wonder Woman was confused. Maybe Wildcat wasn’t as smart as she thought he was. She sat next to Cheetah. They watched the massive cleaning crew sweep up the debris before Wonder Woman spoke up.
“So you were in this with Golden Glider,” she said. “I never meant to hurt you. I’m sorry you didn’t make the team, but to think that you could be angry enough to do this…Do you hate me that much, to want to see the team fail? To see me fail?”
Cheetah let out a long laugh. “I’m the reason you’re on the team,” she said. Wonder Woman looked confused. “Who do you think nominated you? Who do you think was on the student committee that helped pick the team?”
“You?” Wonder Woman said, surprised.
“Yes, me,” Cheetah said. “As much as I may dislike you, I dislike losing even more. I knew that without me, you were the best chance Team Super Hero High had of winning the championship.”
“But my lasso…?”
“Yeah, well. Waller suspected there was someone at school who was spying for CAD Academy and wanted to throw the games. But we didn’t know who it was. Wildcat and Waller approached me and asked me to keep my eyes and ears open, and to monitor the team for any strange goings-on. That’s why I was always around. I wasn’t stealing your lasso; I was returning it!”
Wonder Woman felt a pain in her heart. “I am so sorry I misjudged you, Cheetah,” she said. “How can I ever make it up to you?”
A sly smile stretched across Cheetah’s face as she purred, “I’ll think of something, Wonder Woman. You owe me big-time, and if you don’t think I’ll collect, you’re wrong. Because one day I will. That’s a promise.”
Nothing was the same for Wonder Woman after that. But then, when is any day the same as the day before? Friends and enemies and the somethings-in-between
were sorted out. At least for the moment.
That morning, there were thousands of comments on Harley’s HQTV site about Wonder Woman and the team. Lois Lane had written an extensive article for Super News and the Daily Planet. But what Wonder Woman was most interested in was an email she had received.
Dear Wondy,
I am so proud of you. You followed your dream and competed with your heart as the whole world watched. The fact that you helped lead your team to victory was the icing on the cake.
I loved meeting you. I’ll never be a super hero, but I am dedicated to following my dream and being the best person and musician I can be. I am honored to be your friend.
Love,
Mandy “Virtuoso” Bowin
When Wonder Woman walked into the dining hall for breakfast, everyone stood and applauded. Well, not everyone. Golden Glider had been expelled. And unlike Virtuoso, who had yelled, “I’ll be back!” Golden Glider silently skated away from Super Hero High and toward CAD Academy.
As the applause reached a crescendo, Wonder Woman waved and then called her teammates to her, and together they stood tall—until Beast Boy transformed into a unicorn and began running around the room. On that day, he wasn’t reprimanded.
“Wondy!” Hawkgirl said, embracing her. “My abuela was so thrilled that she was able to see me compete in the Super Triathlon! She said it was the highlight of her life.”
Both girls jumped up and down before Hawkgirl composed herself. Wonder Woman kept leaping up and down, though, thrilled to have helped make that possible for her friend.
“Wonder Woman! A word with you, please.”
It was Principal Waller.
“Yes?” Wonder Woman said brightly.
Waller cleared her throat. “How’s your leg?” she asked, raising one eyebrow.
“My leg? It’s fine, why?” Wonder Woman asked.
“Because you were too injured to compete yesterday, and Hawkgirl had to go in to replace you?” The Wall reminded her.
Wonder Woman could feel herself turning red. “Am I in trouble?” she asked.
“You’ll just have to wait and see,” Principal Waller told her.
After The Wall left, Wonder Woman stood in the middle of the dining hall. She was surrounded by Supers but felt all alone. At one table were Katana, Hawkgirl, Poison Ivy, and Bumblebee, all laughing together. At another table, Green Lantern, Cyborg, The Flash, and the Riddler egged Beast Boy on to change into a chicken. Over to the left, Cheetah and Frost had their heads together, whispering while Star Sapphire filed her nails. Harley was videotaping it all.
Wonder Woman loved these people. Super Hero High was home.
The monthly assembly was sure to be boisterous. After all, Super Hero High had brought home the trophy for the one hundredth Super Triathlon. As Principal Waller spoke, the teachers sat behind her on their thrones, glowing as if they each were the winner themselves. And in part, they were. The students in the audience were just as excited. To go to a school that made history was something to be proud of.
“Thank you, Team Super Hero High!” Principal Waller said as the team returned to their seats. “And now I have another announcement. This month’s Hero of the Month.”
It took a while for everyone, teachers included, to calm down. Principal Waller waited. What she had to say next could not be rushed.
“Super Hero High’s next Hero of the Month is…”
Wonder Woman looked around. Who could it be? Not her. Not after Waller had discovered she’d faked her injury.
“WONDER WOMAN!” Principal Waller announced.
Huh?
“Wonder Woman, please come back onstage and join me.”
Bumblebee pushed her toward the stage as everyone cheered. “Go!” she whispered.
What?
Wonder Woman stood stunned as she listened to Principal Waller. “This month’s Super Hero has brought pride and dedication to our school. She has proved herself to be a leader, and, even more rare, a selfless one. Putting others before herself. She is not here for personal glory, but for the greater good, and to shine the spotlight on others. That is what a true leader does.” Wonder Woman thought she saw the principal wink at her.
As the video played, Wonder Woman choked back tears. Her fellow students and teachers all talked about how much they admired her. Even Cheetah said, “I don’t want to like her, but sometimes I think I do. Wait! Did I just say that?”
When the lights came back on, Principal Waller continued. “And now, Wonder Woman, as your first assignment as Hero of the Month, you will be showing our newest Super Hero High student around the school. Oh! Here she comes now!”
The entire auditorium, including Wonder Woman, looked to the back of the room. A girl with long blond hair, a battered suitcase, and a huge smile was flying toward the stage. But instead of stopping, she mowed down several teachers before crashing into the wall and falling face-first on the ground.
Undeterred, she jumped up and smoothed the front of her red skirt, dusted some dirt off her short cape—a short cape! what a genius idea—and then ran over to Wonder Woman, tripping twice, but jumping up each time as if nothing had happened. Her eyes bright, she held out her hand.
“I am a huge, huge, huge fan!” the girl gushed. “I am sooooo excited to meet you, Wonder Woman. I hope we can be friends! Can we? Please say yes!”
“Yes, of course,” Wonder Woman said, smiling. “And what is your name?”
“Oh, oops!” The girl’s blue eyes sparkled as she laughed. “Of course I should introduce myself…my name is Supergirl!”
To be continued….
Lisa Yee’s debut novel, Millicent Min, Girl Genius, won the prestigious Sid Fleischman Humor Award. With nearly two million books in print, her other novels for young readers include Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time; Absolutely Maybe; Bobby vs. Girls (Accidentally); Bobby the Brave (Sometimes); Warp Speed; The Kidney Hypothetical, Or How to Ruin Your Life in Seven Days; and American Girl’s Kanani books, Good Luck, Ivy, and the 2016 Girl of the Year books. Lisa has been a Thurber House Children’s Writer-in-Residence, and her books have been named an NPR Best Summer Read, a Sports Illustrated Kids Hot Summer Read, and a USA Today Critics’ Pick, among other accolades. Visit Lisa at LisaYee.com.