"Hi, Wally!" I ran out to greet my favorite cousin, who somehow always managed to get me a candy bar.

"How's my favorite little cousin?" He picked me up and spun me around so fast, I could hardly breathe.

"Wheee!" I yelled, a little late, when he set me down. Dizzy, I sat down hard, giggling.

His green eyes sparkled. "How old are you again?"

"I told you yesterday, remember?" I asked, faking exasperation.

"Hmmm..." he tapped his chin as if he were trying to remember. "I don't think that's true, because I simply don't remember that."

"I'm eight!" I held up eight fingers. "And my mommy says that I'm so smart, that she had to put me up a grade! I'm in fourth grade now!"

"Wow, good job, Tiffy!"

I beamed proudly at him, but then it died down and tears filled my eyes.

"What's wrong?"

I rubbed at my eyes, trying to get rid of the tears. "It's just... nobody likes me. I don't have any friends. All the people in my grade hate me. They call me names that I don't understand, and always shove me out of the way to give me mean looks. I... hate them! They're just jealous!"

"What about the friends from your other grade?"

Tears fell down my cheeks. "They hate me, too. Bri called me a smarty pants and stuck-up, and Tiana called me a baby when I started crying."

"You're not a baby!" Wally snapped suddenly. "You're right, they're just jealous. Ignore them. They don't deserve you."

I wiped the tears of my face. "You really think so?"

"No."

I looked at the ground, tears filling my eyes again.

"I know so."

"Oh, you little meanie!" I laughed at him and threw my arms around him. "Thank you, Wally. You're really nice."

"What can I say?" He pointed at himself. "I'm the best cousin ever."

"Did you bring me a candy bar?"

He pulled a Kit Cat Grant bar out of his pocket. "What do you think?"

I snatch it out of his hand. "Thanks, Wally."

His eyes gleamed with amusement when I scarfed it down like a wild animal.

"Wow, she even eats like you, Wally!" Dick Grayson stepped out, hands in his pockets, sunglasses on like always.

"Richie!" I waved. "Why are you here?"

"Just needed to remind Wally of his school project," he said nonchalantly, but he sounded like he was hiding a secret.

I shrugged and slapped my forehead with my palm. "I forgot that I have a book report to do! Man! I guess I'll have to see you later... Mom'll kill me when she figures out that I waited until the last minute!"

Dick looked at Wally, smirking. "I told you, she's almost exactly like you!"

"Yeah, almost."

I smiled again. "Well, see you later, I guess. Good luck with your project! Bye!"

The two boys turned and started talking to each other, looking too serious to be talking about a school project.

I shrugged it off, and ran to my room, looking for a book I hadn't read before. Nothing. I'd read them all.

"Hey, Mom, do you know where a good book is?"

"Yes, dear, check Daddy's room."

"Okay!" I ran to my dad's room and looked around. Great Expectations? Nah, read it. Little Women? Boring. The Hound of Baskerville? Heck yes!

I pulled it out, and another book fell to the floor, dusty and old. Interested, I decided I might as well get both.

Then I walked back to my room and opened The Hound of Baskerville and started to read it. But my eyes kept straying to the other book like they had a will of their own.

I put The Hound of Baskerville on the table, and slowly picked up the other book. It was small, the pages yellow, and the book had that old book smell that I found pretty good.

I turned it to the first page. "No way!"

It read, "Journal of Barry Allen. The Flash."

I nearly dropped it onto the floor. "Holy crap!"

"What is it, dear?"

"Oh, just, uh, reading The Hound of Baskerville... really intense."

"Okay, dear, just stop if you're too scared, okay?"

"'Kay, Mom!" I yelled, and turned the page. It listed all sorts of scientific elements and chemicals.

I couldn't believe it; my uncle was the Flash!

I read more and more. "Hey, uh, Mom...?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Can I go to Wally's house? I need to ask him something."

"Okay. Bye. Say hi to Wally's mom for me, huh?"

"Yeah." I scooped up the book and ran put of the door, my mind reeling as I climbed on my bike and rode all the way to Wally's home.

"Hey, uh, Tiffy. What are you doing here?" Wally was shoving something into his closet, as I walked into his room.

"I was just wondering..." my eyes caught the flash of yellow fabric. "What is that?"

"Uh... what?" Wally's face was beet red.

"The thing you're hiding in the closet." I pointed.

"Nothing... just a t-shirt that I got the other day..."

"Okay!" I said brightly.  Might as well wait. Can find it later. "Do you have any..." I looked at the book, then spat off the ingredients.

"Oh, yeah, sure," Wally replied, so flustered from nearly being caught that he didn't wonder why I was asking for them.

"They're in the garage."

I ran into it before he could say anything else, and found what I needed. "Thanks, Wally!"

My arms full, I walked out. "Oh, and Wally?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you tell your mom hi for me? Thanks." I dumped the stuff into the bicycle handlebar basket and rode off without another word.

"Hey, Mom, I'm gonna be in the garage for a while! Don't disturb!"

"Okay, sweetie, I won't!"

I smiled, and put the ingredients on the counter in the garage. I was going to be the new Flash.