Brave New World: Stargirl

Chapter 26

Okay first off, I loved the season finale of Stargirl, in my opinion, it was the best episode of the season and yes aspects of it will be incorporated into this story over time. And now, on with the story.

"So, now the only member of the JSA you don't have living in your house is Beth." Yolanda said as she and Courtney walked home from school, since Rick had left early to first ID his uncle at the police station before going back to his now former house with Courtney's mom to get anything of his that he wanted to take with him.

"Yeah, honestly, we're running out of room, since Rick is going to be sleeping on the couch for the time being." Courtney said.

"Who knows, maybe your parents will let us share a room, since for one thing, there is too much of an age gap for Rick and Mike to share a room and for another, if Rick stays with Mike, there's a chance that he'll end up slipping up about the JSA around Mike." Yolanda said.

"Maybe, but either way, I do feel bad about keeping this from Mike, since he does have a right to know." Courtney said.

"Maybe, but honestly, I don't think that Pat even wanted you to know." Yolanda reminded her.

"True, but still. I get that he wants to keep Mike safe, but Brainwave knows who I am and he knows who Pat is. If he ever wakes up, he'll tell the ISA and that will put Mike in danger." Courtney said.

"Maybe he's worried that Mike will want to be like you, except he doesn't have a magic stick." Yolanda said and Courtney laughed.

"Maybe." Courtney said.

"So, you think Rick will be okay sleeping on a couch?" Yolanda asked.

"Honestly, it kind of feels like someone is going to lose." Courtney said.

"Hey, it's not like we have much choice. If Rick is just put in the foster system, there's no guarantee he'd be with a good family and as far as we know, he's got no other family." Yolanda said.

"True. But still, it's not fair that any of us have to give up our private bedrooms." Courtney said.

"We all make sacrifices in life." Yolanda said.

"Still." Courtney said as she got an idea.

"What's going through that head of yours?" Yolanda asked, since she recognized the look on her girlfriend's face.

"Well, maybe there's a way everyone can still have their own rooms." Courtney said.

"What do you mean?" Yolanda asked.

"Well, we've both a basement and an attic that are both unfinished, so maybe I could get mom to agree to let me turn one of them into my new room in exchange for finally ending my guilt tripping her and then Rick can have my current room." Courtney said.

"You'd give up your room for Rick?" Yolanda asked.

"More like trying to give us a place to be alone and not on the same floor as Mike or my parents." Courtney said and Yolanda chuckled.

"That sounds more like you. But do you really think that she'll agree to it?" Yolanda asked.

"She will if I pay for it, since thanks to my dad's estate, I'm rich." Courtney said, since it turns out that the Pemberton estate was huge and had only gotten bigger over the past 15 years with no one accessing it.

"I thought you couldn't access that money until you turned 18?" Yolanda asked.

"Actually, I can. I just don't because I don't want to turn into a rich spoiled brat like Cindy." Courtney said.

"Okay, good to know that you'll be the one paying for all our dates." Yolanda said jokingly.

"Very funny. But yes, I can access my dad's money, but I can only spend a limited amount without getting my parents' permission. Those limits get lifted once I'm a legal daughter." Courtney said.

"Got it." Yolanda said.

When Courtney and Yolanda got home, they were surprised to find Pat home, and with a teenage girl.

"Pat, who's this?" Courtney asked.

"The newest addition to the JSA." Pat said.

"Wait, what?" Yolanda asked.

"My name is Jenni Lynn Hayden and my dad was the Green Lantern." Jenni said.

"Wait, what?" Courtney asked.

"Yeah, I found her when I went to Civic City and found her staying in the old JSA headquarters." Pat said.

"How do we know that you're really Green Lantern's daughter?" Courtney asked.

"Because she has her father's ring. It's like your staff Court, it shouldn't work for anyone but the Green Lantern, but it does." Pat said.

"So, she knows I'm Starman's daughter." Courtney said.

"Yeah I do and I think you and I are going to be good friends." Jenni said as Yolanda got in front of her girlfriend defensively.

"And this is my apparently jealous and protective girlfriend Yolanda Montez." Courtney said.

"Relax, I'm just trying to be friends. I like boys anyway." Jenni assured her.

"Right, sorry." Yolanda apologized as she shook Jenni's hand.

"Where's Rick?" Courtney asked.

"Putting his stuff down in the basement." Pat said.

"Okay well, is Jenni going to be staying with us, because I don't think we'll have room." Courtney said.

"We'll figure something out. Maybe you and Yolanda can share your room and Jenni can take Yolanda's." Pat suggested as Yolanda nudged Courtney to remind her of her idea.

"Actually, I had a different idea that was originally from when I just thought Rick would be staying with us." Courtney said.

"Really, what is it?" Barbara asked.

"What if I used some of the inheritance my dad left me to actually renovate the attic into a new bedroom for myself. Then Rick can have my room and Yolanda and Jenni can share Yolanda's room or something?" Courtney said.

"You know, that's actually not a bad idea." Pat said.

"Are you sure, since we'd basically be giving Courtney her own floor?" Barbara asked.

"If you agree to it mom, I'll finally stop guilting you about the whole dad thing." Courtney said and Barbara sighed.

"Fine, but only because I'm tired of you lording that over me and honestly, we've got all the empty space in the attic, we might as well do something with it." Barbara said, since their attic was surprisingly large.

"Okay then, why don't we go check it out so I can get a feel for exactly how I want my new room to look." Courtney said.

"So I guess you don't want to see what else I brought home from the JSA base?" Pat asked, getting Courtney's attention.

"Okay, we'll do that first." Courtney said.

"Come on, it's downstairs." Pat said as he led the girls down to the basement.