From the clouds, Wonder Woman watched her friends and fellow students milling about, munching on roasted corn on the cob and causing general mischief and mayhem. She could not believe how far removed Metropolis was from Paradise Island’s tropical seas, gently swaying palm trees, and Greek palaces. Still, Wonder Woman loved both places fiercely and could not imagine being without either one. The mere thought of ever having to leave Super Hero High weighed heavily on her.

Later, as Wonder Woman consulted a map and flew toward a remote area of Metropolis called Hobb’s Bay, she saw a huge suspension bridge stretched across a calm blue sea. Curious seagulls flew alongside her before veering off to places unknown. Wonder Woman continued over a steep, crooked road and then hovered over a purple Victorian house with pink trim and gingerbread details on the eaves. There was a yellow bicycle with a flowered basket on the porch. Music wafted from one of the open upstairs windows.

Wonder Woman had never heard anything so beautiful in her life. It was as if the music were calling out to her, pulling her toward it, touching her heart. So lovely were the sounds that she began to weep with joy. Who was playing this powerful music?

Wonder Woman flew to the open window and peered inside. A girl with dark cropped hair stood with her eyes closed, playing a violin. She looked as though she were in another world. When the music stopped, her eyes fluttered open. The girl looked directly at Wonder Woman and gasped.

“Oh, hi!” Wonder Woman said, waving. “That was beautiful. I’m Wonder Woman.”

“I know who you are,” the girl said, not hiding the surprise on her face. “I’ve been watching you on HQTV.”

Wonder Woman shivered slightly. Mandy Bowin had been watching her?

“Why are you here?” the violinist asked. “Is that pie for me? I love pie.”

Wonder Woman had forgotten that she was carrying the cherry pie from Buttery Bakery. “Well, yes. Then this pie is for you,” she said. “I just stopped by to talk to you. You are Mandy Bowin, correct?”

The girl nodded. She looked younger than most of the kids at Super Hero High. Her face was friendly and open, her smile bright. Mandy did not look like the sort of person who would get expelled from anywhere.

“Would you like to come in?” Mandy asked. She didn’t seem surprised that Wonder Woman wanted to talk to her.

“Yes, thank you,” Wonder Woman said, climbing through the window.

“I’ll get some plates for the pie,” Mandy told her, setting her violin down. “Make yourself at home.”

Wonder Woman put her lasso on the floor next to the bed, as she always did at home and in the dorm. She placed the pie on the desk and looked around. On the walls were posters of famous musicians. The shelves were crammed with music awards. Nothing seemed suspicious. On the desk was a photo of Mandy with a serious-looking man gripping a fiddle. They had the same brown eyes.

When Mandy returned, she tripped on the Lasso of Truth. Wonder Woman caught the plates and forks, but the milk flew into the air, spilling on Mandy’s violin. As she lay tangled in the Lasso of Truth, Wonder Woman asked, “Are you okay?”

“I’m okay,” Mandy said honestly. She had no choice. “Though it was difficult leaving Super Hero High. I’m glad Principal Waller was so great about letting me leave.”

Letting her leave?

“So you weren’t expelled?” Wonder Woman asked Mandy as she untangled her.

Mandy raced to her violin and blotted the spilled milk. “Expelled? No. Well…yes, but no. But not really. Only, just sort of. Do you know what I mean?”

Wonder Woman shook her head. Was this one of those math word problems? Was she supposed to add, then divide something?

“Can you tell me why you no longer go to Super Hero High?” she asked, handing Mandy a slice of cherry pie.

Both sat crossed-legged on the rug and began to eat.

“I never wanted to go to Super Hero High,” Mandy explained with her mouth full. “Wow, this is good crust!”

Wonder Woman nodded. It was.

Mandy continued, “My dad really, really, really wanted me to be a super hero. He tried to be one when he was younger, and, well, he didn’t quite make it. To make ends meet, he established himself as something of a villain…The Fiddler.” Mandy looked at the floor when she said this. Then she took a breath and sat up straight. “Dad wanted better for me, and I did want to make him proud. So I took all the tests, aced the interview, and was accepted into the school.”

Wonder Woman washed her pie down with a glass of milk, then helped herself to another slice, leaving only half of the pie in the tin. “What happened? Why did you leave?”

Mandy motioned to Wonder Woman’s face. “You have a milk mustache,” she said.

Wonder Woman looked in the mirror. “Oh! Yes, I do. Thank you,” she said, admiring herself.

Mandy thought for a moment. “Super Hero High wasn’t for me. I never even chose a super hero name. All my life I’ve wanted to be a great musician. I’d rather soothe the world with my music and let someone else save it.”

Wonder Woman raised her hand. “I’ll save it!” she offered.

“Good!” Mandy said, smiling. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

“Bumblebee said she heard you threatening Principal Waller,” Wonder Woman pointed out.

Mandy began to laugh. So did Wonder Woman, though she wasn’t sure why. Had she said something funny? This was good. Harley kept telling her to get a sense of humor.

“What happened was,” Mandy explained, “I had a heart-to-heart with The Wall. People think she’s really tough, but that’s not true at all. She’s really nice, only she doesn’t want anyone to know. It would ruin her reputation. Waller was convinced that I had super hero potential. I know that Super Hero High is ‘the’ place to be. But I wanted to go to an elite music school.

“My dad would never have allowed me to leave. But if I was expelled, then he couldn’t insist I stay, and the school wouldn’t look bad. So Principal Waller and I staged a little argument, and I got to come home!”

Wonder Woman’s mind was racing, trying to comprehend it all. “So what do you want to do?” she asked.

“I just want to create beautiful music for the world to enjoy.” Mandy picked up her violin.

At Super Hero High, everyone had a weapon to thwart evil. However, Wonder Woman noted, Mandy had an anti-weapon—something powerful, but capable of causing great happiness.

So if Mandy Bowin wasn’t the person behind the threatening notes, then who was? And why was that person so anxious for her to leave Super Hero High? Wonder Woman’s worry began to ramp up again, but then the strangest thing happened. Mandy closed her eyes and began to play her violin.

The music floated across the room, sweeping away Wonder Woman’s worry and replacing it with joy. In that moment, she realized that she, like Mandy, needed to be who she wanted to be, and not who everyone expected her to be—especially to some unnamed bully who wanted her out.

“You are a true virtuoso, Mandy!” Wonder Woman exclaimed.

“Thank you,” Mandy said without opening her eyes.

Then Wonder Woman did something she hadn’t done since she had arrived at Super Hero High school. She sat back and relaxed, then closed her eyes and got lost in Mandy’s beautiful music.

Dr. Arkham would have been proud.