Wayne's Daughter

Chapter 8

I haven't seen her for almost a year, and I'm not even sure if she is still alive. She was rushed off and out of the Bat-Cave suddenly two weeks after she slipped into her coma; something happened and I have no idea what. Dad refuses to tell me and won't even mention her name.

Did she die and Dad just can't tell me? The Bat-Plane was out of commission for a few weeks, and that must have something to do with why Dad's arm was broken. But why won't he tell me where my sister is?!

It's gone back to normal, as if Lilla never even existed or lived in this house. Everything in her room and all the pictures of her are gone, except the ones I hid from Dad in my room. I know she isn't dead, I just know it, and Dad refuses to listen!

It's almost the one year anniversary of her disappearance or death, if you're thinking like Bruce does. He seems adamant that she is dead, but I'm pretty sure he lied to everyone else that she is at a boarding school. Since there was no funeral, I'm sure he wants the world to think she is still alive.

In one day it will be December twenty-second, the day when my sister just vanished without a trace. The day that started the slow destruction of the relationship between Bruce and myself, which is of no fault of Lilla. Something happened to her that he knows about and won't tell me. I am her freaking brother!

"Mr. Grayson! This is the third time I have called for your attention," my teacher snaps from the front of the room.

I sigh and look up at the grouchy old man who is my sorry excuse for a history teacher.
"The answer is 1665," I mutter and look back down at my clasped hands.

This is my world now. Lilla would probably slap me for not paying attention during school, or for letting myself just stop caring about everything around me.

Lilla..

I miss her so much that it hurts every single time I even think of her. Why does every person I care about in my life die?! Who's it going to be next, maybe Dad or Alfred?!

Dad gets what Im going through, well Bruce I guess. He subtly winces any time I call him that, so I probably should stop calling him that. I guess that was a special privilege Lilla and only Lilla got, which let me say it too.

The final bell rings and I pick up my bag, leaving the classroom before anyone can talk to me or ask me to do anything.

Only Barbara, Teryn, or Silas bother to try to talk to me during the school, but I always just ignore them. Yeah I've been best friends with them for almost two years but I can't tell them the real reason I'm so upset or why Lilla isn't here anymore. Bruce won't let me.

They were there when Lilla stopped talking, but they could be told then because it was because of her civvie identity she was silent. Now I have to keep everything a secret from them and it's so frustrating!

You should be over this Dick, it's been a year. She's gone. Dad's voice grumbles in my mind as I walk down the hall of my school towards the exit, just moving with the surge of the crowd.

Though I know that despite the facade he puts up, even he hasn't filled that empty hole Lilla left behind. Luckily of the things I need are in my bag already, every book and folder so I can avoid my locker and Barbara.

Lilla's idea with the backpack though, to build up stamina, which doesn't work completely but this is one of the ways I can remember her. Oh her stubbornness to not use a locker because of the one time someone took something out of it. Even though it was a joke she never got over it.

I notice someone with bright red hair walking towards me with two brown headed people next to her and I quicken my pace. I do not want to see Barbara and her sympathetic look or her words or Teryn's silent sad expression, I especially don't want Silas' look that is barely hiding the anger he has.