Just One Look

Chapter 10: Help

"What?" I asked, I wiped my runny nose and my eyes with my sleeve.

"Open the stall." I stood up and adjusted my shirt and pulled up my pants a bit. I turned towards the stall door and took the latch in my hand and pulled it out so that the door swung inward. I was embraced by the open arms of Bruce, and he hugged me tightly. I draped my arms around his neck and he held me around my waist. He pressed his face into my neck and started to whisper calming nothings in my ear. "Shh, it's all right." He reassured me. I shook my head.

"But it's not." I whispered back. I pulled away from him, shaking my head. "Nothing's all right, my grades are dropping, my I can't call my best friend a friend anymore because she's changed so much, she might be getting abused by her boyfriend and I can't do anything about it." I blubbered, the tears coming back. His hands moved from my waist to my neck. He pressed my hair to my neck and tried to calm me down. "And, my brother. It's been weeks and all we've gotten is a crappy video feed from the parking garage across the street." I muttered.

"Shh, shh." He said, petting my hair down my face. I couldn't bare to make eye contact with him. His eyes would tear into my soul and make me feel worse about myself.

"And, and, and-"

"Catrina, stop." He whispered softly, I both nodded and shook my head. "Catrina, it's going to be okay." He assured me. I sobbed and another tear escaped my eye. With his thumb he wiped the tear away. I was staring at my feet, when his thumb brushed my cheek I looked up. His green eyes found mine and he smiled a small smile. He pulled me into another hug and rubbed my back, I sighed and started to collect myself. He was so kind, two times that he saved my life I had never repaid him. I didn't know how. I don't know how.

"My world is falling apart Bruce." I whispered. He pushed me away again and held me at half an arm's length.

"Your world, is what you make it." I thought for just a moment that I wanted someone in my life. Someone who loved me, as my father loves my mother. How Christopher Reeves loved Dana. With the lust that Romeo had for Juliet, or Cleopatra for Caesar. Someone who would help me through this, who would hold me because I was scared and fearing the worst for my brother. Who would do that? Who?

Nobody, that's who.

"Come on, Catrina." Bruce said quietly, rubbing my arm. "I'll take you home." He put his arm around my waist and lead me out into the hallway. I lead him to my locker and I retrieved my belongings. He didn't say anything, and took me to his car. We got in and he drove away from the school. He drove me the short distance, with my help to my house. He pulled up the driveway and stopped the car. I unbuckled my seatbelt and grabbed the car handle when Bruce touched my arm. "Catrina, I know you're probably going to think I'm really weird when I say this. But feel free to call me at any time." He said, I nodded and thanked him for the ride. "I'm serious Catrina." He said when I walked around his car so that I could go inside through the front door.

"Thanks Bruce." I said, he nodded and backed out of the drive. I watched him through the side window next to the door. I day dreamed about the moments that we shared in the bathroom as I watched his car go down the street. His car disappeared around the corner and I turned to face my kitchen, no one was there. Wierd. I had notified my mom that I was coming home early due to emotions ruling my world at school. She said that she would be here. That's what I thought she had insinuated. I turned on the television and sat down, ready to watch the mindless screen until she got home. That is, until the news centered around the finding of Red Hood. Or, at least the search for him. There was none, because the focus of Gotham's Police Department was solely on The Joker. The man who admittedly took all the blame for all the crimes that Red Hood had committed. The news flashed to a video that was sent in, it was a man dressed in purple with the face of a clown.

"Kitty kitty!" He called, I watched him carefully and listened intently. "You forgot something!" He giggled happily, the camera shot moved around a bit before settling on the dark, tired face of my brother Dean. I sprang up from my seated position on the couch and watched him pull out a pocket knife. "I hate to do this to you, but in order to get your attention, I guess I'll just have to do something." He opened the pocket knife and walked closer to my brothers slumped figure.

"No!" I screamed, the garage door opened and my Mom walked in. "No! No!" I hollered, my mom exclaimed something before rushing to my side. The Joker stepped so that he was behind my brother and brought the knife to his mouth.

"If I don't hear from you, Kitty, he won't be here for much longer." The knife flashed away from his eyes and was plunged into his arm.

"No!" I yelled, my Mom gasped and grabbed my arm as she fell back on the couch. The feed went back to the studio before Dean could get the scream out of his mouth. How the hell am I supposed to communicate with this guy? A letter? A phone call? Text? What? It made no sense, and why does he have my brother? For what reason?