(Barbara went to class where everyone was staring at her, even the teacher.)
Charlotte: "Ah, Miss Gordon. Late again, are we?"
Barbara: "Look, I can explain. I..."
Charlotte: "Hush, hush. You be late for class again, you'll never get a diploma and you'll be suspended for two years tops."
Barbara: "Two years?!"
Charlotte: "Yes, two. So, don't ever be late again. Understand?" (Barbara sighed and looked at the teacher.)
Barbara: "Yes, Ms. Charlotte."
Charlotte: "Good, now have a seat and get out a pencil and paper, so you can catch up with the notes."
Barbara: "Okay." (She went to her seat next to Dick who was slowly sliding his notes next to Barbara's sheet of paper.)
Dick: (Whispers) "Here, you can copy off of me, so that way you can catch up." (She looked up at him and he winked at her. She gently smiled at that.)
Barbara: (Whispers) "Thanks, Dick."
Dick: (Whispers) "No problem." (Barbara started to copy the notes down and Dick was looking at the board while the teacher was talking.)
Dick: (Whispers) "So, you're late again, huh?"
Barbara: (Whispers) "Oh, god. Now, you're questioning me about that, too."
Dick: (Whispers) "Hey, I got to know what happened. So, what happened?"
Barbara: (Whispers) "Well, there was this girl yesterday that messed up her legs by doing ballet."
Dick: (Whispers) "Ouch, that sounds really painful."
Barbara: (Whispers) "I know. I sort of cringed a little."
Dick: (Whispers) "So, did you help her?"
Barbara: (Whispers) "Well, duh. Of course I helped her. I had to kick the door down with full force. Even though, the door did burst off the hinges."
Dick: "Damn." (Charlotte heard that and turned around.)
Charlotte: "Grayson, watch the language. This is a non-profanity campus environment. That goes for everyone else in the classroom."
Students: "Yes, Ms. Charlotte."
Dick: "Sorry, Ms. Charlotte. It slipped out."
Charlotte: "Sure, it did. Just don't let me hear it again."
Dick: "Okay." (He turned back to Barbara.)
Dick: (Whispers) "Damn. Then what happened?"
Barbara: (Whispers) "Then I helped her out by carrying her to clinic and I saw her again today. She wasn't really happy."
Dick: (Whispers) "I bet. Can you imagine waking up in the hospital and noticing that you can't move any muscle? Yikes, that gives me the creeps."
Barbara: (Whispers) "And here you are talking about it next to me. Thanks, Dick. Now, I'm going to have nightmares."
Dick: (Whispers) "Sorry."
Barbara: (Whispers) "It's alright." (She looked at her paper and she had all the notes down.)
Barbara: (Whispers) "It looks like everything is in order. Thanks for sharing with me."
Dick: (Whispers) "Of course." (Suddenly, when Barbara moved her hand over to Dick's side to slide his paper back over, their fingertips touched and Barbara gasped and he did the same. Barbara quickly moved her hand away and kept them to herself. Dick was just looking out the window.)
Dick: (Whispers) "So, are you excited to see me do my performance at the circus in the afternoon?"
Barbara: (Whispers) "Of course. I can't wait."
Dick: (Whispers) "Good. Good. That's good. I can't wait to see you there. My parents will be in the performance, too. They're professional trapeze performers."
Barbara: (Whispers) "Really? Wow, now I really can't wait to see you guys perform."
Dick: (Whispers) "I know. They'll be really excited to meet you."
Barbara: (Whispers) "Nice. I bet they're nice."
Dick: (Whispers) "Oh, yeah. A little too nice."
Barbara: (Whispers) "And is that a bad thing?"
Dick: (Whispers) "No, no. It's actually a good thing. They just get very sweet on you, if you get me. They can almost buy you everything you ever wanted."
Barbara: (Whispers) "Sounds like a dream come true."
Dick: (Whispers) "Yeah, I guess." (The bell suddenly started to ring because it was lunch time.)
Charlotte: "Okay, students. Make sure you study tonight for the test!"
Dick: "Not me, I got to perform tonight."
Barbara: "Wait. You're not eating lunch?"
Dick: "I really want to, but I have to get ready with my parents. You go ahead and get lunch." (Dick smiled and kissed Barbara on the cheek and walked away.)
Dick: "See you later." (Barbara blushed and gently smiled to herself then she went in the cafeteria to get her food. Minutes later, Barbara walked outside and saw Dinah testing her microphone.)
Dinah: "Testing, testing. One, two, three."
Band Member: "Mm. Nope, it didn't come on."
Dinah: "Well, try to fix it again."
Band Member: "Will do." (Dinah saw Barbara and ran to her.)
Dinah: "Barbara!" (She was about to get on the bus, but she turned around.)
Barbara: "Dinah, hey!"
Dinah: "I was just about to do the first single and I wanted you to hear it for yourself."
Barbara: "Wow, really? I would love to hear it so much, but I'm going to see the circus right now and I have to make sure that I have tickets. So, maybe next time we meet?" (Dinah was a little sad, but she got over it.)
Dinah: "Yeah. Yeah. You're right. You're busy and I'm busy. So, yeah. Next time sounds good."
Barbara: "Okay, thank you. I gotta go. See you later, Dinah." (She got on the bus and it took off as she hurried to get in her seat. Dinah did a mini wave to the bus.)
Dinah: "Yeah. Later." (She looked back at the bus, but she went back to test the microphone. When Barbara got home, she stretched herself.)
Barbara: "Finally home. Now, where are those tickets?" (She looked under the bed.)
Barbara: "Not there." (She looked in her pillowcases.)
Barbara: "Not in my pillowcases." (She looked in the sink.)
Barbara: "Nope." (She looked in the toilet and raised one eyebrow.)
Barbara: "Definitely not." (She looked everywhere, but she couldn't find it.)
Barbara: "Ugh, where could it be?" (She looked over at the kitchen and saw it on the counter.)
Barbara: "Wow, really, Babs? Are you that blind as a bat? Perhaps so." (She chuckled to herself. Then she took out her phone.)
Barbara: "Hopefully, dad doesn't mind if I go." (She texted him.)
Barbara: (Texted) "Hey, dad. You there?" (She waited for him to respond and he did.)
Jim: (Texted) "Hey, sweetheart. I thought you would've gone to sleep by now."
Barbara: (Texted) "Yeah, something came up. I'm going to the circus and I wanted to ask your permission if I can."
Jim: (Texted) "Of course you can go, Babs. Just make sure you have money and lock up the house before you leave."
Barbara: (Texted) "Dad, I have money and I'll make sure the house is locked before I leave."
Jim: (Texted) "Good. I got to go. Duty calls."
Barbara: (Texted) "Good luck, dad. Be safe."
Jim: (Texted) "I will. You be careful, too."
Barbara: (Texted) "I will." (She puts away her phone and grabs the house key. She went out the door and locked it then she saw a public bus and took it.)
Barbara: "Excuse me, can you take me to the Haly Circus?"
Bus driver: "Why, of course."
Barbara: "Great, thanks."
Bus driver: "You're welcome." (The bus took off and headed towards the circus. Barbara looks out the window and saw the circus with concession stands.)
Barbara: "Wow."
Bus driver: "Welcome to Haly's Circus. You have fun."
Barbara: "Thanks. Pick me back up at 8:00 pm."
Bus driver: "You got it. 8:00."
Barbara: "Bye."
Bus driver: "Bye." (Barbara got off and got towards the popcorn stand and bought herself some popcorn.)
Haley: "Ladies and gentlemen, boy and young girls. This is the moment you all have been waiting for! Are you excited?!" (The audience cheers with excitement and joy. Barbara walked in and sat with the audience. Dick was with his parents peeking for Barbara behind the curtain.)
Mary: "Are you looking for someone, honey?"
Dick: "Huh? Oh, uh. Just looking for a girl." (Mary smiled and covered her mouth with surprise.)
Mary: "Oh."
John: "A girl? Is she pretty?" (He was lost in a trance when he first saw her and looking in the distance.)
Dick: "More. Beautiful. Her beautiful red hair like a rose getting ready to bloom. Her eyes gleaming blue just like the ocean and when she smiles at me. It's like she's an angel that flew down from the heavens because it was so bright. That's what I see in her. Beauty and beauty alone." (He leans his face against the pole, thinking about her and Mary laughed.)
Mary: "Wow, it seems like you have a crush on her, huh?" (She nudged him on the arm.)
Dick: "What? No, not like that. I mean, uh, we..." (He sighed and chuckled softly.)
Dick: "We're just friends."
John: "Sure..."
Dick: "Dad..."
John: "Kidding. Kidding. So, she got a name?"
Dick: "Barbara."
Mary: "That is a nice name. I hope we get to see her."
Dick: "Yeah, me too." (Haley was speaking about Bruce Wayne, but he wasn't there.)
Haley: "I guess Bruce Wayne isn't here today. Well, let's move on! Here they are, they're swift and agile! Cunning with amazement! They soar through the air like birds! They are the....Flying Graysons!" (The curtain fell and everyone clapped their hands when they saw them in nice leotards. Dick looked into the audience and saw Barbara.)
Dick: (Whispers) "Mom, dad. There she is." (The parents looked and saw her. They started to wave and she saw them and softly giggled while waving.)
John: (Whispers) "Alright, son. Just like we've practiced. I'll go first. Honey, you follow."
Mary: (Whispers) "Got it. Go." (John went first to swing and do flips. The crowd goes ooh and awe. There was a janitor who works there and got up the stairs to get a better angle. He brought the bucket up with him and took out a silencer rifle with a scope. He puts it beside him and waited for the right moment when it was time. Dick went after Mary and grabbed her legs. They swung to the other side and Dick did three flips in mid-air and caught the other trapeze. Barbara was so amazed by how flexible Dick Grayson was. She clapped along with the audience. Dick flipped himself by having one leg wrapped around the trapeze and his arms stretched out to reach his parents. Both parents grabbed Dick's hands and they both went soaring through the air to the other side.)
Haley: "Wow! Amazing! Marvelous job, Graysons! Marvelous!" (The audience clapped once again.)
Haley: "Now, the adults alone will do their amazing stunts while young Grayson watches. I can't wait, folks!" (Mary and John were doing their stunts on the trapeze and the man aimed his rifle. He looked through the scope as he aimed at the wires that's holding up the adult Graysons. He held his breath steadily.)
Haley: "Oh, I can't believe my eyes, folks! I might cry! With joy, that is!" (Barbara laughed and smiled as she saw Dick's parents do incredible stunts. The man sighed and looked down.)
Man: "I'm sorry." (He held his breath and fired at the wires. The parents fell all the way down to the ground hard and Dick's smile went away so fast.)
Dick: "NOOOOOO!!!" (Haley was shocked and the audience gasped.)
Haley: "Oh, my goodness!" (Barbara was shocked as well and had her hands over her mouth. Dick jumped down and Haley went to see if they were okay. He felt their pulses, but they were gone as blood went away from their bodies and covered the ground.)
Haley: "They're dead!" (The audience panicked and screamed as the police appeared.)
Renee: "Get those two kids out of here, now!" (Barbara was being pulled away of the circus tent and Dick as well. Batman appeared and the man ran away. Gordon came in on the crime scene.)
Batman: "Jim."
Renee: "You sure did took your damn sweet time on getting here, Batman."
Jim: "Renee. That's enough! Where the hell were you, Batman?"
Batman: "I was being held up on the investigation of Zucco. So, what happened?"
Jim: "Well, a young man lost his family because of him!" (Batman's eyes got wide in shock.)
Batman: "Zucco came here?"
Jim: "Yes and started firing off shots like it's the fourth of freaking July! I hope my kid wasn't mixed up in all this. I'm going to see her to make sure she wasn't hurt." (He walked off and Renee was upset.)
Renee: "Next time, when we need you to come, you better come straight away! Otherwise, we wouldn't need you to help. This is police work, anyhow, not a vigilante's work." (She left and Batman frowned. He went to the dead bodies and did his analysis. Meanwhile, Jim caught up with Barbara.)
Jim: "Babs!" (She turned around and saw Jim.)
Barbara: "Dad!" (She hugged him and Jim looks at her.)
Jim: "Oh, thank goodness! Are you hurt anywhere?"
Barbara: "Dad, I'm fine. I'm okay, but I need to see Dick."
Jim: "Okay, I got to leave anyway. More work to do. Go home safely and let me know when you're home."
Barbara: "Okay." (Jim nodded and ran back to his task force. Dick was being checked out as well. Barbara saw him and went to him.)
Paramedic #1: "Are you sure you're not hurt?"
Dick: "I said I'm fine, now get off me." (Dick shrugged himself off to get the paramedic to leave.)
Paramedic #1: "Just trying to help."
Barbara: "Dick, I saw what happened."
Dick: "Yeah, I know." (He started to walk away.)
Barbara: "Dick? Dick, are you alright? If you need me, I can help."
Dick: "Look, Barbara. I understand that you want to help and I get it, but right now, I need some space. Now, I want you to leave me alone."
Barbara: "Dick, I..."
Dick: "Barbara, I said leave me alone. You need to leave." (Dick turned around with his back towards her and Barbara felt a little hurt inside. She looked at Dick one last time and then she walked away backwards slowly. She was gone onto the bus and the bus driver drove her back home. Dick never looked back until that very last second when the bus hits the concrete. Barbara was looking at the street lights and closed her eyes as she drifted off to take a nap.)
(End of Chapter 4: A Very Bad Tragedy)
What did you guys think of this chapter? Sad, depressing? Vote and comment what was your favorite part. Thanks for showing support and love through my work. See ya and stay tuned! 😁😀😄😉✌