Chapter 2 Meeting
"So it is the first day of Senior year here at Gotham City High School, and Rosetta evidently doesn't want to be here. Oh, and here comes none other than Ursula Pinto, the fat cow..."
"Amelia!" Luna yells as the bean walks by. "You really can not filter your mouth can you? I mean really? Yelling that when she is around?" Luna reprimands as the mud-brown haired, big-boobed, high-heeled, strumpet (slut) awkwardly sashays toward the school. Her designer bag holding what could only be thought of as essentials for the imperial dictatorship of our sad school. Thankfully I would be turning 18 in October, only a few months from now, then next year I would be able to move far away from any superhero-infested city to go to a nice college studying art and Wildlife Conservation Biology.
I chuckle into the back of my hand. The 'bean' was none other than Ursula Pinto. The world's ugliest and most awful person ever. Especially at Gotham City High School. She was the "frien-enemy" everyone had been friends with at one point or another. She wasn't rich, but she always acted the damsel in distress part to get what she wanted. Lately, she had been after superheroes, and more specifically, the Bat-family of the male gender. Pulling down her V-neck shirt farther than its already cavernous depths at even a whisper of the Bat-family in the area.
It was a nightmare.
"So Rose," Amelia nudged "going to offer some backup for your bestest pal in the world?" as she fluttered her eyelashes and made her famous puppy-dog eyes.
"Well... You know... OMG STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT!" I threw up my hands in defense. I couldn't stand that look, no one could resist it. I bet not even Batman himself could. "You know I can't fully help you with that look" I accused with a huff.
"Ok, fine... But you better be on my side!" she said with a dead serious demeanor about her.
Sigh. Day one and already my life was hectic. Not that I minded though. In a city full of stuck up and terrified people, finding good friends was hard. I was lucky I have the friends I have, without them I don't think I would be able to make it through the complicated and dangerous thing called life at Gotham High.
"Amelia you know I love you girl, but I have to agree with Luna on this one. We all hate the bean, but you know she'll go run off to the principal and get us in trouble! None of us would like that, and neither would our parents." It wouldn't be very hard for Ursula to get us in trouble since we knew that she had ways of getting what she wanted. We even think she might be blackmailing the school staff by what she had gotten away with last year. One of which was an affair with a teacher, or so we were told. But yet again, gossip at Gotham High was like the game telephone. The end whisper almost always was different than the initial whisper.
"Aww, come on Rose! You let me down on this one" Amelia slumped in defeat.
"Well at least I saved our butts from detention with Mr. Grimes!" Luna laughed.
Mr. Grimes was an ex-criminal who had worked with all the big bads at one point or another. He was finally caught when he was helping the Joker in an attempt to kill Batman by killing young girls and their families in an 'order' which Batman had to figure out. Joker was working with the Riddler of this one. In fact, I think almost all the villains were working with the Joker at one point or another on this one. The only way he got a job was Belle Reve's new program that finds 'changed criminals' jobs.
The Joker was still at large, and he seemed to have taken a break from his killing spree as no one had died recently but we all still felt a little unsafe knowing the Joker was still loose. Most of the crime in Gotham was small recently, which I found to be a pleasant break, but also left an uneasy novacaine feeling that was bound to wear off.
Going back to Mr. Grimes, he was known for making the detention students clean the school top to bottom with no breaks, and they couldn't go home till they finished. But, that was just a rumor. No one had earned a detention lately in fear of even a rumored punishment.
Not as soon as we stopped laughing had the bell rung and we were running into the school, backpacks swinging, papers flying, and me nearly tripping over flat surfaces.
My first class was none other than Environmental and Extraterrestrial studies with, of course, Mr. Ammer. Mr. Ammer was known for letting his class run wild, and no one ever learned anything except for anything you learned from the lengthy superhero talks people had during the entire block. The class was recently changed, the Extraterrestrial part being added at the arrival of Martian Manhunter and the discovery that Superman wasn't actually human. I currently had an A in the class, but that was only because I had discovered I could teach myself pretty well, with the help of my friends now and then.
I stepped into the overcrowded room to find that the only open seat just so happen to be between two more of my best friends, Daniel Groves and Victoria Cooper. Daniel was tall, muscular, dark brown hair, hazel eyes, and totally into Luna, but she was completely blind to his affections. Victoria was little less than medium height had beautiful loose curly brown hair, and the most amazing glasses, eyes, and smile you had ever seen. I was nearly dragged into the chair by two of them, and I was immediately interrogated. They were attempting to dig all the dirt from me about my summer, which yet again, was nothing short of empty.
"Ok Rose, spill! Any cute and attractive men appear this summer?" Victoria nearly growled as she clung onto my arm, cutting off my circulation.
"Ok, ow ow owww Vic, you don't need to decapitate my arm! And No. You know I don't attract guys! Every guy who is either looking to date is looking hot for blondes and big-boobed bimbos like Ursula and her stooges over there, or Batgirl" I mumbled, exasperated, as I glance over at the bean and her 'beanies' in the center of the room; talking, texting, and flirting, all at the same time. I will give them credit for one thing, they sure could multitask.
"Oh come on Rose! You know you're so much more beautiful than they are!" Daniel encouraged with a dimpled smile.
"Sure Daniel, and I have a great personality too." I chipped in sarcastically, giving them both a look that clearly showed they weren't making a point.
"Rose you know you are so much better, and more beautiful than them, plus you have brains and substance! Which they" She nodded towards the center of the room "evidently lack." Victoria pushed with a matter-of-fact arm-cross.
Daniel looked like he was about to say something before we all heard the all too familiar screams from the center of the class.
"Holy shit guys! Batman, Nightwing, and Red Hood all headed this way towards Arkham Asylum!"
And with that, more than half the class was gone, out the door towards the front of the school. All except the three of us and Mr. Ammer.
"Oh no, where have they all gone?" Mr. Ammer stuttered, sweat forming in his brow. He looked like he was about to pass out from worry. That man needed serious help.
"Don't worry sir, just another bat sighting!" Daniel called to the front.
Sigh. "Couldn't be a first day without a Batman sighting, could it?" I slumped down into my chair, pulling my long, slightly wavy brown hair out from between the seat and my back.
"Sure couldn't." Vic agreed, copying my movements.
Daniel was at the window, watching everything so he wouldn't miss a beat, or miss seeing Luna, as if she would go outside to see stupid Batman.
It took all of five minutes before we heard the batmobile zoom by and off to Arkham Asylum a couple miles down the road. Along with the zoom we heard the coinciding screams from all the girls, and all the yells of approval from the guys. Ew. These people really needed to realize there was no high paying jobs that consisted of watching Batman drive around, or breathe for that matter.
Everyone ended up returning, racking up a storm about just how amazing the Batfamily was. Thankfully the rest of the day up until my last class was scream and Batman free. It was hours later in my last class of the day that I again had to endure the screams and yells as the batmobile returned to Gotham City. This time the teacher had allowed me to go pack up early to not only avoid the mob of people, but also as a pass to go home as there would be no class after that.
Hauling all my books into my backpack and throwing the load on my shoulders I make my way out to be back of the school to my favorite work spot. This spot was a little ways past the school by the forested area, and in front of the football field, and it was just a picnic table that was hidden from view unless you knew what you were looking for.
Pushing through the leaves I step over a log and push aside a branch. Dang they let the bushes and tree grow like crazy. I headed straight for the table, only to trip and fall flat on my face.
"Owwwww... At least Amelia didn't see that, she would have a field day with teasing." I grumbled into my chest as I brushed dirt and leaves off my skinny jeans and V-neck t-shirt. Which wasn't low like Ursula's thank goodness.
"Naw, instead you got me a chance to look down your shirt."
I look up and turn to see three figures over by my table. One of the three was none-other than Batman himself, along with Nightwing and Red Hood. Looks like they didn't actually drive back to Gotham.
"What?!" I nearly shrieked.
"I think you heard me" Red Hood stated with a smirk in his voice. His 'red hood' hiding his face.
"Hood, don't go harassing little high schoolers" Batman barked, then turning and went back to examining the large map he had on the table.
Didn't he have some secret base with high-tech equipment that would obviously have maps? Other than that thought I was definitely freaked out at the moment, but that didn't stop me from being offended.
"I'm sorry, what were you saying about little high schoolers? I may not be all kick-ass for a living, but I sure deserve some respect." I nearly howled at the three of them. I could feel myself getting even more annoyed, I definitely didn't need this freak accident on the first day of school. My face heated up slightly as I glared at the insensitive group in front of me.
Nightwing chuckled as he leaned against a nearby tree, clearly amused by my reaction.
"Hey you better watch it ; you look barely older than I do, I don't know 19, so you're in the same boat!" I snapped.
"Why, this girls got a temper Bats, can I discipline her?" Hood evidently seemed to want to do as he walked towards me.
"Hood, that's enough." Batman commanded, grabbing his arm.
"Fine." Hood stormed, "but next time sweetie, you're mine" and he walked into the forest behind the table.
I swear if I could see his face, I bet he would have winked at me.
I shivered. "Gross, does he know I'm seventeen? Pedifile."
"He acts like he is older than he really is, but he is really about your age, but of course that is confidential." He winks "I would just make sure you don't lead him on." Nightwing informed me "He's more of a wannabe ladies man."
Before I could say anything Batman interrupted "Now that we have talked a bit, we must ask you to leave, and perhaps not tell anyone we are here." Batman stated, but I got the feeling that the 'perhaps' was a definite 'don't tell anyone... or else'.
I held my hands up in surrender, "you got no problem here, I never saw anything, never heard anything, and I definitely don't want anything to do with you guys." I said as I turned to leave.
"Well that's different. Most pretty girls like you are screaming and trying to get a glimpse of us." Nightwing said, intrigued.
I turned briefly but kept walking. "I am not pretty. I am not most girls. And I certainly hate this town, and you lot. Just leave me alone and I'll keep my part of the deal."
As I exited the clearing and made my way to the parking lot to call me parents to pick me up I had the feeling I was being watched. Little did I know that one of the Batfamily would end up not staying clear of me, and end up dragging the rest of the family into my life.