This ended up being long so I separated this into parts.
Damian - 25
Tim - 19
Jason - 17
Barbra - 16
Artemis - 16
Dick - 13
Dick fought into his mixed-grade Drama class, wrestling to the cast list for the spring production of Little Shop Of Horrors.
Richard Grayson ----- Seymore
Artemis Crock ----- Audrey
Barbra Gorden ----- Audrey II (voice and puppeteer)
"Nice!" He bubbled, turning to Barbra, who was staring quizzically "I got the lead!"
"I play an evil, talking plant?"
"I play one of the people you eat!" He giggled
"I play your dumb baby brother's dumb girlfriend." Artemis elbowed Barbra, who'd given up on denying that Dick was her brother. "And not to stir the pot-" Something the tall blonde always said right before stirring the pot, "But killer plants? Sudden adoptions? An insane laughing maniac keeping his idiot blonde girlfriend in an abusive relationship? This hits way too close to home in Gothem."
Dick tried to ignore the 'Sudden adoptions' comment, the girl had an unaware sense of humor.
"Okay, grade eights, nines, tens, gather 'round," Mr.Mac called from his huge arm chair-center stage, "we're going to discuss the roles and try to manage a read through. I'll send you all home with your scripts and postcards to advertise!"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dick came running full speed from the school. "Sorry Sorry Sorry!" He yanked open the car door and launched himself in.
"About time, Tim was about to make me come get you." Jason buckled his seatbelt and reached over to buckle up his brother.
"I can do it!" Dick slapped his hand away. "I'm thirteen, Jason!"
"okay, okay..."
The rest of the drive back was quiet until they arrived, Dick yanked a cluster of stapled pages out of his bag, threw the bag down, and ran upstairs to his room. "And he thinks he's all grown up." Jason mocked, strolling across to zip the back pack closed. something had flown out of the backpack. It looked like a postcard. he lifted it and flipped in in his hand to see the shiny side. there was an illustration of what looked like one of poison Ivy's Venus fly-traps, and the text:
Gotham High Mixed Grade Theatre Company Presents:
Little Shop Of Horrors
Starring: Richard Grayson as Seymour, Artemis Crock as Audrey, and Barbra Gordon as Audrey II
Also starring Janet Murphy, Liz Burnham, and Tilda Frey as the Greek Chorus
Jason let out a short laugh, just re-reading the phrase 'Starring Richard Grayson' in his mind.
"Hey Dickie!" he opened Dick's door. "Hey Di-"
"Don't come in!" Jason came in, just in time to see his baby brother chuck a ruffle of papers behind his bed.
"What's that?"
"Get out!"
"Wait," Jason tried to yank the pages out. "I want to see those."
"Stop! what're you doing here?" Dick yelled.
"Just coming to return this." He shoved the postcard into Dick's face.
Dick looked, wide-eyed, at the card, and then up at his brother. he looked back and forth a few times. "Don't tell anyone."
"Why?" Jason admired his nails.
"Jason don't!" he yelled.
"Why shouldn't I? What do I earn for not telling?"
"Please?" The thirteen-year-old begged.
"Okay, if you can hook me up with two tickets for opening up."
"Woah, two tickets?"
Jason shrugged. "I think Roy would also just love to see you and Barbra on stage... but it's just us. we won't tell anyone." Jason immediately told everyone.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Robin lolled backwards over the edge on the building, lazily watching a crow digging through a trash can. they'd only been out like five minutes.
"Young man, if you don't stop, I'll push you off." Batgirl scolded, sitting next to her kinda-brother. "Do you think Joker's actually going to show?"
"No." He admitted. "If 'B' thought he'd show then he would've let us come."
"Yeah, you're probably right. He doesn't trust us with anything."
Red Hood swaggered up. "Hey my little theatre kids."
Batgirl blinked and turned to the younger boy. "You little snitch!"
"I didn't say anything, he just... he just figured it out."
The Batgirl turned back to hood. "Don't tell anyone."
"Oh, I'm no going to." He commented. "But, am I wrong that you two kiddos have a rehearsal tonight?"
"...shit." Batgirl hissed, checking her watch. "It's- It's okay, we're only three minutes late." she looked up at Robin. "If we haul-ass we can be there in ten."
"But what about..." Robin glanced across the roof.
"Don't worry about B, I'll handle him."
"You're a legend, Jay!" Batgirl grabbed at Robin's cape and vaulted over the edge of the roof.
Jason sat there, bored, for almost ten minutes until he was approached.
"Where are Batgirl and Robin."
"Oh, uhhh they had to go." He shrugged.
"Right, they have rehearsal tonight."
Jason froze. "How d'you- wait, don't tell me- it's because you're Batman. Got it!"
---------------------------------------------------------------
"Ms. Gordon, Mr. Grayson, I'm glad you decided to join us."
The two bat-kids had changed into their gym strip, Dick had done everything he could to slick back his hair in the single-stall washroom.
"Hey Barb, cute shorts, but isn't it kinda cold?" Artemis was chomping on a bag of barbecue chips.
"Oh, thanks. I mean, it is pretty cold."
Mr. Mac face palmed. "Well, okay, uhm... ok! Late kiddies, go to Jacob and get measured for your costumes, let's run the title number while you two are in there. Janet, Liz, Tilda, center stage, please."
Jacob and Regina, the wardrobe, makeup, and stagehands began measuring them. Artemis sat next to them. "Why do you need a costume, Barb?"
"Me and Mr. Mac came up with this joke where, when I sing 'Here I come for you' during the finale, I open up the plant pod, and pop out dressed as Poison Ivy."
"Yikes." Artemis emptied chip crumbs into her mouth. "I can't wait."