Just One Look
Chapter 10: Help
School, became a chore that was unbearable. I was tired all the time, with the lack of sleep that I was getting. I was always hungry, but I had no appetite. My last test score was awful. My parents weren't happy about that. They knew that Dean's disappearance was wearing on me, but they were still expecting the best out of me.
"I know that you're going through a hardship right now, Catrina." My teacher said. "But this." He handed me my test. "This is not like you." I could tell that he was worried. All of my teachers were.
"I know, I'm sorry." I said taking the test out of his hands. "Can I have a re-do?" I asked,
"I would say yes, but this was your re-do." I sighed and gave him the test back.
"Thanks anyways." I turned to leave the room.
"I'm sorry that I can't help you anymore." He called after me. I sighed and walked numbly to my next class. I barely flinched when I stubbed my toe on a desk. Jared walked in, and the flames of hate consumed me. After what happened a few weeks ago, I hadn't gotten a word with Karen. She had changed even more, her black and white, turning into black, white and red. She was wearing less and less clothing, pushing the dress code of the school. Showing more of her pale skin that had the faintest purple marks on her arms and her legs. That fucking asshole.
"You still haven't picked up that project." He commented hotly.
"I know, I will."
"When? Now it's overdue."
"Why don't you just bring it to school?" I suggested, for the hundredth, millionth time.
"Because-"
"No reason."
"Don't you start with me." He warned
"Don't you start with me, mister. I have asked you a hundred times, to bring the project to school." I snapped, and I went off like a match. "A hundred times, but you're just too consumed in your own fame that you don't care what anyone else thinks. So, stealing my best friend and giving me a damn good reason to hate you is more important than grades or thinking about your future." I paused to take a breath. The anger inside of me made me shake. "You're just too preoccupied with screwing with other people's lives, that you are asking me to do all the work. When I already did all the fucking work. I bet you my life that you didn't do anything to that project! I bet it has been sitting in your garage, collecting dust for five weeks. When it was due two and a half weeks ago!" I took another angry breath. "So don't give me any reason that you can't bring it to school, when you have the opportunity to every single god forsaken day!" I yelled. I could tell my face was red because I felt all of my blood there. My surroundings then became aware to me. The students in the classroom had stopped and watched me fume about his lack of effort. My face was red from anger, then became red with embarrassment. My science teacher stared at me dumbstruck at my behaviour. Everyone stared at us with big eyes and slack jaws. I started to tear up, everything just coming out at that moment. It had been two months since the disappearance of my brother, my grades had dropped and Karen had gone haywire. My physical well being had plummeted and my mental state was far further from normal. Tears started rolling down my cheeks and I walked quickly out of the room. I walked down the hallway wiping my eyes as I went. I veered right and pushed the girls bathroom door open, tears streamed down my face and I shut myself inside the stall. I collapsed onto the tile as if a wave was crashing down on me. I was so tired, I was so scared, I was still kind of angry. I pulled my knees up to my chest and cried. I didn't hear the bathroom door open.
"Catrina?"
"Yeah?" I sniffled,
"Catrina?"
"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?