ʀᴇᴄʟᴜsᴇ! homesick

CH 4: New start

A knock on the door wakes me up.

"Miss Viviana, breakfast is served. Master Bruce wants you to get ready for the day."

"Thank you Alfred!" I call through the door, as cheerily as I could.

Rubbing my eyes, I realized that they were puffy from last night. It had been a long day. Bruce Wayne had adopted me, and I had gone to the Manor. Dick had to leave, and I was left in a mansion of people I didn't know. So I kept to my room. Even worse, I had felt safe here. Safe enough to unbroken my emotions. I prayed that the walls were thick, but I knew that these boys were very perceptive.

I had cried for all that I had lost. Family, friends, people I hadn't said goodbye too. I mostly cried about Noah, we had parted on the worst way possible. For what is grief, if not love persevering? And it was all my fault, death followed me, hand in hand.

I got up, still clad in my pjs, and went downstairs. Damian and Tim were eating breakfast, Dick was nowhere in sight. I wish he had stayed, he was the only one I had really interacted with. Bruce was sitting at the head of the table, reading the newspaper.

Breakfast was awkward. I knew Damian didn't like me, and the fact that Tim did like me, only vexed him more. Breakfast was unsaid glares and kicks under the table between the brothers. I was happily ignored.

After breakfast, I went upstairs and got dressed in some of the leftover clothes I had from the orphanage. I didn't mind, I hated shopping. I slipped on a white plain t shirt, and slipped on the leather jacket over me. I found some black leggings, and put on the black worn converses. The necklace I got for my birthday, was crumbling into pieces like my mother's had been. But I still wore it, it was the only piece of my dad that I had left.

We all loaded into the limo when it was time to go to school, Bruce wanted to get the testing done today so I could start school next week, and we could start getting ready today.

Bruce and I walked to the office, while Tim and Damian walked into school. We attracted the most attention and it bothered me. The office ladies immediately recognized Bruce, and escorted me to testing.

I walked into the room, and sat down. An instructor was there, waiting and watched me until I completed the test.

The packet was thick, and flipping through it, there were sections of math, reading, science, and history. I knew that this was supposed to gauge not only my level, but whether I would be able to join the school or not.

However, with the Waynes prestigious reputation and the money they funded into the school, I knew that I would go no matter what.

I finished the exam in an hour, even though I had 3 to complete it. I fiddled with my hands and tapped, to distract myself from the time. I feel like it was another hour, but it was probably another five minutes before I turned it in. The teacher looked surprised that I had finished that earlier, but shook her head when she realized that all the Waynes had been smart. I thanked her, and exited the room.

I met Bruce in the office, with my hands shoved in my pockets.

"Ready to go?" He asks.

"Yeah." He walks away to the limo, and I follow him.

"How do you think you did on it?"

"I think I did pretty well. There weren't a lot of questions I didn't know." It was true. Everything was easy, except for the history. Much of it was the same as my universe, but some of it was different, and were names and policies I had never heard of. So I guessed and hoped that it would be enough.

Bruce chuckles a little. "What?"

"You're under selling yourself on purpose."

"I- I'm not!" I blubber out.