ʀᴇᴄʟᴜsᴇ! homesick

CH 7: Jane Austen

Some things in this world made me feel closer to home, even though it hurt.

One place was the library.

I was content to be hidden among the shelves, lost in a world still not my own.

Back to my reality, Wayne Manor was often plagued by loneliness. Everyone was constantly out of the house, or rather, under the house.

Pretending to be the oblivious girl they all thought I was was tiring sometimes. Of course, this also meant I could stay out as late as I want, because they feared that my curiosity would feed me to discover the secret entrance to the Batcave in the library.

However I don't like that library. It feels dead. And I know that's weird adjective for a group of books, but it did feel that way. Dick told me that the library really hasn't been used in years, for its intended purposes.

So I leave the manor to the public library, and Bruce lets me because who would attack a public library?

Besides school was decent, probably the best I was going to get, but the news surrounding my new family was dreadful. And it was all my fault.

I had finally made a friend, her name was Anita Harkton. We shared some of the same classes, but I didn't get to know her until a month of school had passed. She was a quiet girl, and respectfully so, but she was really smart. I didn't know she had a problem with bullying at our school, because Gotham Academy is zero tolerance.

But when Damian gets into fights, the policy somehow doesn't exist.

Anyways, I was passing through the hallway during lunch, and she was shoved to the lockers by Vanessa Vanderhoven.

Vanessa was calling Anita names for being a scholarship kid, that her family wasn't rich enough to afford to send her here.

I didn't realize what Is as doing until I had pushed Vanessa to the ground, out of the way to help Anita.

"You alright?" I asked Anita, offering a hand to her.

"I'm okay." She softly grits out, grabbing my hand and lifts herself up.

I turn around to face Vanessa, but I'm slapped across the face. It didn't sting or it hurt, but it definitely surprised me, as my I'm partially bent over. I'm just glad her nails didn't cut me. The loud slap echoed down the hallways, alerting teachers and students into the halls.

"Who do you think you are?" Vanessa's shrilly voice rang out.

I look up into her face, and she gasps.

"I'm Bruce Wayne's newest addition, haven't you heard? You really must want a lawsuit or something. " I sneer in her face, trying to seem intimidating. "But lucky for you, you're not worthy of my time." I started walking away, but the Principal gathers me, Anita and Vanessa to her office.

As Vanessa gets suspended for a week, Anita talks to me, thanking me for helping her. I give her a rare smile, and I think I've finally made my first friend at Gotham Academy.

That's not even the worst part. I didn't think I was famous, but the headline the next morning was difficult to explain to Bruce.

Viviana Taylor Parker: Robin Hood?

I immediately groaned and slumped at the table when Bruce asked me what the newspaper was rambling about. Muffled by my arms, I explained what I did for Anita. I look up, and Bruce looks proud of me, but tells me to stay out of fights. I ask him if that's what he tells Damian, but he just shakes his head and laughs. Damian glares at me, but they seem empty because they were all bark and no bite.