It Hurts Sometimes

5. Two Can Play at That Game

When Dick got a girlfriend, Brittany Houser, no less, Barbara didn't care. Okay, maybe just a little. And by a little, I mean a lot.
"Hey, Britt." Dick said, standing right by Barbara's locker. "I'm going to have to cancel tonight. I have this thing with Bruce."
"Oh that's fine." Brittany said in the most annoying, high-pitched, LA accent. She had moved to Gotham from Hollywood after her father got a business deal. Just because she grew up in Beverly Hills, she acted like she was the most popular girl in the world. She twirled her bleached blonde hair around her finger. "I'm just happy you're my boyfriend." As she walked past Barbara, she stuck out her foot, making her trip. "Whoops, silly me! It's these heels!" Brittany laughed. "Nope, you must've just fallen. I'm the champion Stiletto Marathon runner."
"They have those?" Barbara muttered. Just wait till she told Robin about this. Maybe he'd kick her ass as a favor.

Dick ran over and helped Barbara with her books.
"I got it." She said, colder than she meant to. "Sorry, sorry. I've just gotta take a breather." She ran towards the girl's bathrooms and locked herself in a cubicle. Okay, keep it together Gordon. She wiped the tears from her cheeks. Why am I even worked up about this? It's Dick's life.
Barbara called her dad to pick her up, telling him she was sick, but since he was at work, he sent Bruce instead.

"Barbara? Jim said you were-" He was interrupted by Barbara wrapping her arms around him.
"Um...okay, let's take you back to the Manor." He said awkwardly. He wasn't used to this kind of affection.

"So, you want to tell me the real reason you faked being sick to get out of class?" Bruce asked as he drove his black Lamborghini through Gotham.
"It's Dick. He's been acting weird for months, and now he's dating Brittany Houser, and he's always cancelling on me, and he's barely ever at school." She ranted, throwing her arms around for effect.
Wait, what? Bruce thought. Was being Robin messing up Dick's relationships? And since when has he been dating Brittany Houser?
"So, who have you been spending time with?" Bruce asked, changing the subject.
"You can't tell my dad. He's have a hissy fit." Barbara folded her arms.
"I promise I won't. Unless it's someone like the Joker, or Penguin." Bruce tried to reassure her.
"Okay, well, after I was kidnapped a couple of months ago, I've been hanging out with Robin nearly every night. You know, Batman's protege?" Bruce nearly drove into a fence. Dick had been doing what?
"...Thank you for trusting me." He said after a minute.
Bruce was going to have to sort this out. And soon.