Selina Kyle | The Beginning

21

     Snow lightly began to fall on the city streets as everyone gathered in downtown Gotham. The crowd was growing by the minute, families, friends, and the occasional homeless person all coming together to witness the city tree lighting. Jonathan had heard stories about it, read newspaper clippings about how terrible the security of it was every year and how the crime rate boosted on Christmas night. He was intimidated by the crowd, but not scared. Before they arrived Selina had told him to stay close, for criminals loved crowds. Selina had been guiding him through the people, taking him from shop to shop to see the treats they were giving out. They had been exploring for about an hour and now he was following Selina away from the gathering.

     "Ugh I hate going home." He sighed. 

    "We aren't leaving yet." She called over her shoulder. 

    "But, my grandmother...what if she calls for me? What if she finds out I'm not there."

    "She won't. Don't worry about it." 

     "You don't know that Selina. I've never been out this late before." Selina turned and saw the concern in his eyes, his forehead dimples pressing. 

     "It's Christmas, live a little." As she spoke she put her hands on his shoulders and gave him a squeeze. Jonathan considered her simple statement. She was speaking as if she had done this all before. He was very nervous about the punishment that would be waiting for him if he returned and his grandmother had discovered his escape. She would lock up all the food, just like she always did when she was angry with him. A flash of his grandmother reciting  the bible at the top her lungs for hours, pausing only to let out a scream out about how much of a sinner he was. He looked into Selina's eyes and suddenly that all disappeared. The horrible images were replaced with the memories he had with her, the feeling he felt when he was around her. She let go of his shoulders and he snapped back to reality. He continued to follow her till she stopped just outside the crowd of people. Selina was peering down an alley way.

     "What are you looking at?" Jonathan asked, staring in the same direction searching for what he was missing. 

    "There isn't anybody down there-I don't think. C'mon." She climbed the fence and hopped down with such agility that Jonathan had to blink twice. 

    "Wait a second!" He tried to do the same but didn't even have a fraction of the grace she had. He followed her up a fire escape to the top of the tall building that stood between themselves and the festivities. They looked down on all the bustling people. So much commotion surrounded them, people rushing in and out of stores, calling to one another, laughing, singing, dancing. All this chaos but at the same time they both acknowledged simplicity. A mess of people came together to celebrate something they all believed in Not necessarily religion...but love. Jonathan turned his gaze to his loyal friend sitting by his side, still an unbelievable site in his eyes.  Selina then turned to him and smirked, she knew she could count on this one. 

"Jonathan." Selina sat down and patted the concrete roof top beside her for him to do the same. 

"Selina."  He said as he plopped down. 

"I didn't know what to get you...so I got you this." Selina reached in her pocket and pulled out a pocket-sized leather notepad and handed it to him. 

"Oh...this is very nice Selina...But why a tiny journal?" 

They both shared a laugh and Selina shook her head smiling and then cleared her throat, "So you can write down all the things you want to say but don't."

This statement he pondered for a moment and then, escaping from his own mind, "I got you something but its back at my house. I didn't want it to break I-"

"Its cool, you can give it to me later." She patted his shoudler and suddenly the crowd below began to count down TEN, NINE-

"What's going on?" Jonathan's heart began to race.

"This is the fun part! SEVEN!" She grabbed his hand and he joined in, "SIX, FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE!" And all the trees surronding the crowd lit up with, blueish ones and what a wonderful glow they had! Jonathan and Selina were at a loss for words. There was magic in the air. Not bullets or bombs, blood or hate, this wasn't Gotham was it? 

"Merry Christmas!" Jonathan cheered as they embraced. 

"AND ALSO WITH YOU!" 

"What?!"

"I don't know!" 

Each time both of them would remember this moment they would wonder why things couldn't have stayed that way forever.