Gotham Girls #2: Nights For Nightwing (Batman) [Watty Awards 2014]

Chapter Seventeen - Falling For You

With my best friend none the wiser, I dragged him along to Mrs Claymont haphazardly. I hadn’t really thought through what I was going to do or say, but I wanted to find out from my teacher whether Phoebe was simply trying to impress Dick or not.

Finally, we arrived outside of her classroom. Her shadow was illuminated, leaning over her desk, deep in thought, as though she was considering what we had just been told. I could only pray that Phoebe was lying – Mrs Claymont was one of the nicest teachers alive.

‘Mrs Claymont?’ I asked, rounding the corner very slowly as not to startle my favourite teacher. Her greying hair glittered slightly in the light as I entered the room, followed closely by Trenton Carey. There was only one thing I was interested in telling her.

‘What are you doing here, Leilani? And Trenton? Is there an issue?’ Mrs Claymont inquired, motioning for the both of us to sit. I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t hold back. I only wanted to tell my teacher about what I’d heard and hope to God that the school cow was only lying to my friend.

It seemed as though the light in her office flickered slightly, and I found myself spilling out everything Dick had told me, a strong sense of injustice coursing through me. I couldn’t let Mrs Claymont be excluded from school – it would send me into a state of mind that it was because of me she couldn’t stay.

When I finished talking, surprisingly, I found myself panting slightly and Trent was gently stroking my back to calm me down. Mrs Claymont’s face was in absolute shock, though it soon changed a little to regret. It couldn’t have all been true. It couldn’t have.

‘I’m sorry,’ was all she said. I’m sorry? Why would she be sorry? What would her apology honestly accomplish? I wasn’t the one who needed an apology – my teacher needed an apology from Phoebe!

‘For what?’ Trent inquired, still caressing my skin, knowing that I was tense as ever. At times like these, I was thankful I always had my best friend by my side.

‘I wish,’ Mrs Claymont explained, ‘that I had told you earlier. But Phoebe had me too scared to admit anything. And then, when she continued speaking like that, I-I-’

Standing, I walked over to my teacher, retreating from Trent’s touch, and placed a hand on her shoulder, encouraging her that she had Trent and me and that she’d always be protected from Phoebe. Everyone knew that when she became ‘dangerous’, it was merely a front; she had no clue how to actually hurt people.

‘That girl will never amount to much,’ our teacher mumbled, rubbing her reddened eyes as she thanked me and stood up. ‘I’m sorry you had to get involved.’

‘Don’t worry, Miss. We’d get involved whether you wanted us to or not!’ Trent exclaimed with wink, curtseying for the now content Miss Claymont. Our eyes met and he shot me a quick, boyish smile before standing and exiting the room. We now had one more thing to do before we were off for the day.

Making our way toward Dick’s rehearsal, Trent and I were busy consorting about Phoebe and how bad a person she really was. We even reminisced about the most embarrassing times we had had because of her. It was actually a pretty interesting conversation. I’d learned that Trent had once accidentally kissed Phoebe, who proceeded to squeal and make a fuss while he just walked over to the cake and started eating. Trent, on the other hand, had learned about the time Phoebe had swapped my swimmers with those of a big girl in our class, so she couldn’t fit her and mine kept falling down.

We finally arrived in the hallowed hall of performing, making sure to keep our voices low so that the actor (Dick, seeing as Phoebe could never classify as an actor) was trying to concentrate. The plush, velveteen seats were comfortable, apart from the odd piece of gum you would find here and there – that was a little gross.

‘You excited to see the “behind the scenes”?’ Trent asked, jiggling about in his seat in an attempt to get comfortable. I simply nodded and kept my eyes straight on the scene, cringing as I watched them speak. I knew which part this was – this was the scene I regretted watching the most. Well, one of them.

However, my attention was drawn away momentarily as Chavi came to sit next to me (by four seats). I was surprised she was willingly that class to me, but from English, we’d started to become better friends, sharing a common interest – Dick.

‘Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?’ Dick’s voice rang through the auditorium like a sugar to the ears. But that sugar turned to salt when Phoebe started speaking.

‘Romeo, you know that they have lips and palms, too, silly!’ When the words exited her mouth, my own dropped open, my jaw to the floor. Trent had suffered the same thing. What did she just say?

Clearing his throat, Dick’s eyes widened to tell Phoebe to stick to the script, though she just giggled and started swaying flirtatiously. ‘What’s the big deal? Does it really matter if I change a few lines to make it,’ she started, leaning uncomfortably close to my friend on-stage, ‘easier for me to remember?’

I had the urge to run up to her, pull her off of the stage by her fake blonde hair and tie her up in a closet so she couldn’t get out, but then I thought better of the situation – I’d feel too pitiful for the janitors having to face her.

Dick shook his head and continued, subtly frowning at Phoebe’s stupidity. It was really a wonder how he could put up with her. Soon, Grayson had to lean forward and I subconsciously found myself leaning backwards in my chair, not wanting to watch. Did they really have to lock lips in front of me? Really, Romeo and Juliet could have just hugged or something instead!

Suddenly, I found myself jumping a little when Chavi moved closer, saying she was only here to see how the play was coming along. I agreed with her sentiment, giving her an odd yet understanding glance.

When I looked back up, I swore I was about to be sick. Dick must have just skipped through to another part of the play and was now climbing down the balcony, reciting sweet words to the queen of wickedness. Why couldn’t that be me?

Then, without further ado, Phoebe had Dick’s face between her hands and was snogging the skin off of him like there was no tomorrow. I couldn’t bare it – it had to stop!

‘Phoebe, that’s enough!’ the mousy, little teacher-in-charged squeaked, jumping up to end the scene.

Chavi followed suit, as did Trent. ‘Yeah, Phoebe, quit it!’ However, I couldn’t even bare to move. My eyes were fixed on Dick, who was struggling to hold himself up on the balcony, high enough off of the floor. And then the worst happened.

His hands slipped.

Falling to the slippery floor beneath him, Dick managed to catch himself in time on the material he had been climbing on, but it obviously had hurt him as he checked his hand, looking at it to survey the damage. That was it. Phoebe was going to pay.

I didn’t realise how much I’d been stressing exactly until I felt Trent stroking the back of my hand and Chavi whispering that Phoebe was such a bitch. It was reassuring to have people who were there for me, even if one of them always seemed to hate my guts.