Anna's Beginning

Fun at the Rose Café

Anna flipped the kick stand on her bike and jogged up to the house. Alfred was in the kitchen, with her after school snack ready. She sat down, slurped down her fruit smoothie, then headed up to her room to get ready for dinner. Bruce had said that he wanted her to look nice, which in his opinion meant a dress. Just to be rebellious, she usually would have put on a pair of ragged jeans and an old tank top, but Alfred had insisted that she wear one of the many dresses that he had bought her.

The only problem was that Anna didn’t like wearing skirts, let alone dresses. But for occasions like this, she was willing to try something new. It only took her a few seconds to grab out a deep red sleeveless dress. The fabric was light, it went down to her ankles, and fit like a glove down to her waist. She couldn’t believe her own eyes when she walked over to her full length mirror, and saw an actually nice looking girl, in a dress she actually thought was pretty. Her wavy brunet hair hung down to her shoulders, a bang hanging over her left eye, and her piercing green eye outlined with a thin layer of eyeliner, she was actually pretty for once. She smiled to herself, just imagining what Alfred would say if he knew what she was thinking right now. He’d probably tell her he told her so.

Slipping on a pair of fancy sandals Alfred had gotten for her when she refused to wear high heels, Bruce walked into her room.

“Wow, you look so grown up,” he said, smiling at Anna.

“Well I guess I do look a lot older than I did seven years ago don’t I,” Anna retorted. It infuriated her every time he tried to get on her good side, and she wasn’t going to allow him to get on her good side. Bruce just looked at her, a blank expression on his face, until he remembered he was holding a present for her behind his back.

“Oh, umm, I got you something,” he said handing Anna the present. Anna grudgingly opened it, and inside was a gray mink coat. It was really soft, but Anna wasn’t sure if she wanted it, animals had been killed just for their fur. Anna believed that if you were going to kill an animal, you should use all pieces of the animal, the meat for food, and the rest of it for other various things, not just to give rich people something fancy to wear to parties.

Anna wanted to through the present back at Bruce, but thought better of it. She’d promised Alfred she’d give Bruce a chance.

“Thanks,” Anna said and sat the fur coat on her bed.

“Well, shall we get going?” Bruce said, extending his arm for Anna to take, but Anna just walked out of the room and down the stairs. When Anna got to the bottom of the stairs, where Alfred was standing, she remembered that she’d left her costume for the party tonight in her closet, and wanted to lay it out for Alfred to grab before he came and got Anna for the dance.

“Wait, I need to go set my costume out for Alfred, I’ll be right back,” Anna said and ran back up the stairs. After placing the costume on her bed, Anna once again descended the stairs.

“Are you sure sir,” she heard Alfred asked before she reached the bottom of the stairs.

“Yes I'm sur-,” Bruce said, then noticed Anna and stopped, “I'm sure that we’re going to have a good time that is.” Anna forced herself not to roll her eyes, but didn’t mind letting a little sarcastic, sure, escape her lips. “I guess I’ll see you after I drop her off at the dance.”

“Wait, what,” Anna stammered, “I thought that Alfred was going to take me over to my friends after dinner? You do still remember that I don’t want my friends to know that I'm your daughter.”

“I think that Alfred is going to be busy,” Bruce said giving Alfred a meaningful look. What was that supposed to mean?

“Okay, but just don’t let my friends see you,” Anna stated.