BATGIRL Book One: New Hero of Burnside

Chapter 4: A Very Bad Tragedy

(Barbara went to class where everyone was staring at her, even the teacher.)

Charlotte: "Ah, Miss Gordon. Late again, are we?"

Barbara: "Look, I can explain. I..."

Charlotte: "Hush, hush. You be late for class again, you'll never get a diploma and you'll be suspended for two years tops."

Barbara: "Two years?!"

Charlotte: "Yes, two. So, don't ever be late again. Understand?" (Barbara sighed and looked at the teacher.)

Barbara: "Yes, Ms. Charlotte."

Charlotte: "Good, now have a seat and get out a pencil and paper, so you can catch up with the notes."

Barbara: "Okay." (She went to her seat next to Dick who was slowly sliding his notes next to Barbara's sheet of paper.)

Dick: (Whispers) "Here, you can copy off of me, so that way you can catch up." (She looked up at him and he winked at her. She gently smiled at that.)

Barbara: (Whispers) "Thanks, Dick."

Dick: (Whispers) "No problem." (Barbara started to copy the notes down and Dick was looking at the board while the teacher was talking.)

Dick: (Whispers) "So, you're late again, huh?"

Barbara: (Whispers) "Oh, god. Now, you're questioning me about that, too."

Dick: (Whispers) "Hey, I got to know what happened. So, what happened?"

Barbara: (Whispers) "Well, there was this girl yesterday that messed up her legs by doing ballet."

Dick: (Whispers) "Ouch, that sounds really painful."

Barbara: (Whispers) "I know. I sort of cringed a little."

Dick: (Whispers) "So, did you help her?"

Barbara: (Whispers) "Well, duh. Of course I helped her. I had to kick the door down with full force. Even though, the door did burst off the hinges."

Dick: "Damn." (Charlotte heard that and turned around.)

Charlotte: "Grayson, watch the language. This is a non-profanity campus environment. That goes for everyone else in the classroom."

Students: "Yes, Ms. Charlotte."

Dick: "Sorry, Ms. Charlotte. It slipped out."

Charlotte: "Sure, it did. Just don't let me hear it again."

Dick: "Okay." (He turned back to Barbara.)

Dick: (Whispers) "Damn. Then what happened?"

Barbara: (Whispers) "Then I helped her out by carrying her to clinic and I saw her again today. She wasn't really happy."

Dick: (Whispers) "I bet. Can you imagine waking up in the hospital and noticing that you can't move any muscle? Yikes, that gives me the creeps."

Barbara: (Whispers) "And here you are talking about it next to me. Thanks, Dick. Now, I'm going to have nightmares."

Dick: (Whispers) "Sorry."

Barbara: (Whispers) "It's alright." (She looked at her paper and she had all the notes down.)

Barbara: (Whispers) "It looks like everything is in order. Thanks for sharing with me."

Dick: (Whispers) "Of course." (Suddenly, when Barbara moved her hand over to Dick's side to slide his paper back over, their fingertips touched and Barbara gasped and he did the same. Barbara quickly moved her hand away and kept them to herself. Dick was just looking out the window.)