Prologue

Storm rolled over in her bed her hand hitting the snooze button on the alarm for the fourth time that morning, wishing it was not Friday morning but Saturday morning when she could sleep as long as she wanted. Her phone vibrated before it started ringing with an air raid siren sound effect, her hand fumbled over the bedside table knocking her IPhone onto the floor.

"Great, just great." Storm muttered as she sat up in bed. The ringtone gradually increased in volume the longer Storm ignored it. Storm picked up her phone off the floor and looked at the caller I.D, a cartoon drawing of a cat was in the place of the caller picture with the caller's name underneath.

Katie 'Kat' Carter

"Hey Kat bit early isn't it" Storm asked yawning.

"Just making sure you were up, anyway we have a drama exam today and to celebrate do you want to come to the cinema with me tonight." Kat asked.

"Sure, my parents can pick us up because they both work near the cinema." Storm replied

"Tonight after school come to mine pick up at ten outside the cinema. I'll see you on the bus in an hour, don't be late again." Kat demanded.

"Okay Kat, I'll see you on the bus." Storm laughed hanging up the phone. A Border collie puppy around the age of six months jumped up onto Storm's bed and started licking her hand, begging to be stroked. Storm automatically ran her hand over the puppy's fur as she looked around her room.

-?-

The room consisted of a wooden desk, an old battered office chair, a cracked mirror, a set of draws with a handle missing, a bedside table, her bed and the puppy's bed. On Storm's desk lay her school books, her jewellery box and her father's old laptop. Next to her desk lay a black rucksack with different badges attached. The walls were plastered with posters, some displaying amateur photographs of the Batman or the Bat signal others painted green with yellow question marks painted on top. One well-loved teddy bear with one missing eye sat on the bedside table under the lamp. Her duvet cover was home dyed green with white patches in certain places.

-?-

Storm sighed as she got up and walked into the bathroom dragging her feet across the warn carpet. She looked into the mirror. Her reflection showed a girl with bags under her eyes, the reminder of how badly her sleep was because her neighbour had the music volume at full. Storm splashed water in her face to wake herself up before scrubbing her face with clean and clear face scrub. After Storm had dried her face she changed into her school uniform and pulled on the blazer. Finally Storm dragged a brush through her long brown hair and slipped a green headband into her hair.

-?-

The Border collie pup yapped as Storm picked up her school bag and began loading up her school books.

"Calm down Chrystal, I'll take you for a walk. But only around the block and a quick walk I don't feel safe on my own in the Narrows. Go get your lead." Storm giggled as Chrystal bounded out of the room and into the hallway. A few minutes later Chrystal bounded back in carrying a red leather lead that matched her collar and dropped it at Storm's feet. Chrystal sat the second she dropped her lead her wagging back and forth over the carpet, she looked up at storm with her hazel puppy eyes begging for a walk.

"Good girl, Chrystal. Now remember only a short walk." Storm expressed as she clipped the lead on to Chrystal's collar.

-?-

The walk was short but quick because Storm ran around the block with the puppy running alongside her. The Narrows were a rundown island situated between Downtown Gotham and Midtown Gotham and was also the roughest part of Gotham to grow up in but to Storm it was home. She was not the only person in her school to live in the Narrows but she was one of only a handful of student who lived in the Narrows and wasn't afraid of the other residence even if she didn't feel safe. Storm panted as she opened the front door to her family's flat letting Chrystal run back to her room. Storm sauntered back to her room, her drama performance running though her mind. She picked up her school bag and her bag with her change of clothing then looked at the time on her phone.

"Oh my god, I'm going to be late again." Storm muttered to herself throwing her bag onto her shoulders. She ran through the hallway to the kitchen where her parents were having their breakfast, Storm calmly walked in and picked up a slice of toast covered in chocolate spread.

"Morning mum, morning dad. Could you pick me up at the cinema at ten tonight? Kat's taking me as a celebration of our final exam for this year ending." Storm asked

"Sure, we'll wait for you outside. We'll be in the car be out quickly not like last time." Her mother replied handing Storm some money. "There is twenty there, for you lunch and popcorn for tonight."

"Thanks but I got to go or I'll miss the bus again." Storm replied running out the kitchen and out the flat. Storm ran through the streets of the Narrows dodging pedestrians all the way to the bus stop.

-?-

6 hours later.

The bell rang signalling the end of the school day. Storm dragged her clothing bag out of her locker and slung it over her back with her school bag.

"Hurry up Storm or we'll miss the bus and I don't fancy walking to Downtown Gotham, I know you're used to walking from the Narrows but I hate walking." Kat moaned tugging on Storm's blazer sleeve.

"I'm coming Kat." Storm laughed as she was dragged along the corridor by Kat. "John! Wait a second Kat."

Storm pulled her arm out of Kat's grasp and pushed through the crowd of students to get to John who was playing on a game on his IPod. She put her hands over his eyes causing him to jump.

"Guess who?" Storm asked with a slight giggle.

"Oh I don't is it…? Kat. No wait Storm." He joked turning around a large smile adorning his face. "Hey Flower, how was the exam?"

"It went well, sort of, Anna slipped over after standing on the hem of the dress she was wearing but otherwise it was fine." Storm replied. John leant forward and brushed his lips against Storm's lips but then she pulled him closer into a full kiss. John broke the kiss pulling her away from him in order to ask her something.

"Storm, do you want to go out to dinner with me tonight?" John asked

"Oh sorry, I can't I'm going to the cinema tonight with Kat and it's a girls night only. I'm really sorry. What about tomorrow night?" Storm replied apologetically taking hold of John's hands and looking into his eyes.

"Storm we're going to miss the bus." Kat demanded with disgust. "Will you two lovebirds hurry up? Please!"

Storm stood up on her tiptoes and kissed John goodbye.

Continued in part 2