The Sanguine Dancer

The Sanguine Dancer

She was wild, weird, and all around crazy. She didn't care what others thought about her, whether it was singing in class or dancing in the hallways. Despite all of the tragedies and heartbreaks she's encountered throughout her life, her smile is a bright as ever. And through the tears and sunsets, she taught me how to do the same. Rich x Kory

XX

Fall had hit him like a bucket of icy water on a hot day. Even now, he still shivered at the thought of the cold wind slapping against his skin and the leaves crunching beneath his feet. It was, by far, his least favorite season. Summer brought warmth and fun, brightening up the day from beginning to end. Winter brought snow, twinkling white powder that seemed too magical to be real. Spring brought a new sort of beauty, a refreshing breath that signaled the start of a new year, a new life and a fresh start. But fall…fall only brought in a sort of dead feeling. All life had already slipped away, ready to wait out the season. But he couldn't slip away, even though he so wished it be. He could only wait, and watch in hopelessness as all of the magic was washed away. Fall had hit him hard.

But she had hit him harder. She was so utterly fascinating; his attention had been captured instantly. She had been like a wisp of autumn air on his skin, a shock of a refreshing and cool sensation that was entirely new to him. It had been the first day of school, and he had simply come across her dancing in the middle of nowhere. She was completely lost in the rhythm of her steps, and he soon was lost too. Nothing had been the same since that day.

But there had been a time when every thought and regular occurrence began to change. There was a time when something's began to unfold. That time is where this story begins.

XX

Thursday, September 25th, 8:26 AM

There it was. That drifting hum he had waited for every day since the first time he knew it was coming. It was a truly beautiful sound, though he refused to admit that to anyone. It carried effortlessly down the empty hallway, ringing like a bell into the classroom where they all awaited her arrival. And she arrived, as they all expected, with a smile on her face.

"Good morning, Miss Anders," Mr. Mod said, pausing from his intense lecture. "I see you are late, yet again."

No one giggled and snickered this time. Now, everyone seemed to accept the fact that she didn't care for learning, not like the rest of them.

"Good, morning, Mr. Mod!" With a wide grin on her face, she skipped over to the teacher and threw her arms around him. Mr. Mod seemed annoyed, but he seemed to accept the fact that he could do nothing to change her.

At this gesture, the students laughed, still hung up on it. Still hung up on many things.

And he, in a different way, was so completely hung up on her. It was not love, or even a simple crush. It was more of a fascination, an obsession. He didn't feel for her in the least, and yet with every breath she took he found himself wanting to know more about this stranger. And it seemed the deeper he searched, the more staggering and strange she seemed.

XX

It was raining. Sort of a change for early fall. He hated every day of the season, so what was the difference if they got switched around? Opening the front door to his home, he didn't expect to see Bruce standing there.

"Richard," Bruce nodded, his way of saying hello. "We're going to a business outing tonight, so go get cleaned up."

"I'm not going."

Bruce was taken aback by his sudden comment, and soon the war began. "As sure as heck you are."

"Why should I? You've never done anything for me."

"I gave you a home when no one else could, with food and warmth. Sure, I've not been the best father, but at least you aren't out on the streets or in an orphanage."

Richard hated it, more than anything, when Bruce brought up the fact that he had provided for him. Because he had not, in the least, been there for him.

"Plus," Bruce continued, "by me taking you to social outings of my own, you are much more likely to have a good reputation when you inherit Wayne Enterprises."

"What if I don't want to inherit your company?" Richard spat.

"You don't have a choice."

"Why do you have to put this crap on me now?!" Richard yelled, fed up with Bruce's oversized ego. "I'm just a kid!"

It fell silent then. Without a word, or even a gesture, they both knew it was a lie. Richard was not a kid. Or, at least, not a normal one. They hit a wall in their argument, and neither acknowledged the words Richard had spoken. There was no need.

Without so much as a blink of an eye, Richard went upstairs to his room to wait out the night. Bruce, already ready to go to his event, headed out the door to where he was needed. Without Richard.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ok, just so you know, the rest of the chapters are going to be a LOT longer and MUCH better. And for every single person who reviews, I will credit them in the next chapter PLUS post a comment about them, just like I did in Bug.

Please review, I promise you won't be disappointed with this story!

-Alien

P.S. 'Sanguine' (hence the title), means cheerfully optimistic. You'll see why I chose the title in the later chapters.