AN:
New chapter! Hope you'll like it. :)
And just ignore the stupid chapter titles XD they are just random.
Chapter 8
Lori hurried down the corridor, her brown eyes piercing into the floor. She nudged by people in her way and didn't even care to apologize for elbowing them. Lori gazed up as she passed a newspaper stand with Batman's face all over the covers with titles like 'Winged Threat or Friendly Ally?' or 'Can We Trust Him?' This only made Lori even angrier and she started to walk faster.
Glancing at her clock, she realized that she was late. Her teachers expected that she would be back at school as soon as possible to continue her learning so that things would quickly get back to normal. Sighing heavily she grabbed her backpack was hanging over her shoulder and opened it. Finding the books she needed for her next class she slung her bag over her shoulder again and smoothed the skirt of her lilac colored sweater. Lori already knew that this day was going to be the worst of her life.
When Lori reached the main hall in the Gotham Police Department she was directed to a nearby desk were there was a woman who wanted her to sign some papers. Lori watched carefully as the woman showed her the places to sign and she did what she was told to do. Turning around, her eyes narrowed nervously when she saw it was him. Bruce Wayne was standing in front of her, gazing her up and down. She glared at him and walked right past him, hearing him laugh.
Bruce watched the young girl go. He still hadn't taken in all the things that she had said about Batman. He couldn't let her do this; he could not let her believe in something which was so wrong. It would only give her trouble and too many problems. No good would come out of it.
Bruce looked after her as she headed for the door. She pulled it open and closed it behind her. He walked up to the windows by the door and gazed out to see her walking down the sidewalk. He opened the door too, and walked out, trying to follow her as she passed the corner.
Holding her books tight to her chest and resting her chin on them, Lori slowly walked down the street. Whatever how hard she tried, Lori's mind would only think about one thing – Batman's face. She didn't understand. The night when he had come to her, he had seemed so nice and not at all been the violent criminal everyone these days had been talking about. Batman had been helping everyone. Why couldn't they suck up their pride and realize the good he had done for them, Lori thought and continued walking down the street.
The black-haired girl continued walking, her shoes making 'click-clack' noises on the cement. She had just turned the corner when she suddenly tripped, causing her body along with the books she was carrying, to crash to the ground.
"Ooof!" Lori groaned. She looked up, watching the crowded street in front of her. "Great", she said to herself. "Hasn't my day been bad enough or do I have to become the laughing-stalk of Gotham, too?"
She sat up at once and began to collect the books she had lost during the fall. Suddenly as she reached for her Biology book another hand came in contact with hers. The hand was soft, but still very like the hand to a man. Lori instantly flinched back and away from the hand. Her gaze kept staring at the hand. She shifted her gaze to the smile, and then to the eyes. She kept staring like this until she could see him clearly. Wearing an expensive and fashionable suit no one would ever be wrong on who it was. It was the 'Prince of Gotham', Bruce Wayne who was on his knees, picking up her Biology book.
"Are you alright?" Bruce asked, but Lori couldn't manage to speak a word. She had read about him and his scandals in all the magazines, and seen his face all over Gotham. Lori had never thought that Gotham's playboy would ever care about anyone else than himself, especially not a girl like her.
"Miss, are you alright?" he asked again, furrowing his dark brows in concern. "That was a pretty bad fall you took."
Lori stared for a moment, struck in surprise, before she forced her mouth to form words. "I-I… I'm fine," she stuttered. "And it was not a bad fall. I just stumbled, that's all. Not a big deal." She stood up and so did he. When she realized that she was still staring at him, she smiled shyly and noticed that he held her Biology book in his hands. "Uh… Thanks for your, err…help. Thank you for helping me, but can I please get back my book now?"
Bruce smirked and glanced down at the green book. "Oh. Of course you can," he said. He handed her the book and Lori quickly snatched it and put it back into her bag. "I apologize if I scared you, and what's your name? I'm Bruce Wayne"
"Yes, I know who you are," Lori responded shyly. "My name is Lori, Lori Davis. And to your information, you did not scare me. I was just surprised."
"Alright then, my brave one," Bruce snickered and Lori glared at the comment. "You're sure you're okay? You look really pale."
"I am sure. I'm perfectly fine," she almost shrieked. No one had ever really cared for Lori before, but this was starting to get quite annoying. Lori suddenly felt a sharp pain go through her left leg. She pressed her hands tightly to block out the pain. Moaning, Lori looked down to find she had a huge cut on her left knee. She picked up her bag, hoping for that Bruce hadn't noticed it, but Lori was still not so lucky.
Seeing her limping on her left foot as she walked over to pick up another book, Bruce marched over to her and laid his hand on her shoulder. He twisted her around and his eyes widened in shock as he saw the cut that was bleeding freely. "You," he said and pointed at Lori, "You're coming with me."
"W-what?" Lori stuttered.
Bruce didn't respond and he took a grip around Lori's arm. He dragged Lori up the street and, in a hurry; he dragged her all the way back until they were outside the police station. Lori couldn't do anything else than follow Mr. Wayne. It all happened so fast and before Lori managed to blink, she was sitting in the backseat of a car. The seats were in black leather, and probably the most comfortable seats Lori had ever been in. She looked forward and saw that it was Bruce who was driving.
"What the heck do you think you're doing? Kidnapping me?" Lori shrieked, trying to open the car door on her side.
"Please, don't do that," Bruce whispered in a low voice. "I'm only trying to help you."
"Help me? HELP ME?" Lori yelled. "You're only making everything even worse! I'm supposed to be at school at this time – they are waiting for me."
Bruce laughed. "You want to go to school? In a condition like that?" he said, referring to the cut on her knee. She gazed at it, seeing how bad it was bleeding. She laid her hands in her lap and turned her head to look in another direction. "That's what I thought, too."
After a short driving the car stopped, and Bruce graciously slid out of his car and shut the door closed. First Lori thought he was going to leave her there, but suddenly her door opened as well and she stepped outside. But the sight of what she saw struck her. Lori was standing outside Bruce's personal residence. The manor that had belonged to his family for centuries and it was called Wayne Manor.
The manor was beautiful. Outside there were great gardens with beautiful trees and flowers. Even though the manor was really old and in a very gothic style, it was also very fashionable. Lori had loved it since the first second she saw it. This place truly felt like home.
