Day Two-Hundred Sixty-Seven
Bruce was in his bathroom finished washing up and he knocked on Harley's door. Harley opened it and she was brushing her teeth. "Oh...I...threw that into the trash can." Harley just looked at Bruce with indifference, continuing to brush her teeth. "I really threw that in the trash can, Harley..." Harley didn't care at all. She didn't have the energy to fight with Bruce today.
Harley closed the door on Bruce and he went downstairs for breakfast first. Harley came down after, and she helped Alfred prepare the table. Bruce, Alfred, and Harley all ate breakfast together and it was awkward silence. "So," Bruce said clearing his throat, "happy late birthday."
"How did you know?" she asked looking up at Bruce.
"What did you do on your birthday?" Bruce asked ignoring Harley's question.
"Nothing," she grunted. "But I was gonna go to the theme park with Red today. How much are tickets for 2 people, do ya know?
"2? What about me?" Bruce cursed himself for asking that but it was too late to take back what he said. He saw Alfred smiling quietly to himself.
"Aren't you busy? Besides, you're Gotham's celebrity. People would always crowd around you, ya know?"
"Who said I wanted to go anyways? I'm very busy today," Bruce said taking his dishes to the sink. "I won't even be home till late."
"That's good then. I can stay out all day. Oh, A-Man, wanna come, too?"
"I'm fine, Miss Quinn," Alfred smiled.
"Are ya sure, A-Man? It'd be fun!"
"Just don't forget to finish cleaning the manor before you leave," Bruce stated firmly and quickly left the kitchen angrily. Harley glared at Bruce and finished eating her breakfast. She then dressed up to head out and bid Alfred goodbye. As Harley was walking to Poison Ivy's apartment, she coincidentally spotted the same guy she talked to at Bruce's party, Barry Allen. He recognized her, too.
"Hey!" he smiled to Harley. "You're the beautiful girl at Bruce's party! Harley, right?"
"Yeah! And..."
"Barry," he smiled. "Do you live in that apartment?"
"Oh, no. I live with Mistah Wayne. What about you? Do you live in that apartment?"
"I do. Just decided to take a stroll around the neighborhood. If you're not too busy, wanna join me?"
"Um...sure. Yeah," Harley smiled. She took a walk around with Barry and she asked, "So how do you know Mistah Wayne?"
"Eh, we go far back together. Friends since our college years, ya know?"
Meanwhile, at Wayne Enterprises Bruce was just rolling around in his chair. He had absolutely nothing to do the entire day, and he just kept playing with his football, throwing it into the air and catching it then throwing it into the air again. Bruce was getting really bored and so he finally decided to leave. He drove all the way to Gotham's Theme Park. He made sure to put on a hat and sunglasses, hoping no one would recognize him.
Bruce searched everywhere for Harley. He even had to buy a lion mask from the place so that he could walk around feeling better that no one would recognize him with the lion mask on. Bruce searched for hours walking around the theme park twice, yet he still couldn't find Harley. Bruce was fed up and so he bought cotton candy. He then sat down on a wooden bench and was thinking about which part of the theme park he didn't search.
On the other side of Gotham, Harley and Barry Allen were at a luxurious restaurant for lunch. Poison Ivy called Harley, telling her that she couldn't go to the Gotham Theme Park today and so Barry took that chance to ask Harley to accompany him for lunch. She obliged, and there they were at the most luxurious restaurant Harley had ever been in. The waiter came and handed Harley the menu.
"Jesus!" Harley exclaimed seeing the inflated prices for simple dishes, such as a salad. Harley glanced at the waiter, and she covered her face with the menu. She leaned forward to Barry and he leaned forward, too. "Ya know, if ya just want spaghetti or somethin' I know a real good cheap place."
"I'll buy it this time," Barry laughed. "You can buy for me next time." He sat up straight and so did Harley. When the waiter asked for their order, Harley replied that she was going to have whatever Barry was going to have. When the waiter left, Barry asked, "So, do you live with Bruce then?"
"Yeah," Harley growled. He laughed.
"Kinda hard living with Bruce Wayne, Gotham's most prized possession, huh?"
"Tell me 'bout it. He has such a stinkin' attitude, and he thinks he's so cool. That big, ugly, stupid, loser!" Barry couldn't stop laughing at Harley's childish vocabulary. "W-Was it that funny?" she asked with an awkward laugh. "I didn't think it'd be that funny."
"You know, you probably don't realize how funny you really are. Even at Bruce's party, you just kept making me crack up, Harley." She smiled lightly and continued talking with Barry, laughing and joking around with him as if they were best friends.
It was already 11 at night and Bruce came back into the manor. "Had a good day, Master Wayne?" Alfred asked.
"Where's Harley?"
"Why, she's been gone the entire day, sir. You really did spend all day at Wayne Enterprises, didn't you?" Bruce just sighed and threw the lion mask onto the table. "Oh? So you spent all day at the Gotham Theme Park?" Just before Bruce could've spoken, he heard a car pull up in the courtyard. He looked out the window to recognize Barry Allen's car there. He saw Harley stepping out of it and bidding Barry goodbye with a big smile on her face.
Harley stepped into the manor and it was darker than usual. Harley passed the living room to get to the stairs, and she heard Bruce's voice saying, "You're late." Harley jumped from fright and she peered through the darkness to see Bruce lying on the sofa as if he were sleeping.
"Did you come back now from work?" she asked.
"Yes. And where were you?"
"Out," Harley grunted and went to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water. Just as she was drinking her glass of water, Bruce came storming towards her.
"Really. Where were you the entire day?"
"Why does it matter to you? You were gone the entire day, too."
"Do you even realize what time it is? A girl like you shouldn't be out that late in Gotham." Harley just shrugged Bruce off and went to the living room. Harley had a confused look on her face. She approached the table and picked up the lion mask, and she realized what Bruce did the entire day.
Bruce was still in the kitchen gulping down water when he felt a tap on his back. He turned around and Harley was wearing the lion mask. She loudly roared imitating a lion and Bruce just looked at her. She laughed and took the lion mask off. "You went to Gotham Theme Park, didn't you?" she asked cutely.
"I told you, I was at work. I was really busy. Besides, I don't have time to play around like you do, Harley."
"Then what's this?" she asked holding the lion mask. "Tell me the truth, Mistah Wayne."
"Fine...fine, I went. So what?"
"Were you looking for me?"
"Looking? For you? Please, Harley, why would I go look for you?"
"I didn't go to the theme park today," she replied kind of regretting not going.
"And?"
"So you waited a long time for me, didn't ya Mistah Wayne?"
"I told you before, Harley, I didn't go to look for you. I went to see how much the place changed." Bruce was about to walk away when Harley grabbed hold of his hand.
"Let's go to the theme park right now, Mistah Wayne."
"It's late, Harley."
"Oh c'mon, Mistah Wayne! You didn't even celebrate my birthday with me, and Red couldn't hang out with me today. Please! It'll be fun!" Bruce sighed and took Harley to the Gotham Theme Park.
"I told you it was closed," he stated seeing only one light on in the theme park.
"Look, look, Mistah Wayne! There's still someone behind the ticket booth!"
"They're not going to accept-"
"Go and ask, Mistah Wayne. Please!" Harley pouted cutely and Bruce just went to the ticket booth. The man recognized Bruce Wayne as the owner of Gotham Theme Park, and he let him and Harley into the park. Bruce came back with a nod and Harley squealed excitedly.
"We only have 2 hours in the park," Bruce informed. Harley took Bruce to the ice rink and she looked at it. There was no one in the skating shoes rental booth, and Harley just hopped the counter. She and Bruce put on their skating shoes and Harley said, "I'm not good at ice skating, but I always liked the thought of skating."
"You can't ice skate?" Bruce asked entering the ring, skating suavely. Harley shook her head as she barely managed to get on the ice. She was holding onto the rail for dear life and Bruce was skating around Harley as if taunting her. "You really can't skate, can you, Harley?" Bruce chuckled. "Here." He skated to Harley and he put his hand out. "I won't let you fall." Harley smiled and took Bruce's hand. He held both of Harley's hands and skated backwards while leading her forwards.
After ice skating, the two only had 20 minutes left in the park. Bruce was walking with his hands in his pockets, and Harley quickly pulled his hand out to intertwine her fingers with his. Bruce glanced at Harley and looked away trying to hide the smile from his face. Harley smiled and leaned her head onto Bruce's built bicep when she heard quiet voice calling her name. "Harls..."
Harley stopped walking and so did Bruce. She looked around and her eyes became fixated on the House of Clowns. "Harley," the voice whispered to her again. Harley let go of Bruce's hand and slowly walked towards the House of Clowns, hearing her name being called even louder.
"Harley," Bruce spoke. She looked back and Bruce held his hand out so that she could take it again. Harley looked back at the House of Clowns and she was sure she heard the Joker's voice calling out for her from the shadows. Harley took another step forward towards the House of Clowns. "Harley." She looked back and Bruce still had his hand out for her to take. She took one step at a time back Bruce and she put her hand out about to take Bruce's hand when she heard her name being called from the darkness again. Harley gasped and looked back, withdrawing her hand from Bruce. "Harley," Bruce said softly. She looked back at Bruce and he still had his hand out. She cautiously let Bruce take her hand, and he led her away.
Harley looked back to the House of Clowns but saw nothing suspicious. She held onto Bruce's hand tighter and she wrapped her other hand around Bruce's arm tightly, as if not wanting to let go for dear life. She walked away with Bruce, not looking back once more at the House of Clowns, walking out of Gotham Theme Park hand-in-hand with Bruce.
The two came back to Wayne's Manor and they went upstairs together. "Wait, Mistah Wayne, can you tuck me in bed?" Bruce followed Harley into her room and she plopped onto her bed without washing up or changing. Bruce just tucked Harley in bed, and Harley leaned forward to give Bruce a sweet kiss on his lips. "Thanks, Mistah Wayne. This was the best birthday present ever."
"Good night, Harley," Bruce merely stated. He hesitated once, but he leaned in again to give Harley a goodnight kiss on her lips.
"'Night, Mistah Wayne," Harley quietly said as she was already drifting off to sleep with a smile on her face. Bruce looked back and saw Harley already fast asleep. He smiled and shook his head at the silly girl.