Mother Dearest
A Batman Beyond FanFiction
Written by: Celestial Moon
E-Mail: ArmaniGirlAX@hotmail.com
Disclaimer: I do not (sadly) own Terry McGinnis. This story is purely fictional. Some of the characters are my own, etc etc. This is just for the enjoyment of all of you. Please leave some feedback :D
Part 9
Friday 11:40 AM
Hamilton High School
Room 312
Max crowded around Terry, trying to see his grade on his psychology paper. Terry's heart was pounding. He had received an A.
"Good for you!" she shouted, slapping Terry on the back. He smiled, feeling relieved in his otherwise turbulent life. They were standing at the back of the classroom where the rest of the class had already quickly filed out. Ms. Richards stood at the front of the room, watching Terry and Max carefully.
"McGinnis? May I speak with you?" she called over.
Terry and Max looked at each other wearily. "Good for you," she repeated before walking away from Terry towards the door.
"Yes?"
"Ms. Richards looked down at the papers in front of her. "I was highly impressed with your paper."
The only response that Terry could think of was "Why?"
She looked up. "You don't think that your paper was well written?"
"I just didn't think that it was quite up to the standards of the other kids... Mine was fairly short."
"Brevity is the soul of wit," she replied with a smile. "Just because yours was short doesn't mean that it was not as insightful. You surprise me, McGinnis."
"Thank you."
"You were absent yesterday?"
"Family troubles," Terry looked away.
"You know, mothers aren't really as clueless as you think they are." Ms. Richards paused, "I never had a very good relationship with my mother. I felt like she could never understand me, that she was so different from me. When she died, I regretted the times that I never shared with her. Every day I wish that I could have one more day, one more hour to explain how I felt. She died when I was about your age. I never had a second chance to change things around."
Terry looked up at her. "That's how I feel about my dad."
She smiled, and reached over to give his shoulder a squeeze. "Then don't make the same mistake I did. Talk to her."
Terry nodded. "Thanks," he said quietly. He grabbed his books and left the room. He prayed desperately that he did have that second chance.
"Watch where you're going!" a male voice barked.
Terry took a step back. He had walked out of the room and straight into another person of about the same height and build as him.
Jason stood before him, glowering in his direction. There wasn't a hint of friendliness in his face.
"Sorry," Terry said. He felt someone standing to his left.
"Jason, give him a break. It was an accident."
Jason glared at Max before walking away briskly down the hall.
"That guy has really got it in for you..." Max trailed off. Terry nodded.
"I still don't know what I had done."
Max laughed. "You're kidding, right?"
Terry shook his head and stared at her. "No, why would I be?"
Max poked him with her index finger. "You stole his girl, dude. Dana was dating him throughout tenth and the first half of eleventh grade. She broke up with him for you."
"Are you serious?" Terry asked, his mouth agape.
She nodded. "I think he's dating Christina Wu now, but I'm not sure."
Terry closed his eyes, trying to process all the information that he had just learned. "Max...?"
"Hmm?"
"I think you..." Terry's eyes flew open. "I have to call Wayne."
Max watched Terry run down the hallway, his figure quickly diminishing into a point. She wasn't quite sure what had just happened.
"I found a connection." Terry gripped his phone tightly. He was leaning against a tree in the courtyard outside Hamilton High. People were milling around in groups, getting ready to eat lunch at the tables.
The old man didn't say anything, waiting for Terry to continue.
"Okay, say that my mom was kidnapped by this insane nutcase. It would be an act of cruelty against me, right? Some form of revenge?"
"Perhaps."
"His name is Jason Mannings. He came to Hamilton High from California in tenth grade. Max just told me that he was dating Dana until she broke up with him to go out with me. Now he's dating Christina Wu."
"I see a motive for you and Dana, but why Christina?"
Terry paused, thinking. He could distinctly hear Jason's voice saying 'They were going to move to Metropolis. Christina would have had the chance to live in a better world.'
"Because he would have lost her had she moved away."
"What do you mean?" Mr. Wayne asked.
"Christina was about to move to Metropolis. He would have lost her."
"I'll call Barbara and ask her to check out this kid's place. Where does he live?"
"Across from the Wu's."
"I'll get right to it." Bruce Wayne hung up the phone and leaned back into his chair. Teenagers. He shook his head sadly.
A Batman Beyond FanFiction
Written by: Celestial Moon
E-Mail: ArmaniGirlAX@hotmail.com
Disclaimer: I do not (sadly) own Terry McGinnis. This story is purely fictional. Some of the characters are my own, etc etc. This is just for the enjoyment of all of you. Please leave some feedback :D
Part 9
Friday 11:40 AM
Hamilton High School
Room 312
Max crowded around Terry, trying to see his grade on his psychology paper. Terry's heart was pounding. He had received an A.
"Good for you!" she shouted, slapping Terry on the back. He smiled, feeling relieved in his otherwise turbulent life. They were standing at the back of the classroom where the rest of the class had already quickly filed out. Ms. Richards stood at the front of the room, watching Terry and Max carefully.
"McGinnis? May I speak with you?" she called over.
Terry and Max looked at each other wearily. "Good for you," she repeated before walking away from Terry towards the door.
"Yes?"
"Ms. Richards looked down at the papers in front of her. "I was highly impressed with your paper."
The only response that Terry could think of was "Why?"
She looked up. "You don't think that your paper was well written?"
"I just didn't think that it was quite up to the standards of the other kids... Mine was fairly short."
"Brevity is the soul of wit," she replied with a smile. "Just because yours was short doesn't mean that it was not as insightful. You surprise me, McGinnis."
"Thank you."
"You were absent yesterday?"
"Family troubles," Terry looked away.
"You know, mothers aren't really as clueless as you think they are." Ms. Richards paused, "I never had a very good relationship with my mother. I felt like she could never understand me, that she was so different from me. When she died, I regretted the times that I never shared with her. Every day I wish that I could have one more day, one more hour to explain how I felt. She died when I was about your age. I never had a second chance to change things around."
Terry looked up at her. "That's how I feel about my dad."
She smiled, and reached over to give his shoulder a squeeze. "Then don't make the same mistake I did. Talk to her."
Terry nodded. "Thanks," he said quietly. He grabbed his books and left the room. He prayed desperately that he did have that second chance.
"Watch where you're going!" a male voice barked.
Terry took a step back. He had walked out of the room and straight into another person of about the same height and build as him.
Jason stood before him, glowering in his direction. There wasn't a hint of friendliness in his face.
"Sorry," Terry said. He felt someone standing to his left.
"Jason, give him a break. It was an accident."
Jason glared at Max before walking away briskly down the hall.
"That guy has really got it in for you..." Max trailed off. Terry nodded.
"I still don't know what I had done."
Max laughed. "You're kidding, right?"
Terry shook his head and stared at her. "No, why would I be?"
Max poked him with her index finger. "You stole his girl, dude. Dana was dating him throughout tenth and the first half of eleventh grade. She broke up with him for you."
"Are you serious?" Terry asked, his mouth agape.
She nodded. "I think he's dating Christina Wu now, but I'm not sure."
Terry closed his eyes, trying to process all the information that he had just learned. "Max...?"
"Hmm?"
"I think you..." Terry's eyes flew open. "I have to call Wayne."
Max watched Terry run down the hallway, his figure quickly diminishing into a point. She wasn't quite sure what had just happened.
"I found a connection." Terry gripped his phone tightly. He was leaning against a tree in the courtyard outside Hamilton High. People were milling around in groups, getting ready to eat lunch at the tables.
The old man didn't say anything, waiting for Terry to continue.
"Okay, say that my mom was kidnapped by this insane nutcase. It would be an act of cruelty against me, right? Some form of revenge?"
"Perhaps."
"His name is Jason Mannings. He came to Hamilton High from California in tenth grade. Max just told me that he was dating Dana until she broke up with him to go out with me. Now he's dating Christina Wu."
"I see a motive for you and Dana, but why Christina?"
Terry paused, thinking. He could distinctly hear Jason's voice saying 'They were going to move to Metropolis. Christina would have had the chance to live in a better world.'
"Because he would have lost her had she moved away."
"What do you mean?" Mr. Wayne asked.
"Christina was about to move to Metropolis. He would have lost her."
"I'll call Barbara and ask her to check out this kid's place. Where does he live?"
"Across from the Wu's."
"I'll get right to it." Bruce Wayne hung up the phone and leaned back into his chair. Teenagers. He shook his head sadly.
