Chapter 4: Lovers' Quarrels
By Smitty
***
Terry overslept the next day. It was getting to be a habit.
Unfortunately, it was a habit that was costing him not only a pre- class status check with Max, but a pre-class snuggle with Dana. He hadn't stood her up last night, which was a scratch for him in the plus column, but it came at the expense of never having asked her out last night, which pretty much made that scratch moot. It was a thing of importance, he mused as he walked into his first class, that he be on hand before school started to be able to stand around with his arm around Dana. It was a matter of staking his claim. Marking his turf. Reminding the rest of the guys lurking around that although you'd hardly know it sometimes, Dana Tan was taken.
"Terry, we gotta talk," Max said bluntly, turning around in her seat. "You're in trouble, boy."
"Um." Terry was saved from having to finish that though by the school bell, announcing the commencement of first period.
"You better sit down," Max informed him.
"Maxine," the teacher interrupted, sounding exasperated. "This oh-so- vital news of yours can wait 'til after class, I guarantee it. Now, Mr. McGinnis, let's talk about the integral of 64-x-squared, shall we?"
***
"Integrals are the opposite of derivatives, Ter," Max said as Terry shouldered his backpack and left the classroom.
"Yeah, thanks for the update," Terry told her, feeling thoroughly thrashed. "Now what's this about important news?"
"Yeah, well, since Dana couldn't find you last night." Max gave him a significant look, "she decided that the three of us needed a girls' night out and--uh-oh."
Terry was already thinking uh-oh. Terry was thinking uh-oh for a different reason than Max was thinking uh-oh, although that reason was coming.
Because leaning with his forearm braced on Dana Tan's locker--Terry's usual pose--was Hannah's son, Craig. And even more worrisome, under that arm stood Dana Tan, looking up at Craig with starry eyes.
"'Scuse me," Terry mumbled, walking ahead of Max.
"Don't kill him," Max hissed back. "It won't look good, Ter!"
"Hey," Terry announced, stepping up to the happy pair.
"Terry!" Dana exclaimed. "Look, Terry, we need to talk." She glanced at Craig. "Alone."
Craig nodded and smirked at Terry. "Good luck, McGinnis," he sneered before stepping away.
"Look, Terry," Dana started.
"Dana, that guy's dangerous," Terry interrupted, gesturing at Craig's retreating back.
"Terry, I know you're mad," Dana said, looking up at him sadly. "But I called last night and your mom said you weren't home. And you're never home, Terry. Never at home, never with me, and half the time, you aren't even at school. Where were you this morning? I looked for you and you never came."
"I was late," Terry explained, though he knew he was just digging himself deeper. "I overslept."
"I met Craig last night," Dana explained, as though Terry hadn't said a thing. "And I hate the idea that I'm giving up my life to stick with a guy I never see and I feel like I barely even know anymore. I still like you a lot, Terry, but I can't put my life on hold for you." She turned away, leaving Terry standing dumbstruck at her locker. The warning bell rang in his ear, reminding him that he was going to be late for another class if he didn't get a move on. He ignored it and ran after Dana anyway.
"Dana," he said as he caught up to her.
"Don't make this harder than it has to be, Terry," Dana pled, not looking at him. "Ok," Terry said, blocking her way. "I'll leave you alone if that's what you really want. But promise me something."
"What?" Dana's hair fell across her eyes and Terry suppressed the urge to push it back.
"Be careful around Craig. I don't trust him."
"You just met him."
"No, I--"
"Terry, we'll be late," Dana said, pushing around him and disappearing into the throng of students trying to get to their classes on time.
"Dana, wait!" Terry called, but it was too late. She was gone. He watched helplessly as students scattered left and right. The last bell rang as Terry stood in the middle of the hallway alone.
***
Bruce Wayne wasn't much of a morning person. Oh, he could make a good show of it, but when it came right down to it, keeping up after Terry-- and now Hannah--every night was just not conducive to early rising.
Still, after Terry's report from the night before, the idea of catching the morning news was an appealing one, so Bruce hauled himself out of bad and found the appropriate broadcast.
"For those of you who kept up with the lifestyles of the rich and beautiful fifty years ago," the newswoman said brightly, "a blast from the past last night as police were called in a domestic disturbance at the home of former socialite Selina Kyle." Behind the newswoman, a picture of Selina from her glory days appeared next to a picture of Selina from the night before--scratched, hair wild, a vicious snarl on her face. "It seems Ms. Kyle was engaged in quite a tangle with Devon Sinclair Lydecker. Whether this was a lover's quarrel or a continued battle in their legendary competition for the affections of Bruce Wayne, we may never know." The newswoman smiled and moved on to the next story, but the screen froze.
"And they didn't even mention me," Hannah commented, clicking on the "More Info" link at the bottom of the screen.
Bruce chuckled. "That's because there's no more competition, is there?" he asked. There was something odd, something he should be looking for. A connection of some sort. Terry. Terry had told him to look for this and Terry had been in Selina's building.why?
"Mm, darling, you look like you have something on your mind," Hannah commented, sliding into the chair with him. She nuzzled against his cheek. "Let me take it off."
All thoughts of conspiracy fled Bruce's mind as he smelled her exquisite perfume.
"Yes," he agreed, turning his attention to Hannah. "Let's take it off."
***
Three hours later, Hannah stood in front of the address she'd gotten from the news report. So this was where Selina Kyle lived, now. Seems she hadn't done too badly from all her escapades.
But Selina's social status wasn't really what Hannah had come to see. No, what she really wanted to know was what Devon had been doing here, and whether she had found what she was looking for.
Ringing the bell got her no answer, so she banged directly on the door.
"Selina!" she called. "I know you're in there. Come out and talk to me, you miserable old bird!"
"I prefer," Selina said, yanking the door open, ".cat. Hannah Sinclair. Trailing along after your sister as usual." She turned and sauntered back into her apartment, calling back over her shoulder, "I know what you're looking for, my pretty."
"Of course you do," Hannah said, stepping in and closing the door behind her. "And I take it you've protected it well over the years?"
***
Stalker's face creased into an expression of pleasure as he watched the two women. This was going to be easy money.
***
End Chapter Four
***
Terry overslept the next day. It was getting to be a habit.
Unfortunately, it was a habit that was costing him not only a pre- class status check with Max, but a pre-class snuggle with Dana. He hadn't stood her up last night, which was a scratch for him in the plus column, but it came at the expense of never having asked her out last night, which pretty much made that scratch moot. It was a thing of importance, he mused as he walked into his first class, that he be on hand before school started to be able to stand around with his arm around Dana. It was a matter of staking his claim. Marking his turf. Reminding the rest of the guys lurking around that although you'd hardly know it sometimes, Dana Tan was taken.
"Terry, we gotta talk," Max said bluntly, turning around in her seat. "You're in trouble, boy."
"Um." Terry was saved from having to finish that though by the school bell, announcing the commencement of first period.
"You better sit down," Max informed him.
"Maxine," the teacher interrupted, sounding exasperated. "This oh-so- vital news of yours can wait 'til after class, I guarantee it. Now, Mr. McGinnis, let's talk about the integral of 64-x-squared, shall we?"
***
"Integrals are the opposite of derivatives, Ter," Max said as Terry shouldered his backpack and left the classroom.
"Yeah, thanks for the update," Terry told her, feeling thoroughly thrashed. "Now what's this about important news?"
"Yeah, well, since Dana couldn't find you last night." Max gave him a significant look, "she decided that the three of us needed a girls' night out and--uh-oh."
Terry was already thinking uh-oh. Terry was thinking uh-oh for a different reason than Max was thinking uh-oh, although that reason was coming.
Because leaning with his forearm braced on Dana Tan's locker--Terry's usual pose--was Hannah's son, Craig. And even more worrisome, under that arm stood Dana Tan, looking up at Craig with starry eyes.
"'Scuse me," Terry mumbled, walking ahead of Max.
"Don't kill him," Max hissed back. "It won't look good, Ter!"
"Hey," Terry announced, stepping up to the happy pair.
"Terry!" Dana exclaimed. "Look, Terry, we need to talk." She glanced at Craig. "Alone."
Craig nodded and smirked at Terry. "Good luck, McGinnis," he sneered before stepping away.
"Look, Terry," Dana started.
"Dana, that guy's dangerous," Terry interrupted, gesturing at Craig's retreating back.
"Terry, I know you're mad," Dana said, looking up at him sadly. "But I called last night and your mom said you weren't home. And you're never home, Terry. Never at home, never with me, and half the time, you aren't even at school. Where were you this morning? I looked for you and you never came."
"I was late," Terry explained, though he knew he was just digging himself deeper. "I overslept."
"I met Craig last night," Dana explained, as though Terry hadn't said a thing. "And I hate the idea that I'm giving up my life to stick with a guy I never see and I feel like I barely even know anymore. I still like you a lot, Terry, but I can't put my life on hold for you." She turned away, leaving Terry standing dumbstruck at her locker. The warning bell rang in his ear, reminding him that he was going to be late for another class if he didn't get a move on. He ignored it and ran after Dana anyway.
"Dana," he said as he caught up to her.
"Don't make this harder than it has to be, Terry," Dana pled, not looking at him. "Ok," Terry said, blocking her way. "I'll leave you alone if that's what you really want. But promise me something."
"What?" Dana's hair fell across her eyes and Terry suppressed the urge to push it back.
"Be careful around Craig. I don't trust him."
"You just met him."
"No, I--"
"Terry, we'll be late," Dana said, pushing around him and disappearing into the throng of students trying to get to their classes on time.
"Dana, wait!" Terry called, but it was too late. She was gone. He watched helplessly as students scattered left and right. The last bell rang as Terry stood in the middle of the hallway alone.
***
Bruce Wayne wasn't much of a morning person. Oh, he could make a good show of it, but when it came right down to it, keeping up after Terry-- and now Hannah--every night was just not conducive to early rising.
Still, after Terry's report from the night before, the idea of catching the morning news was an appealing one, so Bruce hauled himself out of bad and found the appropriate broadcast.
"For those of you who kept up with the lifestyles of the rich and beautiful fifty years ago," the newswoman said brightly, "a blast from the past last night as police were called in a domestic disturbance at the home of former socialite Selina Kyle." Behind the newswoman, a picture of Selina from her glory days appeared next to a picture of Selina from the night before--scratched, hair wild, a vicious snarl on her face. "It seems Ms. Kyle was engaged in quite a tangle with Devon Sinclair Lydecker. Whether this was a lover's quarrel or a continued battle in their legendary competition for the affections of Bruce Wayne, we may never know." The newswoman smiled and moved on to the next story, but the screen froze.
"And they didn't even mention me," Hannah commented, clicking on the "More Info" link at the bottom of the screen.
Bruce chuckled. "That's because there's no more competition, is there?" he asked. There was something odd, something he should be looking for. A connection of some sort. Terry. Terry had told him to look for this and Terry had been in Selina's building.why?
"Mm, darling, you look like you have something on your mind," Hannah commented, sliding into the chair with him. She nuzzled against his cheek. "Let me take it off."
All thoughts of conspiracy fled Bruce's mind as he smelled her exquisite perfume.
"Yes," he agreed, turning his attention to Hannah. "Let's take it off."
***
Three hours later, Hannah stood in front of the address she'd gotten from the news report. So this was where Selina Kyle lived, now. Seems she hadn't done too badly from all her escapades.
But Selina's social status wasn't really what Hannah had come to see. No, what she really wanted to know was what Devon had been doing here, and whether she had found what she was looking for.
Ringing the bell got her no answer, so she banged directly on the door.
"Selina!" she called. "I know you're in there. Come out and talk to me, you miserable old bird!"
"I prefer," Selina said, yanking the door open, ".cat. Hannah Sinclair. Trailing along after your sister as usual." She turned and sauntered back into her apartment, calling back over her shoulder, "I know what you're looking for, my pretty."
"Of course you do," Hannah said, stepping in and closing the door behind her. "And I take it you've protected it well over the years?"
***
Stalker's face creased into an expression of pleasure as he watched the two women. This was going to be easy money.
***
End Chapter Four
