The Long and Winding Road

Chapter Two

DISCLAIMER: I own NOTHING here except that one kid Sally I mention ever-so-briefly. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go search for my Christmas presents. ;) After all, they're MY presents, right?... RIGHT?... well...!

We got home on the first of September. Summer had been lousy that year, and I was glad it was over. But I also realized that the really tough part had yet to start. We needed to help Bruce adjust to this new way of life, and getting a guy like him adjusted to anything is no easy task.

I wanted to help—truly I did—but I was scared of messing up. I always messed up at everything I tried. I remember this one time when we were down in the Batcave. It was about three or four years ago, I guess. Anyway, we had been working on some science experiment that day and were using those (very breakable) little glass tubes.

"Forgive me for saying so, Master Robin," Alfred had said upon discovering that I had broken yet another tube, "but for such a graceful trapeze artist, you must be the clumsiest boy I've ever met!"

"That's what my dad used to say," I had responded cheerily.

That seems to be my life story: I try really hard and then goof it up, often hurting myself or somebody else. Gets discouraging after a while, and I have to admit that I was more than just a little happy when school started. I was still a bit underweight, but I insisted I was healthy enough to go and was soon on my way.

Because Alfred decided he wanted someone to be with Bruce at all times, he couldn't drive me to school anymore. Instead, I had to call a cab. Pretty smelly things, actually, but I didn't complain.

Being the first day of my second year of high school, I didn't know any of my teachers or where any of my classrooms were. Just what I needed in my life—more confusion.

As if things weren't bad enough, everybody in the hallways stopped talking and started staring at me whenever I passed. Any intelligent kid who read the paper had learned about what had happened on our ill-fated summer vacation. Plus all of the teachers read the newspapers and…

WHAP!

With a cry of pain, I fell down hard, prompting amused giggles from the other students in the hallway.

Somebody up there doesn't like me at all, I decided, clutching my nose, hoping it wasn't broken.

I didn't realize what had happened at first, but then I glanced up and noticed that I had forgotten to shut my locker door. I had probably crashed straight into it when I wasn't paying attention.

The school bell rang. I hastily got to my feet, collected my books and headed to first-period English, still clutching my poor nose. At least it wasn't bleeding—that was certainly a bonus.

The second I entered the classroom, everyone fell silent and turned to stare at me. Just like in the hallway. I felt my face heating up. So, trying to ignore all the looks, I took my set and stuck my nose in some random book to hide the growing redness of my face.

The girl who sat on my left—Sally Toren—tapped me on the shoulder and whispered, "Your book is upside-down."

Without even looking at her, I slammed the book shut and slouched further in my seat, staring unhappily at the ceiling.

I hate my life.

—

The school day didn't get any better, but at least it didn't get worse. The really bad part was having to go home and face reality once again. I didn't want to. At all. So after school let out, I just hung around the baseball diamond at Gotham Central Park for a while. I leaned against a nearby tree and watched them practice. Most of the players were about my age, although some were a little older. They looked like they were having so much fun together. How long had it been since I'd had any real fun with anybody? Since the day before I got myself shot, that's when. It seemed like a million years since then, even though it had only been a few weeks.

I stayed there for about a half-hour. I would have stayed longer, except that one of the guys saw me and invited me to play. As much as I liked baseball, I was in no mood for it and declined. Then I caught a cab and left.

Ten minutes later, I was home.

"Master Dick, where have you been? You should have been here over thirty minutes ago… my word, what happened to your nose?"

Not really wanting to have to explain my trepidation about coming home or the careless incident with my locker, I just apologized with a shrug.

Alfred sighed. "Please try to come home on time tomorrow. Now before you begin your homework, I believe Master Bruce wishes to speak with you."

"Great," I muttered under my breath. Alfred raised an eyebrow and gave me an odd look. I didn't bother to explain and just headed into the living room without even dropping my backpack off.

There he was, sitting on one of the couches, his back towards me. Every time I saw him, it was like rubbing salt into the wound. I hated seeing him like that. And that was just the problem—I could see him suffering, yet he couldn't see me suffering.

I stood there helplessly for a moment, waiting for Bruce to start the conversation like he had back at the hospital.

But he didn't say anything.

I was pretty sure he knew I was there, but I cleared my throat just to let him know anyway.

"You haven't called Clark yet, have you?" was all I got in the way of a response. How irritating was that? Sometimes, I wished Bruce would just talk to me instead of interrogate me. What did he think I was, a crook?

"Um, well, no, but—"

"Call now."

Sighing, I told him all about how I didn't feel I was ready to be fighting crime all alone, and how I'd feel like even more of a klutz if I was working with Superman, etc., etc., etc. Bruce didn't say a word throughout my arguments. He just listened. Or at least, I hoped he was listening.

Silence reigned after I finished my speech. For one satisfying minute, I thought I had won. Then:

"Call now."

I should have known better than to even THINK I had won an argument against Bruce.

And so, with a groan, I headed over to the phone and punched the numbers as hard as possible, letting out all the frustration I could in such a simple action.

Don't pick up, don't pick up, don't pick—

"Hello?"

—up. You just had to do it, didn't you?

"Yeah, er, hi. It's Dick… I suppose you've read the papers within the past two weeks…"

Me: Just for the record, I stole that scene with the locker from a commercial I saw once--I think it was a Smallville parody or something.

Dick: How would you know? You don't watch Smallville!

Me: Yeah, well, if you don't shush, I'll tell Bruce that a certain little BIRD of his DOES!

Dick: (broody silence)

Me: Thank you. Anyway, in that commercial, the girl who (I think) is supposed to be Lois trips in the hallway, so the guy who (I think) is supposed to be Clark kind of gives her a strange look. Then he turns around and crashes straight into his locker door... well, I thought it was pretty funny... okay, Dick, do the replies.

Dick: Must I?

Me: Well... it IS almost Christmas... alright, I'll do 'em for you... but just this once!

Dick: Yippee!

Reviewer Replies

:)--You are most certainly welcome! I love doing things like this...

60's Bat-fan--I said I was sorry! Which I really, REALLY am. Yeah, poor guys. I hope this update was quick enough for you. ;-)

lil' Kanny--Aw, now I feel all warm and fuzzy inside! You really like it? Great! Thanks!

smithcrafter--Old school is GREAT! And I'm glad that my sister and I aren't the only ones out there who like Bruce and Dick best (sixties series rules!)