Hello! Thanks for all the great reviews it's really great! In this chapter I will be using reference to a Myth that I liked and a reference to both Richard's and Kori's pasts.
Disclaimer: Teen Titans, not mine.
Chapter 4: Cupid and PsycheHer high heels clicked on the cold pavement as she walked the intersection.
" Yeah, I know. Well that's just how I am, Mary Did Eric have a fit?" Kori asked while talking on her cell phone. " HA! I knew it! Did he go all red? He almost did!" She listened to Mary's voice. " I had to. Why? I'll explain tomorrow when I show you what I found. All right."
She got onto the other side of the sidewalk and heard a muffled " Humph!"
Kori stopped as sprinkles of snow started to fall on her head as fall turned to winter. " Hold on a second Mary."
She put the phone down from her ear and listened carefully. Slight banging sounds came from the alley a few feet from her. There were sounds that sounded odd and then someone yelled, " Help me!"
" Mary I have to go!" Kori yelled into the phone as she ran and then hung up.
She ran to the opening of the alley and her eyes widened. A girl about 17 was pushed up against a wall with a black-gloved hand over her face. She wiggled under the mans' grip.
" Give me your money pretty girl!" he yelled.
The girl screamed behind his hand. She then turned to see Kori and her eyes leaked many tears. She was able to move his hand from her mouth. " Help me please!" she begged.
Kori ran towards them, " Let her go!"
The masked figure saw kori and dropped the girl to the ground then took off running down the alley.
Kori stopped at the girl, " Are you okay?"
The girl sobbed and held herself closely. She then said realizing something, " He took my welfare check! I need it to get food for my family! I need it!"
Kori looked onward to where the man had fled and back at the girl, " Are you okay here until I get back?"
The girl looked up realizing that Kori was going to help her and nodded, " Yes."
" Alright stay here. I'll go get your money." Kori said swiftly as she took off.
She ran half way down alleyway and turned onto a different alley. She saw him in the distance. She stopped and thought for a second. She quickly looked around to make sure no one else was there and then lifted from the ground. She flew furiously at that the running figure.
When she got close she yelled, " Hey!
He turned around shocked. He shot at her but she dodged every bullet, " What the hell are you!"
She stopped flying in midair, " Someone you really didn't want to mess with!" Her hands then lighted up with green.
The man's eyes widened and he started to run again. " Ah!" she yelled as she threw a starbolt at him.
He fell as it hit him square in the back. She landed and walked the snowy ground to him. She bent down and found the check wadded up in his hand.
Meanwhile back in the other alley a figure with a cape landed next to the girl.
" Miss?" he asked.
She looked up and gasped, " Nightwing?"
He nodded, " Are you all right?"
She nodded, " I was just walking home after work and a man grabbed me and dragged me into the alley and pushed me against the wall. And then a woman was there and she told him to get off of me, and then he ran but the took my money. The lady told me to stay here while she went to go get it."
Nightwing looked around and said, " Was he armed?"
She nodded, " He had a gun." Her eyes widened as she realized his point.
" I've notified the police, they'll be here soon. I have to go after!---." He didn't finish his sentence as shots rang out from down the alley. He took off running hopeing the woman was all right.
As Kori stood over the man with the check in her hand she saw a figure at the end of the alley. She quickly put the check on the unconscious man and ran off.
" Wait!" Nightwing yelled as the woman took off.
He passed the man and went to the opposite opening to the alley. No one was there.
He went back to the man as sirens rang in the background.
The man stirred as Nightwing picked up the check.
" Where is she?" the man asked almost drunkenly.
" Who?"
" The woman who threw the green light at me. She could fly and everything." The man said.
Nightwing's eyes widened behind his mask. He looked down the alley.
It couldn't have been. She left a long time ago. It couldn't be. Starfire?
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Beep, beep, beep.
Kori lazily moved her hand out of the covers and shout off the alarm clock. She ran her other hand down her face and moaned.
Knowing she had to get up she fell out of bed. Last night had weakened her, it had been so long since she used her powers. But in the second that she did she felt so alive with energy like she hadn't been for years.
She stood and walked over to shower. She took off her clothes and stepped on its cold tile.
Afterwards she got dressed in long blue pants and a new sweater. She then grabbed her things and left for work.
" Kori Anders!" Eric yelled as soon as she walked into his office.
She smiled, " Eric how are you this morning?"
He sat back in his chair, " Oh Kori, Kori , Kori. Remember yesterday when you went to that conference and you asked those questions?"
Kori smirked, " Nope."
" Anders! Stop being sly with me! What do you have on him?" Eric asked.
" I thought you were angry not curious Eric." She answered.
" Oh no I was very angry. Very, very, very angry ,so angry I was going to fire you. Then I stopped and I thought and I came to the conclusion that you're a genius." Eric said.
" Genius?"
" I see where you want to run with this Kori and I'm telling you to go full stream ahead." Eric answered.
" And where do I want to run with the story?" Kori asked playfully.
" What do you have on Charles?" Eric asked.
" Not Charles, the company." Kori answered.
" Company you say?"
" Yeah, well he might be mixed in there." Kori answered.
" And who, might I ask, are you getting your information from?" Eric asked.
" A source." Kori answered
" Duh a source, what's their name?" Eric asked.
" I can't say. Just know I have one and I am now going to get your information for you." She said standing and leaving the office.
" Hey what happened last night?" Mary asked coming up to her.
" Nothing I just stopped to talk to someone." Kori answered getting some coffee out of the machine.
Mary put her hand to her chest, " Oh thank-god. There was a robbery last night right where you were!"
" Really?" Kori asked faking to be surprised while taking a sip.
" Yeah but there was just women that stopped him! And she could throw green light." Mary said. Kori started choking on her coffee. " Are you all right?"
Kori slowly swallowed and nodded, " Hot. So who do you know this?"
" Well the man kept going on and on about it. And Nightwing told the police that he'd like to question this woman." Mary said.
Kori put her coffee down and ran her fingers through her hair, " Nightwing, that one guy in a cape?"
Mary leaned against the wall, " The superhero you mean, yeah."
" I wonder why he wants to talk to her." Kori murmured.
" Well she did save someone. I'm just glad it wasn't you! You're always quick to be a hero." Mary said.
" No I'm not." Kori argued. " Did you want to see what I found?"
" Sure." Mary grinned.
They walked over to Kori's cubical in the corner. Kori sat down and loaded up a file on her computer.
" You have to promise not to tell anyone about this, okay?" Kori asked Mary. Mary nodded.
Kori clicked a button and a set of blueprints appeared on the screen.
" Blueprints? For what?" Mary asked.
" S.T.A.R Labs," answered Starfire, " I want you to look just here." She moved the screen down and pointed to a blank blue space.
" What?" Mary asked. " There's nothing there."
" Exactly, then why is it in the blueprints?" Starfire asked. " And if you notice the little corner right here just before it is labeled: Janitorial… then space? Look at where it's located."
" Underground." Mary answered looking at the screen.
" About 20 feet under." Kori added.
" What do you think it is?" Mary asked Kori looking at her.
" I think it's a facility. Something defiantly not government approved," Kori answered.
" Where did you get this from?" Mary asked.
" Do you remember an accident about 18 years ago at the original building evolving a man and woman named Silas and Eleanor Stone?" Kori asked.
" Yeah, sad accident evolving chemicals right?" Mary answered.
Kori nodded, " What if I told you that it wasn't a chemical accident, that the Stones had been working on a different project…. in those labs 20 feet under the ground. And that I had proof, that there is a lab there?"
" Then I'd say you're a damn good journalist. Where are you getting your information from?" Mary asked.
" An old friend." Kori answered.
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" Master Richard where was it you were going tonight?" Alfred asked
" A date in Jump City." Richard answered from his walk-in oak closet.
" Jump City, sir? With whom way I ask?" Alfred asked putting just cleaned DC's on the bed.
" With the reporter I met the other night, Kori Anders." He answered.
Alfred opened his mouth to say something but closed it while raising an eyebrow.
" What?" Richard asked popping his head out from the closet.
" Nothing sir." Alfred answered. " What are you planning to wear this evening so that I may press it for you?"
" I don't need it pressed. I'm just wearing jeans and a sweatshirt." Richard answered taking it out of the closet.
" What was that?" Alfred asked.
" I'm trying to impress her and so far my normal 'asshole' antics aren't working. She thinks I'm nothing but stuck up snob." Richard answered. " Don't comment on it Alfred."
Alfred nodded closing his mouth.
" I haven't always been this way, remember. I'm a normal guy…kind of." Richard said.
" May I remind you sir, that you are now a rich man and also famous, pursing a relationship with this girl may drag her into it." Alfred said.
" I can deal with that." Richard replied.
" And Nightwing?" Alfred asked.
" He will have to take the back seat so Richard can get to know Kori better." Richard answered walking towards the door.
" Master Bruce would like to see you in the basement." Alfred stated.
" Figured so. See ya." He said walking out.
The wall opened and Richard stepped inside the elevator. It went down to the " basement", the bat cave, which when Bruce originally returned to Gotham found under his house. Bruce, of course, had remodeled it, put in advanced technology, bought several prototype cars that Wayne Enterprises had made in testing labs but had never produced, and furnished it with all kinds of weapons.
It opened and Richard stepped out onto the cave's floor. Bruce was sitting at the computers.
" So you have a date?" Bruce asked not turning around. Richard smirked; Bruce had to have eyes in the back of his head.
" Yeah with Kori Anders." Richard replied walking towards him.
" The reporter I saw you talking to yesterday?" Bruce asked.
" That's the one." Richard answered.
" You know it may be risky, you being out with her." Bruce stated.
" What's your point?" Richard asked rhetorically.
Bruce turned around hands folded around each other in his usual manner. " You must be careful Richard, she could be after a story."
" She is." Richard answered smiling. Bruce raised an eyebrow. " You see she wouldn't go out with me unless I gave her the story."
Bruce moaned, " Richard! You can have any woman in Gotham, why pursue her?"
" I like her that's why." Richard snapped back defensively.
" No, your penis likes her and you should stop listening to it! You're getting yourself into trouble again Richard. If she finds out who you are--."
" I'm screwed! I get it! But I'm tired of worrying about what may happen, I've lived my whole life that way Bruce. You may choose to live your life in isolation but not me." Richard said. " I'm going out tonight, I'm going to have a good time with a normal woman whom I do find attractive and interesting."
Richard swung around and started heading for the elevator.
" You think that woman last night was Starfire don't you?" Bruce asked. Richard stopped but didn't answer. " And that's why you want her in for questioning."
Richard hung his head down and was silent for a second, then said, " It was her, and I know it."
" It can't be her, we've been over this in the past," Bruce said quietly, " She died years ago."
Richard shook his head, " And I believed that for a while, but…she couldn't have Bruce. Starfire was too strong to die like that."
" You're letting guilt get to you again. We can't have emotions for those who have left us Richard, because then we wouldn't be able to get on with our lives. What happened wasn't your fault."
Richard just started to walk back towards the elevator.
" Are we ever going talk about what happened? All I know there was an accident and you say it was your fault." Bruce asked.
Before he got into the elevator Richard turned his head back to Bruce, " Do we ever talk about you and Barbara?" Then the doors shut behind him.
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" With who!"
" Richard Grayson, now hand me that shirt." Kori instructed Greg who had dyed his formal blonde spiky hair blue.
Greg threw a red halter top t-shirt at Kori, who was in her bathroom. Kori caught it by sticking her hand out the door, and then shut it again.
" How did you even meet him?" Greg asked laying back on the bed.
" The other night at a club. Then yesterday at the conference." Kori replied from inside the bathroom. " I'm coming out."
She opened the door and stepped out. She wore a tight cotton black skirt that went to her knees and then flared out, with black high heels, the red halter-top t-shirt, her hair was down and was curly, she wore green hanging earrings, and a black choker.
" So?"
" I'd sleep with you." Greg answered.
" I'm not sleeping with him! I'm getting the damn interview then leaving!" Kori yelled.
" Okay, okay." Greg said.
" Do I really look okay?" Kori asked.
" Yes, you always look very pretty." Greg said smiling.
Kori rolled her eyes and looked into the mirror.
" Hey," Greg said staring at her, " What's that?"
" What's what?" Kori asked turning and looking for her cell phone.
" That purple scar right there on your neck." Greg pointed.
Kori looked up from looking under the bed and ran her finger over it. " Got hurt when I was younger."
She pulled the cell phone out from under the bed and stood.
" Hmmm…I haven't seen it before. How did you get it?" Greg asked.
" Oh I had an accident when I was a teenager." Kori answered.
" Really?" Greg asked astonished. " What happened? Was it a drunk driver?"
" No, no just…a small thing." Kori lied. " Lets move on to a different subject."
" What are you doing?" Greg asked.
" Dinner. I get my interview and he gets his pathetic date." Kori answered picking up her purse.
" Oh, so you don't like him." Greg said smiling.
Kori rolled her eyes. " Duh you dumb ass! I'm being a good reporter and that's it."
" Alright." Greg said standing.
They walked down the stairs to the front hall. Greg went and opened the door.
He turned, "Know what I think Kori?"
" What?"
" That you might actually like the guy, and that scares you." Greg said.
" I don't like him and I'm not scared." Kori said defiantly. " Goodbye Greg." The she shut the door.
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" Wow." She looked at the place where they were standing.
Richard dressed in his casual clothes walked up to the counter. " Best place in town."
" Welcome to Tia's Taco Shop! How may I help you?" said a teenage you stood behind the window with a Spanish accent.
" I'll have two tacos," Richard said into the intercom. He turned back to Kori, " Do you want a burrito?" Kori nodded. " And two burritos."
" Will that be all?"
" Yes." Richard replied.
" That will come to 10.50." The boy said and Richard handed him the money. " It will be about 5 to 10 minutes."
Richard nodded and stepped away from the window, " So ever been here?"
Kori shook her head, " No. I'm surprised."
" Surprised?"
They started to walk towards a stone table outside the taco stand. " Yeah," Kori said as they sat down, " I thought you were a more of…a restaurant guy."
Richard grinned, " I've never been a restaurant guy. I swear the places Bruce takes me to don't even serve editable food."
Kori laughed. " I think I'll start my interview now." Richard just nodded.
She put her purse on the table and took out a small notebook. She then opened a flap to reveal an organized pocket of pens and other things including anti-bacteria, tissues, lip-gloss, powder, Tums, Aspirin, cough drops, and etc. She then put the purse back down next to her on the stone bench.
She opened up the notebook and looked up. Richard chuckled.
" What?"
" I didn't know you were one of those people." Richard laughed.
" What people?" Kori asked confused and a bit offended.
" One of those 'organized-everything-in purse- people'." Richard laughed. " You have to be in control."
Kori look offended, " What do you mean?"
" I mean you have to be in control. You have everything in your purse yet you're extremely organized. You probably carry some kind of purse everywhere you go, with the same organization in it. You're a perfect example of an 'organized-everything-in purse- person'. I bet you anywhere you go any random place and any random person can ask you if you have any random thing and you can pull it out of your purse." Richard explained. " I even bet you have tape in there."
Kori opened her mouth offended, closed it, the opened it again and said, " Just because I have a lot of things in my purse and chose to be organized doesn't mean I have to be in control! I just like walking into any situation and know I'm prepared! So sue me! What do you carry in you wallet anyways, 'Mr. I'm so normal I can judge anyone!'"
" I carry credit cards, some cash, I.D., and some condoms." Richard answered.
" Exactly!" Kori exclaimed.
" Exactly what?" Richard asked.
" You're one of those: ' I carry a condom with me everywhere because I think I'm going to get laid everywhere I go' kind of guys'. You're so confident that you're going to have sex with every woman that you meet so you carry condoms with you." Kori pointed out.
" Oh yeah? What if I'm just trying to be safe?" Richard asked.
" How many do you carry?"
" Five." He answered.
" Five? Oh come on! Five? Even 3 if too much to be carrying around with you, two would be understandable. But five? Seriously? It's like you expect women just to jump in your arms anywhere you go. I even bet they're different colors." Kori smirked.
Richard opened his mouth and then closed it as they were given their food.
Once left alone again he said, " Well I guess only 9 questions left."
" What?" Kori asked with some beans dropping form her mouth.
" Oh I forgot to tell you, I'm only allowing 10 questions and that wallet one counted." Richard said taking a bite of his taco.
" That's not fair you didn't tell me!" Kori exclaimed.
" Life's not fair." Richard answered coolly.
" Fine." Mumbled Kori, " So what's your opinion on the merger?"
Richard shrugged, " Don't really have one. Business is Business. It's all good and fun."
Kori shook her head in disgust.
Richard smiled, " It's been going smoothly. S.T.A.R. Labs so far has been a great partner. And Wayne Enterprises feels glad to have been helping a company with such great goals."
Kori smiled, " Thanks." She said quietly.
" Welcome." He answered quietly and they finished their meal. " So you want to go for a walk?"
Kori nodded, " Fine."
They stood and walked about a block to Jump City Park. It was wide spread with a small zoo, vast green land, small lakes, and beautiful gardens. They were the only ones in the park as they walked under the moonlight.
" You're adopted, correct?" she asked.
" Yup."
" Where are your parents? Do you know?" Kori asked.
Richard looked down at his feet said, " They died when I was young. Murdered."
" Oh, sorry." Murmured Kori.
" It's fine." Richard said smiling.
" Okay, so… did you really sleep with a striper?" Kori asked.
" What? No! I'd never do that…although it may seem like it." Richard answered. " I'm not that kind of guy."
" Then what kind-of guy are you? Why do you let people think the worst?" Kori asked.
" It gives people entertainment, they think they know me, but they don't. Honestly, I don't know what kind-of guy I am. When I was younger I thought I had it all figured out but now I'm not sure." Richard answered.
" We all think we have it figured out when we're young don't we?" Kori said softly. "Why don't you set people straight?"
He stopped and looked at her, " Because they wouldn't believe me Kori."
He started to walk again and so did she.
" What's up with you," he asked, " Where did you grow up, do you have any brothers or sisters, a dog?"
" Um…My lived in a different country, my parents died when I was small also, I have one older sister whom I don't speak to, and no dog." She answered.
" Sorry," he whispered, " So who we're you raised by?"
" Oh," she smiled, " I was raised by Galf-," she caught herself, " Gal-Gal-Bert. Yup my Uncle Galbert.
" Galbert?" Richard asked skeptically. Kori nodded taking a deep breath." Who would do that to a poor innocent child?"
" Well, um, we called him Gal because he, um, didn't like his name." she lied.
" Neither would I. Wait…you called him Gal?" he asked.
" Yeah."
" Gal is in G-A-L meaning a woman?" Richard asked smiling.
Kori blushed and said quietly with an almost unbelieving tone herself, " Yeah, his name really sucked."
" Ooookkkaaayyy." Richard said.
" Where did you go to college?" Kori asked.
Richard thought about his answer and said, " Just some school in a different country really not that important. Of course I majored in business."
Kori wrote down it all on her notepad.
" So how bout you?" Richard asked.
" Oh, I went to Jump City University and I majored in mythology." She answered. " And journalism."
" Mythology, huh? What's your favorite story?" Richard asked.
" It's Cupid and Psyche." Kori answered.
" I've never read it, what's it about?" he asked.
They sat down on a bench and Kori smiled as she explained, " Well there was a beautiful mortal and her name was Psyche, so beautiful was she that all the men in the world wanted her. Venus, the goddess of love, got jealous of Psyche because no one would come to her temples. To get rid of the problem she told her son Cupid to hit her with one of his arrows so that she'd fall in love with a vile man and marry him. But of course as soon as Cupid saw her he fell madly in love with her, so instead he made it so that every man would stop, think of her beautiful, but then move on and marry someone else. Finally it got to the point that her parents decided to marry her off to what they thought was a beast. She went and her parents thought she died. But she found that she was swept away to a beautiful palace where she received anything she wanted. Her husband would come to her at night, but would never let her see him and said is she did he'd leave her. But soon she got lonely, and against his advice invited her sisters to come and visit her. Her sisters came and got jealous. When they found out that she hadn't seen him they poisoned her thoughts, telling her things like that he was a terrible monster and she must kill him while he slept. So she got scared, forgetting her love, and at night when she went to stab him saw that he was beautiful under her candlelight. Cupid awoke and she accidentally dropped her knife, injuring him. So distraught was he that he left her and went to his mother's home. Desperate to get him back she performed many dangerous tasks so that she may see him. Finally on the last task she took some beauty from the box that was to be given to Venus and fell asleep. He found her and they forgave each other. They married and she became an immortal and lived on Olympus with all the other Gods, solving Venus problems and hers."
" Wow. Nice story. Why do you like it?" Richard asked.
Kori shrugged, " He hid himself from her and she needed to the real him so badly that she'd do anything."
" Deep." Richard said smiling. She hit him playfully.
They stood and began to walk once more.
" When you were younger what were you like?" she asked.
" I was rebellious, had to be right, kept to myself, had problems dealing with personal issues, which lead to bad things." Richard answered. " You?"
" Same as I am now I guess. I guess I was a bit more naïve though, and I did…a lot of…community service." She said carefully.
Richard smiled, " Community service? Like helping old ladies cross the street?"
" I guess you could say that." She answered.
" And you don't do it now?" he asked.
She shook her head.
" Well you write for the newspaper. You busted that drug gang, that helped people." He pointed out.
" It's not the same," she whispered, " I remember a time when Jump City was at it's greatest, when there was no drug gangs to bust, when there wasn't so much crime, when villains didn't run this city, when there were heroes."
" Me too, but nothing last's forever." Richard whispered back.
" I know, but why don't people try to improve things around here? If people just stood up against the things and people that were bad then this city, this world wouldn't need heroes." Kori said.
" Don't you remember Jump City need it's heroes didn't need its heroes anymore." Richard said.
They stopped at a top of a hill looking over Jump City's bay. In the sparkling waters laid a small island with a t-shaped structure on it. The T-Tower was worn and old. It's once sparkling window panels were dusted and some broken. Its metal frame was rusted from years of being rained on. It sunk as though it were sick and for 15 years no one came to care for it.
" I remember, Jump City had all the heroes they needed right? If that's so then were the hell are they? They all left. But the truth was: the heroes that wimped out." Kori said bitterly.
" I see," Richard whispered. " I take it you don't like super heroes."
Kori shook her head, " It's not that I don't like them, they just let me down. Kind-of like men."
" And there it is again!" Richard exclaimed.
" What?" Kori said turning away from the sight.
" You make subtle comments on men that are every harsh. So who was he?" he asked.
" Who?" Kori asked walking again.
" The guy who made you think lowly of all men." Richard said.
" I don't think lowly of men." Kori said. " I have best friends that are men."
" That's not what I meant. I mean when it comes to you and relationships with men your bitter about it. You don't come out and say it but you have problems with it. Your not gay are you?" Richard asked.
" No I'm not gay." Kori answered and then said matter-of fact manner, " And yeah I have some problems, but they're my own and none of your business. And if I didn't have an interview with you I would've left a long time ago. It makes a girl wonder how anyone can stand you. But then again there had to be something in your past that made you the way you are."
" The way I am?" Richard asked.
" Oh yes Richard Grayson the way you are. Face it you're a ' I carry a condom with me everywhere because I think I'm going to get laid everywhere I go' kind of guy and something had to make you that way. As far as I've seen you're not a guy to be tied down to any one person." Kori pointed out.
Richard sighed and whispered, " I haven't always been this way."
" Really?" Kori asked surprised. " Then how have you been?"
He smiled, "Oh no you don't Ms. Reporter. First you tell me your sob story then I tell you mine."
Kori shrugged, " What's there to say? This guy and I were dating. I loved him, he didn't love me. We broke up."
" So you were rejected. Is that all?" Richard asked.
" Guess." Was Kori's vague answer. There was more but she couldn't share. " Okay now you."
Richard smiled sadly as if remembering something happy and sad, " Loved this girl, but like I said when I was younger I kept to myself and it lead to a big fight. I left, she got into a car, crashed, and didn't make it."
" I'm sorry," Kori whispered.
" It's been a long time," Richard said. He paused then said, " I didn't mean what I said to her. It was so stupid. It was my fault."
" I'm sure that isn't true," Kori said comforting, " Sometimes things just happen."
" Well," Richard moved on, " After she died I got really drunk, took the stick out of my ass, and lived my life."
Kori nodded and said, " They don't publish that in the tabloids."
" Yeah, well I don't talk about it much not even to Bruce. I will never even talk about what it was about or what was said. I guess it just hurts to much." Richard explained. "But now I guess everyone is going to know."
She looked at him and their eyes locked and she said quietly, " That was off the record."
He smiled softly back at her. Maybe he was different than what she thought.
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They walked down the snowy sidewalk and stopped at a duplex.
" This is it." Kori said making a motion towards it.
They walked up the front steps and stopped at the door.
" I actually had a good time, despite all those disturbing remarks." Kori said sheepishly. "Thanks."
" Welcome. So…you like me?" Richard asked stepping closer to her.
She stepped back, " Easy boy, I didn't say that."
" But you liked me more than you did?" Richard asked.
She nodded and made a sign with her finger, " Just a little bit so don't get cocky."
" You know," Richard whispered stepping closer to her, " You should do what you want to. If life has taught me anything it's that it's short. You should take that community service up again if it made you happy."
Kori smiled surprised by this new wisdom she had discovered, "I'll think about it."
" So what do we do now?" He whispered stepping so close his lips almost touched hers.
" I think…" She whispered, " I should…go to sleep because I have work tomorrow. Bye!"
She backed away and opened her door to step inside.
" Your still such a tease!" He yelled playfully, making some out of the darkened homes fill with light. 'Opps' he mouthed and he walked down the stepping smiling to himself as she closed the door.
He reached the landing he heard her yell, " Richard!"
" Yeah?" He asked turning around.
" I do carry tape in my purse." She said smiling and then closed the door going inside.
He turned and started walking again, " Knew it!"
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She flicked on the light switch and the whole bedroom lit up. She threw herself on her unmade bed and let out a deep sigh.
She sat up and took her cell phone out of her purse. It said she had one missed called.
" Crap." She said to herself. She looked at the number and pressed talk.
After several rings someone on the other line picked up.
" Uh, Hi…is Victor home?" She asked. There was an answer and she said, " Thanks."
She waited a minute and a voice of an old friend came over the line.
" Hey Vic, it's Kori. I got your message, sorry my cell phone was on silent." She said into the phone.
After she received an answer, " Yeah I agree it might not be safe to be talking freely. I got your, um, message."
The voice on the other end said something once more and she answered, " Yeah I did find it interesting. In fact, I, uh, wanted to meet you and talk about it."
The voice answered and she smiled to herself, " Yeah I know the place. At what time?"
The voice answered and she said, " Yeah, okay I'll meet you there. Bye Vic."
She put the cell phone and purse on her nightstand. She walked over to her closet, and opened it. She let herself float up to the ceiling where she pushed a board back. From there she took out a small locked chest. She floated down to touch the closet floor.
She opened the chest with a key hidden along the lining of the closet. It's lid opened and she looked down to find an old purple suit that once belonged to a teenage girl, and a picture of five teenagers all wearing unique suits like hers.
She raised the purple top from the box and said to herself, " Maybe I should take up that community service again."
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Hey! Merry Christmas! And Happy New Year to everyone! And if you're Jewish happy Hauunaka (sorry if I spelled that wrong)! And if you celebrate a different holiday, then Happy what ever you celebrate. And if you don't celebrate anything, stay healthy and happy!
Sorry this chapter took so long! I had finals, and then I got sick. And then there was all this drama at school! But I'm happy to get it to you now. I'm also sorry if it sucked.
But please no flames, and please review. Reviews are like a really good Christmas present!
Well I hope to have the next chapter up soon, on both of my stories.
Until Next Time, Stay Safe This Holiday season!
Hailey