"What happened?"

Cynthia shoved past Carly, the brunette frowning before following after her.

"Matthew has a black eye!"

Carly caught up with her and grabbed her arm, Cynthia wrenching it away but spinning around to face her.

"Why couldn't you just respect what I wanted?" Cynthia demanded.

"What?"

"I told you I didn't want to go on a date with him, but you tricked me into it. That's not what friends do."

"I just wanted you to be happy."

"What makes you happy and what makes me happy are two different things, Carly," Cynthia said, turning to walk away, but Carly caught her arm again. Cynthia shoved her away "Stay away from me."

.

Cynthia sat at math, focusing on the teacher rather than paying attention to how everyone was shooting her looks. Or how Carly's seat was empty.

Cynthia's eyes drifted to the window and they caught on something red.

Jerome.

He was standing against the building opposite of the school, smoking a cigarette.

"Mz. Sinclair?" Cynthia asked, the teacher nodding "I have an awful headache, can I…?"

Sinclair nodded and Cynthia left, headed off towards the school nurse.

The problem was that there were guards posted outside the doors ever since the Marco incident and Cynthia wouldn't be able to get out that way.

So, she would have to improvise.

Out the second story window, down the bricks, and over the wall.

And not even a scratch.

She crossed the street, keeping her head down slightly, before she reached Jerome, who was smirking.

"Are you following me?"

"You're the one who came out to see me," Jerome replied.

"You're the one standing outside my school," Cynthia countered.

"Good point," Jerome allowed "So, Cynthia, do you wanna get outta here?"

He emphasized the beginning of her name when he said it, Cynthia noticed idly, and he was running his eyes over her like she was prey.

"I'm not walking around Gotham in a private school uniform. I'm not an idiot."

"God, you're such a buzz kill," Jerome said dramatically.

"You and I both know that's not true… I know somewhere we can go," Cynthia said with a smile, pulling out her phone.

.

Cynthia entered the apartment the moment the door was opened.

"Hey, Brice," Cynthia said offhandedly, Jerome following behind her with an amused smile.

"Hi, Cynthia," Brice said somewhat nervously "I'm really happy you called, wh-who's this guy?"

"Jerome," She said with a small flap of her hand "Anyway, I need to use your fire escape."

"M-My fire escape?" Brice asked, Cynthia nodding before pointing at his bedroom "Um, yep, in there. Listen, Cynthia."

Brice continued to talk as Cynthia and Jerome headed into his bedroom, Cynthia grabbing a bag of gummy worms he had as they walked.

"I've stopped dealing and smoking; knew that it annoyed you. I've got an actual job now; working at the corner shop. I've been trying to clean up my act, Cynthia."

"Good for you," Cynthia said distractedly as she opened his bedroom window and climbed onto the fire escape. Jerome followed after her and as Brice approached the window; she closed it.

"C'mon," She told Jerome, hopping up the steps and jumping up to the roof.

One side of the building looked out at nothing, really, but the other side.

You could see all of Gotham.

"Used to come up here when Brice was high and didn't want to do anything; probably the reason I stayed with him for so long." She sat down on the side of the roof, her legs dangling over the edge.

"How long were you with him?" Jerome asked derogatorily as he sat beside her.

"Oh, about three weeks," Cynthia said with a shrug "I get bored fast."

"Trust me, Sweetheart, you won't get bored with me," Jerome said, reaching out and pushing her hair back, running his fingers over her neck in the process.

"But, you won't be here long, will you?" Cynthia asked.

"No, but the circus will come back in a year," Jerome said.

"I'm not going to wait for you like some paperback romance, Jerome; I've only known you a day," Cynthia said, leaning in as Jerome grinned.

"Then I'd better make the most of the time I've got with ya," Jerome said.

Before pulling Cynthia into a nearly painful kiss.

Jerome liked to kiss hard, that much was certain, and with lots of teeth.

But, Cynthia was okay with that; she liked to kiss hard too.

Cynthia could feel Jerome smile as she kissed back.

After a moment they broke apart, Cynthia catching her breath as Jerome ran his hands up and down her sides before moving to lift her skirt up. Cynthia leaned in and Jerome paused.

"I think I'm going to use this as incentive for you to find me the next time around."

She pushed his hand off her thigh, Jerome grinning.

"I thought you weren't going to wait for me."

"I'm not going to, but that doesn't mean I don't want you."

"Then, I'd like to formally ask you out on a date; one year from now," Jerome said, over the top.

"There's a place called Hotel Belle Monico, I'll pay, just come."

"Trust me, Dollface, I'll definitely be coming."

.

"I'm not going to see you again," Cynthia said, melancholy as they stood outside her school.

"Not this time around, Babydoll," Jerome said.

"Alright."

"Aww, don't be said; smile."

The way he said it was ever so slightly threatening and Cynthia was rethinking not having sex with him as she smiled.

Jerome pulled her up for another kiss, Cynthia wrapping her arms around his neck as they kissed for the last time this year.

"See ya around, Dollface."

"Bye, Jerome."

As the redhead walked away, Cynthia leaned against the wall; facing the other way.

What neither of them saw was Matthew; who'd seen the entire exchange.

.

Cynthia had been on lock down after she cut class; not like she would've gone anywhere anyway, she was done with Carly.

"Reading the funnies?" Cynthia asked her brother, both of them sitting in their father's study.

"Finished with the front page. Would you like it?" Bruce asked, offering his sister the paper, which she took.

Thankfully, Bruce was too invested in what he was reading to see her freeze.

MURDER UNDER THE BIG TOP: SNAKE DANCER FOUND DEAD.