Student Teacher

Chapter 4

Dick let himself into the house, confused and a little bemused by what had just happened. Miss Posner kissed him. Okay, it was just a peck on the cheek, but Jesus—she was his teacher and he was fifteen years old. It wasn’t brain surgery to figure this one out, especially when she was really dealing with Robin from Batman and…

“Master Dick, so there you are! Gracious, but you were impressive this evening. If I may say so, both the Master and I were quite proud of your performance and the reaction from the crowd!—good lord, you’d have thought you’d found the Holy Grail. My deepest congratulations, sir, my very deepest.”

Dick smiled at Alfred’s over the top comments, but they were still fun to hear and he wasn’t all that surprised to learn that they’d showed up at the arena. Bruce owned a skybox after all, and it was just a matter of driving over, and knowing how Alf felt whenever he did any kind of exhibition or anything, well there you go. It still felt good to know they’d made the effort, though.

“And where did you disappear to afterwards? Your friends said you were there and then flew away without a word to anyone. All’s to the good, is it? You enjoyed yourself this evening?”

“Oh yeah, sure, it was great to be up on the trap again and the audiences were terrific. I guess I missed you guys, huh? I’m really sorry but afterwards I went to get something to eat with a friend; you know how it is, I hadn’t really eaten all day and I was starving. Hey, is Bruce still around?”

Alfred shook his head. “I fear he’s ‘out’ for the evening, however, I know he’s as proud of you as I am and that’s saying quite a lot.” He ushered Dick across the entranceway. “Now, if I may suggest, a good night’s sleep before you must get up and do this all over again tomorrow.”

Dick nodded. “Sounds good, I’m pretty whipped. Later, Alf. Good night.”

 

* * *
 

Carolyn couldn’t stop thinking about tonight, playing it over and over in her mind. It had gone better than she’d hoped.

Dick had been absolutely amazing, just as she expected him to be—in fact he was better, much, much better than she had expected. She’d thought that he’d be good or he wouldn’t have been listed as a special guest artist and all of that hype. and sure, they may have let him join that act for a couple of days for old times sake, but to spotlight him like that? No, he had to have the goods for that to happen.

She bought a front row ticket from a scalper outside the arena and waited through the rest of the stupid circus; all those dumb clowns and smelly animals but it was worth it. Unable to sleep, she got out of bed and let it unreel again in her mind as she wrote about it in her journal:

When he came out like the showman he was born to be, all charisma and beauty, I heard the girls around me making their adolescent remarks about how he filled out his tights, but they were right and I couldn’t have agreed more. He was the most exquisite man I’ve ever seen, no matter what his age was and, the more I think about it, which I do too much, I know he isn’t like any fifteen year old I’ve ever met. Or is he sixteen? No matter.

All right, yes, I know he’s too young and to make it worse he’s my student. He’s a minor, he’s the ward of Bruce Wayne who’s reported to be incredibly protective of the boy and I know that not only is my job on the line, but I could be sent to jail if things get out of hand. I know all that. I do, but somehow none of it matters.

The late dinner tonight at that crummy diner was one of the best hours or so of my life. He was friendly and sweet and funny, but then he’d opened up about things I just know he never said to anyone else.

I think, I hope, he felt the connection I felt tonight. I believe that we may be soul mates and I know how insipid that sounds but I believe it with my heart and soul. I understand him and I know he could understand me as well if he had the chance.

I should wait until he’s older, I know that. I should take this time to lay the groundwork for us to be together, to build a strong friendship and spend time with him as a mentor who can help him get whatever it is he wants… That’s another thing, I don’t know yet what he may want to do with his life—he’s so young—but I could help him, no matter what it is that he wants. I could even help him find his course, whatever it may end up being and it doesn’t really matter what that may be. I can’t imagine anything he applies himself to not being a success.

I know all this with as much certainty as I’ve ever felt about anything in my life.

Just as I know we’re meant to be together.

Oh Jesus! I just looked at what I wrote and I sound like an insane stalker but that’s not what this is at all. No, not even close.

I just see him for not just what he is but for all that he can be and will become.

I know other people love him, that he has Wayne and he has friends his own age. I understand that people won’t understand how I feel and will try to make it out like I’m one of those idiot pedophile teachers who are in the news now and then—the ones who claim they couldn’t help themselves and then end up in jail or pregnant by a fourteen year old or something just as stupid. No, that’s not what this is. I know that if the time comes and he decides that it’s not right for him, I’ll understand and step aside.

It will be difficult, but I’ll do it if that’s what’s best for Dick.

I only want what’s best for him—that’s all I want and I have to think I’m one of the things (people?) who are in that category.

As ridiculous as it sounds I feel like we’re soul mates and I can wait for him to grow up. I want the privilege of watching it happen.

When he’s ready, when we’re both ready then it will be right and we’ll both know it.

 

* * *
 

Carolyn was at the next day’s shows, all three of them. She bought tickets at the box office, one for each performance, making sure that they were all in different sections of the arena so that she could see him fly from different angles and different perspectives. She toyed with the idea of surprising him again after the last show to take him out for another dinner but was afraid that she’d scare him and so restrained herself. It wasn’t that she was stalking or any of that nonsense. It was just that she was so proud of him.

 

* * *
 

“I trust that you enjoyed yourself this weekend, Master Dick?”

“God, Alfred—it was incredible. It was just like I remembered it. Well, almost…” He stopped, embarrassed that he’d forgotten the major gaps in his being back. Instead of the Flying Graysons, it was just the Flying Grayson. Singular. His Dad wasn't there to catch him, his mother wasn’t there to tell him how well he’d done or to make the late night snack for him before bed and for a job well done. “It was great seeing everyone again and they all said it was like riding a bike, that I hadn’t forgotten anything and when I turned the quads—I got a standing O at every show. Well, except the early mats, but screw it—those audiences always suck anyway.”

Alfred smiled at the young man, so excited and still so young to be making a comeback. “You know you may go back whenever you want, I’m sure that all of your old friends made that clear.” He picked up a wet towel from the floor. “And the Master was beside himself with pride at your expertise, you know. He was positively bursting.”

“He was?”

“We both were. We went backstage afterwards but were informed that we’d just missed you—no, no harm done, you’d certainly earned a few hours with your friends after all your hard work and you had no idea that we’d be there. Not to worry, Master Dick.”

“Jeez, I’m sorry, Alf, if I’d known I’d have stayed around.”

“Of course. Well, next time then, all right? We’ll plan on it.”

 

* * *
 

“Hey Grayson, what happened to you this weekend? You get laid or something?”

“What makes you ask, Steve?”

“You look happy and relaxed, that’s why—you’re never relaxed. Happy, sure, but happy and relaxed? Never.”

Dick laughed. “So untrue. And not that it’s any of your business, but I spent the weekend with some old friends; it was great.”

The bell rang and they took their seats in History just as Miss Posner walked in, stone-faced as usual and staring the class into silence. “Quiet, and take out a clean sheet of paper for a pop quiz. I said be quiet.” But she couldn’t help let the rigid lines in her face slip slightly when she looked over at Dick.

At the end of class, after they’d taken their quizzes and then sat reading another chapter in the textbook, she handed back the graded papers as the kids filed out. “Good work, Dick.” He saw a red A on the top next to his name.

“Thanks.” The classroom was empty except for the two of them. “Thanks for last Saturday, too; I really enjoyed myself and I didn’t want to just go home—too keyed up after the shows. That was just what I needed and that was really nice of you to bother coming to the show and all.”

She blushed at his compliments. “No, no—thank you. You were wonderful. I had no idea you were that good, I was incredibly impressed, I really was. I can’t imagine what your life was like before you ended up here; it must have been exciting, travelling with all those people and then performing in front of thousands of people. I’m in awe; just watching that was a treat for me.”

“Yeah, well it’s been so long that it was a treat for me, too. I’d almost forgotten what it was like so, anyway—thanks.” He slung his backpack over one shoulder. “I’ve gotta go.”

She nodded; she had another class in a few minutes too. “’See you tomorrow.”

 

* * *
 

Dick didn’t really have another class right away, it was study hall and he sauntered his way down to the library then sat at an empty table in the back where he wouldn’t be bothered. He wasn’t an idiot; he knew Miss Posner had a case for him and he knew it was a non-starter from the get-go.

He wasn’t going to ask her out, he wasn’t about to let anything get out of hand and he sure as hell wasn’t going to do anything that would get either of them in any kind of trouble with the school, Bruce or—more importantly, Batman.

But in the meantime he was enjoying the hell out of it.

But playtime was over; the circus was moving on to the next town and it was time for Batman and Robin to get back to work.

 

* * *
 

Bruce handed Alfred his overcoat and briefcase as he came through the front door. “Alfred, please let me know when Dick gets in, I need to talk to him.”

“Might I ask if it involves his activities this past weekend?”

“It does. Please tell him when he gets in.”

“He placed the case on the hall table. “If I might be so bold, sir, I would suggest that you let sleeping dogs lay, as it were.”

“Excuse me?”

“I suspect that things will right themselves without intervention.”

Bruce regarded the old man, he was usually right about things but this had potential for serious repercussions. “You do?”

“I suspect so, sir.”

Bruce paused a moment, considering. “Perhaps, but I’d like to keep an eye on things.”

“Of course, sir.”

TBC
 

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