Student Teacher

Chapter 8

Dick came down the main staircase towards the front door, jacket on and headed out. “Alf, I’m going over to the Tower to watch the playoffs. Later.”

“Dick, wait a minute, will you?”

The boy stopped, surprised that Bruce was home at five in the afternoon, in fact he’d assumed that he’d be home at his usual six or seven or dawn. He looked a question at Bruce who was just coming into the entrance hall from the main living room.

“I’d like to have a talk, if you don’t mind; come on, sit down.”

“The others are waiting for me…” He didn’t want to do this; he knew what was coming and he’d avoided it for almost six months. Couldn’t they just put it off a few more days?

“This won’t take long.”

With no real choice, he followed Bruce and sat on the long leather chesterfield couch facing the lit fireplace and thought it odd that it didn’t seem to add any warmth to the room. He let Bruce start things off, quietly sitting while he waited.

“Your school called me a little while ago, I assume you know what it was about.”

There was no point in denying anything or playing dumb, this was Batman he was dealing with. “What do they want to do—I mean, what are they doing? Or are they waiting to see where you stand on this?” He half expected Bruce to read him the riot act, but it didn’t happen. He was in that calm, introspective mode he hit sometimes when he was really upset about something.

“You know that I’m not happy about this, but I also believe that you have real feelings for this young woman. I’m even willing to accept that she thinks that you two may have some kind of future together when you get a little older, though I have reservations about that. None of this changes the fact that what you two are doing is illegal—she’s technically responsible and I could file charges.”

“How long have you known?”

“Since the day you went to help paint her apartment. Now look, I don’t want to drag either of you through the courts, but this has to stop. If you’ll assure me that you’ll end it I’ll take you at your word and that will be the end of things. Are you willing to do that?”

“Is there any reason why we can’t stay friends? I mean just friends?”

“I don’t think that would be a good idea, Dick.”

There it was, black and white. Period. No discussion. Stop or he’d take Carolyn to court and eviscerate her…or have his legal team do it for him. She wouldn’t stand a chance against Wayne Enterprises, none. He didn’t even have to say it; Dick knew what would happen and he knew she wouldn’t stand a chance.

Bruce had hamstrung him. “I want to tell her in person.”

 

* * *
 

“I simply can’t help myself, Leslie, I should have realized that something was going on, that something was amiss. I shall go to my grave with this knowledge and I can blame no one but myself for my shortcomings and what pain they may end up costing that child.”

Dr. Leslie patted his hand, “You know that simply isn’t true, Alfred. Dick is a remarkably precocious young man, he’s not a child and I suspect he hasn’t been since the night his parents were killed. He’s much more mature and advanced for his age than any normal fifteen-year-old and we all know this. How many times have you commented on that, yourself? He wouldn’t be who he is if he was a standard issue teenager—it’s part of what makes him so exceptional.”

“I should have known.”

“Bruce should have known. And if he knew, he should have done something before this.”

 

* * *
 

“Thank you for coming in this morning, Dick, please take a seat.”

“You sent a note getting me out of math class; I assume this is about me and Miss Posner, right?”

The school psychologist shifted in his chair. “Well, it is. You’re an intelligent young man, surely you can see the problems with you and Miss Posner becoming such close friends.”

Dick was doing his best to keep a lid on his temper about this—he was Robin, he was a professional and this jerk wasn’t worth getting upset about. “As far as I know, there’s no reason why two people can’t be friends, Dr. McClure. I mean, it’s not like we’re sleeping together. Or are there some rules I’ve missed?”

“With all respect, Dick, I haven’t said that you were sleeping with anyone.”

“But you obviously think we were or I wouldn’t be in here, right? I assume this came down from the principal and maybe the school board and you’re all afraid that Bruce will sic his lawyers on you and the school will go under because of the huge judgment against you that you’ll all afraid of. Your jobs are all on the line.”

“You’re in here because we’re concerned about you, Dick.”

“You barely know my name and until this morning you wouldn’t have known me if you fell over me. Miss Posner and I are just friends; nothing else. We haven’t done anything wrong.”

The man drew a breath and looked out the window for a moment while he seemed to mentally recite a mantra of some kind, though he wasn’t surprised the Grayson boy was denying everything and becoming defensive—he would have been more surprised if the kid had admitted an affair. “I realize that you’re still a minor, but I rather doubt you’re quite that naïve, Dick, and if you really don’t see the situation for what it appears, then I’m sure that Miss Posner understands what lines have been crossed.”

“I do understand the rules, but we didn’t do anything we shouldn’t have and Miss Posner made sure that nothing happened that would be misconstrued. I know—we both know what the laws are and neither of us wanted her to lose her job. Nothing happened.”

The doctor maintained that detached calm all psychologists seem to have. “Several people have come forward and given statements that the two of you were seen in compromising situations.” He seemed a little embarrassed about this. “You and Miss Posner were seen after a movie out in the parking lot; you were embracing and kissing. Evidently you were also seen in a local park, as well.”

The man was right, it had been after the new Indiana Jones movie, and they’d had a good time and were laughing. It just kind of happened. “Fine, it happened a couple of times and it was just a couple of kisses and stuff. ‘No big deal and it was my fault, I swear. She stopped me—stopped us and it never went any further.”

“Dick, this isn’t an inquisition and I’m not trying to put you on the spot. I just need to know if you understand all the ramifications of something like this—of a teacher becoming involved with one of her students, especially one who’s still a minor.”

“I read the papers, I know what can happen to teachers who get involved with students.”

“But do you also understand what can happen to the students involved, Dick?”

“I’ll be fine; it isn’t like I’ve never dealt with things, you know.”

The man needed to try to find out who initiated this and just how far it really had gone. He wasn’t so much concerned about the legal side of things, though they couldn’t be ignored; he was worried about the Grayson boy and how this could affect him emotionally. The kid had been through serious trauma in his life. He’d endured his parent’s deaths and evident loss of his blood family, the move from a hand to mouth performing and traveling existence to a life of great privilege and now this.

Dr. McClure was also worried about what effect the media frenzy—which was almost inevitable could do to him in the long term. This could have serious repercussions on the boy if it wasn’t addressed and dealt with quickly. He’d be dragged through the courts, the newspapers and the evening news, plus once it hit the Internet—which it would—there’d be no containing the story. Bruce Wayne had sheltered the kid as much as was possible when his parents' killers were brought to trial, but something like this, well, it would be like being in the middle of a firestorm.

If that happened, then protecting Dick wouldn’t be an option. That was what McClure was worried about, even if Dick thought it either wouldn’t happen or that he could handle it.

“Dick, I’m not trying to intrude on your privacy but I need to know so I can gauge where we’re going with this: if you’d be willing to tell me, what are your feelings for Miss Posner?”

Jesus, like he was going to talk about this with a school shrink. “We’re friends.”

“Yes, I understand that, but what are your feelings concerning her? Are you in love with her? Do you believe she loves you?”

The boy gave a half shrug as an answer. It was all the answer the doctor needed; it was serious between the two.

 

* * *
 

Dear Dick,

You have to know that this is the last thing in the world I wanted, but I’m convinced that the best thing for both of us is to stay away from one another for a while. I think at least until you’re of age, certainly and maybe longer so that we have a time to put things in perspective of some kind.

As I’m sure you’ve heard by now, I gave in my resignation, effective immediately. I’ve given up my half of the carriage house and I’ve asked that my mail be forwarded to me, but please don’t try to find out where I am for now. I know you and suspect that you may try, but for my sake, I’m asking you not to.

In time, when I’ve been able to think about this and start to move on I’ll contact you.

You have to know how much you’ve come to mean to me and how much I’d come to depend on you and our being together. However, even while it was happening, we both knew that we were playing with fire and that it was premature, if not an outright mistake.

Know that I doubt if a day will go by without my thinking about you or that I won’t be hoping the best for you ad that you fulfill your incredible potential—I’ve truly never met anyone like you and know I never will meet anyone as incredible again.

I believe that if things had been just a little different, that we may have had a possibility of a real future together, but the timing was simply wrong and that’s something that we’ll have to live with and accept, at least for now.

Be well, think of me occasionally and know that I will miss you desperately.

Carolyn


Dear Carolyn,

I know you were forced to resign and I also know that Bruce had a lot to do with threatening the school and the board to make sure that it happened. He said that he wouldn’t if I promised to not see you anymore, but he said later that he couldn’t allow the possibility of us being together to happen.

You know what our friendship meant to me these last few months and you also know that it won’t be all that long before I’m of age and we can do whatever we want.

I don’t know what will happen any more than you do but when I’m no longer a minor, when it’s not quite the scandal we are now, I’ll find you and we’ll see.

In a few years, we’ll see.

Dick

 

* * *
 

“Dick, I was hoping you’d be here.”

“Hi Clark, you’re looking for me?” Like he needed more than one guess to figure out why. Dick was sitting on one of the chaises by the outdoor pool at the Manor. It was early spring, much too cold for swimming, but he thought he’d be left alone out here. Evidently he was wrong.

Clark, and he was dressed as Clark Kent at the moment in khakis and a button down shirt, sat on another chaise beside the boy. “Happy Birthday.”

“It was two weeks ago, but thanks.”

Clark nodded, “I know, I would have come by but I was off-world for a while, just got back last night, in fact. I thought that you might like this.” He handed Dick a small package, maybe the size of a cigar box. “Go ahead, open it.”

Dick pulled the ribbon off and opened the lid, inside was a small metal thing maybe the size of a cell phone. It looked a little like a weird Game-boy, a small device of some kind with a viewing screen. “It’s a viewer, you can program anyone into it and keep track of them. It doesn’t receive pictures unless the other person also has one of these, but you can use it as sort of a phone and a locator; it can establish an audio link with almost anyone you want.”

“Thank you.” He saw that Titans were all listed on the auto-dial or whatever it was called and that the tenth entry was C. Posner. Of course. Clark knew as much about everything as Bruce did.

“How are you doing?”

“Not so great. Did you know they took her out of school during third period in handcuffs?” Clark shook his head. “She’s in jail waiting for the trial, it’s scheduled to start in about a month. I’m being home schooled for a while.”

“That’s probably a good idea.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“But I thought Bruce said he wouldn’t press charges.” Clark was the one who convinced Bruce that it would be too painful and damaging to Dick to do so.

“Yeah, so did I.”

“He’s worried about you, you know that’s his only motivation.”

“I guess.” But Dick wondered how much that concern revolved around jealousy that he had found something Bruce had declined for himself.

 

* * *
 

A spring day, sunny and with a slight breeze. The flowers were starting and the first crocuses and daffodils were blooming. Winter was over and the parks were magnets for anyone with an ounce of blood in their veins.

He saw her before she saw him, sitting on the bench they’d agreed on and with an unread book on her lap. Her face was the same, her hair longer and blonder. She was wearing a light dress and looked like she’d lost some weight, now fashionably thin while she had been just slim a few years ago.

“Hello, Carolyn.”

She turned, expecting him and took a moment to appraise him as he just had her. She smiled and stood to greet him, her arms around him and a warm kiss on his cheek. “You’re even more beautiful that you used to be and your eyes are still as blue as I remember.”

They strolled the paths, not quite touching but close beside one another, catching up with small talk. “I heard that you’re a cop in Bludhaven, I’m terrified for you.”

“It’s not that bad.” In fact, it was worse, but he wasn’t going to tell her that. “Are you still teaching?”

“No, I’m a researcher for Newsweek. Steady hours and not as much office politics. No fighting for tenure. Where did you end up going to college?”

“Hudson for a semester. I didn’t like it. Then I kind of drifted around for a while. I like being a cop, though.”

“How does Bruce feel about it?”

“He worries, but doesn’t say much. Are you married”

“No. You?”

“No. I was engaged but it didn’t work out. I seem to have trouble keeping girlfriends.”

“You just haven’t found the right one yet. You will.”

“So will you—find a boyfriend, I mean.”

“One of these days. It’s not a priority.”

They stopped for some ice cream, Dick’s treat. “Are you happy, Carolyn?”

She nodded. “Are you?”

“I like what I’m doing, it’s important and I feel like I’m accomplishing something. I think Bruce is a little disappointed, but he keeps it to himself.”

They walked on, still strolling and chatting. “How bad was it for you after you were forced to leave?”

“Bad. I couldn’t get a teaching job; they didn’t give me a recommendation. I waitressed for a while to pay the bills but I didn’t tell anyone why I’d changed jobs. It was hard—none of my friends knew, they still don’t. It’s better now, though. I like my job and I have an okay life.” They found a big rock overlooking the pond and sat in the shade. “What about you, how was school after I left?”

“Okay, I never was all that involved with the place. I always had outside friends and so it was just marking time for a year or so until I graduated. No one really bothered me, I don’t think anyone cared all that much.”

“Good. I was worried about you.”

He smiled and gave her a half laugh. “I worried about you, too.” He finished his ice cream. “It wouldn’t have worked, would it?”

“Between us? No. Maybe for a while, but no, not in the long run.”

“But you’re okay, Carolyn? I mean, really?”

“I am—and so are you from the looks of you. I don’t think a single woman we’ve passed has managed to not stare at you. You’ve become quite the hunk, you know.” He laughed as he blushed. “You never knew how terrific you were, did you, Dick? There was a reason I was attracted to you, you know.”

“Yeah well there was a reason why it was mutual. You know, if we’d met now I think…”

“But we didn’t.”

“Carolyn, we could give it another shot and this time we could…”

“We had our chance. It’s passed.”

“I’d like to try. I mean, if you’re willing.” He leaned in to kiss her but she pulled away.

“Too much time has gone by. No, it’s not going to happen now, Dick, I’ve moved past it, even if you haven’t.”

“Carolyn, c’mon, that’s silly. We can’t know if we don’t give it a chance. We had something then, we don’t know that it’s gone.”

“I do.” She got up a little too fast, seeming to be a little too anxious to get away. “I have to get back to work, this is my lunch hour.”

“Meet me after. Please. Let’s at least try.”

“No.”

“But…”

“No. I missed you for years and you may think there’s still some feeling, but there isn’t for me, not anymore, just some nostalgia and I’m not interested in that kind of thing.” She looked at her watch. “I really have to go, I’m late.” She kissed him again, a real kiss that went on too long for simple nostalgia but then abruptly turned and left.

Dick watched her go, knowing a decision had been made and that it wouldn’t be changed. He’d been looking forward to this for five years; fantasized about it, thought and rethought where he’d take her for their first dinner together, where they’d live, how it would be.

He’d known almost as soon as they’d started talking that it was a non-starter and he knew why, just as he thought it may happen. Taking his cell phone from his pocket, he hit number one of the speed dial. “Bruce? I’m in Gotham, close to Wayne Corp. I’ll be over in a few minutes…I don’t care, cancel it. I have a few things I want to say to you.”
 

End

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