“BEEP BEEP BEEP” My alarm blared in my ear as I struggled to open my eyes. I then sighed and smashed my fist into the clock in an attempt to get it to shut up. After five minutes of enjoying the silence, Nick came in to yell at me to get up.

“Let’s go, you are going to be late” He exclaimed with a toothbrush in his mouth. Finally, I managed to drag myself out of bed and started get ready.

After throwing on my black converse high tops and grabbing my bag, I headed out the door on the long trek to school. After reaching the school parking lot, I met up with my friends Sabrina and McKayla.

“You ready for cheer practice after school?” McKayla asked with a friendly smile. After my father died, Nick and I both hung up our boxing gloves, only I picked up pom poms.

  “Yeah, as long as I don’t screw up” I replied with a chuckle as we walked into the building.

First period was chemistry, my worst class. Even though I was a pretty smart girl and I had A’s in all my classes, I had a D in chemistry; plus my teacher definitely hated me. As I was spacing out in class, thinking about how crazy it was that I had been saved by the Dynamic Duo the previous night, Mr. S hollered across the classroom “Ariebelle Bo!”

 I had told him to call me Annie at least one thousand times before but he never listened. He insisted that I go by my birth name, the name my mother gave me.

After lecturing me on what a waste of space I was because I didn’t understand how chemical reactions worked, the bell finally rang. After chemistry, I had math and history, then I had English, which was my favorite class, for the longest period of the day.

 “Okay class, settle down” my favorite teacher, Mrs. Miller said.

“Today we will be starting a new project. I will assign you each a partner, whom you will have to work with outside of school, and you must create a movie reenactment of Romeo and Juliet.”

I mentally thought to myself about who I would like to be partners with. “okay, here’s the list” Mrs. Miller said as she held up a clipboard and began to read aloud. “Marcus and Alfred, Sara and Timmy, Elizabeth and Shane, Annie and Dick…” Mrs. Miller continued to read.

“Dick Grayson?” I thought to myself. The ward of millionaire playboy Bruce Wayne, Dick kept to himself and always seemed to be in his own little world. I didn’t even think he knew I existed.

“Okay, now get with your partners and work for the rest of the period on brainstorming ideas” Mrs. Miller said with her cheery voice.

I awkwardly shuffled over to the desk next to Dick. “Hi…” I tried to muster up with as much confidence as I could, I didn’t like to be pushed outside my comfort zone.

“Hi” he replied back with a hint of friendliness

. “So what do you think we should do for our video?” I asked as my eyes finally made contact with his. His bright blue eyes looked like the clearest, cleanest water. “Why doesn’t Dick Grayson have a girlfriend?” I asked myself as he rambled on about his vision for the project.

“What do you think about my idea?” Dick asked as I became I aware that I was spacing out.

“oh…um…er….it sounded great” I replied back completely unconvincing.

“Were you even listening?” Dick asked with the slightest hint of exasperation.

“I…I kinda spaced out, I’m sorry! My minds just kinda distant today. I had a rough night last night” I tried to explain.

Dick actually looked sympathetic, “Mid-week party?” He asked with a smirk. I couldn’t help but laugh.

“No, I got attacked on my way home from work last night” I told him. I didn’t know why I told him, I wasn’t one for playing the sympathy card and I hadn’t even told my closest friends about my encounter with Batman and Robin.

“oh, I’m sorry” Dick said suddenly becoming solemn. “No, it’s okay. I was saved before anything bad happened…” I said as I was whisked away to thoughts of the great Caped Crusaders and then cruelly brought back to reality.

“Sorry, I don’t know why I’m dumping my life on you, that’s not usually like me” I said sincerely. “It’s okay, venting is good” Dick replied with a chuckle and we both starting throwing out ideas for the project.

The bell eventually rang and it was time to lunch. On the way to the lunch room, Dick and I continued talking about the project.

When we entered the lunch room, he turned to me and ask. “Do you wanna come over my house after school today? To work on the project..” He said anxiously.

“I have cheer practice right after school,” I started to say “but after I could?”. Dick nodded and then added “Sounds great” and with that we went to opposite sides of the cafeteria.