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Barbara Gordon
Hello, my name is Barbara Gordon. I am currently 15 years old and a sophmore at Happy Harbor Academy. I love reading. Mystery novels are my favorites.
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Barbara Gordon
Hello, my name is Barbara Gordon. I am currently 15 years old and a sophmore at Happy Harbor Academy. I love reading. Mystery novels are my favorites.
“Yeah.” She agreed with him. Her dad will know what do. He will be pretty upset but she is pretty sure, he’ll be grateful, hopefully.
When they got into the car, she rested her head on Dick’s shoulder. “That was interesting.” She commented, drained by the experience. She kind of thought it was fun but the overall experience terrified her. She was so happy at least Dick was here with her.
The car left the asylum. Barbara hoped that she didn’t have to go back unless she had. She saw one example of their residents and that was enough.
“Hey, Dick. How should we tell Dad?”
Carefully wrapping her hand in his, Dick let out a slow sigh, feeling himself relax into the seat that would have normally been very uncomfortable, but felt like heaven at the moment. He hadn’t realized how stressed he’d been in there, but now he knew. Miss Harley hadn’t really seemed dangerous, just sad, but that didn’t make the experience any less harrowing. He leaned his head against hers, pulling her a little closer.
“Well, I think the straightforward way is best,” he said slowly. “No sense beating around the bush ‘cause he probably already guessed what we were up to.”
She took a long look at Dick and she immediately smiled at him. She felt herself relax slightly with him.
“If I know Dad, he’ll probably get mad and worried and at worst might ground me. So…” She pursed her lips slightly, averted her gaze slightly and muttered.“ I might not be able to see you.” She pet his leg lightly and went back to her hand in his. She became somewhat flustered and s embarrassed, as her face tinted red. Sometimes the things and actions she does, she doesn’t know why she does it.
The car ride went by rather quickly to the station. Barbara stepped out, somewhat ready to report to her father.
Barbara was so relieved that the guard came in. She gave a quick smile to him as she watched him go over to Harley and take her away.
“Thank you goodbye.” Barbara gave a slight wave to her.
She stood up a bit anxiously. “Dick, we should go. Our ride should be here soon.”
Another guard came to escort them out of the prison. He motioned for them to follow them.
She walked into the hallway with him. She went close to him, glancing somewhat nervously at him. She was still kind of worried of what will come. “Well…we could check it out or at least tell my dad?”
He nodded, falling in to step behind the guard as they were both led out of the interview area and down the hall. Noticing how nervous Babs was, he wrapped his hand around hers, squeezing it a little, reassuringly.
“We should probably tell your dad,” he agreed a little regretfully. “I just wish we had more to tell him.”
The guard led them out of the asylum to a police car that was already waiting out front. Dick sighed, glancing up at the building they had just left before turning to get in the car.
“Yeah.” She agreed with him. Her dad will know what do. He will be pretty upset but she is pretty sure, he’ll be grateful, hopefully.
When they got into the car, she rested her head on Dick’s shoulder. “That was interesting.” She commented, drained by the experience. She kind of thought it was fun but the overall experience terrified her. She was so happy at least Dick was here with her.
The car left the asylum. Barbara hoped that she didn’t have to go back unless she had. She saw one example of their residents and that was enough.
“Hey, Dick. How should we tell Dad?”
“Well,” Barbara tried to think of anyway to get any kind of lead. “Did he have any hang out spots or favorite places to go?” She asked in a desperate attempt.
She grimaced at the possible chance of a dead end. She looked at Dick worryingly. She lightly touched his arm as a gesture for them to whisper to one another. “What do we do now?” She whispered to him.
“He always liked the circus. The fun houses at carnivals, you know?” she said, twirling her hair around her finger as a buzzer rang. A guard walked into the interrogation room, keys spinning around his finger.
“Time to go,” he said, shortly but not unkindly.
“I don’t know,” Dick whispered back, leaning in a little and standing up in the same motion to leave as he nodded to the guard.
“Thanks for visiting me, kiddies. It was so nice to get visitors,” the woman said, offering a little wave that made her manacles clank.
“No, thank you,” Dick said graciously. “It was nice to meet you.”
Barbara was so relieved that the guard came in. She gave a quick smile to him as she watched him go over to Harley and take her away.
"Thank you goodbye.” Barbara gave a slight wave to her.
She stood up a bit anxiously. “Dick, we should go. Our ride should be here soon.”
Another guard came to escort them out of the prison. He motioned for them to follow them.
She walked into the hallway with him. She went close to him, glancing somewhat nervously at him. She was still kind of worried of what will come. “Well…we could check it out or at least tell my dad?”
BOOM?! Does that mean a bomb? Barbara paled slightly at the thought. What kind of maniac were they dealing with? She sweated slightly and quickly mustered up a fake smile.
She glanced at Dick for a boost of support and swallowed what she could.
“Yes, we would love to talk to them. Even on your behalf.” Barbara thought that maybe if she added an incentive in. Harley may trust them thus giving them more information.
A long sigh escaped the woman’s lips, mournful. “That’s the trouble. I don’t know where my puddin’ is,” she said, resting her chin on her hand, handcuffs rattling as she pouted and Dick felt a sigh escape his own lips.
Shooting a defeated look at Babs, he offered her a small shrug. It looked like that was a dead end. Now what could they do? he wondered as he glanced back at the convict.
“Well,” Barbara tried to think of anyway to get any kind of lead. “Did he have any hang out spots or favorite places to go?” She asked in a desperate attempt.
She grimaced at the possible chance of a dead end. She looked at Dick worryingly. She lightly touched his arm as a gesture for them to whisper to one another. “What do we do now?” She whispered to him.
“OH! Sorry, sorry!” Kori immediately pulled back, holding her powdered sugar-y, doughnut covered hand out of the way as she fussed over the smaller girl. Giving Barbara a quick once-over, Kori brushed her off, then straightened her collar while she was at it, talking all the while.
“There you go! Very pretty as always - have you done something different to your hair now? Or maybe I just haven’t seen you in too long - anyway, I like it. Oh, what are my manners, how are you? How was vacation? And your father yes, he’s good? Tell me — “ realizing she was babbling Kori cut herself off.
“Sorry - too fast right?” she laughed, hooking her arm through Barbara’s.
“You were going somewhere, yeah? I’ll go with you. You can tell me what you’ve been up to that you’re so tired looking already linda, school’s just started!”
Barbara politely smiled and slowly started to cringe and eye twitch as Kori started to clean her up. Kori was asking a lot of questions, she tried to answer what she could.
“I got a hair cut. Dad’s good. Vacation good. Spent time with Dick.” She replied and just smiled at her when she stopped. “Thank you.”
“Um..okay? Let me just get a drink and we could go back to my set up.” Barbara slowly led Kori to her table with her neglected breakfast, schoolbag, and a column of books. She sat down and made some room for Kori to sit next to her. “The truth is I read the newest thriller until 4 this morning.”
Kori de-tangled her arm from Barbara’s and settled down next to her, making sure not to scoot to close - she knew that she was being a little touchier than normal and could tell it was starting to bug the younger girl. (The Anderson household was pretty liberal with physical shows of affection, and visiting home tended to make her forget that most people valued their personal space).
“Wow, it must have been exciting! One of your detective stories?”
Kori glanced at the stack of books on the table. Most of them were paperbacks and seemed to be a part of a series. Earlier that year Barbara had lent her one to read - a well worn Sherlock Holmes mystery that she’d insisted was a classic and ‘pretty much the pinnacle of mystery writing’. Kori had liked it alright, but she didn’t quite share Barb’s - or Mr. Watson’s - enthusiasm for the cool and forbidding Mr. Holmes. These books looked newer, however, and much more exciting. She turned one over in her hands. The cover showed a pretty dark haired girl holding a flashlight and silhouetted by an ominous shadow, while the summary boasted about the action packed adventures of the resourceful girl-turned-detective. Kori smiled to herself, imagining that these were exactly the kinds of adventures Babs imagined herself having.
“I wonder if studying criminal justice will be this exciting in real life,” she mused, scanning the back of another book.
“And who, pray tell, will be your ‘handsome and mysterious Officer Raleigh?’” Kori teased, quoting from a blurb about some kind of crime-entangled romance.
“Or should I say, Officer Grayson.”
“Yeah, it’s a pretty great tale called the Oracle series. You can borrow the first one if you’d like.” Barbara held the top of the stack of books and quickly grabbed the bottom one handing it to her.
She started to pick at her food as Kori talked. She started feeling parched so she decided to drink a bit. But when Kori started to talk about Dick, she gagged on her drink. She started to cough as she started blushing like crazy. She covered her mouth with a napkin. When she could speak, she looked at Kori.
“Gosh darn it, Kori. You should know me and Dick have only been dating for a while.” She said embarrassingly. “It’s so so.. I don’t know.” She scratched her head. “I like him so much.” She murmured quietly.
She smiled nicely at Dick and focused all her attention onto the villain. She tried to not cringe by staring too blatantly at the other woman’s roots. She faked smiled and nodded her head every so often looking like she’s really paying attention to him. Her eye unconsciously twitched every time she heard pudding. She ended up shifting her weight as she placed her head on her hand, slightly covering her eye. She flushed slightly as she started to talk about the other side of a relationship.
“Well, does he ever visit you? Or send little gifts to you? As a sign of your guy’s love?” Barbara asked thinking she could get some kind of pertinent information.
“Naw, he’s got way more important things to do then visit little ol’ me,” the woman said, face still dreamy as she idly twirled her hair around her fingers. She giggled once, hand covering her mouth, before she leaned forward eagerly. “He tried to send me a present once, but I don’t think it got through security. They don’t like things that go boom.”
Dick paled at the announcement. Did that mean the guy had tried to send a bomb? Was the crazy guy still out there, making potentially dangerous weapons and just sending them in the mail? He glanced once at Barbara and leaned forward as well, trying to keep how anxious he was out of his voice. “He sounds like a really interesting guy. What’s his name? We’d like to talk to him too.”
BOOM?! Does that mean a bomb? Barbara paled slightly at the thought. What kind of maniac were they dealing with? She sweated slightly and quickly mustered up a fake smile.
She glanced at Dick for a boost of support and swallowed what she could.
“Yes, we would love to talk to them. Even on your behalf.” Barbara thought that maybe if she added an incentive in. Harley may trust them thus giving them more information.
Dick flinched as Babs suddenly grabbed his arm and he awkwardly patted her hand in turn. Harley didn’t miss the gesture.
She leaned forward, looking keenly between Babs and Dick. “He’s your man, isn’t he?” she asked, goofy smile growing on her face. “He makes your insides light up like fireworks and your heart race.” Her chains rattled as she clasped her hands together, looking every part the tragic female romantic lead. Dick had to fight the urge to roll his eyes. “That’s the way it was with me and my man. But sometimes a little more literal with the fireworks part.”
This thought made her grow a little sad. “You know. I think he might have been a little crazy,” she said finally.
Barbara blushed in embarrassment. She kicked herself mentally for doing such an action. She cringed harshly with a hint of anger. She stopped when she started to talk about him. Possibly getting them exposed was a good move. She gave a large apologetic look to Dick. She mouthed sorry to him.
“Yes, we are a couple.” She affirmed the criminal’s beliefs, then quickly changed it to her. She tried to ask delicately. “Is it possible for you to tell us what do you mean?”
The corners of Dick’s eyes wrinkled in amusement to show he wasn’t offended. And it did help to get the lady to open up more, but that didn’t really seem to be much of a problem. They would be lucky if the convict ever stopped talking.
“Sure thing, pudding,” the woman said happily and Dick vowed never to use the nickname ‘pudding’ ever. “You know, like, crazy. Even though crazy’s not really a thing. It’s one of them fancy lawyer ideas, but I really do think he had a screw loose or many screws loose or no screws at all.” She frowned a little at this idea, seeming to seriously consider it before he expression became a little dreamy. “But he gave me some of the best lovin’ I ever had.”
She smiled nicely at Dick and focused all her attention onto the villain. She tried to not cringe by staring too blatantly at the other woman’s roots. She faked smiled and nodded her head every so often looking like she’s really paying attention to him. Her eye unconsciously twitched every time she heard pudding. She ended up shifting her weight as she placed her head on her hand, slightly covering her eye. She flushed slightly as she started to talk about the other side of a relationship.
“Well, does he ever visit you? Or send little gifts to you? As a sign of your guy’s love?” Barbara asked thinking she could get some kind of pertinent information.
Barbara nodded with Harley’s tale. She was especially interested when she settled in Gotham. How the hell did Arkham ever hire her? Shouldn’t there be a phd involved or something? How about a psych check? Definitely a background check in the very least. She is so telling her dad to investigate.
Right when she mentioned him, Barbara grabbed Dick’s arm in excitement as she looked at him, grinning. They were getting a breakthrough.
“Oh.” She tried to say calmly. “Him? Was he your…Did you have a relationship with him?”
Dick flinched as Babs suddenly grabbed his arm and he awkwardly patted her hand in turn. Harley didn’t miss the gesture.
She leaned forward, looking keenly between Babs and Dick. “He’s your man, isn’t he?” she asked, goofy smile growing on her face. “He makes your insides light up like fireworks and your heart race.” Her chains rattled as she clasped her hands together, looking every part the tragic female romantic lead. Dick had to fight the urge to roll his eyes. “That’s the way it was with me and my man. But sometimes a little more literal with the fireworks part.”
This thought made her grow a little sad. “You know. I think he might have been a little crazy,” she said finally.
Barbara blushed in embarrassment. She kicked herself mentally for doing such an action. She cringed harshly with a hint of anger. She stopped when she started to talk about him. Possibly getting them exposed was a good move. She gave a large apologetic look to Dick. She mouthed sorry to him.
“Yes, we are a couple.” She affirmed the criminal’s beliefs, then quickly changed it to her. She tried to ask delicately. “Is it possible for you to tell us what do you mean?”
She cleared her throat. “Well, if it is alright, may I ask a little about your background?” She asked politely. She thought this might be the best way to get Harley to ease into them. She smiled politely and calmly even if she was still a bundle of nerves inside.
“Such as what did you do before you ended up incarcerated?” She knew some background that she was a psychiatrist and was quite brilliant but that’s about it. It would be quite intriguing to how she saw it.
“Oh yeah, sure, sure,” Harley said, flapping a hand as she crossed her legs, kicking her right leg over her left. “Well, I’ve always been interested in the matters of the mind, you know. I got my bachelor’s degree in psychology from one of them online universities—I don’t remember where now—but all them graduate school programs kept rejectin’ my applications to get a Masters in Psychology of the Mind, Heart, and Love.” Dick nodded sympathetically even as he wondered if such a program existed.
The woman chattered on. “So’s I settled in Gotham, because this seems like a cozy place that needs all the lovin’ it can take, you know? I was a counselor for the folks that really needed it, the truly lost souls,” she said, eyes flicking between Dick and Babs as she talked, a quiver in her voice when she recalled her past clients. “And that’s when I met him.” Her voice took on a dreamy quality as she leaned back in her seat, eyes glazing over slightly.
Dick’s eyes flicked to Babs. Was this the him they were looking for? He was surprised it had been so easy to get the woman talking. Then again, she didn’t seem very smart.
Barbara nodded with Harley’s tale. She was especially interested when she settled in Gotham. How the hell did Arkham ever hire her? Shouldn’t there be a phd involved or something? How about a psych check? Definitely a background check in the very least. She is so telling her dad to investigate.
Right when she mentioned him, Barbara grabbed Dick’s arm in excitement as she looked at him, grinning. They were getting a breakthrough.
“Oh.” She tried to say calmly. “Him? Was he your…Did you have a relationship with him?”
Barbara was sitting in the cafeteria already having some food in front of her. Skipping breakfast was a really bad idea. She had to know the ending of the latest thriller or else she couldn’t sleep. Still she slept maybe 3 hours. She laughed ruefully and softly to herself. She had to sacrifice being hungry or sleep and well it’s self-explanatory.
She scratched her face softly, trying to have some simulation before falling asleep and face planting into her cereal. She drank some orange juice and realized she was out. She needed more and maybe she’ll get coffee. She stood up and went to the drink station next to the buffet.
Mornings in the cafeteria had a quiet hum about them. Before the twenty minute dash for breakfast before first period, the only inhabitants of the hall were scattered and sleepy, poring over their books or computers with coffee in hand. Students sitting in twos either ignored each other or kept their conversations hushed. No one seemed to want to break the quiet.
It must have been earlier than she thought.
Kori wandered over to the baked goods, glancing around for a familiar face. Plucking a few mini doughnuts from the display, she hooked her fingers through the holes and wore them over her fingers like oversized rings, only feeling a little silly as she gnawed on them. She was starting to consider finding a place to sit and wait for the first big wave wave of hungry students to rush in before - there!- a familiar head of red hair.
“Barbara!”
Kori squealed and bounded over, forgetting how silly she must look with her mouth half full and her fingers still ringed with doughnuts, and went in for a special patented Kori Anderson surprise hug.
Barbara flinched at the sound of her name. She knew that voice. It was too early for this! She didn’t know what to do and in that moment of panic she found herself in the tight embrace. She was so thankful that she hadn’t grabbed her drink yet. She forcibly pulled her arm out of the grasp and patted her back.
“Hello, Kori.” She felt something nudging her back. She narrowed her eyes. “What’s that pushing into my back?”
She liked Kori even if she felt physically inadequate at times. She was just so tall, like a true Brazilian.
“OH! Sorry, sorry!” Kori immediately pulled back, holding her powdered sugar-y, doughnut covered hand out of the way as she fussed over the smaller girl. Giving Barbara a quick once-over, Kori brushed her off, then straightened her collar while she was at it, talking all the while.
“There you go! Very pretty as always - have you done something different to your hair now? Or maybe I just haven’t seen you in too long - anyway, I like it. Oh, what are my manners, how are you? How was vacation? And your father yes, he’s good? Tell me — “ realizing she was babbling Kori cut herself off.
“Sorry - too fast right?” she laughed, hooking her arm through Barbara’s.
“You were going somewhere, yeah? I’ll go with you. You can tell me what you’ve been up to that you’re so tired looking already linda, school’s just started!”
Barbara politely smiled and slowly started to cringe and eye twitch as Kori started to clean her up. Kori was asking a lot of questions, she tried to answer what she could.
“I got a hair cut. Dad’s good. Vacation good. Spent time with Dick.” She replied and just smiled at her when she stopped. “Thank you.”
“Um..okay? Let me just get a drink and we could go back to my set up.” Barbara slowly led Kori to her table with her neglected breakfast, schoolbag, and a column of books. She sat down and made some room for Kori to sit next to her. “The truth is I read the newest thriller until 4 this morning.”