Drowning • Damian Wayne

( chapter two ) ". . .everyone in the world will know."

Monday, August 2nd
4:03 o'clock in the evening
The Thrawne Residence

"Um, hello?" asked Haley with a shaky tone.

"Haley, it's me." Haley quietly sighed in relief upon hearing Damian's voice. "I need to know if you're free this weekend."

"Oh, yeah. I'm free. We could actually start after school on Friday."

Hale couldn't see, but Damian rolled his eyes with a sigh. He simply couldn't do Friday. You see, Grayson would be coming back and visiting for about a week and Alfred wanted everyone to enjoy dinner together before their nightly activities. "I can't do Friday. I have a family dinner."

"Oh, that's fine. We can just do Saturday and Sunday if that's okay with you."

"For this week, yes. I'm unsure for the rest of the year."

"Well, I'm pretty sure I have nothing planned for my entire life. So, just let me know when you're available?"

"That's the plan," said Damian. He was glad she wasn't persistent in coming over to the manor every day. The people he's had as partners in the past have tried to be his friend when he made it perfectly clear that it was just a limited partnership.

"Okay. Then goodnight." Haley didn't hang up, yet. She wanted to see if Damian was going to wish her goodnight. She had seen how he was with other people and just kind of hoped she could be an exception.

"Goodnight, Thrawne." Then he hung up. Pulling her phone away from her ear, Haley proceeded to save his phone number. She was grateful that nothing happened so far. But, she still hopes that he's still not watching her and that he wouldn't act if he saw her with Damian.

Haley shook her head, trying to get her mind off that, and continued with her routine. She undressed from her school uniform and put on comfy, cotton shorts and a loose tank top with a black sports bra.

Walking out of her room and straight into the bathroom, Haley began her nightly routine to remove her makeup, clean her face, and brush her hair. Simple self-care that made Haley feel amazing.

"Haley! Dinner!" Grabbing a scrunchie, Haley walked out and to the dining room to find a box of pizza on the table along with with a liter of Sprite.

"Oh! Pizza," said Haley happily. It was cheese pizza, Haley's favorite. Pulling a few slices on the opened lid of the box (to save herself from washing more dishes), and poured herself some Sprite into her cup. Once settled in her seat, Haley looked at her mom to thank her only to stop upon seeing a look on her face. "Mom, you okay?"

"Are you sure you don't have a chance with Damian?"

"Unbelievable!" Truly. But, Haley really should know better. When her mom wants to talk about something - especially Haley's crushes - she'll talk about it. "Listen, I don't know what to tell you, mom. It's just not going to happen."

"Oh, come on! Why not? And don't say because of. . . that reason." Asteria shivered at the thought.

Haley took in a breath before just shrugging her shoulders. "We're in different social classes, he probably has enough girls chasing after him, and we're just different."

"What makes you think that you're so different from each other? You said earlier that you hardly know him. So, why are you so certain?"

Haley starred at her mother with a worthy face for a "really?" meme. But still, her mother had a point. "Yeah, we don't. Still, that doesn't mean that once we learn more about each other that we're suddenly going to cling to one another like. . . like?" Haley screwed her face into concentration, trying to find the best term to use.