Love Birds

Chapter Forty

-Dick's POV-

I never believed in fairy tales.

Back in my trapeze days, there was this little girl who loved all the lovey-dovey stories. She would spend all her extra time wearing flowy costumes and pretending to be a princess. One day on her birthday, I remembered Mr. Haly bringing her a huge, thick, old book of fairy tales.

She spend hours running around the circus to read in different locations. Her little arms barely held that big book. The pages were crumbly and the ink was worn. Sometimes, the older kids and some adults would read her more love stories, ones a little kid wouldn't be able to read themselves. My mother read her some Shakespeare once.

I was friends with all the kids in the circus, but I rarely paid attention to any of the other girls; I had a huge crush on my best friend, Raya. But, little Athena Thomas would go running around explaining what was happening with Cinderella and many other characters from the stories she had read.

Even when I was a kid, I thought that the whole love at first sight thing was stupid. I was like any other human being on Earth, I wanted to find a girl to marry, but I thought that the way that Athena's stories portrayed love was stupid. The prince would be lost in what he was doing, the princess would walk in, the two would meet each other's gaze and bang! Fireworks and chemistry, promising passionate love for the rest of their lives. An unrealistic happily ever after.

"You know, the whole purpose of a masquerade ball is to actually wear your mask," I turned to see a girl in a short purple dress with a matching purple mask. I recognized it was Barbara almost instantly. Her red hair was a major giveaway. Not to mention that her dress matched her Batgirl costume.

"Barbara, you look stunning," I complimented, "I'm actually not wearing my mask just in case someone is looking for me." Twirling the plastic accessory between my fingers, I raked my eyes over Barbara's face. She truly looked heart-stoppingly beautiful.

"Masquerade is meant to be a test of fate. You put your mask on and the ones who still find you, are truly special," Barbara smiled, her eyes sparkling.

"You found me, didn't you?"

"But you aren't wearing your mask, are you?" Barbara had a devious expression plastered on behind her mask. I felt dumbfounded, like I had missed the punch line. "I have to go. My dad awaits."

"Him and the GCPD have the whole hotel on lock down, right?"

"Yep," she giggled, "he is whispering in his ear piece every few seconds to the defense. I better go get him before he changes into his uniform." As if to make her point, the crowd split to show Gordon awkwardly shouting into his ear piece. Barbara waved as she strode over to him. He straightened up as she began to lecture. She led him into the crowd, weaving out of my sight. I pushed the cold plastic mask on my face.

Masks of every style, shade, and length were on many different faces. People swirled around each other, causing many streaks of colors before my vision, resembling a rainbow. It was just like Barbara had said, with all those masks I couldn't recognize a single person among the masses.

With a sigh, I looked across the ballroom to see a large table of food. My stomach growled, so I decided to grant its wish. I climbed the stairs two at a time and approached the cornucopia.

There was an array of different foods. I loaded my tiny plate with one of every single hand held dessert. I stuffed a chocolate-iced eclair into my mouth and headed towards the tables off to the side of the dance floor.

I paused on the top of the stairs. I looked out, scanning the crowd. A streak of red went past my gaze. A pair of blue eyes connected with mine in a blissful moment. The world fell away as she stared back. The electric blue of those small orbs caught my full attention. They were the shade of a sky before a lightning storm hit; the shade of an anxious river before joining the vast ocean; the shade of a newly bloomed bluebell against the green grass. Her eyes shined in contrast with her dark, coffee colored hair.