章節 2: Parent Teacher Conference
Bruce Wayne stood in front of the towering Gothic architecture of Gotham Prep, the polished stone reflecting the evening lights. Despite his usual stoic demeanor, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of unease. Open School Night was not something he was used to. Balancing his duties as Batman with fatherhood had always been tricky, but now he had two very different teenagers to keep track of—Maggie, his brilliant yet distant daughter, and Jason, the scrappy new Robin with a rebellious streak. He stepped through the familiar polished doors and into the grand hall, the buzz of parents and teachers filling the space. Bruce smoothed his jacket and made his way through the maze of classrooms, first stopping by to hear about Maggie's progress.
In Mrs. Preston's office, Maggie's Advanced Placement teacher greeted Bruce warmly. "Mr. Wayne, it's a pleasure to see you. Let's talk about Maggie's progress."
Bruce sat down, his expression calm but his attention fully on the teacher. Mrs. Preston shuffled through some papers before speaking.
"Maggie is, as always, an exceptional student. She's far ahead in her studies, and she's on track to earn college credits while finishing high school," Mrs. Preston said, clearly impressed. "Her academic performance is flawless. She excels in every subject—math, sciences, history, you name it."
Bruce allowed a small smile. He knew Maggie was capable of handling the rigorous coursework. "That's good to hear."
Mrs. Preston paused, her expression softening. "But… I do have a concern, Mr. Wayne."
Bruce straightened slightly. "Concern?"
"It's not about her academics," she clarified. "It's her social interactions. Maggie is quite reserved. She doesn't engage much with her peers. Only those she known. Not opening up to new people. While she's respectful and polite, she tends to keep to herself. She's clearly focused, but we believe she could benefit from more social activities."
Bruce nodded, though inwardly he felt a pang of worry. He had always feared that his lifestyle would make it difficult for Maggie to lead a normal life.
"We were hoping to encourage her to join a team, like cheer leading," Mrs. Preston continued. "It could help her relate more to the other students and give her a sense of camaraderie."
Bruce hesitated for a moment. Maggie on a cheer leading team? He could already imagine her rolling her eyes at the suggestion. "I'll speak to her about it," Bruce said.
After thanking Mrs. Preston, Bruce left the office and headed to meet with Jason's teachers. He had a feeling this conversation might go differently.
Mr. Cavanaugh, Jason's homeroom teacher, greeted Bruce with a firm handshake. He was a middle-aged man with a no-nonsense attitude. "Mr. Wayne, thank you for coming. Let's talk about Jason."
Bruce sat down watching as Mr. Cavanaugh rifled through a set of notes. "Jason's quite popular," the teacher began, surprising Bruce. "He's made friends quickly, and he's… well, he's very charismatic."
Bruce raised an eyebrow, intrigued. Jason, the tough kid from the streets, had managed to win over his peers so easily?
"But" Mr. Cavanaugh continued, "we're concerned about his academics. He's behind in several subjects—especially math and English. It seems he struggles to keep up with the more challenging coursework. While he's not failing, it's clear he needs some extra help. I'd recommend tutoring."
Jason's rough upbringing hadn't prepared him for the rigors of a place like Gotham Prep. But Bruce knew Jason had potential. "I see. I'll make sure he gets the support he needs."
Mr. Cavanaugh nodded. "That would be best. Jason's a smart kid—he just needs some guidance. If he can catch up, I think he could do very well here."
As Bruce stood to leave, the teacher added, "One more thing—Jason has a lot of leadership potential. His peers look up to him. If he can channel that into something positive, I believe he could thrive."
As he stepped outside into the cool Gotham night, Bruce couldn't help but think about how to balance both sides of his life—being Gotham's protector and being a father. Maggie's isolation worried him, but he knew pushing her toward socializing might backfire. And Jason… Jason needed structure, a challenge, and a way to channel his energy constructively.
Bruce walked through the quiet halls of Wayne Manor, his thoughts still on the teachers' reports from Gotham Prep. Reaching the training room, he heard the unmistakable sounds of sparring. He stepped inside to find Maggie and Jason in the middle of an intense training session, with Alfred overseeing from the sidelines. Maggie's form was sharp, precise, while Jason moved with a raw energy, each strike calculated but aggressive.
Bruce watched for a moment before stepping forward. "That's enough for now."
"I just got back from your open school night," Bruce began, his voice steady but carrying the weight of authority. "Your teachers had some things to say."
Maggie wiped sweat from her brow and exchanged a glance with Jason, who shrugged, clearly not too concerned. Bruce turned to Maggie first.
"Academically, you're doing very well. Your teachers are impressed with your progress. You're on track to earn college credits while finishing high school."
Maggie gave a small nod. "That's good, right?"
"It is," Bruce agreed. "But they're worried about your social engagement. They think you're too reserved and suggested you join a team to help you connect with your peers—specifically, the cheer leading team."
Maggie's face twisted slightly, a mix of disbelief and annoyance. "Cheer leading? Really?"
Bruce raised an eyebrow. "They think it'll help you relate to others better. Build camaraderie."
Maggie scoffed. "I don't to make more friends. Besides, I'm focused on schoolwork, not... cheering at football games."
Alfred cleared his throat from the sidelines. "Miss Maggie, I believe your friends Emily and Stephanie have been encouraging you to join as well, if I'm not mistaken?"
Maggie shot him a glare. "Yeah, they've been nagging me."
Bruce's expression softened slightly. "I'm not saying you have to join. But if it helps you connect with your peers, it's worth considering. Balance is important."
Maggie crossed her arms, has she thought about the idea of joining in on sport like cheer leading. Then, Bruce turned his attention to Jason.
"And as for you," Bruce said, his tone shifting. "Your teachers say you've made a lot of friends. You've become quite popular, actually."
Jason grinned. "What can I say? People like me."
Bruce didn't smile. "But academically, you're falling behind. They recommended tutoring to help you catch up."
Jason's grin faded. "I don't need a tutor. I'll figure it out on my own."
Bruce's eyes narrowed. "That's not what they think. If you want to keep up at Gotham Prep, you'll need help."
Jason shifted uncomfortably. "Who's supposed to tutor me then?"
Bruce paused for a moment, then said, "Maggie."
Jason's eyes widened, and Maggie looked equally surprised. "Wait, what?" they said in unison.
Maggie's ahead in all her subjects. She's more than capable of tutoring you," Bruce explained. "And it would keep things... in the family. It would be harder to hide your other activities from someone outside of our circle."
Jason's jaw tightened. "You mean, so I don't have to explain why I'm too busy being Robin to do my math homework."
Bruce nodded. "Exactly."
Maggie's eyebrows shot up. "You want *me* to tutor Jason?"
"I'm sure you're up to the task," Bruce said calmly. "It's practical, and it avoids complications with people outside the family."
Jason scowled. "Great. Just what I need—extra time with the geek here."
Maggie crossed her arms, smirking slightly. "You're the one who needs help, street rat."
Jason glared back at her. "Don't push it, princess."
Bruce raised a hand, stopping the bickering before it could escalate. "This isn't negotiable. You both need to work together if you're going to succeed at Gotham Prep. Jason, you need the academic support. Maggie, you need to broaden your social horizons. Think of this as part of your training."
Maggie sighed, glancing at Jason with thinly veiled irritation. "Fine. I'll tutor him... and join the cheerleading team."
Bruce nodded, satisfied. "Good. You both start tomorrow."
With that, he turned and left the training room, leaving Maggie and Jason standing side by side, their usual banter brewing beneath the surface.
Alfred, watching them closely, allowed himself a small smile. "Well, it seems we have quite the productive arrangement here."
Jason shot Maggie a sideways glance. "This is gonna suck, isn't it?"
Maggie rolled her eyes. "You have no idea."
The next day...The sun was beginning to dip in the sky when Maggie found herself on the field, standing among the cheer leading squad. Her friends, Emily and Stephanie, were already buzzing with excitement, bouncing on their heels as they urged her along.
"You're going to love it, Mags!" Emily exclaimed, pulling Maggie toward the group.
Stephanie nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, and you'll be great! You just need to relax and have fun!"
Maggie forced a smile, tugging at the hem of the cheer uniform. It felt awkward on her, a little too bright against her otherwise pale skin tone. Her usual confidence felt out of place here, and she wasn't entirely sure how to blend in with the team.As practice began, the coach instructed them through a series of warm-ups, leading into the more complicated stunts. Maggie, ever the perfectionist, followed along, her mind racing with ways to improve the lifts and pyramids. She watched as the team attempted a basic stunt, and her brain kicked into overdrive.
"If we adjust the angle of the base by a few degrees and take into account the center of gravity," she explained, launching into a detailed breakdown of the physics behind stunting, "the flyer's balance would be more stable, and we could increase the height without compromising safety."
Her teammates stared at her, blinking.
"Uh… what?" Jessica a sophomore and known mean girl asked, clearly confused and annoyed.
Maggie bit her lip. "I'm saying… if we move like *this, it'll be easier." She tried demonstrating, but the blank stares persisted.
Emily sidled up beside her and whispered, "Maggie, they don't… really get physics talk."
Maggie sighed, realizing she wasn't exactly winning any points with the rest of the team. "Right. Got it."
Meanwhile, up in the bleachers, Jason and Roy lounged lazily, watching the cheerleaders practice. Roy elbowed Jason; his grin wide.
"Dude, this practice isn't half bad," Roy chuckled. "Some of these girls are *seriously* cute."
Jason smirked but didn't say much, his gaze shifting to Maggie, who was awkwardly trying to fit in with the other cheerleaders. He could tell she was uncomfortable, tugging at her uniform and fidgeting as she interacted with the team.
Roy followed Jason's gaze and grinned. "Hey, look at that—Maggie not bad. She actually looks kinda cute in that uniform."
Jason didn't disagree, but his expression darkened slightly. He could tell that Maggie wasn't enjoying herself. She was out of her element, and despite how capable she was at everything else, this wasn't her thing. Still, he shrugged noncommittally. "Yeah, well, she's a Wayne—always has to do everything perfectly."
Roy laughed. "Bet she's loving this, huh?"
Jason rolled his eyes.
As practice wrapped up, Roy gathered his stuff and slapped Jason on the shoulder. "I'm heading out. Later, man."
"Yeah, later," Jason replied, watching as Roy sauntered off. He made his way down to the field and caught up with Maggie as she was packing up her bag.
"How was your first day as Gotham Prep's newest cheerleader?" Jason asked with a teasing smirk.
Maggie gave him a withering look. "Awful."
Jason chuckled. "C'mon, you looked like you were having a *blast* out there."
"I hate you," Maggie muttered, but there was no real venom in her voice.
"Yeah, you hate me so much that you're gonna tutor me tonight," Jason shot back, still smirking.
"Lucky me," Maggie said dryly, slinging her bag over her shoulder as they walked toward the parking lot.
Later that evening, back at Wayne Manor, Maggie sat at the dining table with a stack of textbooks in front of her. Jason slumped in the chair beside her, clearly uninterested as she started going over the material.
"Okay, let's start with algebra," Maggie said, flipping open to the chapter Jason needed to catch up on. "If we break down the equation, you'll see how—"
Jason groaned. "I don't get it. I didn't get it back in the Narrows, and I definitely don't get it now."
Maggie paused, looking at him. "How did they teach it at your old school?"
Jason shrugged, clearly frustrated. "They didn't really. I mean, they tried, but it was mostly just reading from the textbook and hoping you'd figure it out."
Maggie frowned. "Okay, forget the textbook. How about we work through it a different way?"
She grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled down a simpler problem. "Let's start small. Think about it like… like building something. You know when you had to patch up parts of old bikes back in the Narrows? You didn't just throw everything together. You had to figure out what piece went where."
Jason looked at her, surprised by the analogy. "Yeah… I guess."
Maggie smiled slightly. "So, think of algebra like that. You're not just guessing—you're solving for the missing part. Every number has its place."
Jason hesitated, then nodded. "Okay… I get that. So, it's like finding what piece fits."
"Exactly," Maggie encouraged. "Try this one."
Jason leaned over the paper, working through the problem with renewed interest. It wasn't perfect, but he was starting to get it. Slowly, the tutoring session began to feel less like a chore for both of them.
As they continued, Jason glanced up. "Thanks, Maggie. For, you know… not treating me like I'm dumb."
Maggie softened. "You're not dumb, Jason. You just learn differently. We'll get through this."
Jason smiled slightly, feeling a bit more at ease. "Yeah… maybe."
And for the first time since they started, the two of them settled into a rhythm, figuring out how to navigate the complicated world of high school—and each other.
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