Hey I have a new story here; yes I know why the hell am I writing a story when I already have two in progress. Simple, I actually have no clue why! One more chapter with Falling thorough the cracks and im on summer break, plus Senior Year well take a while due to hated writers block.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the poems that Kori writes those are legally mine!

Dedication: To Valda! Thanks girl for sticking with me much appreciated!

Warnings: Nothing sexual in this one, so no warnings, there well be in future chapters though, so future warnings!

Here we go!

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Chapter 1

Nothing but high roads

A delicate arm found its way out of the white linen sheets; gracefully moving to hit the black button that eased the not so welcomed sound of the alarm clock. Six o'clock blared in digital red numbers signaling the start of a brand new day of highshool. The girl whose hand had erased the annoying ringing now walked slowly towards her marbled bathroom and proceeded in turning up the shower heater close to maximum then simply stripped of her sleeping garments to take a very hot shower.

No, Korina Anders was not suffering from a hang over like many 16 year old teens would welcome after a hard night of partying, Far from it, she was suffering from all the cramming for her geometry exam she was having later that afternoon. Unlike many juniors in highshool Kori had never drunk a can of beer or let alone stayed up later than eleven other than for studying. No, it was all work and no play for her; living with parents who were strictly business, Kori did not have much of a choice.

You could say that her parents were a little more than protective; after their first daughter experiencing more than one abortion and then dropping all her studies and moving in to live with her artist of a boyfriend, the Anders wanted to have at least one accomplished daughter, which had left Kori.

Drying herself of with a fuzzy pink towel she then adorned a black blouse and white skirt with a very conservative pair of black heels. Brushing her hair into a tight bun she then packed her black duffel bag with the needed accessories: black converse, green camisole and a pair of dark wash low-rise jeans. Yes you could say that the Anders overprotection's only led to their daughter having to lead a double life. One at home being the conservative business smart lady, and the one her friends and peers knew, the sassy, sexy, and smart Kori Anders that basically had to beat boys of with a stick.

"Korina, Rachel is outside! Hurry up, you can't break your perfect attendance record!"

"Yes mother I am coming."

Slinging the bag over her shoulder Kori raced down the steps gave her mother a slight peck on the cheek then hopped gracefully into the black Porsche. The car pulled swiftly out of the cement driveway of the Anders residence and on towards the street. Making sure they where a far enough distance from her house Kori changed into the clothes she had placed in her black duffel bag.

"Still having to lead your double lives?"

"Yes, and it gets harder and harder by day, you know how hard it is to hide all these clothes from my parents? They thoroughly check my room day in and day out."

"One day you are just going to have to tell them you cant live life this way."

"I know Rachel, boy do I know."

Rachel stopped the car to give her friend a comfort hug then continued to drive towards Gotham Academy where they attended school.

Rachel was a quiet girl more books smart then sporty. Her hair was a dark violet shade that reached her shoulders and matched her dark indigo eyes in a way that made you go weak in the knees. She did not carry much in the height department but made up for it in attitude and wit, Rachel Roth never took shit from anyone.

Her mother had died whilst giving birth and her father was an alcoholic. Then when she turned thirteen and had hit puberty he had started to abuse her threatening to touch her until one day with the help of Kori she had dared to call and tell the cops. Rachel's father was then arrested and taken into custody and her uncle, who happened to be Bruce Wayne, Gotham's richest man, adopted Rachel. Kori and Rachel had been the best of friends ever since the arrestment of her father, and Kori had gone over almost every day to the Wayne manor to visit her friend. And although Rachel now had a proper father and brother, she always came to Kori in times of need, because Kori needed Rachel as much as Rachel needed her.

"What are you thinking of Kori? It better not be the twit of a brother I have."

"Richard? No! Why would I be thinking of Richard?"

"Because I know you love him, admit it Kori your in love with my older brother!"

"Oh fine! But you know it will never work out, hes four years older, and could have any girl in Gotham, Steel, or Jump city!"

Rachel gave Kori her trademark smirk, "Love works in mysterious ways."

"Shut up!"

The two engaged in friendly bickering the rest of the way to Gotham Academy's gold fence. The white pillars of the giant school loomed overhead and green gardens formed in front and behind the large school building. It was the school for the rich and the incredibly spoiled, and boy did every student know it.

Rachel skillfully parked her car in her usual spot, next to a lime green Bentley and an orange Lamborghini.

"I sill cant believe Gar took his obsession with green all the way in painting his gorgeous silver Bentley lime green!"

"Oh Rachel, I told you your boyfriend was a nutcase!"

Rachel opened her mouth to answer some witty comment in response but was cut of by the perky voice of non other than her nutcase of a boyfriend.

"Good Morning America! This is Gar Logan in the house, saying hello to two very lovely ladies!"

"Gar!"

Kori squealed bringing the chestnut haired boy into a bone-crushing hug. Any other girl would be jealous but Rachel new the limits of her best friends friendliness, Kori was nothing but a sweet and loving person, and would never dare hurt a fly or never less steal her boyfriend. She still couldn't figure out why such a sweet person had that big of a crush on the egotistical cobalt eyed brother of hers.

"What Rachel? No kiss from my beautiful woman?" Gar pouted cutely at his girlfriend, "Come on Rae they are free!"

Blushing Rae softly enveloped Gar in an embrace and then gave him a peck on the lips, which Garfield gratefully returned.

"Aw, aren't you love bugs so cute, I would love to watch you guys fluff around all day, but my mom really wants my perfect attendance record, well perfect."

"You're going to have to tell them one day Kori!"

"So I have heard!"

The three best friends rushed into the giant oak doors of Gotham Academy, ready to face the day the school had in store for them.

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"School sucked shit!"

"When does it not?"

"When I don't flunk geometry tests!"

The three teens were laying on Rachel's king size bed chatting about Mrs. Rouge's incredibly challenging Geometry exam. The ringing of Kori's hot pink Razor Motorola interrupted their conversation.

"Hey mom. You want me home now? All right. See you then."

Snapping the phone shut, Kori gave her friends an apologetic smile, then rushed to Rachel's bathroom to get changed from her casual attire to the black blouse and white skirt her parents expected her to be wearing.

"Bye Kori! Kisses, and close the door on your way out!"

"Should I place a hat as well, just so the world knows your having sex?"

Smiling Kori shut the door, but not before receiving the finger from both Gar and Rachel. Running down the stairs of Wayne manor, Kori was not prepared for what was rushing up the stairs, and in a painful collision she had knocked into non other than the man she dreamed about, Richard Grayson.

His blue eyes changed from confusion to laughter when his brain finally registered what happened. He kindly extended a warm hand to a very flustered Kori.

"Sorry, about that, guess I need to pay more attention to where im going."

"No, yes, no, Uhm its my fault."

"Lets share the blame, well I will see you tonight."

With a wink he raced up the rest of the stairs leaving a very confused Kori behind. What had he meant by seeing her tonight, her parents where going out for dinner meaning they wouldn't be having a joint family dinner. Forgetting about the confusion Kori raced down the street back to her house, not wanting to upset her parents before they went out, it would only end up in them staying home after all.

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"Korina, as your well aware, your father and I are going out for the awards ceremony they are hosting at the hospital."

"Yes I am well aware mother."

"And you're also aware that your father and I worry about you."

"Yes mother."

"Now that that's cleared, you will be happy to hear I have scheduled you a babysitter for tonight."

"Yes mother. WHAT A BABYSITTER? GODDAMIT AM I NINE?"

"Kori its this type of language and tone of voice that gets me worried, all the more reason for you not to spend time alone, now my ideal babysitter wouldn't have been Dick, but it was a last minute decision and he may not be a very responsible young man, but Bruce said that he needed some sort of responsibility, so it works both ways."

Kori stared at her mother, her jade eyes opened wide in shock, "Dick, Richard Grayson?"

Her mother gave her a curt nod, a swift peck, and a dainty goodbye, leaving Kori gawking at the now closed door. Kori's mother was a tall blonde with large bottle green eyes, who walked with a commanding presence and was a top businesswoman of her time. She was known to knock the hell out of her competition and to be quite strict in parenting manors. But Kori did not believe that her mother would assign her a babysitter for a single outing, let alone assign Richard Grayson! Kori would have much rather her parents staying home, then having to spend an entire night with a boy she couldn't even form a single word with!

The dreaded doorbell rang and it took a second or so for Kori to gather up the courage and answer the door. But no matter how much she told herself it was just a boy, a boy she had known all her life, she couldn't help but be unprepared for the sight that greeted her. There stood Richard Grayson in all his shining glory, his ebony looks were unspiked and fell cutely over one of his shimmering blue eyes, his mouth was set into a cocky grin that went very well with his tight black shirt and dark wash baggy jeans.

"Hey what's up Korina?"

"Erm. Hey Richard, what are you doing here?"

He gave a little chuckle, the laughter sounding like church bells ringing to wake up a sleeping town. But all she could think of was how stupid the question she had just asked this god was. What was he doing here? Duh, he was here to bloody baby-sit her.

"Babysitting you little girl."

Kori's infamous short temper began to flare, "Im not a little girl."

Richard only responded with another chuckle and a pat on her head, "Sal' right baby, uncle Richard is here to look after you. Say you got any beer in this white house of yours?"

"In the freezer, if you excuse me im going to go take a shower."

Boy did she need a shower to clear her mind; multiple emotions were running through her head, each one screaming a different message.

"Alright, don't have to much fun."

Sticking her tongue out in a playful manor Kori dashed up the stairs and into her bathroom. Stripping her clothes of in a newfound hurry, she took the quickest shower of her lifetime, only to change into a pair of incredibly short but comfortable denim shorts and a white tank top. Lets see if Richard called her a little girl now; this would in no doubt change his opinion. Taking time to walk down the stairs she took a turn and walked into the kitchen where Richard was cooking what smelled a lot like spaghetti.

"Never thought you were one to cook?"

"Ah, ye of little faith. Richard Grayson is a master chef!" Richard flung his arms triumphantly and turned to look at Kori. His mouth hung agape, the only thing that could help him close his mouth was the fact that drool was starting to form on his bottom lip.

"K.. K.. Kori?"

"Microwave spaghetti, nice. Oh Richard, what's wrong puppy?"

Kori giggled flirtatiously yet all Richard could do was stare, he had never expected the conservative girl he knew since he was thirteen to have a different side to her, a most incredibly sexy side. Not only was she incredibly gorgeous but she had also left him speechless, Richard Grayson had never been one to lose words to a girl.

The microwave rang signaling that the spaghetti had finished defrosting. The sweet smell of the tomato sauce filled the kitchen teasing the two teens nostrils.

"Are you going to get that master chef?"

"What, oh, oh, yeh?"

She flashed him another brilliant smile as he pulled the spaghetti out of the microwave and placed it on the kitchen marble top.

" Dig in to paradise!"

"You are so lame, you know that Mr. Grayson?"

"Oh am I Anders? Well I must be the hottest lame loser you have ever met."

"By far darling by far."

Conversation continued freely, both teens surprised that they had so much to talk about set aside their differences. Kori had learned more about Richard in the past hour then she had in the six years she had known him. For example that he was in a band with two other guys and that his real dream was for their band to make it big without the help of his adopted father.

"Its hard Kori, living under the Wayne title, im always expected such great things from, and whenever I do something correct the only praise from my peers would be, 'oh yeh well your Bruce Wayne's son of course you did well' I just want to do something for once without his help."

Kori gave him a sympathetic smile, "I know how you feel, I love my parents but they expect so much of me. They have never met the real me, the me who I actually want to be!"

"Have you ever tried talking to them about it?"

"I cant, I just cant disappoint them, they want me to be a doctor or lawyer, but well, its stupid, but I want to be a poet, maybe even writer."

"Its not stupid."

Without a second thought Richard's hand reached across the table to gently stroke the redhead's hand, gently he traced lines across her palm sending spirals of shivers down her back.

"Kori I don't think its stupid at all."

Her face lit up, and instantly he felt that much happier, " You don't?"

"Not at all Kori, you have a brilliant mind, you have to stop doubting yourself."

"Would you like to see some of my work?"

He wanted to say no, as much as he loved Kori at the moment he couldn't help but feel reluctant to read her work. How could something meaningful come from such a bubbly girl? "Uhm, sure?"

"You do not, I understand." Her face instantly fell although she tried to plaster a smile on her porcelain face it fell through completely only to end up looking crestfallen.

"Show me it." With a reassuring smile he watched as Kori dashed up the stairs then came dashing back down with a black book in tow.

"Bringing me your multiple guy phone numbers? Sorry hunny I'm straight."

"Shut up."

Flipping through the scrawled and scribbled through notebook Richard stopped at a poem that caught his eye. The writing was sketched roughly giving off an effect that she had cried whilst writing it, the blue ink was smeared at the edges but her neat writing was still legible.

Torn inside

Why must I love you?

While the only thing I want to do is hate you,

You rip me up and throw me down,

Pieces, pieces,

Shattered ground

Your words mean more than they should,

Cutting deep in all that's good,

In the end im nothing,

In the end there is nothing,

Nothing left to cry,

Nothing left to dry,

Not when there are no feelings left inside,

My head spinning a chilling migraine,

My eyes crying streams of blood,

Why must I love you?

While the only thing I want to do is hate you,

You rip me up and throw me down,

Pieces, pieces,

Shattered ground

Nothing left to cry,

Nothing left to dry,

Not when there's no feelings left inside,

Your words mean more than they should,

Cutting deep in all that's good,

In the end im nothing,

In the end there is nothing.

Nothing left inside,

Why must I love you?

While the only thing I want to do is hate you,

You rip me up and throw me down,

Pieces, pieces,

Shattered ground

Nothing left to cry,

Nothing left to dry,

Not when there's no feelings left inside,

Nothing left inside

Richard stared at Kori in awe, had she really written that, this girl had done nothing but amaze him that night.

"Do you not like it? Im afraid it isn't one of my best I was feeling a bit emotional."

"It was fucking good."

A soft smile broke from her lips as she nodded signaling that he could go on reading it. He continued to flip through going past love sonnets, and short stories, he passed by multiple death poems, each page he flipped through brought out a different side of the girl he was growing to love. Each side symbolized each emotional stage she went through. A short eek escaped Kori's lips and his brain did a quick double take.

"Please don't read that one."

"Why not?"

"Let us say it wasn't one of my most proud moments."

"Suicide?"

"Oh no, well yes, but I never tried to commit it, I got my anger out by writing it instead."

"Well let me read it."

Kori looked reluctant but when she saw the pleading look in Richard's azure eyes she almost immediately gave in, "Oh alright."

Richard gave her a second glance as if to ask for permission once again, Kori waved it off by picking up the black book and instead she read it herself.

"One thing you must understand Richard is that its hard living with parents that expect so much from me."

"Of course I understand."

Just for reassurance he enveloped her in a warm hug, both amazed at the feeling as sparks seemed to fly when they connected. Quickly he jumped back leaving Kori looking a bit flustered.

"Read it to me."

Her voice took on a serious tone, another shock for the evening. The sound was grim yet soft.

Watch me

Watch me jump,

Aren't these windows so pointless?

Watch me crash,

Am I beautiful? Lifeless and broken,

Like a drowning swan,

Beauty at a bleak moment,

Counting my scars,

One for every misunderstanding,

One for all the pain,

And one because I love you,

Look at your creation,

Brought alive by your love,

And killed from your ignorance,

Swimming in a pool of blood and tears,

Wanting nothing more but to drown in my sorrows,

Foolish little me only wanting to please you,

And only forsaking the rest

"It's about your parents isn't it?"

"Yeh.. Not to overdramatic?"

"It would be, but when someone is in an emotional state they cant help but be dramatic and I can see where you're coming from on your poems."

Still slightly disbelieving she responded with a small smile, but hearing the words he spoke next made her jump into a huge grin.

"Kori, do you want to be the official lyricist for my band?"

"You mean it?"

"Of course you need a trial with the rest of my band, but im sure they will love you instantly!"

With a high-pitched squeal Kori jumped from where she was standing and into an unsuspecting Richard's arms. He smiled while he held her against him, he could feel her happiness radiating in levels. And without another moments thought he pulled her back only to pull her in again in a mind swirling kiss.

She restrained for a second, not quite sure what to do, but feeling his tongue press against her lips she succumbed to the sweet feeling. Letting his tongue roam free inside her mouth she moaned, enjoying every second of the now pursuing battle of her tongue and his. They stayed like that for awhile just enjoying the sweet taste of each other, her hands now raked through his soft ebony locks.

The jingling of keys sounded, making both teens jump then gasp for the lack of air that they had received in the past five minutes. They stared in anticipation as the sound of the lock clicked and the door soon opened to reveal none other than Kori's parents. Although quite sure that her parents hadn't witnessed what just happened Kori couldn't help but feel guilty. Richard felt quite opposite but knowing Kori's dilemma with her parents said nothing.

"So was she any trouble Mr. Grayson?"

"What? Oh, none at all, Mr. and Mrs. Anders, we were just finishing up cleaning the kitchen."

"Yes, well Kori can finish it up on her own now, thank you very much for staying here for us. You seem to prove yourself quite a responsible young man."

"Thank you, I hope that I may prove my worth again."

"Of course you do, we left money at your fathers house, be sure to pick it up from his office."

Richard nodded, and then gave Kori a wave for goodbye, which she humbly returned. Then he sprinted out of the door only to look back and give her a signal that he would call her.

"So Korina, was he a good boy, seemed like everything is in order."

"Yes father, he is a good boy, now I am quite exhausted I will go up to bed."

"Finished all your homework dear?"

"Yes mother."

"Goodnight, kisses."

"Yes same to you."

Now safe in her bedroom Kori collapsed on to the floor with a sigh. This by far had been the most magical moment of her life. And it was all thanks to her parent's overprotection. But seeing as how protective they where it did disable her from continuing to see Richard as more than a friend and without the company of Rachel.

"Fuck my parents"

She had just experienced the most wonderful night ever, she had opened up her poetry and dreams to someone, and she had kissed the boy she had only fantasized about. Who cared if he was nineteen? Who cared about her parents? Kori certainty didn't, well at least not at the moment.

Slipping into a pair of white girl boxers and a blue oversized shirt she climbed into her sheets and soon fell asleep. Thinking about how Richard had given her a new chance. A new chance for her dreams to soar, now all she had to do was to get the rest of his band to approve of her, then it would be nothing but high roads from there.

Nothing but high roads

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Okay so there was my first chapter? You like? You hate? If you do like I suggest you review

Important please read:

I won't be blocking out anonymous reviewers, but don't you dare Flame. Or I will kick all your pathetic flaming arses!

Yes the poems are mine so it would be greatly appreciated if no one takes them and uses them for their own use, their not good anyway so I do not know why you would want to do that, im just saying, if I see anything that resembles my work it will be reported.

Thank you and review!

Kisses!