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Jason had been excited to go to school again, but he hadn’t thought about the other things that would go hand-in-hand with getting an education. Like parent-teacher conferences. They’d all gotten letters to give their parents about arranging times to meet with their teachers, but Jason had hidden his in the bottom of his backpack. He wasn’t sure if he wanted Bruce to come, and he wasn’t sure if Bruce would even agree to come if he did want him to. Eventually, he decided to just tell Bruce. It would be up to Bruce whether he actually went, but Jason didn’t like lying to him.
When Bruce read through the letter, he was very quiet. Jason got a bit nervous, waiting for Bruce to say something.
“Would you like me to come?” he asked, fixing Jason with one of those intense looks he was so fond of. He looked at everyone like he was trying to figure them out, even when it was someone he knew well.
Jason shrugged. “You’re my foster dad, aren’t you?”
Bruce thought for a moment. “It’s this Friday… I have a few meetings I’ll have to reschedule, but I’ll be there.”
“You don’t have to come if you’re too busy,” Jason said. “I don’t care.”
“No. I will absolutely be attending. Your care is my responsibility, and that includes your education.”
“… okay. Thanks, Bruce.”
“Of course, Jay.”
Jason hadn’t really known what to expect from his parent-teacher conferences. The last time he had one was some time in elementary school, and he was pretty sure a fancy school like Gotham Academy would be different to his regular old elementary school.
What really surprised him was how proud Bruce looked, as he and Jason’s teachers went over his quizzes and exams.
“Your son has a bright future ahead of him.” Jason’s English teacher, Ms. Hernandez said, showing Bruce some of Jason’s essays. “He’s consistently outperformed many students in his class.”
Bruce was carefully reading through Jason’s essays, a thoughtful expression on his face. “This is brilliant work. I’m proud of you, Jason.”
Jason squirmed in his seat, not sure of what to say. “Thanks, I guess…”
“If it’s agreeable with you, Mr. Wayne, I’d like to move Jason to our advanced English class next semester. It’s a more accelerated curriculum, but I’m confident he’ll be able to keep up, especially with the progress he’s made this year.”
“I’ve been meaning to ask about your advanced classes,” Bruce said. “I remember Dick taking a few in middle school.”
“In my opinion, Jason would excel if given the opportunity to engage with more complex texts,” Ms. Hernandez said. “Of course, if he isn’t interested, he’s not required to transfer classes.”
“What do you think, Jay?” Bruce asked.
Jason hesitated. “You really think I can do it?”
“You’re a brilliant boy. I’m confident you can do anything you set your mind to.”
“I guess it’d be cool to read some harder books,” Jason said. “I’d like to transfer classes.”
“Perfect! I’ll organise that for you, then.”
Jason was so glad he asked Bruce to come tonight.