Interviewing into Friendship [Summer Gleeson]

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It had been a long time coming, though if Helena had had her way the moment might never have happened at all. Reporters had been the bane of her existence since the first day she stepped off the plane at Gotham International, and though she had always maintained a very distant association with her family, the name was out there for anyone to see, and one couldn't apply for jobs under an alias, especially not in Gotham.

Then again, many would point to the fact Helena had no need to work, what with the inheritance she had received when she turned twenty-four and the added sum, twice what she had received at the earlier age when she was to turn thirty. One look at the spacious dwelling she referred to as her modest apartment would set many people back in more ways than one, but that was not the reason for the strong objections to an interview.

The latest in a string of reporters desiring her attention was the up and coming Summer Gleeson. The young woman had been persistent to say the least, her attempts to get Helena alone to answer even one question bordering on the likes of a Paparazzi, and though Helena had been able to duck away from the bothersome woman, she had finally met her match in the form of her school principal. It had been an easy enough plot or so it had appeared, with Summer's boss making a call to his best friend - her current principal - and then that boss telling Helena to cooperate, if she wanted that new position the next semester.

The rest had been simple, though Helena had made the effort as difficult as possible for the unknown woman. They had set up three times, all of which had to be canceled due to Helena's late-night "homework ", and though she was sure each time had made the woman reporter angry, they had always come back to reschedule. This afternoon was to be different. Given a day off from work - at the insistence of the higher ups - Helena had made the arrangements for the interview, her selection of choice being her own home, her own turf so to speak, so that Miss Gleeson might get to see whatever it was she was seeking, though there would still be the secrets no one would ever find hidden in the closets.

The interview was set to be in the living room, just off the main entrance. with the spiral staircase in the background and the view of Gotham's beautiful parks just beyond the picture windows, Helena was certain that Miss Gleeson would get all that she had wished for and more, even if Helena really didn't give a rat's butt what she wanted out of the meeting. Her place all cleaned and ready, Helena stood before the large mirror in the grand hall and made sure all was ready. She had already been notified of the crew's arrival, and any second the door bell would ring, and once it had, the battle of wits would commence anew, and this time - like the last - Helena would come out the victor.

**Ding - Dong - Dune - Daung...., Daung....., Dune....., Dong....., Ding**

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Summer had dressed for the occasion for this particular interview, taking an extra couple of minutes to admire her flawless reflection in the mirror as her camera man fiddled with the contraption in their news truck. The Gotham Live truck was parked directly in front of Helen’s gorgeous estate, which was littered with paparazzi outside the front of the gates. Summer chuckled as she looked outside the window, relieved that she had never had to claim such a low-life title as paparazzi. After all, that’s what her interns were for. Summer was head news anchor of the hottest station that the city had to offer, she even had her own trailer. In a matter of fact, she was starting to wish she would have brought tit. A touch up from her make-up artist wouldn’t hurt before the shooting.

However, the portion of this interview that was to be filmed was to be simple, short and sweet. Summer was simply supposed to present an award to the woman for Best Upcoming Teacher of Gotham and ask her a few questions about her career. However, when the camera’s stopped rolling Summer wasn’t going to stop there. After all, with a last name like Bertinelli, there was sure to be some secrets surfaced within this interview. Summer was hot on the trails of the infamous Bertinelli family and was positive that they were sending her some of the many threatening messages that she received hidden amongst her fan mail on a daily basis.

Sighing, she stepped out of the truck, glancing behind to insure her camera man was following her. Getting out her press pass she parted her way through the sea of paparazzi. “Move! Out of my way, unlike you I actually have an appointment...and a career” Scowling, the front gates opened temporarily so that she and her crew could get inside. Brushing herself off, Summer started toward the lavish home and rang the doorbell, getting her signature microphone ready she looked at her camera man in disgust. “What are you doing? Don’t turn that thing on yet, are you planning to interview her butler? Honestly, did you not read my email at all, you idiot.”

Rolling her eyes, she knew this was going to be a long day, but the redhead quickly plastered a pretty smile on her face as they were let in and greeted by Helena’s help. “Thank you, I believe we are supposed to be setting up in the living room. Goodness, this home is by far one of the loveliest I have ever seen.”

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“Thank you, I believe we are supposed to be setting up in the living room. Goodness, this home is by far one of the loveliest I have ever seen.”

"Why thank you, but there are far better homes in this city. Please do come in, Miss Gleeson..., and I take it this is your entourage?"

Smiling while she extended her hand to welcome the young looking reporter, Helena waited until the entire crew had entered the secondary doors before she then shut them behind her. Over the year it had become necessary to install a second set of doors on the place to quell the number of flashes her eyes would receive each time she opened the door, something that could have been handled by the hired help if she had any, but that was something Helena did not have, nor did she want any.

"The living room is just this way, Miss Gleeson, and your people can set up over there. Anyway, Helena Bertinelli at your service. I am sorry we were not able to get together sooner."

Showing them the way, Helena showed the crew where to set up so as to give them the best possible angle on things, before she showed Miss Gleeson to the chair. On the table was a nice selection of finger sandwiches as well as a fruit tray and a section of coffee or tea, depending on what the woman might want. Sitting in the chair opposite of Summer, Helena poured herself a hot cup of coffee and then sat back to relax in the plush extremely soft queen-Anne chair, before she pulled the cup to her lips to take a small drink, as much to calm their nerves as it was for her own.

"So, once you are comfortable, you may begin...., though I will make a preamble and tell you there won't be much I will say about the family that you don't already know."

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Summer looked back to acknowledge the crew that followed behind her. “Oh, yes, the better ones anyway. Oh, Jamie, be a dear and go get Miss. Bertinelli’s award out of the back of the van. Like, now.” The bossy reporter instructed as her assistant hurried back to the van through the sea of paparazzi. The redhead shook the woman’s hand with a warm smile, “It’s a pleasure to officially meet you. Congratulations on Winning Gotham’s Best Upcoming Teacher award for this year, it’s truly an accomplishment. That’s what a majority of the interview will consist of today. Oh, and I understand completely. You are a very busy person, I’m just glad we finally got together.” Summer informed her, just in case to ease any nerves.

The redhead had been surprised that she had answered the door herself. Did she not have any security or people that waited on her? Even at her studio Summer insured that she had both. Following the woman into her living room, Summer couldn’t help but notice how equally gorgeous this room had been in comparison to the last. “I can’t get over how pretty this is, you should be getting an award for interior decorating as well.” Summer said with a smile, hoping to keep the conversation light.

Helena has provided a lovely spread for them and Summer was growing more and more impressed with the woman. She seemed so likeable, though she didn’t understand why she continued to teach despite the fact that she seemed to be so well off. She was sure that her last name had something to do with her monetary situation, but Summer felt as though that would be much too rude to ask the woman. Instead, she was going to focus on her teaching accomplishments, at least until the cameras turned off. Deciding to wait until after the interview to get something to drink, she was starting to wish she brought a water bottle and was half tempted to go ask her assistant to get her one, but the crew was prepared to start.

She sat down in the comfy chair facing Helena, flashing her a reassuring smile. “Are you ready to start? I promise this shouldn’t take too long.” Mentally going through the checklist of questions she planned to ask the woman, Summer waited until her guest was ready before nodding at the camera man and waiting for her cue. “Hello, I’m Summer Gleeson and on this particular show of Gotham live I have Miss. Helena Bertinelli with me, winner of Gotham’s Best Upcoming Teacher award that is awarded yearly to the most promising instructor that our fine city has to offer. The award is nominated by students and Miss Helena has broken the record of most nominees and was nominated by eighteen different students at her school! That’s certainly an accomplishment - How does that make you feel, Miss. Bertinelli?”

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"I'm ready, fire away, Miss Gleeson."

Smiling when she was cued that the cameras were on, Helena pretended as if to study the reporter's face, when she was actually looking just beyond the woman's nose to the antique French telephone sitting in the hall. It had been an old trick taught to her by an uncle, one that had gotten Helena through a good many interviews just as it would this one. she was by no means stiff as a board, but quite relaxed, as if interviews were a daily thing, but then she was a teacher, and being on the spot was an everyday occurrence.

"It makes me feel good, but this award should be going to those very students which have nominated me for this honor. I'm just a guide. I'm the student, whereas they are the real teachers. They are our future, Miss Gleeson."

It was an answer Helena knew Miss Gleeson would have expected, as most teachers worth their sand would have said the same thing. The difference was that she meant every word of it, and if this woman had done any of her homework, then she would already know just how many times others had tried to give her this award or that honor; all from appreciation for her undying efforts. Leaning forward, Helena pulled the cup of coffee to her lap and thought about taking a sip as the interview was an informal affair, a very relaxed one at that, but that all changed the moment Helena heard something crash out by the front door, and Helena hoped that Miss Gleeson's assistant had not fallen, or worse, dropped the award.

"I do hope nothing has happened to your assistant, Miss Gleeson?"

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Summer was relieved at how smoothly this operation seemed to be going. For someone who had avoided her interview for so long, she seemed calm, collected as just as poised as any other guest that Summer might have on her show. She was a beautiful woman, the young news anchor felt as though she should have taken a position in the entertainment field much like herself. Helena had a dazzling smile and gorgeous complexion; she quite resembled the type of women that Summer liked to associate and surround herself with.

The moment the camera’s turned on Summer snapped into her T.V. personality that was very well-known by almost every home in Gotham city. She loved the feeling of the cameras angled to play her best features and the lights that shown down on her like she was on a stage. An intense rush of adrenaline raced through her veins but she took advantage of it and managed to light up the room with her confidence. Summer could remember the very first time she had been on camera and fell in love with it from the very beginning. The redhead was more confident on camera than she was any other time of the day.

“Lovely answer! Well it should make you feel good; after all, you deserve it! Obviously your students, as well as the other citizens of Gotham city – including myself - feel you have a lot of potential! Please, if you don’t mind, remind everyone at home what it is you teach and at which of our cities schools that you teach at.”

Summer simply blinked when Helena mentioned something about her assistant. “Oh I am sure she’s fine, or fired one of the two.” Muttering the last part under her breath, she turned to the woman’s front door. “Camera’s off please, and don’t forget to edit that part out….Jamie! Hurry with that award please? Will someone go check on her?” Summer turned back to face her guest. “I am so sorry about this; she’s new…Thank goodness this isn’t live.” With a small sigh, she waited for her assistant to entire the house once more only to discover she was posing for pictures with the award outside. Perfect. After dismissing the woman for how unprofessional she was, the award was inspected and set to the side for Summer to present it at the end of the interview.

“Now, let’s continue please? Is that alright,” She flashed her guest an award-winning smile to make sure she was ready to continue.

summer is wearingthis little number

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Helena knew when someone was patronizing her and this woman was doing just that. She hadn't even heard a word she had said in the last answer, which both annoyed and disgusted Helena, though she was not to let that slip out. Listening to the next "prepared" question, Helena thought about the best way to answer Miss Gleeson, though if she were to be witty, Helena doubted the reporter would even understand her.

"My current assignment is Gotham Central High School, where I teach both American History and English. My students are all great individuals and each of them wish to learn, contrary to what you may believe."

Smiling at the last part, Helena leaned forward to take a finger sandwich for herself. The camera man would be able to edit that out if they thought it prudent, but either way Helena didn't really care. Miss Gleeson was following a script probably the same one she used for all such interviews and the longer this one was, the more Helena felt she'd be bored. Focusing her gaze on the woman's face, Helena was soon looking at the different shades Miss Gleeson had used in makeup for the day, all too aware that she herself didn't use any, but then to each their own.

It was the slight raw with the assistant, a younger girl named Jamie that caught her attention though. The young girl looked familiar somehow and the more she looked at her, the more Helena realized just who the girl had to be. Jamie was not a common enough name, and with the young woman stealing glances her way, Helena was confident she had taught the young lady not too long ago, which would explain why she was beaming with pride just now.

"If you really want to know how I teach, Miss Gleeson, then you should ask your assistant here, Miss Sampson. She was one of my students in the past."

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Summer flashed her guest a warm smile as she replied, however the young reporter was more focused on her next question she had for the woman rather than her answer. “And I just wanted to quickly add that you are the first high school teacher in Gotham’s history to win this award, for the last few years it has been presented to various other aspiring teachers and Gotham Elementary and most the nominees alongside yourself were from the Elementary school as well. However, if I am correct, this isn’t the first time you have been offered similar awards. Please, if you don’t mind, brag about yourself for a moment and tell the viewers about your other major accomplishments as a teacher.”

Of course, after her research Summer knew the answer before it could leave the woman’s mouth, but that wasn’t the point. She did her research so when the time came she knew exactly what questions to ask without missing a beat and as a result she provided her viewers with a short peek into the life of their winner. After all, the citizens were the ones who voted for her and they had a right to know a little bit about the woman they chose to simply reassure themselves they had made the correct choice. Summer had even voted for the woman herself, simply because she wanted and interview and because she believed the woman truly did deserve the award.

This interview wasn’t meant to particularly long, in fact, her producer informed her that it wasn’t even necessary and she simply needed to present the award so they could get a decent clip for tomorrow’s show. The other various teaching awards hadn’t contained and interview, but Summer felt as though this could lead into something more interesting…especially with a woman whose last name was Bertinelli.

Summer’s eyes widened a moment in mock surprise as she flashed the first, warm smile at her assistant that she had all day. “Oh really?You don’t say? What a coincidence! Well, the years have certainly been kind to you, Miss Bertinelli. Jamie-dear will you please present your old instructor her award, please?” Batting her pretty eyelashes, she waited until her assistant picked up the large vessel and handed it to the woman. “And tell me before we wrap this up, what was your favorite part about attending Miss. Bertinelli’s classes when you were younger?”

Her assistant rambled on about her natural ability to teach, the general flow of her classroom and lesson plans that resulted in a successful day as well as her unique method of reward systems and mnemonic devices. Summer, smiled as she spoke, secretly hoping she would hurry it up and not get tongue tied so easily, but she knew Jamie was used to be behind the camera rather than in front of it.

summer is wearingthis little number

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Helena had not been aware she was the first high school teacher to be receiving this particular award, which made the whole process just that much more special. Changing position slightly once she had placed the coffee cup back on the table, she listened with more attention to the reporter rattle off her comments - her questions, as though she was really interested in the story and not just doing her job. Bragging was not something she normally did, though Helena had to smile inwardly at that thought. her entire family experience dealt with bragging rights, who got this contract before the others did or what areas of Gotham they now had control over, but that was the life of the mafia, not of a good teacher. Still, there were things she could discuss that was related to the interview and as the woman was wanting to know, Helena couldn't see a reason not to play along.

"I'm not one to brag, Miss Gleeson, as I deal with facts, but as you wish. Let's see, I have managed to consistently raise my student's tests scores to where nearly all of them pass the state mandated exams. Those that do not on the first or even second try usually do on their third attempt. I have the lowest failure rate of any teacher in the district and the dropout rate is almost non-existent. Miss Sampson here for instance, graduated in the top five percent of her class, but that was because of her, not me."

Smiling at Miss Sampson when she had finished her "brag", Helena looked back toward Miss Gleeson and waited for the next question. She was still noticing the make up the woman had chosen for the interview that, while it did flatter her complexion, Helena felt she could add a bit of color here or there to make her already beautiful face stand out even more. Then the moment for the whole ordeal arrived. Standing to accept the honor, Helena waited center stage while Jaime picked up the leaded crystal vase and brought it over to her. Everything was being captured on film, from the warm smiles to the transfer of the very expensive vase, to the telling of the written description on the bottom. For her part, Jamie hesitated very little in giving Summer her thoughts, that if it had not been for Ms. Bertinelli, she would have dropped out of school to be a cashier at the local "Dogs and Suds" eatery.

"Thank you, Miss Sampson, Miss Gleeson. And I humbly wish to thank all of those who have supported my efforts to raise your children these past few years. This award will be displaced in a proper place of honor, just behind me in my office. And it has been good to see you again, Jamie."

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Summer’s eyes momentarily drifted to the source of the coffee smell, but she quickly turned her full attention back to the interview. The only thing that Summer would ingest was water during an interview, simply because if it should spill or if the temperature should affect her in some form, she did not want to be caught off guard or look silly on television. Of course, they were not live at the moment and any accidents could simply be edited out, but Summer left no room for mistakes, she was a very proud and career driven woman. Of course, once the formal part of the interview had ended she would indulge in a nice, hot cup of coffee –it was her weakness.

She found it a bit funny that the woman didn’t like to brag when she had so much she could rave about. It was ironic to hear the words come out of the mouth of a Bertinelli, though just because they did share the name that didn’t mean they were to possess the same qualities. In fact, Summer was more eager to end the interview and attempt to slip in some questions about her family in hopes that she might be able to close a few things on an existing story she had been working on for quite a while now. “

“That is quite a list of accomplishments! There is without a doubt that you are most deserving our this award,” Summer beamed as she waited for her assistant to hand it to her former teacher, assuming the heartfelt exchange would be a good touch for ratings on her show. Of course, the entire time she was simply praying that her assistant didn’t drop it on the woman’s foot or destroy the award in the process. After the award was presented, Summer knew it was time to wrap up the interview, her camera man giving her signals for her to hurry it up because they were already going over the scheduled time. “And with that, I think it’s time to unfortunately wrap up this segment. Miss. Bertinelli, I want to once again congratulate you and thank you for making time for us today, and thank you for inviting my crew and I into your lovely home, it’s been wonderful. Stay tuned Gotham, when we come back; I share my most recent story about my encounter at Arkham Asylum.”

With that, the camera’s clicked off and Summer allowed her posture to relax slightly as she reached for a cup of coffee. The rest of her crew began to pack up the equipment, leaving her to talk with Helena alone. Deciding an ice breaker might be best before diving into the list of questions she eagerly wished to fulfill; she took a sip of the warm beverage and pointed at her guest’s shoes. “Those are super cute, where did you get them?”

summer is wearingthis little number

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"Where did I get...., you don't really want to know where I got these shoes, do you Miss Gleeson?"

Waiting for the camera crew to get their things and leave, Helena poured herself another cup of coffee and then sat back. The look on her face, while calm to the casual observer, was anything but as the predator in her looked squarely toward Summer Gleeson's face and waited. That the reporter had not joined her team told Helena she wanted something more - perhaps something off the record - perhaps some tidbit about the family she grew up in since the Bertinelli name was so widely known - and feared in some circles - other than her own.

"What would you really like to ask me, Miss Summers? I'm sure you have questions for me that are on, as well as off..., the record. After all, I seriously doubt you have interviewed other members of the Bertinelli family, and hopefully you never will, for they can be a tad obtuse at times. They can be extremely protective of their privacy as they see it."

If she had struck a nerve by her bluntness, Helena didn't see the reaction, but then, Summer Gleeson was a professional in every sense of the word. Helena was sure there were questions just begging to be asked, but the answers would have to be on her own terms, not those of Miss Gleeson's, otherwise nothing would be said on any subject. Too many lives might be at stake up to and including Gleeson's herself, not to mention others they may come in contact with.

"If I can answer the questions, then I will..., but if I feel they are too intrusive, I will let you know, and I reserve the right to review what you intend to report before you report it. Deal?"

Thinking it had better be a deal, Helena let a smirk spread across the left side of her face. Her left eyebrow rising to complete the look, Helena then smiled pleasantly enough to put one's mind at ease, though if she were in costume - out on the streets - the look could have been a serious enough look to suggest her prey was about to face more hell than they ever thought possible. Whether Miss Gleeson felt like the former - or the latter, was still yet to be seen.

"Miss Gleeson...., Congress doesn't take this long to make a decision."