mad as daisies ᵗⁱᵗᵃⁿˢ

16 | the kids are(nt) ok

Eleanor stayed outside for the most part. Gar had joined her for awhile. His head rested against her shoulder.

"S-so, what did th-they do to y-you?" Eleanor asked, glancing down at the green haired boy. "I-I should re-dye your hair."

Gar pulled his head off her shoulder, he shook her head in amusement. "Back at the asylum?" He asked, watching her nod. "They electrocuted me a few times, no where near as bad as you."

"How b-bad was I?" She asked.

Gar shivered. "I mean, blood poured from your nose and lip, it was like a horror movie. You were shaking, liking vibrating or compulsive, and completely out of it. You didn't notice anything. I thought you were dead at first. It was horrible. I was so unprepared for you to die. Like when we got back to the tower, I was expecting Dick to come out and say you died." He explained, his voice shaking as tears began to fall.

Eleanor took his hand in support. "I-I'm sorry."

"I don't know what I would have done. I mean you're, you're life, you know? You're my sister, my older sister and if I didn't have you, who would I have?" Gar couldn't look at her, the busted lip of hers brought back the memory.

Eleanor was lucky her nose wasn't broken, but lip was not so pretty to look at. On the few occasions she saw it, she tried to pretend it was totally badass.

"Shit. You've done so much for me. Like attempted to kill me."

"Oh, my god!" Eleanor let out, laughing. "Get over it, it was one time."

"But you helped me, so much. I couldn't help but think I haven't repaid you. I-I can't repay you, you're too good to me. To everyone."

"The world needs go-good people, p-people to bel-believe in." Eleanor told him, she placed her thumbs under her eyes and wiped away the tears that had fallen. "But I'm here now, I-I'm alive and I-I'm not going anywhere."

"Promise?" He asked, holding up his hand, his pinkie up.

She looked at his finger. "I promise." She told him, wrapping her pinkie around his. "What ki-kind of friend would I be if I up and left?"

Gar pulled his pinkie away before throwing his arms around her. She held him equally as tight. For once, the silence brought comfort to her and she appreciated it.

Eleanor had to admit her love language was touch. She adored human contact and needed physical reminders she was loved — but never romantically.

Eleanor had never been interested in anyone romantically, she never saw a life where she could love someone like that, she never saw herself settling down with someone.

She planned to live with a friend who was like her (what ever that may be) and help get kids of the street. She hoped to adopted children when she was older.

Despite having seen therapists a little before her first suicide attempt, Eleanor was never properly labelled as mental ill and so long as she could prove she was getting better, she hoped she could adopt.

But if they tried to stop her, she'd simply use the power of being called a Shelby and being born into a pretty rich family. No she didn't care if that was wrong.

Eleanor had her life planned, and to do so she simply had to get better and move back to Gotham — she hated that she was away from home and the sooner she got back, the better.

Gar didn't let go off her, and she didn't let go off him. Her head rested on top of his. She didn't know what she did to deserve him as her best friend, or brother of choice, but whatever it was she did she was glad she did it.

"C-can I redo you're ha-hair? W-when everything gets better?" She asked, moving so she could lean against the outside wall of the house whilst he still stayed wrapped in her arms.

"I didn't want it died in the first place. You blackmailed me." Gar accused, amusement running through his system.

Eleanor scoffed. "I wo-won a bet, there's a d-difference!" She defended, moving her fingers to pinch his arm.

He squeezed out in surprise, pulling away from her. Gar leaned against the wall next to her, his head against her shoulder. "You should see a doctor about that."

"N-no. It's fi-fine. The sh-shaking has stopped a-and the bu-buzzing noise, t-too. This will g-go away in t-time." Eleanor decided. She didn't like doctors, Nathan had been the same. It didn't matter what the problem was, but the two would avoid them no matter what.

"El, I genuinely think you should just get a check up."

Eleanor shook her head at him. "No."

"Have you ate?"

"Y-yes, bu-but you should go and eat, you were ch-choked out a small while ago." Eleanor told him, patting his arm as she nodded to the front door.

"You coming?"

"N-no, too ma-many people."

Gar nodded, the house was small and strange, and he knew that was an excuse. Eleanor didn't care for people — despite it all, she did love attention and people. He knew it was likely something to do with wanting to breath and be free from the asylum and everything that happened.

"I'll bring you something to eat in a bit." He told her, pushing himself up from the floor after placing a kiss to the side of her head.

She nodded, a small smile on her lips.

Eleanor picked up her phone, scrolling mindlessly through the internet as she googled Rachel's mum. She hated to go behind the girl's back but she didn't trust her.

Much like the asylum, there was little on the internet about her — she didn't like that.

Almost half an hour had passed when Rachel opened the front door. "Gar said to bring you this." The blue haired girl said, stepping out.

Eleanor turned her phone off and took the bowl from Rachel. It was bowl of fruit which she assumed he must of gotten on the drive to this place.

Rachel stood awkwardly before the pink haired one patted the floor next to her. She sat down opposite Eleanor, her back against the wooden railing.

"Y-you o-okay?"

"Yeah, it's all a lot."

Eleanor nodded, placing her bowl of fruit next to her. "Where is th-the fruit from?"

"Gar brought some on the drive, that's what's left of it."

Eleanor nodded, picking up a grape. She turned the green fruit her eyes narrowed on it before placing it into her mouth.

"Im so—"

"I-if you ap-apologies one more t-time Rachel, I will th-throw a strawberry at you." Eleanor warned picking up the red fruit to show she meant it.

Rachel laughed, holding her hands up in defence.

Eleanor smiled too. "Have y-you ate?"

Rachel nodded, but ended up shaking her head when Eleanor raised a brow at her. Shelby crossed her legs (placing her leather jacket in the way so she didn't flash the fellow teen) and placed the bowl between them. Roth took a couple of blueberries into her hand, gathering Eleanor was going to force her to eat.

"How are you?"

"A bit s-stressed." Eleanor shrugged, feeling her phone buzz against her thigh. She looked to see her phone recommending a news article about the benefits of certain fruit.

She shook her head before returning to a conversation with Rachel. She listened to the teenager, it was clear Rachel had stepped out to get space from her mum as she tried to understand what was going on.

Soon enough, Gar had joined them and the three were sat on the porch floor laughing and talking.

In the end, the kids were ok. All three of them were alive and kicking and as far as she was concerned, that was all that mattered. Her makeshift family were safe.