Cognitive Dissonance

Chapter 5: Elsewhere

The morning is quiet. It is the sound of privacy. Something Rachel is intimate with. That goes without saying because she only had her mom for a friend but even her mom wasn't always at home.

Her mother worked double shifts to make ends meet. That was the only way to survive.  Rachel was forced to grow up, having silence as her only other friend. She didn't mind. She never trusted anyone anyway. And the hush was comforting.

Yet, even with all of that, Rachel now finds herself concerned about the peace enveloping the manor. The only other form of life she's seen was Alfred but currently, he too, is nowhere to be found. She would never ask about it but she feels like he isn't functioning only as a butler. There is something about him that is curious.

"What to do?" she asked the reflection she made on the white marble table top -- her image marred with its veins of gold and brown undertones. "For starters, clean the table," she answered her own question, taking a deep breath before gathering her barely there strength. "Right," she also agreed with a nod.

She was used to being alone that it's disconcerting to grasp the idea of her wondering why she's by herself. Then again, the house is too big that it felt more desolate. It's that or she's starting to have need for company. After all, with her mom's passing, the only other family she has now are the people in the manor. At least until the case of her mother's murder is solved.

But what if it never gets worked out?

She has no idea. Rachel, at the end of the day, found herself unproductive. She never reached a conclusion about what happens in case her mom's murder doesn't get solved and she didn't really count familiarizing herself with the rooms of the manor as something rewarding. For one, a day apparently isn't enough to get around the entirety of the building. And two, her chary approach to the whole task just turned her into a bundle of nerves. She would blame Jason Todd for that, except she didn't even get a glimpse of him at all.

Forking a carrot on her dinner plate, she conditioned herself to casually ask the question she's been wanting to be answered since last night. They are three on the table as Dick finally decided to show up but in place of the younger brother. "Dick," she started. Her guardian immediately turned his attention to her, putting his dinner knife and fork down. Alfred too, paused his movements.

"What's up?" Dick asked with a smile. He's actually quite tired but managed to force the muscles on his face to work. He didn't want Rachel to think he's being dismissive.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but are you sure about my room assignment?" Rachel asked. "Uhu?" Dick responded with a nod albeit it sounded doubtful. His expression showed a hint of suspicion too. Alfred can only chuckle at their display in front of him.

Dick switched his attention to the butler who motioned that the master drive his regard back to the youngest person in the room. The old man expected this discussion to happen sooner than later. He too was curious about Dick Grayson's thought process and would very much like to hear about it.

"Is there something wrong with the room?" the detective queried. Rachel swore she saw Alfred grin but she could be wrong. "Not really," she wasn't quite sure how to go about it. There wasn't something wrong with the room itself to begin with.

"...I'm kind of sharing bathrooms with Jason," she eventually relayed. "I mean, he's okay but..." she added and then trailed off. This time, it was Dick who laughed.