the sound of rain

𝙿𝚁𝙾𝙻𝙾𝚄𝙶𝙴

"Where were you today?" Dad asked Lizzy as he sat on the couch casually.

"I was out for school. Had to study late for a test." She said as she set down my bag.

"Well, you nearly gave your mother a heart attack." Dad frowned, his eyes not leaving the TV screen. "She's grounding you from your laptop until the end of this week."

She nodded. "And where is Ma?"

"In her room. Have you gotten your report card yet?" Dad asked, finally looking at me. I show him the report card before he nods, "You'd better get a good grade on that final test."

"I will." Lizzy says.

"Also, you need to miss the school play to come to your mothers meeting." Dad explained, "It's very important to her."

"Everything always is anyways. Doesn't even matter."

"Is that tone?" Dad frowned, his cheeks reddened, "Don't be disrespectful..." Lizzy glared as he stood up and crossed his arms. "Don't get rude with me. I do the most for you and your mother."

"And what's that? Sitting here without a job?" She muttered under her breath.

"Learn to respect me!" Dad yelled, "I feed you, give you a roof over your head-"

"That's what a parent's supposed to do!" Lizzy yells back, "It's the bare minimum!"

"Don't be ungrateful, you brat. Remember who your superior is!"

"Stop it, dad!" Someone yelled. Lizzy turned her head to see her sister.

"Don't talk back to me either, Colin!" Dad yelled.

"I've told you again and again that it's Cassandra!" She yelled back, "Stop drinking, dad!" She pointed to the empty bottles. "You said you'd quit!"

"You think that I'd listen to an impudent disgrace like you?! You don't have any idea what you're talking about!" He yelled, "You are being rebellious and causing trouble! Is this why your sister is acting like this?!"

"Dad I..." Lizzy stuttered out, "I'm sorry, sir. I'll try to be more respectful." Cassandra glared at her as she walked back upstairs.

"See? Why can't you be more like your older sister? Always an obedient child! You were never like her at your age!" Lizzy heard Dad yell from downstairs.

She closed her eyes and closed the door behind her, sighing as she collapsed on the couch which was used as a makeshift bed.

Nothing to do today... No homework... No extracurricular activities. Lizzy heard the door next to me slam, probably from Cassandra, and the TV football playing louder from downstairs.

Lizzy had looked nothing like her father or mother. While her mother was blonde and brown eyed and her father was blonde and blue eyed, her long brown hair had always been tied neatly in a braid that was pulled back with a white headband.

She had her fathers eyes and some of her relatives told her she sounded and acted just like her mother in her teenage years, lively and perspective and emotional and empathetic.

She supposed she should start making dinner for Cassandra. Willingly, Lizzy trudged downstairs quietly and opened the fridge to the kitchen.

She rummaged through the pantry and found a jar of strawberry jam, a loaf of bread, and a block of butter.

Lizzy spread a generous layer of butter on each slice, watching as it melted into the warm crevices. She spooned dollops of the ruby-red preserve onto the buttered toast, spreading it evenly from edge to edge.

Placing the sandwiches on a plate, she quietly tiptoed upstairs and knocked on her sister's room. "Cassie?"

"What."

"I've got some food for you."

"I'm not hungry."

She sighed. "Alright well... the plates waiting for you outside your door." She placed the plate in front of her door before leaving to go to my own room.

Lizzy then heard the door open and close, smiling knowingly. She always took her food. It's not like Cassandra had a choice anyways.

Her parents never made food anymore. Nor did they ever care about anything else actually.

It had been years since then. Her sister was gone, her family was gone, everyone was gone. Now, she was a nine year old alone on the streets of Gotham with nowhere to purpose but except to steal.

The cold air bites at her cheeks as she pushes herself forward, her chest heaving with every labored breath. Each inhale feels like a desperate gasp for life, and each exhale is a release of pent-up exhaustion. Her heart pounds in her ears, a relentless drumbeat urging her to keep moving despite the burning ache in her muscles.

"Get back here!" The shopkeeper shouted as he chased after his legs pump furiously, propelling him forward as fast as he could manage.

No matter how hard Lizzy tries, it feels like each step is heavier than the last. The world blurs around her, the scenery nothing but a dizzying whirl of colors and shapes as she focuses solely on putting one foot in front of the other.

She can feel her lungs screaming for mercy, a sharp pain shooting through her chest with every breath. Panic sets in, a suffocating pressure that threatens to overwhelm her as she struggles to draw in enough air.

Her vision starts to swim, black spots dancing at the edges as she fights to stay conscious. But she can't stop, can't afford to give in to the darkness that threatens to consume her.

"Gah! Stupid orphan street rats..." The shopkeeper grumbled as he walked off.

And then, mercifully, she stops in an alleyway and collapses to the ground in a gasping heap. Her chest heaves as she gulps in lungful's of precious air, relief flooding through her as the tightness in her chest begins to ease.

She looks at the bread before clutching herself, leaning against the wall. Huffing and puffing as if she'd never done this before.

Although, she did this about every week. She could go without eating for a long time and considering how bad the streets in Gotham were, she had a high pain tolerance as well.

"Well, well, well. Look who it is!" A voice said above her. Lizzy shot her head up only to sigh as she saw the one and only Boy Wonder.

"What? Am I not a good enough thief for Batman to catch me?" Lizzy managed to say before huffing again.

"Oh yeah totally." Robin smirked, "But then again, how could I not miss my favorite thief ever?"

"Calm down. It's just a piece of bread." Lizzy scoffed as she took a bite, "Besides, a girls gotta survive in Gotham."

"You could always come to the Batcave with me."

"Nah. I prefer it here. Less stuffy." She said as she took another bite.

"Suit yourself." Robin said before hesitating on leaving, "You sure you wanna...?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. I'll let you know if I change my mind." Lizzy said before sitting back up, wincing as she touched the pulsing bruise on her knee. Robin gave her a look as she shrugged him off. "Bye, Boy Wonder."

"Yeah... Bye..." Robin frowned as Lizzy walked away again.