Mixed Messages ~ {d.w}

➵Thirty Three

It felt like I couldn't breathe. There's no way Tyler would have known that name. Never in my life have I been called Lizzy. There's no way. There's no way. There's-

Yes, there is.

Tyler... Ty. The name Ty was a name I'd heard before. Ty was initially the one who found me. Lying cold on the streets as a child. No wonder he never told me his real name. He always called me Lizzy instead of Alice. Only because I said I didn't like it. It's true. I didn't like hearing my name. Not after what Jason, my mom, and dad did to me. It almost traumatized me.

"Beloved, what are you doing? Father wants us to finish the preparations. He thought you would like to help," Damian says, coming to into the room. I didn't really expect him too. It made me nervous.

"Eh... nothing..." I murmur, quickly shutting off my phone. I chuck it into the pile of my things. I really didn't want him to see that.

Damian's brows furrow as I try to cover my feelings with a cute smile. It didn't want work as he just comes down and sits next to me. On the floor. Where I belong. Where I spent literally 80-85% of my life. "Something wrong, Alice?"

I almost cringe at the use of my name. After talking with Tyler, I really didn't want to be called that. "Yeah... just, call me Echo," I quickly correct, sitting up. "I'll go help out, Mr. Bigbat." I basically run out the room. I don't bother seeing his reaction. I know my heart would crack if I saw his face. It scared me more than my own skin. Before I can reach the cave, a figure comes bursting through the kitchen.

"Echo!"

The loud yelling makes me jump back and whip out my, lip balm? Hah, that's what I had in my pocket... Gotta keep my lips moisturized somehow. "Hya!" I scream, aiming the balm right at him. It's funny because I look funny. Really, the lip balm is a weapon in its own way, because I made it so. It doubles a taser too.

"Is that your lip balm?" Jason asks, giving me a weird look. He was dressed in a pair of jeans, a white tee, and his signature brown leather jacket. He was also carrying his motorcycle helmet in one hand and his keys hung out of his jacket pocket.

"Uh," I shove it back into my pocket, "yeah. It doubles as a taser."I give him a small grin. I just shove my hands in my sweater pockets. It was grey, nothing very special. "Cool, huh?" It felt kinda awkward. I hate it when I talk to someone and I feel like it's my job to make conversation.

Jason shakes his head. "I'm going out. Wanna join?" he offers, a hopeful grin on his face.

I blink a few times at his suggestion. Was he really inviting me? He barely knows me. "Where... to?" I ask. I see him grin.

"Food. Ice cream. Have fun. Do whatever you want really," he shrugs his shoulders. He begins walking down the large hallway. He hollers over his shoulder: "You coming?"

I breeze down the hallway after him, lightly jogging to catch up. When I make it there, we sit in silence. It's not uncomfortable but it could be lighter. I didn't know if Jason knew who I was. Would he remember me? Would he know about the kid half-sister he left in the streets? He wouldn't. Surely Jason has better things to worry about than me.

Jason and I reach his motorcycle. It looks cool, vintage. Vintage stuff is cool but I stick more to modern stuff. Can't exactly hack with one of those, ancient computers. Jason tosses me a helmet. "Here, shrimp," he says, getting on the motorcycle.