Cat and Mouse

Chapter 16

Fox's P.O.V.

I didn't know why I had agreed to spill my guts to the boy in front of me, but I knew from his eager expression there was no going back. Even so, it wouldn't hurt to leave some parts out, stretch the truth so he couldn't deduce so much from me. I had only known him for a little while, my trust didn't fully rest on the black-haired boy yet.

Besides, he wouldn't be able to tell what was a truth and what was a lie.

Sighing in resignation, I sat down on the roof of the building. The design was created so the sides were elevated a bit more, giving a small sort of seating for me. Robin immediately sat beside me, gazing at me with thinly veiled curiousity. I turned away, not wanting to see his reaction after I had fessed up.

"It's just... I don't get why you worry about me so much. Why do you insist on being so close to me all the time?" I ask, shifting my masked brown irises to glance at him. He was staring down at his shoes, which dangled off the building and blocked out the city lights and cars below.

"Why wouldn't I? It's not like I don't like you, I don't think anybody could. Beside, you looked like you could've used a friend," he said, glancing up and smiling at me. I sighed.

"Yeah well that's not true." I huff

Robin's head tilted to the side, "What do you mean? Someone doesn't like you?" He questions me.

I gulp "Nobody likes me" I correct him, keeping my eyes up so they weren't blurred by the tears gathering near the ducts.

"What do you mean? I've never met anyone who didn't like you!" He said.

"Because you've never met anyone who knows me. The only friend I had probably won't even speak to me now," I say, imagining Andrew's face as I ran off from our date with hardly an explanation.

"Why's that?" He questions, obviously not understanding.

"There was a reason I wasn't prepared for that fight at Arkham. I was... out on a date with someone from work and I had to ditch when I saw the police. Plus I haven't been to work in a week so he probably thinks I'm ignoring him anyways." I vent out, letting all the worries of the week wash over me. I was too busy worried over my own new social standing I didn't notice the look of hurt and surprise on Robin's face.

"Well if he really cared about you, he'd be easy to forgive you if you just apologized" Robin says, fixing his gaze on the city below. He couldn't look at my face right now.

"I just don't want to risk it. I mean, having a friend who's fake is better than having no friends at all, right?" I say, a bit glumly.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Robin asks, obviously confused by my logic.

"At least you could pretend you have friends, right? Instead of facing the horrible truth that nobody wants to involve themself with you, you can just pretend someone actually likes you. I think it's nice to make-believe. I mean, isn't that what we do? Heroes aren't supposed to be real, they're meant to save the fictional princess in all those old fairy tales. I'm just trying to be someone I'm not, because at least people like heroes, right?" I say. Realizing the truth of my words, I inhaled sharply so as not to succumb to tears, unwilling to show weakness at such an impregnable time.

Robin remained silent, obviously too shocked from my own words to form comprehensible thoughts. I took his as a sign to continue, maybe her could recollect his thoughts as I progressed in my story.

"I think the reason I tried so hard was because I always loved fairytales. Those myths of ancient lore, with the damsel in distress and the handsome hero coming to her aid. I kind of always wanted to be saved. I didn't even have a witch for a mother who locked me in a tower. My mom disappeared before I could even understand what life was. She didn't read me bedtime stories, I read them to myself. My dad was too busy sinking into a pit of work and stress to pay me any mind. He kind of blamed me for everything that happened with my mom. Yet he survived all those years with me, living with the creation of all his problems while turning to alcohol.