Reality Check : : Barry Allen/The Flash

01

"Mum, can I use your car again? My lessons start in fifteen minutes." I yell as I jog down the stairs and into the kitchen. She's standing at the bench with her back to me, probably making some sandwiches or something.

"Of course. I've told you a million times that you don't have to ask. My only condition is that you--" she cuts herself off so that I can finish her sentence.

"Pay for gas whenever I use it. I know Mum." I sigh. She nods and I walk over to give her a kiss goodbye. "See ya later."

"Bye Elise." She smiles at me, then leaves kind mother mode and goes into health nut mode. "Eat something on your way."

"I will Mum." I assure her, grabbing an apple out of the fruit bowl and taking a bite as I leave the room. I grab Mum's keys on my way out the door, having already loaded my things into the backseat before I asked Mum for permission to use it; I knew she'd say yes. She always does.

I get in the car and head off to my first lesson for the day. I have three today, two tomorrow, then a break over the weekend, then on Mondays I have four lessons, Tuesdays are two, then Wednesdays are two again. That's what happens when it's Summer break and kids want to learn piano and guitar.

See, most people in the neighbourhood know that my parents and I are musicians, and a few asked if I could teach their kids to play. Somehow my name got around to a whole heap of people all over the city and now my job is teaching kids how to play instruments I was practically raised on.

My parents, of course, were thrilled to have me working and earning money in a field that does the same for them. They're both composers and conductors. Dad's more of the latter while Mum's specialty is the former, but they can each do both very well.

I guess it was only natural for them to teach me and my older brother the ways of the music world from before we could walk, but I'm the only one out of the two of us that actually wants anything to do with music.

Although I must admit, I do really hate classical music. I know it well because of my parents, but I don't willingly listen to or play it ever. It's just not my cup of tea.

Liking classical music after being raised on it would be like eating the same food for every meal every day and not getting sick of it.

I pull up in front of the gates to the fanciest house I've ever been in and wind down my window so that the camera can see me.

"Good morning Miss Quick." A robotic voice comes through the little speaker bellow the camera, sounding emotionless and dreary like always. "Adrien is in the second drawing room."

"Thanks Nathalie." I always find it weird talking to a robot like it's an actual person, but I was asked to do so by Adrien's dad, and I'm not going to question him.

The metal gates open by themselves and I slowly drive in, parking my car in it's usual spot in front of the house. I'm not as awed by this place as I was the first few times, but I guess that's because I've been coming here weekly during every Summer break for years now.

"Elise!" Before I'm even out of Mum's car properly, I can hear Adrien calling out from the window of the drawing room. I look up and wave, then grab all my stuff and head inside. I already know my way to the right room, so I get there easily.

"Hey Adrien." I greet as soon as I see him. He's waiting patiently with a huge smile and he's already at the piano. This kid's a little weird; he's sixteen and obsessed with black cats and ladybugs. I guess I shouldn't judge since he's been homeschooled basically his whole life.

And besides, I'm obsessed with superheroes and I'm twenty-five.

~§~

"Bye Jamie. I'll see you next time. Remember to practice!" I call over my shoulder as I leave my last lesson for the day. A hundred and fifty dollars in cash is in my back pocket, my music's in my arms and my guitar's on my back. Just the way I like it.

"Bye Elise!!" Jamie and her parents wave from their front door as I put my stuff in Mum's car and get in. I honk the car's horn as I pull out of their driveway and head home.

My phone starts ringing when I'm halfway home, and I know it's Mum. I answer it and put the call on loudspeaker.

"Hey Mum." I say loudly.

"How far away are you?" She asks. I look around, trying to figure out how long the trip home will take.

"Um, about ten minutes." I inform her. There's a pause on her end of the call.

"Would you be able to pick up some eggs on the way home? Ben's coming over for dinner." She finally says. Oh. Now I understand the pause; Ben doesn't really get along with the rest of us.

"Yeah, sure Mum. I'll just..." My voice trails off; there's a little box on the side of the road with a sign saying 'Please take me home'.

"Elise? Is everything okay?" Mum's voice is full of concern. I pull over to the side of the road and get out, grabbing my phone as I slowly walk over to the box. "Elise, honey, please say something."

"Sorry Mum, I got, uh..." I trail off again, peering into the box.

"Elise? You got what sweetie?" Mum sounds worried, but I barely even notice; inside the box is a little ball of fluff, peering up at me with big blue eyes.

"I got distracted." I finish my earlier statement, reaching down to pat the little puppy. "Mum, you are not going to believe this. I just came across this little puppy that someone's giving away. It's so cute."

"Well bring it home with you Elise. I want to see." Mum sounds like a little girl and I happily agree. "I'll let you go now so that you can suss out the puppy... And don't forget the eggs."

"Okay Mum. See you at home. Love you." I say before hanging up. I shove my phone into my pocket and reach in to scoop up the puppy.

There's no contact number on the sign, and nobody's around. This whole neighbourhood is empty because the contractors were cutting corners, so who would've left this poor little puppy here?

"You on your own, little fella?" I ask the puppy, knowing it won't reply. It's snuggling up to me, shivering slightly. "How long've you been out here?"

I look up and down the street once more, then go back to my car with the puppy in my arms. It's shivering, so I grab a jacket from the backseat of the car and wrap it around the puppy gently, then put the furry bundle onto the front passenger seat and walk around to get in the driver's seat.

"Elise."

My head shoots up and I look all around me. Nobody's around. I guess I was just hearing things. I get in the car and continue the journey home.