Family Isn't Just Blood

(Bat Boys In Quarantine) Part 6 - How Many More Phone Calls Are We Gonna Get?

               Catching me off guard is rare. I mean really rare.

Rare as in I've seen Roy down an entire litre of a strawberry milkshake while simultaneously spraying it out his nose from laughing. Yeah, I've seen, and done, enough things in life that nothing should ever catch me off guard. Yet here I am. At a complete loss for a response to Bruce, except for the possibly dumbest thing I've ever said. Why can't I just shut up sometimes?

"How'd you get this number, Bruce?"

"Tim gave it to me. He said you need a place to stay. I understand if you don't want to stay at the manor, I'm not trying to force you to stay here but if you need somewhere to stay while you search for another place.. you're welcome to stay here." Oh fuck. How am I supposed to respond to that?

"This doesn't have to do with business Jason. No business, no masks. This is family." He adds, clearly noticing my hesitation.

"I gotta be out of here by midnight." It pisses me off when he says this is about family. I haven't felt like I was a part of that family since before I had an autopsy report in my name. I promise myself I'll only stay there for a week at most. It's only temporary until I can find a place to stay. I have to believe that.

"I'll send a car around for 11:30, unless another time would.."

"Eleven thirty's fine." I hang up after that. I really don't want to stay there, even if it is only for a short time. I pull my hand through my hair and look at Roy.

"You gonna stay at the manor?" He asks, eyeing his phone like he expects a ghost to pop out of it.

"Not for long. Only until I find another place."

"Right." We're quiet for a minute.

"Are you gonna talk to Queen?"

"I think I might have to. I don't know who else would let me-"

"Boys come here and eat before you worry the brains out of your faces!" I chuckle and throw down the shirt I was in the middle of folding. Roy follows me out into the kitchen where Kori is unloading some groceries into the fridge.

"Yo Jason can you make waffles!?" Roy asks, sounding like he hasn't had real food in years. I ignore him, and look around at what Kori bought.

"People are very panicked at the stores. They are acting like there is a shortage of food. One man had a cart filled with toilet paper."

"Whoa wait a full cart!?" Roy gasps, stuffing his face with a granola bar. "Dude must have serious diarrhea."

"The woman at the check out even asked me if I was sure that's all I wanted, I don't know what is going on with people. I only bought a few snacks for us and some things for pasta for dinner tonight. I didn't think we would need much since we are leaving tonight."

"Did you buy eggs?" Roy asks through a mouthful of granola bar.

"We're not egging the apartment!" I laugh, giving his shoulder a light smack. I start asking Kori if she bought chocolate milk but I'm cut off by the sound of her KPop ringtone. She answers the phone and her face lights up, she floats into her room and shuts the door behind her. Roy hasn't even noticed, he's elbow deep in a bag of pizza flavoured fish crackers.

By the time Kori gets back Roy's gone through most of the snacks she bought. Including, half a bag of fish crackers, most of the box of Oreos, an entire jar of pickles (ew), and half a bag of pretzels. I also might have had a few snacks, okay maybe more than a few.

Kori floats out of her room and sits on the counter in front of us, smacking Roy's hand away from the pasta sauce she bought. He probably would've started eating it right out of the jar.

"That was Richard." She says, making both of our heads snap up.

"What'd he say?" Roy asks, wiping his crumb covered hands off on his jeans. Jesus Roy, we have napkins.

"He asked me if I want to come stay with him."