Listen to the Thunder

“Jack, are you okay?” Paul asked, knocking on the other side of the door. “I swear, if I knew that the pizza would make you since, I wouldn’t have taken you there.”
I huffed, staring at myself in the mirror.
“It’s fine, Paul, really. I feel better now,” I called back.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m fine.” I called to reassure him.
“Okay. I’ll be on the couch.”
I laughed lightly.
“Okay, I’ll be there in a minute.”
There was slight hesitation, but I finally hear Paul walk away from the door. I looked at myself in the mirror once more. I noticed that I had lost some weight but it wasn’t that noticeable. I knew how to at least keep myself out of rehab for a while, and so far I was doing a pretty good job at hiding this bulimia. Rumor didn’t notice, which I was very happy about, considering she’s my step-sister and all. I’ve been going at this for four months without interference. That’s a new record for me, post rehab. I dealt with anorexia for years before being put into a center in Arizona, which I seriously hated more than anything.
After I quickly brushed my teeth, I unlocked the door, and pulled it open. It took me a minute to gather myself before I walked out into the living room. Paul was casually flipping through the channels, waiting for my return. I plopped down beside him, and smiled.
“Feeling any better?”
I laughed.
“I told you that I did, silly.”
“I’m just making sure. I hate that you got sick,” He stated, pouting.
“Awe, look at that face!” I stated before grabbing his chin and pulling his face closer to mine. “Pucker up.”
“No way, you just puked.”
“But I brushed my teeth and everything! Here, smell,” I stated, opening my mouth. Paul laughed but sniffed anyway.
“Minty fresh,”
“See!” I laughed. “Now I repeat, pucker up.”
Paul made a ridiculous pucker face, making me laugh again before I kissed his lips.
“Mwah,” He mocked as soon as we pulled away. “We should probably go get ready, Batgirl.”
I pouted this time.
“Don’t get me wrong, I really freaking love Batman and Robin, but Rumor is just plain obsessed,”
“I know, Martin is too.” Paul laughed. “Which reminds me, I should let myself into his apartment. My costume is in there.”
“That would be a good idea.” I laughed. “I don’t get why I have to be Batgirl. I’m not even blonde.”
“Why didn’t you just go for Poison Ivy? Isn’t she a red head?”
“Sure is, and I nearly begged Rumor to be her, but she said I can’t be Poison Ivy if you’re going to be Robin,”
Paul shook his head.
“I still don’t get it.”
“Batgirl and Robin are a couple, duh.”
“Ohh....” He nodded. “So why isn’t she going as some chick Batman hooked up with then?”
“My dear Paul, Batman and Catwoman were a couple. Didn’t you ever watch Batman Returns with Michelle Pfeiffer?”
“Yeah, she was hot,”
I rolled my eyes.
“Of course that’s all you got out of that. Anyway, that’s why she’s going as Catwoman...the original. Not the stupid Hallie Berry one.”
“Then why is she wearing the Hallie Berry costume?”
“The Michelle Pfeiffer is way too much leather. It’s like a full body jump suite. She would die in that thing, I mean she has that costume, but she also has the new one,”
“Ohh.” He nodded with a small laugh before he kissed me and then he stood up. “I gotta go get all Robin-ed up.”
“Don’t forget the wig.” I winked.
He chuckled before he turned around and walked toward my door. Paul waved one more time before he left me to myself in the apartment. I turned on old cartoons, settling on The Flinstones, my all time favorite. I giggled at Fred and Barney for an hour before Rumor came waltzing into our apartment.
“Hey!”
“Hi,” I giggled back. Rumor walked over to me and decided to sit down on my stomach. “Ugh.”
“Happy birthday, Jaycee!” She stated with an cheeky grin.
“Thankssss, but can you please get off me, you fat lard!”
“I resent that!” She laughed before standing up. I swung my legs off of the couch to give her room and she sat down next to me. “How was your day today?”
“It was pretty perfect.” I stated.
“What did you guys do?” She asked me, bouncing up on down, smiling like a five-year old.
I laughed and shook my head.
“Tattoos and pizza.”
“Tattoos and pizza?” She asked me.
“I got an feather tattoo,” I stated, standing up and pulling up my shirt to show her the fresh ink.
“And you didn’t invite me?” She stated, pouting.
I laughed at her.
“I’m sorry? I didn’t realize that you wanted to?”
“It’s okay, I’m over it.” She laughed.
“Martin got you coffee didn’t he?”
She nodded her head up and down quickly.
“He’s amazing.”
“What did you two do today?”
“He took me to meet one of his inspirations.”
“Who?”
“This adorable girl named Annie! She’s so precious, Jack. She really is,” Rumor smiled. “She’s super funny and sweet. Plus, she’s a little red head!”
“Like the actual Annie?”
“Sort of, she just has way less freckles.”
“That’s awesome, Rum.” I giggled. “Paul left an hour ago to go get ready. Did Martin ever say what time the party was?”
“He said that it started at six.”
“Three more hours until then?” I pouted. “What in the hell am I supposed to do until then?”
“Are you really that bored?” Rumor giggled.
“Not really, The Flinstones were entertaining me for an hour.”
“Hmmm.” Rumor laughed. “I’m going to go call my dad. It’s been a while since I talked to him.”
“You talked to him two days ago,”
Rumor rolled her eyes.
“Whatever. It would do you some good to call your mom. She’s worried shitless.”
“I called her not too long ago.”
“You called her three weeks ago.” Rumor sighed. “Just go call her...please?”
My face twisted up as I stood up from the couch.
“I’m going,” I called before I locked myself in my room. I laid down on the bed, and dug my iPhone from my pants. I dialed her number quickly and pressed it to my ear.
“Jaycee, honey, hey,” She breathed out quickly.
I giggled slightly.
“Hi mom,”
“How in the world have you been?”
“I’ve been...good.” I stated. “Hanging out with Paul every chance I get.”
“Honey, you’re really wrapped up in that boy, aren’t you?”
“It’s not like he’s the only person I hang out with,”
“It sure does seem that way,”
“I...uh..he’s leaving soon. Both of them are, Paul and Martin.”
“Where are they going?” She questioned.
My mom didn’t know about them being in a band.
“Um...business trip...”
“How long are they going to be gone?”
“Three or so months,”
“Jaycee, that’s an awful long time to be away on business.”
“Dad was always gone.” I muttered.
“That’s because your father was in a stupid band.” She spat.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
“I know, and you never let me forget it.”
“Honey, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be bitter about him. I honestly don’t.”
“I know, mom,” I huffed, sitting up on my bed. “He walked out when I was five, and I haven’t heard much from him since then. Trust me, I know the story.”
She huffed from the other side of the line.
“Well...happy birthday. You’re twenty two today,”
“I know, thanks,” I mumbled picking at my black nail polish. “I miss you,”
“I miss you too,” She replied. “How is recovery going?”
I bit my lip nervously.
“It’s going pretty good. I’m really gaining much weight. It’s hard for me.” I lied swiftly.
“You’ve always been skinny. I never did understand why you developed a eating disorder personally.”
“Yeah...” I trailed off. “I really don’t want to talk about it mom,”
“I understand. I just worry about you, Jack.”
“I know that you do, and I love you for it.”
Even if I’m not okay.
“What are your plans for tonight?”
“We’re going to some Halloween party with Martin and Paul and some of their friends.”
“Have fun. I have to go, but thank you for calling me finally.”
“I’ll try to call more often.” I stated.
“Okay. I love you, Jack. Bye, honey.”
“Love you too, mom.” I replied before pulling the device from my ear. I tossed it beside me, and decided to go ahead and star getting ready. I need to figure out how to style the wig anyway.

♥

“We look super cute!” Rumor stated soon after the four of us were all together once again.
“I think so too,” Paul laughed.
“My wig iches.”
“I think I like this. Most of my face is covered.”
“Mine too! This costume allows me to breath unlike my other Catwoman costume.”
Martin and Paul gave Rumor a weird look while I shook my head at her.
“So where is this place?” I questioned. “Because I don’t know how much staring I can personally take.”
“It’s only a few blocks or so away.” Martin laughed. “Are you afraid someone’s going to actually come up to us or something?”
I shrugged.
“It’s not impossible.”
“No, but who cares?” Rumor asked me. “Let’s have some fun with these things! I love Batman, dang it, and I wanna have the time of my life.”
“You were having the time of your life before you even put that Catwoman suite on,” I teased.
“So? I just really love Batman!”
“Ha! So you do love me. I knew it.”
Rumor rolled her eyes.
“Wasn’t talking about you.”
Paul and I laughed at the two before we walked toward the stairs. The elevator was out of service...again.
“I really hate stairs!”
“I knew that for the first time I met you,” Paul chuckled. “You never did tell me why though.”
“She watched too many horror movies as a child.” Rumor interrupted, earning a glare from. “What?”
“I was going to tell him.”
“Too slow,” She laughed.
“Think of it this way, any robber would probably freak out if he saw us coming down these stairs. These costumes are pretty believable.” Martin stated, holding the door for us to all walk in. With a small hug on my hand from Paul, my feet started moving and we were walking down the stairs.
“That’s right! We’re awesome.”
I rolled my eyes.
“I feel like a hero.”
“You should! You happen to look like one,”
“Batgirl is pretty important.” I smirked. “She figured out things that Mr. Bruce Wayne couldn’t.”
“Great, we’ve got a Batgirl with attitude.” Paul muttered with a laugh.
“Since when does Batgirl not have attitude?”
“That’s very true.” Rumor laughed. “Come on, I wanna scare civilians!”
I giggled.
“Of course you do,” Martin laughed.