[ graphic: @sufferingIy ]

measuring heartbeats
05 | be the robin to my batman?

"Well I'll order in a pizza hey, are you okay with just plain cheese?"

"Sure." I say quickly probably too quickly but she doesn't seem to notice as she walks back out into the other area already on the phone.

No everything's far from okay in here, there's a fucking guy in my wardrobe?!

Why couldn't it have just been a dog or even a hideous rat? How the hell am I suppose to explain a young man hiding in my wardrobe to my aunt?

"You have two minutes to explain what the fuck you're doing in my wardrobe before I throw you out the damn window," I demand throwing the wardrobe doors open again.

The young man blinks once before pushing himself up into a somewhat standing position in the wardrobe, although he has to duck to not bang his head on the top.

"I understand that this probably looks pretty bad but I swear-" he starts holding his hands up in front of him.

"This definitely looks bad, no probably's about it and just for that stupid comment you have a minute left." I tell him leaning up against the wall, watching him.

He gulps before extending one of his hands out towards me. I look at it before looking back at him, his eyes seem to beg for me to shake it.

"The names Quintin, I'm Tabitha's-"

"Jupiter, they've stopped doing plain cheese so I just ordered a hawaiian. Hope that's alright?"

And speak of the devil.

My eyes widen as I spy the door knob wiggling. I turn back to face the so-called Quintin who's already watching me amused, quickly I shove him back inside the wardrobe and close the door on him for the third time this evening.

"Ouch! I actually think you bent my hand," he hisses from inside.

"Well you should've been more flexible than shouldn't you, now shut up!" I finish whispering harshly to him just as the bedroom door opens to reveal Tabitha with a confused look on her face.

"I could've shorn I heard voices in here?" She says glancing around the room, I shrug.

"It was probably just me you were hearing, I tend to talk to myself loudly sometimes."

"Oh!" Tabitha accepts my lie with a shake of her head. "Of course, always need that expert advise from yourself sometimes hey."

I give her a weak smile as I cross my arms over my chest, waiting for her to continue.

"Anyways I just wanted to let you know that we're now having hawaiian, it should be here in the next twenty minutes or so I reckon so I'll let you start unpacking."

"Okay, yeah," I mumble. She takes one last look around before giving me a smile and walks back out, closing the door behind her.

"Is the coast clear yet?"

I look up spotting the guy poking his head out of the small gap he's opened, I nod my head and watch as he then proceeds to climb out of the wardrobe.

"Now as I was saying-"

"You're my aunts what?" I ask him already moving to sit down on the edge of the single bed in the corner of the room.

He sighs before shrugging as he comes to stand in the middle of the room, his head coming close to hitting the roof. Thank god there's no fan in here, I'm guessing he's at least 6ft something.

"I just help her around the house with odd chores and things that she can't reach or fix herself," he explains. "So now it's your turn, who are you?"

Oh so he must be the one Tabitha was talking about earlier, the guy who lives down a few houses or something and helps her out on the weekends.

"Didn't you hear, I'm Jupiter," I say shaking my head with slight annoyance.

"Okay smart-ass, I mean why are you staying with Tabitha? I haven't ever seen you around here before?" His brown eyes finds mine.

"Listen dude... you really haven't got the time to stay and chat, you need to leave right now," I tell him standing back up again.

"Alright I get, it's a touchy subject."

I glare at him before turning around and unzipping my small backpack that's on the bed. Maybe if he thinks I'm busy unpacking, he'll just leave without another word.

"But hey, you should come with me to this cool party tomorrow night," he adds walking over to the bedroom door.

"And why would I want to do that?" I ask frowning.

"Because it looks like you could use some fun." My grip tightens on the strap to the backpack. "Plus I need a Robin to my Batman," he shrugs as an afterthought.

This time I do look up.

"What makes you think I'd make a good Robin?"

I'd never been the best at making friends or keeping them, Sofia is the only friend I've ever had and opened up to you. Apparently I'm too much of a handful for most people but I'm okay with that, I'd rather be a lone wolf than one that's in a pack full of idiots and too-gooders anyways.

Quintin smiles at me before shaking his head with silent amusement.

"I like you sparky and I know you won't let Batman down."

"Yeah you're right," I reply which makes his smile widen ever so slightly more. "I'll drown him myself instead to make sure the jobs done right."

And with that his smile falls away to reveal a shocked expression as I open the bedroom door and shove him out without another word.

As soon as he's out, I close the door leaving him on his own to deal with Tabitha if he gets spotted which is highly likely.

Sighing, I walk back over to my bag and take out the one thing I treasured most even more than my lighter perhaps.

"I miss you guys... so much." I say quietly, my voice breaking. I run my fingers along the edge of the picture frame as hot, stinging tears come to my eyes suddenly.

I grab hold of the frame and bring it up to my chest, hugging it close to me as I curl up into a tight ball on the ground trying my hardest to stay quiet while the tears fall down my face.

And I stay that way for the next fourteen  hours, alone with my heart breaking all over again.

§

"So is that.. normal, do you know?"

I open my eyes in confusion as I look around at my surroundings. I could've sworn I'd heard my mothers voice but upon seeing the frame beside me, I know I'm mistaken.

"But she's been asleep for the last fourteen hours, she didn't even eat her dinner last night."

It's Tabitha's voice that I'm hearing outside the room, not my mothers although I guess they're quite similar as they were sisters.

I stretch my legs out in front of me before managing to stand up and do a few other stretches, I guess laying on the floor for fourteen hours has its consequences.

"So you think it's just a teenage thing?.." Tabitha goes quiet for a few seconds, obviously listening to the other person. "How can any kid sleep for fourteen hours straight? Yeah I don't know how your son does it either."

Technically I hadn't been asleep for those fourteen hours, I had been awake but yet I hadn't been completely there either. Its like putting a movie on because you're bored then end up zoning out anyways.

I've always had pretty bad insomnia but now it's like I loose track of time even more when I try to sleep, and more so I'm not even thinking about anything when I zone out.

"Jupiter, are you awake kiddo? There's some leftover pizza waiting in the oven for you, you must be hungry."

I don't say anything, instead I choose to stay quiet and wait to see what she does next.

"Well I've got a couple of workshops today but my numbers on the fridge if you need me, there's a note too in case you're still asleep and I'm just talking to a door..."

I hear her sigh quietly on the other side of the door before hearing the tip-tap of her shoes walking across the floorboards, then a door opens and shuts with a slight thud.

I check my phone to see that it's already half-past ten and that I've missed a call from Sofia. I decide to play her voicemail while I get out a clean pair of jeans and a t-shirt out of my bag.

"Hey girly, how's the shitty new town going? Seen any hot guys yet or has your aunt locked you up in her secret basement and is planning to murder you? Anyways just ring me when you get a spare minute for your bestie, miss you." Beep.

"Siri call Sofia Grace," I call out to my phone as I change my clothes.

"Calling Sofia Grace now." Beep, beep.

"Ay look it's my home girl, what's happening girly?" Sofia answers on the third ring.

"Well I'm not locked up in a basement so things are okay I guess," I joke which makes her laugh.

"Or maybe you are locked up but you're allowed phone access hmm," Sofia hums in thought.

"Or maybe I'm just in a small, cramped apartment alone about to heat up some pizza."

I've finished getting dress now and so I open my door and walk out into the kitchen, nearly tripping over the boxes in the skinny hallway.

"Okay, now that's just sad Jupiter," Sofia pretends to sob. "Where's this aunt of yours? Has she already done a runner or something?"

I roll my eyes as I notice the note laying on the kitchen bench that Tabitha must have written earlier, I scan over it quickly.

"I don't know, she's out doing some workshops or something I think she said."

"Really, some workshops? That sounds uh.." she trails off sounding unimpressed.

"Boring as hell? Yeah they do," I finish for her as I zap the pizza in the microwave.

"Girl you missed out on the craziest party last night, you should've been here."

As I continue to talk to my best friend and wait for my pizza to be done reheating, I don't hear the front door being opened nor do I hear the person sneak up behind me until it's too late.

"Hey there, sexy thing," a voice whispers in the ear that isn't pressed up against my phone.

"Oh my gosh! Who is that?" Sofia all but yells into my ear but I drop the phone into the sink panicked.

My heartbeat speeds up as I grab hold of the saucepan that is sitting near the sink and turn around about to hit the asshole with it when I realise who it is.

"See I knew you'd make a good Robin although we need to teach you that Robin helps Batman, not try to murder him."