Roy is 11.
Chapter 28: Christmaskah
Roy's POV
I could barely contain my excitement as I rolled over to look at the alarm clock. I groaned as I realized it was only four in the morning. Well, I guess that's not too early. I mean it is Christmas.
I threw off the covers and rolled out of bed before running straight for Ollie's bedroom. Running down the hallway I started screaming for him to get up at the top of my lungs.
I screamed, "Wake up! It's Christmas!" before throwing the door to his room open.
My face deflated when he was nowhere to be found. Maybe he's just in the Arrow Cave? Twenty minutes later, he was nowhere to be found. At first, I thought something had happened to him but the Arrow Car and his bike were in their place. I also checked the garage, which led me to finding one of the Lamborghinis missing.
He did it again. He went home with someone from his office Christmas party and forgot about me… again. I tried to stop my lip from quivering as a tear rolled down my face. Why does he always have to do this? He always goes from the best dad to the shittiest one is less than a second.
"Just because he's gone doesn't mean I have to spend Christmas alone," I mumbled.
I can't go to Dick's. Batman lives there. Wally is out. His uncle is a snitch. Donna is out considering she lives on an island without men. Kara? No, Clark would bitch to Ollie. Dinah? There's a chance he's with her... Uncle Hal it is.
Once I got back to my bedroom, I threw my bow, a few clothes, and videogames into my bag before I changed out of my pajamas. Heading back into the Arrow Cave, I punched in the coordinates for Hal's apartment.
A second later, I was staring at him digging through his fridge in nothing but his underwear. He turned around and stared at me in shock as I smiled up at him.
"Hi, Uncle Hal."
For several seconds he merely stared at me before saying, "Roy, is there a reason why you're in my apartment at four in the morning alone?"
"Ollie forgot about me again."
"Want me to call him?"
I shook my head. "Can I just spend Christmas with you?"
"I really don't celebrate Christmas, kiddo. You see my mom was Jewish and my dad was Catholic. After he died, my mom pretty much cut Christmas out of the picture," he explained as he headed back to his bedroom.
"Then what do you celebrate?" I asked as he pulled on a pair of sweatpants.
"Nothing anymore. I used to celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas but nothing anymore."
"What exactly is Hanukkah?"
"Hanukkah is a Jewish festival commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire."
I shrugged before I muttered, "I have no clue what you're talking about. So, why don't we just celebrate Christmaskah?"
********Break*******
Ollie's POV
Oh shit. I knew I was screwed the second I rolled over and wrapped my arms around my secretary's waist. I can't believe I did it again. Roy is going to be so disappointed. Poor kid. I'll make it up to him.
As I walked into the house, I put on the guiltiest expression I could muster, which didn't take too much effort considering I felt terrible. I paused when I noticed that his mountain of presents remained untouched.
"Roy!" I called out as I climbed the stairs to his bedroom.
Rounding the corner, I found the kid along with Hal playing a videogame in his room. Roy glanced over at me and instantly looked away choosing to glare at the screen instead. Hal laid down his controller before getting up and heading over to me.
He hissed, "Just be a damn parent, Ollie. I'll be in the kitchen."
And with that he has gone to raid my kitchen leaving me alone with Roy. I cleared my throat before saying, "Hey, sport… You want to open your presents?"
"You forgot about me again."
"I know. I'm sorry. Since it's Christmas, how's about we just pretend it didn't happen, sound good?"
Roy didn't respond. Probably ten minutes passed before he finally said, "Did you know Uncle Hal spends Christmas alone? No one should be alone today, should they?"
I winced at the anger in his words before giving him a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry, Roy… I won't do it again, buddy."
"Don't make promises you can't keep."
"Come on, kiddo. I'll make it up to you."
He seemed to think it over before replying, "Do you promise to spend the entire day with me tomorrow with no work and we patrol together?"
"Deal."
"Good. Just know that I'm still mad at you but we have a Christmaskah to celebrate."
"A what?"
Happy Holidays Everyone!