Black Canary (2) • boyxboy | Arrow

11

THE APARTMENT
Drake

I open the door walking in with my duffle bag around my shoulder and see the house cleaned and overhear a cartoon show. I try to sneak in to surprise but hear Felicity's and Will's voices in the living room talking about the cartoon show. They laugh and I smile lightly as Felicity was made for this, I was never made to be a parent. I don't even know how Mom and Dad stood up with me. I wasn't as bad as Ollie, I was just troubled and confused especially with my sexuality.

I remember a time before the particle accelerator exploded and before Sara died on the Gambit. Before anything bad happened. That was a different time for me. I was like every other teenager, a self absorbed little shit fulfilling life. I was only 18 when the particle accelerator exploded and gave me the canary cry.

I remember not being clear with what I wanted to do before the explosion. It was in between of competing in skating competitions which I'm really good at and hoped that I would somehow make a living from the sponsorships. I was also good at snowboarding, especially half pipe. I had chances in the Winter Olympics and I could've gone with Sean White and Gus Kensworthy for all the years they've went.

Of course, Mom didn't support the idea of me in the Winter Olympics which was infuriating and heartbreaking. She believed my academics were more important and that the Olympics would only throw me off it. Of course like the teen I was back then, I threw tantrums and became difficult to bare with. I stopped speaking to her and tried to go to Star City as much as I could with the money I stole from her. I stayed over at Laurel's constantly and grabbed lunch with Laurel and Dad in the day during their breaks and spoke about the nut cases he had to deal with. That was my best family memory.

I was destined to at some point get caught but not by mom, neither dad or Laurel. It was Oliver. It was a year before the Particle Accelerator exploded. I was 17. It's weird to think that it's been 7 years already since I was given the canary cry.

I remember leaving the Train station that day from Central City and riding my skateboard out of the exit. I was young, bold and most of all, difficult to deal with. Stubborn was my middle name and always would be from that day on.

When I left the station that day, I saw Ollie and he cornered me. This was after his disaster on the gambit and when Sara was around for her second life. He was moody and dark and most of all bad at pretending and acting to be the nice guy in public. I remember Ollie stopping me in the middle of the street and almost interrogating me even though he had an idea of what had been happening.

_______

7 YEARS BACK

I skate through the gloomy grey streets of Starling City with my earphones plugged into my ears listening to Kings Of Leon, with a light blue denim jacket, black ripped jeans and a tight white t-shirt. I tuck my beanie into my head as it's cold and mind my own business as everyone moves and makes space for me in the street.

As I continue skating the streets in front of me look more crowded and decide to make a turn into an alleyway. I ignore the homeless sitting against the walls and the garbage fires to keep them warmed up. I continue skating and then stop wanting to walk as the floor is wet which would make skating harder on me.

I continue walking minding my own business and then walk out of the alleyway into a new avenue and see the Queen's Consolidated building, or what is left of it from the bankruptcy it keeps going through.

As I stand in the middle of sidewalk starring at the building. I see the iconic man of the building, Oliver Queen walk out with his bodyguard behind him. I stare at the almost bankrupt business man.