The Night Tigress | Arrow [1]

Chapter 20: Traumas

(Panic Attacks are featured in this chapter! In the sections that they are described, there will be a ! marking where it begins, and where it ends. Please do not read these sections if you could easily get triggered!)

Willow's POV:

After about an hour of sitting on my bed and blinking at the wall, I heard a faint couple of knocks on my door.

"Come in, Oliver." I sighed.

It's obviously him. Who else would it be?

Oliver obliged, entering the room and closing the door behind him.

Oliver scanned the room, and his eyes landed on my window. Or, what's left of the window of least.

"Is... is that a tarp?" He asked.

Well... I never exactly took it off.

"Mhm. What do you think happened to the window after the guy shattered it? You think it just grew back?" I questioned.

"...We need to get that replaced. The home inspector is coming later." Oliver stated.

"Oh joy," I said sarcastically. "So... is there a reason you came in here? If there is... get to the point."

"I just wanted to see if you were alright." Oliver replied.

"Are you alright? You're the one that almost got assassinated tonight. And you also got rejected by your ex. There's that too." I said.

"...How did you know about that?" Oliver asked me.

"I'm not that oblivious," I replied. "About your love life, or that you're being freaking suspicious. I've noticed that almost everything worked out like I thought it would. You throw a party to make people know that you were here, at the mansion. Then, The Hood goes and stops a crime, making people think that you're not him. But like I mentioned earlier... it was a replacement, wasn't it? And it was probably Diggle. He's been acting a bit suspicious too." I stated, not trying to expose him, but still trying to train his ability of making excuses.

I heard soft footsteps approach the door. He was just standing outside, eavesdropping like I was earlier. I think that it's Diggle.

"What..? Willow... no. That's not at all what happened. And Diggle? You really think that Diggle works for me as a vigilante?" He questioned as if it were the craziest thing.

"Both of you disappear almost all day-" I began.

"Because he's my bodyguard!" Oliver cut in.

"Well, you don't need a bodyguard. You seem to be capable of doing much more than injuring an individual," I pointed out. "Plus, you seem rather secretive about anything related to that island. More people than me are gonna get suspicious of that."

"Do you wanna know the real reason why I don't talk about what happened to me there?" Oliver inquired, his voice getting firmer.

I looked up at him, waiting for him to continue.

"Because if people knew... if you knew... you'd see me differently. And not as some vigilante guy. As damaged," Oliver told me. "I don't sleep. I barely eat. I can barely sign my name, let alone aim a bow and arrow."

All of that is probably a slightly altered version of the truth. I'm well aware that he is damaged. I know that he doesn't sleep. I know that he barely eats. And I can relate to that. I don't sleep either. I only eat enough to stay alive, and I can barely even bring myself to do that much. I'm damaged too.

But Oliver can't know that, because after all... I'm just a kid. Right? Kids can't ever have issues. Kids can't be anything other than happy. Kids are expected to be okay... so that's what I'll pretend to be. It's not like I am. But no one can know that.