Rotten Apples, chapter 3

“Do you think they’ll take a lot longer? It’s late and the boys are hungry.” Bruce’s statement was met with groans from said boys.

“Could you be more embarrassing?” Dick muttered.

“Yeah, we’re not five, for fuck’s sake.”

“See? They’re moody already.”

“Well, maybe he went to pick up Mia too.” Hal guessed, he wasn’t too happy about the delay either, but he was trying to be optimist.

“I highly doubt Dinah’s going to let her go anywhere near Oliver after her last trip to the police station, at least not in a while”

“I know, but… Look, there they are!” and in fact, Roy and Oliver were entering the restaurant, but the teen didn’t look thrilled at all.

“Stop pushing me around!”

“Then walk on your own!”

“I told you I didn’t wanna come to this stupid place!” He wanted to go out with his friends, not have Bruce, Oliver and Hal look over them as if they were seven.

“And I told you I don’t care!”

“You always have stupid excuses to ignore me, you asshole!”

“Wanna repeat that last part?” the change in the boy’s expression once he heard Oliver’s tone was evident, “Then calm the fuck down,” he grabbed his arm a little bit harder than necessary, 

“And sit… Hey guys, how are you?” The man greet them casually. He was totally sick of that damn kid’s attitude.

“We are fine, thank you.” Bruce response was polite and neutral.

“Good, thanks.” Hal answered. Kyle looked just as moody as Roy, “Maybe the boys would be more comfortable if they sat at another table.”

Oliver didn’t have to think about it, obviously Roy’d preferred that.

“It’s fine by me.”

Before Bruce could object, his and his friend’s sons had already chosen the farthest table they could find.

Oliver looked at his friends relieved. He had been kind of mad that day at the police station, but he was sure Hal and Bruce hadn’t meant what they said, they were just as mad as he was.

“Good thing we came here, Roy wouldn’t stop bugging about wanting to go out. I couldn’t stand that fuckin’ temper of him anymore… That boy’s so moody when he doesn’t eat.” The older archer complained, reading through the menu.

“Well, it’s been a while since breakfast…” Hal commented as if not wanting.

“He didn’t have anything at breakfast.”

“Come again?” Bruce was sure he had misheard.

“Well, yeah, he got up late saying he was sick, you know, to skip school, so I had to take him to my office instead.”

“Oh, do you have an infirmary there?” That was practical, Bruce had one too. “Is he okay?”

“We don’t have an infirmary, Hal. He’s not sick, he just didn’t wanna go to school.”

“…Did he tell you?” Hal had to ask.

Oliver shot him a look that clearly said ‘Are you serious?’

“No, he didn’t, it’s just obvious. Anyways, we had to run to my office, so he didn’t eat”.

Hal glanced at the boy. He did look a little pale…

“Maybe going to the doctor wouldn’t have been such a bad idea. I can call Leslie, if you’d like. He looks a little pale.”

Hal sighed in relief. Thanks God for Bruce’s brutal sincerity.

“No, thanks, Bruce, he’s fine.”

“Perhaps he just needs something to eat,” Hal suggested, trying to redirect the conversation’s subject.

“I highly doubt so. You know he’s used to feel hunger.”

“Excuse me?” Oliver looked up from the menu.

“Well, he’s always hungry. It’s obvious for the way he eats when he comes over.”

“When?”

“Come on, Ollie. Roy’s always at my house... or Bruce’s. When you’re at work?” he insisted at his friend’s confused expression, “He says you know.”

“Of course I didn’t!” the man was obviously not amused with the news, “I wouldn’t let him go bother you guys like every fuckin’ day and eat all your food.”

“Better than always making him hunt his.” Hal spat out before even realizing it.

“Always? That’s just sometimes, and besides, he doesn’t need to go eat at your house, he could have made something at home. Survival is something I try to work with Roy a lot. Or do you think I leave him with a babysitter every time I have a business trip?”

“You leave him alone?” Hal hadn’t thought about that.

“Sometimes he stays over with Dinah and Mia, but some other times he just doesn't wanna.”

“And you ask him?” Bruce said almost with disgust.

“What? Should I drag him kicking and screaming? Come on...”

"Look...” Hal started, “It's not that we are trying to question your mentoring... Or parenting, but..."

Oliver let out a bitter laugh.

"But that's exactly what you guys are doing".

“No, we are not… Look, we are just… I think I misjudged Roy and Jason yesterday. Obviously Roy just needs a little bit more attention…”

“More like freakin’ manners…” the blonde muttered under his breath, “Roy, come here!” the boy shot him a contemptuous glare, but obeyed and took a sit next to him in the booth, “Listen, if I don’t get to stay home all freakin’ day is because I have to work to get some damn food on your stomach, that’s no excuse for you to do whatever the hell you want or spend all day annoying the heck out of everyone else at their own houses. You have food and space at home, you could just invite your friends over instead of giving their parents all that trouble and talk like you spend your days alone and starving.” He warned the boy as calm as he could, not that he wanted to start a scene at the restaurant either. That was just the las thing he needed, “You have a home of your own, so don’t spend all day at other people’s houses.”   

Roy tried to not look at Hal and Bruce with betrayal in his eyes. He hadn’t thought that they’d run to tell Oliver about the times he had told them that they still hadn’t gone grocery shopping at home.

“Why not?”

“Because they have enough problems of his own like to be carrying mine too.”

“Fine.” Bruce didn’t miss the look on the boy’s eyes as he got up and left to go sit with the other boys. 

Just then, the waitress went to deliver the boys their food, but nothing was put in front of Roy.

“He surely didn’t order anything. He was insisting a lot that he ‘didn’t feel well’,” Oliver explained as soon as he saw Hal opening his mouth. “Just let him keep on with the tantrum, let’s see if his attitude’s changed by dinner time.”

"See? That's what I'm talking about; people don't deal with stuff that way anymore, it's brute."

"You're overreacting, Hal, the way I deal with Roy is fine." But Oliver wasn't so stoical anymore.

"No, I'm not…"

"Hal…" Bruce had seen that expression in Oliver's face before and it mean the man was running out of patience. Hal knew that too, but he didn't care, right then it made sense that 

Roy never wanted to be at home.

"For example, there was no need for you to reprimand him like that and less in front of us, I mean, you could have just given him a beating right here to complete it," the pilot added the last part sarcastically, "And it's not okay that Roy stays always alone, he says there are no clean clothes or cooked food at home."

"But there's a refrigerator, an emergency credit card, and a washing machine he can use whenever he wants, so what's the problem?" Oliver didn't like his friends tone anymore.

"What Hal's trying to say," Bruce decided it was time to take over, "Is that maybe Roy's been acting up these last… months, because he's felt really lonely and you shpuld pay a little more attention, that's all."

"Yeah, he's always alone, hungry, tired, and it looks like he hates to be at home."

Oliver shot them a look of disbelief.

"Well, I'm sorry if he's always at your houses, he won't anymore. You could have just told me before instead with carrying with the trouble. Besides, who do you think you are to tell me all this shit about me being a crappy dad? You with Jason and you with a perfect kid like Kyle… I wish you had a freakin' delinquent just so you feel what's like… Or is it that? Are you worried that Roy's the rotten apple and it's going to corrupt Kyle?-

"Of course not, we're telling you because we appreciate Roy."

"And you shouldn't talk about him like that, especially if he's near you." Bruce didn't miss the chance to point it out.

"Now I understand why he is like he is."

Just what he needed.

"Yeah, sure… Some friends." The CEO of Queen Industries stood up and put some money on the table, "Roy, we're leaving!"

Said boy turned to him with a somewhat confused expression, but just a look at the man told him it was no time for questions. He said goodbye to his friends quickly before following the guy towards the exit.