It was 12 minutes to midnight and still nothing. Nothing all freaking day!
Was this supposed to be some kind of joke?
It wasn't a very funny one, she thought, though she'd never tell her Puddin' that. He'd kill her. So she kept her mouth shut and sigh again.
She's already messed up enough times this very week and that's why she was put "out of commission". His words. She rubbed idly at her busted knee.
'Why don't you have a seat, Harley girl. You'll hurt your pretty little jingling head with all your sad attempts at thinking like a true criminal master mind!' He swung his can, wildly and it just so happened to catch her in the leg. Harley's fault, completely, she knew. If only she were quicker on her feet. Oh well, she wouldn't be for a while. She leaned back in her chair, listening out for the door. Her heart fluttered in her chest.
He's home!
"Mistha J!" she squealed and tried to greet him in her typical fashion, but her knee twinged in excruciating pain and she flopped back into her chair with a faltering smile. It brightened when he came toward her, then wilted a bit more as he walked past her.
"Hey! Ya got something for me, Puddin'?"
"Harley?!" His voice was soft. It always started that way when he was really .... She watched as his shoulders stiffened in his purple jacket, then rose up till they were almost past his ears. Harley swallowed hard in her throat.
"Oh this?" He said in an almost bored voice. "This is nothing. I saw it in the dumpster and thought of you." He tossed a soppy, wet, foul smelling doormat at her and it happened to land square on her wounded knee.
She squeaked in pain-delight, and nearly bounded out of her chair again, hugging the filthy mat to her body.
"Oh I knew you'd rememba!"
"What the hell are you going on about now?" That tone was slipping back into his voice.
She set the doormat in her chair and limped over to him, despite the pain screaming in her leg.
"You remembered my birthday!
"No, I didn't! His eyes grew alarmingly huge when she swung her arms around him, burying her face in his lapel. He reminded stiff for a moment before his hand came up to rest grudgingly on he shoulder. She murmured against him until he had enough and knocked her away. She sniffed and looked up at him as he walked away from her. "And clean up that mess before I get back." The door slammed so loud it shook the room.
She smiled wetly and pulled her present onto her lap. It was one of those novelty doormats. But this one was altered slightly with the Jokers manic handwriting. The only name "Mat" had been scratched out and read:
HI, I AM
HARLEY