II: Mama's Boyfriend
Arthur remained crestfallen, the scandal that his mother made in the face of his teacher and the director of the school had created a shame in the child. The reclaims that the blonde one emanated were impossible to control, they tried to calm her but it was useless. Penny took her son's hand, cursed both men and they were shielding with the classic answer: "Your son is not normal, Mrs. Fleck."
Among the sea of rage, she took one of the portraits of the director's desk and threw it to the ground with incredible strength. Arthur shuddered at the breaking of the glass and watched the pieces slide across the floor and how some of them touched his pants. They turned around and left the building. The cold weather made her mother's red skin recover her tone. In the middle of the road, Penny stopped, Arthur tried to get back the air he was starting to miss and she snorted exhausted. She let go of his son's hand and sat in front of him, drew a big smile and put her hands over his face.
"Happy," Penny said, while feeling his icy cheeks, "you've always been a good little boy. Everything those teachers told me, I know that is a lie."
"I..." Penny interrupted him, carrying his index finger on his lips. Arthur swallowed hard and looked at his mother's almost lost eyes.
"My child, you never get in trouble. I know it. You are always a good and happy kid."
Penny rose and planted a kiss on his son's forehead. She widened more her smile and Arthur responded in the same way. Penny sheltered her little boy in a warm hug, which he corresponded in the same way.
"Always remember, Happy, your mission in this life is to put a smile on people's faces."
"Yes Mom ..." he replied in a slightly doubtful tone. From he had use of reason, his mother always told him those words. In this life he had had to bring joy and for that reason he thought that God had given him that uncontrollable laugh. To make the whole world happy.
They came home in that somewhat neglected apartment building, located in the Gotham metropolis. When putting the first foot inside the place, Penny went directly to the mailboxes in search of something special. She took out her letters and looked at them all quickly, discovering how, little by little, the brightness of his beautiful face was extinguished to welcome sadness. Little Arthur noticed this in his mother and went straight to her to hug her and show her his best smile, she responded to her son's action and patted his back to go straight to her apartment.
As soon as Penny opened the door, the strong smell of tobacco penetrated the boy's nose and an uncontrollable fear covered him. Ronald was at home. He didn't want to separate from her mother from the moment she closed the door, stuck his face to her clothes and observed the smoke float in the living room. They reached that place and Ronald was there, sitting on the couch and watching the TV.
Arthur saw the dark, short hair, the broad, stout arms that rested on the armchair and the huge cigar in his hand. Fear seized the little one. He swallowed hard that the sound was so loud that he turned to look at them. Penny put the keys and her bag on the table and looked with a silly smile at her boyfriend.
"We are home."
"I already noticed," he replied bluntly, letting out the smoke from the cigar and looking at little Arthur. "What happened?"
"An incident at school but everything cleared up."
"What did your son do?"
"Ronald!" Penny exclaimed, almost offended. "You know that Arthur is a very good boy and the others took advantage of him." He rolled his eyes and looked back at the television.
"I'd love to hear one day that he had problems because he started them, not because they made fun of his stupid laugh."
Penny frowned but ignored her couple's comment. At no time did Arthur take off from her and, remembering that his son was clinging to his skirt, she took him by the shoulders and sought to drive him away.
"Honey, let me go," she whispered. Arthur refused, but feeling his mother put strength on his shoulders, he let go of the skirt and brought his gaze to the ground. "I will prepare dinner," she commented, stroking the boy's dark brown hair.
Ronald did not answer, just watched the TV and Arthur stood still and breathing in the awkward smoke of the cigar. The sound of the television was loud, the boy looked up and discovered a mystery movie where a chase was happening and his protagonist was Murray Franklin. A slight smile landed on the boy's face, Murray was an actor who liked him a lot and seeing him in such films made him very excited. As if his smile were a scream, Ronald turned to look at him and quickly faded that thin line of his face.
"What are you doing there?" He questioned with a malicious smile. "Come, sit down," said as he patted the empty side of the sofa, "we need to talk." Arthur shook, put one hand on his arm and rubbed it eagerly. Ronald noticed the boy's attitude and the slight evil that adorned his face was interrupted by bitter despair. "Come on" demanded hostilely.
The boy was startled and obeyed his mother's boyfriend, took a seat next to him but never looked at him, he kept his eyes on the TV, dazzled by the brave image that was Murray Franklin. Arthur felt as Ronald patted his shoulder hard and he resisted. Despite his young age, Arthur Fleck could say he hated his mother's boyfriend a lot. That man was an unhappy who mistreated his mother and him, he didn't understand how she was still with him, but Penny was in love. Horribly in love. The young boy avoided breathing deeply, the smell of the cigarette penetrated his nostrils with horror and he wanted to vomit, but he still resisted. Ronald finished tapping his shoulder and bent down to better appreciate the boy, stared at him and he felt that penetrating dark look martyred him.
"What did they do to you at school?" He asked as he brought the cigar to his mouth.
"Nothing," he replied, still watching television.
"Something they did to you. Every week is the same, you end up being punished and your mother ends up saving your ass." Arthur swallowed hard. "How many times have I told you? You have to act like a man because that's who you are, or what? Are you a little faggot?
The boy slowly denied.
"No. I don't..."
"So? Why don't you defend yourself?" There was no answer by him. Ronald sighed bitterly and brought the cigar to his mouth, inhaled and letting out the smoke at the same time he beat the boy in his head. Arthur did not take his act by surprise, he expected that blow and made his head hard, but it was no use, Ronald's blows were strong. "You are a little faggot."
He leaned back on the couch while a light laugh covered the place and Arthur felt something catch in his throat, it was his laugh. Ronald sighed exhausted and begged him not to start, however, it was inevitable. Arthur began to laugh as tears fell down his cheeks. He brought his little hands over his mouth, but he didn't stop and the laugh sounded for several minutes.
Arthur watched with contempt as Ronald devoured the food that his mother brought harshly to the table while Penny seemed absent from her surroundings, and this was not a novelty. Sometimes Arthur wondered what was going on in his mother's head but no answer reached his childish mind. The boy chewed on some of his bread and then soaked it in the mashed potatoes that abounded on his plate and ate with some trepidation.
"Happy, eat your peas," Penny said, who did not stared him.
"Woman," Ronald interrupted, "stop calling him like that."
"I'm sorry?" She questioned puzzled. "Stop calling him Happy. It is a stupid nickname."
"It isn't," she corrected. "Yes, that's why they treat him like that at school."
"How I call my son does not influence his education."
"Yes, it does," he answered as he removed the peas from Arthur's plate, who did not protest.
They both started arguing and the very scary boy put his hands over his ears to avoid the scandal that was starting. Penny had been horribly upset with her lost gaze wrapped in brand-new rage and despair, which would not be easy to control. Ronald was demonstrating his manhood to his couple whom he seemed not care about, and in a desperate cry he raised his hand and silenced Penny with a slap in the face. The blow had been so strong that the sound echoed for several seconds. Arthur stared in horror, Ronald had touched his mother again. Penny looked terrified at her boyfriend and saw her fist hit the table, demanding her respect and fear. A few tears fell from her blue eyes, she averted his gaze and saw the pale face of her son.
"Ronald ... why in front of Happy?" She demanded in a broken voice.
"So that he learn to be a man and so that you don't question my criteria again."
Silence returned to the apartment and he continued eating as if nothing had happened. Arthur slowly lowered his hands and stared in terror at his mother, whose cheek was beginning to swell.
After that dreadful dinner, Arthur settled down to wash the dishes and sometimes watched as his mother had Ronald almost on top of her, planting countless kisses and whispering things in her ear. Penny looked very reluctant to that behavior, but the more kisses covered her skin and the more tempting words flooded her ears, she succumbed to that thing that disguised itself as human. Their breaths were becoming erratic and Arthur understood where they would go. From one moment to the next, they got up from the couch and walked towards their mother's room. Arthur finished with the dishes, dried his hands and left the apartment to avoid hearing the strange noises that were happening between them.
He started to walk away from his apartment and made his way to the stairs, nosing around in the elevator a bit and noticing that no one was using it, so he clicked both buttons and let it do the rest. He kept walking and went downstairs. Her floor was the eighth, he descended until he reached the fifth and sat down to let the time pass to go home and sleep. He decided to play with the edges of his old pants and while he seemed to be entertaining himself, he listened as the elevator opened believing that his joke had taken effect. He finished going down and went to the door, ready to go in there and walk in that elevator, but his surprise was greater when he observed a red-haired woman with her little daughter. It was Grace and Arthur felt something strange in his stomach, like thousands of wings fluttering on it. The little redhead looked at the boy and smiled with a great surprise.
"Mommy!" She cried out. "It's the boy I told you about!"
She and Grace got out of the elevator and paid attention to little Arthur whose cheeks were painted a deep red. The girl released her mother's hand and approached him to greet him with a hug.
"Grace!" The woman exclaimed somewhat annoyed.
"This is Arthur, Mommy. He saved me at school."
Grace's mother raised an eyebrow at the scrawny boy. At the weight of that gaze, Arthur raised his and gazed at those emerald eyes, identical to Grace's. She looked a lot like her mother, who was a very beautiful woman and she sighed a little exhausted, adjusted her bag and approached to the children.
"So you are Arthur," he greeted very coldly. He quickly nodded, the woman took her daughter by the arm and pulled her away from the boy, missing both. "I think I should thank you for helping my daughter, most of her companions trouble her and you were very noble with her."
Arthur gently cocked his head.
"Mommy, can we have Arthur over for dinner?" The little one questioned with a big smile.
"Another time, Grace. Today your father is not in the mood."
"Oh!" She exclaimed sadly. "When do we invite him?"
"Any day that your father isn't in a bad mood and Arthur's mom gives him permission."
"Oh!" Grace repeated looking at the boy. "Ask your mom for permission to come to dinner!"
Arthur was static for a few seconds and responded with a quick nod. Grace smiled and took her mom's hand, they both started walking and she looked at Arthur one last time to say goodbye with a "see you soon". The boy raised his hand and answered that farewell, he never stopped looking at them until they reached his apartment and disappeared. Arthur almost fell down, managed to lean against the wall next to the steps and felt those fluttering in his stomach more strongly. He brought his hands over his belly and felt his cheeks getting hot. It was strange to feel this way, however, he liked those feelings, they made him forget everything that had happened a few hours ago and a long line was drawn on his lips, ready to get his mother's permission to have dinner at Grace's house.
A/N:
Thanks so much for reading. I will be deeply grateful with any comments, constructive criticism, opinions and / or suggestions :3