Thanks to Salamara, PatrickDempseylover, michelle1203, and Harlequin Sequins for the reviews! I'm sorry to say, but this is the very last fanfic about Gen and Jack! Author's note: Remember! The Joker remembers his past with his family differently every time!
I went home a few nights later, thinking about her. I was actually happy for once, then I heard the yelling. Mom and Dad were going at it again and he was drinking. I tried to open and shut the front door quietly and walk to my room just as so, but Dad caught me.
"Where're ya goin' ya useless sack of shit?!" He slurred angrily.
"Leave him alone Herb, he has nothing to do with it!" Mom yelled.
I kept my eyes on the floor, making eye contact would only get me a black eye. I started to walk past him, not wanting to fight with my own father, but he grabbed me by my shirt collar.
"You were a mistake, dontcha know that!? We never wanted ya!" He exclaimed. My eyes flickered to my mother, a silent question of his statement. She sighed and said nothing, vanishing into their bedroom.
I always knew I wasn't wanted. That…that I was a mistake. The only person that seems to want me in anyway is Genesis. But my own parents didn't have to rub it in my face! Anger broiled inside of me and threatened to spill over, causing unwanted actions. They weren't fit parents, even by a long shot! It's all their fault I turned out the way I did and I hope I humiliate them every time I'm on the evening news!
I couldn't help myself and I punched Dad. He dropped me like a sack of potatoes, holding his bleeding nose. I smiled when I saw the blood. Anger flashed in my father's eyes and I ran to my room, barricading myself inside.
I caught a reflection of myself in the mirror. All I saw was a big, ugly frown. I wanted to get rid of it, but I couldn't manage a smile after what happened. So, I took the knife that Grandpa left me when he died, and carved myself a permanent smile. A Chelsea Grin, a Glasgow Smile.
I didn't care about the pain I felt coming from my torn cheeks. Pain was only a feeling and you can suppress pain just like all the other feelings. I didn't care about the steady stream of blood seeping down my chin and to my chest. I wanted to do something! Anything! So, I decided to burn down the announcer's box at the football field and burned 'The Joker Was Here' in the grass.
As I watched the announcers box and grass burn, I thought about all time, energy and hard work people must have put into both. Keeping the field perfectly trimmed, all the money that went to that new announcers box and sound system…all up in smoke! And I started to laughing. It would all be gone by morning! It was the most fun I had in years! Then, I got caught.
I tried to sneak in my bedroom window just like I escaped earlier, but my parents were there waiting on me.
'How did they get in?' I thought to myself. My barricade wasn't there. I had used my desk to keep my Dad from coming in, but it looked like it was never moved. And, Dad's nose looked fine. It was like it all never happened, but it did. Didn't it?
"Where have you been!?" Dad exclaimed. "I hope you haven't corrupted that nice Hayden girl!"
"Jack…what's on your face?" Mom asked, walking up to me. "Oh God. It's blood. Jack! Did you cut yourself?"
"Dad almost did worse to me tonight! He nearly punched me and you did nothing, you whore!" I exclaimed, angrily.
"What are you talking about, son? I never did anything to you besides ask you how your day was and you ignored me and went to your room!" Dad said.
"What are you talking about, Dad. You're a child abuser! You grabbed me by my shirt and told me I was an accident!" I exclaimed.
"Jack. None of that happened." Mom said, quietly. "I think you need to see a therapist. Tell Genesis that you past out and you must have hurt yourself when you did. We don't want her to worry."
Dad drove me to the hospital to get me stitched up. It seemed that the fire at the football field was getting foggier and vaguer in my mind with each passing minute. Then, I only remembered parts of it. Now, when I do something like that, I remember. All the shrinks I've seen said it was 'cuz I didn't want to remember 'cuz I was ashamed and now, I just don't care! I say, whatever helps them sleep at night. I just do what do 'cuz I like fucking with people!
Dad and I got home around twelve thirty that night. I went to bed soon after. I woke up the next morning in a pissy mood. My cheeks were killing me and I didn't know why. I sat up in bed and saw stitches starting at the corners of my mouth and stopping at my cheekbones.
Then, last night flooded to the forefront of my mind.
"You past out and must have hurt yourself when you did." I remember Mom saying. I also remember that I was at the football field for some reason and laughing at something.
I didn't want to go to school that morning, but I wanted to see Genesis, so I got up anyway. When I got dressed, I trudged to the kitchen for breakfast. Dad had brought doughnuts. I wanted one but wasn't sure I could eat it without snapping my stitches. So, I settled for nothing.
"Jack! Don't forget you're going to a psychiatrist this afternoon!" Mom called.
I groaned in annoyance, today was going to be a great day!
As I drove to Genesis' house, I wondered what she'd do when she saw me. Well, I guess we were about to figure that out! When she climbed in beside me, she gasped. "Jack! What happened?"
"I dunno." I replied tiredly. "I dunno what happened. Mom and Dad thinks that I blacked out and I must have hit something as I fell. I didn't black out, Gen. I did something that I don't remember."
"You…you did this to yourself?" she asked. "Look Jack, if you're depressed-"
"I'm not depressed, I'm fine." I said. She's a smart gal and she knew I was trying to convince the both of us.
"Then why did you cut your mouth?" she asked worriedly.
"I'm not sure if I even did. I remember only bits of last night. I was at the football field for some reason and laughing at something I don't remember and then going to bed. That's it. I don't wanna talk about it anymore, Mom's making me go to a shrink after school. You'll have to catch a ride with Rebecka."
"Jack-" I cut her off.
"I said, I don't want to talk about it." I said angrily. I wasn't angry at her. I was angry at myself for being such an idiot.
"Ok." We were silent the rest of the way to school.
When we got to school, every body was huddled together talking about the football field. I needed a drink….
"Did you hear what happened to the football field?"
"I wonder who did it?"
"I bet it was the Braves, they're too afraid to play against us!"
"Hey did you hear what happened last night? Ooh Jack, you ok?" Rebecka asked. God, she's like herpes. Just when you think she's gone, she comes back to drive you up the wall.
"Yeah. I will be." I replied.
"What happened?" Gen asked so Rebecka wouldn't ask me the same thing. I swallowed hard and my grip on her hand tightened slightly.
"Someone calling himself 'The Joker' set the announcer's box on fire and burned 'The Joker was here' in the grass on the field."
Yep. That was me. Us. Me.
I had problems staying awake and concentrated that day. In the classes we had together, Genesis kept tapping me with her pencil to wake me up and kept a close eye on me in chemistry. Right before lunch, my parents checked me out. Dad had only come to drive my truck home and Mom to drive me to my first shrink.
Dr. James Burton. That was him. I think it's some kind of alias or something. Who has a name like that? He kinda looked like Yoda. Little hair and a lot of wrinkles.
"How are you feeling today?" He asked calmly.
"Well, doc, I think this all bullshit. I'm hungry. I'm tired. I'm missing a history test that I studied my ass off for, for nothing, I feel bad about yelling at my girlfriend, I'm confused about what happened last night and..and I have to pee." I said in a single breath.
I still laugh when I think about his expression. He knew I was going to be hard work. Oh! If only we had camera phones back then!
I left his office and hour and a half later with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and a prescription for antipsychotic medication. I didn't even get a sucker.
Later that night, I came and got Genesis and we drove out to the lake. As we sat on the tailgate, eating grape and cherry snow cones in the middle of fall, she asked me about my meeting with a psychiatrist.
"He think I did this to myself." I said pointing to my stitches. "Says 'it was a rare form of psychosis' where I don't black out, I just block it out. He thinks I'm a schizo."
"Did he put you on anything?"
"Yeah. I start taking them tomorrow. I'm afraid of they'll do to me."
"What do you mean?"
"They make you gain weight like crazy. They could even making the schizophrenia worse or make me want to kill myself."
"You know Jack, you can tell me anything. I won't get mad or anything."
"I know I can."
There was a silence that fell over us for a while.
"Do they hurt?" she asked. "The stitches?"
"Like a mother. They're tight too. I kinda feel like a mummy with my mouth sewn shut."
She laughed as I stuck my arms out in front of me and started groaning like a risen mummy.
"What hurts most is not being able to kiss you." I said.
She laughed louder. "Ok, Jack. I can't even tell if that was romantic or cheesy."
I chuckled. "Yeah neither can I. C'mon I gotta get you home."