Chapter Fifteen:
Joker's Wild
This is one rough Saturday morning. I was so worked up yesterday in my emotional twister that I forgot it was Friday. That means that I have to wait until Monday to talk to the Joker again. I have to go through the whole weekend with this disgusting, uncomfortable feeling in my chest.
I've been lying in bed all morning. I only got up once to use the bathroom. I don't feel like doing absolutely anything today. Even eating seems too tedious. I just want to get through this weekend quickly. Although, laying here doing nothing isn't going to speed things up is it? But getting out of bed seems like too much work; I don't want to do it.
Ugh, I'm just going to lay here and wallow in my self-pity for the next two days. Is that so terrible?
I've been awake for a short while now; but even so, I try to close my eyes and drift into sleep once again. I can't torment myself with my thoughts if I'm knocked out, right? I've never been much of a dreamer, so I don't have to worry about nightmares or anything. I'll just fall into a peaceful dreamless sleep…
. . . . . . . . . .
There's a knock on my bedroom door.
"Ugh! What do you want?" I groan.
Guy takes this as an invitation to open the door and come in. "What's up with you? Why are you still in bed?" He asks.
I barely bother to lift my head up from my pillow. "I'm still tired."
Guy smacks his lips and plops himself down roughly on the edge of my bed, making me bounce and groan in protest to the movement. "There is no way you're tired," he says. "You went to bed early yesterday. Are you sick or something?"
"My time of the month." I lie.
"Aw…" Guy pats my leg consolably. "Poor Harleen…"
I flip over to stare at him. "Did I just hear a hint of sarcasm?"
Guy smiles cheekily. "Of course not."
"Good." I say flipping back to my original position, turned away from him. "Because you have no idea how much we women suffer, and I don't feel like explaining it again for the umpteenth time."
"Does this mean you're going to be in bed all day?"
"All weekend." I answer grumpily.
"All weekend?! …Nope. Not happening." Guy rips my blanket away from me, leaving me cold and uncovered.
"Hey! What the hell Guy?!" I shout, trying to pry the blanket back from him.
"Come on. We need to do something today, it's Saturday."
"I told you, I don't feel well." I manage to pull the blanket up to my knees.
"Well suck it up princess." He says, yanking away the progress I made in pulling my blanket back. He tosses it to the other side of the room and I throw my face into my pillow stubbornly.
"No. I don't want to." I muffle.
"We don't have to leave the place, we can watch movies all day if that's what you want." He negotiates.
"Hmmm…"
Guy lays himself down next to me and starts repeatedly poking my shoulder. "We can binge watch a TV show and eat pizza and ice cream."
I slap his hand away to get him to quit jabbing at me and then flip over to face him. "I can lay on the couch all day?" I ask.
"Yup." He smiles victoriously. He knows I'm going to cave.
"Fine." I groan.
"Cool." Guy gets up and off my bed and calls back to me before heading out of my room. "Livingroom. Ten minutes."
Jeez man. So much for staying in bed… Hopefully TV will keep my mind off of things. Maybe this is a better way to spend my weekend. Whenever we binge watch a show, the hours just fly by. This'll probably speed up my weekend.
I rise up slowly from my bed, draping one leg over the edge lazily after the other. I then push off against the bed and stand on my feet. As soon as I do, the feeling to pee hits me and I walk over to the bathroom to do my business.
Ugh, stupid Guy always leaves the toilet seat up. I pull it down, then my underwear, aaaannd release.
Oh.
What do you know, it is my time of the month. Guess I'm not a liar today.
When I'm done using the bathroom, I go back to my room to grab my blanket then go to the living room and plop myself down on the couch. I hear the microwave ding and then slam close. A moment later, Guy walks into the room with a bowl of popcorn. I grin at him. "Ooh, a breakfast for champions huh?"
Because I'm sprawled out on the couch, Guy lifts my legs up to have a seat then he rests my legs back on his lap and places the bowl of popcorn over them. "This isn't my breakfast," he says between a handful of popcorn. "This is brunch."
I roll my eyes. "Oh, sorry. Brunch."
Guy reaches forward to grab the remote from the coffee table and turns the TV on. "So, what're we watching?"
I shrug. "I don't know. Whatever you want to watch. You were the one who wanted to binge something. I assumed you had something in mind."
"Hmm… I kind of want to watch Game of Thrones just to see what all of the fuss is about. But, I also wouldn't mind watching Shameless. I heard it's pretty funny."
"Hmm, which do you think will keep my attention longer?" I really want to focus on the show and try to be entertained. I'm trying to keep my mind off of you-know-who. "Actually, maybe we should just watch Game of Thrones." If Shameless is supposed to be funny then it must be a comedy. A comedy would only make me think of a certain clown…
"Game of Thrones?" He asks, opening up HBO NOW. "You're curious about all of the hype too huh?"
"Yeah," I lie.
Guy finds the show then hits play, and we both settle in for hours of lazy TV watching.
After we finished episode six, my stomach finally started growling. Guy's was doing the same. He pauses the credits before the next episode starts playing. "We should get pizza." He says.
I grin. "And ice cream." I honestly wasn't even planning on even eating today, but Guy has really lifted my spirits so my appetite came back. Now, all I want to do is EAT. The show really worked in distracting me. So much goes on that you've got to pay attention or you'll be lost.
"Well, we can't have ice cream delivered though…" says Guy.
"Hmm… that's true…" You know what, I am feeling better… I guess a little walk around the block to the store wouldn't be so bad. I'd actually kind of welcome it; my body is stiff. I'm not the kind of person who can just lay in bed all day; as much as I want to… I like to be on my feet. Years of athleticism I guess. Plus, I need to buy some pads and I know that Guy would probably feel uncomfortable if I sent him.
"You know what?" I say tossing the blanket off of me and sitting up. "I'll go get the ice cream if you order the pizza."
"Are you sure? I thought you weren't feeling well."
"I'm feeling better." I say getting off of the couch. "I could use a walk. I'm feeling stiff lying here all day."
"Okay, if you're sure." Guy says, pulling out his phone. "Sausage and banana peppers okay?"
"Yup." I head to my room to grab my wallet. When I walk back out, I hear Guy on the phone ordering the pizza.
I grab a black hoody from the coat hanger and tug it on. …This is Guy's; it's too big... I shrug. Oh well.
I pull the hood over my head and open the front door to take a step outside. I inhale the air as though I haven't had a taste of it in days. The day seems good. I close the door behind me and start strolling through the pavement. The walk seems to agree with me. My muscles are thanking me; they didn't want to be out of action all day.
As I walk slowly past each house in the neighborhood, I can't help but appreciate certain buildings. They're so much nicer than the one I'm living in; not that my building isn't good. But let me tell you, this neighborhood is a whoooooollle lot better than the one I was living in before I moved in with Guy. This neighborhood is quiet and neat. Everyone's lawn is well kept and the people are friendly. Mr. and Mrs. Hardler for instance are two of the nicest people I've ever met. They're the only neighbors that I've really gotten to know. I'll eventually start talking to more people around here, it's just that work keeps me busy and when I come home I'm not thinking about talking to anybody, I just want to hop into some PJs and watch TV. I heard that once a year in the summer, they throw a block party. I'd be happy to acquaintance myself with everyone then.
Five blocks down, there's a mini-mart run by an Italian man who is obviously prematurely bald because he looks way too young for that sort of thing to be happening to him. Either he has terrible genes or he did it on purpose. He's has to be in his early to mid-thirties I'm guessing. He greets me kindly when I step into the store.
I head straight for the freezers in the back, I've got ice cream on the brain. He's got a decent selection. There are various popsicles, some ice cream sandwiches, and (what I came for) some mini tubs of soft ice cream. They're so cute! Perfectly designed to be eaten by a single person without making them feel super guilty. Now that's my kind of treat.
Let's see… They've got vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, pistachio, and mint chocolate. Ugh, I am not a fan of mint chocolate. Those are two flavors that I just don't think should ever be put together. Such a weird combination. I know Guy likes it though, so I grab one for him and a vanilla for myself. I'm kind of leaning towards strawberry but I always get strawberry ice cream. I gotta switch things up sometimes.
I take my items to the counter and let the man ring me up. I throw in a pack of gum from the selection beside the counter. I finished my last pack two days ago and haven't bought a new one yet. I always like to keep a pack handy in my purse. You never know… Plus, my experience through school has taught me that gum brings people closer together. You whip out a pack of gum and pass it around, everybody likes you a little better. People don't often say no to a stick of gum. I certainly don't.
I reach into the back pocket of my pants to pull out my wallet. As I'm opening it to take out a ten, I hear something that startles me.
DO IT!
Shit! I whip my head around to see where it came from but immediately realize that the sound came from inside my head. The Joker…
I dropped my wallet during my whiplash reaction. It landed a little out of my way. I place my hand over my chest to calm myself before walking over to pick it up. The man behind the counter looks at me like I'm crazy.
"You alright miss?" He asks.
No. My stupid soulmate just shouted at the top of his lungs right in my ear. And you know what, I don't like the way this guy is staring at me. I can tell that he thinks I'm insane or something.
Well, if that's what he thinks…
"Yeah sorry, I was in Afghanistan. Saw some reeeeal crazy shit. Sometimes I see them…" I glance around pretending to look nervous. "PTSD is nothing to sneeze at mister, trust me." I state matter of factly and shake my head disapprovingly.
"O-oh. I see…" He takes my money and then hands me back my change and looks like he doesn't quite know what else to really say. "Well, thank you for serving our country."
He hands the bag to me. "Oh, I didn't serve. I just had one hell of a vacation." I smile at him and his contorted face as I leave. The man looks so confused and uncomfortable. "Bye!" I call cheerfully over my shoulder and let the door close behind me.
Yeah, I don't think I'll ever be shopping there again… Or maybe I will, just for a laugh.
I didn't appreciate the way he was looking at me. What if I really did have PTSD? That's a serious disorder; people feel bad enough without having strangers looking at them like they're insane. Jeez… And just when I was starting to cheer up…
And what the heck is up with Mr. J? He yelled so loud and so close in my ear, I thought he was in the very same room. Do it? Do what? What the heck is he talking about? Ugh, great my anxiety is kicking in again. I want to see him! I need to see him. What's he thinking? I want to try concentrating on him again and see if I can dig into his mind. But that's only worked once before and I got a nose bleed because of it.
My heart sinks. What if he's trying to escape. He's not ready to go out into the world. He hasn't changed. I haven't fixed him yet. If he leaves I will feel responsible for every life that he takes. But then again, maybe I'm overthinking this. If he got out, I'd know about it. The asylum would call and inform me right away. My mind is just racing. I need to calm down. Being away from your soulmate sucks! I can't wait for the day to come where we both can be together freely and without consequences. All of this separation is not doing my nerves any favors. I need to keep my patience in check and cool my mind. I'm sure that once I get back home and start watching TV with Guy again, I'll think about all of this less. It worked this morning and I'm sure it'll work again now.
I pick up the pace and hurry home.
Huh?
The door's open. Why's the door open?
Could the pizza guy be here already? It's only been twenty minutes since I left. They couldn't have delivered that quickly… Could they?
The door is carelessly cast wide open. If a pizza delivery guy were here. He wouldn't even really step into the place, would he?
As I approach the apartment, my pace reduces by half. With my curiosity piqued, slowing down allows me to understand and take in my surroundings better. I turn the corner approaching the house and I notice the steps and pavement are stained. Red footsteps pointed in my direction, leaving the apartment. They glisten, indicating that they're fresh. My eyes follow the tracks, searching for their origin as I slowly ascend the steps leading up to the door. When I reach the entrance, I keep my eyes transfixed on the tracks on the floor. Maybe it's because I'm avoiding the inevitable. Maybe I'm not ready to face what I think I'm about to face. Maybe I already know the truth…
I take a couple of steps into the apartment, eyes backtracking the glistening red. They lead into the living room until my eyes reach the pool, the source. A puddle of crimson on beige carpet. The puddle ripples. Falling drops disturb the pool's peace and add to its size. The drops fall from the edge of the couch. Vein-like trails of red decorate the back side of the couch. My eyes trail up to find the source. A head of short dark hair rests lazily over the edge; crimson drips from the short strands. My eyes stay fixated on the hair as I enter the room further. Slowly and shakily, I walk around the couch to see the face of that head. I already know who it is before I see him.
Guy slumps lifelessly on the couch. His face and chest decorated in red. There are slashes on his shirt, and a thick deep cut across his throat. I stand motionless just staring at him. Tears well up in my eyes making it harder.
I'm in shock. This can't be real… He's pranking me right? He's pranking me… He's gotta be.
I shake my head unwilling to accept the truth before my eyes. I take small steps forward and drop to my knees before him. I'm overwhelmed by the sight of him.
Guy… my sweet, sweet Guy…
I stare at him for what feels like ages. His half-lidded eyes staring at nothing. With trembling cautious fingers, I close them. With my hand already hovering over his face, I smooth his cheek gently with my knuckles. Feeling braver, I rest my hand on the side of his face and stroke him lightly with my thumb.
Not you Guy… Not you…
I rise up taking his red stained face in both of my hands and press my forehead to his. I finally let myself go. I sob uncontrollably. My tears fall to his face, somewhat removing stains of red. I shake my head against his forehead, not wanting any of this to be real. I look into his closed eyes, begging them to open. It breaks my heart knowing that they won't…
I look down solemnly and something catches my eye. A white piece of something tucked carelessly beneath the opening of his T-shirt. Curious, I pull it out slowly to examine what it is and my heart stops when I recognize it. My hand trembles as I scrutinize it. But I'm not trembling for the same reason I was before. Now… I'm shaking with rage.
I glare at the thin playing card. It's Joker's wild…
That. Son. Of. A. Bitch.
AN: Yeah... I'm a terrible person, I know...
I didn't want to do it okay! But the Joker insisted... Who am I to say no to him?
Yeah, things get interesting from here on out. The next chapter is one of my favorites!
On a much lighter note, I WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR GETTING THIS STORY TO REACH 100 REVIEWS! I am so psyched about this that I actually want to take the time to actually thank some of you (what I like to call...) die-hard reviewers.
So, without further ado... A BIG Thank You to the following people:
Floetry
MermaidBodz
WickedlyEmerald- An even more particular Thank You to you! You're comments always make me smile and I wish that I could personally respond to reviews so that I can give you a BIG Thank You every time. But alas... Instead I'm sending you good vibes right now and hope that you have an amazing day! You're one of my die-hards and I love ya! I'd hug ya if I could. ^-^
Minstorai
OdeFromParis
MaMZg67- You're so smart, I'm proud of you!
Rin-Gildy- You are an amazing writer! I am honored by your reviews.
Sanaa11
ShineGZB
Alicecherrypie- I looked into those books you recommended! I didn't get to sit down and read read them, but I read passages here and there and OMG... Defintely something worth getting for myself. Thank You. I hope the story is going the way you hoped. I must say that your review has definitely influenced a future chapter that I hope you will like when the time comes. ;)
Crazydasiy-in-tha-house
xxPrtlyCldyxx- Thank you.
Charlotte (Guest)- Omg, you made me laugh. Sorry you had to wait, I know I'm slow with updates.
I'm Me (Guest)- I don't know if you're the same person or multiple people with the same temp user, but THANK YOU. You're one of my die-hards and I love ya! I hope you're still enjoying the story.
LoveK- I'm a romantic at heart too! I feel ya.
Inez2812- Thank You.
LovetheKlaroline
JWolf28
Senseandsensibility- Love your username by the way, and yes, waiting for updates sucks. I do my best with my schedule. Thanks for being patient!
.bass- You made me laugh! You could NEVER bore me with long reviews! I enjoyed reading yours, Thank You so much! I fangirl a lot too!
BlackSister394- Yeah, that's what I was going for! Glad you fell for it, Thank You.
Shikacloud- Thank You. I'm definitely not abandoning this story.
TotesMagotes (Guest)- I love your username!
Fantasma94- A BIG Thank You to you! I want to thank you so MUCH for liking this story for the exact reasons why I want people to like it. I love the way you think by the way, you really get Joker and Harley! I loved reading your ideas and thoughts! I'm definitely not going to abandon this story and I'm going to try to update as often as I can. Thank you for the support! P.S. I think it's so very cool that you're from Russia.
Spark Firebug
Guest- Thank You to aaaaaaaaaalllllllll of you guys!
THANK YOU everybody! I more than appreciate all of the support and reviews! I hope you all stick with the story and that I don't disappoint too many people. I know this chapter was a short and sad one but... necessary evil...? You guys'll see I guess.
I'm not going to be able to do these kind of Thank You's often, but I hope to do them every 100 reviews. So, till then, I hope you guys keep reviewing so that I can thank you properly.
As for the Joker POV that everyone keeps asking me about (LOL), I do plan on doing another one, but I don't think it'll happen until chapter... 17...? I'm not exactly sure, I don't have my outline in front of me right now. But I know it'll happen soon, for sure.
Alright, I've been talking long enough. THANK YOU EVERYBODY. I'll see you all in the next chapter!
R.I.P Guy Kopski.