When Jayde rolled over the following morning to bright sunlight filling her bedroom through the window, she was not surprised to find she was wide awake and already feeling angry. For a while, she lay there on her side, gazing out to the tree outside, watching a small chickadee bounce between two branches, singing happily. For a moment or two, she wanted to go open the window and tell it to shut the fuck up, she was trying to be pissed in there. But on second thought, the window ledge was fitted with razor wire and the frame with a strong electric shocking device…The bird kept singing, for now.
The night before, when she had made it to her room, she could remember crawling into the bed, trying extremely hard not to start crying. It just seemed incredibly childish at the time to be so upset that the Joker, of all people, would not be kissing her anymore, nor hugging her and that their more intimate times had come to an end. But after only a few minutes, she had given in and lay in the dark, quietly sniffling to herself until she fell asleep sometime around midnight.
Surprisingly, she slept all the way through the night, but now that she was awake, she was feeling extravagantly cranky and the thought of going downstairs and seeing Joker seemed punishment. She wanted to get out of the house and was not sure if he would let her, but then again…she didn't really care. After rising from the bed determinedly, Jayde put some jeans and a long-sleeved shirt on and moved toward the door to step out into the hallway.
At first, she tried really hard not to look out over the first floor for Joker but when she reached the stairs, it grew more difficult and she gave in, glancing around. She sighed a second later when the living room and kitchen appeared empty and had just walked to the porch to join Dotcom when she heard muffled male voices on the other side of the garage door. One of them definitely belonged to Joker, and the other presumably Tre but instead of walking over to go out and find them, she ignored it, rolling her eyes as she stepped outside.
Dotcom glanced up with a smile but a moment later, he must have noticed the expression on Jayde's face and he frowned, sliding his pack of cigarettes across the table toward her. She murmured 'thanks' before lighting one and only once she had exhaled did he ask, "Alright, so what's wrong? You look like someone just kicked your puppy."
Jayde grunted a laugh, glancing down at the cigarette in between her fingers. "Oh, nothing." She answered at first, but once she noticed the incredulous look on Dotcom's face, she sighed, rolling her eyes. "Joker told me last night that he wants us to just be 'friends'. I guess he doesn't want to kiss and be all cute with each other anymore." She finally explained and Dotcom nodded slowly.
"Ah, so that means no more-…"
"Yep."
Dotcom sighed, ashing his cigarette on the ground. "Well, at least you guys can have a somewhat normal, um-…'friendship' now. You have to admit he was confusing the hell out of you with all those mood swings." Jayde nodded, but then looked up, her features set and determined.
"I want to get out of the house today. Do you want to go get lunch in the city?" she asked abruptly, putting on puppy eyes when Dotcom sighed, looking over at her. He shrugged a second later, putting out his cigarette.
"I do, but I don't want to catch any shit from Joker either. If he says it's fine, then we'll go." He answered but Jayde shook her head, standing from the table.
"No, I don't want to talk to him unless I absolutely have to. Let's just go." She paused when Dotcom hesitated to get up and she sighed, hanging her head slightly. "Please, I'll tell him it was my idea. I just want to get away from here today." She went on to say and after a few long moments, Dotcom stood up from his chair, stretching his arms before tugging his fingers through a few of his messy morning curls.
"Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you. He's probably going to say no."
They had both stepped inside and Dotcom declared that he was going upstairs to change his clothes and get ready so once he had disappeared, Jayde walked over to the garage door. She paused before opening it, taking a deep, steadying breath to calm her nerves. Their voices were still coming through the wood of the door so after readying herself for an argument, she opened it and stepped outside, one hand on her hip. There was no smile nor even a smirk on her face.
Joker and Tre both looked up at the sound of the door but Tre immediately looked back to the car upon spotting her. Jayde glanced at him before shifting her gaze to Joker, who of course, was still staring at her with narrowed eyes. She raised her eyebrows.
"Dotcom and I want to go to lunch in the city." She spat in such a direct tone that Tre looked up again from the truck, glancing at her before he looked at Joker as if bracing for his reaction. However, when Jayde had expected him to stalk over and threaten her or flat-out tell her no, her jaw nearly fell open when he shrugged, turning his back to her to continue tightening the bolt he had been working on.
"Fine. Just don't do anything stupid." He answered, his voice at it's usual raspy, somewhat disinterested tone. Luckily, he had his back to her, giving him a perfect opportunity to roll his eyes generously; of course, she was going to act like a child about his recent decision. The door closed behind her as she disappeared and Tre let out a breath as though he had been holding it, just as Joker straightened up, taking a white rag from his back pocket to wipe his hands on it. He looked over at Tre when he noticed him watching. "What?" he snapped irritably and Tre shrugged, moving back to the front of the truck.
"What you mean, what. What the hell happened?" he asked, again showing off to Joker that he was still his best friend and was not afraid to dig a little deeper into the personal goings on in the house. Joker sighed, shaking his head fervently a few times as his hair whipped him in the sides of the face.
"Nothing, man. Forget about it." He answered quickly but a second later, felt like shooting himself in the foot for showing Tre that whatever happened had obviously affected him. Tre scoffed in disbelief, walking over to light a cigarette and lean against the workbench along the back wall.
"You may be able to lie to everyone else, but you've never been able to lie to me, Kieron." Tre said, but then paused when Joker straightened up, looking over at him with a heavy glare. Tre rolled his eyes, waving his hand at him impatiently. "And don't try that 'I'm the Joker' shit on me, bro, it wont work. Now tell a nigga what happened."
Finally, Joker dropped the 'act' and walked over, plopping down onto the rolling stool. "Nothing really happened..." He began, pulling the thick, t-shirt material headband from the front of his hair to readjust it. "We just had a conversation that didn't really go as planned…" His voice trailed off as he looked out past the open garage door to the driveway outside, but when he didn't sense Tre reacting, he looked back to find him still staring at him expectantly.
"And?" he asked, holding out his hand with a raised eyebrow, tilting his head toward Joker. "What was the conversation?"
Joker laughed once, dryly, his broad shoulders shrugging. "I told her we can't fuck around anymore." He answered with a half-smirk, rolling his eyes at Tre before looking away with a shake of his head. He was in the middle of hoping he wouldn't be forced to explain why, when Tre's jaw went slack in surprise.
"Oh…damn." He commented off-handedly at first, pausing for a few moments and only once his brain had wrapped around what Joker had decided to do, did he go on. "Damn, dude. Are you fuckin' insane?" he then asked rather loudly. Joker nodded immediately, now watching a squirrel gnaw on an acorn in the driveway.
"Yes," he answered. "Yes, I am."
Silence fell over the garage as Tre finished his cigarette, meanwhile Joker was busy chewing on his bottom lip, staring off distractedly with his arms crossed over his chest. The fingers of his left hand were drumming on his right side but he barely noticed he was doing it until he stopped when the garage door swung open and Jayde stepped out briskly, chattering noisily to who he assumed was Audrey on the phone. Dotcom followed suit shortly after, catching Joker's eye as he walked past them. He raised his eyebrows, shrugging at Joker as if to explain that this had not been his idea and that he should not be held responsible in the event something happened. At this point, Joker was beyond caring and simply gave Dotcom a small nod as if to say 'Just look out for her'.
With both of them now in the car, Joker could not help himself but to stare directly at Jayde through the windshield as she continued to flap her gums, a tiny smirk pulling at his scars. He knew it would make her uncomfortable and confused but once she noticed him watching, Joker's smirk faded quickly when she rolled her eyes heavily, turning slightly to grab the seatbelt. Uh, I don't think so… he thought and was just about to rise from the stool to go have Dotcom roll down the passenger side window when Tre's hand swung out, hitting him across the shoulder. With Joker now distracted, Tre waved at them as they backed out, grinning with a fake smile. He turned to Joker once they had gone.
"Ki, chill out. She's just mad." He instructed, standing up from leaned against the bench to walk back over to the truck. When Kieron continued to glare off into the space where the Escalade had been, Tre shouted his name, pushing him hard so he stumbled. "Forget about it! Watch, I bet when they get back she wont be mad anymore."
Joker took a deep breath, bringing his fingers together to crack his knuckles as he exhaled heavily, shaking his head. "You know how I am about people rollin' their eyes at me, Tre." He said defensively and Tre nodded, tossing him a wrench.
"Yeah, I know, Ki."
Five miles down the road, Jayde had just hung up the phone and was grinning to herself when Dotcom glanced over, scrunching his nose to push his glasses up slightly.
"So she's still coming?" he asked, smiling when Jayde nodded.
"Yeah, on March first. She wants to go get her hair done that day and go out that night, in case you couldn't hear her. " she answered, laughing to herself as Dotcom shook his head.
"And this is your best friend?" he asked a moment later. When Jayde nodded, he went on. "And Joker has met her?" She rolled her eyes, turning her head to look out the passenger window.
"Yeah, he thinks she's cute and annoying apparently." Dotcom grunted a laugh.
"Well, Joker thinks you're cute and annoying." He said lightly and Jayde laughed sarcastically, shaking her head.
"Not so much the cute, maybe definitely the annoying part." She replied bitterly but Dotcom scoffed loudly, glancing over from the street as they bounced from the interstate to the city ramp.
"Jayde, please. If Joker didn't think you're just about the hottest thing he's ever lay hands on, you probably wouldn't still be around." He commented, but then continued when Jayde showed signs of cutting in. "And, I think you have a real opportunity here, Jayde. Joker just cut himself off from you, do you have any idea how hard that is for a guy to do that?" Her mouth opened again, but he went on again, louder. "And he is a guy. He may not be completely normal but he's still a man underneath all that crazy. He's just as horny as the rest of them." When he finished, he noticed Jayde was now watching him with one eyebrow cocked and a slight smirk on her face. "Trust me, I may be gay, but I know how straight men operate."
"What opportunity are you talking about, though? He doesn't even want to touch me." she asked and Dotcom shook his head, holding up a finger.
"It's not that he doesn't want to. It's that he can't, now." He explained. "If there's one thing Joker wont do, it's break his own rules. I know he goes on about having no rules and all that. Blah, blah, blah…He does have rules, but only for himself." He paused to see if Jayde had caught on yet, but she was still staring at him blankly so he continued. "So what you have to do is get under his skin. Make him regret his decision." By now, Jayde was finally nodding, slowly.
"So you're saying I should…"
"Seduce him, baby. He's a man. Walk with a little more a dip and speak a little softer to him and he'll be butter." Dotcom said with a grin, shrugging one shoulder. Still, Jayde was nodding slowly.
"So you're saying I shouldseduce…the Joker…" she repeated, arching an eyebrow at him. "Am I the only one who thinks that sounds like a horrible idea?"
Dotcom nodded. "Yes, you are. It's only a bad idea if he realizes what you're doing. Gotta be subtle, girl. Don't go sitting on his lap or throwing out huge hints. Just do…ya know, little things to catch his attention." He suggested but paused when Jayde shrugged, nodding to herself. "I just think it would be hugely rewarding to see Joker get beaten at his own game."
Minutes later, Jayde and Dotcom pulled up outside a small bistro toward the middle of Gotham and had just gotten out to put a few quarters in the meter when they both heard a squeal and whipped around quickly. Jayde's stomach had dropped to her ankles but Dotcom was now squealing too and trotting over with his arms out toward a stocky, presumably gay man about his same height. They kissed each other on the cheek before separating and Jayde walked over, grinning as they began hurling compliments at each other about what they were wearing.
"Oh!" Dotcom finally noticed her standing there and he trotted over, linking his arm with hers to pull her along with him. "Oscar, this is Jayde. Jayde, my friend Oscar."
"Hi! Lovely to meet you!" he said. "Please! Join us! We just sat down. Our waiter hasn't even come yet."
Jayde glanced at Dotcom as Oscar walked back to a table of guys and she smiled when he shrugged and stepped over to her.
"If you don't wanna-…" he began but she shook her head, patting his arm.
"No, no, I don't wanna talk about…you-know-who. It's perfect." She answered honestly so she followed Dotcom over to the table of gay guys, who all greeted him the same way.
"Ohmigod! Andrew! How are yew?"
Twenty miles west of them, Joker was returning to the garage after sneaking upstairs to get his phone…he wasn't really sure why. Tre was seated across the room at the workbench, flipping through a car magazine when he approached, setting the phone down on the wooden counter with a sigh as they both instinctively looked over at the large black truck across the garage. Neither spoke for several minutes, just gazing rather dazedly out into space when Joker looked to Tre who met eyes with him and they both smirked.
"Ever wish you could make that thing indestructible?" Joker asked suddenly, his eyes lighting. Tre sat up.
"Yeah." He answered, walking over to the truck to reach out and place his hand on the hood. Joker's scars were practically touching his ears as he grinned.
"So let's do it." When Tre rolled his eyes, turning away, Joker walked over to stand on the other side of the truck, running his hand along the curve of the metal door, looking for seams. "It wouldn't be that hard, just need-…" he was more talking to himself than anyone but apparently, Tre was listening.
"Roughly ten grand for bullet proof glass and steel, new tires, undercarriage-…" he immediately rebutted, ticking off fingers as he went, but it was Joker's turn to interrupt although he didn't need to say anything. He was shaking his head back and forth slowly, with his eyes closed. Tre stopped and raised his eyebrows, waiting for Joker to speak, and only once he had rested his elbows on the hood of the car did he bounce his eyebrows once, cocking his head to the side.
"Let's just say I know a guy who knows a guy." He bragged, and motioned toward the phone across the garage with his head. "I can get all that stuff for about a thousand, do both the truck-…" he smacked his hands down on the roof of the car with a bang. "-and the Cadillac. And get help for installing it."
A long pause followed Joker's explanation while Tre thought about it, and Joker knew that Tre wasn't exactly the most trusting person and that he tended to doubt the goodness in others. Then again, Joker was the same way. But instead of being an idiot and simply trusting in the kindness of others, Joker thrived on the evil in people, their greed and selfishness to get what he wanted. Offering fellow criminals money soothed their avarice, but when that no longer became enough, he often appealed to their selfishness and threatened to take the most precious thing to them; their life.
However, ever since his previous, first attempt at bringing Gotham to the ground, he noticed that people were starting to assist him without any threats or money. 'Probably since I'm such a charming chap.' He thought jokingly to himself and was just grinning at that thought when Tre nodded.
"Arigh', we'll do it. But these guys better be solid, man. I'm not goin' down and neither are you." He threatened, lighting a cigarette while Joker walked to the workbench to retrieve his phone. With an unworried frown on his face, he waved his hand impatiently at Tre while he dialed.
"Please, man. You don't know about Gotham P.D." he said, rolling his eyes. "Biggest, sorriest bunch of bumbling little girls...Couldn't hit the broad side of a-…Oh, hello¸ Matt."
It came as no surprise to Jayde that she, Dotcom and a lot of his friends had all ended up at the same posh café in downtown Gotham and the poached salmon that came with her salad was absolutely delicious. With most of them now done eating, everyone was laughing rather loudly at a story told by one of his friends, Devon, and Jayde had just picked up her glass to take a sip when Oscar pointed at her.
"Ugh, see, Delano?" he asked one of the other guys across the table. "See how her lips pucker like that? That's how I want mine." The other guy nodded, and now everyone at the table was staring at her. She laughed awkwardly, tucking some of her hair behind her ear as the guys launched into a discussion on plastic surgery and lip injections and she felt a small stab of ache when she remembered Joker telling her seemingly ages ago how pretty her lips were, followed shortly by how 'interesting' he thought it would be to see them sewn shut. A second later, she bounced back and jumped back into the story that Delano was now telling about his sister but glanced at Dotcom when she noticed him frowning at her. He had caught her thinking about the Joker. 'Damnit.'
Another half hour passed, full of laughter and chit chat and a few of the guys were starting to talk about going shopping at a new designer outfitters just up the street. Dotcom didn't seem too interested and Jayde certainly did not feel the need to go and they were just about to express this to everyone else when a phone began ringing just next to her and Dotcom fumbled for it in his pocket. Jayde watched him as he pulled it from his sweater only to glance at the caller ID and sigh. It read 'Boss'. He shoved the phone to her as though it were going to bite him.
"Here, I think that's for you." He said, grinning, then turned to face his friends again, leaving Jayde to stammer momentarily.
She really did not want to talk to him and could only imagine that he was just calling to say something mean or ask them what they were doing and if they had done anything 'stupid' yet. But failing to answer his call would probably be a lot worse than just answering, so after a nervous glance from Dotcom, she picked it up.
"Hello." She said flatly, leaning back in the seat when Joker's raspy, clowny voice came through the other end.
"Oh, hello…" he growled, and Jayde could practically hear him grinning into the phone. "What a…delightful surprise. Are you girls having the uh-…time of your lives?" he then asked nastily, but before he could go on, Jayde rolled her eyes, pressing her finger to the red button to end the call. Her hand nearly slammed Dotcom's expensive phone down on the table but she almost picked it back up to call him back and pretend like she had lost reception and that she hadn't actually just hung up on him. But some of that bitterness from the night before was still clinging to her so she turned the phone on silent before handing it back to Dotcom. He didn't seem to notice what she had done.
Joker's eyebrows were practically meeting in the middle of his forehead as the line went dead and for the first few seconds, he pulled the phone away from his ear to look at the screen only for the small words 'Call Ended' to blink at him. A low, deep bubbling sensation started in the very pit of his stomach as anger threatened to overtake him but he took a deep breath and closed his eyes while he gently set the phone down on the counter behind him and he was going to be needing it a lot soon. It was all he could do to keep from crushing the damn thing in his bare hand. Joker would be willing to bet on his life that Jayde immediately regretted it, the second she had pushed that 'end' button, but that hadn't stopped her. She had just hung up on him and as Joker trotted over to the stairs to go up into his office, he left the phone on the kitchen counter, deciding he would just wait until they returned to the mansion to give Jayde a little lesson on phone etiquette.
By the time Joker finally stood up from the desk on the far side of his office, the sun was starting to go down and a knot in the middle of his back had begun to form from the way he had been sitting. A low, extended groan escaped him as he stretched his hands up over his head as far as they could go, the tips of this fingers just barely scraping the ceiling. His back gave a few satisfying pops and at first, he wasn't sure if it had been the sound of his bones cracking or the distant, faint squeak of the garage door opening. A second later, his ears picked up the sound of voices coming from downstairs, one belonging distinctly to a female and a prickle of that anger he had felt earlier returned to the back of his neck and the pit of his stomach.
He stood there for several moments, completely still, listening to noises from the first floor drifting up through the walls. The voices had faded, which made him think that they had possibly gone outside so he strode across the room determinedly to the door only to fling it open and jump slightly. There was Jayde, her fist raised as though she had just been about to knock and she laughed somewhat nervously at first, lowering her hand slowly.
"Um," she started, glancing up at his face to find it completely devoid of expression. In fact, he looked a little mad as he stood there, now crossing his arms over his chest, looking straight down at her. Jayde always felt shorter than usual standing near him but it was times like this when she felt truly small. She glanced behind her, over the balcony to the bottom floor to see if Dotcom had gone outside, but he was still in the kitchen so she went on with her voice lower. "Can I come in?" she asked with a somewhat sheepish smile.
At first, Joker did not react and continued to glare down at her until he raised his eyes from hers to a spot over her head as he backed into the room, pushing the door open with his back until it met the wall. His eyes followed Jayde as she walked in, but only once he had shut the door behind them did she take a deep breath, linking her fingers together.
"I um," she stammered at first. "I just wanted to apologize…to you." She finally got out, shrugging her shoulders a little bit. "It wasn't fair of me to be a bitch when you decided…what you decided. So…I'm sorry."
Jayde took a pause, giving Joker the opportunity to blink a few times, honestly a little thrown off by her intentions. How many times does the Joker get apologized to? And he was just trying to think of the last time someone had said the words 'I'm sorry' to him when Jayde went on.
"I've had time to think about it and I agree with you. I think things were starting to get really confusing and it will probably be better for both of us if we just…be friends."
By now, Joker was leaned against his metal surgical table and had unfolded his arms to rest his hands on either side of his hips. He was still quiet, not exactly sure what to make of this newfound attitude from Jayde. On one hand, she could be lying just so he wouldn't punish her for hanging up on him and acting like such a little cunt all morning, or on the other, she could be genuinely sorry for how she behaved. There was only one way to find out.
"Are you just saying that?" he asked, his voice low and rather quiet as he squinted at her with his head cocked to one side.
Jayde smiled, again noticing one of the Joker's more honest moments. She shook her head, taking a step closer to him. "If I didn't mean it, I wouldn't have said it."
It was so unlike him to not know what to say, and for a second, he just considered blurting out anything to fill the silence. But a moment later, Jayde took another step forward until she was close enough to wrap her arms around his middle and she hugged him lightly, though only for a moment or two before she stepped back, smiling at him. Joker cursed mentally as he looked away. There was just another perfect example at how well Jayde had gotten to know him. She must have known how uncomfortable the thought of verbally accepting her apology was making him feel so she did something like that to ease his discomfort. He sincerely regretted letting himself get so open around her…she was starting to read his mind. 'Not a good sign…'
Finally, Joker found his voice and cleared his throat somewhat awkwardly as Jayde stepped away from him, toward the door, apparently assuming that he had silently excused her. But a moment later, he caught up with her, bringing up his left arm to place it around her shoulders and lean on her slightly as they continued to the door.
"So, tell me, Jayde…" he began, glancing down at her as they stepped out into the hallway. He opened his hand on the other side of her face as his wrist rested on her shoulder. "Any plans tonight?" he asked in a somewhat casual way, even though Jayde was aware that he knew perfectly well she did not. Jayde turned her head to look up at him with a slight roll of her eyes. He grinned. "Oh, good."
By now, they had reached the door to his bedroom and were just stepping inside when it dawned on Jayde what he was going for. She walked forward a few steps into his room to turn and face him with her arms folded over her chest. Joker stopped mid-step and froze, his eyebrows raised at Jayde as if waiting for it.
"You want me to dye your hair green." She stated and Joker unfroze, dropping his foot to the ground with a thud and an insulted expression on his face.
"Blimey, Jayde." He said over his shoulder as he turned to walk into his closet. "I didn't know you were psychic." When he emerged with the white bag from the day before, Jayde crossed her arms, staring at him defiantly.
"What if I say no?" she asked, raising her eyebrows as Joker walked toward her to tower over her. He rolled his eyes to the ceiling for a second while he thought, then shrugged.
"Well, if you say no…Then realistically, tonight, at dinner, I'll put roofies in your drink. Then once you drift off to sleep halfway up the stairs, I will shave your head bald." He paused, nodding as he leaned down slightly. "And that is not a joke."
Jayde believed him.
Twenty minutes later, Jayde and Joker found themselves in his bathroom, Jayde doubled over laughing as she watched him try to yank a comb through his thick mess of waves. Apparently, it had been a little while since the last time he brushed it and as he growled in aggravation and slight pain, he took his hand away from his hair with a defeated sigh. The comb stayed in place, stuck in a huge knot and Jayde poked out her bottom lip at him as he glared at her.
"It's not funny." He snapped, now standing from the chair to get closer to the mirror. Jayde giggled when he reached up to start trying to comb again and she pulled on his arm, moving him back to sit down on the chair.
"It's a little funny, Joker." She replied, removing the comb from his matted hair to gently start pulling apart the knot. He cringed, sliding his eyes shut and his shoulders tensed slightly when she got a good amount of it separated. "Maybe you should brush it more than once a week."
"Maybe you should shut the fuck up more than once a week, hm?" he snapped back but squirmed forcefully, nearly sliding out of the chair onto the floor when Jayde ripped the comb through the knot. A loud groan escaped him as he brought his hand to the top of his head, feeling under his hair to his scalp before looking at his fingers as if checking to see if she drew blood. When he was satisfied that his hair was still attached to his head, he snatched the comb from Jayde with a stern glare and proceeded to finish the job himself.
Jayde took a seat on the bathroom counter across from him again and once he was finished brushing it, his blonde, wavy, curly hair stuck out so severely, it was beginning to look more like an afro. She laughed, moving to the side so he could see himself in the mirror. Of course, he merely grinned widely with a wink at his reflection and suddenly, Jayde gasped, pointing at him.
"You have dimples!" she cried. Joker's grin faded quickly to a frown.
"No, I don't." he answered hastily but it was too late. She had crossed the bathroom to him and was now poking him in the cheek as if that would make him smile again.
"Yes, you do! Smile!" she commanded and for several long seconds, Joker glared up at her defiantly, but finally, he slowly grinned a fake smile, closing his eyes when Jayde reached out to grab his face. Sure enough, both cheeks held a dimple with his smile, although it was fairly hard to notice, what with the deep scars on either side of his mouth. It was just about the cutest thing she had ever seen and was just about to tell him that when she remembered their newest agreement to keep the romantic sentiments to an absolute minimum. That, and she had a feeling he already knew how cute his boyish dimples were…
"Wow, the Joker has dimples." She murmured, releasing his face when he handed her a bottle of green hair dye and crossed his arms over his stomach to slouch slightly on the chair.
"Yeah, I got 'em somewhere else too, wanna see those?"
Another half hour passed and Jayde could swear there was more green dye on her than there was on Joker. But luckily, he had given her an old t-shirt of his so her pretty white top had not been ruined. Now he was rising from the rolling chair to crack his back and remove his undershirt before he seemingly noticed what he was doing. He gasped, bringing his discarded shirt up to cover his exposed chest and point at the bathroom door.
"Out!" he said and Jayde went willingly, but paused in the door way as he followed to close it behind her.
"Can I wait out here? I want to see it when you get out." she asked, throwing him a pleading smile and he rolled his eyes, pointing at his bed.
"Fine. Sit there. And try not to touch anything…" he instructed, scrunching his nose as he wiggled his fingers at the rest of his room and the bathroom door clicked behind him. Jayde sighed with a smile as she lay back on his bed, tucking her hands up under her head as a pillow. Maybe this whole 'just friends' thing wouldn't be so bad after all…maybe he actually was kind of fun to be around…
The water had begun running on the other side of the door and for several minutes, Jayde found herself reminiscing upon the last time she lay there while Joker rinsed green dye from his hair. It seemed like years ago now, so much had happened since then. She could very clearly remember what had happened when he emerged from his shower that last time, and guiltily, she couldn't help but wish that same scenario could play out in the present, but Joker seemed pretty set in his decision…so far.
It was not long, however, before Jayde heard the water shut off on the other side off the bathroom door and the shower curtain slid across the railing with a loud 'shing'. A faint, smelling steam had begun to issue from underneath the door and when it opened a few moments later, she took a deep breath as she sat up, only for Joker to walk past her, clutching a towel around his hips. She leaned forward slightly to inhale the steam that billowed after him and as much as she didn't want to look over, a part of her could not resist so she glanced at him as he leaned down, pulling a few articles of clothing from his dresser. His back was tensed slightly, showing off that dip that ran down the middle of it between his muscles, from between his shoulder blades to the top of his towel. She looked away a second later, biting down on her bottom lip.
Her nose told her that Joker had walked past her again and the bathroom door closed but only momentarily, until he had put on some clothes. It opened again and when Jayde entered, she found Joker at the mirror, rubbing his previously discarded towel over his now violently acid green curls, absorbing the extra water. The towel landed on the chair behind them as he dropped it to replace it with the comb and once he had combed out his mess of damp waves, he shook his head hard, sending his hair flying into a suitable, messy style with most of it in his face. Jayde was grinning and so was Joker; she could practically hear his smirk as he admired the green color in the mirror through the curtain of hair in front of his eyes. She wanted to tell him how good it looked and how truly nobody but him could wear green hair and pull it off, but she was positive he already knew that.
As he stood there, staring at his reflection, his chest and shoulders seemed to swell slightly with something that Jayde could only identify as either pride or insane excitement…or possibly both. It felt as though the whole bathroom were now humming slightly with some sort of malicious, overpowering energy and Jayde quickly reached up to rub her forearm when goosebumps broke out all over her skin. A second later, the hair on the back of her neck stood on end when he started laughing, quietly at first until it built into a much louder, cackling laugh and his hand smacked the mirror over his face one time. It seemed that with his hair green, he felt a lot more like himself and a lot less like…Kieron.
It seemed, at last, the Joker had returned.
A/N- Alright! So you guys are awesome! I got six reviews the first day I posted that last chapter, so that was excellent! The story is pretty much starting from here, guys, so if you're not on board for a long one, turn back now. So how about another five reviews for the next chapter! It's already in the works, but I need some motivation to keep it going! So leave me a note with your love/hate. And yeah…mister Joker has returned. I bet you guys are stoked. I know I am…- QoM
OH! And I have NEW pictures of my characters (Jayde, of course Joker, Dotcom ect.) and thanks to ClownQween'69 (she is my Dotcom) for her magical computer-ing skills, I have pictures of Jayde and Joker together, so if you would like to see them, send me an email. Lovely x lady 389 at gmail. com