Who Needs Sanity

Chapter 3 | Free

I couldn't sleep that night. I paced around my room just waiting for morning. After what seemed like an eternity, the sun came up.

I heard my mom in the kitchen, getting ready for work. She doesn't usually work Saturdays but she's been picking up more shifts lately.

"Hey mom. On your way to work could you drop me off somewhere." She was making breakfast. "Sure sweetie. Where are you going?"

"The circus" when I answered she looked at me confused. "Kay is meeting me there." I didn't want her to know about Jerome, not yet.

She nodded and went back to breakfast. She took her time eating and the car ride seemed so long.

When we got there I practically sprinted out of the car. My mom waved but I was only focused on finding Jerome.

He was leaning against his trailer, just like yesterday. I ran up to him, he smiled when he saw me. When I hugged him, I almost pushed him to the ground.

He chuckled and I pulled away from the hug. I admired his hair, his eyes, his smile. I missed him.

"Come on." He grabbed my hand and pulled me through a big crowd of circus people. 

"Where are we going?" I asked as we left the circus.

He brought me behind the circus and started climbing a tree. "Jerome?" He looked down at me. "Aren't you coming." He laughed as he continued to climb.

I climbed up behind him and settled on a branch a little lower than his. "What are we doing?" I was very confused.

"I haven't climbed a tree in forever. Doesn't it make you feel so" he paused and grinned "Free"

I laughed as he hung off the branch. He swung over to my branch and sat leaning against the trunk. "Yeah, I guess it does." I replied, still laughing slightly.

"We need freedom in our lives. We're trapped Quinn. Trapped in the normal of life." He looked out at the circus.

"Trapped?" I questioned and he glanced back towards me. 

"Don't you want some excitement in your life?" He chuckled "Don't you ever wish that you could wander around and do whatever you wanted."

"Well of course I do" I answered, still a little confused. "But we can't."

"Yes, exactly! We are trapped Quinn." He shrugged his shoulders. His ramble actually made sense to me.

We are both living lives we don't want. He is trapped with the circus and his mother. I'm trapped in the ordinary, the boring.

"Well then. How do we get free?" I asked peering out at the busy circus. He tapped his lip with his finger, thinking of a good answer.

"I don't know yet. But I'll figure it out." He jumped down from the tree and I followed behind him. He smiled at me.

He pulled me close and kissed me. I love kissing him. I love him.

We stayed like that for awhile. I never wanted to stop. He pulled away, placing his forehead on mine.

"I'll get us free." He whispered. It made me grin, he smiled too. "I love you Quinn"

My heart jumped out of my chest. " I love you too" My smile grew and he kissed me again.

The day went by so fast, before I knew it, Kay was picking me up. I hugged Jerome tightly, never wanting to let go. "Bye"

"Bye, gorgeous" He winked at me, making me blush. I ran to Kay's car, with a smile cemented on my face.

That night I slept over at Kay's. I told her everything I could about Jerome. She listened to every second.

She said she was happy for me, but she was also worried. She told me that 'falling in love' doesn't happen in a day.

I didn't listen to her. I was in love with Jerome, there wasn't a doubt in my mind.

Everyday I went to the circus. I even skipped school to go see him, and I never ditch school.

Kay begged me to stop seeing him. She just didn't understand what it was like to be in love. She stopped picking me up, so I had to take the bus.

Jerome and I talked for hours on end. We would brainstorm about how to get 'free'. We'd talk about his mom and my family. Basically anything that was on our minds.

We talked, laughed, kissed, repeat. They were the best days of my life. Jerome had become my everything.

The week flew by. Jerome would be leaving in two days. I couldn't imagine my life without him. I needed him.

We were hanging out in his trailer and it was almost time for me to catch my bus. We were laughing at a joke Jerome just made.

His mom stormed in "Jerome, clean up a little. This place is a wreck." She went into her room, slamming the door behind her.

He sighed loudly and rolled his eyes. "I'll help you" I started by picking up some plates and moving them to the sink.

His mom walked back out and gave me a mean look. "Oh yeah and do the dishes too." With that she left the trailer.

Jerome growled and punched his bed. "Bitch" he said under his breath. I didn't like it when he got mad. He could get pretty scary sometimes.

He sighed and face planted on his bed. "My life would be so much better without her!" All of the sudden he sat up with a smile on his face.

He started laughing. "What?" I asked, very confused. 

"I know how we can be free!" He continued laughing. 

"Really? How?" I was confused but excited. We had been trying to figure it out all week.

"Kill my whore of a mother and leave this hell hole" I couldn't tell if he was joking. He seemed serious but he was smiling.

"What?" I just stared at him. His smile grew "It's perfect right!" He was serious, he wanted to kill his mother.

"Jerome I-" I couldn't think of what to say. I just stuttered until he spoke again.

"I get rid of what's been holding me back, my mother, and you run away with me. We spend the rest of our days free as a bird!" He never stopped smiling.

I wanted to be free, but murder? "What do you say Quinny?" His eyes pleaded with me.

I thought about my family and my friends. I loved them, but I needed to be with Jerome. I needed to be free.

I smiled at him "Let's do it!"