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• Diary Of A Teenage Loner

ONE-SHOT: Arthur is Gotham City High's most notorious loner, and you're the only student that's ever gotten remotely close to him. But while Arthur carries a torch for the most popular girl in school, you find yourself secretly crushing on him.

**A/N this is a whopping 7350 words long! It started out as just a random idea and then I got carried away. So I apologise if you find it too lengthy and boring, but I hope you like it ...btw, check out young Arthur in the cover picture. Ain't he cute!? **

--3rd person POV--

"You really should try and quit smoking, Art. You know how bad it is for your health."

(y/n) looked up at her companion, following the orange glow of the cigarette as Arthur brought it up to his mouth and took a generous puff on it.

"I find it comforting to think that it might kill me before anything else does." He deadpanned, no hint of jest in his somber tone.

She rolled her eyes, feeling more than just a little exasperated.
By nature he'd always had a rather cheery disposition, but over the course of these last few weeks she couldn't help but notice how he'd become more withdrawn, more broody.

Arthur Fleck certainly didn't have an easy life, that much was indisputable. His mom was a covert, passive-aggressive narcissist, and her boyfriend was a raging alcoholic with anger management issues.
His home life was one of timid, subservient, mere existence. He practically lived in his room, only ever venturing out when he had to go to school, or was sent on errands.

Or when he came out here, like now. To sit with her on the wrought iron steps of the fire escape outside his bedroom window.

How long had they been doing this?

Almost a year now.

Yes. A whole year of having to sneak around, because if his mother found out that he'd been meeting with a girl, friend or no friend, and neglecting his studies, she would be furious.

Penny Fleck was a strange creature, (y/n) thought. She'd never actually met the woman, but Arthur had given enough accounts of her bizzare behaviour for (y/n) to form quite a rounded opinion of her.

She was deplorable. Self-absorbed. Contradictory. Austere, and possibly just plain old fashioned crazy.

Ms.Fleck had to be crazy, to heartlessly pour scorn on her son's achievements like she did. Apparently she often told him that he'd never be academic, as he wasn't intelligent enough. Yet she encouraged him to work hard regardless, if he was to ever be as successful as Thomas Wayne; her employer.

She idolised the man and bored Arthur to tears with her endless tales about Thomas Wayne, the billionaire businessman philanthropist.
He was handsome, she said.
And clever.
And of course, filthy rich.
Whereas in her opinion, Arthur would never be any of those things.

The bizarre pressure she placed on Arthur's young shoulders was a burden he ought not to bear.

But bear it he did.

However, (y/n) couldn't help but wonder if something else was on her friends mind tonight. That something actually being a someone. And that someone could only be Shannon Clark.

"Come on, Art...cheer up. You can't keep mooning over Shannon like this. There's more to life than her."

His head snapped down sharply, making her shift uneasily as he impaled her with his piercing green eyes.