「 F O U R T E E N 」
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The warmth of Jake house seemed to calm my nerves that danced upon my very skin, that plagued my head making my stomach twist as i hesitated stepping foot in his home.
It didn't take long for Mrs Hernandez to pull me into one of her famous hugs and for his father to send a brief head nod in my direction.
Jake attempted to lead me towards his room but his mother sunk her fierce claws into us directing us to the lounge.
" Scarlett honey i read all about the raid, i'm so sorry about your aunt. If you ever need anything-." Mrs Hernandez sympathised resting a hand upon my shoulder squeezing it gently.
" Read?" i asked rather confused glancing from both Jake and her cutting her off from finishing her sentence.
Jakes father slid forward the newspaper that rested on the coffee table, turning to the page with the article. A saddened glimmer in his eyes.
The headline was clear as day.
House Raid Gone Wrong, Adoptive mother Suicide.
My hands began to tremble as my eyes read each line. Each detail making my stomach twist, my hearing becoming numb as i felt my heart begin to throb in my chest. The need for more oxygen in my lungs becoming more fierce burning my chest as my eyes began to grow blurry. The watery pools in my eyes overflowing as i tried to blink them away.
Suicide. They're calling her death a suicide. They framed her. They made it look like she killed herself. They even left a sickening note.
My stomach twisted as my body felt numb, my hands trembling as i scrunched up the news paper.
" Sweetheart i know it's hard to hear of it but your aunt was just troubled. She may of never showed it to you bu—."
" It's a lie."
My teary eyes met Mrs Hernandez and Jakes.
" She didn't kill herself—." my words tumbling out as i lost the ability to speak, the tears becoming to much. Mrs Hernandez rushing to my side rubbing soft small circles in my back, Jake to my right holding my hand as. i stared at the floor.
" You can stay here until you sort something out. I'll have David sort the spare bedroom out for the night so you can sleep in there."
I didn't pay attention to her words. I could only focus on the lies. The lies that they'd fed the media. They faked it all. The raid, the suicide.
How could they be so sick, so sick as to move her body, arrange it in a way that showed she'd killed herself. Even down to setting up the whole fake story.
How could they be so heartless. Joker was a sick demented man so he was out of the question but Harley. It was her sister. Her flesh and blood. Her family...OUR FAMILY.
I didn't feel Jake pick me up from the couch and carry me up the stairs to his room. i didn't feel him wrap a blanket around my shoulders pulling me close to him. i didn't realise until he muttered my name into my hair.
" Scar...I know you're hurting but you need to accept what's happened...you nee—."
" It's a lie." i muttered cutting him off. my eyes dead as i stared at the soft carpeted floor lifelessly. " She didn't kill herself. I-I was there i saw what happened—I could have stopped it."
i choked as i fell back into another wave of tears that fell down onto my cheeks like the pattering of rains drops on a storm night.
" Scarlett you couldn't have been there." Jake stood so that he was facing me in-between my legs, grasping a hold of my shoulders tilting my head to face him. " She was tired, fed up—."
" NO—You don't know the truth. If you did you'd—." i pulled my face into my hands letting them trail up to my hair as i abruptly stood to my feet pacing towards the window.
" Please Jake, if i tell you the truth please don't be afraid of me." i pleaded fear in my eyes as i stared at him helplessly.
" Scarlett i could never—What's making you say these things?" he said softly reaching his hands out to touch my face pulling me into a warm embrace, his hands stroking my hair.
" She didn't kill herself. I-I watched her die. T-these men broke into our home. They kept asking for her, they took us away a-and then—Jake i can't—."
Warm muscular arms wrapped themselves around me enveloping me into his warm chest. A soft hand running through my hair as he pressed a warm kiss to my forehead muttering into my hair.
" Shhhh." he cooed softly like a mother would to a small baby " everything alright Scar, I'm here."
" i just stood there—A-As he took us to that stupid warehouse, when he—he rained down his fists onto her body, beating her and then—h-he pulled the blade from his jacket and slid it so effortlessly like he'd done it times before across her throat. I just stood there, i didn't stop him. I ran to her and held her as she gasped for breathe. i watched the life drown from her eyes, the colour from her skin grew grey. I didn't nothing Jake. I could of stopped it but i just froze I-I—."
" Shhh" his soft hush soothing me " it's alright Scar, we're in this together. You're safe here. He can't harm you, you're safe. I've got you."
My salty tears rolling down my cheeks like waves rolling against the soft shores of a California beach, each wave tumbling over one another gliding softly up the beautiful sands of the beach. The suffocating sobs choking me as i struggled for breathe.
The pain in my heart unbearable. It felt like i was reliving the moment again. It felt like it was me who was having their heart ripped out their chest, being sliced internally from the inside out.
" J-Jake there's something else. Something you need to know—You aren't safe. I'm putting you in danger."
Jakes eyes narrowed as he began to process the words that left my mouth. His mind running through plans ranging from A to Z. I couldn't believe the words that left my mouth.
" M-My parents. I know who they are. They're bad people—very bad people—."
" They can't be that bad Scar? Unless they're dentists then—."
" Jake. They're—Harley Quinn and The Joker."
I could see it in his eyes. The disbelief, shock and then the horror. I saw it all as we pulled apart.
" How do you know for sure? You're kidding right? They couldn't possibly—."
" That's the sad part i'm not Joking. I wish i was J."
He bore his eyes into mine checking for any sign of a lie. But all he saw was the shame and disgust that my hazel brown eyes reflected.
"How do you know that they are your parents?"
" Harley is Harleen Quinzel, my aunts sister. Long story short Harley gave birth to me in Arkham Asylum. They tore me from her and sent me away, away into the adoption records where my aunt adopted me." My fists clenched, as my body began to tremble and shake. " Ny life has been an entire lie. Do not know who to trust and who is who they really say they are."
" Sshhh." His arms finding themselves around me once again, his hands holding my fists as we stared into each other's eyes. Mine full of disgust for myself and guilt.
" Its okay, you have me. That's all we need. Remember when we said it was me and you against the world. Well now it really is."
That's all it took for him to steal my heart.
For the rest of the night i lay in Jakes arms. I didn't stay in the guest bedroom that night. i lay beside Jake. He played with the ends of my hair until i fell asleep. But as much as i tried to sleep i couldn't. I must of slept for a mere few hours as i awoke to Jakes arm wrapped around my waist, holding me flush against his chest.
The light of his alarm clock lit up the room. The outlined figures of 5.07am shined in my eyes. sighing as i ran my hand across my face.
I shifted so that i lay on my back, staring up at the ceiling. My eyes roaming across Jakes poster plastered wall. The various titles of Panic at the Disco, AC/DC, Pink floyd, Guns and Roses, Drake and Kanye west all overlapped each other. Even other artists that i couldn't make out due to the amount of postered covering his wall.
Sighing i pulled myself out of his embrace. My eyes staring off to the window, a part of me steering my body clear of the window itself. what if he was out there. waiting.
gulping i crept towards the bathroom. flicking on the light switch staring at myself in the mirror. My hazel brown eyes still puffy from my obsessive constant crying. My fingers brushing against the dark circles that began to surface under my eyes. How could i forget the small faint line of a cut that i had on my forehead.The faint outline of dried up blood hiding beside the redness of my plump lips. My hair flat and messy, almost resembling a neglected birds nest after a storm.
Sighing a sigh of defeat i ran a quick shower. I knew Jake wouldn't mind as a couple of times i'd stayed over.
Hesitantly i stripped down as the shower warmed up. The soft trickle of the water made a almost therapeutic atmosphere, easing my nerves that continued to grow and plague my mind.
I didn't waste time in harshly rubbing at my skin. I had to wash all the bad away. i had to rid myself of them, of the memories. The truth.
i scrubbed and clawed at my skin until it turned red raw. I clawed at my scalp scrubbing my hair with Jakes shampoo praying i could mask the odour of my tainted blood. The odour of a murderer, a killer.
I sat on the toilet seat wrapped in a soft white fluffy towel. The heat from the shower created steam covering the large mirror in a light layer of its mystery.
Whipping away the layer of steam i let out a yelp at the reflection that stared back at me.
There before me staying back at me was a monster. I stumbled back into the tiled wall. sinking down as the images of myself with blood splattered across my face stained my mind. Every time i closes my eyes the horrific image stared back at me.
A malicious smile like his glued on her face. The crazy look of Insecurity playing in her eyes. Her long blonde hair pulled back into a half up half down curly look.
She looked a mesh of them both. Yet she was me. She was there perfect child—A monster.
Gasping in shock at the sheer horror etching across my face I threw the nearest object I could at the mirror.
Steadying my breathing I rose to my feet staring at the mirror once again, my reflection back to normal.
God I'm so messed up. I'm starting to be unstable like them. God I need help.
Letting my hair air dry I changed into a old pair of yoga pants that I left here. Jake kept some of his old t-shirts in the cabinet in the bathroom beside the towels for me. You could say me staying over became a common occurrence when my aunt would work late at night.
Pulling over an old t-shirt, the words long faded you couldn't see what it said anymore I threw the towel in the laundry basket tip toeing out the bathroom down the hall back to Jakes room.
As I opened the door creeping back inside I noticed Jake beginning to stir in his sleep. I patted over to my backpack strung lazy at the bottom of the bed. Jake must have brought it up from downstairs.
Digging in my back I found clean socks and some makeup I stole from Harley. I grasped the small cosmetics bag and crept back out into the bathroom.
Fixing up the small bruising on my face hiding it with concealer, slowly attempting to mask my bagged eyes and cut in my brow.
" Scar—it's 6.00am" Jakes groggy voice made me jump as I attempted to hide behind the makeup I was applying. " Why are you putting makeup on this early?"
" I-I couldn't sleep." I said in defeat. There was no point lying to him. He could always tell when I was. As I brought my eyes to him I let out a small gasp " Erm—Jake. C-could you—Jake put some clothes on." I stuttered trying my best to cover my eyes as my best friend stood in just a pair of boxer briefs. His toned body exposed into the slither of the sun creeping through the wooden blinds.
Jake scoffed shaking his head as he ran his hand through his brown curls. " I was about to get a shower." He chimed making his way past me further into the bathroom.
" I'll just leav—."
I was cut off by Jake laughing as something hit me in the face. Slowly raising my hands I heard the shower turn on. Swallowing the lump in my throat I pulled the piece of material off my face averting my gaze from the shower.
" Eww Jake you're disgusting." I yelped as I realised he'd threw his dirty boxers at me.
" I'm just going to make some breakfast. You're truly foul." I groaned throwing his boxers towards the shower where he laughed.
Wasting no time I jogged down the large stair case. my damp hair swaying as I attempted to clear my head of the recent events.
Entering the kitchen I decided to make us both a quick breakfast since I know Mrs Hernandez will send us to school. She's probably tell me to plaster on a brave smile and power on.
As I began to make us both breakfast bagels and make us both some coffee I threw my hair up into a messy bun.
The sound of Jakes feet padding down the staircase signalled that he was finished showering.
" Hey—you ready to go?" He asked as he held his keys in his hand as well as both our backpacks.
" Y-yeah." No. I said anxiously grabbing the two bagels wrapped in tinfoil.
Making our way into Jakes car I sat fiddling with my thumbs as Jake played the radio sipping on his coffee in his flask.
Noticing the tension he turned on the radio knowing how I always liked to sing a long to the radio.
But today I didn't want to. Some many noughts ran through my head. Everyone knows. But they don't know the truth. What is they find out the truth? I'll be humiliated, even more of a outcast, hated, loath—
" Hey Shorty, you okay? I know you're stressing about today. It's okay. I'll be beside you every step of the way." Jakes hand squeezed my thigh reaching towards my hand, his fingers wrapping around mine as he stopped at a red light. " Besides who else is going to tell you, you have bagel on your nose." He chuckled bopping my nose as he wiped it away.
Jakes little inspirational speech seemed to work as we hummed along to the radio. Jake making me laugh at his funny faces. The only difference was when I laughed it felt empty. And I think he noticed that too.
" What's wrong Jakey?"
" Nothing it's jus—."
"My laugh? Yeah. You'll see it differently because of him." My eyes falling down to my feet as we pulled into the schools parking lot.
Walking through the schools doors felt like I was walking into my biggest nightmare. Everybody's eyes fell on me, and not because of Jake. They all stared, some with pity, others with sympathy and then there was the some that didn't care but stared anyway. I didn't need there judgment or pity.
If they knew the truth they would look at me as a coward, a murderer.
Keeping my head down I sped ahead of Jake ignoring his calls as I just wanted to get today over and done with.
I manage to steer clear of people's pity and questions. It was now last period and I sat in the schools locker room changing into some athletic wear. Tying my shoe laces i felt a pair of eyes watching me. As I lifted my head a girl with shoulder length wavy hair turning her back on me swiftly leaving the locker room.
I'm just being paranoid. They aren't going to find me in plain sight. It's only for a couple of days. I just need to relax and breathe.
Everything is going to be fine.
As I walked into the gym I noticed it wasn't filled with people, only a few stragglers. Everyone is probably outside watching the boys train for football or some other sport our school takes pride in.
As I make my way over to the furthest part of the gym, away from prying eyes I spot that girl again walking through the gyms doors.
Swallowing the lump growing in my throat I play my music on Jakes old iPod, headphones in my ear as I start a light jog on the treadmill.
As I begin to light jog my mind begins to wander. If Joker is hell bent on keeping me around he will have people come after me. He'd never come himself. I need to learn to protect myself, stay out of sight, avoid suspicion. I need to learn basic defence, maybe even improve my stamina.
Again I spot the curly hair girl glancing in my direction, a small mischievous smile tugging at her lips as she stands beside the weight rack.
I pull my headphones out of my ears. As I make eye contact with her, stopping to take a sip of my water. She stayed staring at me tilting her head sideways. Like what a puppy does when its confused. As her eyes followed me making my way towards the workout mats, closer to the weight rack.
" Can I help you? " I raised my eyebrow staring up at her as I began to stretch on the mat.
She gave a wicked smile that's made me nervous. That smile that brought his flashing into my mind. My skin automatically beginning to crawl.
" I didn't think I'd meet you this early on? I can't say I'm not surprised." She said slyly, her words like silk, soft yet slippery.
" Should I know you?"
" We haven't formally met, unlike our parents." She smirked as she glanced from her nails to me, a devious sparkle in her eyes as she knew she had me hooked.
" H-Ho—."
" I'll admit I'm quite surprised you look so normal, I never thought I'd get the chance to meet you. I'll admit you aren't everything I pictured, you're a little out of shape—." She snickered as she glanced me once over.
My heart pounding in my chest. If one person knows maybe everybody else knows. I don't even know this girl yet she spotted my secret, she knew who I really was.
" How did you know." I stuttered grasping a hold of her forearm, quickly looking around as I pulled her away from prying eyes.
My heart hammering in my chest.
" It was pretty obvious. You matched The description that got sent to everybody—."
"Description? You mean he's—."
This is not good. Half of Gotham population is probably looking for me by now. I wasn't safe here. If Jake is spotted with me he isn't either.
" Yes. He sent out a bounty for anyone that finds you and brings you back alive to him."
" A-are you here to hand me in ? " I gulped swallowing the lump in my throat, biting back the tears that I could feel pricking the back of my eyes.
" No—I'm not that plain Jane of a criminal."
" Then why have you found me? Who even are you?"
A sly smirk crossed her face. Like I had just asked the question she had been waiting for me to ask.
" The names Katrina Kyle. I'm here with a proposition for you miss Quinn."
" Well Katrina I'm Scarl—."
" I know, my mother was there—but that's not the point. I want to help you stand a chance against them. I want to help you defend yourself."
" Why would you help me? You've only just met me."
A puzzled expression crossed my face as i furrowed my eyebrows. Why would she help.
" It's the right thing to do. So what do you say"
She smiled as she held out her hand. Her eyes sparkling as if challenging me to accept her request.
" What's in this for you? There's always a catch—."
" Smart. I get to do what my mother been trying to do for a long time, gain leverage over the Joker."
" If you help me. I will return the favour."
Just like that we struck a deal. A partnership that would in end ruin the Joker. Ruin both of them. You could say this was the ideal revenge. Vengeance for breaking apart my life, cracking it open like a egg shell and tearing it to pieces.
Now all I needed to do was listen—
To——
Katrina Kyle—