A Little Death

V

'What do you mean messed up?'

'hold on, read this shit.'

I open the document she's sent me. It's a news clipping. 

The title in big bold caps says 'WOMAN GOES CRAZY AND TRIES TO MURDER HER CHILDREN'

Joshua is secretly a woman? Then I read the date, he must have been 7 or 8 when this was printed, it couldn't possibly be him.

It's a local newspaper.

'Mallory Hennons was discovered by the police trying to find her children with a knife in hand after one of her kids, Jordan called the police for help. Both children Joshua and Jordan were extremely scared and were hiding under the kitchen sink. 

Mallory was arrested and is kept in the police station before being moved to Pentonville Prison for attempted murder, along with emotionally abusing both of her sons. She was found with fresh cuts on her wrist. 

In an interview, she said that she had been trying to rid her children of the miserable life they had because their father had left and she herself had claimed she was a horrible mother. The children were placed into the care of a foster family.

Police suspect that Mallory may be mentally sick, she is still in line to undergo a psych evaluation.'

I couldn't read anymore. It was messed up. I had never imagined a person like Joshua to have gone through something like this, but the more I thought about it, the more it added up. 

I felt bad for invading his privacy. I decided I would bring it up someday, to confess. 

I haven't ever felt bad for doing things like this, completely analyzing someone's personality before a conversation. So that I could use it against them. 

I'm a bad person.

'there's more. this one's about him.'

She sends me a police file.

'they need to strengthen these police systems. did you know the city's superintendent's wife is pregnant.'

'Ok?'

'it might not be his.'

'Ok.'

'come on, you don't love some gossip?'

'Ok, maybe. So who could it be?'

We all love some gossip.

'IT MIGHT BE HIS ASSISTANT'

'NOOOO'

'YESS'

'All right, tell me more later, i'll check the file first.'

I open the file. It has a picture of Joshua on it. He's in a police station and the man is fucking smiling.

I read ahead.

- Punched and kicked a man several times in an MMA class. The man was left bruised and bleeding and had to be taken to a hospital.
Bail was allowed and given.

- Lit a closet on fire, was sued by his ex-girlfriend, whose closet had been endangered.
Got sued for a thousand dollars.

I close the file. Well, it's gonna be fun having him around.

'hold on, I have more.' Kristin texts.

'How much worse could it get?' I text.

'This dude got a case pressed on him for- I have no idea what- but the person who reported him suddenly withdrew his case and left the state.'

I can't help but smile. Definitely deranged. 

In other words, my type of person.

I would normally hack his phone and go through his stuff, but I don't. I've already gone too far.

Maybe I should just never mention this at all. Right?

That wouldn't stop us from having a normal friendship. Right?

MAYBE he'll tell me himself and I won't feel like I went behind his back and found out something he didn't mean for people to find out.

Right?

Well, it is what it is.

Joshua's POV

I am so fucking done with this job. I walk into my office, only wanting to leave, it's too much.

I can't do this.

I walk to my boss's office.

'I want to resign.'

He looks over at me, with his tiny ass eyes in contrast to his big ass forehead.

'Mmm, fine, sign these papers.'

'So that's all?'

'Yeah. I had these ready anyway, I was gonna fire you.'

'...'

I sign the papers. Then I walk to my desk and tidy it up. Then I leave.

I walk out like a fucking mafia boss, I don't even look behind me. God, I'm so cool.

Anyways, speaking of the mafia. I call Skyler.

She picks up immediately.

'Do you know how easy it is to trace a call?' she says.

'Hello to you too. Also, do you know how much easier it is to call someone than text them?'

'I disagree.'

I hang up and send her the address to my house.

Oh, how the turns have tabled.

But 10 minutes later, she's already here.

But apparently, she has NO patience, because instead of waiting a few seconds for me to open the door, she picklocks her way in.

Has it always been that easy to break into my house? I need better security for sure. If I become friends with her, I might just have to move into an underground base unlocked by my fingerprint or something. Maybe I should already start. 

She invites herself in. I just now realize how stupid I am. Giving a mafia boss's daughter my address. She doesn't feel very lethal, though. 

'Thanks for waiting.'

'Hey.' she walks in with sweat on her forehead and a confused expression on her face, like she just shit her pants. Well, skirt. There's definitely something wrong. She's nervous or something. What is she hiding?

'You wanna tell me something?'

'Uhh, no?'

'Are you sure about that?'

She pauses for a while. 'Nu-yeah.'

I fake-sigh. 'I know what you did.'

'How?' she asks, completely dumbstruck, and definitely looking terrified.

'I have my ways.'

'But- that's impossible.'

'Why don't you come clean to me and tell me just exactly everything about what you did?'

I get off the couch and walk towards her. She walk backwards.

'Uhh, I was gonna tell you.'

So it IS something about me.

'Mhmm, sure you were. Why don't you tell me now?'

I am an inch away from her when she walks unknowingly into a wall, and before she can go anywhere else, I put one hand on the wall behind her, another hand pushing her shoulder back, completely cornering her.

'I'm sorry I went behind your back and found out everything about your past?'

My past? No.

'And what EXACTLY did you find out?' She flinches a little.

'The people you kicked, uh. The dude that left the state mysteriously.'

'AND?'

'About you and your brother... uh... when your mom did the thing...' I sigh.

'You made me do this, Skyler.'

I punch her and she passes out. I lift her unconscious body and put it on my shoulder.

Time to have some fun.