grace under pressure • jerome valeska

CHAP.15: Give Me An O!

  "So." I begin, my hands flat against the table's edge. "How are we gonna do this?"

  The whole Maniax crew was huddled around this small round table, the layout of the city and schedules of the buses on a large paper before us. We all scanned it, forming a plan together on how we were going to do this. Theo gave us two options. One was the new old folks home. People were driving old whack jobs to a new building they built for "the elder's of this fine city." Bullshit. Kids just wanted their parents out of their lives so they wouldn't have to deal with the shit anymore. Literally. Two was a school bus full of the high school cheerleaders and football players that was going to a tournament up at the edge of the city.

  "I want to the old people." Arnold said with a twitch. I sighed. 

  "Okay." I say slowly. "Let's put this to a vote. Those in favor for the cheerleaders." Everyone raised their hands except for Arnold. "All those in favor of the oldies." Everyone put down their hands while Arnold shakily raised his hand. I slapped the table. 

  "Then it's settled then. We're going after the cheerleaders!" I say with a smile. "Let's look at their schedule now shall we." I ball up the old folks idea and throw it behind me. I pointed to Greenwood who was looking elsewhere and at a bowl of candies on a nearby counter. I roll my eyes and snap my fingers.

  "Hey! Hey, beardy." I say and he snaps his head towards me. "You can gorge later. Now, did you and Aaron steal the oil truck?" He nods.

  "Yeah, killed the peopled and robbed the joint." He says with a laugh. I nod. 

  "Good." I say then look down at the paper. I pretended to focus on the plan while really I kept looking down because Jerome's gaze was fixed on me the entire time we had been trying to put this plan together. I was flattered, but right now, being flattered made me blush and I couldn't do that while trying to be authoritative. Greenwood pointed to me. 

  "Your face is all red." He said stupidly. I glare at him.

  "It's hot in here." I answer, giving him the hint to shut up. Guess he didn't get it.

  "No it's not. It's really cold-

  "Greenwood, unless you shut up, I will stab you in the neck like I did to Williams." I cut him off. He stops talking. "Better." I hear Jerome chuckle next to me. I shift. 

  "Alright, so where was I..."

                                                          |TIME SKIP|

  Later, we were getting ready to hijack the bus of cheerleaders. We decided on loose straight jacket from Arkham and I had to say it was particularly sweetly twisted to dress this way and even though it was uncomfortable, I liked the look of it. I was in my room now, brushing my long frizzy hair. I hadn't cut it in a month and my hair grew at an unnatural rate so now it settled to my waist. I had managed to make it a little less frizzy and a little more flowy. It didn't look too bad. I actually could run my fingers threw my hair now without running into knots.

  As I got ready I decided to a hum a soft song. It wasn't anything special, just some song I found that I couldn't seem to get out of my head. I had always thought I had been a good singer. Just a thing of mine. I didn't know why I could sing. Maybe it had to do with my real parents. Maybe they could sing. I would never know. Not that it bothered me. I had come to the facts that I would never meet them and I didn't want to. They left me to rot and so for that, I am happy that they are gone. 

  While brushing and humming, I didn't hear the door open and soft footsteps before I suddenly saw a face in the mirror. I jumped a bit and went into defense mood, bringing my brush to the end to hit anyone who was there. I was just about to but when I turned around I saw familiar red hair and green eyes. I groaned and hit him anyway but a little softer than I was planning to. He laughed and rubbed his shoulder.