grace under pressure • jerome valeska

CHAP.56: Three Soups

  I was on my way to the diner on the edge of town where Jerome had told me he had headed. I had stolen a car near the warehouse and it smelled like flavored yogurt and smoke. It worked well so I wasn't complaining. I put on the radio and drummed my hands on the steering wheel. The gun I had "borrowed" from Eddie was lying in the seat next to me as well as his blood that was already staining the sheet. The other blood, which I had bit off a worker of Eddie's, was resting on my mouth and dripped down my dress. I wonder how Jerome would react to my appearance. Probably laugh at what I did to them all. 

  It was sort of like closure. Just a bit. I had killed another person from my past. Every time I did so I felt a sense of completion. Like that feeling where you put glue on the back of your hand and then peel it off a minute later. I felt satisfied. It filled me with warmth at the fact I had killed that fat idiot. Seeing him try to crawl away from me made me happier than it should have. But really, who should be ashamed when they felt happy about something? I knew I wasn't. 

  Nodding my head to the song, I turn the wheel and go around a corner down the road. From what I remember, Hatty should still be distracting the GCPD. It was still dark out so he better be keeping the attention away from Jerome and me. If not then I'd be pretty pissed and I don't think he'd like to see that. He was supposed to be hypnotizing people and putting them on buildings or something like that to keep Jimbo interested. I didn't really care as long as he did what he had to. He would get caught of course but Jerome and I had a plan for that. 

  I wonder if Jerome had gotten the information out of his uncle yet. He had his mind set on finding his newly mentioned twin. I had to see him. I knew they would look alike but I was sure no one could come close to being as handsome as Jerome. Well, I would find out because Jerome was taking me with him. Like he did all the time. We were always together. And if it ever happened as to where we wouldn't be near one another, we were planning to be again.

  Plans. Plans. Everything had to do with planning. Sometimes I just want things to just...happen. Without planning. Planning meant you knew what was gonna happened. I wanted a surprise. A good old surprise is just what I needed. Something to make things interesting. I guess I just had a problem with being bored. If I got bored (which happened way too often), I desperately needed to be entertained. A twitch of sorts. Which was yet other reason I was with Jerome. He was stock full of surprises. Everything about him brought a new interest. 

  I smile a bit, looking over the road. There weren't many cars on the road. Well, mostly because they were on the buildings. I could see a few from where I was driving down the street. People standing right on the edges of roofs, just waiting for their instruction to take another step forward. I chuckle. It would be funny if they did. Death was just sooooo amusing!

  After awhile, I started to come to the outskirts of Gotham. The radio blasted around me and I sang along with it, laughing. I think I was still a little pumped up from killing Eddie so I was full of energy. I swerved in and out of the lanes until I finally saw ahead of me, a small lone diner with nothing around it. I also knew it was a diner from the neon light that read DINER in big blue letters. Could it be any more obvious? 

  I smile as I pull up to the diner but make sure to park a little far away just in case. In case of what? I don't know. Just in case. This was Gotham. Anything and everything could happen at any given time so I was just being careful. 

  When I parked, I reached over and took my new gun in my hand and looked out of the window and towards the diner. From the outside it looked calm. But I amused it was different on the inside with Jerome being in there. I breathe out and smile, opening the door and stepping out. It was quite too. Hmm, this place actually seemed kind of peaceful. Maybe I could come here another time to relax.