➸ viva la vida (arthur fleck x oc) ✅

↳ vii. viva la vida

I get a call from JJ later.

I've done practically nothing, just apathetically watching the news and not really paying attention. I'm stuck between Arthur, and whatever just happened with him and Devin, and why on earth he didn't tell me about social services shutting down. I don't even know how long I've been sitting here.

While I'm on the topic of the Arthur problem, it seems like I have two options here. I can continue being his friend and try to forget that he killed three guys and said they deserved it, or I can run for the hills, ditch him completely. And it's unfair, really. It kind of pisses me off that the one time I find a guy that I like and that seems to like me and isn't a total asshole ends up being a killer. And so I guess the real decision is, do I hold it against him or not?

None of those options make me feel totally at ease.

But back to JJ. He calls and asks if I can play again tonight, that Allison will be around and wanted to see if I could duet with her again. I agree, because if I stay shut inside for any longer I'm going to lose it. Same set-up as last time, I get a solo song and then the duet, which is fine by me. I tell him I'll be there, and he gives me a time.

I scroll through my music to look for a different song to try tonight. It's a newer song, one by this relatively new pop singer, Charlie Puth. I've been tinkering with it a little, playing with it for the past week, so I decide tonight is going to be it's debut on my set list.

I get dressed first in my standard- black jeans, boots. I pull on a white t-shirt and a black denim jacket and fix my hair before sitting down at my keyboard. I spend at least two hours ingraining the melody in my mind, singing it through over and over. I only stop so I don't blow out my voice before tonight. The show's at 8, and it's 1:30 already. I need to find something to do. I gotta kill time until the show, and when I get back, chances are Devin will be home and we can figure something out then.

Devin.

Do I even tell him about Arthur's visit? What he told me?

See, this is why I need to leave the apartment. I'll decide later.

I pull a beanie on, grab my phone and walk out the door. I'm on the streets of Gotham before I know it, the heavy bass-line of a hard rock song I'd randomly chosen thrumming in my ears. And I just walk, not entirely sure of where I'm going or what I'm doing.

I realize I haven't had anything to eat today, so I duck into a cafe and get a sandwich and a coffee. My phone starts to buzz in my pocket as I walk out, so I transfer my sandwich to my pocket and look at the screen. Unknown, but this day couldn't get any worse, so I pick up.

"Hello?"

"Mars!" It's Allison. I find myself smiling slightly.

"Hey, Allison, what's up?"

"Not much," she says. "Our show's at 8, yeah?"

"Yeah," I answer.

"So do you want to hang out before then?" she asks. "All my friends are busy, and it was really nice chilling with you after our last gig."

I laugh. "Sure, that sounds good." She rattles off her address. I nod, remember that she can't see me, and tell her I'll be there. She's not far away, on the outskirts of Midtown, so it's an easy walk.

"Apartment 6A," I mumble as I get out of the elevator on the 6th floor. I knock on the door when I find it, the first door on the left.

She opens it with a beaming smile, her hair in a loose bun, wearing a pair of faded blue jeans and a dark grey Nirvana t-shirt.