Damaged Love // A Joker Origin Story

Chapter 5

The next two days pass by rather quickly. Today is Friday, which means the senior party is in a few hours, and I have yet to ask anyone to go with me. I'm sure Cassandra will be pleased to hear that. I don't know if I want to go anymore. If I tag along with Cass, she will be too caught up with her date to pay any attention to me.

I shut my locker, turning to see Cass standing beside me. I smile, knowing the question on her mind. I walk around her, silently heading to 6th period. Cass walks up next to me and opens her mouth to say something, but I swiftly beat her to it.
"I know what you are going to ask." I smirked in her direction.

  "Yeah? Well, have you found someone to go with?" She interrogates, raising a single auburn eyebrow. My mind races with all sorts of different excuses. I need to make up something so she doesn't freak out and decide not to go to the party. She has to go; it's all she's been talking about since the first day the fliers were put up.

"Uh, yeah, I have, actually." I avert my eyes anywhere but Cass, knowing she's skeptical of me.

  "Really? What's his name?" She continues to quiz me. Both of us walk through the classroom door and sit at our neighboring desks. Just think of the first person that comes to mind!

"Jack," I blurt out, my words surprising me. Cassandra's eyes widen in shock.

  "Jack? He doesn't seem like the party type at all. How did you get him to go with you?" She glances at me unsurely while taking out her homework from the night before.

"Well, apparently he is, or he wouldn't have said yes when I asked him. It was quite easy, actually; he seemed pretty eager." I lie, hoping she doesn't notice it. Cass suddenly grins excitedly.

  "Yay! I can't wait!" She cheers. I give her a small smile and look towards the rambling teacher in front of the class. How in the hell am I going to convince Jack to go to the party?

~~~~~~~~~~

I wave goodbye to Cassandra before making my way to the last class of the day, Anatomy. I sit down in my seat, anxiously waiting for Jack to arrive. A few seconds later, he saunters through the classroom door and over to our shared table. He situates himself in his seat and sends a lopsided smile my way.

"Hey, are you going to the party tonight?" I ask, hoping he says yes. He finishes writing on his project that is due this class period before shifting his attention over to me.

"No, parties aren't really my scene. Plus, my parents will kill me if I don't catch up on my work," he says, shaking his head, and I look down, my smile instantly vanishing from my face. "But what's one sacrifice going to do?" Jack's throaty voice teases after a couple seconds. I grin at him, taking that as a yes.

"Do you have a number I can call to tell you the address? I'm going to have to get it from Cassandra later," I informed him. Jack ponders my question for a moment before scribbling something down on a torn piece of paper. He slips it to me, his hand lightly brushing against mine, causing a small shiver to run up my spine. I peek down at the thin parchment to see some numbers sloppily decorating it. I nod, silently telling him thanks as our teacher drawls on about today's lesson in a monotone voice.
It isn't long before I am sighing with relief as the bell rings to dismiss students for the day. Jack and I say goodbye before I walk to the parking lot and head home.

I unlock the front door and make my way through the antique-littered rooms of the manor. After a while of completing massive amounts of homework, I text Cass about the address for the party. She responds seconds later, and I locate the now crumpled slip of paper Jack gave me, typing the numbers into my phone to notify him of the party's whereabouts. The phone rings twice before the other line picks up.