We're All Mad Here

Chapter Three

Boring. So Boring.

Jerome lay atop of his bed, staring absently at the ceiling above.

He was getting bored of playing the jokester. Pottering about in the dayroom, acting like a funny little boy around the other patients. He was getting tired of sucking up to that Barbara Kean. God, she was pretty but not much of a conversationalist. Liked too much attention for his liking. But she would work, he could use her to get to his goal.

Everyone knew she'd had a thing with the great Jim Gordon. God just thinking that name was ticking him off. That was his end game, to kill Jim Gordon, to kill Bruce Wayne. All he needed was to get out of this hellhole.

The bell sounded, time for dayroom. The guards lined up outside, taking the patients, one by one into the room as they filtered out. The rest of the rabble here were all so unintelligent, no one he could share plans with, no one of any use to him. There they all were once again, sat on the same table, Barbara in the centre. How terribly boring.

He scanned the room, a peculiar blonde sitting in the corner of the room, looking out of the same window as she did. He suspected she was as mad as the rest of them here, could barely form a sentence he supposed. He knew she watched him, fancied him perhaps. It wasn't until he noticed her smile at his jokes, perhaps there was something more to that one. That Harleen Quinzel.

She was cute, cuter than Barbara Kean. He hadn't heard of her before, no links to any of his enemies from what he knew, but perhaps he could use her.

She noticed him watching her, still standing in the doorway of the dayroom, a hand sleeking through his red hair. She tried to avoid eye contact, after locking eyes with him the day before, she was embarrassed. He was probably judging her, looking at her insecurities, could possibly even be looking through her once again.

'Why hey there gorgeous.' He towered over her seated form, her long platinum hair matted in places moved with her head as she shot to attention.

'Hi' she barely even squeaked it out, in shock that he had even approached her.

'What's so interesting out of that little window, that it takes your eyes off me?' he sat beside her now, that manic grin on his face. He had noticed her watching him.

She blushed, breaking eye contact with him once again. 'I like watching the normals. Makes me feel less caged.' He narrowed his eyes at her in response.

'The normals?' he leant over, looking out of the window, his face so close to hers as he did so. 'Well Harleen, looks like you can see the whole city from here!' he laughed manically, gaining a smile from her.

'You know my name?' she barely whispered. 'Well of course, I like to know the names of all the pretty girls here.' Another manic laugh.

She was elated but still cautious, another feeling building in her chest.

'Jerome!' Barbara's high-pitched voice carried across the day room. 'If you spend too much time there, you'll catch fleas!' she laughed, the rabble of men surrounding her following suit.

Harleen flashed her a dark look, a dangerous look, the things she would do to Barbara if she could. She composed herself quickly, looking back at Jerome, who only smiled dangerously back at her. He had noticed her response. Fear building in her chest.

'Interesting, interesting. See you soon Harleen.' He elongated her name as he spoke before heading back to Barbara and the others, giving her a backwards wave.
Harleen sat, confused. What had just happened?