The Knowhere Girl

[6] I Would Advise Against That, Lord Montague

[Jason Todd]

Jason couldn't get her laugh out of his head. He replayed the scene over and over and over again in his head. Her laughing. Him laughing. Holding her, then not having to.

It was making him delirious. His mental state was wrapped in a honey-gold haze. He couldn't remember what week it was. He could barely remember his own name, all because of a girl with hair like the glory of copper fire, shining like a whisky still, soft and loose in gentle flames under the streetlight.

Jason even thought that kissing her, a stranger, was a good idea. It was not a good idea. In fact, it was possibly the worst idea he'd had in a long time.

Gwen - Bluey was just so... nice.

He replayed it all - the movements, the sound, the colours, and the feelings, the emotion, the joy, the freedom - she made Jason laugh more tonight than he possibly had in his entire life. After the Joker, laughter played like bad music in his head. Whenever someone laughed too loud or too long, him included, those sick, high-pitched shrieking cascades of giggles always ran through the back of his mind like a broken record.

Soft laughter, under-the-breath snickers, and short barks of laughter were normally fine. Kid's laughter - for whatever reason - never bothered him. It was the continuous rounds that bubbled out of a person's lips - or worse, an entire group of people's mouths - that made him freeze in his tracks and sneak out the back.

Except, when Bluey laughed, it didn't happen. Well, it did. But it was quiet, enough so that the sound of her snorts and giggles overpowered the Jokers shrieking. Once Jason joined in - because the way she snorted when she laughed was funny, and he couldn't help it - the Joker left. It was just them laughing.

Jason felt safe.

He wanted that again.

There was so much more to Bluey than he thought. Jason saw just enough of whatever it was to make him curious, to make him want to learn more about her. She smelt like dry grass, with a hint of eucalyptus. And she was so pretty.

She remined him of the nymphs from the Greek myths, with that cheeky glint in her eyes, and troublemaker smirk.

No, maybe nymph wasn't the right word. Her hair was short, and she wore plaid. A chameleon? Sure. But to Jason she was like a siren, luring a sailor to their death. But instead of singing, Bluey talked with her hands, made dad jokes, and was maybe a little awkward at times.

But nevertheless, Jason was a goner.

The thing was though, that girls like Bluey didn't like guys like Jason.

Girls with red hair and wide smiles.

Girls who were raised to be sweet, polite, and charming.

She was probably a cheerleader in high school. And homecoming queen. And prom queen. Maybe she was in college. He could definitely see her in a little café studying and drinking overpriced coffee. Meanwhile Jason drank at sleazily bars until he passed out or pissed someone off and had to leave.