My Ginger Maniac

What's Wrong With Risky?

"So I met a guy." I said as I slid over to my best friend at lunch that Monday. I had just bought lunch started picking at the French fryright when I told her. If there was one way to drag her away from watching Netflix, talking about boys was it, especially if I was the one talking. I never talked about boys, since normally, they didn't interest me.

But this one had.

Lauren set down her phone immediately, locking the screen, ditching the fanfiction.

"I'm sorry, did I just hear Reyna Night talk about a boy???" I nodded in response to her question, smiling proudly, still chewing on a fry.

"Yup." Was all I said, knowing that if I told her he was a murderer and that I met him in an asylum she would definitely not be as supportive.

"Well? What's his name?" She asked, turning and facing me. I had her full attention now, which I quickly regretted. I didn't know how to respond to this, not sure of how to avoid the fact that I was involved with a psycho.

"Uh.. His names Jerome.." I said, hoping she wouldn't recognize the name. She didn't seem to.

"Get to the good part!!! What's he look like?!?!"

I looked down at my food so I didn't have to look her in the eyes, and I started to talk.

"He has these beautiful blue eyes.. Oh and this slick, ginger hair... His voice is so deep and so scary.. And he's got this wicked smile.. " I got lost and caught up talking about this insane little ginger, and I was smiling down at my tray of food.

As I went on to describe him, Lauren laughed a little.

"Well. Sounds like you met an Arkham Inmate." She teased. I got a little annoyed with her and turned to her.

"Yes. That's actually exactly what I did." I said it, so blunt like that, for a minute she didn't believe me. She laughed again, and when she saw I was dead serious, her smile completely faded.

"Oh.. Reyna.. Please tell me you do not have a crush on that psycho who killed his mother." She said, sounding disappointed in me. I hated when she used that tone.

She wasn't my father.

"I don't have a crush on him." I snapped. I thought for a minute, both of us completely silent.

"There's just... something about him. Something that's.. off.." I say, kind of lost in thought.

"Of course, he's off, you doughnut. he's in ARKHAM FOR HELL'S SAKE!!" I turned to her, my eyes dark and my nose flaring.

"Hey!!! I didn't ask for your opinion. And that's not what I meant by 'off'! I meant that it seems like there's something he knows about me that I don't." I paused. "I need you to drive me down to Arkham." Lauren just widened her eyes and shook her head.

"No. Rey, this is a bad idea. You can't do this. it's-"

"It's what, dangerous? Insane? Not worth it? Psychotic? Unrealistic?" I asked, squinting my eyes at her with each word. She just shook her head at me.

"I was going to say risky." She said, taking a small bite of her sandwich. I smirked a little.

"What's wrong with risky?" I asked, taking a sip of my milk. She sighed.

"Reyna, you got your license. Why can't you just drive your dad's car?" I shook my head.

"He's been using it every day, late at work. I'd never find a time where he didn't need it for more than half an hour." Lauren looked down at her food and then proceeded to take another bite, thinking.

Honestly, I'd expected her to say no. She would never understand. See, there's plenty of a difference between Lauren and I.

She likes to play it safe. I, however, liked to live a little on the rebellious side. And I'm not just saying it because it 'sounds' cool. I've been in prison 3 times in my life, but not for that long, since I was usually bailed out, twice by my dad. I had a history with more- unhealthy- relationships with boys. Let's just say, I had a thing for the bad guys. Lauren, on the other hand, had a thing for the good guys. Which definitely explains her teenage crush on my dad, which I found incredibly disgusting.. but that's another story.

I watched Lauren think for a minute. "How long would you be?" She asked. I knew she was considering it, and I knew I needed to break her.

"No longer than an hour." I said vaguely. I couldn't tell her what I needed to ask Jerome about, about how he suggested I should kill Kaya. I mean, I wasn't going to do it.. well, I was at least 90% sure.. anyways. i couldn't tell her because I knew she would go STRAIGHT to my father. I watched Lauren think about it for a while, and I mean a while, as she kept taking tiny bites of her sandwich. Finally, she set her sandwich down, sighing.

"I hate you so damn much." She said, sighing, which I knew that she just caved in.

"Yess!! Thank you!!" I said, taking another swig of my chocolate milk carton.

"I'll be at your house tomorrow at five. I swear, if you are even a minute late out to my car, I'm drivig away."

"Deal." i smiled widely and turned to my food, and began to pick at my salad. And we sat there, for the rest of lunch, in silence, me starting my salad and her finishing off her sandwich, knowing what tomorrow would bring.