Disturbed

Chapter 14. A New Kind Of Way

Okay Im just going to start out by saying that I love you all so much. I read every one of your comments and they always make me smile. I notice every vote, read and comment and they are my main motivation to continue writing. I really am sorry about how randomly I update, I'd like to be more consistent but I always struggle with keeping to a schedule. I write best when Im in the mood to write and I just hope that when I do write you like it enough to forgive me :)

keep being awesome, you guys are my favorite -PM

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That evening we were back at the tower, but I was staying in my room. Sitting on the bed, I thought through all the things that were confusing me. My mind felt like a big knot of thoughts, and maybe if I focused on a thread at a time I could unravel things. You see I was beginning to wonder if maybe I've been looking at things wrong. What if Jerome isn't just supposed to be some scary guy I'm forced to work beside. Maybe he isn't as crazy as he wants everyone to think. The thought of having a kind of friend or ally just sounded so comforting. I mean, even in my friendships with the other kids I was always the oldest. I've always had to be the one looking out for everyone else. But maybe it wouldn't be so bad if someone was there for me. Or you know, maybe he is just crazy. 

Maybe Jerome is just dragging me down with him.

That last thought kinda struck me, and I looked up to see the time. Unfortunately it still wasn't late enough for me to just go to sleep and ignore my thoughts altogether. I sighed and laid back down on my bed. Suddenly I had a thought-but no. Why on Earth would I do that? The Eden from two days ago would have tried to smack some sense into me. But no, it was still there. I wanted to go see Jerome for some reason. I actually wasn't sure where his room even was, but like I said. Jerome was seeming more human lately, and friends aren't exactly something that I find often.

So I stepped outside of my room(as I rarely do in this place), to find Jerome's room. I wandered down the hallway a bit. Most of the doors were open and I recognized Barbara's room. No one else would have that much hair product in their room. I could smell it as I walked past. Then I walked past an open door and reversed a bit as I realized what I'd seen. Jerome was lying face-down in the middle of the floor. His room was the same luxuriously designed suite that we all had. The difference being that he had written all over the walls in what looked like... crayon?

I walked in slowly, waiting for him to look up. I glanced around at the walls. There was what mostly looked like jokes scribbled everywhere. Punchlines and smiley faces were scattered all over the faded wallpaper. I cleared my throat loudly. "Jerome?"

"Good afternoon Eden. What can I do for you?" He said in a squished voice without raising his head from the floor. I laughed at his odd yet, casual composure. Then I crossed the room to sit on his bed. Jerome still didn't move.

"Oh nothing really. But if you don't mind me asking, have you glued your face to the carpet or have you once again forgotten about the regular behavior patterns of the human species?" I smiled. Jerome now lifted just his head, his neck craning up to see me.

"Uhmmm, I think I'll go with the second one. I already used all the glue trying to reattach the chandelier to the ceiling in the dining room." Then he plopped his head back on the floor.

I snorted but then asked more seriously, "Okay but seriously what are you doing?"

Jerome sprung up from the floor and strode over to sit next to me. He slung his arm around me and began dramatically explaining(did he have any other way of speaking?).

"Well you see Eden, it's as simple as this. You may not realize it but there is always a part of your brain focused on what you're doing, where you're standing, how you're holding your arms or your face or whatever. But sometimes I need to use my entire brain to focus on something. So by doing absolutely nothing I'm able to utilize my mind to it's full potential." Jerome emphasized, speaking as though he was reading these facts out of an encyclopedia.

I laughed and he continued, "As Agnes de Mille once said 'the universe lies before you on the floor.'"

I stared into his eyes curiously before saying, "What the hell does that mean?"

He stared back into my eyes very seriously without smiling, "I have no idea."

"I read it on wikipedia or some shit, you can look it up," he winked and I laughed again. I was actually enjoying talking to Jerome now that I've stopped thinking of him as a criminal. He was funny, but not in a way that he seemed like he was trying very hard either. I watched as he broke into a little smile he thought I didn't see. But it wasn't the "crazy," "deranged," Jerome smile. It was a real one.

It was a sweet little smile, the only hint of some little sincere spark of happiness going off in his head.

"What?" I stopped laughing, my eyebrows furrowing.

His head whipped up to look at me, smile gone, "Hmm?"

He knew I had seen. I laughed at his attempt to hide it. "What was that? You were smiling about something?"

This time Jerome's lips weren't smiling, but his soft green eyes seemed to grin as he looked at me honestly, "I just like the sound of your laugh that's all."

This time I was the one who smiled and looked away.