Between Stripes

S I X

Green and purple. Purple and green. Those two colours didn't leave my head. It was a little strange but I could remember nearly everything Jerome said.

Just a little strange? Darling I think you're obsessed with Jerome. Or me. Whichever you prefer.

I could be. But I wasn't going to be. It wasn't right. I'd changed, less twisted.

Yeah and whatever twisted stuff is leftover, you're using it to be totally in love with Jerome. You're madly in love with him. Get it? Mad? Ya know like crazy?

Tough crowd I suppose.

Little-Jerome wasn't being very helpful. He thought I was in love with Jerome but I wasn't. I just have an appreciation for Jerome 'cause he's interesting unlike everything else in this place!

Cough. In love. Cough. With Jerome. Cough.

You're a voice in my head Little-Jerome. You can't cough.

Just making a point, doll face.

How annoying. And to make matters worse Joey was constantly worried that I'd snap again. I told him that it wasn't gonna happen again, I thought it was impossible for it to happen again considering Up and Down were gone. But good ol' Joey didn't believe me.

"Fishwick, medication is in five minutes." Joey announced from outside my 'room'. Oh! I forgot to mention he never called me Georgia anymore. He was being distant.

"Is it the purple pills today?" I blurted out before realising, I don't even have purple pills.

"You don't have purple pills Fishwick. Just the yellow and white ones and the blue ones." I could hear a hint of a smile in his voice - or at least I thought I did - I couldn't be sure about Joey lately.

I paused for a moment, expecting someone to tell me to kill him but it never came. An old habit I supposed.

Bless.

Shut it Little-Jerome! It wasn't my fault that I was in a whole spiral of crazy and I was trying to crawl out.

Ooh! That was fancy!

I rolled my eyes at Little-Jerome and waited for Joey to speak again.

"Fishwick, sit on the bed. I've got your meds." He ordered and I obliged. Some people could be so distant.

"How's it going Joey?" I asked as he walked in.

"We need to talk... Georgia." He hesitated before saying my actual name. I tried my hardest not to grin.

"Sounds like you're breaking up with me! But go on." I stifled a laugh as Joey handed me the pills.

"It's not as funny as that." Joey frowned disapprovingly. "What happened with Kayla, eh? Thought you had control?"

"To be fair, I-I'm not sure." The words stumbled out my mouth as I tried to explain what had exactly happened. All I really knew was that I snapped.

"I thought the voices were getting better?" He frowned and folded his arms.

"I thought that too. And they've gone now, I've only got one and he's friendly enough." It was easy to be honest with Joey.

"You sure Georgia?" He sounded a little cautious.

"Yeah. He's nothing like Up and Down."

"Good and just be cautious Georgia, can't have you doing that again." Joey said before walking out the room and closing the door behind him. I sighed and looked at the pills in my hand. These were the things that should've kept the bad voices away. But it didn't work, obviously.