Red Love

Chapter 40

My whole body seems to shut down as we take a seat in the church. I suddenly feel very alone, as if no one is here. I look up to the stage in front of us and hiccup slightly at the sight of her. More specifically her casket.

It's a pretty cream color, which contrast greatly with the bright yellow sunflowers on top of it. Those were her favorite flowers. She used to decorate the house with them. In every room there would always be sunflowers. At random times she used to call me her sunflower, but it happened very little.

My throat begins to burn, and my head buzzes. The thought of her laying inside totally lifeless sends a uncomfortable piercing sensation through me. I grab onto Jason's arm, digging my nails into his muscle.

'"I got you. I got you." Jason whispers soothingly.

I choke down the knot in my throat, turning to look at the stage. The pastor walks out with a sympathetic look on his face and begins the service in a solemn yet comforting voice. I focus back on the casket, tuning out the service and letting a numbing feeling fill every square inch of me. That is until I hear a bang.

Everyone seems to brush off the noise, still focused on the pastor, but I turn around, and I notice it. A bleach white figure walking down the last row of seats. It's dressed in a tight, plain black dress with a black leather jacket thrown over it. It wears a couple of simple rings on its finger and a silver chain around its neck. Its makeup is dark and contrast greatly with its sky blue eyes. Its hair is tied up in a tight ballerina bun, hiding most of the foreign colors within, but I still notice a streak of red or blue. Its final accessories include two large Arkham Asylum guards. And there in all her beauty stands my mother, the infamous Harley Quinn.

I stare at her for a moment and can't help but feel a flicker of warmth. My mother came. She somehow managed to make it. Whether it was through negotiation or attempted escape, I didn't care. All that's important is that she is here. I turn to Aunt Selina and Aunt Ivy but notice they aren't in their normal spots. Instead, I spot them walking back towards my mother. They smile and hesitantly embrace her, trying not to anger off the Arkham guards. Mom turns to one of the guards and speaks a few words to him. He looks at her skeptically before nodding and sliding down a little. Aunt Sel and Aunt Ivy plop down beside her, wrapping their arms around her and snuggling into her body. My mom closes her eyes, and I watch her body ease up.

A small smile appears on my lips. I turn back towards the front, letting myself collapse into Jason. He holds me tightly, like he's afraid I might fall to the ground in pieces if he loosens his grip even a little. I grab Jason's free hand, placing it in my lap and squeezing it tight. I'm starting to think I might actually shatter into a million pieces if I don't hold onto him.

That's how much he means to me. Jason has become my life line, the only thing stopping me from crossing into a path I don't want to take, and a path I know no one would want to see. I'm grateful for him, and I wonder why I got him. There are so many other girls worthy of him. Girls that are rich and beautiful and normal. They're beloved by all, they have normal parents, they're born into a normal family, and eventually go on to have their own normal families. But maybe that's why I have Jason because I'm not normal, and neither is he.

He's been through more than anyone can ever imagine. He wears a suit that covers up all his flaws and all his abnormalities, but on the inside he's as messed up as the rest of us. So is the rest of the family. They pretend to be perfect for the media, but they're as broken and jumbled as me. That's why we get along so well, why I love them so much.

"Don't let me fall." I whisper towards Jason.

"Never." He nods.

I let myself go back to focusing on the casket. I take a hitched breath as I imagine her under there, dressed in her best with her eyes closed. For a minute I wonder if I open the casket will she let out a yawn, sit up, stretch, then open her comforting blue eyes, and bring me close. As if I was little again, waking her up in the morning and reminding her about breakfast. But I know that won't happen. I know that if I open that casket, she will remain still, her eyes will stay closed, and her body will be cold.