Mad Hatter

Popping Popping Balloons With Guns

A/N: How would you guys feel about a long-ass chapter summarizing John's childhood..?

While Maria and John chatted about whatever it was that they were chatting Alexander stayed by the door, frozen, unmoving. Just when he was getting over it, just when he thought that he could have everything he wanted, just when he started to think that maybe bad stuff didn't happen to everyone around him.

He thought wrong.

He went outside the dorm room and closed the door, he needed to breathe.

—~•~—

"Who?" John responded at Maria's question. He didn't know about any bitch called "Mr. Gun", why the hell should he even know?

Unfazed, Maria pulled a drawing from the practically ancient yearbook. The paper was old and exceedingly crumpled. It had some eraser smudges all around and for some reason a mark of red lipstick. In the paper was a drawing. The drawing of a man. It was al scribbled in messy black charcoal, and it seemed like he had his arm raised. Something was being held by the messily drew arm, pressing at the head. It looked like a gun.

But John didn't recognize this drawing, even less knew why the words "Jacky Laurens" were clumsily written on the lower part of the paper. Did he care? Not really, but he had to admit that he was slightly curious. John took the paper on his hand and stared at it, as of trying to force the memories come back.

While John glared at the crumpled page, Maria looked around her, getting accidentally distracted. Alexander seemed to have gotten out of the room for whatever reason, that didn't faze Maria at all. What did startled her were the walls. Almost every inch was covered in skillful drawings and careful sketches of the boy named Alexander, they were beautiful and very talented, but it still was a disturbing setting.

"What's with the papers?" She asked, which seemed to lighten John up.

"Oh, those are my drawings of Pretty Boy! I have them here so I feel like he's always with me" He said excitedly, looking at the drawings with a loving gaze.

Woah. "Oh, okay" She mumbled. "John I know it's been awhile since we've spoken, you don't even remember me, but would you help me?"

Honestly, she could do this alone, but she also really wanted to find out what had happened with John.

But she found no answer to her question, instead she noticed that John stared right at the door, eyes wide and shining, somehow even predatory.

"Where is Pretty Boy?" She heard him mumble.

"Oh, I think he went outside" Maria responded carelessly.

"I need to go after him" John said, more firmly now. He started walking toward the door with rushed steps.

"But do you accept!?" Maria tried to chase after him.

"FUCK, YEAH, WHATEVER!" He yelled back, running outside the building.

With a tired sigh Maria looked inside the room once more, looking at the endless drawings adorning the walls.

"Something isn't right here" She mumbled. "It just isn't"

—~•~—

John ran until he saw him sitting on a park bench staring absentmindedly at the void that was the sky. It scared John to see Alexander so expressionless, still beautiful, but so stiff.

"Pretty Boy?" He asked. "You okay Pretty Boy?"

"Yeah" Alexander muttered. "I'm just worried"

John sat next to him. "Why?"

"Angelica" He said. "I'm worried about her"

"I'm sure she's fine" John said, trying to sound compassionate.

"I hope she's fine, y'know, she's a very dear friend of mine"

John tried to keep it together. "I'm sure she was" He managed to say. "Come on, you're gonna catch a cold out here"

"Sure, I guess" Alexander mumbled, and they both walked silently towards the room.