His Paper Heart ✓

•21|Her Hijab (Alleya)

I WORKED ON MY CITIZENSHIP PROJECT ALL WEEK. It wasn't that difficult choosing a problem to write about: the society was swimming in an ocean of those, but I chose The Joker. I missed a few lunches in the cafeteria reading comics and researching Jack Niaper: at least that was his name in Tim Burton's batman. In those weeks, I learnt a lot of things but nothing changes the fact that he is still a complicated fictional character. His crimes are not fueled by desire for money, ambition or ordinary motifs. The terror he spreads is ideological and his motivations are philosophical.

I started to give up on Thursday. Not knowing exactly where to compare him to the society or when. He is a bad person and bad people don't need a voice after all, then on Friday morning, I started to remember what Gray and I talked about. About August Pullman. It was all about the back story.

So here I am, submitting my homework after class because I was late coming in, yet I am still rooting for an A.

"This is the third time you were late to my class, Ms. Kaelin."

"I know, Mr. Segal and I'm sorry. It won't happen again," I plead politely, holding my five paged essay to my chest. The middle aged man looks at me for a while then his gaze returns to his desk as he holds out his hand. "Thank you!" I say, breathless, placing the sheets in his palm.

"What problem did you choose for your essay?

"The Joker."

He is quiet for a short while, then he murmurs underneath his breath, "Interesting. I will see you on Monday."

I walk out of the class into the hallways of Black Moon high, inhaling the tell-tale scent of bleach, cheap perfume and aftershave. My shoes squeak on the floor, and echo through the hallway. It is still the creepy minutes after the school bell rings for closing and this place -more like a cemetery than a school- is already empty. I strode to the end of the hallway, pulling my oxygen tank along, wondering if Alleya waited for me in the parking lot like she said she would. We are having lunch in her house. I was expecting my nerves to be blasting through the roof this morning, since I have never gone to anyone's house for lunch, but it isn't. If her parents are anything like her, I'm sure it would take nothing short of a hurricane to get me to leave.

I take my phone out of my pocket and inhale sharply as I stare at Gray's contact. I haven't heard from him all day and not that I miss him or anything, I'm just wondering how my friend is doing. I stab the bright screen with my finger and end up calling him, holding my breath and waiting for his answer.

"Hi princess," he says, his voice husky and hoarse as if he had just gotten out of bed.

I clear my throat with a sly smile and respond, "wait, who's this? I was calling my dad."

He gives out a good natured laugh. "Technically, you called the right person."

"Oh Gray," I whisper. "You know, for someone who has a paper heart, you are very. . .naughty."

"Why did you call me, Ms. Kaelin? I was napping," he says.

"Are you alone?" I question.

He sighs. "No, I'm here with the herd of wildebeests that stampeded Mufasa," he says, sarcastically. "Of course I'm alone."

I chuckled. "You're an ass hat."

"Did you call me to tell me that?"

"I haven't seen you all day, Gray. I miss you," I whisper.

There's a long pause. "I miss you too, Genevieve." I draw my lower lip in between my teeth and wonder for a second if he meant it or not. "I mean it," he adds.