grace under pressure • jerome valeska

CHAP. 8: Break Out

  The next few days went by quite peacefully. I didn't get therapy for obvious reasons and they couldn't seem to find a doctor who would treat me. The electroshock still sucked but I was getting used to it. Barbara was settling in and we talked sometimes. We weren't exactly friends, more like we knew each other and we forced to be around one another. She had heard of me having that little talk with Jim and kept asking me questions about how he was doing, if he looked alright, and if he ever mentioned her. Stuff like that. Even after I told her he barley spoke to me she still bugged me. 

  I was still bored so on occasion I would pick a fight or two with a fellow inmate. Sometimes we would fight by throwing punches. Most times I won but when I picked a fight with a big guy I got my ass handed to me but I still made him bleed. Even on the floor with blood coming out of my nose I would laugh like a maniac. Afterwards I would be sent to solitary confinement and be in there for the night and yada yada yada. 

  Jerome and I seem to becoming even closer since we mostly spent all the time together now. It was nice to be recognized and talked to. I was normally ignored or beaten so this was a big improvement. I seemed to like Jerome because he was so different. I know I have said this before but he just was. I couldn't really form who he was into words. He was so unpredictable. Also, he was extremely hot. What? He was! Anyone could see that. 

  Anyway, besides all that, I woke up with this feeling. I didn't know what to call it. I just got a stomach feeling something was going to go wrong today. I had that sometimes. Being able to know things before they happened. The shitty part was I didn't know what that thing was! I just had this feeling that I wasn't so sure about. I kept fidgeting throughout the day wondering what it was. I hated not knowing this. It made me itchy. 

  At lunch I didn't even pay attention to Jerome's and Richard's talking. I did feel Jerome's gaze flickering to me every few seconds though. Whenever he did I would give him a reassuring smile but I knew I couldn't fake him out that easily. Maybe I was just over reacting and I didn't even need to worry. But whenever I had this feeling something bad happened. Like when I got this feeling and that day and my mother caught me eating in my room and almost choked me to death by shoving my sand which down my throat. I had to go to the hospital for a week or two.

  I continued to feel paranoid the rest of the day, checking behind my back even when I was in my room. Was I losing my mind or was that already gone a while ago? 

  Common room time came around and I walked in, fiddling with my fingers. I spotted Jerome and everyone sitting down at the table near the window. Jerome saw me and waved me over. I smiled and walked to them, jumping in the seat as Richard told a story as Barbara laid on his lap. She picked at her fingers and gave me a little wave which I returned. Richard told some story of killing one guy on his boat and as he talked I suddenly felt Jerome's hand snake around my waist slowly and pull me towards him a bit. I looked at him and he brought his mouth to my ear, moving a piece of frizzy hair from my face. 

  "You seem...upset, grey." He whispers. Grey was my nickname and his was gingy. Stupid I know but hey, pet names could be stupid. I shrug. 

  "Just tired." I lie. He looks at me. 

  "Liar Liar pants on fire." He says with a smile. I give a small smile in return. 

  "I don't know. I just feel like something is going to go wrong today. Like...very wrong." I explain. He nods. 

  "Well, wouldn't that be a good thing?" He says."Since were here, we could just watch the wrongness hit everyone else and miss us." He motions around us and I chuckle. He laughs and I nod.