Sadie hangs awkwardly half out Jerome's small window taking drags on a pink cigarette, her bulky army boots hooked around the post of the bunk beds anchor her in place hovering over the small mattress. Jerome is rummaging through a pile of clothes in the bottom of a tiny wardrobe, holding items up to show her.
"That one, that shitty blue granddad cardigan, that's the one. Where'd you even get that lame ass thing, was it Jerim...." Sadie cuts off from finishing as Jerome's eyes pierce into her at the near mention of his absent brother.
Jerome pulls the cardigan over a checked shirt he has buttoned right to the top, he admires himself in the small mirror glued to the back of the door combing his bright red hair into a neat side parting. Taking a last look he kicks the rest of the clothes back into the wardrobe and jumps onto the bed next to Sadie taking the cigarette from her, he takes a few deep drags with no attempt to lean out of the window, Sadie climbs back in and smoothes his hair a little more before stealing back the cigarette for a last drag tossing the butt out of the open window.
Jerome pulls out his diary with the bejewelled ice cream cover and starts to scribble away, Sadie kneels beside him straightening his collar and smoothing the shoulders of the cardigan, she begins to laugh sparking Jerome's interest away from his notes.
"What?" He asks with a smile.
"Do you know where clowns came from?" Sadie asks with a broad smile.
"No. Do tell." Jerome smiles broadly at Sadie closing his book to show her she has his full attention.
Sadie sidles down close to Jerome with an excited wriggle.
"Well, the first clowns were in the medieval times and were harlequins and court jesters. People think they were just these silly jokers but really they were powerful men, they had the power to poke fun at Kings and Queens in their own court without fear of beheading or imprisonment."
"Right." Jerome maintains his gaze into Sadie's eyes indulging her with his interest.
"Well this tradition has never changed, clowns you see, they have this power to escape repute, they hide behind this silly identity, by playing the fool they get away with violence and mockery of society and no-one is safe, a King or peasant, all are targets. We wear the costume to hide our true selves, the angry drunk becomes the happy trickster, we hide our sadness and depression with painted smiles and mockery. We get to act out the fantasies of an angry society and ridicule the powers that be with a custard pie to the face."
"And what's so funny?" Jerome asks with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, all us Lloyds are hiding behind these crazy clown characters and your clown costume is this, a boring old normo, you see you are the true anarchist, your real self is the clown, violent, dangerous and unpredictable I see it deep in your soul. So you hide behind this innocent character to make people feel safe. Just think it's quite funny that no-one but me gets that you are the real Jester. One day no-one will be safe from your bedlam and I can't wait til they all get what's coming to them, when you unleash your true clown self." Sadie looks so deep into Jerome's eyes he can feel her thoughts.
He matches her broad smile grabbing the back of her neck he kisses her hard, he wraps his fingers roughly into her matted blonde mess of hair forcing their faces together even more. Sadie shifts onto Jerome's lap straddling him, her skinny arms weave eagerly around his neck as she moves her mouth over his responsively. Jerome grasps the base of her back with his spare hand pulling her in close scratching his nails a little too aggressively up the smooth skin under her Iron maiden shirt but Sadie responds positively before cheekily biting him mid kiss.
They pull apart, a little blood trickles from Jerome's grinning lips, Sadie flashes her teeth like a Cheshire cat, they are stained crimson.
"I better go, they'll be here soon, same plan as usual yeah? See you later J." Sadie hops off Jerome blowing him a kiss as she dances out of the room. Jerome licks the blood from his lip smiling devilishly as he returns to making notes in his diary.
YOU ARE READING
Jerome Valeska: Circus Love
FanfictionJerome finds a friend for life in sadie the daughter of a clown in his troubled time growing up in the circus. Violence and love.
