A Little Death

V

'What do you mean messed up?'

'hold on, read this shit.'

I open the document she's sent me. It's a news clipping. 

The title in big bold caps says 'WOMAN GOES CRAZY AND TRIES TO MURDER HER CHILDREN'

Joshua is secretly a woman? Then I read the date, he must have been 7 or 8 when this was printed, it couldn't possibly be him.

It's a local newspaper.

'Mallory Hennons was discovered by the police trying to find her children with a knife in hand after one of her kids, Jordan called the police for help. Both children Joshua and Jordan were extremely scared and were hiding under the kitchen sink. 

Mallory was arrested and is kept in the police station before being moved to Pentonville Prison for attempted murder, along with emotionally abusing both of her sons. She was found with fresh cuts on her wrist. 

In an interview, she said that she had been trying to rid her children of the miserable life they had because their father had left and she herself had claimed she was a horrible mother. The children were placed into the care of a foster family.

Police suspect that Mallory may be mentally sick, she is still in line to undergo a psych evaluation.'

I couldn't read anymore. It was messed up. I had never imagined a person like Joshua to have gone through something like this, but the more I thought about it, the more it added up. 

I felt bad for invading his privacy. I decided I would bring it up someday, to confess. 

I haven't ever felt bad for doing things like this, completely analyzing someone's personality before a conversation. So that I could use it against them. 

I'm a bad person.

'there's more. this one's about him.'

She sends me a police file.

'they need to strengthen these police systems. did you know the city's superintendent's wife is pregnant.'

'Ok?'

'it might not be his.'

'Ok.'

'come on, you don't love some gossip?'

'Ok, maybe. So who could it be?'

We all love some gossip.

'IT MIGHT BE HIS ASSISTANT'

'NOOOO'

'YESS'

'All right, tell me more later, i'll check the file first.'

I open the file. It has a picture of Joshua on it. He's in a police station and the man is fucking smiling.

I read ahead.

- Punched and kicked a man several times in an MMA class. The man was left bruised and bleeding and had to be taken to a hospital.
Bail was allowed and given.

- Lit a closet on fire, was sued by his ex-girlfriend, whose closet had been endangered.
Got sued for a thousand dollars.

I close the file. Well, it's gonna be fun having him around.

'hold on, I have more.' Kristin texts.

'How much worse could it get?' I text.

'This dude got a case pressed on him for- I have no idea what- but the person who reported him suddenly withdrew his case and left the state.'

I can't help but smile. Definitely deranged. 

In other words, my type of person.

I would normally hack his phone and go through his stuff, but I don't. I've already gone too far.