"Got a light?" Simone mumbled with her cigarette between her teeth.
A scrawny, heavily tattooed inmate struck a match while Simone cupped her hands around it to block the wind. Simone silently thanked the woman before turning to walk towards a far corner of the prison yard.
"Oh, so it's like that, huh?" the woman yelled at her back.
"I'm sorry?" Simone replied. She stopped walking but did not turn around. Her body tensed as she felt a hand grip her shoulder and turn her around. The tension did not go away as her new acquaintance started laughing.
"I'm just fucking with you. I'm Jazmine," Jazmine chuckled extending her hand.
"Oh, Simone," said Simone blowing out smoke as she spoke and shook Jazmine's hand.
"You know, Simone, those things will kill you," Jazmine chided.
"God willing," Simone sighed.
"Oh, come on. This place is bleak as hell without pissing and moaning about it. What did you do wrong to get locked up here anyway?" inquired Jazmine.
"I didn't do anything wrong," said Simone taking the cigarette out of her mouth to flick the ashes.
"Yeah, I know. We're all innocent," Jazmine scoffed.
"I never said I was innocent. I just said I did nothing wrong," Simone explained.
"Okay…? How long do you plan to be with us, Simone?" asked Jazmine.
"I might get out in two years if I'm lucky. The original sentence was five years," said Simone.
"I got five years, too, but my lawyer says he might can get me out of here in six months," said Jazmine.
"What did you do to end up here?" asked Simone dropping her cigarette and reaching for another.
"Seriously?" Jazmine grumbled as she lit Simone's new cigarette.
"Says the one who just happens to have a lighter," Simone puffed.
"Yeah, it's sorta my weapon of choice," said Jazmine, "So what about you? Did you kill someone? Steal a car? …Rob an Ann Taylor Loft?"
This got a small laugh from Simone, which was something she hadn't done in the two months she'd been incarcerated.
"Seriously, what did you do that wasn't so wrong?" Jazmine pressed.
"I fell in love," Simone replied as she threw down the cigarette she'd just lit.
"You're well on your way to arson as well," said Jazmine stomping it out.
Simone walked away and ignored Jazmine's yells this time. The bitter cold air made Simone long for the days she and Annabelle spent at the beach over Spring Break. Of course, everything about Annabelle gave off an aura of warmth, even the mere thought of her. Simone absently fumbled with the prayer beads around her neck. Amanda's cross often got tangled up with it, but Simone thought that was the way it should be. She would always be tangled up in them inside her soul. Before she knew it, yard time was over far too soon.
When Simone returned to her cell, she was surprised to find a letter on her bed from someone named Allison. After her cell mate went to take a shower, she opened the letter cautiously as though it contained a deadly viper. When she opened it, she saw that it might as well have.
"Dear Aunt Simone,
I don't know if you've heard, but I got a letter from Kristin last week saying that Collins killed herself. I thought you would want to know. She always liked you. I'm sorry that I am not writing to you under happier circumstances. I love you and miss you very much. Please write back.
Sincerely,
Allison
P. S : Sister Clair sends her regards."
No matter how many times Simone read the words, she couldn't get them to make sense. She didn't have any brothers or sisters, so it wasn't possible for her to have a niece. Each time she read that Collins had killed herself, her heart felt like a heavy ball of lead. Collins always had her issues, largely thanks to Kat, but Simone always had faith in her. Tears streamed down Simone's face and blotted the page as she blinked them away. It was the fresh smudge on the word "sister" that made her regain her composure…Sister Clair. There wasn't even a Sister Clair at the school to her recollection. She took another look at the address on the envelope.
"Allison Bradley
Rutherford Military School- Annabelle!" Simone gasped aloud.