Part Fourteen: Seeing You Again

I'm getting out today. First Mission: Find Gallagher. Second Mission: Find a fucking job that won't get me killed. Cindy has me in her office signing the papers with my probation officer some woman who never fucking smiles. Not that I give a fucking shit.

"You have two weeks to find a job, Mickey," says my P.O.

"I heard you the first fucking time."

"Would you like to say good-bye to your cell mate?" Cindy asks me.

I nod. Ryan is okay. We're not friends. I don't have any friends. I guess if I had to find a friend I would pick Ryan. He doesn't ask stupid fucking questions, he knows when to shut the hell up, and he's really fucking funny. He tells jokes that blow my fucking mind.

I am walked back to my cell. The door is wide open. Ryan and I are alone. The guards are at both ends of the hall. I'm allowed to leave, he's not. I go in and clap Ryan's hand awkwardly. He tries to smile at me but doesn't quite manage it.

"You're free," says Ryan.

"Unless I do something really fucking stupid," I say.

"In that case, request me as a cell mate. I'll be here until I'm eighteen."

"You're not so bad," I tell him.

"And you're not so scary."

"Well, I should get going," I tell him.

"Yeah, and Mickey," Ryan says touching my hand. Normally I would kill any guy who tried to do that (except Gallagher), but Ryan's intentions are non-threatening. He's just being Ryan. I look right into his eyes. He slides his hand off mine and holds it out in handshake gesture. I shake his hand.

"You're really fucking weird."

"Go find Gallagher," Ryan tells me after the firmest handshake of my life. I release my hand and nod at him.

"First thing I plan to do."

"And send me some porn," Ryan hollers as they close the cell when I leave. I flip him off and he grins.

"Ready, Mickey?" Asks Cindy wearing a smile on her face so big it looks like it could actually swallow her face.

"Why the fuck are you smiling?"

"You'll see," says Cindy as they open the door for me. The other boys are being let into the yard as I am leaving. Outside the gate I spot my sister with some guy…Gallagher?

He looks so different. He's much taller than he was two months ago. He's filled out in the shoulders, and he's muscled. He looks good. Play it cool.

"What's he doing here?" I ask.

"He wanted to protect me."

I pull my sister into a hug.

"You may think you know my sister. But you don't know my sister until you've fought my sister. She's protecting your ass."

I steal a glance at him. He's taller than me now. He still has that same puppy dog look, and that dumb smile. I force my own smile back. His freckles have begun to fade a little. I roughhouse with my sister for a minute.

"Ow, no titty twisters now that I'm a c-cup," Mandy says.

"C-cup, bitch, you wish."

Before we leave I turn and give all the boys in the yard the finger and yell out "fuck you's" to them. I spot Ryan and give him the biggest "fuck you" I can. He flips me off right back with a smile on his fat face. He nods toward Gallagher. I nod back.

"GALLAGHER!" All the boys begin to chant.

"What?" Gallagher asks. Some of them start whistling at him and others continue to chant his name over and over. When he gives them the finger they cheer. A couple of boys blow him kisses.

"Ignore them, Ian," says Mandy.

"What the fuck, Mickey?" Gallagher asks.

"It's because you passed out. The whole place knows about it. You're famous."

"Hey, pretty boy," says a voice that stabs me right in the heart. Travon is leaning on the fence about six feet away. None of the guards are watching him. I spot Ryan. He's not paying attention. I wish he'd turn his fat fucking face this way and help me. "Yo, Galla-Bitch."

"Me," says Gallagher innocently.

"Yeah, you. Why don't you put your pretty mouth right here?" He grabs his cock. I'm going cut that thing off and shove it up his ass.

"I don't know what this crazy asshole's problem is but let's get the fuck out of here," Mandy suggests.

"You got a problem, bitch?"

Oh hell fucking no. You just called the wrong guy's sister a bitch.

"Yeah, I do. I have a problem with creepy assholes who think they can shove their dicks wherever they want. If you go anywhere near Ian I'll cut your fucking cock off," says Mandy.

"After I rape the red head how about I come over and spend some time in you?" Travon says.

"You're welcome to try," says Mandy.

"Is that a threat, bitch?"

"Consider it a warning," says Mandy, "Let's go, Ian."

"That's right, Ian, you better fucking run away. If I see your pretty little face around here again I'm making you my bitch."

I push Mandy and Gallagher through the gate and away from the boy's on the other side of the fence. The boys chant Gallagher as he leaves. He flips them off again and disappears around the corner. I walk up to Travon at the fence.

"Come find me if they ever let you out. We have a score to settle."

"Mickey," yells Gallagher.

"Your bitch is calling."

"I'm his bitch."

"I'll kill you."

"You know where to find me."

Outside the gate, I feel free. Gallagher tries to put his arm around me, but I remove it. I don't want him touching me in public. We look at each other at the same time and get the same idea. If only Mandy wasn't with us.

Gallagher and I somehow end up side by side on the bus, his knees are touching mine and our hips are touching. I feel a powerful heat rising in certain parts of me and I look at his face. He's wearing a stupid smirk, I look down, and we seem to have a similar problem.

Our hands touch by accident and I lose control of my fucking senses. My heart is pounding so hard I can almost fucking hear it, and there is a deep tickling sensation coursing through my body. I'm fucking losing it. I need to get a grip.