Alex, Nicky and I were sat on the stairs. My head buried in a book whilst they were giving each other dares. It was Alex go and Nicky had dared to fit as many saltines in her mouth as humanly possible in thirty seconds.
"Twenty-six, Twenty-seven, Twenty-eight, Twenty-nine, Thirty! Ha! Who's the big talker now?" Nichols egged Alex on.
"You were counting too fast, right Grey?" The black haired beauty defended. I looked at them and raised my hands in surrender, I wasn't getting involved.
"Bullshit, Vause. I told you, it can't be done. Six saltines in 30 seconds?" Alex spits in Nicky's general direction, also getting me in the process. Some crumbs landing on my glasses.
"Gross Vause!' I screamed at her wiping my top and cleaning my glasses.
"You are a disgusting animal. Okay, what the fuck?" Nicky and Alex burst out laughing at the look on my face "Which is a quality I greatly admire in a person. You're in touch with primal instinct" Nicky flirted.
"Yeah well, my primal self cannot resit a dare, apparently. Which is also how I ended up with three broken toes and briefly chlamydia" I wrinkled my nose up a little and laughed. I got up to make sure all the crumbs had gotten off my uniform before making my way to window. I saw Watson standing outside having just arrived back from her couple of weeks in SHU. Her arms spread out and her face faced upwards towards the sky.
"Hey, get over here you're missing a moment" I told them both as I watched. Nicky and Alex made their way over and we all crowded around the window. "God, SHU must really suck ass"
"Man, she was in there for two weeks. I've had shits longer than that" Nicky answered. Being under 5ft meant she could put her arm on my head and lean on me. I pushed her off, and she just laughed. Alex scoffed at the both of us.
Morello called a 'wedding meeting' at 11am in the common room, she invited a whole group of inmates to help her pick ideas for the wedding, myself and Norma were the only people that turned up now.
"These are all the places I'm going to travel when I get out of here. Starting with Anguilla. I read that Orlando Bloom honeymooned there. And Courtney Cox and David Arquette, even though that didn't work out. I love the beach, but i burn like a lobster, so I'm gonna get a good swim shirt and bonus, it's gonna hide the gallbladder scar" Lorna said without taking a breath. Norma grabbed her notebook and wrote INDUBITABLY and i snorted under my breath. "Oh and Jane, I haven't forgot about going to England too, we could go see everything over there, I could spend a whole few months, like a big bachelorette party thing when we are both released. I could invite Christopher too so you can get to know him. It'll be great!" I just nodded my head not wanting to discourage her from the little fantasies she had. It clearly got her through the rough days in Litchfield.
"Okay, bitches. Who's first in line for some puppy loving?!" Boo came in the room holding the lead to a golden retriever. Lorna and I raced over to pet the animal. I thought I wouldn't get to pet one for a few years.
"He's so cute" I squealed whilst stroking the dogs fur.
"He looks just like my dog from when I was a kid" CO Fischer said coming over and getting on her knees to pet the animal. "Except mine was more of a Dachshund but the nostril part is the same"
"You ever notice how some dog names sound dirty? Like, shih tzu, cocker, Jack-something?" Mr Caputo asked. I didn't even notice him, I was so busy stroking the golden fur of the dog.
"Poodle" Fischer replied. Earning an over-exaggerated laugh from Mr Caputo. Someone has a crush, I thought.
"That is good, I didn't think of that one" He said earning a look from Piper as she stood behind him. She raised her eyebrows and continued to walk down the corridor.
"Guys, look at that face. I'm gonna call her Little Boo. Who's a Little Boo?" Boo said interrupting Mr Caputo's moment. I 'awed'. How adorable. We now have a Big Boo and Little Boo.
It was night time, and it was late. All I wanted to do was sleep but Watson had decided to take it upon herself to do her work out routine. She was stomping and panting, doing god knows what. I decided to sandwich my head between my pillow wanting to keep the noise to a minimum so I could get some sleep.
"I know you ain't fucking with my beauty rest, you." I heard Black Cindy shout to her.
"They closed the track on me, hater. I ain't gonna get soft like the rest of ya'll" Watson shouted to the room. Her bunk mate, Poussey then tried to reason with her, as i heard her muttering so the guards didn't hear if they happened to walk by "I got 10 minutes before the CO come back around"
Jones decided to get up and see if she could talk to her. I followed at a distance in case a fight broke out. I wanted to be there to protect Erica, our friendship had bloomed since we shared a bunk space together. Plus it wasn't like I'd be able to go back to sleep with all the noise happening anyway.
When we got closer to the other side of the room, Watson had already left her cube and was ready to pounce on Cindy for telling her to be quiet.
"I get it" Jones approached her with causation. Speaking in soft tones.
"What you talking 'bout, you get it?" Watson was wound up though. Fishing for a fight. "Yo, go on back to the Suburbs, string cheese. Take pretty princess with you" She looked at me then.
"I was like you once. Pissed off..Thought the world owed me something. It took me a long time to let go of that anger"
"Bitch, you lying to yourself with this whole Namaste bullshit"
"You're a step ahead already" Jones tried to reason with her. They were drawing a crowd as W vey one came out of their cubes to see what was happening. "Channeling your feelings through physical activity, which means, the mind and body connect"
"Who touched you, yo?" Watson tutted at her. I took a step forward but Piper held my arm to stop me. "Was it your uncle? Your daddy?"
"Okay, you want to project your issues onto me? That's cool, but i feel bad for you" Watson gives a humourless laugh. "That negative energy is just gonna eat you up inside"
"Man, you this deep in the shit" Watson scoffs. "You must have done something fucking evil. Why you in here, yo? Did you kill someone? You fucked a kid? You kill a kid?" Jones slapped Watson so hard it knocked her off balance an on to the ground. I didn't know she had it in here. The room went still, the only sound heard was Watson's body hitting the floor.
Erica looked drained as she walked back to me, I put her arm in mine and guided her back to our cube. I sat her on the bed, she lay down and I tucked the blanket around her. Making sure she was okay before I went to my side of the room and turned out off the little torch light so we could both try to get some rest.
Flu season is the worst, especially when you're stuck in a prison with a couple hundred other woman, we just keep passing back round to each other. Since I had finally managed to get over the latest cold I had, I thought cleaning the bed sheets and blankets was a good idea and headed down to the laundry room.
Alex was folding clean sheets whilst I had the idea of doing my own, considering she looked overworked on her own, everyone was sick apparently.
"Thanks Grey" she said when I told her. "I owe you one"
"Just grab me some sweets from commissary and we'll call it even" I shrugged and put my load in.
I was now sat on the table with Philip Pullman's, Northern Lights, in my hand making small talk with Alex. Nicky and Piper walked in with a tool belt and and big instruction manual for the faulty washing machine.
"Hey, there" Nicky said mocking builders "Here you got a broken appliance, ma'm" She walked closer putting her thumbs in the belt on her hips. "A real rusty old thing that needs fixing?"
"Oh, well, my husband isn't home. He's got the cheque-book" Alex played along putting on a southern American accent. "Hopefully there's some way I could pay you"
"Well, I have been feeling a little tense lately. Maybe if I stick my dick in your mouth, it might help me relax"
"God. No, thanks" Alex immediately came out of character and cringed. I just shook my head at Nicky and Piper.
"What? Too hetero? Okay. How about 'wrench in your twat?'"
"Nichols, that's even worse" I said and sniffled at the end to try to clear my nose a little.
"All right. Well the broken one is over there and her name is Myra." Alex pointed to the broken machine. "So you can stick your wrench in her twat" Nicky snickered. And walked towards the broken washing machine.
Candy clattered on the ground. I looked up from my book again "Urgh, Nichols. I think you've got a visitor?" Nicky stopped what she was doing and saw it was Norma.
"I hate when she sends The Quiet Storm" she says talking about Red.
"Can't she just come over and tap you on the shoulder?" I ask putting my glasses in my pocket.
"She has an irrational fear of the spin cycle. Won't step foot in here" Nicky replied, taking her tool belt off. I have to admit though, I found it sort of sexy when she had it on. "I'd better go"
"Yeah, well, mommy needs you" Alex tells her with a shrug.
"Can't be that serious. When it's serious, she throws coconut" I snorted and jumped off the table.
"I'll come with you, see if Red needs any extra help in the kitchen. I want an extra slice of whatever dessert she's prepping for dinner" I told the group. "I'll be back later to pick up my washing" I told Alex.
I ended up in the kitchen, chopping up bananas, how Red still trusts me with knife...I couldn't conjure up an answer but I'm happy to be a part of her family. I put the 30 chopped banana in the bowl and went to knock on Red's office door to see what I can do next.
"...and whoever she drags down with her deserves it" The Russian sounded angry. I knew it was wrong to listen in on the conversation but I couldn't help myself.
"You send her down the hill, she's fucked and you know it. Okay, you're taking this personally. It's not personal, it's chemical. Drugs have a way of making you do shit, you don't wanna do" I heard Nicky nearly shout, trying to get her point across.
Red's chair scraped back. "So do I" She responded and gave Nicky the job of pushing Tricia out of the family. She also told the natural redhead to take me with her, to prove myself. To test my loyalty to the family.
Tricia was lying in bed when we reached her cube. The blonde looked, grey and her skin was waxy from all the sweat. Despite it being warm in the room she was also shivering with a blanket wrapped around her. Nicky and I watched. It was heartbreaking to see.
'How goes it?" Nicky made our presence known.
"I've been better" Tricia croaked out.
"If I tell you it gets easier does that make me corny?"
"Makes you a liar" Tricia gave her a little smile as Nicky grabs a chair for both of us to sit down by the bed.
"We brought you some O.J. Carton, not Simpson" I told the woman in the bed and left the Carton on the metal cupboard on the other side of the bed. It earned a chuckle.
"Man, this clinic my mom dragged me to, they strapped me down to a bed just like this. So the nurses hated me, 'cause i kept makin' Exorcist jokes. That shit never gets old, right?" Nicky was easing herself into it. I leant my head on her shoulder, watching Tricia.
"I might actually be lucky this happened now. Guards just think I have the flu like everyone else" Tricia said, trying to sit up but failing.
"Well, in two days, you're gonna be wishing you had the flu" I told the younger female.
"I'm lucky you're both here with me. And I'll get through it. I'll get back on track. They won't even find out I was using"
"Yes, they will" Nicky snapped at her
"Shit, no. Girls got my back, right? I ain't never snitched nobody, so who'd gonna tell 'em?"
"You are" Nicky looked at her expressionless.
"What?" Tricia asked surprised.
"Two strikes" I said to her.
"That's all you get. Red sent us. Says she doesn't play baseball" Nicky continued for me.
"I'm quitting, Nicky. Tell her that. Don't make me go down there" Tricia begged.
"This isn't about you. Red's fighting a bigger fight. Shit's changing around here" Nicky shook her head, leaning her elbow on her knees so she could look the girl, lying on the bed, in the eye.
"She is supposed to take care of me us"
"You're gonna get up. You're gonna walk down to the CO's office. You're gonna tell him you're using and through yourself on his mercy"
"They'll put me in the SHU, and I'll die in there" Tricia tried to plea with us.
I shook my head at her. "You won't die, you'll suffer. And they you'll come back out" I told her with a whisper to my face. I was getting flashback to nearly a year ago, when i was in this position.
"You're supposed to be my family" Tricia spat at both of us.
"Not anymore" Nicky looked her dead in the eye. She ten grabbed my hand and walked out. I held her hand tight as we walked out the room, listening to Tricia scream both our names.
Nicky and I ended up lying on the stage in chapel listening to music from her device. We managed to tune into a radio station we both liked. CO Mendez snuck up on us both, we were lost in our own world, and turned off the device.
"This room is for prayer" His deep voice told us.
"Never heard of it" Nicholas retorted sarcastically.
"We need to talk" We both sat up and got in a more comfortable position. "Heard about your old roommate. Sent down to seg, and an extended sentence. It's a raw deal"
"Yeah" Nicky agreed.
"I got a couple of questions that I need to ask you. I think you may know the answers to them. About Red and the way she runs her business" Mendez said.
"Nicky, don't do it. Don't tell him" I whispered, so only she could hear. She glanced at me and looked back to pornstache.
"Neptune's Produce. You wanna know how she gets the contraband in. That's it. Now leave me the fuck alone" Nicky lay back down and stared at the ceiling. I watched the commission officer walk away before i confronted her.
"What the fuck Nicky? Why did you do that?" I asked her. Pissed off she ratted out the mother figure of our family. She just shrugged put her two earphones back in and switched her portable radio on. I stormed off the stage, needing to get away from her.
Later in the day, I stood by the window watching the Neptune's Produce delivery van pull up into the yard. Mendez stopped the moving vehicle and got in the passenger's side. Oh Nicky, what have you done?
