Chapter 2: A Lay of the Situation
Harry never played Poker before, but the guys had run him through the basics, although of course he was losing horribly. He gives a glance to his right, at Keller. He's leaning back in his chair, arms and cards held out before him, all smug grin and hawk-like nose, eyes daring them all a bit. A glance to his left and he sees Andy Schillenger, head bent over as he looks intently at his hand of card.
"Potter," Beecher says curtly. "How many cards?"
Harry frowns as his attention is drawn back to his own hand. "Er…two." He slaps down his two cards and picks up the ones Beecher tosses him.
Harry can't explain it, but it's Beecher who frightens him. There's just something too cold and calculating about him, like he's a cat ready to strike, and unlike a lot of the men in Oz, Beecher is intelligent, a former lawyer. Now, Harry had heard things about prison, about the things that went on there—no, here—and at the time he hadn't cared because anything, even rape, had seemed better than having his soul sucked out in a frozen Dementor's kiss, or spending a lifetime in Azkaban. But Beecher seems to have a strange bond with both Andy and Keller, as if both are tied to him: Andy, with attention and Keller with the lack of it. Harry sometimes sees Keller giving Beecher intense stares, and then smiles fondly at Beecher's insults.
"Hey man, whatever drugs you're on, ya gotta start sharing'em with me." Andy's head is close to Harry's, his eyes wide. He suddenly cracks and starts laughing loudly.
"Sorry, mate. My mind was wandering," Harry explains lamely.
Keller's chuckling and even Beecher's cracked a smile. Of course, why didn't he see it before? Harry Potter, one of the leading forms of entertainment in prison.
"Yeah, we could see that," Keller says.
"Well, don't worry, if I become possessed, I'm sure there will be a load of yelling, that should alert you," Harry says in a bright, self-pitying way.
All three have sobered up and are looking at him strangely. Harry wonders if he should say something or let them think he's crazy.
"You aren't taking drugs, are you?" Beecher asks. He says this so seriously that Harry wonders about Beecher's own history with drugs.
"No, of course I'm not," he says. He lays his hand out on the table: an ace, two, three, four, and a five, all in hearts. "What is this again, is it good?" he asks.
The others throw down their cards in a fold.
Now who said Harry Potter's luck had fled him?
The first time Harry meets Andy's dad, it's in the gym. When he first sees Vern Schillenger, Andy's ramming into him as they wrestle on the mat. Keller keeps yelling instructions at them, and Beecher's standing to the side, leaning on his cane. As Andy pins him down on the mat, Harry realizes Keller has stopped yelling, and all he can hear is rhythmic slap as Cyril O'Reilly beats up the punching bag. Andy gets off him and it's just Harry lying on the mat, looking up in to Schillenger's disdainful stare.
"Who're you?" Schillenger asks.
Out of the corner of his eye, Harry sees Keller move a step closer.
Schillenger's mouth curls in a grin. "You Keller's new butt buddy, then?" He looks at Keller. "Would've thought he would wait it out with Beecher, his one true love." He gives a chuckle. "But I know ol'Chris, don't I? He'll stick his cock in any orifice offered him."
Harry scrambles to his feet and takes a step back. I don't want to fight; I don't want to fight, not again… His fear is drumming in his ears and his veins.
Beecher, with a grimace as he steps forward leaning heavily on his cane, gets into Schillenger's face. Schillenger scowls, and the depth of hatred between the two men is palpable. "Leave the boy out of this, Vern. It's me you want to deal with, isn't it?"
"Step away, you two!" a hack calls across the gym.
"Yeah, I wanna deal with you Beecher. I'm gonna kill you for what you're doing to my son." Schillenger steps back and grimaces. "But not today. I've got something big planned for you, Beecher." He gives a quick glance to Keller and Harry. "And your little boyfriends too."
Harry blanches.
Schillenger begins walking away, sparing a concerned look at Andy, who is carefully examining his shoes. Harry turns to Beecher, who looks worried.
"Andy." Beecher says--half query, half command.
Andy's round little head bobs up. "Yeah?" he drawls.
"Try that move again on Potter."
Later, in their pod, Harry asks Keller, "Why are you protecting me? What do you want from me? This is prison, so I don't think you and the others are just being nice for no reason."
Harry is standing next to the bunk, his head on level with Keller's as he lies on his back on the top bunk, flipping through a porno magazine. "Well you looked so helpless," he replies, laughing. "And I guess…I wanted to show someone that I wasn't so bad, after all." Keller now lays down the magazine and turns his head to Harry, putting his hand behind his head as he does so. "But your real question is if I want to fuck you or not."
Harry can't help but blush and feels such a fool for it. After all he had been through, and yet…"So, er…do you?"
Keller looks at him like prey and asks in a low, husky voice, "Do you want me to?"
Harry's eyes widen in shock and his mind goes blank. He feels as if Keller and he are locked in a private moment, an island in the sea of Oz. Did he want him to?
Keller breaks out laughing and Harry blushes even harder.