Title: Hot Tempered Is Only The Beginning
Rating: T
Summary: Pretending to be a boy is only the half of what Lara Haven aka Jack has to put up with.
Mina-Nel: This next update will explain what you are pondering lol. I love how you can relate to Lara, I'm really pleased about that and yes mean Michael is very hot lol.
Scarly-Girl: The joke was just Lara was being silly lol.
KillerRubberDuckiesR-J: Here is the update! Sorry for the delay
A/N: Holy crap sorry everyone for the delay. Damn teachers and bloody school. I have a day off on Friday and I'll try working on both stories. Once again very sorry.
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I starred loathingly down at the bandages that I held in my hand. I guess I was rather lucky to have a small chest, unlike Susan Sanchez from high school. I heaved a sigh and slipped off my shirt shivering in the cold air as I began to wrap the bandages around my upper chest.
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I heard Louiy walking along, doing the regular count and I pulled my shirt back on and went over by the door, waiting for him to come close enough.
"Finch!"
"Hey Louiy!" I called suddenly, squatting down and peering up at him through the little slot in the door. "Think I could get some sort of paper or something?" Louiy paused and looked around before giving a shrug.
"I'll see what I can do."
"Thanks Louiy you're a doll." Louiy grinned but then rapped the door with his baton.
"That's enough outa you Finch." I moved away and went to sit on my bunk, humming tunelessly and twiddling my thumbs. I could think back on my life, figure out where it all went wrong…but I already knew and plus that would just get me all emotional so I settled with playing imaginary tick-tack-toe with myself on the wall.
The slot on my door swung open and couple of pages of newspaper came sliding though.
"Hey Jacko you might wanna take a look at this." Louiy said and the sound of his voice worried me. I leapt to my feet and picked up the paper eagerly,
"Thanks Louiy!" The slot closed again and I went back to my bed, plunking myself down and then began to read.
"Eighteen year old Lara Haven was convicted for car hijacking and several counts of petty theft. Her sentence was four years in prison, however not at Chicago State – the female penitentiary. Instead this young woman will be spending her time at Fox River Penitentiary, which is the most dangerous male prison in the state.
Women's right activists are…
The words blurred together and my hands gripped the paper, which began to crumple beneath me. I started shaking and for the first time I allowed tears to spill down my cheeks. How could they! Didn't they realise how much danger they had put me in! If any inmate were to read this paper and…somehow work it out… I mean he'd have four years to do so!
'I have to get out now. Not just for Mam or Ri but for myself to… Oh no. C-Note!'
I felt panic clutch at my throat as I remembered the peculiar pronunciation of my name that one-day when we were working. If he saw this article, no matter how small it was it would confirm whatever he had been thinking!
With an angry yell I threw the paper against the wall and started tugging at my bed sheets, throwing the pillow and generally having a Grade A tantrum. But I didn't care, couldn't care. I was in a tight position either way I looked at it and my only hope was to get out now while I still had my life…and my dignity.
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Dr. Tancredi swabbed disinfectant on my bruised knuckles and I bit down on my lip so as not to cry out. She finished quickly however and soon the bruised and torn skin was clean. I stared down at my hands and then looked up at Sara, hating the fact that my green eyes were brimming with tears.
"What am I going to do?" I whispered. Sara looked pitying at me, and I knew she was slightly shocked to see the tears in my eyes. She sat down in front of me and took one of my hands in hers.
"You're going to keep your head down – no matter how difficult it is for you –" She said with a small smile, which I returned shakily. "And if anyone confronts you your not going to say a thing. Tell me if anyone does and I will talk to Warden Pope. It'll only be a matter of time before they transfer you." Sara said comfortingly. I nodded and reached up with my free hand, swiping frustratedly at the unshed tears.
"Thank you." I said softly and Sara squeezed my hand gently before letting go.
"Just remember what I said." I nodded and in my mind made a mental note,
'Head down.'
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"Your awfully quiet Jack." Westmoreland said, startling me from my sombre thoughts. I shrugged uncomfortably and continued to work at the wall.
"I've got a lot on my mind." I said shortly and Westmoreland kept quiet after that, the air thick with a cold tension that I knew was radiating from me.
Slowly however I began to cool down, the work helping to distract me. After several deep breaths I apologized to Westmoreland, who had been a good friend to me. He graciously forgave me and soon I was telling him stories and making him laugh. Sara was right things would be ok. I just had to keep quiet.
"I read something really interesting in the paper today Jacko." I stopped suddenly at the sound of C-Note's voice.
'Oh no, please no.'
"Yup, really interesting." My hand had stopped the consistent working of the sand paper on the wall, the blood had drained from my face and sweat was breaking out across my forehead. Westmoreland looked at me rather worriedly and it was then that I nervously started to work at the wall again. I could tell the others were listening in to what C-Note was saying.
"Is that so?" I mumbled, praying feverishly that he would just drop it.
"Oh yeah. Found out a little tidbit of information to." I couldn't work now, my hands were shaking so bad, my knees were turning to jelly and there was a funny hot feeling rushing up to my head, but I turned around to face C-Note.
"Jack?" Westmoreland asked suddenly, stopping his work to eye me with an even higher degree of worry. The others stopped there work as well and turned to see what was going on.
"Oh yes Scraps, lots of information. You wanna hear it? Wanna hear what I learned? Eh Jacko?"
"Shut up C-Note." I distantly heard Michael say. "Leave the kid alone." Is that what Michael thought of me? A kid. A mere insignificant child who was more nuisance then help? How many times did I have to prove myself! Of course if my mind hadn't been in such a state of fear then I would have noticed the concerned note in Scofield's voice.
I felt an arm be familiarly slung around my shoulders and I had enough sense to recognize the smell.
"Lay off ma boy 'homie'." T-Bag drawled. His words set off something in my mind though, made something click.
"Not your boy." I whispered so softly that I knew he couldn't have heard. C-Note's laughter filled the break room then, it's being laced with malice and glee making me cringe. T-Bag glanced at me then, as did Westmoreland, both had never seen me flinch or back down.
"This ain't your boy Cletus. This ain't even a boy!" There was a ringing silence punctured only by C-Note's laughter.
'He said it.' I thought numbly. 'I can't believe he said it.' I felt T-Bag's arm withdraw from my shoulders and he stared at C-Note and then at me.
"What are ya on about? What's he on about Jacko?"
"Her name's not Jacko T-Bag. Nothin' close! Ain't that right Lara? Sorry, 'Miss. Haven'."
Did no one else see the walls moving in? I couldn't understand why no one was watching as the walls of the break room crept inwards. I tried to talk, I could feel my mouth open but it flapped uselessly – I couldn't even remember how to use it! In the distance I could see the men all looking at me all with the same expression, much surprise but soon distrust and many other emotions, which I could not gauge. I looked to my left and there was Westmoreland, astonished and looking slightly afraid. I looked to my right and there was T-Bag no less surprised, looking a little pleased but the heightened lust in his eyes frightened me.
I looked in front of me and then saw Michael looking as if he had severely underestimated me. I felt a grin suddenly spread from ear to ear and I knew I looked crazy but I couldn't help myself.
"Ha!" I laughed. "Hahahahahaha!" And that's how I left the break room, all that I can remember before the traitorous walls jumped me, before the figures disappeared from view, I remember my laughter filling my ears as I fell down a long tunnel.