CHAPTER SEVEN

Later that night, Frieda lay on her bed, unable to sleep. That kiss she shared with Zoe replayed in her mind over and over and she kept hearing her hurtful words.

She closed her eyes and finally started drifting off when she heard a rustle and footsteps. She opened her eyes and found Zoe creeping up next to her bed.

" What are you doing here?" Frieda whispered.

" Come with me," Zoe whispered back.

" Why?" Frieda asked. " I'm trying to sleep here."

" I've realised I must have hurt your feelings before. I want to talk about it…"

Frieda sat up and glanced at her sleeping bunkmate warily," Not here."

" We can go back to my bunk, I've got no bunkmate," Zoe reminded her,
" and we have fifteen minutes til Maxwell comes back."

" Twenty minutes. Maxwell has two cigarettes-out near the basketball court." Frieda reminded her and followed Zoe back to her bunk.

" Look, I'm sorry I hurt your feelings," Zoe said softly " I was an idiot. That kiss earlier did mean something to me. I guess I was just scared."

" Scared? What are you scared of?"

" I've never fallen in love with a woman before," Zoe admitted before she realised what she said. " I mean-"

" You're…in love with me?" Frieda stared at her, " Are you sure?"

" I'm sure. Like I said before-" but she never did finish her sentence because Frieda's lips came down onto hers for a tender kiss as they held onto each other tightly.

" Just so you know," Frieda said pulling back breathlessly, " I'm not your prison girlfriend. This isn't some prison girlfriend casual thing,"

Zoe smiled and put her arms around her neck, " I think we're better than that, don't you?" she said as she reached up to untie Frieda's ponytail.

" Don't touch that, " Frieda said, grabbing Zoe's hand, " I like it pulled back, out of the face."

" But you'd like nice with your hair out," Zoe protested reaching for it again but Frieda grabbed her hand tightly.

" I said no," she said giving her a warning look.

" Okay, sorry."

Frieda smiled then and pulled her in for a another hug," Now, where were we?" she said before she bought her lips down onto Zoe's for another long kiss.

Zoe pulled away, " Maxwell will be back any minute, you better head back to your bunk."

" All right," Frieda reached out and rand a hand through Zoe's hair.

" It'll only be a few hours, then I'll see you at breakfast," Zoe replied.

" I know but I don't get to do this," Frieda leaned forward and started kissing her neck, just as she did earlier. Just like before her lips travelled along her jawline but Zoe gave her a gentle shove.

" I'll see you at breakfast Frieda," she said.

Zoe had been at the prison nearly a whole month. Most of the ladies in the prison avoided her like the plague so she mostly hung around the Golden Girls. Zoe didn't talk much about her family or her life outside but Frieda learned who Zoe really was-a kind, caring person, not the cold-hearted murderous bitch the other inmates made her out to be. Their relationship did have its ups and downs though. Frieda had never been with a woman before and neither had Zoe. Frieda knew Zoe wasn't ready to make love but to her surprise Frieda was.

They also had their arguments as Zoe could be one stubborn woman, set in her ways and Frieda was practical, tough and no-nonsense but they always made up. And they hid their relationship from other inmates. The only ones who knew about it was the other ladies in their group and they've been sworn to secrecy.

One morning Zoe had just finished her shower and was standing in front of the mirror drying her hair, wrapped in a towel turban-style. She was alone in the bathroom because as usual, when she walked in, the other inmates scurried out. This was one advantage to being avoided-she had the bathroom to herself for a while.

She reached for her toothbrush and Colgate when she heard footsteps behind her. She glanced up just as a blindfold made out of a maxi pad was slipped over her eyes and her arms pinned behind her back. She was then pushed hard against the sink counter.

" Payback time. We're going to send you back to Max where you belong," a low voice whispered in her ear.

Then she cried out in pain and shock when a fist flew at her face. Blood spurted out of her nose as the fist then rammed into her ribs. She felt white-pain as she was thrown to the ground.

She felt blood trickling down her face and it wasn't til they left, she allowed herself to pass out.

Red and Norma were the ones who found Zoe ten minutes later. Red knelt down next to the prone Zoe as Norma stared down at her in shock. The woman was badly beaten and there was so much blood...

" Norma, go get a guard," Red ordered her as she felt for a pulse. Zoe was alive but unconscious. Who would do such a thing? Red didn't know this woman very well but knew she was friends with Frieda Berlin and the Golden Girls. She also heard about the rumours about the woman but she had her own doubts. How could this little, quiet woman kill a man?

Zoe was taken straight to medical for treatment. She fluttered in and out of consciousness. She uttered Frieda's name a few times as Red sat next to the bed and held her hand.

" Norma, can you go get Frieda? She's asking for her," Red said to Norma. Norma nodded and hurried away. She found Frieda in her bunk. Frieda was reading and looked up in surprise to see Norma enter her cube. She barely knew Norma and knew she worked in the kitchen alongside with Red.

" What can I do for you Norma?" Frieda asked. Norma looked very worried and gestured frantically at her. She took out her writing pad and scribbled just one word on it and held it up.

" Zoe? What do you mean?"

Norma just gestured to Frieda to follow her. Something's happened to Zoe, Frieda realised. She was meant to meet Zoe in half an hour.

She followed Norma to medical and Frieda's stomach clenched with worry. She went in and found Zoe in bed. She gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.

" Oh my God, Zoe, what the fuck happened?" Frieda stared at the woman she loved in horror. Zoe had been badly beaten. She was awake but one eye was swollen shut. She had a lot of cuts, and bruises. Her head was covered with a bandage.

" Norma and I found her in the bathroom. Someone did this to her," Red told her. " She says she didn't see who attacked her though."

" She has a concussion and a cracked rib," the doctor informed them, " I'll be keeping her overnight. There's too many people in here."

" We'll go," Red said hurriedly, " I'm very sorry this happened to you Zoe."

" Someone will pay for this," Frieda said, " I'll find out who did this."

Red nodded and she and Norma left medical. Zoe winced as she tried to get comfortable. Everything hurts. Frieda sat down next to the bed and held her hand.

" I'm not surprised this happened, everyone hates me." Zoe muttered.

" Nobody hates you. They just don't know you that's all. It's all because of that stupid rumour." Frieda frowned, " I'd like to know who started that rumour."

" It was Boo, I'm sure of it. Getting me back for rejecting her and for telling her off in the cafeteria that day."

" I doubt she went this far though," Frieda shook her head and Zoe agreed. She just didn't see Boo being the ringleader of the inmates who attacked her. Boo didn't seem the violent type.

" It's going to be hard to find out who did this since you were blindfolded," Frieda said, " Are you sure you didn't see anyone?"

Zoe tried to think back but her mind was so fuzzy. " I don't remember." She said sighing. " Can you pass me my water?"

Frieda picked up the cup with the straw and held the straw to Zoe's lips. Zoe took a sip and winced, even drinking hurt. The doctor had other patients to see and left them, drawing the curtain around the bed. Frieda leaned over and kissed Zoe gently on the lips.

" I didn't hurt you did I? They look so swollen…"

" No, it helps," Zoe smiled at Frieda, " Kiss me again."

Frieda obliged but inside she was thinking, I'm going to get those bitches who hurt Zoe. Whoever attacked her is going to pay.