I wince lightly as I crawl onto my bunk. Cracked Ribs burning. Face numb from pain. Throat swollen and hard to breathe. I was miserable.

"You alright Vanta?" I glance down to see Washington in the lower bunk on the other side of the room. I'm not supposed to show weakness.

"Fine." I croak through my bruised esophagus. A moment passes and he sighs. "Liar."

Before I can refute him Felix and Sharkface enter the cell. "Woo! That was great! Hey yo Vanta? How ya feeling? HAHA! aw man, I haven't seen a beat down like that in months." I frown.

"Glad I could be of service." I remark dryly. Voice cracking throughout the sentence. "Awww, don't be a bitch about it. Besides, Locus likes you." I feel a weight on my bed and turn to see Felix leaning on my bunk. I simply stare emptily. "No really, he does! You didn't scream or beg for him to stop. He respects that." I roll my eyes. "Gee I'm so honored."

Sharkface chuckles in the bunk under me. "Hey, he took it easy on you. You shoulda seen the number he did on me when I got here. Couldn't walk for a week."

"Inmates on the wall!"

We all turn to see Andersmith standing cross armed at the cell.

Felix and Sharkface immediately move to stand over by the wall. I roll off the bed with a pained sound. Barely catching myself on my feet. Washington made a move to help me when the guard barked, "MOVE IT INMATES!" I scramble towards the wall to stand by Sharkface. Limping there as Andersmith shouts, "Open cell 42!" With a beep the doors slide open. Andersmith strolls in peeking through everyone's belongings. Though, not with conviction. I knew why he's really here.

He moves to look at us. "The fuck happened to you Black?!" He barks. I look down.

"Nothing sir." Snitches get stitches. And I really don't need any more of that.

"Excuse me! Do I LOOK BLIND INMATE?!" suddenly a hand was flying out to slap me, hard. I jerk and move to glare at him. Everyone in the cell looks pretty surprised. Wondering what I'm going to do.

"No sir."

He grabs me by the collar. "I've had just about enough of you Black. You're coming with me." He's suddenly dragging me out of the cell.

Everyone looks around shocked at what just happened. "Lock Cell 42!" Andersmith shouts dragging me through the compound.

Before I know it we're alone in a locked room. I spin out of his grasp and slap him.

"Ow! Jesus Vanta."

"Don't JESUS ME! what the Fuck Andersmith?!" I shout glaring up at him. My voice dry and raspy. He throws his hands up. "What did I do?!" I glare. "Seriously? You're gonna ask that? Lay off with the hitting me! It only works so much, before everyone starts to get suspicious."

He nods looking down. "Sorry, sorry. You're right. But damn, what happened?"

He reaches out to touch my face gently. Making me flinch backwards with a hiss. "Fucking some Gay guy grabbed at me, and I fell into LOCUS! and he fucking beat the shit out of me!"

His eyes widen. "What?! You were specifically told NOT to piss him off!" I press my lips into a line. Amber eyes glaring at him incredulously. "Well I didn't do it on fucking purpose!"

He sighs and moves to a first aid kit mounted on the wall. "Well what about the guards on duty?! Why didn't they step in?" I shrug, "Oh you know. They were just putting money on whether or not I'd live or DIE."

He makes a shocked face. "Where the fuck were you Andersmith!? You're supposed to be my guardian in here!"

He pulls out some swabs and bandages and turns to me. "I do have an actual job here Vanta. I can't be there ALWAYS." I narrow my eyes at him.

"Well then, could you at least try to be there when I need you?!" He glares at me. "You took this fucking gig. NO ONE MADE YOU. you knew this shit would be dangerous. So don't bitch to me because you got hurt! I'll try my damnedest to keep it from happening again, but I can ONLY do so much. Do you want to end up like the other officers?"

I look down. He's right. "No. Whatever." He dabs stinging alcohol to my injuries. I bite my lip. "Though, I will see what I can do about getting my schedule moved so I have your lunch time and extracurricular." I nod as he places a bandage on my face. "Thank you."

I groan lightly turning in my lumpy bed. Pulling my thin scratchy blankets closer.

Sleep seemed to hate me.

After a few moments I become aware of many grunts from all around me. I crack and eye open and turn to look over the edge of my bed. All my cell mates were in a various array of work out positions. Felix had his legs through the cell bars and was doing sit ups. Sharkface was doing pull ups on Felix's bunk, and Washington was doing over handed pushups in the floor.

"What the fuck is happening here?" I groan in a scratchy voice. Felix pauses looking upside at me. "Good morning sleeping beauty." I lean up on my fore arms. "I'll ask again. What's happening?"

Sharkface chuckles. "It's prison. You ain't got much else to do unless you're gay." He drops off Felix's bunk to look at me. "No offense to you."

I frown. "I'm not gay." They all give me a look. "Seriously, I'm not gay!"

Washington coughed. "I don't mean to gang up on you, but you're kinda-"

"Feminine. And then there was that thing with Donut boy yesterday." They were all nodding. I puff my lips. "Look that Donut thing was NOT consensual! He grabbed me. And I'm not that feminine. It's not my fault, I grew up with three sisters." I lie smoothly. Trying to deepen my voice.

Sharkface chuckles. "So far in the closet he's reached Narnia." I scowl." Whatever, I'm going back to sleep." As I roll over to sleep I suddenly feel an extreme urge to pee.

"Oh fuck." I groan sitting up. Felix gives me a glance. "What?" I adjust my position. "I uh, I've gotta pee." Felix Snorts. Sharkface rolls his eyes standing up. "See we've got something for that. It's called a urinal." He walks over to the corner of the room where the silver gleaming urinal was. The next thing I know the sounds of pee filled the room.

Men are disgusting.

I scrunch my nose and shake my head. "Uh, I can't. I've, I've gotta shit too." I lie. Wash gives me a look. "Well there's a toilet right next to it."

Sure enough, a silver toilet was there as well. I scratch my head. Mind racing at a hundred miles an hour. "Yeah, I can't. Um. It's my religion. I can't be naked in front of others."

Sharkface finishes off, and turns around. "That's the gayest thing over ever heard. Just fucking go to the bathroom. We won't look."

I shake my head. The risk is too high. If they were to even glance they'd notice my lack of, jewels. And if I wasn't ratted out. I might be- well. Other things.

"That's-that's not how that works." I roll out of my bunk. Wincing when my feet touch the ground.

They all shook their heads at me, as I limped over to the front of the cell. "Hey! Guards! Yo!" I shout.

I hear other prisoners shouting things as well. Mostly lewd things. Threats. Or just loud conversations. "Guard!"

After a few moments a Brown haired woman approaches. "What's going on inmate?"

I look at her. "I need to go to the bathroom." She makes a face. "Are you retarded or something? Turn around dipshit." She turns to walk away. "Wait!" I grab her sleeve.

Wrong move.

An elbow suddenly flies up and smashes into my face. "Fuck!" I fall backwards. "Touch me again inmate and I'll have your balls cut off." Felix is chuckling lightly shaking his head. "Damn. Man can't catch a break."

"What's going on here?" Andersmith.

Oh thank fucking god. The guard woman looks at him. "Fucking prick thinks he can screw around with me. Saying he needs to go to the bathroom. Then he grabbed at me."

Andersmith sighs. "Connie it's fine. He wasn't being disrespectful, he's got a religious thing. He can't be naked around others." She frowns and looks at me.

"What the fuck ever. But if he ever touches me again I'll tase him in nuts."

The men behind me collectively groan. As if imagining the pain. Me having none of those, can only make a fake wince. Having no idea what that would be like.

"Inmates! On the wall!" Andersmith suddenly shouts. Everyone moves to comply. I stand off the ground and hold my hands out to be cuffed. Andersmith shackles me and I'm taken away.

"Seriously? What is this?" I groan.

It's a communal prison shower and bathroom. One wall is urinals, the other showerstalls with only a tan sheer curtain to block them. Then there's three bathroom stall stalls with actual toilets. Though, only one has a door.

"This is the only bathroom you can use in the prison apparently. So get to it. You've got two minutes before everyone is dismissed to breakfast. Then this place will be flooded. Its one of the few places not actively patrolled by guardsmen, so you can imagine the men like to blow off some steam here." I make a face. "Ew." He shrugs. "Yeah. Now get in there. I've gotta go. After you're done. See what you can do about getting to work on your mission. Sooner its done. The sooner we can get you out of here."

He walks away. I turn my head to the stall with a look of disgust. Entering and shutting the door. I don't sit on the rancid looking seat, I squat and observe the graffiti. I notice words that say things like, 'Better dead than red!'. 'The only good blue's a dead blue.' And 'I have a huge dick!' 'Mines bigger'

Men.

Suddenly a bell is ringing loudly. Dam. I flush with my foot and move to leave. As I do I hear voices. Great.

I walk to the sink just as I hear an obnoxious voice shout. "Who's this asshole?! Yo, newbie!" I sigh and turn around. There's some guy with a light blue rag around his forehead. He was attractive, black hair, and a goatee thing going on. "Yes?"

There were two other guys with him. A black man, with shocking blue eyes and long dreads. There also was a huge! Guy with blonde hair. And these baby blue eyes, a cobalt blue bandanna tucked in his pants.

"Dam boy! I'm not gay but you look hot. Maybe it's cause your so girly looking." I frown and stick my bottom jaw out slightly. Figuring maybe I could look more manly if I did. "I ain't girly lookin." The black guy who made the original comment snorts while remarking sarcastically. "Ohhkay! Whatever you say. I'm Tucker. And I don't judge."

I frown. Why does everyone assume I'm gay? I mean sure, I do like men. But that's beside the point.

"Yeah, I'm Church. I do judge a little. But it's alright, I'm not judging cause of that." Church crosses his arms. Then the big blonde fellow walls forward. "I. Am. Caboose." I give him an odd look, his voice seemed choppy. And, kinda dumb.

"I'm black. Vanta Black." Tucker gives me a small salute before moving off to a urinal to relieve himself. Church starts to strip until he's standing in all his nakedness. Then he enters a shower. The walls were rickety, and the curtain torn. Offering little to no privacy. As well as the fact that Church was tall enough that the stall only came up to his chest. He was very nicely built, and I had to say. I'm kinda tempted to pretend to be gay, just for the excuse of checking some of these men out.

"So Vanta, what are you in for?" Church inquires. I squint. "Aren't you not supposed to ask that question?" They all snort.

"Yeah, only in the movies. Here we wanna be sure your not fucking insane. Or like, going shank us or some shit." I look down, ashamed of my ignorance. "Ah. Right. I uh, got busted for robbing a bank."

He makes an impressed face. "Nice. I Stole a car. And got caught having sex with my girl in it." I quirk an eyebrow. Before turning to Tucker who was heading to his own shower. "How about you?" I ask. He gives me a look. "You want the official story? Or what actually happened?"

I make a face. "Are they different?" He snorts, dropping his clothes off. "Yeah. They're different. I was having sex with my girl. Beautiful thing. She was a pastors daughter, when suddenly her pastor dad Who, also is a racist, walks in on us. Cindy didn't want to let her dear old dad down. So she screams rape."

My jaw drops.

He shrugs turning on the water. "Yep that's how this government works. If your a guy, let alone a black guy, and a white girl says you did something. They always take her side." I look down. "I'm sorry man." He chuckles. "Don't be. I got a seven year sentence, and I've only got six months left."

I nod about to leave when Caboose suddenly is grabbing me. Crushing me painfully. My already bruised ribs screaming in protest. "Ah! Fuck! Put me down you asshole!" I punch out at his chest. But he only smiles. "I have a new friend! And he's going to play with me, and eat with me. We'll do everything together! Right new friend?!"

I scowl. Glaring into this large mans eyes. "No. Put me down."

He looks sad. "Oh. Okay then." Back in my feet I back up quickly. Giving a questioning look to Church and Tucker. Church scratches his head from under the water. "Yeah, see. He's um. He's not all there. Sorry, probably should've warned you about that."

I make a face. But refrain from saying anything rude. I have to be friends with as many people as I can. Get in close, and find out who's sneaking in contraband. And who's building a bomb.

"It's- Fine. I've uh, I gotta go. I need to eat some breakfast." Tucker waves. "See ya around."

I'm sitting alone at some Table outside. Eating my tray piled with slop. Supposedly it was eggs and biscuits with gravy.

I stab my spork into it boredly. The sun was shining brightly, but it was too early to be hot. I gaze lightly at the dew blanketed grass. Thinking of what it'd take to join a few cliques around here when a tray is slammed down onto my table.

"Oi. This is my table. Step off Cockbiter." I look up to see an angry looking man. Another approaches. Both were Hispanic with shaved heads.

I glance up. "I don't see your name on it pal."

Gutsy. But maybe it'd pay off.

He growls. "I don't think you heard me correctly. I wasn't asking."

Dammit.

He's suddenly grabbing the back of my jumper. I move quickly, grabbing his wrist and twisting it back. Before I bring my right leg around to land a firm kick to his ribs. Before brining my free hand down in the center of his sternum.

He hits the ground with a wheeze. His friend makes a move to help him, but I glare him away. Looking down at my attacker and chiding. "You didn't ask nicely."

I then take my tray of slop and dump it off on top of him. I was done eating anyway.

Dropping the tray on him after the contents were gone. I stride away proudly chin held high.

Then Locus steps in front of me. I flinch back. His face one of anger. But after a moment it softens into approval and he pats my shoulder.

"Impressive. Why don't you come sit with us."

I glance behind him to see Sharkface and Felix at a table. Felix was perched on top with a knee bent on the seat.

I smirk. "Sure thing."

::Author Note::

IMPORTANT.

THE EVENTUAL LOVE INTEREST.

Please vote between the following people. Please please PLEASE vote. Also, this will not be the only chance to vote. It's just, this gives me some idea where the story may go.

Church

Tucker

Locus

Sharkface

Felix

Washington

North

York