*A quick note just to say thank you for all the reviews guys. It makes writing this all the more fun and worthwhile. Hope you enjoy this chapter.*
Chapter Five
The inmates in the dining hall began grimacing as they consumed their meals. Parker held back a smile.
"This is rancid!" Nicky cried out from her table. Parker caught Red's eye, Red gave her an impressed nod. Parker had snuck into the kitchen while everyone slept and switched up the ingredients. The salt was sugar, the coriander was thyme, and so on, so forth.
Gloria did her best to remain stood in her spot, watching over the inmates eating her work. She steeled herself, clenching her jaw, not giving off any signs of humiliation. Her eyes landed on Parker. She knew Parker was behind this. Simply because Parker was the only one who hadn't taken a bite of her food, and instead was smugly watching over everyone else. An inmate got up and hurled her food in the trashcan beside Gloria. Gloria remained unshaken. Red approached, her tray in her hands. Just like the previous inmate, Red also tipped her food into the bin.
"Parker?" Gloria asked, barely moving.
"Mmmhm." Red answered, confirming her suspicions.
"Meet me in the yard." Red said. Gloria nodded.
Red turned and walked away.
Alex tried not to gag, "that's disgusting." She said, putting her food back down.
"It's prison." Piper said, "what do you expect?" She took a bite of her sandwich, then looked equally traumatised. Alex chuckled as Piper spat her food out into a tissue.
"You were saying?" Alex asked. Piper gave her a look. They could banter all they wanted, but both of them knew there was a big problem between them. What they had was great but it was flawed. Alex looked down, "Pipes... there's something I wanna say to you." Alex tried, Piper could tell Alex was struggling.
"Don't, Alex. I didn't mean to pressure you. I just hadn't realised before. Forget it. Don't say it unless you're ready to."
Alex opened her mouth to object, but Piper cut her off, "I mean it. Besides, love is for sissies. We're in prison." She broadened her shoulders and leant back in her chair, doing her best thug impression. Alex laughed, she slipped her hand into Piper's. Piper met her gaze. The two exchanged a small smile. Piper pulled her hand away. The two glanced at Morello, who was distracted by the sight of Nicky sitting at a table alone.
"Why won't she sit with us?" Morello asked aloud.
"It's not us she's avoiding, it's just you." Alex said, Piper kicked Alex under the table. The brunette's honesty was a bit too much to take some times. Morello shot Alex daggers.
"We both took the drugs."
"Yeah, but I'm not the one she cares about." Alex explained.
"Besides, how did you get them in here?" Alex continued. Piper looked uncomfortable.
Morello had a glint in her eyes, she put a finger above her lip. Pornstache.
"Somehow that doesn't surprise me." Alex confessed.
"Why so quiet Chapman?" Morello asked. Piper looked from Alex to Morello. Morello's eyes were still trained on Nicky. Piper gave a shrug, she could feel Alex's eyes on her.
"I just... I don't think it's wise."
Alex scoffed, "sure didn't bother you in Mexico."
"We weren't in prison then." Piper said bluntly. Alex cocked an eyebrow at Morello.
"It's only there for when I hit rock bottom. I like to know I have the option, you know?" Morello admitted, "Help yourself to it Vause, we all have needs."
Piper looked at Alex, Alex smiled, "thanks Morello. That's the sweetest thing anyone has offered me in prison."
Piper shook her head in disbelief. Morello's eyes were on Nicky. She sighed, then asked, "Should I go over there?"
"Leave her to it." Alex said, "When she's over it, she'll seek you out. You can't force a person to change."
Morello looked uneasy, "what if she doesn't seek me out?"
"You should have thought that through before acting like teenagers then." Piper piped up.
Alex and Morello stared at Piper. Piper shrugged, "it was a dumb thing to do. And you both know it."
"Don't judge us." Alex said defensively with a slight frown on her face. Piper raised an eyebrow at Morello and Alex.
"Very well then. You're both adults, you've chosen your sides. I shall choose mine." Piper stood up, and picked up her tray.
"Piper, come on..." Alex exclaimed.
Enjoy your little junkie club." Piper said, only half kidding.
Piper walked over to Nicky and joined her at the table. Alex had an incredulous look on her face, as did Morello.
"What just happened?" Alex asked. Morello just shrugged. Dumbfounded.
"I think we just got out-gamed. By the softer ones." Morello managed.
"How well is it working?" Nicky asked, as Piper sat beside her.
"Pretty well. Morello's gonna crack soon. It's Alex's love for substances that worries me. She'll be harder to crack."
"Mmm...I say, we let 'em sweat some more." Nicky suggested.
Piper nodded, "I like the sound of that."
Piper and Nicky threw Alex and Morello a smirk from across the hall.
"Jesus Vause, I didn't know Chapman could be so holier than thou about stuff."
"It's one of her less endearing traits."
"Did they just...smirk ...at us?" Morello asked, unimpressed.
"Oh, it's on. It's so on." Alex said.
"They have just started something." Morello said, finally getting some fire in her belly.
"If they think they're gonna make us sweat, change our ways and grovel, they can dream on."
"I have an idea..." Alex said with a smug smile.
"What kind of idea?"
"An idea you're gonna love. Follow me..."
"You're such a tease..."
"C'mon, quick!" Alex urged, Morello stood up and followed her.
"Wait a sec, lemme grab an apple!" Morello grabbed an apple and followed Alex.
Piper and Nicky straightened. Piper's voice was filled with concern, "where are they going? That's not part of the plan..."
"What do you think they're gonna do?" Nicky asked.
"Oh please, we have nothing to lose. We're fine. They're in the wrong, they shouldn't have been choosing to do such stupid stuff."
Nicky studied Piper, "You do realise Vause is a fucking bad ass, right?"
"I don't have any vices in here." Piper said with pride.
"Everyone has a vice." Nicky warned.
Piper shrugged, "not me. I'm invincible."
Red entered Parker's room.
"Knock before you enter." Parker said.
"There's no door, Einstein."
"I'm surprised you know who Einstein is." Parker retorted.
"There are drugs moving through this prison. I want it to stop. And I want your help. You get the kitchen as a reward, I let you live in peace."
"I thought you understood that I wasn't afraid of you, or any one in here. If someone offends me, Red. I'll just cut them."
Parker revealed a blade stuck in a twig, hidden up her sleeve.
Red eyed Parker, "was that a threat?"
"When it's a threat, you'll know."
Red glared at Parker, "was that a threat?!"
Parker rolled her eyes. Red seethed, "The only thing I truly care about, is the well being of my girls. You understand? Help me."
"No." Parker said, walking up to Red, "do you think I'm an idiot? You think I don't know you got other plans for me? I've got my own spies in this place, Red. They tell me things. Things that make you look a lot less trustworthy."
Red fell silent.
"I'm going to hurt you. And you won't see me coming. Now get out." Parker said, her voice chillingly low. Red turned and walked away, unsure what to do. She hadn't expected the powerplay to happen so soon. She knew Taystee had been feeding Parker information, but only because Red herself had orchestrated it this way. Red needed to know how much of a threat Parker was. And she was about to find out.
Perfect. Red thought with a slight smile. Parker would come directly after Red, as it was Red who had betrayed her. What Parker didn't know was Red had connections too. Once Red established she was top dog in here, Parker would have no choice but to side with her and obey her. Then Red would work on knocking Gloria down a notch or two.
After all, The Litch belonged to Red. Nobody else. You controlled the food, you controlled the people. It was that simple, be it in Russia, be it in America, be it in prison. It was a universal law nobody could fuck with.
Piper exhaled and sat on her bed. She and Alex were in a better place, thank goodness. She didn't know what it meant. Were they together...or not? But for the first time, she looked forward to just free falling and figuring that out.
She thought she deserved a reward, she glanced at her bookshelf and froze.
"Oh no..." she whispered, "oh, no, no, no, no...no!" Her books were gone.
"Chapman!" Nicky's pissed voice broke her drama.
"Chapman, my fucking hairspray is gone. How will I manage my mane?!" She gestured at the mess of hair she wore with such pride.
"I didn't know you managed it..." piper confessed. If looks could kill, Piper would be dead. Nicky noticed her books missing.
"They took your books?"
"And your hairspray." Piper answered.
"Invincible just isn't what it used to be, fucking A." Nicky lamented. She slumped on the bed beside Piper.
"No. No... Nicky...this is not over. This is far from over. You don't just take someone's books. You don't just fuck with their hairspray. That's a new low."
"Amen, sister." Nicky said.
"Let's get even." Piper announced, she climbed to her feet.
"Come on. I have an idea."
"Oh, I don't know... you seem to get in a lot of shit around here... I just want my hairspray back."
"Morello's playing you. Take back your power. Take back your self respect...Nothing on this earth is sexier than a woman who has self respect."
"Careful Chapman, you're sorta turning me on here."
"Let's get even. Alex and Morello won't know what hit them." Piper declared, Nicky stood up and followed.
"Yes ma'am." Nicky said, with giddy amusement.