Cell Mates (boyxboy) (Book 1: Behind Bars)

Chapter 10: Comprehension dawns.

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Chapter 10

Two days after our short-lived pillow talk I found myself mopping floors with the rest of the inmates in my service pool. I'd been transferred back to clean up duty yesterday morning after enjoying the easy kitchen work ever since my run-in with Beans and I found myself missing the ease of it all. Wiping floors and cleaning filthy toilets wasn't exactly my cup of tea.

The only upside to it all was the fact that Nathan and a few other members of my crew were in my service pool and my new friend Kyle was also mopping floors alongside me.

He grinned over at me when the head of our mops slammed into each other and I stifled a chuckle. We weren't allowed to communicate during clean up. When he winked at me and moved farther away to mop up some spilled drink I continued to watch him; wondering at my luck.

I'd spent the past two days getting to know him and as cliché as it sounded I honestly felt like I'd known him my whole life.

He wasn't a difficult guy to get along with; he got my corny jokes and while he was guilty of the crime that had gotten him thrown in with the rest of us, he didn't judge me for my alleged one. I felt as if he sincerely believed I was innocent and it was nice to finally have someone other than Jerry on my side.

I ran the mop over the uneven tiles again and again, flexing my fingers when they started to cramp. I never imagined prison would have gotten a bit easier for me to deal with, who would have thought I could make a friend and gain a lover in this hell hole.

"What're you smiling at? Get back to work." Kyle teased when the guard had his back turned.

"That mop isn't gonna push itself maggot." I teased right back in my best drill sergeant impression and he snickered right along with me.

"You're gonna come to the gym with me for REC later right?"

I glanced to my left to make sure the guard on duty was still occupied before I answered.

"Yeah... I'm getting sick of the library anyway."  I never really understood why people chose to lie for the simplest of things until those words left my mouth. Everybody wanted to fit in sometimes right?

"How come you don't do REC with your crew anyway? I always see them in the gym but you're never there." He questioned while he continued to glide the mop across the tiles.

I shrugged. "There's no rule that says you hafto do REC with your crew is there?" sarcasm.

"Who knows, never been part of a crew before. I thought you guys did everything together."

"Yeah well... I can barely stand most of them so the less time I have to sit around and 'bond' the better." I said unkindly; stealing a glance at John as I said the words.

Kyle followed my gaze the tilted his head in askance, "What's the deal with him?"

"Who John?" I questioned "Nothing if you're the type of person who likes to argue with assholes on a daily basis." I really needed to expand my vocabulary, John deserved something worse than the dried up anus of a donkey to describe him.

"That bad huh?" he said thoughtfully and I tore my eyes away from John and settled them back on the task at hand.

"Worse. Don't even know how Nate can be friends with that sorry excuse for a-"

"Yeah I get it, you hate him." Kyle chuckled cutting me off mid insult.

I shook my head, wondering how grown ass men still managed to spill their shit on the floor every single day...you'd think they'd have learned basic table etiquette when they'd been on the outside. I pressed harder against the wooden rod, trying in vain to clean the sticky mess off the tile.