Orange Is the New Emily

Ch. 6 - "Fresh Meat"

"So, it's Fields right?"

Emily nodded her head, somewhat reluctantly while settling into her bed she could only compare to a cot. She lifted her eyes to meet the eyes of her roommate, a young Hispanic girl with green eyes and dark brown hair.

"And you're Rojas? Right?"

Her roommate nodded and lifted her chin, "yeah, but don't get too attached, I'm leaving this week."

Em stiffened, although she had barely known this girl for a mere hours, she had grown used to her presence and was surprised at the girl's attitude towards her, Em wasn't too excited to to have to adjust to someone knew, especially if she didn't know who that new someone would be.

"Hey, ease up Fields, what's eatin at you?"

"Uh, nothing."

"I don't even know you and I can tell you're lying, what is it? I mean unless you want to talk to Grey about it, if not, I ain't gonna tell, so what's the harm?" Rojas shrugged and Em nodded softly.

"Uh, I was just wondering, how it works?"

"Um, you're being really vague there, how what works?"

"You, leaving."

"You're gonna miss me already? Aw how sweet, but I'm not leaving by choice, I'm getting transferred."

"Oh," Emily sounded defeated but realized was it possible for her to get transferred too? Somewhere away from Rosewood? Her parents had yet to find out she was in jail, and for something she knew they would know was Hanna's fault, but the impending fear that her parents would call sooner or later was dawning on her and she groaned in frustration.

She heard a silent chuckle come from across her new living space and tilted her head.

"Nothing, "Rojas replied as if reading her mind, "it's just, I've been in here for a few months already and you're the first person I've seen who actually rolled her eyes and sighed, you looked totally like a teenager."

Emily sat back up and leaned against the cool wall, "yeah well, I was just thinking of the conversation I'm going to have to have sooner or later when my parents find out I'm here."

"Wait, your folks don't even know you're here, what, do they live under a rock?"

"Right now, no? But they are overseas by now, my dad is taking my mom to travel finally, it's been their dream."

The other girl nodded and seemed to be sizing Emily up, "so let me guess, you're the only child, you had...well seems like you have strict-ish parents, your dad, mom or both obviously had a good career to take time off to travel, and... you're single?"

Em dropped her jaw slightly and instead of protesting, she accepted the facts and laughed, shaking her head, "correct on basically all accounts," then she explained, "I'm the only child to a military dad and a very strict mom who worked in the police force for a while, yet she always had the ideal daughter imagined in her head that she always projected onto me," Em sighed and puffed her chest in exaggeration, "the perfect lady, like she was. Should have seen how she reacted to me being a lesbian, oh no, that wasn't right, it was a phase I'd grow out of, years later and she's glad I'm single, maybe the right guy for us will come along." Em laughed to lighten the mood she suddenly darkened.

"It's okay, don't get me wrong, she's come to accept me I guess, but I know deep down she wishes I was more traditional and fulfilled the perfect daughter duties."

"Damn, Fields, I'm gay too but my parents were a little more laid back when I "came out," she laughed at a memory flooding her mind, "come to think of it, I'm pretty sure they suspected it all along, I fell in love with my best friend, it would've been crazier if both our families didn't know."