Mixtape

Heathens

"I wasn't going to." 

"What'd you do anyway?" 

I didn't respond. I knew that it was best not to tell anyone but I also knew I didn't want to get on my cellmate's bad side so early. 

"Oh, not a talkative one? Fine. Goodnight princess." I heard the bed squeak slightly and I could tell he was getting as comfortable as he could be so I let my eyes close slowly, drifting off to sleep slowly before I heard a quiet voice mumble "and I'd suggest not choking your guards. If you want to choke anyone let it be me." 

I was not going to have a comfortable sleep. 

The next morning we woke abruptly as the guards walked past each cell and banged on the metal bars until we moved from the beds and stood in the open space of the cement floor. We were then let out into the 'yard' to have some free time, which was really just a giant slab of concrete with some tables that were never going to be coming off the ground and a basketball court. I followed Mitchell until he went to sit with his friends and I found a spot to sit against a wall, out of everyone's way but in everyone's sight. I had to make it clear that I wasn't hiding but that I didn't want to start anything either. 

I kept my head down and my knees propped up just slightly as I attempted to enjoy the feeling of the sun on my skin. That was until a shadow was cast across my face and I looked up to see a man standing in front of me. He was tall, and not just because I was sitting down. He was about my height, a bit over six foot and he was pretty well built too. He had medium brown hair that was shaved on the sides but pretty long on the top and he was smirking at me with a dumb look on his face. 

"Hoying, right?" He extended a hand and I moved to shake it but he pulled me up so I stood chest to chest with him. 

"Yeah, you are?" His blue-grey eyes sparkled a little when he noticed my disinterest in him being there as if his approach was some kind of knight in shining armour move. I didn't need friends. I didn't need anyone. 

"Adam Gallagher. I saw you sitting by yourself and–" 

"And you wanted to save me from being all by myself. Thanks but no thanks, I have my own back and I don't need anyone to look after me, okay?" I rolled my eyes and leaned back against the wall, wanting to sit back down but knowing that it would make me easy to beat up if he so desired. 

"I mean, no I just wanted to let you know that I saw  you and thought you were gorgeous. Be careful with those blue eyes, they can get you into a lot of trouble." He smiled and walked away, making me wonder what the fuck just happened. 

I stayed out of the way for the rest of that break time before each person went to do their jobs for the day. Some people apparently couldn't handle it so they just stayed in their cells but I got assigned to the laundry room, working with about ten other men to clean the masses of orange jumpsuits. Apparently, we only got two for the week and then we got two clean ones for the next week. Something like that, all I needed to know was when to put a new one on and how to wash them. 

"How'd you get put in here, newbie?" One of the guys - he'd introduced himself as Tim - asked after a while, catching me off-guard as I was loading one of the dryers with wet clothes. 

"Oh um, you know... Illegal stuff." 

"Fine, if you're not going to tell us, at least tell us how long you're here for." He sighed, grabbing the guy next to him "Andy doesn't want to get attached if you only have a few years." They laughed for a second and fell silent after I spoke. 

"Fourteen years." 

"Shit man, you must've done something bad. Robbery? Fraud? Drug dealing?"