Prison life is hard to adjust to, especially when your cell mate is an actual psychopath. Lucky for me, he was moved to a more solitary place after a year and I was left on my own. After two years, I had gained a reputation not to be messed with and even befriended one of the younger guards here. No one here knows what I've done, but no one asks in fear of what the answer will be.
I've gotten rather good at figuring people out in here. I can usually tell someone's crime just by observing them for a little while.
The click of my door and an obnoxious ring signals that we're allowed out and expected to go to the cafeteria for breakfast. I sigh and heave myself out of bed, going out of the room and making my way to the cafeteria.
Once I grab food and sit, my guard friend makes his way over to me. Guards aren't really supposed to socialize with us but I felt bad for the kid and he sneaks a few conversations in with me here and there. He was a tall skinny boy, much like myself but only a bit shorter, he had brown hair and brown eyes, and he was too nice to be working here.
"Hey Ian," he says when he reaches me.
"To what do I owe this pleasure Ryan?" I joke with him. "You don't pay me visits like this quite enough."
"Yeah I know," he gives a small smile before it disappears. "We've got a new inmate coming in today."
"Nothing new," I shrug.
"I know but I feel bad for him," he tells me. "They were talking about him in the break room this morning and he's being assigned to Greg's cell."
I visibly cringe at the name. Greg was my old cell mate. Ryan was one of the few people that understood my struggle first year sharing a cell with Greg. "What horrible crime did he do to be assigned there?"
"That's the thing," Ryan shook his head and sighed. "He's only in for a few small charges."
"Then why did they put him with Greg?" I ask, understanding why Ryan feels bad about this now.
"His sentence is only two years so they're just sparing space by putting him there."
I don't even think as the next sentence falls from my mouth "give him my second bed."
"Are you serious?" Ryan asks with wide eyes.
"Yes," I nod. "No one deserves to be roomed with that monster."
"I'll go talk to my bosses," Ryan grins. "You're the best."
I nod and stare down at my tray. Great now I'll have some asshole to deal with every day.
