Paying Debts
It was only about a week after my “initiation” into my clique that I got a rather rude reminder of how rough and dangerous a prison could be. I’d spent the rest of the week after that initiation in sort of a euphoric state. I was no longer holding back from my friends and I was actually happier. Happier than I’d been in a very long time. Which, you know, people don’t generally say when they are in prison.
So one day I was walking to lunch after I finished working. I was already thinking about after lunch when my friends and I were going to meet up and watch television. Apparently, some police procedural show had made a “ripped from the headlines” episode about my trial. I guess they changed enough stuff about it that they didn’t have to worry about giving me any money or anything. Before, this would have filled me with dread. But with McKenzie, Clara, and Prisha I didn’t have all those old fears. I was going to watch with them and we’d make fun of the bad acting and everything. It went from being terrifying to something I looked forward to.
I was thinking about all of this stuff as I went to get in line for food at lunch. I grabbed my try and walked forward into the line. I guess I wasn’t really paying attention to what I was doing, because I accidentally bumped into the girl standing in front of me. Honestly, I didn’t even realize I did it at first, but I heard a high pitched squeal. The girl in front of me turned around.
She was a pretty girl, tall around 5’8 and very thin. She had long blonde hair, a very thin, long nose, and green eyes. Her skin was very pale and freckled. Her body was slim, her breasts small, and her hips sort of narrow. And she had the most enraged look on her face. I looked at her white tank-top and saw that it was covered in some sort of gross looking green food.
“What the fuck are you trying to do bitch?” she asked. It was only then that I realized that I’d caused the green slime on her shirt.
“Oh… Uh,” I stumbled, trying to get myself out of my head. I looked at the girls clearly ruined shirt, “sorry,” I said.
“Sorry, you fucking ruined this!” she said. I didn’t see what the big deal was, they’d just get her a new shirt. But then she reached down between her pert breasts and grabbed a hold of something. It was a necklace, I hadn’t noticed it because it was so covered in green slime. It was big, kind of like a square of fabric. I realized it was a something a kid had made from yarn. And it was definitely ruined. “I am really sorry,” I said more seriously now, I felt terrible.
“My niece made this for me,” the girl said, now her friends were gathering around. They looked angry as well. I suddenly felt terrified; maybe they were going to kick my ass. They sort of encircled me. I looked around for my friends, but I didn’t see anyone. They were quiet, and none of the guards seemed to notice them.
“Is there anything I can do,” I said, dropping my tray. I was almost shaking.
“Yeah,” the girl said, “You’re going to pay me back for this! I think you owe me some money don’t you?” The other girls looked at me expectantly.
“I don’t have anything on me,” I said after a long pause, “But I will get something.” I was so terrified about getting my ass kicked I would have promised anything.
“Yeah you will,” the girl said, “meet me in my cell this evening, bring 25 bucks.” She told me her cell number and said that her name was Penny. Then she sloughed some of the slime off of her shirt and threw it on my shoes. Then she turned and walked away.
I didn’t even bother to get food. I picked up my tray, put it back on the pile, and ran over to the table where my friends sat. I was the first one there. I was fidgeting nervously. I had to ask my new friends for money. I didn’t want to get my ass kicked. I know what you’re thinking, “Hey Odessa, didn’t you say you had a hit song or something? Pay up cheapskate.” Well yeah, I did. But you know how they you can’t take it with you when you die? Prison is kind of like temporarily dying. I had a small (much less than you’d think) stash of money in a bank collecting a painfully small amount of interest. I couldn’t access it from prison. And my family was dead. I didn’t have anyone to send me money. I got paid a pittance to work at the prison, like pennies an hour. I was broke.
Finally, all my friends came and sat down. I greeted them as they arrived, but I decided to wait until they were all their before I started to beg for money. They all looked gorgeous, as usual, and they were in good moods. I knew they saw me being fidgety and stuff, I hoped they didn’t think I was slipping back into my old ways. Finally, Prisha showed up and then all three of them were there. They were talking about my upcoming television triumph, giggling and having fun. But I interrupted.
“Hey I need to ask you guys something,” I said and then I launched into what had happened in the lunch line. I explained the ruined necklace and my promise to pay that day and my lack of money. They listened to me intently.
“You said this was Penny?” McKenzie asked and I nodded, “So what? She isn’t like a giant hard-ass, I mean just pay her and she’ll let it go.” She said.
“I don’t have any money,” I explained again, “I can’t pay her. And if I don’t she is going to bash my ass regardless of whether or not she’s real tough, she has like six girls around her all the time.” I said. I was almost hyperventilating now. I hadn’t realized I was so afraid to fight until that minute. McKenzie was sort of giggling at me though, somehow that made me feel a little bit better. She must have a plan or something. But Clara spoke up next.
“You can’t pay or won’t pay?” She asked. I thought she was coming to the same conclusion that you were, about my song-writing money.
“I can’t, I wish I could,” I explained, “I was hoping maybe I could borrow some money from you guys, its only like $6. 67 from each of you and I will pay you back as soon as I can.” I said and McKenzie was laughing harder, Clara was shaking her head. But Prisha looked concerned; she put her hand on mine.
“We don’t have that to give right now,” she said. I was totally sunk. I was going to get pounded and McKenzie was just laughing at me. I pulled away from Prisha.
“What is so damn funny, I thought you’d help me!” I said, feeling a little betrayed. McKenzie put her hands up defensively, like she was imploring me to settle down. I took at deep breath while McKenzie stopped laughing, then she spoke to me.
“Honey,” she said, “What was I doing when you first met me?” she asked. I thought back to that first day, when I’d walked into my room and saw someone giving McKenzie a blowjob. I wondered what she was getting at for a moment and then I remembered. And started shaking my head.