I wake cold and shivering as I listen to the sound of skin slapping as two people have sex somewhere down the hall. They are both groaning in pleasure and I somehow find comfort in knowing that it is consensual. How has this happened? From the bed I look around at my surroundings. This place is a fucking shithole and my eyes glance across the hall to see a young man standing with his arms through the bars, staring at me. God, how is he eighteen? He looks fifteen at a pinch. I frown. How do people fall into this life?
“What’s up?” he says.
I nod in response but don’t reply.
“I’m Cody,” he calls.
I nod again. I’m not in the fucking mood to talk shit. Just go away. An alarm sounds and the doors all slide open in tandem and everyone starts to walk down the hallway to the right. I lie still, frozen. What the hell is going on?
“Breakfast,” the kid calls.
I don’t want to go anywhere. I stay lying in bed. The kid walks into my cell. “What’s your name?” he asks.
“Fuck off,” I snap.
He smiles.
“Come on fuck off. Your breakfast is ready.”
My eyes flick to him.
“Shouldn’t you be in juvi?” I mutter.
He smirks. “Been there, done that.” He waits for me to get out of bed and when I don’t he shakes his head. “First time?” he asks.
I turn my face away from him.
“If you don’t eat now, that’s it,” he replies.
I continue looking at the wall to escape his gaze.
“Starve then.” He sighs and walks down the hall. I lie alone in the evacuated cells and for the first time since arriving I feel like I can breathe. Personal space-I never knew I needed it so badly. I can’t be in here. I can’t fucking stay here. I feel my anxiety rise as fear grips me. I sit up and throw my legs over the side of the bed and put my head into my hands as my elbows rest on my knees. I take deep breaths to try and slow my heatbeat down.
“You have a visitor,” the guard calls from my door.
“Who? Me?” I frown as I look up.
“Yes, you. Hurry up and I will take you down,” he replies.
I nod and pull on my overalls and follow him down the hall and through a security door and into a series of offices. He opens one of the doors and I am led to a desk next to a glass security screen. A phone is attached to the counter.
“Sit,” the guard murmurs.
I fall into the seat and he exits through the door behind me.
I watch the door in the office on the other side of the glass. Hopefully Ben has found something and is here to get me out of here.
The door opens and instead of seeing one of my friends I see the face of the asshole I hate. My fury instantly ignites and I stand so fast my chair falls back and hits the ground and I punch the glass. He spits at my face and it hits the glass. It’s the guy Natasha nearly slept with, the cage fighter. He picks up the phone and I just glare at him.
“Pick up the fucking phone!” he yells.
I stand still, furious. I feel like a caged animal.
“Pick it up!” he screams and he slaps the glass with an open hand.
I stand and go to walk out the door behind me and it dawns on me, what’s he doing in America? Did he do this to Natasha?
I turn back to him and narrow my eyes. Was it him? Hate fills my every pore and I pick up the phone and hold it to my ear.
“What did you fucking do?” he sneers.
“What did you fucking do?” I reply. Fuck, I hate this asshole. I punch the glass in front of his face again and he doesn’t flinch.
“Me? Are you kidding? I’m here to find her,” he shakes his head in disgust at me.
I fake a smile. “Convenient you are in the country when she goes missing. Where is she?” I yell.
The guard comes in the door behind me. “What’s going on in here?” he asks. “Keep it down.”
I turn to look at him and shake my head angrily as I try to control myself.
“You make me sick. She didn’t want you so you fucking killed her. You gutless prick!” he sneers.
“I didn’t touch her. I would never hurt her,” I murmur as my eyes fill with tears. I can’t take any more. I’m at my breaking point.