Cherry Bomb (Orange is the New Black fanfic)

Chapter 15

Flirting and Anger:

After fighting to get my clothes back, I headed back to my bland holding cell and sat down on my bunk bed, brushing my wet hair into smooth, soft strands. 

Sitting cross-legged, I tried to focus on the sound of my hair being put through the bristles of my brush and nothing else.

I couldn't think about what had happened in the bathroom, not now or the reality of it would crash over me like a wave, drowning me in anxiety.

I was stuck in prison for the rest of my life, with nothing but the smell of piss and the taste of rotten food keeping me company.

No more long car rides with my best friend Romeo, my hair flowing behind me in the cool breeze, the fresh smell of summer calming my nerves. 

I would never feel free again. I would never see Romeo again. I would never-

I grab fistfuls of my hair and pull my head down, squeezing hard as tears swell in my eyes, threatening to fall. 

The pain in my scalp is dull compared to the sharp spike in my heart and I welcome any distractions I can get. 

"Stupid, stupid" I mutter, pulling harder as I rock back and forth, my body swaying slightly as my nails bite into my skin.

"Vira..?" A voice softly says, her tone concerned. I force myself to lift my head and look down from my top bunk, seeing  Daya look up at me with confusion.

Her dyed blonde hair falls in front of her face and she tucks it behind her ear, "Uh, what are you doing?" 

I wipe my face and try to shake off any worry I have left, "Nothing. Nothing at all." My voice comes out even but monotone as if all the personality from my tone has bled out. 

"Okay..." She says with a scrunched-up face, "But it looks like you were crying."

I laugh, "Nope, it's just the dust in here. This place is dusty as hell."

She clicks her tongue, obviously not believing me. "Whatever you say.."

I smile a little too widely and she shifts her gaze behind me, an awkward tension filling the air that I don't realize. 

I've never been good at sensing social cues.

"Well, night" Daya finally says and I wave back as she goes to her bed.

"Lights off!" A guard screams in the hallways and I can't help but flinch as everything turns dark around me.

I sigh and settle into my uncomfortable bed, laying down on my back as I stare into the pitch blackness of the ceiling.

Another day gone, another day ruined. Hopefully, tomorrow will be better but I doubt it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Morning

The thing that wakes me up is the bright lights streaming down from every direction, not the loud voices coming from the other cells, giddy and anxious for a new day.

I groan and lift myself on unsteady hands, my head throbbing with an oncoming headache.

Climbing down the ladder, I stretch out my back and prepare myself for another boring, repetitive day of imprisonment. 

And oh shit, I have to see Nicky again. God, it's going to be so awkward after what happened yesterday.

But who cares, she saw the real me, I'm in prison for a reason.