Prison Chic #1st book of the Chics series (EDITING)

Chapter 5

Edited....

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Standing in the queue next to Slinky, Joanna observed with interest the huge number of people stacking against the gate to the food hall. This gateway was on the opposite side of the entrance gate she had come from earlier.

A guard was inside the gate with a chart and a pen. Each time someone passes through the gate, he would record something and shout "next".

"It's good to be at the beginning," Slinky said to Joanna "gives you time to take your food and eat it before the others pick on you." He stopped suddenly and looked at her up and down. "You'll be picked on a lot, John. It's a good thing you are strong!" He grinned and continued walking.

Joanna nodded and followed him. She wasn't surprised to hear him say that. For someone who had been picked on her whole life for no reason, she was used to it.

She scratched her head nervously; the small prickles of hair foreign to the touch. Mark had to shave her head almost clean last week for this.

Mark. How was he now? The thought of her cousin crossed her mind as they beckoned to the mouth of the gate. She had been too busy to think about him. She hoped he reached San Francesco safely.

He told her that he had a plan but she couldn’t help but worry about him.

Someone was shouting at the gate and guard was about to snap back at him when another guard approaches. This delayed their entrance further and Joanna felt dark thoughts beginning to seep in her mind.

She hated herself all her life, she hated having a temper, she hated her family; but what she hated most of all was the things she put Mark and his family through yet never in her life had she hated herself more than now for troubling him in this particular problem.

He was in as much danger as she was. And unlike her, he'd be so much easier to find. 

Joanna hoped deep down that he'll be safe and sound and she made a silent oath to get out of his life for good once she get out of this mess. 

"Your name?" The guard in front of the gate all but barked at her. "John. John Cage." Joanna answered, steeling her voice. "Hank Morales." slinky said next to her. "Okay, next." the guard gestured at them both with his hand to let them in.

And they were in.

It was a grand hall. There were long, metal bench tables scattered all over the place. On the far right of the hall, there was the food court. A few men, the cooks, were standing behind the long rail of food and the prisoners were walking alongside it with their trays in hand.

"Come on." Slinky grabbed her arm and she followed. He handed her a grey plastic tray and motioned for her to follow him again as the stood behind the long line of men.

Food looked bad, but eatable. She had worse, she reminded herself. There were porridge, rice, sausages, bread, apples and a juice boxes.

Once they finished they headed to the tables. Slinky seemed in a hurry as he steeled glances around as if afraid if someone was watching him.

He was weird, Joanna noted, but shrugged the thought off.

They found an empty table at the far left of the hall. "Try to finish quickly, you don't want them to take it, do you?" He whispered to her, his eyes wide with... What was it? Fear? Before he started stuffing the food in his mouth as if it was about to disappeared any moment then. "Who are they?" Joanna frowned while she picked up her spoon and started digging in. once he swallowed and before he could answer, she saw his eye widen at something behind her "uh oh." he said and his shoulders cringed visibly as he lowered his head.