The Blood Lake

Reunion

For the next few hours, I sit impatiently waiting for Miles to show up. I hope it's one of those visitations where you can touch, one where there is no glass separating us. I want to feel his hands and his kiss. I need it. It's 4:00 pm when I get called to the visitation unit. By the grace of god, it's set up like the cafeteria. When I see him my knees buckle and tears well up in my eyes. He is bouncing his leg in anticipation. When the guard lets me loose I want to bolt but I do not want to anger the guards, so I don't. When I reach him he picks me up and kisses my face.
"I missed you angel." he smiles and holds me. "I haven't been able to sleep." my eyes fill with tears. I hate to see him suffering because of all l this.
"I missed you, I'm so sorry," I mumble into his chest.
"Ok you two, sit down, I don't wanna get reported to the boss." the female guard quips and smiles.
"Yes ma'am," Miles says after he sneaks one more peck and squeezes.
"You still living with my Mama.?" I ask.
" Yep, but I'm worried about her, she's been staying home from work and hasn't left her bed." he stares at the table.
"Why didn't they come with you.?" I ask.
"Your dad has been working overtime and your Mom isn't strong enough yet," he answers. "Good news is you could come home next week." I stare at him shocked.
"What?" I ask.
"Your court date, it's next week." they haven't told me.
"Oh, it got moved up?" I asked.
"Yep, and your dad got you a really good lawyer." I smile.
"Your gonna get out of here Delly." he smiles. "Have you made any friends?" he asks.
"Yep, Ivie, Millie, Brair, and Noa." I respond.
"You're popular. Any enemies?" he jokes.
"Haven't t been here long enough?" I kid.
"Any cool nicknames," he asks.
"Briar is called Buffy," I answer.
"Why." He seems intrigued.
"She stopped a dude from biting a chunk out of her neck when he was on bath salts, she killed him," I answer. "Buffy the vampire slayer."
"Cool." he's so fascinated, it's adorable.
"How is everyone?" I ask.
"Good Eli and Rory are official and she sits with us now, your chair stays empty for yah, and Winnie and Noah are going strong. We all miss you so much, Dell." He grabs my hand and squeezes it.
"Ok you two, I'm sorry to break you guys up, but this one has to go to dinner." She shoots me a smile.
"Yes ma'am." Miles's heart breaks in front of me and the guard sees it too.
"Go ahead, kiss her goodbye." She nods at him.
"I love you, angel, stay safe, I'll visit again soon. Maybe I'll bring your Mom and Dad." He kisses my forehead, then my cheeks and lips. After a final squeeze, he's gone. I stand there for a moment and the guard makes her way over to me.
"I know you don't belong here." She smiles. "I know your type, wrong place, wrong time." She cuffs me up. " Cute boyfriend you got there." She teases.
"Yeah, he is isn't he." I laugh. I am shocked by how many kind guards there are around here, maybe it's just the women, maternal instinct, and all. Anyway, the possibility that I will go home next week races through my brain and for a brief moment I'm happy, but then I remember this could all go downhill and I could be stuck here until I get transferred to a real grown-up prison, for the rest of my life.

When I get back to my cell I find Ivie hanging upside down over the side of her bed reading a book.
"Look who's back." She chirps. "Any hot gossip? Oh, were you in solitary?" She asked enthusiastically and intrigued.
"No Ivie, I was in the visiting room." I laugh
"Who visited?" She asks.
"Miles," I respond as I sit on my bed.
"Awe, did you guys kiss?" She squeals. "Oh wait, what guard did you have?" She rambles.
"The girl one and yes." I feed into her curiosity.
"Love her, she's the best." She sits up and kicks her feet. Just when I'm about to finish the conversation we are ushered away to eat dinner.
When we get to the cafeteria Ivie and I are accompanied by our normal group of girls, Buffy, Millie, and Noa.
"So how was everyone's day in hell?" Buffy asks.
"Eh same ole same ole, but Dellah had a good day." Ivie chirps.
"Spill." Millie quips.
"Miles came and visited me," I say with a smirk.
"Aw did you cry?" Noa coos.
"A little," I respond
"It's so hard." Buffy says with sympathy "I had a boyfriend when I got here, but when I got a life sentence he broke up with me." She sniffles and for a second she's human, then it disappears. I feel bad for Buffy, if this court meeting goes wrong I don't know what will happen to me.
"I'm so sorry," I say trying to break the silence.
"It's ok, I don't want to hold him back." She is hurt but I accept it and change the subject.
"I just can not wait to see my parents, I am my Mothers only child so I can't imagine what she is going through," I say hoping not to step on any toes. I feel like I can speak freely with these girls, but at the same time, I know that they are not as fortunate as me in the family and friends department.
"Ugh, what I would give to see my mom again." Ivie sighs as she fiddles with her green beans. "She won't talk to me anymore, she still blames me for killing my brother." She puts down her fork, "I don't blame her, but I am her daughter, not some stone-cold killer." She wipes her cheek.
"It is not your fault." I place a hand on her back. "You made a mistake, but you were ill." I smile and she resumes eating.
"I know, I just miss her." She smiles and changes the subject. "Look at crazy over there." We turn our attention across the room and see what looks like the start of a fight. It's the girls from my first night.
"I know you stole my shit bitch." She sneers. "I will beat your ass!" Roxanne screams.
"News flash, you already broke her ribs." A girl chimes in.
"You will be next, zip it," Roxanne says low and grumbly like rocks.
"Please, I beg you." Liv sounds weak, and reasonably so.
"Why haven't they got her a new roommate?" I ask Buffy.
"No Idea, but they should swap before Livy gets killed." She seems worried.
"Do you know Liv?" I ask.
"Yeah, we went to school together, that place is ghetto as fuck." She rolls her eyes.
"By the sounds of it." I join in her disgust. Our conversation is interrupted by the sound of a chair hitting the wall and Liv shrieking. That's when the guards come rushing in.
"Ok Roxanne, Last straw!" The guard scolds, "Solitary!" She gets marched off and I look to see Liv unconscious on the floor.
"Oh no.." I whisper.
"She probably passed out from the pain," Millie says disapprovingly.
"She'd better get a new roommate." Ivie quips. We all resume eating, I can not wait to get out of here.