Rogues

Chapter One

I shake my leg rapidly, disregarding the obvious friction it is creating between the metal bench and rusting bars. My eyes glue to the floor, my hands are intertwined, thumbs resting on my chapped lips and slightly stroking, feeling the pieces of dead skin. I am holding in my scream, the anticipation is racking my brain. My warm skin turns into a boiling sweat dripping slowly over my cheek. I shut my eyes tightly and dig my nails into the back of my hand, ripping away the dry surface and leaving a white trail. My breathing is rapid, out of sync with my pounding heartbeat. Only one thing was repeating in my head. One thought tearing across my entire brain,

'I need a cigarette.'

usually I didn't get this anxious. This time I can barely catch air.

"Hey!" an angry, feminine voice shouts towards me. I wait a moment before darting my pupils to her attention, welcoming a distraction of any kind. A woman stood, sloppy, as if she was forcibly keeping the wind from blowing her over. Her skin was tight against her bones and orange hair dye bled from her roots like droplets of juice on a tangerine. She stares at me, exasperated and rigid, with yellow teeth and greying gums .

My eyes rest slightly into a cynical, silent glare. I say nothing; granting her more than two seconds of my attention was generous enough. My eyes return to the floor.

"Stop it with the noise!" she yells again.

As her conceded voice chimes between the cell bars I press my foot flat on the floor and stare at the idiotic woman. She keeps her eyes to mine, thinking she could scare me into obedience.

I relax my shoulders and cross my arms on top of my thighs, elbows digging into my leg muscles. I press my lips slightly into a wide, cocky smirk. I switch legs and return to my original position. Before I look away from her beady eyes I begin to shake my other leg. faster this time, making the tapping noise even louder.

Her eyes widen and she tightens her jaw. I stop smiling and return my eyes to the floor. A chuckle came from Candy, a rich dark Jamaican woman who sat on the bench in front of me. Her long black hair is stuck under her bare crossed arms. Her eyes are closed and her red lipstick filled her full lips, she was one of the most beautiful women I knew.

This would be the third time Candy and I unintentionally room together in a cell. We did our business on the same block so we talked occasionally before she got picked up or I had a customer looking for a quick drug.

She opens her bright green eyes and smiles at me, "what secret did you give away now? Didn't you get a real job?"

I smile smugly, evading, "What about you? don't you have a kid to feed?

" You taking the same comedy lessons from my baby daddy?" She chuckles.

"Difference is I actually give a damn."

She let out a loud laugh.

My eyebrows narrow and I create a more serious tone, "Take care of that boy or send him to a better home, Margret." Candy knew I was serious when I used her real name. It was a normal thing for me to comment on the well being of her child, she knew I meant well.

"You would miss him too much." She frowns.

I sigh, not willing to answer. Instead I glance to the other woman who had been burning a hole in the side of my head this entire time.

Her nose scrunches up as I look at her and give her a smile. Silence begins dripping into the cell once more.

My skin felt itchy again.

I've been trying to quit smoking, but I don't have a toothpick to chew on. I found that was best way to subdue my craving from the devil infested addiction. Usually when I got brought in the cops allow me to have one toothpick, but this new guard that locked me up apparently didn't get the memo. Im here so often I should just have my own footlocker in here.