Sentenced Soulmates (Flaritza)

Caputo The Puto

Waking up to white falls, with 4 other just as tired roommates, is a site I'll be seeing every morning for the next few years.

In fact, it'll be a whole lot more foreign when I move into Spanish Harlem and have to do the same thing, but with 20 Latina's instead.

And a bunk mate...

Suzanne and Nicky are up and getting ready for their 2nd day in Litchfield, I can't bring myself to join in conversation about how excited they are and how they're looking forward to settling in with their groups already. Not when Flaca suddenly acted weird with me yesterday.

What if she's my bunk mate? Does she even want to be my bunk mate?
I still want to be hers, I think... All I know is that I don't want to be put with her if she's going to be uncomfortable around me.

Those same questions circle my thoughts over and over again as we, including Miss Rosa and DeMarco, walk the short distance to the bathroom.

A long line, reaching the door, already stands and we join the back of it, patiently waiting for our turn.

"You know-" Having not been spoken to all morning, everyone figuring I was upset about something, I'm surprised to see Suzanne start a conversation with me. "-I think we're getting job assignments tomorrow."

I nod at her, too busy in my own mind to care to talk.

"... You don't look like you're coping too well in here."

"What?" I face Suzanne now, distracted enough by her persistence.

She backs down a little when she notices my irritation. "I think we'll all be a lot happier when we start working. Get a distraction to put our time and frustrations into."

I chuckle at her misplaced enthusiasm. "Yeah right. Cleaning up after everybody sounds super fun."

"That's more like it."

I don't think she got my sarcasm, but I smile at her genuine grin anyway.  

"I think I want to be a janitor."

That raised my eyebrow. I couldn't think of a worse job to get around here.

"Why? You scrub the showers, toilets and floors."

Suzanne nods and smiles, apparently she's heard it as if I was describing what was so special about the job.

"Exactly. Sometimes the ceilings inside me get messy like dirt. I like to clean things. And the dirt is the feelings and the floor is my mind." I stand there, a little awestruck to the point where Suzanne has to nudge me forward to take a step into the smaller line. "That's called coping."

I don't say another word, letting hers sink in instead. 

Before I know it, I'm at the front of the queue, next in line to take a shower. My eyes stay alert for anyone getting out of a stall, and someone soon does. Flaca steps out.

I'm nudged by Suzanne again as she points out there's a shower free. So I approach her. Her dark hair's wrapped in a towel and slim body's hugged by another. 

It's only when I wave a hand in front of Flaca's face that she notices someone's there.

Her eyes widen when she take in who it is, she obviously wasn't expecting to see me. I smile at her and am surprised I'm given a small one back.
Okay... she doesn't hate me then...

"Hi."

Like I'm burning holes into her eyes, she looks away from me. She's quick as she packs all her stuff, making sure to not take too long so she can get out of here as quick as possible.