LITCHFIELD'S FINEST - FRESH MEAT (oitnb)

11. empathise

"INMATES, I KNOW YOU'RE BEHIND THERE. OUT NOW."
CO Fuckwad boomed, Nicky rolled her eyes and got up.
"Seriously Nichols? Again? Jesus."
"Believe it or not, we weren't fucking, Officer." Nichols explained, trotting down the steps and out of the door, waiting for me at the entrance.
We walked down the corridors, not to any specific place, just strolling. Suddenly, Nicky broke the silence. "So, you like me and I like you." She said. "What happens now?"
I stopped walking to think about that for a second. Did i like Nicky? Or was i just saying that to stop her from being upset? I've only been here for like 2 months- that's a quick time to catch feelings.
"I don't know Nichols." I said, looking away.
"I mean, i don't really do the whole girlfriend-girlfriend thing, but if you want, we can try it." She said, smirking.
She was making out like I was the one chasing after her, which was not the case.
"I mean, seems a little fast." I mumbled.
She looked surprised then nodded, "right" she said, "catch you later Reeses Pieces"
She waltzed off down another corridor. I really didn't know how i felt about Nicky, this was all too serious. I just wanna see how everything goes as and when it happens.

I begin walking back to my bunk when suddenly I remember. My bunkmate is Vause.
What the fuck am I gonna say? The truth isn't gonna be good enough for her. I can't avoid her, we sleep next to eachother.
I get to my bunk and she's sitting there, reading, with a diet coke. There's one on my bed too.
"That one's for you." She says, keeping a neutral face.
"Let me guess, coke and mentos? I wasn't born yesterday." I blurt out, picking up the bottle to inspect it.
"No" she says, drawing out her bottom lip and shaking her head, "just empathising with you cause you got twisted in to Pipers sick mind-fucks."
Her voice got louder towards the end before she calmed herself down and looked back at her book. "Once a cheater, always a cheater I guess."
'Is it cheating if they broke up?' I thought to myself. I furrowed my brows and frowned. "Alex" I said, taking a seat. "You know, it was a freak thing, there were no feelings behind it, nothing, if anything i think it was to make you jealous. It did seem oddly timed and the whole time she was looking at the door and not me." I assure.
"That doesn't change the fact she did it. To make me jealous? She's so immature." She spits back almost instantly.
I look down. "Yeah, but sometimes we do the most childish shit for the ones we love." I said, thinking about how i put Nicky's feelings before mine, and if that meant anything. That causes her to look away and bite her lip.
I pick up the coke and toss it back to her. "I prefer Pepsi" i say, leaving the bunk.
I was gonna make things right between them, even if it wasn't my place to.