Catalyst

XIII

Camila and Frangipane have been at it for about ten minutes. Camila would just like to read her book in peace, but Frangipane is adamant that Camila has stolen something from her. She hovers overtop Camila, who sits with her back pressed into the wall adjacent to her bed. She wishes she could sink into the concrete and disappear entirely.

"I know you stole my cigarettes, Cabello!" Frangipane throws her fists down, clenching them at her sides. Camila grumbles under her breath, having had enough of this. She sets her book aside, climbing off her bed and getting in Frangipane's face.

"I didn't. Take. Anything," Camila says slowly, poking her shoulder, "You must have smoked them all."

"I most certainly did not, you ignorant little girl," Frangipane crosses her arms, looking Camila up and down and further solidifying that nothing Camila did would ever scare this emotionless monster, "I swear, if you took them and gave them to your bitch of a girlfriend—"

"Camila," They both turn sharply at the sound of Lauren's voice in the entrance to their block, Frangipane taking a significant amount of steps back from Camila. You might not be scared of me, Camila thinks, but everyone is scared of her. Lauren nods her head in the direction of her cell block, glaring at Frangipane as Camila scurries after her.

"That's right," Frangipane murmurs low enough that only Camila can hear, "Run off. But I will find out what you did with them."

Camila rolls her eyes, facing Lauren's back and not giving Frangipane a second glance. She's not scared of Frangipane, at least not really. She knows that Lauren will protect her. She's seen Lauren stand up for her too many times to think otherwise. She smiles when Lauren glances over her shoulder, double checking to make sure Camila is behind her.

When they arrive at Lauren's block, Ally is sitting on her bed writing in her journal. She must have returned from the SHU within the past hour. Camila will seriously never understand how this woman can stand spending so much time down there. Not that Camila has been herself, but it doesn't exactly sound pleasant. Camila can't stand Frangipane, but she knows being alone would be a thousand times worse than any torment that woman could cause her.

"Hey, Hernandez," Camila greets, taking a seat beside Lauren on her bed. Ally smiles back at Camila as a form of hello.

Lauren huffs, completely ignoring their pleasantries as she grumbles her frustrations to Camila, "You shouldn't let her talk to you like that."

Ally's eyes shoot towards Lauren, but neither of them notice. Camila sighs, "I know, I'm sorry. In all fairness, I'm not very kind to her, either."

Lauren rolls her eyes, "You shouldn't have to be. You've told me she's been like this since the beginning, before you even spoke back to her."

Ally looks between them with a horrified expression, completely blown away that that many words had managed to come out of Lauren at all. She tries to interrupt, "Um, guys?"

"Yeah, well," Camila shrugs, looking sheepishly down at her hands in her lap, "I just feel like I've been too harsh—"

"Hey!" Ally snaps, standing and approaching both of them. She barely beats their height standing next to their sitting forms on Lauren's bed. They both turn to her, remembering she's still there. Lauren looks frightened, while Camila is only a little shocked by Ally's sudden outburst. Ally doesn't soften, "What the hell is going on?"

Lauren's face hardens as well, and she lifts her chin and straightens her back so she matches Ally's height, "Nothing that concerns you, Allyson."

"Nothing that concerns..." Ally mumbles, laughing dryly and shaking her head. She slumps her arms at her side, like a child pouting over candy, "You're talking!"