Sam and Colby: The Penitentiary

37

Work time was after the yard. I spent the several hours cleaning dishes from the last meal and helping Mandi prep for dinner.

                "Hey, pumpkin?" she asked as we wrapped up the prep.

                "Yes ma'am?" I asked.

                "We've got another 45 minutes left of your work period. Have... have you showered yet?" she asked. Oh, jesus. I hadn't even thought about that, what with being the only girl.

                "No. I haven't," I said.

                "Alright, here's the deal. There's a private women's bathroom back behind the kitchen. Me and Nelly are the only ones who use it," she said.

                "Nelly?" I asked.

                "She's the nurse. If you'd like to run back and take a quick shower, I won't tell anyone. Just make it fast so your hair will dry by the time free hour rolls around, okay?" asked Mandi.

                "Oh my god, okay. Yeah. Thank you. So much," I said.

                "Thank you for all the help! I love seeing the boys happy with their food," she replied.

                She showed me to the showers and I quickly cleaned myself, thankful that I had a safe and private place to do it. I towel dried my hair for about ten minutes straight until it was hardly noticeable that I'd showered, and slipped into the clothes Corey had shrunk for me. They were still a little baggy, but fit much better than the ones I'd had before.

                Waco came into the kitchen to guide me out to the dayroom where free time was. All of the guys except Rock, Shag, and Colby had gone to the gym instead, but I had no interest in being there.

                "Hey. Want to play some poker with us?" Rock asked. I looked around the room. There was a shitty library on one side, then a row of battered old board games on the other. There were ratty couches, a few chairs, and some tables spread out throughout the open space.

                "You three go ahead. I'm going to read," I said. Colby gave me a smile when I said that.

                "Of course you are," he laughed. I stuck my tongue out at him jokingly before walking over to the bookshelf. I combed through all of the books, not sure what to pick.

                "Ugh! You always winnin'!" Shag complained, throwing his cards down on the table as Rock smiled. I looked past their table to see an old man sitting on one of the couches alone. A really, really old man. I looked down at the book he had in his hands and couldn't help but smile. I walked over and pointed at the couch.

                "Can I sit here?" I asked. He looked up at me with wide eyes. Aw, he was scared. "I won't bite. I promise."

                He slowly and uneasily nodded his head, worry lining his face. He obviously didn't think he had the choice to say no. I sat down next to him.

                "What book are you reading? I think I've read it before," I said. He looked down at the book in his hands then reached out to drop it into my lap.

                "I'm, uh... I'm not reading it, miss. Just looking at the diagrams," he said.

                "You know, this is my favorite book," I said. I peered down at the tattered yet recognizable book in my hands. On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin. "You like looking at the finch's beak evolutions, huh? What'd you think about his theory on it?"