Sam and Colby: The Penitentiary

44

Porter woke Ray and me up the next morning to join everyone else for breakfast since we were both ready to go back to our cells.

                "Sir, may I ask a question?" I asked Porter. He stiffly nodded as he led us to the cafeteria. "Anything new in the news this morning? I hate missing out on all of the world."

                "You know, funnily enough, there is one thing that happened yesterday," Porter said. "Ray's going to be a big fan."

                "What was it?" Ray asked.

                "I think Jinx will be letting you know shortly," Porter chuckled. We got into line with everyone else and when we sat down to eat, Jinx walked into the room.

                "Attention, everyone," he yelled. "I know we don't normally do this, but I've decided to let you all listen a clip from the news that was broadcasted this morning. It was an event from yesterday but wasn't aired until a few hours ago."

                This was going to be good. I was glad Jinx hated Ray to the point that he was willing to go out of his way to piss him off like this.

                "Do you know what this is about?" Sam asked, leaning over to whisper to me.

                "Oh, yes. Just wait," I said. Jinx flipped on a radio, then walked over to set it on the table that the Center and trap guys were all sitting at since it was the middle of the room. Everyone got up and crowded around us. I found Ray's eyes among the crowd and winked at him.

                I smiled as I heard President Jimmy Carter start his speech. I stared at Ray during the middle, mouthing along to the most iconic line.

                "To the conscience of a generation. To a man who made our nation stronger because he made it better," I mouthed. Ray looked at me while I did that, the fear and awe growing in his eyes. I smiled a big smile as Carter continued to the most important part.

                "Which is why today, in his glorious honor, I would like to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, to the one and only late Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Junior."

                Ray's mouth dropped open when Carter said that. I lifted up my hands and started loudly clapping. Everyone quickly joined in, cheering and exclaiming in joy. Ray shot me a very, very dirty look before turning around and walking away from the table.

                "No fucking way," Jake laughed.

                "What were the odds," Corey laughed.

                "Nessa," Colby said quietly.

                "Hm?" I asked, looking at him to block out the loud applause and laughter.

                "You told him, didn't you?" he asked.

                "Well yeah. It's not like he's really going to believe it. And even if he does, why would anyone else believe him about it?" I asked.

                "Okay... just please be careful. I don't want you getting into something you can't get out of, okay? I know you don't like it when I'm all overprotective or whatever, but people in here can literally kill you," he said.

                "Yeah, I know. Thank you baby," I whispered.

                "Always," he replied.

                Everyone eventually dispersed from the area, going back to their own tables to eat.

                "I'm really glad Jinx let us hear that," Rock said.

                "I'm really glad Ray heard it," said Red.

                "Eh. It'd take a whole herd of presidents to make Ray think he even maybe made a mistake. Man's real fucked up in the head. Don't know how you talk to him, Mom," said Shag.

                "He's just a really complex puzzle. Like you said, he's fucked up. Figuring him out is just a way to pass the time in here, I guess," I said. In full honesty, there wasn't much to figure out. Ray was a normal guy, nice enough, except he was just racist. Extremely. And sexist. And probably xenophobic and religiously intolerant. But I didn't want to hear about those things because if I asked him about any of that, I wouldn't be able to stop myself from losing my shit and getting so mad at him that I'd do something I would seriously end up regretting.

                "Well we're really glad you're back," said Blaze.

                "Food's been shit without you," Red said with a laugh.

                "Is your face okay?" Red asked. I brought my hand up to my forehead and pat around the gash a little bit.

                "Yeah. It'll be fine," I said. Nelly had tried to put superglue in it, which I very strongly declined. While she was out doing god knows what, I'd rifled through her stuff and found small medical tape bandages like the ones I'd gotten when I busted my nose open.

                I remembered that I had a few stuffed into my sock and pulled one out. I hadn't put one on in front of her because I didn't want to get in trouble for going through her things.

                "Here, can you put this on for me?" I asked, holding it out to Colby.

                "Of course. Just like the nose one?" he asked.

                "Yes, sir," I replied. He peeled the back off of the tape and gently stuck it on my forehead.

                "So do you think you got another concussion?" asked Sam.

                "Probably not. I think I'm fine," I said.

                "Yeah, that's what you said after the last two," said Corey.

                "And then you woke up in a hospital and told the doctor to fuck off," Jake chuckled.

                "Okay, look," I laughed. "That was different. If a certain someone hadn't bled all over the hood of the car, I wouldn't have smashed the damn windshield with my head," I said, looking at Sam.

                "It's not my fault I got impaled with a branch!" Sam said.

                "It is your fault that we almost got struck by lightning, though," Colby said.

                "And it's also your fault that Jake almost fell out of the window," said Corey.

                "Hey, I managed to catch myself," Jake said.

                "Yeah, and you threw me out in the process," I said.

                "Don't forget the part where he kicked a fucking brick at your face," said Sam.

                "What the fuck are you guys going on about?" asked Red.

                "We... we've just had some crazy adventures together," Colby said.

                "Yeah. Something like that," Sam agreed.