“Right? Like he thinks a stick of Wrigley’s is gonna make up for years of menacing behavior.”
I peek at him, and he grins, lifting his fist. But I’m uncomfortably shifting in place until he eventually taps his knuckles on mine and frowns. “You okay?”
“What??Oh, uh… yea,” I gulp.
Sure. I’m great.
Definitely not still tripping on acid that’ll most likely live in my spinal fluid for the rest of my life, deciding to awaken from hibernation and fuck me up whenever it wants.
Totally… okay.
“Get in, losers. We’re going showering in front of a bunch of dudes,” Jasper snaps at us, mouth quirking.
Luthor shakes his head. “Did you guys watchMean Girlslast night or something?”
“He watches it all the time,” Hancock snickers. “It’s like his favorite movie.”
Jasper shoots him an unamused glower. “I told you that in confidence.”
Luthor huffs while following them along, nodding to me. “You coming?”
“Huh?!No,” I croak, clearing my throat when I note the baffled look on his face. “I mean, um… Isn’t he joining us?”
I nod toward Ren’s cell. Velle is exiting without Ren, closing the bars with a clank. Ren’s still inside, lying on his bunk with his iPad. He peeks at Luthor, eyes alight with severity.
“Who cares,” Luthor scoffs. The tone of someone whoobviouslycares. “He probably has a date with Percy Gage’s dick he’s resting up for.”
I don’t feel good about anything that’s happening right now, but I have no choice but to keep swallowing it, scuttling after the rest of the lowly inmates, Unlike Warren Xavier, who gets to do literally whatever he wants.
Jeez, none of the gay shit I do in here earns me iPads or the ability to sleep in when I feel like it.
All I get is a metric ton of shame weighing me to the fucking concrete.
I think I’m doing bi wrong.
“Hey, why isn’t Ren coming to shower with us?” I ask Velle quietly while we walk, glancing at Luthor ahead of me.
I don’t want to upset him by focusing on Ren, because despite everything that’s happened between us, my loyalty needs to remain with Luthor.
Ren is definitely the Regina George of this prison, and Luthor is Cady Heron. Which would makemeGretchen Wieners.
And here I am, getting no candy canes.
Whatever, the movie slaps, okay? Get off my back.
Oh my God… Peppermint! That’s like wintergreen…
Alright, now I’m really losing it.
“Why? You need him to wash your back for you?” Velle snorts, snapping his gum.
I scowl at the floor.
“When’s Dash getting out of solitary?” Luthor slows to ask his own question.
I’m desperately trying to act like I’m not affected by literallyeverythingaround me right now, but it’s difficult when my existence still feels like a movie playing out for the Warden’s entertainment.
My eyes spring to the camera in the corner.
