Her form turned to face me fully at my side, “Not really. But now I know you remember me, I want to make a deal.”
“This should be good,” I retorted.
What could there be to possibly make a deal on?
“Oh, I think you’ll like it.” A small grin appeared on her face. “You don’t tell people you saw me during a rough patch, tarnishing whatever image I’m trying to present in here. And I don’t steal your smokes.”
Had this chick been in my room already without me knowing? “How the f—,” my eyes now locked onto hers, taking in thedarkness in her orbs. “You went into my cell?” I was impressed but mostly annoyed.
She shrugged at me. “Just a quick peek. Curiosity, you know how it is.” She was taunting me; I couldn’t help but clench my fists at my sides.
This chick didn’t know me, but took it upon herself to raid my cell and try to figure me out.
“You’re not stealing my smokes.” An obvious threat laid clear in front of her.
“That depends on you, doesn’t it?” Raising her eyebrows playfully at me. “And I’d like one, whenever I ask.”
Amusement took over at her poor attempt to threaten me, my smile widening as I bit down on my bottom lip. She was new here, so hadn’t really found her footing just yet.
“Do you even smoke?”
“Doesn’t matter. I know that cigarettes can be used to get things in here, so do we have a deal or not?”
I ran my hand through my hair before bringing this childish intimidation game she was playing to an end.
“Fine. Deal.”
Her grin grew ever wider in her victory. Instinctively, I held out my hand, “Wanna shake on it?”
Her eyes flitted down to my outstretched hand, “No, thanks. Your word is good enough. Pleasure doing business with you, Tyler.”
“Screech.” Instantly correcting her mistake with assertiveness, only Squeeks really called me Ty.
“Huh?”
“Call me Screech.”
“Oh, okay.”
“Pleasure doing business, I guess. Mia.” I watched as her lip curled, disgusted by the mention of her name.
“Ew, no. I’m adding to the deal, you call me Misfit.”
I gave her a knowing nod as she rose to her feet.
My voice lowered as I repeated her nickname, letting it sink in. She swiftly turned her feet, grinding into the dirt of the yard as she headed back towards her officer.
“I’d have never said anything by the way,” I called to her.
“And this ensures it,” she said. My smile returned to my face as I watched her retreat inside. Leaving me sat there wondering why my heart hadn’t stopped racing since she sat down.
Chapter 8
Things started slowly between us. A nod in the hallway, a half-smile passed between our trays at lunch. If we did sit together, it was never for long. She hardly spoke in front of the others, just perched herself beside me as if I were the wall that could shut off the noise. Malik was as subtle as a brick to the face, shooting knowing smirks my way. Think he was just excited to see a real girl up close.
But things just slipped into a weird rhythm. Finding each other during downtime, she would be in the library mostly, flicking through dusty ass books about the human body or some crap. There weren’t many places to hide in this shit hole, and the library was a ghost town.
That was until they gave me a permanent posting in the laundry room. Every Wednesday. It was either that or the kitchens, and I'd prefer not to know what goes into that slop they give us daily. The guard on shift mostly just sat on his arse, ordering us around while he sang out of tune to his ridiculously tiny radio.
