“Misfit, seriously? We had a deal.” My tone laced with anger. “I vouched for you,” Wavering on the thought of uncovering my want to protect her, from whatever or whoever wanted to manipulate her in this place. “Kept your name out of the mouths that wanted to tear you apart—"
“And made me look weak.” She snapped, as heat flashed across her face.
My brows furrowed, unable to understand her obsession with looking weak. I stepped closer, unable to control my growing temper. “Are you for real? I was helping—"
“No,” cutting me off. “You were making it look like I couldn’t deal with my own shit.”
I scoffed, retreating from her delusion. “You're unbelievable.”
“Our deal was that you don’t do anything that makes me an easy target—”
“You were already an easy target, Misfit.” I snapped.
“I was handling it—”
I couldn’t help but let out a sharp laugh, “Really? Because from where I was sitting, you shook every time Nate so much as looked at you, so yeah, I stepped in—”
“Why?” Her voice rose as other inmates' attention started to fall upon us. “Why do you give a fuck?”
Because, for some unexplainable reason, I found myself drawn to her. The whole psychotic package that was Misfit. She annoyed me more than I knew possible at times. But there were moments, fleeting moments, where it felt like we understood each other, fully.
“What do you gain? Is it for favours?” she continued. “You step in, some fucking white knight, and then I owe you?”
Her words cut, sharp and deep within me. Is that how she saw me? Not once had I ever made any advance with my actions towards her. Despite the rumours, despite Malik and the other lads' constant questions. I always shot them down. We were meant to be friends, but I guess I had completely misread that.
The heat in my chest dispersed, leaving me wounded. “That’s what you think of me?”
She remained silent, eyes still dropped to the floor. She didn’t even have the balls to look at me.
“I don’t want anything from you,” my voice void of all previous aggravation. “I never have.”
Part of me knew she didn’t believe me; otherwise, why would she question it in the first place?
“But if you think so little of me, don’t expect me to stick my neck out again.”
I stepped back, removing myself as our silence spoke more than words. I was done with her; let her be thrown to the wolves.
That’s when she finally looked up, meeting mine.
“I don’t expect anything from anyone,” she said, turning away from me and stepping into her cell, the door sliding shut behind her like the closing of a chapter between us. I remained in the corridor for a while, stunned and unable to grasp what had just happened.
Four days, that’s how long I went without speaking to her. Four days of pretending she didn’t exist, even though I saw her everywhere. In the lunch line, in the yard, at rec. She moved like nothing had happened, like crawling under my bunk and stealing from me was just another Tuesday. And for her, it probably was.
I did the same, treating her like a ghost as I looked through her.
People like us learned to survive before we learned to trust.
I trained harder those days, hit the weights like they’d done something personal to me. Better that than someone's face. Ignored the way my chest felt tight every time I caught her flipping off some guard or haggling for someone else’s fruit cup.
I was angry, not because of the smokes. I could’ve easily replaced those. I was furious because I’d let my guard down. Because I’d started to believe she might be different. Malik had clocked it. Stating the fucking obvious at the most inopportune time.
“Y’all beefin’ or flirting?” he said with a smile from across the table, the others chuckling as they turned, giving Misfit over-the-shoulder glances. I answered with a death glare, knowing he’d get the message. He nodded, pressing his lips together to stop himself from laughing.
Cory sat next to me, bumping my shoulder with his, catching my attention.
“If you're done with her, I wouldn’t mind giving her a spin.” I hardened my glare at him before grabbing his shoulder and forcing him backwards off the bench. Letting out a yelp as his back hit the floor with a thud, I stood and walked away.
Laughter set out from Malik as he looked to the guy now on the floor, “I’m taking that as a no.”
