Chapter 59 "An Open Seat"
Ember
"And yeah, I could really use some help right now," Sienna finished, her smile wavering slightly. "I feel like I'm drowning here and I don't even know which way is up."
Ember felt something in her chest ease slightly. The girl's honesty was refreshing no tough act, no pretending she wasn't terrified.
"I know the feeling," Ember said. "Come on, what cell did they assign you?"
Sienna shifted her pile of supplies, trying to read a piece of paper sticking out from between the sheets. "Um... 2-19? I think?"
"That's just down the hall from mine. I'm in 2-17." Ember gestured toward the corridor. "Let me show you."
They walked through the common room together, and Ember was acutely aware of the eyes tracking them. New girls always drew attention. Two new girls together? That was practically a spectacle.
"Don't look at anyone too long," Ember said quietly. "But don't look scared either. Just... be neutral."
"That's a lot harder than it sounds," Sienna muttered.
"Yeah. I'm still figuring it out too."
They climbed the metal stairs to the second tier, their footsteps clanging loudly. Cell 2-19 was three doors down from Ember's, and the door was standing open.
"This is you," Ember said, stopping at the entrance.
The cell looked identical to Ember's same narrow bunks, same metal toilet, same tiny window. But the lower bunk was already occupied by someone's belongings, and a woman was lying there, earbuds in, eyes closed.
Sienna's face fell. "I have a roommate?"
"Cellmate," Ember corrected gently. "Yeah. Everyone does. It's actually better than being alone, trust me."
"If you say so." Sienna stepped inside cautiously, as if afraid the cell itself might attack her. She set her supplies down on the upper bunk with careful, quiet movements, clearly trying not to disturb her sleeping cellmate.
The woman on the bottom bunk opened one eye, studied Sienna for a moment, then closed it again without saying anything.
Not hostile, but not welcoming either.
Sienna looked back at Ember, uncertainty written all over her face.
"It gets easier," Ember said, though she had no idea if that was true. "My cellmate is actually pretty decent. Hopefully yours will be too."
"Hopefully." Sienna climbed up onto her bunk and sat there, legs dangling over the edge, looking lost. "So... how does this work? Is there like an orientation or something?"
"Sort of. They'll probably do a formal one tomorrow. But basically there's breakfast at seven, lunch at noon, dinner at six. You need your ID for everything." Ember gestured to the card clipped to Sienna's uniform. "Don't lose it. There's a schedule for everything else showers, phone time, rec time, commissary. My cellmate has been explaining it all to me."
"Your cellmate sounds helpful."
"She is. Her name's Shanice. She's been here four years, so she knows how everything works." Ember paused. "Actually, if you want, you could come meet her? She's in the common room playing cards. The women she's with are pretty nice, considering."
Sienna looked toward the common room, then back at Ember. "Are you sure? I don't want to intrude."
"You're not intruding. Besides..." Ember lowered her voice. "It's better to have people around you here. People you can trust, at least a little bit. That's what Shanice told me."
Something in Sienna's expression softened. "Okay. Yeah. Let me just..." She grabbed her ID card and clipped it more securely to her uniform. "Okay. Let's go."
They walked back down to the common room together, and Ember noticed that Sienna's hands were shaking slightly. She was putting on a brave face, but underneath, she was just as terrified as Ember.
Maybe more so.
"What did they get you for?" Ember asked quietly as they descended the stairs. "If you don't mind me asking."
Sienna was quiet for a moment. "Accessory to armed robbery. My boyfriend ex-boyfriend now, obviously robbed a convenience store. I was in the car. I didn't know what he was doing until he came running out with the money and a gun." She laughed bitterly. "I tried to tell them I had no idea. That I was just waiting for him to buy cigarettes. But apparently being the getaway driver, even if you don't know you're the getaway driver, is still a crime."
"How long?"
"Five years. Could be out in three with good behavior." Sienna's voice cracked slightly. "Three years. I'll be twenty-five when I get out. My whole life is just... gone."
Ember wanted to say something comforting. Wanted to tell her it would be okay, that time would pass quickly, that this wasn't the end of everything.
But she couldn't. Because she was facing ten years herself, and nothing anyone could say would make that better.
"I'm sorry," Ember said instead.
"Yeah. Me too." Sienna took a deep breath, visibly trying to compose herself. "What about you? What are you in for?"
Ember's throat tightened. "Murder. Three counts."
Sienna stopped walking, turning to stare at her. "Murder? But you,you look"
"I know. Everyone says that." Ember kept walking, forcing Sienna to catch up. "It's complicated. And I really don't want to talk about it."
"Right. Okay. Sorry."
They reached the table where Shanice and the others were still playing cards. The game had apparently ended, and they were shuffling for another round.
"Back already?" Shanice looked up, then noticed Sienna. "And you brought a friend."
"This is Sienna. She just got here. She's in 2-19."
"With Carmen," Tasha said, grimacing slightly. "Good luck with that. Carmen's not exactly chatty."
"I noticed," Sienna said dryly.
Rosa gestured to an empty chair. "Sit down. You play spades?"
"A little."
"Good enough. We'll deal you in next round."
Just like that, Sienna was absorbed into the group. They introduced themselves Rosa, Tasha, Becca, and Shanice and explained they'd been teaching Ember the finer points of spades for the past hour.
"How you holding up?" Shanice asked Ember quietly while Rosa dealt cards.
"I don't know," Ember admitted. "Minute by minute, I guess."
"That's all you can do for a while. Eventually it becomes day by day. Then week by week." Shanice picked up her cards and arranged them. "Helping the new girl though that was good. Shows you're not just thinking about yourself. People respect that."
Ember hadn't thought about it that way. She'd just seen someone who looked as lost as she felt and wanted to help.
"Plus," Shanice added, glancing at Sienna, who was studying her cards with intense concentration, "it's good to have someone who's in the same boat as you. Someone who understands what it's like to be new and scared shitless. Trust me, that bond matters in here."