You Know What They Do To Guys Like Us In Prison

The lights blinded my eyes slightly as I waited for my vision to fully return. My blankets were bunched up at my feet, hanging off of my bunk. It wasn’t off much, but it was enough to be dragging against the disgusting floors that are hardly ever cleaned. I yanked it up, smacking the corner against the bedpost multiple times to get off whatever muck and dust it’d collected throughout the night.

“Seriously? C’mon dude, trying to sleep here.” My roommate Zack complained into his pillow, his long dark hair knotted shamelessly against the fabric. To others, he was Zacky Vengeance, or Zacky ‘V’- but to me it was only Zack. He was mostly a loner, like myself. I think he had maybe one friend, but I haven’t seen him around in a while. Rumor has it he was a hit man, and his wife had snitched on him once she’d found out. He’s never really talked about it- to me anyways. Of course, I can’t talk to anyone. I’m stuck with this fucking notepad and using an interpreter for sign language for anything official. I’m surprised they haven’t locked me up in a Psych Ward just so they don’t have to deal with me.

The sickly alarm went off once again, earning another grunt from my bunkmate. I cringed at the sound, but my bubbling stomach was more than enough motivation to get me out of my bunk. I grabbed the wall and flung myself around the corner, ducking and weaving my way through other inmates to get a table to myself. I don’t know why I even bother, I can just sit at any table I want -full or not- and any other inmates at that table will scatter like ants. But it’s not just me anymore. For the first time in over a year, I’m actually not alone- and it terrifies me.

I made my way to the front of the crowd, passing by three wired phones plastered against the cement. I noticed Gerard leaning against the wall; the black piece of plastic pressed against his ear like his life depended on it.

“Look, you just need to get him out of here…” He coughed slightly, clearing his throat. He seemed jittery, twirling a finger in his hair and blinking rapidly.

“Well why is he in here in the first place?”

“Isn’t that illegal?... Then it’s your job to point that out and get him the hell away from here!”

“I’ll fucking swear if I want!-“ He paused, trembling slightly as he tried to gather himself.

“Whatever. And don’t forget to send the picture…. Please.”

He slammed the phone back onto the receiver angrily, his eyes meeting mine. I quickly jerked my head back around, making my way towards the cafeteria. The smell of sausage filled the hallways, making my stomach growl. God, I miss solid food.

I hopped in the line, being maybe the tenth or eleventh person there. The best food was always at the front, the back of the line always got the undercooked food that was prepared in a rush once the ‘chefs’ finally figured out they’d need more. I made my way to the front, eavesdropping on their conversations like I do with most inmates. No one seems to notice; they all think I’m retarded anyways.

“So I heard Michael got sent down to Solitary for smuggling drugs.” The head cook Bob muttered to his assistants. They were the only two people who were dumb enough to follow him and do exactly as he says.

“Seriously? Dude, I want some. How the fuck would he get it in anyways?” The longer haired one spoke quietly. He looked kinda like Gerard, but a face more worn out from drug use.

“Patience, Bert. Michael’s started to stray from the flock, I’ve gotta rope him back in somehow. He’s even more of an asset to us now.” He calmly spoke, lifting a bowl of oatmeal from behind the counter and placing it on my Styrofoam tray. I quickly flashed a tiny smile at him and nodded.

“You know, I still don’t know why he gets special treatment.” Bob’s other ‘friend’ Jeremy voiced, his words blending in with the rest of the chatter in the cafeteria as I grabbed a thing of milk and made my way to the only empty table left.

I placed my tray on the metal table, ripping open my little milk carton and taking a small sip. I rolled my head around slightly as the white liquid pooled in the back of my throat before I quickly forced it down. Looking back at the quickly dissipating line, I noticed Frank impatiently waiting for his own breakfast. His eyes met mine and he waved slightly, acknowledging my presence.

My mind wandered back to what Bob had said. Michael’s in Solitary? The kid hasn’t been here two months! My eyes darted around the room, and sure enough- He was nowhere to be found. How in the world would he get his hands on drugs anyways?

My mind wandered on the possibilities as I waited for Frank and the likelihood that he might once again grace me with his presence.

I hate thinking. No matter what I set my mind too, there’s only one matter that blankets my mind completely. The only precious soul that keeps me tied to this earth. The slight chance that I’ll get her back someday is enough to make me carry on. She looks so much like her Mama; it’s heartbreaking.

The second I appeared at Justin’s door, he seemed to already know what was going on. There was no explanation needed. I guess in a way we both knew this would happen sooner or later. I was too afraid of what she would do if I ever stopped her habit, or got her help that I just sat back and watched her destroy herself.

I hopped back in the car, turning the radio completely off so I could concentrate on travelling to the unknown. I had her cellphone wired with mine; all I had to do was type in a code and I knew exactly where she was. It wasn’t that hard, but as I followed the blip I realized I had never ventured into this part of town before. I didn’t recognize a damn thing. It was almost completely black; half of the streetlights were flickering dramatically, if not completely busted altogether. Broken glass coated the roads and sidewalks, with the occasional pair of sneakers hanging on the wired, the laces tied tightly together in all kinds of different, messy knots.

I ended up down a dirt road, with warehouses lined up and down the seemingly abandoned path. Every nerve, every sane part of my mind and body screamed, begged and pleaded for me to turn around. I felt like my body was being torn in two, the rational side of me turning back to my car and never coming back, but my smitten heart crying out to my love.

There were three large black SUV’s parked lazily on the side of this one warehouse. I shut off my phone- this seemed to be the only sign of life within miles, so I went with my gut and parked my car across the street, under another broken streetlamp. My Chevy was hidden perfectly, the dark coat of metallic paint blending in well with the night air.

I sat in my car, slumped as far back into the seat as I could possibly manage while I waited for something, anything to occur-

“Sup, dude?” A cheery voice broke me from my thoughts once again, as he slid his tray against the table. He flipped his hair to the side, cutting his sausage into pieces before digging in. I shrugged my shoulders, swirling my oatmeal around. The last ten minutes had really disintegrated my appetite.

“Hey, you okay?” Frank questioned, peering at me with probing eyes.

‘Tired’ I scribbled hastily on my notepad, gulping down a small mouthful of mush and air. I crushed my eyes at the feeling.

“Dude, you fucking reek! When’s the last time you showered? Jesus, fuck.”

I woke up in a pile of my own sweat, how am I supposed to smell? I pondered at the thought with a mindful of sarcasm.

I bent my head down slightly and took a whiff of my own man stink. I scrunched my nose in disgust, covering my mouth to stifle my laughter.

‘Damn, I really do need one, don’t I?’

“We’ll both go take one after, okay? I’m supposed to get my job assignment today so I should take one too. Hopefully they put me in electrical. Michael was supposed to get his too, but-“

I bashed my fist on the table, watching closely as he flinched and immediately stopped talking. I scribbled ferociously, gaining some unwanted attention from others nearby.

‘Bob said Michael’s in Solitary for drugs? The fuck?’

“Michael didn’t do anything, the guard’s found Gerard’s pills in a hollowed-out book and he took the blame. And before you ask, no. We didn’t ask him, he just… did it.” His voice trailed off from a mutter to a whisper, to nothing at all. He closed his eyes, taking another bite of his food.

‘Well Michael’s now a target for any addict that finds out- including Bob. He’s already talking about it. Gerard needs to fix this. Speaking of, where is he?’

Frank peered at the crumpled yellow paper, his eyes twinkling with fear as he read every word. “No idea.”

“Alright inmates, times up. Let’s go.” Ray boomed from the double doors. Everyone stood up almost immediately, pushing and shoving to clear their trays. Frank and I shared the same idea, waiting for others to clear out before we got our asses beat. I looked up at Ray, who –upon noticing my staring- flashed me a quick smile. I looked away as my gaze circled the packed lunch area. Where’s Gerard?

Notes

Ok so sorry for the delay, I have no excuse other than I'm a lazy fuck xD
Since both myself and my co-writer are impatient little shits, I wanna post this one now. My co-author is sleeping so she is going to proofread the next chapter and then maybe I'll post it tomorrow. Oh who am I kidding of course I'll post it tomorrow. Or not. But it's a good one, you're gonna love it <3 One big question will finally be answered, and you probably already know what question.
Kellin's story will be in three parts. I had to split it into three instead of two because you guys would be bored if I kept it all one chapter. Oops.
So I'll stop rambling and let you guys wallow in this semi-filler-buildup-to-a-final-reality-thingy

Characters introduced in this chapter-
Bert McCkracken (The Used)
Jeremy McKinnon (ADTR)
Zacky Vengeance (A7X)

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Xoxo
-Hazel