Novels by Tanie M

Valerie stepped out of the prison yard. For a minute she only stared back at the prison building. She could not believe it was real. For ten good years, she would imagine what that day would be like, when she finally steps out of prison. Now that she was finally out, it still felt like a dream. It was exactly how she imagined it would be. Fresh air, clear blue skies.“There she is… the gorgeous, invincible Valerie Malvins,” Gracie sounded. Valerie turned and saw Gracie by the car. She walked towards her and gave a tight hug to the friend who stood by her through thick and thin.“OK, I deserve a sandwich at that restaurant we used to like…what was it called again?” Valerie declared playfully.“Hue’s? Well…they turned it into a butchery,” Gracie said. “What? No! What else changed whilst I was away? Tell me everything,” Valerie asked, hoping into the car. “Whew! We going to need a whole day for that, girl,” Gracie said, driving off. Valerie mentioned how excited she was to meet

The break-time siren rang and the students rushed out. Claire felt glad that she hadn’t got into trouble, she had done all her homework. She had even participated once or twice in class. As the other children walked in pairs and groups, heading to the playground, she walked alone. She tried to sit as far away from anybody as she could. The few times she had tried to blend in with other kids, they would either laugh at her food, which was basically just stale break and a half bottle juice. Or, they would remind her that her mother was in prison. Even the parents looked at her with a fair amount of awkwardness. She was Claire, the daughter of the beauty queen, Valerie who was sent to prison ten year back for drug possession and reckless driving. Speculations had gone as far as that Valerie had become a drug dealer. Claire wasn’t familiar with Valerie. When she got arrested, she was about eight months old. Chase never talked about her, and never had she ever been to the prison to see

“Get your lazy, ugly, fat butt out of that chair right this minute,” Charlene shouted her forehead creased. “But…but I have…haven’t finished writing my homework yet, Ms Perreti,” Claire explained.“And who said you can talk back at me? Moron! Now, go and clean the bathroom up.”“Again?” Claire asked, her eyes tearing up.Charlene got closer and gave her a tight slap. “Since when do you question me like that?”Claire closed her books, quietly moved out of the room and went to Charlene and Chase’s bathroom to clean it, again. She had cleaned it before leaving for school that morning and had left it spotlessly clean. Now, there were lipstick and makeup stains all over. Claire Angela Malvins had grown up to be a cute and intelligent eleven year old girl. She had grown under the care of Chase and Shay. When Chase got married to Charlene Perreti, Claire was seven years old. Charlene then fired Shay and opted to take care of Claire herself. However, all she had done was make Claire’

Chris sat in the dining hall, alone on his table. He had always been the anti-social type and prison had been quite difficult. However, slowly he was getting used to it. As he was lost in thought, wondering how everything had happened so fast, a voice interrupted him and he raised his head. “If it’s not the billionaire…enjoying some prison breakfast ?”Damon, and two of his prison mates were approaching Chris. Damon was one hell of a bully. Chris wondered how Damon hadn’t had his way to him already. Damon wasn’t that intimidating physically, but he just had a way of inflicting fear, such that everyone just let him have it his way. He was more like a boss to every inmate. Damon and his pair sat. Chris remained still, unmoved and without a flicker of intimidation in his eyes. “So, how you coping in here, homie?” Damon asked, picking a slice of bread from Chris’ plate. “Fine,” Chris said, his eyes darting across the dining hall, searching for another empty table but there was non

Valerie opened her eyes. She saw Gracie sitting at the corner of a white room. A beeping sound could be heard too, an irritant to her ears. Her senses came alive and she realized she was in a hospital.“Gracie?” she said as she tried to sit up straight. Her head spun, and she noticed she had a handcuff on her wrist that was clung to her bed. Her heart pounded.“Am I in handcuffs? Is this a hospital?” Valerie asked, her voice laced with panic. “Damn right it is,” Gracie said, still seated. “Geez! My head is killing me? How did you know I was here?” Valerie asked.“Followed the sound of betrayal, look where it led me. Apparently somebody had promised to seek help but they didn’t. They resorted to cocaine, again and that’s not even the worst part. Somehow they thought it was a good idea to drive at night, under the influence,” Gracie fumed. Valerie’s memory slowly came back to her. She recalled the tremors and loud voices, eventually prompting her to use the drugs again, and the

Valerie spread it smoothly over her dressing table surface with her index finger. She was almost drooling, feeling so much desire to just have it already. She lowered her face and sniffed over it, taking it in through her nose. During her first days she would sneeze, but now she had been so used to it, it was now a piece of cake. She let out a deep sigh of satisfaction, a groan of pleasure. Her whole world of misery started to fade away, and she stepped into a world of calm, serenity and peace. She felt lighter and happier as she threw herself on the bed.That’s how Valerie had been coping for the past three months. She had resorted to drugs to cope with her grief. It all started as just one simple way to just go through the night without crying. Just one time. One Friday evening as she tried to escape the loneliness of the mansion, she decided to go to a bar. She made a disguise of herself; shades, scarf, covered her hair and all so nobody would recognize her. Some dealer then appro