Chapter 3: Trouble brewing.

I wondered what Jack must have done to warrant Ruto thinking about killing him and the relationship she has with him. 

“No matter how gruesome the offence he committed, it shouldn't be worth taking a life.“ I said in my thoughts.

“Who is Jack and why do you want to kill him?" I asked, walking beside her.

“He's my boyfriend. He betrayed me but he'll pay with his life. Even if he escapes and hides 1000 ft deep in the earth, I'm going to find him and put a bullet into his heart." She said, her voice emitting anger and she quickened her steps towards a telephone booth.

I shook my head, my innocent heart processing the whole thing she said.

“Betrayal hurts but is it actually worth taking someone's life?" I said rhetorically before following Ruto to the telephone spot.

Her finger typed on the buttons of the telephone as she input a number.

“Who are you calling?" I asked her.

She didn't respond. Rather, she put the phone to her ear and I looked away, observing prisoners moving along the passage. The turmoil at the restaurant didn't cease too.

“Hello Jack. My love, are you there?" I heard Ruto talking and I turned to her surprisingly.

Wasn't that the jack she swore to kill a few minutes ago?!

 Nonetheless, I listened to their conversation, curiosity pricking my ear.

“It's your babe Ruth. I have really missed you and I want you to wait for just a year when I'll be released so we can be together again...Hello.. hello ..fuck! That bastard!!" Ruto dropped the telephone angrily.

I walked to her, surprise etching all over my face. “Wasn't that the same jack you swore to kill some minutes ago?" 

She chuckled and looked at me. “You want me to give him the impression that I'm gonna kill him? No. I'll be nice to him till I vent my rage on him." She said,

The sound of the alarm echoed throughout the prison again, indicating the end of lunch.

Ruto walked to me. “What do I call you?" 

I smiled at her and said. “Olivia."

She stretched her hand and we shook hands. “Nice name but that's hell too long. I'll call you Oliv." She said with a little smile and released my hand.

“It's not bad." I nodded gently with a smile too.

“Stay alert Oliv and don't sleep with your eyes closed. This place is not a slumber abode but a war zone. Stay strong and focused."

 She tapped my shoulder and bounced away, exchanging pleasantries with other prisoners along the way.

I smiled and muttered. “She's nice unlike my cellmates who welcomed me with Punches." The thought about them makes my stomach churn. I pray they don't gorge out my eyes this time around.

The passage was crowded with prisoners going to their respective cells. I moved through and blindly, I collided against someone, my hands laying on her two boobs just in time, preventing a total collision.

Sharply, I withdrew my hand and looked up to see a woman who should be in her late 40’s. She had her head scraped, leaving her hairless just like Ruto. She had the tattoo of a dragon on her arm, an art that makes her look rebellious.

 Jagged, a scar cut on her skin, running from her head, darting through her left eye brow and stopped below her eyes which made me wonder what kind of  animal or weapon marked her face at such a delicate area. 

Behind her were three other girls, standing gallantly like  bodyguards and everyone who passed bowed for them respectfully as if she's the god of the prison while some quickened their steps fearfully as if they just sighted trouble.

“I'm sorry." I said, my voice was a bit shaky.

She stared at me for a while before a smile suddenly crossed her rigid face. Even her  smile looks scary. It could make a baby wet his diaper.

“Do you like what you just touch?" She spoke, her voice croaking, betraying her feminine nature.

My forehead knotted, confusion flashing within. “What.. what are you talking about?" I stuttered.

She stepped closer to me, her eyes roaming on my body as if ripping my clothes off with her cold gaze.

“Meet me at night." She whispered and winked at me, brushing her shoulder against mine gently as she passed and she spanked my ass which I concluded was a mistake.

I didn't ponder much about it and I quickly hurried to my cell to see Grace and Amaya there. Grace was smoking again while Amaya sat beside her with her unreadable expression. I gulped hard down and dragged my feet inside.

Grace stood up and walked to me with a smile on her face. A smile I see as a veil of deadly intention in her mind but she surprised me by stretching her hand forth, offering a handshake.

“I'm sorry about how I treated you earlier. I'm grace." She said with a gentle smile.

I gulped down and looked from her hand to her smiling face. I took her hand reluctantly.

“I'm Olivia." I whispered.

Seeing my reluctance, Grace hit my shoulder playfully.

“Come on girl. We're not bad girls." She teased.

I smiled. “I don't know of other ways to classify a bad girl but I know a good girl doesn't smoke. Only a bad one does." I said smoothly, getting carefree with them.

Grace smiled and sat on the bed, the cigar clipped between her fingers. “You know..I was once like you...Innocent, gentle and harmless but.. we all have our past stories.

 Stories about how our past affects our current life situations.." She said and smoked out the cigar again.

I smiled and glanced at Amaya who hasn't spoken all along. 

“But I believe one shouldn't justify the present situation with the ugly past.” I began. 

“Like you said, humans are flexible and we should be able to weave through the turbulence of the past without adding a blemish to the future."

I heard Amaya chuckling as if I just made a pointless statement.

Someone hit an object against the iron gate. We turned to the direction to see a warden standing there with a baton in her hand. She scanned her eyes on us.

“Who among you is Olivia?" She asked.

My heart skipped a beat and I hesitated to speak. None of us answered her which made her visibly pissed off.

“Are you all deaf!! Who the heck among you is Olivia!!"

“I am.”