Princess -Janae Watson-OITNB

5

      It's been about three days since Janae got back. Things are almost back to normal in our group, except, she's not ignoring me like she used to.  In all honesty, I don't know how to feel about it. She'll look me in the eye while talking to me now, which is a major difference. I don't know what changed, in all honesty I don't even know if I need to be worried about it. It's a good thing right? She's accepting me as a part of their group, even if it is a slow process.

    "Luschek said you needed someone from electrical, so he sent two of us," the voice of Nichols snaps my interests towards the door. She stands there with Janae who's holding a ladder with a disgruntled look on her face. "Yeah, it seems our lights just can't keep it together," I send a smirk over at the two as they make their way into the room. "Anything else I could help you with, Miss. Washington? My tools are all ready to go if you need," Nicky's hand runs across my back as she passes me. "Stop flirting with me, Nichols." Janae let's put a snort, quickly covering her mouth in embarrassment. "Come on, Bre, what are you scared of?" I shake my head, turning back to the cutting board, "I'm not scared of anything, you're just not my type." She scoffs, "What does that mean, I'm everyone's type." "You're short," my eyes cut back over to the blonde staring at me, mouth gapped. "You're a real bitch sometimes, you know that." I send her a pout, "Is baby sad that she met someone who doesn't melt for her?"

"Can we just get this work done?" Watson's voice cuts off the exchange as she taps her foot on the ground, staring over at me. "Yeah, sorry I should really finish this before Red gets mad." Our side of the room falls quiet except for Nicky asking for a tool on occasion. I can't keep my attention on my work, my eyes cutting over to the two of them every time one of the women speak. The way I feel like a new kid, desperate for acceptance around them is embarrassing. I hate that feeling more than anything, I've felt it too much in my life.

"Well, we're done here. Try not to break it again, Washington. There's easier ways to see me," the woman's voice is playfully cocky as she winks at me, already headed towards the door. "Can't believe you already cracked that case, detective Nichols." I roll my eyes as shrugs at the response. "See you at dinner, bluebird." I can almost make out a hint of a smile on her face. "One of these days imma come up with a nickname for you, and then it'll be all over for you." She looks me up and down, "Yeah, okay." "I will, you can bet on it." "I'm not one for gambling." And with that, the two women are out the door.

"It seems like you're making friends," the thick Russian accent makes me jump. "Pardon?" "You and the girl, Watson." I look over at the woman, suddenly nervous, "Yeah, I guess so." She offers me a smile, "Hurry up with those onions, Washington." "Yes ma'am."

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     Red let me go right after dinner started. So now, I'm on my way to the table I sat for my first meal here. I've been here for too long to still have that "first day of school" feeling but it's still there. Something about Litchfield always has my stomach churning with anxieties, especially when Mendez is over dinner. His eyes always feel like their following me, as if he's one of those creepy paintings in movies.

     "Well would you look at that, Red set her free," Cindy is the first to speak when I drop my tray down onto the table. "You say that like I hate my work assignment. You know, now that I seem to be on her good side, it's kinda nice." "Well I stand corrected, I thought it was impossible to win her over." "Did I, after eight years, finally prove Poussey Washington wrong?" She sucks her teeth, "Don't get cocky now, it's happened one time." "Now that it's started it's just going to keep happening." "Yeah, keep dreaming Brielle."

Rolling my eyes I turn away from her, attention turning to my food while I listen to Taystee and Cindy argue over, something. I missed the first half while I was walking over I guess, because I never heard the argument start.

"Hey, what was that going on between you and Nichols earlier?" I pause, looking up at Janae slowly, "What are you talking about?" "You know like the hand on your back and her telling you to stop breaking lights to see her and shit." "Nicky is just a flirt, I there's nothing going on there. It's just banter." "Yeah, okay." My brows scrunch as I stare at the woman, "What's that supposed to mean." "You just seemed a little buddy-buddy to me." "We barely know each other. And why would it matter if I was?" "It doesn't," she shrugs, dropping the conversation entirely.

    "What's she mean about her hand being on your back?" I roll my eyes,"Nichols mad a porny joke and slid her hand across my back earlier when they came in to fix something. It's nothing." "You're not getting mixed up with her are you, B, because that girl isn't going to care about you after. You know that right." "You and I both know she's not my type, Poussey." She opens her mouth to respond but then stops. "See that's the second time today that I've been right, I've started a streak." The shorter woman rolls her eyes this time, "Whatever you say." "I totally have. You're evil reign is over ma'am." She shoves me, "Evil reign my ass, I kept you out of getting in trouble more times than I could count while you were in high school." "Yeah and then have me your own personal punishment to keep me quiet." She shrugs, "You had to learn some how." "You suck, you know that." "Actually I don't it's a great part of being gay."

    "Oh gross, shut up!" My change in town causes Taystee to burst out laughing, "You're gay too, why are you acting grossed out?" "Because she's Poussey! I don't want to think about that, it's gross."

A/N: Sorry that I've been MIA, I've been avoiding my current rewatch of the show (I'm on season two and cannot stand Vee, she's my least favorite antagonist) and that's leading to this book getting ignored. This is also really short and all dialogue but we're going to be jumping to season 2 in the story soon and that should help cut down on me feeling the need to fill in story lines with just dialogue.

Also, Brielle and Nicky building a friendship is something currently happening, how do we feel about that?