Drama Queen - Jolyne Cujoh 🦋

You Can Cry For The Night, While The Moon's Still Bright.

"Inmate 21! Good news. You're getting out." I looked up from my bed. I'd been sobbing in the fetal position. It had been a rough morning. Well, every morning was rough, but this one especially. I snorted and wiped the tears from my eyes. I embraced myself. This was probably some sick joke they were playing on me to get my hopes up. The Tom Cruise guard probably told everyone about what he saw early this morning, and now I'm likely the laughing stock of the cell block. I didn't look the guard in the eye. "You hear me? Hello?" He banged his baton against the bars. "Earth to Cujoh! Get up!" I did what I was told, but I kept my frown sealed on my face. I wasn't playing games; I wouldn't give them the satisfaction of letting them see me lose my smile once I'd figured out their trick. From now on, they'd never see me smile at all.

I heard the other women around me heckling. Some cheered, some laughed, some whistled. I put my hands through the bars and allowed myself to be handcuffed. "It's just until you're outside, kid. No need to look so damn sour." I huffed through my nose. The guard lead me down the corridor, out of the cellblock and into administration. At this point, I was wondering when the joke would be up. I was practically at reception; what were they planning on doing with me? To my surprise, I was uncuffed and left in a waiting room. The guard waited with me while another went to "process my realise forms."

We sat quietly, just staring at each other for a while. "What's the big idea?" I said finally. The guard ignored me. "Why are you doing this?"

The guard rolled his eyes. "Relax, toots. Just doing my job. You're ruling was overturned this morning. I'm just following orders."

I snarled. "That's impossible. I plead guilty. Now tell me what this is really about."

"Watch ya mouth." He said sharply. "You don't get to boss me around, kapeesh?" I slumped back violently in my chair. "Your lawyer, he's corrupt."

"Yeah, no shit." I spat. "You think I don't know that?"

"He's being investigated for destroying evidence and violating his oath." He said, not making eye contact. It was starting to set in that I might actually be getting out of here, but it was still too early to let my guard down. "When someone becomes an attorney, they have to vow to serve in the best interest of their client. So that means not taking bribes, or misleading their client, feeding them false information..." He looked at me. "...it seems as though your attorney forgot he took such an oath."

I put my hands on my lap. "He was bribed?"

The guard nodded. "$150k to fuck you over." He folded his arms across his chest. "And he would have gotten away with it too, except a New York lawyer has decided he's going to represent you for free from now on. He's the one who uncovered the corruption too."

I raised an eyebrow. Something was off about this story. "Yeah, likely story," I said sarcastically. "I don't know anyone from New York, let alone any lawyers. You're saying some random lawyer just stumbled across my case and took an interest?"

"It seems that way." The man got up from his chair. "Suppose you've got a guardian angel looking after you." A knock on the door came, the guard opened it.

"Here's Cujoh's release forum." The guard accepted the clipboard; it held two pieces of paper. He sat it down in front of me.

I skimmed the forum. "This isn't a joke, then?" I said. "I'm going home?"

He shrugged. "You're going somewhere, kid. But you're back in court next month. I hope this big-shot lawyer of yours is everything he says he is. Otherwise, I might be seeing you again real soon." The guard left the room; he left the door open behind him. I still had more questions, but they'd have to wait. I looked at my form. I'd been released on behalf of the judge I had appeared before. I was to promise to return to court in exactly 30 days. My new attorney's name and contact details were already filled out. I wasn't on house arrest, but I wasn't to leave the country or consume alcohol. Easy enough, I guess. I signed my name, consenting to my release.