eccedentesiast (.n) someone who hides pain behind a smile
Isabella D'Angelo had a perfect life, loving parents, the perfect grades and five best friends. Despite having had a rather unusual childhood she wouldn't trade it for anything else.
But the...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
From the moment the police officer handcuffed her wrists to when she found herself behind bars, Isabella couldn't remember much. It was all a daze to her. Vaguely, she could recall arriving at the station, getting her mugshots taken.
All she could think of - the single thought running through her head over and over again - was that she'd never see Jaime again. Or at least, that she wouldn't see him in years. He would turn two in April and when she got out of jail he probably would have forgotten her. Even if she was away for merely one or two years, he'd likely have forgotten her by the time she got out.
"I didn't think I could feel worse after A killed Mona," Hanna said, breaking the silence inside the van they had been placed in to be transported to another prison. "But the four of us getting arrested for her murder brings low to a whole new level."
"Technically, they think that we're accessories, not killers," Isabella said, voice dull and void of any emotions. At the moment she felt so much but could not express any of it. It was almost as if her brain was shutting down all emotions in some form of defence mechanism.
"An accessory is a necklace or a handbag, not a chain gang," Aria said, looking just as defeated as everyone else. Isabella didn't even have the energy to make a snarky remark about how stupid that sounded.
"Call it what you want. We're all going to jail. A wins," Hanna shrugged in defeat.
"Why do you think they're separating us from Ali?" Emily wondered.
"There's a lady in the laundry. If you do her work, she gives you information," Hanna explained. "Yesterday she told me that the warden received an anonymous tip. They think the five of us are plotting something."
Scoffing, Isabella asked, "A prison break?"
"What, and they think Ali's the Big Bad Wolf?" Spencer scoffed.
"That make us the Little Pigs or Little Red?" Aria wondered.
"Doesn't matter. A wolf can't lead without her pack," Spencer said.
"When we get there, they're probably gonna split us up too," Hanna told them.
A silence followed. One that Emily broke when she in a weak voice asked, "What's it like, Han?"
"Do you want me to sugarcoat it or tell you the truth?" Hanna asked bluntly.
"Well, if I'm gonna get through it, I need to know what to expect," Emily said, internally bracing herself for the cold hard truth.
"The second they slam that door shut, you feel ashamed," Hanna told them, eyes downcast.
"This is crazy. We didn't do anything!" Aria exclaimed.
"They don't care," Hanna said bluntly, "They treat you like a criminal. And it's hard to remember that you're not one." Sighing, she continued, "The first night's the hardest. You're locked away from everything and everyone you ever cared about. And when they turn those lights out...it is the loneliest feeling you could ever imagine."
