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Poussey Washington was dead. An amazing, smart, beautiful, and gentle woman lost her life. For no reason. She had a plan, she had family, and now everyone in her life was going to have to grieve her. There was now yet another hole in Aaliyah Channing's heart. Why was this happening? Why did she keep losing people? Was it a curse? Was it just bad luck? She didn't know. She desperately wanted to know. She couldn't move. She was frozen in her place. Sitting outside her cube in the corner.
Janae didn't know how to comfort her. She was dealing with her own grief and figured Aaliyah just wanted space. Aaliyah could hear the faint yells of Taystee and Cindy, arguing with the CO on the other side of the glass. She blamed herself. If she hadn't started the protest, maybe Poussey would still be here. She didn't deserve the fate she was forced upon. And Aaliyah would be dammed if she was gonna let her go in vain.
Janae stood outside her cube, not having the courage to go in. How could she? It was filled with memories of Poussey. "I can't go in." Aaliyah looked up, her vision blurry from lack of sleep and her tears. "Then don't." Cindy replied. Cindy looked behind Janae, "Get your girl too. Come on." Janae nods, walking over to Aaliyah. She leaned down in front of her, "Come on. I won't take no for an answer."
Aaliyah sighed, wiping her face, she took Janae's outstretched hand. Janae pulled her up, walking her over to Taystee's cube. Cindy patted Aaliyah's back softly with a sad smile. "You, you, go visit Abdullah. She like company." Cindy says towards to other two girls on the top bunks. "Come on now! We need us some shivah time. Thank you."
Janae sat on the floor, pulling Aaliyah down next to her. She put an arm around the girl, letting Liyah lay her head on her shoulder. "Fuck man. Why don't you sit?" Cindy says, sitting down, towards Taystee who was pacing back and forward. "Don't wanna." She continued her pacing as Suzanne walked into the cube with books in her left arm. "Anybody got an book? I need more books."
Suzanne laid down on her bed, trying to stack the books on top of her. "What the hell are you doing?" Janae questioned. "Wait, hold up." Cindy picked up one of the books that fell. "Alexander McCall Smith." Suzanne took it from her, "I need more books, not take books away." Cindy blinked, weirded out by Suzanne's behavior. "Uh, Taystee...you gotta deal with this." Cindy sits down as Taystee stops her pacing.
She turned to Suzanne, leaning down in front of her, she exhaled. "Suzanne, I know you're tryin' to feel close to her, but this-" Suzanne interrupts her abruptly. "No, I'm not. I want to know what it feels like...to not breathe." This ticked off Taystee, "Cut it out." Taystee shoves all the books off of her, Janae buried her face in Aaliyah's neck, holding a cry. "Uh-uh. That ain't happening."
"I know where I can get more!" Suzanne runs out, coming back with more books. "Poussey keeps extra books under her bed. Special books. It's like the library VIP room under there." It goes silent as Suzanne thinks about what she said. "Kept. Keeps? Kept." Aaliyah looks up, seeing Taystee sobbing into a pillow. She closed her eyes, laying her head back on Janae's shoulder. They were in pain.
