A Life On The Edge

The Calm Before the Storm

"Have you seen that show Orange is the New Black?" I gave Ryder a strange look as I restocked the shelves with books.

"That show about prison on Netflix?" I asked.

"Yeah,"        

"No, I try to avoid things that remind me of jail."

"Oh," he sighed pulling that oh shit face. "I always seem to forget you're an ex criminal." I scoffed and shook my head.

"Thank you?" I laughed.

"Did you go to prison or jail?" he asked.

"If you were to look on my record, which should be expunged now, I would say I went to a juvenile detention hall. But it was a prison. It was a prison for kids."

"You don't ever talk about it."

"There's not much to talk about." I shrugged.

"Not according to that show." He chuckled. I rolled my eyes. "It had to have been hard. Did you have sex with a girl while you were locked up?"

"No." I grumbled.

"Really?" he asked surprised.

"Do I look like a lesbian to you?"

"Well..."

"Fuck off." I chuckled.

"Why were you arrested?"

"I was charged with arson and possession with intent to sell."

"Oh shit."

"Yeah I got a nice judge and she cut me a break. Six months in jail and six in a maximum care facility." He gave me a strange look. "Intense rehab." I said, he nodded with understanding.

 "Hey," he perked up. "Do you know where are mom is?"

"Yeah,"

"Where?"

"Unmarked grave in downtown Phoenix probably."

"She's really dead?" he gasped.

"Yup."

"How'd she die?" he asked.

"It's a long story." I said.

"You'll tell it to me one day right?"

"Yeah, one day. Hey can you do me a favor?"

"Depends on what it is?"

"Go steal me some ice cream from the kitchen?" I asked.

"You're in a crazy good mood today." He chuckled. "Answering my questions, asking for sweet things, hell you're even smiling! What's going on? Did winning homecoming queen cheer up your life or something?"

"No nothing like that, although that was kind of cool. Especially since I got to rub it into that bitch Ms. Day's face."

"So what put you in such a good mood?" he asked.

"Get me some ice cream and I'll spill the beans."

"What kind?"

"Butter pecan." I smiled.

"Damn that's my favorite!"

"Must run in the family." I mumbled. I scoffed as I read some the book titles. Married in My Sleep. True Cowboys Believe in Love. The Love of my Life isn't Alive. How the fuck does this shit get published? I mean I'm sure they're good stories but did nobody go over the titles with these people? I picked up the cleaning service. This must be a popular book if we keep having to restock it. I flipped through the pages.