Slush

Twelve

Two Weeks Later

"Yo, what's up with you and Ms. Vicky?

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, y'all seem...close."

"She's just really nice to a nigga, that's all."

"I think she got a crush on his ass, Boe!"

"She does not have a crush on me..."

"I don't know, man. She does seem a little...off. Plus, every since you got her, she been happier."

"Y'all are just trippin'."

"Aye, if she get some time off your sentence, hook a nigga up!"

"Franklin, shut up."

"Yea, Frank. Stop talking about his girlfriend."

*

"The showers are broken so we have to take you guys down to the smaller sections!" Hillary shouted as she paced back and forth in front of the inmates.

"Yea, we need to split you guys up into two groups; one for Officer Glover and one for me." Vicky spoke softly.

"You guys probably didn't hear her because she can't project her voi-"

"We heard her, perfectly fine." Macky said cutting Hillary off.

"I'm sorry, Thomas, I didn't know someone asked you to speak." Hillary sarcastically stated getting in his face.

"I'm just saying...you need to chill out." He said shrugging.

"Well, Mr. Johnson, you can go right back to your cell." Hillary said grabbing his handcuffed arms and pulling him back to his cell.

"You can't not let him bathe, Hillary." Vicky called to her but Hillary just ignored her and continued to drag him back to his cell.

Vicky let out frustrated breath and continued to instruct the other inmates. She divided them up and when Hillary came back, they proceeded to the other section.

*

"You're doing a lot of stuff that's against the rules, Hillary." Vicky said once they returned to their office.

"And your point is? No one is going to stop me. I make the rules." She said not looking up from her paper work.

Vicky just shook her and went to check on the inmates. She went to the kitchen where Franklin and Joseph were mopping.

"Hey, guys." She said being careful not to step where they had just mopped.

"Hey, Ms. Vicky." They both said in unison.

"How's your chores coming along?" She asked examining the area in satisfaction.

"Good. Aye, Ms. Vicky?" Joseph said looking up from his mop bucket.

"Yes?"

"That's messed up how Officer Glover is treating Macky. There's gotta be something you can do."

"Um, I'm trying but it's kinda hard. I promise I'll help him, tho. Don't worry." She said giving him a we smile.

"Alright, then. Cause he really likes you." Franklin chimed in with a small laugh.

"I thought you all liked me?" Vicky joked.

"Yea, but he likes you. Especially since Officer Glover treats him so foul." He said. Vicky just nodded her head and told them to keep up the good work.