Catalyst

VIII

The sun's shining, the birds are chirping, the grass is green, and there's a breeze filtering through the cracked-open window. And with a smile that Lucy only reserves for moments like these, she rests her sunglasses over the bridge of her nose and grips the steering wheel comfortably between her fingers.

There was a certain level of freedom that came along with her job in transportation. She was glad when Dinah, who had initially been assigned to the position, requested a position change for health reasons she "refused to talk about." Or at least, that's how Lauren worded it, but the two are thicker than thieves, and Lucy is sure she knows the real reason behind said refusal by now.

But regardless, she gives no fucks. She'd much rather be here, on the road, than she would be in Sophia's cramped, smelly excuse for a salon. And she's sure Dinah feels the same.

"How did you sleep last night, Miss Rosa?" Lucy attempts casual conversation despite it never bringing the older woman's mood up.

"Fine." And by that, Lucy knows the woman means the mattress was stiff, the room was cold, and the company was poor.

"That's better than nothing, I guess." Lucy shrugs, shooting the woman a smile in the rearview mirror in an attempt to brighten her day. She fails to notice it, however, as she stares longingly outside the window. The guard sitting next to Lucy looks between the two of them before returning her gaze to the road.

It's past lunch when Lucy pulls back into Litchfield, helping Miss Rosa back to her room before making her way to her cell block. Hansen is inside when she returns, only she isn't alone.

On the bed sits a dark-skinned girl Lucy remembers as Kordei, who Hansen had been going off about for what felt like an eternity. They're talking quietly amongst themselves, too absorbed to notice Lucy's presence. She's too happy for Hansen to make a big deal about the nail polish the girl is using to paint Kordei's nails (which rightfully belongs to her), instead opting to grab a magazine off her desk and make her way over to Lauren's block.

The girl is hastily tucking something under her mattress when Lucy walks in.

"Laur, you're a girl of many things, but not a single of those things includes secrets. Between us, anyway." Lucy leans against the entrance, crossing her arms over her chest with the magazine in hand. Lauren turns around quickly, narrowing her eyes at her friend. The look on her face screams "stay out of it", Lucy holding her hands up in mock defense as she takes a few steps into Lauren's block.

She glances around at the people milling about before grabbing Lauren's hand and pulling her down onto the bed, so they can't be see above the edges of the block. Lauren glances startlingly down at Lucy's hand, which she removes quickly, watching the momentary panic slip away from Lucy's sudden actions. An apology slips past her lips and Lauren relaxes.

She leans closer and whispers to her, "What are you hiding, Jauregui? You know we can't keep secrets, otherwise..." Her eyes do a final scan of the room, but nobody passing by is interested in either of them, for which Lucy is grateful. "The plan could go south."

"It's not important. The plan is safe." Lauren whispers back sharply, standing from the bed and glaring down at Lucy. She doesn't say anything else as she heads out of the block, indicating with a flick of her head for Lucy to follow. With an exasperated sigh she rises, trudging after her friend.

---

Later, Lucy finds herself sitting across from her roommate losing in a game of cards.

"Why do you suck at this?" Hansen says as she tosses three cards down, making Lucy groan and throw her head back as she drops her deck entirely. "It's like even if I try to let you win, you still find some way to screw it up."

"No, I'm pretty sure it's just because of your gambling addiction."

"Yeah, that too."

Lucy leans back in her seat, letting out a laugh. Across the room she spots Lauren at her usual table alone, the notebook she always has tucked inside her jacket laying on the tabletop. She's leaning over it, sketching something Lucy can't make out from where she's sitting. Her body is turned away from the exit, and Lucy knew that she wouldn't leave the recreation room for awhile longer.

"Hey, I have to go take care of something. I'll see you for dinner?" Lucy says as a form of goodbye to Hansen, leaving her no room to respond as she heads for the door.

She smiles and nods to everyone she passes, trying to look casual as she makes a turn down the hallway to the cell blocks. She spots Lauren and Ally's, entering and moving towards Lauren's bed. She barely notices Ally sitting on her bed as she lifts the mattress, finding a handheld black journal tucked into the corner. "What the hell are you doing lookin' like a middle-aged mother frantically searching her child's room for illegal things?"

"Shut up, Allyson." Lucy drops the mattress once she pulls the journal out, taking a seat on top of Lauren's sheets. She runs her hands across the smooth leather cover, pulling back the band holding the journal closed.

"I don't know what that is, but it's Lauren's, and you shouldn't be—"

"Listen, Ally." Lucy cuts her off, lifting her gaze to her friend as she rests her hand on top of the first few blank pages. "I'm just making sure Lauren isn't..." She stops herself from talking, remembering the long (yet awfully one-sided) talk she'd had with Lauren about their plan, and who they would involve. In the end, they really only trusted each other to keep quiet, and decided it be best to keep it between themselves for now. "I just want to make sure she's okay." She settles for instead, turning a few pages before coming across something that's not a blank page.

Ally wordlessly moves beside her, looking down at the book over Lucy's shoulder. On the page Lucy had landed on was a note, signed at the bottom by Camila. Lucy checks the date scribbled at the bottom in Lauren's neat handwriting... two and a half weeks ago? Why didn't Lauren tell her?

As she continues to flip through the pages, she finds a few more notes dated after each week, and a daisy freshly pressed in with today's date. "Who's Camila?" Lucy wonders aloud, closing the book and flipping it around in her hands, "And when did Lauren get this thing? Clearly it's been unused until now."

"She used to draw in that, I think. All her sketches ended up torn out in a ball on the floor." Lucy examines the pages, noticing the small section of obviously missing ones near the front. "And I guess you know Camila better by her last name, Cabello."

"Oh..." Lucy mumbles out as she stares down at the book in her hands. "Wait... oh, fuck, I am so making fun of Laur for being a sentimental piece of shit! Who knew Lauren Jauregui could be such a romantic?! This is the best day of my prison life!" Lucy hops up off the bed, tucking the journal back under the mattress. "First, I'm going to go make fun of Lauren. Then, I'm going to Hansen to pay up."

Ally lifts a brow in her direction.

"I bet her my last Snickers bar that Laur would never in a million years fall in love. Clearly I was wrong." Lucy lifts her hands into the air as she walks out of the cell block. "Oh, man!" She calls as she walks away, Ally laughing at her stupidity. "Surely this is the beginning of a better world, Allyson! First this, then before you know it, Red's slop will stop giving me indigestion!"