Catalyst

IX

Camila breathes a heavy sigh filled with annoyance as she enters the line for breakfast. The start of her day has already been fairly unpleasant, and she's not sure if she'll be able to make it through the day in her current state.

There had been something about the lumps in her mattress that particularly pissed her off the second she woke up. Then came the shit storm that is Frangipane. She had been very... particular this morning. And frankly, Camila is done putting up with her bullshit. If she has to listen to one more high-pitched complaint, she swears she's gonna...

The rumble in her stomach sends her thoughts off-track, and she finds herself eyeing the sloppy prison food. The hunger in her decides that these negative thoughts just aren't worth it, at least for now. They can wait until after she has consumed that clump of... sausage? Scrapple? Some kind of breakfast meat, Camila hopes.

She accepts her tray with a grateful smile, ignoring the scowl she receives in return. Camila doesn't care how other people look at these meals; to her, they're the gold of prison. If there's one thing she can say she's unbothered by since her arrival here, it's that she's being fed three times a day. That's three times more than she could say before she was put in this hellhole.

Camila turns just in time to witness Dinah take the only available seat next to Lauren, the other occupied by Lucy as it always is. Camila bites back a frown, sucking in a breath and trying to remain stoic. Why should it bother her, anyway? Just because Lauren seems to have taken a liking to her doesn't mean she has the right to constantly be around her.

As if the universe has sensed her sour attitude, Lauren digs her elbow into Dinah's side and nods her head to the empty seat across from her. There's a commotion from Dinah, but after a stern look from Lauren she shuts up and slumps down in the seat next to Ally's vacant one. Camila concludes that Ally's lack of presence must mean she's in the SHU again.

Dinah glances up as Camila gets closer, a devious smirk spreading over her face. She looks between Lauren and Camila, wagging her eyebrows suggestively and narrowing her focus on the now-empty seat provided by Lauren. Camila furrows her own brows in an attempt to appear clueless, filling the seat next to Lauren. She tries not to think too hard about the happy feeling that bursts through her gut at the thought that Lauren wanted to save this seat just for her.

Lauren smiles politely in greeting, sending a jolt of butterflies through Camila. Lauren should smile more often, she thinks, though she knows that's highly unlikely in this dump. Lauren has a pretty smile.

Stop letting her get into your head, the other side of Camila's brain tries to reason. Just because she's shown you occasional kindness, doesn't mean you need to jump into her pants.

As if sensing Camila's inner turmoil, Dinah nudges Camila's leg under the table with her foot, "Hey, Chancho. Where'd you go?"

Camila blinks a few times, turning her attention away from Lauren, "Huh? Who taught you that word, anyway? Stop calling me that..."

Dinah snorts, ignoring literally everything Camila just said, "What're you doing during recreation hours today? You and I need to have some girl time."

"I'm a girl," Lucy interjects, "Can I come?"

"You don't count, roomie," Dinah says dismissively, "I already have to put up with your crazy ass at meal time and in my block. You can play cards with Lauren like you usually do." Lauren gives Dinah a pointed look, and Dinah raises her hands in defense, "Assuming that's what Lauren would like to do, anyway."

"I can't believe this," Lucy tsks, "Pushed away by my own roommate. We're supposed to be friends, Hansen."

"You and I wouldn't be friends if we were the last two people in this prison. Or better yet, the last two people on Earth," There's teasing in Dinah's tone, but Camila thinks that there's a hint of truth to her words. They seemed to only spend time together outside of their block because of Lauren. And their friendship dynamic is... less than friendly.