Stay...Alive

Chapter 8

Jacey spent most of the day sitting on her cot, surrounded by Yolanda and Parker. They tried to console her with words, but she didn't even look to be listening. She just stared into space while leaning up against Parker's side. If anyone was being comforted, it was the people talking.

The rest of the gang didn't quite get that comfort. All they could do was sit a few feet away and watch it all happen. Anita looked a little bit confused, but pulled out her weird book and just sat there re-reading it for hours. Victorine almost envied her.

Horace was having a glaring contest with a twelve and an eleven-year-old from across the large room. Jay and Oliver death-stared right back, and neither side's concentration broke for a second. Victorine glanced at Primus for answers, but he simply shrugged.

"What're they doing?" Lane whispered.

"God, I wish I knew," Gina responded.

After a grueling hour, Yolanda finally addressed the rest of the group.

"Okay, listen guys. Jacey's not doin' too good," she explained. "I know it's boring in this john, but you gotta hang tight. Anyone wanna hear a story?"

Victorine was the only one who nodded and smiled with excitement. "Okay, so once upon a time in a magical place called the Devil's Pocket-"

"You mean Gray Ferry?" Lane asked.

"'Gray's Ferry?'" Yolanda mocked in a high-pitched mocking voice. "No. Don't call it that. That's the pussy name for it. So, there was this brave warrior named my grandmother Maria Garcia. She was the queen of poker, and all who challenged her was completely decimated with shame. She was such an expert, that she had an elongated green sock full of spare change just for gambling. But one day, the evil monster named 'that twat Jimmy Markley,' challenged our queen. They met at the cave known as the alley behind my great Tío's bar, with all the money and toys and goods they owned. The game went on for hours, and was witnessed by all the kingdom's children! Our queen and the swine ended up betting all the money, seven stuffed animals, the one ring of power, and the promise that whoever lost would be hanged from William Penn's statue's hand."

"What?" Lane exclaimed. "Yous guys were crazy!"

"They didn't actually do it. They were eight," Yolanda whispered. "But Queen Maria Garcia swept through the last round with a five of a kind in aces. With her doubled fortune, she bought a lava lamp."

"What?" Lane questioned.

"It was, like, the 60's. And so, Maria Garcia went on to produce an okay son and amazing granddaughter who should've gone to UPenn or Drexel but Goddamn capitalism. They all lived happily ever after, the end."

"I mean, you're here, so...not a happy ending at all," Horace chimed in, not breaking his concentration.

"Oh, shut your bitch-ass mouth you little brat," Yolanda grumbled.

"Language," Asha reminded.

Victorine barely slept that night. She didn't even come close. She was awake for hours while everyone else in that large dormitory fell asleep. She was awake to hear snoring and sleep-muttering and...other things she didn't want to think about. But she was awake when Jacey woke with a start from her inevitable nightmare.

Jacey slowly and precariously sat up, and Parker sprung up right afterward. Jacey breathed heavily while Parker wrapped his arms around her and held her. She leaned his head on his shoulder as he whispered into her hair. Slowly, she calmed down enough to mutter, "Sorry for waking you up."

"It's fine, it's fine," Parker whispered back, his voice muffled. "I could do this all day."

Sniffling, Jacey buried her face in his shoulder. He stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head.