Ugly Birds in a Beautiful Cage \\ FRANSYKES

6

I stood in the search room getting poked and prodded by security. They had to make sure I wasn't taking anything out of the main prison area into the visitor's room. I didn't like being touched too much in here, especially after the beating I took not too long ago. I guess Josh was an exception.

"He's clean," One security guard said to the other before addressing me, "In you go."

I did as I was told and opened the door that led me through to another room, a smaller one. There was just a woman sitting at a desk wearing a guard's uniform. I went over to her.

"Name?" She asked.

"Oliver Sykes." I told her.

She went through her paperwork before picking out a form and placing it on the desk in front of me.

"I just need you to sign in here." She said, handing me a pen.

I took it and looked down at the sheet. There were a few names written down in the prisoner column, all of which had signatures beside them. I got down to my name and stopped when I saw the name written in the visitor's section.

Kellin Quinn.

I looked up at the lady, expecting her to give me an answer to the hundred questions flying through my mind right now. Why was he here? How did he know? Was I allowed to run away now? Only thing was, I didn't want to run away. I was curious. I was frozen in my place and for some odd reason had fear running through me, which I shouldn't have. This was just Kellin. He was a pipsqueak.

"Is there a problem?" The lady asked.

"No." I said quickly.

I grasped the pen firmly in my fingertips and scribbled my signature down. I dropped the pen and the lady gestured for me to go through the next door, so I did.

I was greeted with a large room filled with the sounds of people chattering to their friends and loved ones. Walking into this room was a vast difference to being back out there in the prison. Back there everything was dull, gloomy, dangerous even. In here, everyone was filled with light and happiness. Everyone except one person.

I saw him before he saw me. He wasn't paying much attention. I hadn't seen him since the break-up, not once. I had no reason to. I knew he hated me and would never leave that pompous asshole, Vic, who he left me for. He didn't want anything to do with me so I had no clue why he would be here. He has no business with me anymore.

He looked up and it was like a vice had captured my heart, squeezing the life out of me. A mixture of both being timid and filled with attitude crossed his face when he saw me. I almost wanted to turn around and leave. I was doing so well trying to forget him.

I approached the table where he was sitting, then sat across from him. The tension in the air was strong.

"Hey." He spoke first. He sounded as nervous as I felt.

"How'd you know?" I asked.

"You still have me listed as one of the renters in our old department...The uh, the landlord called saying he couldn't wait until you were out for his next payment. He figured I knew. I called around a few places and found out you were here." He explained.

"You're not on my visitors list," I said coldly, "No one is. How are you here?"

"You listed me as your emergency contact." He said.

I cursed myself for doing that. I only did because who else did I have? All of my friends had turned their back on me and only wanted something to do with me if I got clean. There was my family, my brother more specifically, but if something happened to me I wouldn't want him to get the call. Kellin though? I didn't think he'd care. I felt uncomfortable now, more than I was five seconds ago.