Hell Has A New Name

35

Juice woke up in the same position on the floor, the sun was up and his body hurt all over. He sat up slowly, towel barely draped over his body. He felt disoriented, thinking about the day before. A part of him didn't believe what happened, but the heaviness in his chest confirmed that the day indeed took place.

He tried not think to much about it, how his body had responded. It was more a response to extreme emotional duress. He felt dirty and guilty, as if he'd taken advantage of Amber. Deep down he knew he hadn't, but he couldn't shake the feeling. Tully wasn't there, he'd let him go, but he was still responsible for this. Everything in his life was touched by that monster. He couldn't wrap his mind around it.

He stood up to stretch, a weird tension hanging in the air around him. He picked up his phone to check the time, a message from Amber. He didn't open it before looking around, the apartment was more quiet than it usually would have been, adding to the weight in his chest.

Micheal, I love you. You're my best friend. I'm sorry for going this way. I knew if I didn't sneak away I'd never make it back to Florida. I'd never be able to leave you. Please don't be mad at me. I'll call you when I get there. I took a bus, not your car.

He was stunned, he couldn't believe she was gone. Just like that gone. Again the emotions ravaged his body, he felt them all. He didn't know what to do, he wanted to go after her but he didn't know when she'd left.

After an hour of screaming and crying he felt numb. Completely numb. Tully wouldn't take away the only person that loved him without having too. He came up with a plan, hacking the prison system again. He was on the outside, things were about to change.

*****************

His heart beat in his chest louder than the buzzing of the gate. He'd been told not to come back, but he was never good at following rules. The guard walked him down to the closed room and closed the door behind him. He sat uncomfortable in his suit pants and jacket.

Tully had been specific about not shopping at the thrift store, he'd gone the day before to a shopping center finding a suit tailor. He'd gone all out, purchased the kind of suit he would have only dreamed of in a previous life. A dark charcoal grey, tailored three piece, that actually felt wonderful despite being uncomfortable just because it was a suit.

The door opening pulled him from his thoughts. For once he had the upper hand, taking the man off guard. The look of surprise was quickly replaced with a subtle cheeky grin no one else but Juice would have noticed. They removed the cuffs and Tully sat down across from him.

"You're shit at listening are you boy?"

Juice couldn't let him get to him, not this time.

"Yeah well. Obviously you are too." He gestured at the room. "No mics, no cameras. This is officially a legal meeting. The only way I knew you couldn't refuse my visit."

He couldn't tell if the look on Tully's face was surprise or just impressed. He didn't give him time to speak.

"Took a play from your book." He slid a phone across the table to him. Now Tully did look confused. "That's for you, my number is already programmed. It's new and shit, can do all that fancy stuff you'll never figure out cause I'm out here. Should keep you busy, keep it with you. Don't let other fuckers use it. I will turn it off. That aside, I expect updates, I need to know what's going on in here. I'll never be free, especially if I don't know what's going on. Don't try to play that game."

Tully picked up the phone, looking at it, turning it over in his hands. "You calling the shots now?" He raised a brow, but he was grinning. "Hmm, I've never been on this side." He winked at Juice. "I kinda like it when you're being bossy baby."

Juice couldn't help it, he laughed. The comment hadn't disgusted him like was probably expected but it amused him.

"Suit looks good on you." Juice was pleased, he felt like an idiot in the stupid thing. A knock on the door silenced them.

"I made some arrangements. Hope it works for you." Someone from the front came in with take out from McDonalds. Tully now looked like he was going to faint.

"What is all this?" The lady left and Juice finally spoke.

"Two cheeseburgers plain, a large fry and a coke." He spoke confidently, something Tully had never actually seen him do.

He coughed, cleared his throat and took the bag. "Why?"

"It's your favorite and you can't get this shit in here. Which is crazy, considering the shit they feed you."

"Boy, you need a hobby." He opened the burgers, breaking them into fourths.

"It's the quiet ones you have to watch out for. Right? I hear everything, I see everything. People forget I'm around and they say and do all kinds of things."

"Thank you. Really. You didn't have to do this. I told you not too." He took another bite and swallowed. "Back to that suit. That didn't even come from the mall. What's it set me back?"

"Had to look the part. I have an image to maintain ya know." This odd comfort he felt being in here where he should be terrified was weird. However his emotions had been through so much in a short period of time, he figured he didn't have any anymore. Nothing is more frightening than someone with nothing to lose, except maybe someone with nothing to lose and no heart. Tully won, he was becoming him. Though he intended to use it to his advantage.

"$1200. It's something called St.Laurent or something like that. They tailored this shit. Thought you'd like it." He preened a little, showing it off.

"You have good taste kid. Besides feeding me and teasing me with your good looks, what can I do for you this time? Since you obviously failed to take my advice and not come back here." He sounded annoyed but also pleased.
"I was trying to get used to missing you. Seeing you two days in close succession like this is going to fuck me up. Have to take it out on someone."

Juice scoffed. "You gotta cell mate? Surely PC is full of choices." It was meant to be a joke, but the look on Tully's face actually looked hurt.

"Nah, ain't had a cell mate since you. I don't like people. And I only visit PC when I'm doing a job. So." He shrugged and sipped his soda.

"Well, what if you got out? I mean how much longer you got anyway?" He didn't know why he asked the question, it just popped out.

"Um, well... I was serving twenty, I'm twelve in. Up for parole in three. But I don't see how that's relevant. I'll never actually get out of here." He liked the structure, he liked the control. Even if he did get out, it would take no time to be right back inside.

"Just saying, you got me out. My times about up." He walked to the door getting ready to leave. "Let me know."