Only the Moon Watching

Chapter 18: Ziplocked Love Letters

Just like with the fireworks, the second I've hidden Steak's kite it I realize it was a stupid thing to do. If Garda Girdle decides to search me, would she confiscate it? How would I explain what it's for? Would I ruin talking the bowl for everyone?

The paper itches against my skin, like it's a parasitic worm trying to burrow inside me to get out of sight. It's such a stupid place to hide it! I'll never do it again!
Shiv distracts Needler by shoving a pair of oranges into her bra and wiggling her citrus tits, then steals the spoons off every girl's plate and pockets them. Grifta starts a fight with a Russian girl (but none of us can understand what she's yelling about) and they bloody each other's noses, making Grifta's look even more off-center than before. Needler gives a stick and poke tattoo of a heart with a dagger through it to an apple.

After we've eaten, Shiv and I head back to our room.

"You don't have to nervous pee, do you?" asks Shiv.

I can tell she's only teasing me, but suddenly, I do.

"Hold it," she instructs. "We only get four flushes an hour, and sometimes the spoons get stuck. Let's make sure we can get the note to him first. Do you have it ready?"

I tap the space over my heart and Shiv smirks, making me feel embarrassed. (Next time I'll put it by my right boob! I promise, Not by my heart! It's just a friendly letter, it's not about love...)

Shiv strings the spoons together with a fresh length of floss and hands them to me. I fold the note as small as it'll go (you can't split a piece of paper in half more than eight times, I remember, like a Horcrux) and shove it into a plastic bag.

"Maybe I hope you don't fall in love," says Shiv, "I need those bags to make Pruno."

"I'll have him send some back as my dowry."

She bangs on the bowl, we empty it, and call up that there's a message incoming. Then I peer out the window in our door, checking the coast is clear while Shiv fills the toilet with water again.

"Coast is clear," I say.

"We're ready here," Shiv says.

Someone in the cell above us stomps excitedly.

My letter drops with a Plonk! like a coin into a wishing well.

My stomach starts swirling.

All day, all through my arraignment, Steak's letter had been swimming in my head, and now my reply was swimming in the toilet bowl...

"There it goes!" Shiv whispers, watching as the Ziplocked love letter is sucked, clanging, into the drain. We hear the spoons travel up the pipe, hear them connect with their counterparts on Steak's line and be pulled noisily into the cell upstairs. Someone bangs on the bowl to signify they've got it.

I wonder if it's Steak or his roommate.