Los Carnales

Chapter 22: Risk vs Reward

A/N: Read my message board and my reply below it for important Los Carnales tea, thankss.

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August 12th, 2006
Saturday, 11:11am - South Bay Correctional Facility, Palm Beach, Florida

"You good?" asked Aleesia slowly, perfectly plucked eyebrows raised and light brown eyes expressing genuine concern. She sat across from her girlfriend who declined any visitation for weeks up until now. And what Aleesia was seeing was highly unacceptable and very alarming.

A red incomplete circle around her left eye, a healing scar on the bridge of her nose to accompany her freckles, a healing cut on her partially chapped lips, and more bruises all around her back and torso, it was no secret that Lauren had been through hell and back. Ever since she got the business in the showers, Candy's crew has been hazing and testing her nearly every day after that. And what did Lauren do? Remain poised and put up with it. She lost half the cell block's respect but gained more from those who knew what was really up.

The gang leader sat back in her blue chair in the visitation room and took a hard look at her girlfriend. She rested her hands flat on her spread legs beneath the table and shrugged a shoulder. "I'm fine."

Aleesia wasn't buying it, no way. She pursed her lips and canted her head, looking at her sideways. "No me mientas. Come on," she urged gently. "What happened to you? This is clearly why you didn't let me visit you, right?" (Don't lie to me.)

"Aleesia—"

"Who did this to you? I wanna know—"

"And why? Ah? Para qué?" Lauren challenged, her tone firm. "What are you gonna do from out there? Nada. I'm handling it, Aleesia. I'm fine. And besides, I don't want you to worry or cause any trouble—" (For what? Nothing.)

"For you? I will never hesitate. If someone or a group of people is ganging up on you and taking advantage, you're fucking right I will cause trouble. Why? Because you would do the same for me. So why don't you cut the shit, stop lying to me, and tell me what the hell is going on."

Lauren sighed and began to bounce her knee anxiously. Without making it hot, she darted her eyes over to Candy sitting four rows down talking to Luca. Normally, they wouldn't ever be allowed in the same room acting civilised but Sugar was very clear with the COs and the rules to protect Lauren. Extra officers were put in the room to keep Luca away from Lauren and Lauren was not to talk to Luca or feed into any drama unless she wanted to be in serious trouble. Aleesia followed Lauren's eyes and took it upon herself to look over her shoulder and immediately find Candy conversing with her brother, clearly in distress and unhappy about the topic of conversation. She grit her teeth and turned away, meeting Lauren's gaze again. It took every ounce of willpower that Aleesia had to not go over there and pound Candy's face in with her fists.

"Explain," she demanded.

Lauren leaned forward and hovered a little more over the table, sliding her forearms across and dropping her voice a couple of notches so no one around her would hear. "A few weeks ago when we spoke on the phone about you being a nurse and shit, I went to shower a little after that, and I was alone for a couple of minutes until Candy and Lorena...."

*FLASHBACK*

Getting Lauren to the floor again took some hard work but it was doable. The gang leader reeled in and swung blindly after taking a hit to the face from one of the girls behind her. They all dove in and crowded around her, throwing their hits. Lauren dodged most and retaliated with knees to a gut, a hard blow to someone's head, shoving another girl into a shower stall with brute force and hammering her fists down on her. But then she was dragged out by Lorena who squared up like a boxer and threw hands quicker than lightning. The showers remained on to mask some of the sounds of light panting, grunts and gasps, slipping and falling with a loud smack, and insults being spewed out of anger and passion. Outside the showers, CO Castro distracted CO Medina and took her away so Candy could do whatever she had to do and not get in trouble for it.