Princess -Janae Watson-OITNB

3

      It's been a week and a half since I joined the Litchfield community, and I guess one could say I'm adjusting. My bunk mate is as good as I could hope for. Cindy isn't exactly the type person I expected to be bunked with but that's a good thing. She's actually really funny and it's refreshing. I also got assigned a job, the kitchen just happened to need someone new. Even if staff isn't very bubbly, it's nice. It seems like I wasn't exactly Red's first choice for the kitchen though, she has me on mundane little tasks and watches me like she's waiting for me to prove I don't belong here. I guess I can't blame her for having her doubts about me, I would too.

     I haven't spoken to Janae since that first night, she doesn't even look at me when I'm around. But I guess that's fair too. I wouldn't want to see the stranger I cried in front of either. I haven't really seen her so much though, she got sent to SHU the first day working in electrical. It's stupid that she's there, from everything I heard she didn't do anything to be punished.

"Washington, help Norma with getting those pans out the oven," Red's voice grabs my attention. I give her a quick nod, dropping my knife on the cutting board as I go over to the gentle woman at the oven. She gives me a soft smile which I return. I like Norma, she has a comforting vibe to her that the rest of the kitchen simply doesn't. She hands me the oven mitts and I give her a soft thanks in return. "Where do you want them, Red?" I look to the older woman, still feeling some of the heat from the large metal pan through the old mitts.

"Over here on this counter," she waves a hand at the counter across the room from the oven. I nod even though she can't see the movement, making my way to the counter. After the second pan was out and on the counter Red dismisses me back to chopping onions. The kitchen fall back into to a comfortable silence, aside from the sounds of people moving and Red shouting out an order every now and then. That seems to be the default of the kitchen, quiet. It's probably my favorite part of the job, the way that we don't feel the need for small talk. It's just work.

The metal door swings open, grabbing my attention. Two of the women from electrical come in. One has a ladder while the other holds a large light bulb and a tool belt. I look at them, trying to remember the name of the one with the ladder, she was on the van with me. I stare at her for a moment, returning the small wave she gave me. I can't remember it. "Finally! I asked electrical to send someone down here before breakfast to fix that light," Red grumbles, throwing up her hands as she talks, "It's the light above Washington." "It's good to see you too, Ma," the woman with the lightbulb laughs dryly, looking around the room slightly. The blonde from the van walks right over to me. Great she remembered my name and I didn't remember her's.

The other woman follows her over to me. I slide to the other side of the table to give them more room as the blonde sets up the ladder. The messy haired woman sets the lightbulb on the table carefully and I slide the bowl in front of it so it doesn't roll off. "Thanks," she smiles at me before turning to the blonde, "So are you climbing the ladder or am I?" The blonde looks from the table to the light, her face cringing as if she fears it. "Relax Piper, I've got it," the woman sighs, beginning to climb up. The metal steps creak as she climbs it and I cringe at the sound, trying not to look at them.

"Hey!" The voice of the blonde, Piper grabs my attention. I look up to her bitting my lip, "Hi?" "We were together on the ride up here right?" "Yeah that's me, nice to see you again." She smiles, "So how are you adjusting?" "Not bad, how are you doing?" Small talk, god I hate small talk. "You know I could be doing better," she shakes her head as she talks but smiles at me none the less. The smile feels wrong, everyone in here seems so straight faced or sad all the time. Well, Poussey, Cindy, and Taystee don't but that seems to change when other people are around. "Lightbulb," the woman on top of the ladder calls down and Piper shuffles around the ladder to grab it and hand it up to her. I look up at her and she winks down at me. "That's kinda gay," I mouth up to her, hoping she'll know I'm joking. "So am I," she mouths back, causing me to giggle. "Me too." She smirks, taking the lightbulb from Piper and turning away from me.

"Nicky don't distract my kitchen staff," Red calls to the woman, walking into the freezer. "I'm just being friendly," Nicky laughs, now closing the cover of the light fixture. The new brightness over my small section of the kitchen causes me to squint. "Well, be nice to her when she's not working. Washington has a job to do." "Yes ma'am," the woman hums, climbing back down the ladder. "See you around, Washington." "Maybe," I hum back, looking down at the onion I was cutting, getting back to the work as I try to avoid the bright light. The woman laughs, "You'll see me around, trust me." I roll my eyes, she's cocky.

————

I fall back on my bunk, a book in hand. In all honesty, I still can't tell what it's supposed to be about and I'm four chapters in. It's a random one that Poussey recommended to me but it's not my style at all.

"Hey Little Washington, your sister wants you," Cindy's voice is a welcome distraction. "Technically Cindy, she should be the little Washington because I'm taller." The woman laughs, "True that." I sit back up, letting the book fall abandoned beside me. "What does she want me for?" Cindy shrugs, "She just grabbed me when I was passing the library and told me to come get you." I scrunch up my eyebrows, what the hell does she want? Is this a trap into another lecture about me being here? I really thought she had that all out on day one. "Oh? Well thanks for getting me." "No problem," Cindy walks over to the windowsill to grab something as I get up.

I make my way to the library, playing with my fingers all the way there. I really don't want another lecture right now. Through the window in the library door I can see Taystee and Poussey sitting together, Poussey's eyes closed as she laughs. Okay, it doesn't seem like I'm getting a lecture. I step into the room, grabbing the attention of the women in the room. "Hey! Cindy actually got you!" I make my way over to them, holding onto the back of the empty chair at the table, "Yeah, she said you wanted me for something." Taystee eyes my hands as they grip the back of the plastic chair, "You can sit with us you know."

My eyes flicker to Poussey's, as if to ask for her permission to sit down. She taps the table in front of the chair, giving me a soft smile. It's like I'm fourteen again and scared of messing up in front of her. I pull the chair out, letting myself fall into the seat, "So uh," I drag out the sound while thinking about what to say next, "is this me getting called to the principal's office or something?" The smaller woman laughs at me, shaking her head as she does, "No, I just wanted to see you." I raise an eyebrow, trying to decide on if I believe her. "So, you're over the whole   'I can't believe you were this stupid Brielle' thing?"

"Well it's not gonna do her any good to stay mad at you," Taystee lets out a scoff with her words. "Yeah, you're family B. You need me in here." I roll my eyes, reaching across the table to shove her shoulder, "I could totally survive in here without you." "Yeah, right, because Red loves you so much."  I look down, "I mean, not yet, but I'll win her over." "Yeah, right. Red?" Taystee let's out a dry laugh. "I will! I'm sure of it." Poussey shakes her head, "You do realize that not everyone is going to like you."
  
    "I know that! I don't think this is kindergarten! But I am going to make Red like me. I was a culinary student for God's sake! She should love me but no she has me on tiny tasks because she doesn't trust me! I don't know what I have to do to make her like me but I need her to." P leans on her hand, watching me as I grumble about the woman. "You aren't going to win her trust easily." "I don't need it to be easy P, I just need to do something more than get pans out of ovens and chop onions. I don't even get to put the pans in the oven."  "You'll get there, if P trusts you, I'm sure you're worth trusting," Taystee shrugs, getting up.
 
    "Leaving us alone?" Poussey gives Taystee a fake pout, earning her an eye roll in response. "Books don't shelve themselves." "Aren't you supposed to help her with that? I can leave," I push my chair back to get up as she speaks. "No, I've got it. You two catch up or whatever she wanted you for." I turn to Poussey, smiling at her, "So, what has happened in your exciting life while I was running around being stupid?" "At least you're admit it."