Next day. Still had to take early morning showers. Theresa would be there. Kora couldn't help but wonder if Theresa had a shiv. It would complicate the morning. Of course the day was bound to be complicated. Kora had landed a few good hits on Theresa the day prior, and the cafeteria had erupted into chaos, everyone fighting everyone.
A part of Kora had enjoyed it.
Today, though, Kora was target number one.
Which wouldn't be fun.
Theresa had a lot of power and pull and associates. Theresa would want to kill Kora herself, or beat her within an inch of her life, but she could just as well kill or maim Kora through an associate. In which case, Kora wouldn't see it coming.
One thing was for sure, Kora thought as she stripped off her clothes and dumped them in the bin, she was showering with her eyes open.
"I'll watch your back," Alex said quietly behind her.
Theresa was in the front of the line. Turned away. Hadn't looked back at Kora once.
"Which one is Theresa?" Alex asked.
"The big one."
Alex's tone shifted. Incredulous. "The big one?"
"Yeah."
"Well, I'll watch extra careful in that case."
"You do that."
"You scared?"
"Duh."
"Don't worry. I may or may not help you if it comes down to it."
"Sounds like a plan," said Kora, rolling her eyes this time.
"I have an idea. Sort of."
Kora didn't know what to make of that.
Kora led the way to the showerhead and turned it on, standing beneath it. Alex motioned for Kora to move, then she stepped directly beneath it, letting the cold water wash over her without a flinch. Kora liked Alex much more than she'd liked Tiffany.
Alex let out a loud, satisfied breath.
"Had a question," said Alex.
"Didn't see that coming," Kora said.
Alex didn't seem to notice or care for Kora's comment. Whatever was going through Alex's mind was of supreme importance to Alex. She didn't seem all too aware of those around her.
"What happens when you cause a fight? Does the prison punish you?"
"They set you aside for a day in your cell. You don't get food. If you kill someone, you go to solitary for a week. No food there. Only water."
"Have you been?" Alex asked.
"No. But I was locked in my cell all day yesterday. No food. I'm starving. And I have a headache from lack of coffee."
"I've been," said Alex. "To solitary."
Kora was soaping up. "I thought you said you'd had good behavior."
"I asked them to put me there for a week."
"Why?"
"To avoid my own Theresa."
"How was it?"
"I don't recommend it. But you have to do what you have to do. Ya know?"
Kora very much understood. "I know."
She looked over at Theresa. Theresa looked tired. Wasn't looking this direction. Was quiet, which was abnormal. Normally, she was shouting, cursing, ranting, making a racket.
Maybe she wasn't planning on attacking Kora.
Maybe Kora had humbled her, after getting in those few good hits.
That's when Theresa looked over, right into Kora's eyes, and scowled.
The showers turned off.
They moved to the end of the room with the towels. Kora turned her back to the room to snatch a towel. Turned back fast—watching.
Alex stood beside Kora, watching as well.
Much more proactive than Tiffany.
"I've got an idea," said Kora. "It never hurts to ask."
While everyone was toweling off, Kora broke the structure of the line and walked past the women, straight towards Theresa. Theresa's cellmate saw Kora coming and tapped Theresa on the shoulder, said something. Theresa spun around.
"Truce," Kora shouted from fifteen feet away, before Theresa could say anything.
"Truce with you? Forget it," said Theresa in her deep, brash voice.
Kora continued her approach. One can't show fear in prison.
"Yes, truce. Would it not be better to be friends?"
Get them to say YES.
Get them to say the word.
Disarm them.
Theresa smiled, shrugged. "What's in it for me?"
"Mutual respect."
Theresa laughed, threw up her arms, dropping her towel on the floor.
Kora was going to respond when she heard a yell like a wild banshee. All the sudden, Alex ran past her, straight at Theresa, jumped in the air, formed her body into a cannonball and quite literally launched herself into the center mass of the mammoth that was Theresa.
Alex made it count, too.
Her body hit Theresa hard, throwing her back. Theresa's head smacked against the tiled floor. THUD!
Theresa's crew launched into action, yelling, surrounding Alex.
"Everyone for themselves!" Kora shouted, trying to bring everyone into the fight, pushing aside an innocent woman and hitting another.
Then running towards Alex, into the assuming chaos of bodies.