Sam and Colby: The Penitentiary

51

Everyone stared at me once Lee had stormed out. I looked around uneasily, not really sure what to do now.

"Go on," Rock said, nodding toward Big's seat.

"What? Why? He'll be back soon," I said.

"Atkins. Do it," said Red. I slowly walked up to his chair, pulled it out, and sat down. The Center all pounded their chests twice. Like they always did with Big. I knew that pounding mine back would mean that I was taking on this new role. I wasn't sure why this was even such a big deal to everyone. Big would be back and he'd take his place. So why did I need to step up like this?

I pounded my chest back.

Doing this confirmed and solidified the temporary shift in power. Everyone went back to their normal routine, chatting amongst their groups of friends and eating regularly. Blaze sat on my left and Jake sat on my right.

"No, Webber. Brock's spot," Red said.

"Oh, uh, okay," Jake said, scooting a seat away.

"I'm sorry, what just happened?" Corey asked.

"What happened is that Atkins gets to call the shots now," said Blaze.

"Until Big comes back. Right?" I asked.

"Probably," said Rock.

"Probably? What does that mean?" I asked.

"Means Big took a likin' to you, love. He gets back, he might want you to stay in that spot. Might think you deserve it more than he does," said Shag.

"Well I don't. He's taking back over when he comes back," I said.

"Ain't up to you, sunshine," Shag said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Sam.

"Look. Big's gone, Atkins is in charge. If Big comes back and likes the new order of things, she's staying put. Simple as that," said Blaze. "I know you guys are new to the prison scene. This is just how things go. There's a hierarchy in here and people take it very seriously. Sitting in that chair means more to the men in here than you guys will ever know."

"As does sitting in those chairs," Rock added, pointing at Blaze and Colby. I realized Blaze and I had been the ones sitting in these chairs before. Big's immediate backup. I just hadn't ever noticed or thought about it.

"So are things different now or did we just get a new seating arrangement?" asked Jake.

"Both," said Red.

"What does 'being in charge' even mean?" asked Colby.

"It means that she gets to go first in line. She gets to switch work with anyone if she doesn't want to do it, but I guess that doesn't really apply in this case. She doesn't have to watch her back anymore. If someone's causing trouble, she's the one to fix it. The guards, other than Jinx, are a little more lenient with her. She breaks a rule, everyone turns a blind eye. If something needs to change, she'll be the one to decide how it changes. If someone in the unit steps out of line, she's who puts them back in their place. She's got the final say, she's got dibs on what she wants," Blaze said.

"Why the hell is it me? And not you? Or Red? You guys know what's going on way more than I do," I pointed out.

"Someone oversees what exactly they think I can smuggle in without raising any suspicions or getting caught," Blaze said. "If I was in charge, I'd lose my head and get carried away with what I bring in."