Crazier

It was strange the way people looked at Piper now that she had killed someone. The guards looked at her warily. It was almost like they thought she was going to blow at any minute and go on a rampage. She was nothing more than a thug to them now. They went out of their way to know where she was at all times. Her job assignment had been changed; there was no way she would be allowed near anything that could be used as a weapon. They ended up putting her in the laundry with Alex which amused both of them. She also found out she had lost her dorm assignment and hadn't been put in a new one yet. Nichols told her that was normal after a long stint in SHU. She probably wouldn't get a bunk for several months.

Among the other inmates her reputation went up tenfold. Even Red looked at her differently. Piper still had no idea what Red did to get put in prison but the rumor had it she was connected; as in Russian Mob connected; so Piper didn't really want to know. The other prisoners gave her a wide birth at first but pretty quickly they started coming to her for advice which confused her. It was Taystee who told her that she was tough shit now which made her a big fish and that got her respect. She could have her own crew if she wanted one. Prison was a weird place and had weird rules. In a matter of months she had gone from Taylor Swift to tough shit and she wasn't sure if that was a good thing.

Piper stuck with Red's people. It was better that way. She liked them anyway and now that they were looking at her differently her life got easier. Piper did end up commenting on how she had missed Red's food and Red did smile. Losing the kitchen had hurt her and now she was back in her element.

Strangely enough everything seemed to be back to normal in Piper's world. It shouldn't have been but it was. Her time passed slowly but not painfully like it did before. She had Alex to keep her company and she had friends.

She finally did get her bed assignment and was happy to discover that this time she was going into the white suburbs. She just hoped it wasn't with anyone from Tiffany's old crew. That was the last thing she needed.

"Hey Chapman, guess whose luck is holding out for a change." Nichols said walking up to her as she walked through the area called the white suburbs.

"What do you mean?"

"You didn't see who your roommate is?"

"Please tell me it isn't one of the Jesus freaks."

"No, not one of the Jesus freaks." Alex smiled at her from her dorm and then moved away to reveal an empty bed, "My Jesus freak roommate got parole last week."

"And guess who is her new bed buddy?" Nichols grinned. "Just keep the noise down some of us like to sleep at night."

Piper tried not to blush. She knew nothing could happen in the dorms. It was too open, for God sake. Someone was always watching. That didn't mean her heart wasn't doing flips at the thought of sharing a living space with Alex again. They would have time to talk. They would have time to just be together.

Piper smiled at Alex, "So roomy, where do I put my stuff?"

Piper's mother came to visit on a regular basis and she always had interesting stories to tell. Piper realized that she had never really known her mother at all. She knew that her mother didn't have to come to see her; plenty of mothers didn't. Piper had asked once why she still came to visit and her mother simply told her to hush, that she was her daughter and then went on to talk about her day.

A few months into her new sentence Piper found out that her mother had made friends with Suzanne's parents. Her mother actually scolded her for being cruel to "Crazy Eyes" and for giving Larry that nasty story about that nice girl with the nice parents.

She was also the one who told Piper that Larry had gotten engaged again to a Jewish girl.

"Are you jealous?" Alex had asked when Piper had told her about Larry's engagement.

"Yes. " Piper paused, "No. Maybe. I don't know."

"I get it. You two had this whole big future planned together and then you came in here and..."

They were talking in the chapel together and Piper just wanted to talk to Larry. It was strange. She had been in prison for over a year now and hadn't spoken to Larry since she had been convicted of manslaughter but now she just wanted to see him again. She didn't want to talk about this with Alex. She wanted Larry.

"I just need to see Larry. I..."

"Piper." Alex said even though her heart was breaking, "I understand."

"Then explain why I don't."