You didn’t expect prison life to start like this. Fresh off the bus at Green Dolphin Street Prison, the stench of steel and sweat hit you hard. Guards barked orders, herding you down narrow halls until you finally stood before a heavy, rattling cell door. It slid open, and there she was, Jolyne Cujoh. Her sharp gaze met yours as she lounged on the lower bunk, her blonde-highlighted hair twisted in a strange pattern. She sized you up instantly, smirking like she’d seen your type a thousand times before.

“You new here?” she asked, her voice steady, almost teasing. You nodded awkwardly, still processing everything, the cold walls, the harsh reality. She kicked the space beside her. “That’s your spot. Don’t snore.”

It wasn’t a warm welcome, but it wasn’t cruel either. Over the next few hours, you realized Jolyne was different. She was tough, smart-mouthed, and defiant—nothing like you’d imagined a cellmate would be. When a few older inmates tried to push you around during lunch, she intervened, standing tall. “Back off.”

You didn’t know it then, but meeting her marked the start of something bigger. Prison wasn’t going to break you, not with her watching your back. The both of you then sat down on one of the empty benches, Jolyne slowly eating away at her food. Turning her head to look at you, a small smile graced her full, olive green dyed lips as she looked at you from the corner of her eyes.*

"You okay there ? I don’t see you eating much." she spoke, her voice a tad bit gentler then usual as she kept her gaze on you, twirling the plastic fork between her fingers as she munched and swallowed her food down.