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Janae sighed, walking into Aaliyah's cube, sitting on the other empty bed across hers. Aaliyah, as per usual was sleeping in, skipping breakfast. Janae couldn't lie, she was concerned for the girl. She wasn't as flirty or peppy and she hadn't been eating as much. Even though she had gotten put on the list for the kosher meals, having passed the test with the rabbi. They were still had no clue how Aaliyah knew so much about Jewish history.

"Still sleepin'?" Poussey asks, walking over to her cube in concern. They were all worried for her but Janae the most was. "Yeah. 'Ion know what's up wit' her. The other day we was jokin' around and now she all depressed and shit." Janae explained as Poussey sat at the edge of Aaliyah's bed. "Let me know when she wake up. She can't miss what happens to Judy."

"Aight." Poussey rubs Aaliyah's shoulder before leaving the cube.

Janae stood up, walking over to Aaliyah's desk. She bent down, opening Aaliyah's lock and pulling the desk open. She picked up the box of letters, sitting down and going through them, trying to search for what could be the reason for Aaliyah's sudden depression. She skimmed through a few until she finally lands on the last one, hidden at the bottom of the box. Janae pulls it out, reading who it was from.

Alissa Channing

She knew it wasnt right to snoop or read the letter, but hey, Aaliyah wasn't gonna tell her so she had to take matters into her own hands. Janae looked up to see if Liyah was awake, and of course she wasn't. Still sleeping very soundly. She pulled out the folded piece of paper, opening it up, and reading it.

Dear Aaliyah,

I know we have not been the closest lately. I want to apologize for what I said when you were arrested. I understand you struggle with your anger, I never could understand why. Now I do. It's because of me. But, this feels wrong trying to apologize in a letter. So I have decided to come and see you in person. I called your counselor and he added me to your visitation list. I hope you will come see me, because I can't wait to see you.

Love, your dearest mother.

Janae furrowed her brows, trying to figure out why this would upset Aaliyah so much. I mean, an apology couldn't hurt, right? "You find what you're looking for?" Janae looks up, seeing Aaliyah staring down at her from the bed. "Actually, yes, I did. What the fuck is this?" Janae tossed the letter on the bed in front of her, sitting on the other bed across hers.

Aaliyah stares at her blankly. "A letter?"

"Don't pull that sarcastic bullshit with me. How could you not tell me about that?" Janae questions. She was not gonna drop this. Not when Aaliyah and herself had gotten so close over the past few days. "Maybe cause it's none of your business?" Aaliyah grabs the letter, folding it back up and tucking it under her mattress.

"Oh no, we not doin' this. You can't just make me open up to you about my feelings, and completely shut down when it comes to yours. I deserve to know why you're so upset. We're friends, remember?" She was right. They were friends. Janae did deserve to know. She was there to help Aaliyah when she needed her, and she was gonna continue to do that. Cause that's what friends do.

However, Aaliyah couldn't help but hate that term today. She wanted more. She wanted Janae, and not just as a friend. "Friends. Yeah...just friends. That's what we are, aren't we?" Janae nods slowly, confused on her question. "What's up with you, Liyah?"

"The fact that it took me going to prison for my mother to actually start acting like a fucking parent!" Aaliyah ran a hand through her short hair, knowing it wasn't cool to snap at Janae. It wasn't her fault. She definitely didn't deserve to be yelled at. She sighed, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be yelling at you, it's not your fault. I just don't know what to do. There no way she actually expects me to forgive her. She's dodgy"

"Maybe you should just hear her out," Janae suggests.

"Yeah cause she definitely deserves that," Aaliyah matters sarcastically. Janae sighs, "Well don't do it for her. Do that shit for you. You deserve closure. Fuck her. She don't even deserve to be in your presence. But it ain't 'bout her, it's about you. Make that shit known. She doesn't deserve to get closure on your fucking behalf. Fuck that." Aaliyah nods slowly, agreeing with Janae.

"I don't know. I'm gonna see my brother today so I'll talk to him 'bout it. Maybe he'll convince her not to come." Aaliyah shrugs. Janae walked over, sitting down next to Aaliyah, putting an arm around her. "You gonna be okay? Cause for real Liyah, you had us fuckin' scared." Aaliyah smiles softly, nodding and laying her head on Janae's shoulder. "I'll be fine. Let's hope my brother sets me straight. That fuckin' slag doesn't deserve to be the reason I fall apart in here."

Janae hums, rubbing the girl's back. "That means you gon' miss what happens to Judy."

Aaliyah chuckles. "It's fine. Just tell me what happens." Janae nods, patting her back. "I'm gonna take a shower. I'll catch up later, yeah?" Aaliyah gets up, grabbing her stuff.

"Catch up later." Janae watched as she left. She knew Aaliyah wasn't gonna be okay for a minute. Depression didn't just go away overnight. But hopefully, she was gonna get better.

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Aaliyah brushed down her hair with her hands, waiting for the CO to let her in the visitation room. She slowly walked in, expecting to see her brother. Only she saw much worse. Alissa Channing sat in her brother's place, her hands intertwined, a small smile laid on her lips. She looked better than the last time Liyah saw her. She looked...clean, but also kinda dead in an odd way. Aaliyah walked over slowly, completely confused and upset most of all.

"Did you steal my brother's visitation day? The fuck is wrong with you?" Aaliyah scoffed.

"Watch your mouth, Aaliyah. I did not steal it. He gave it to me." Alissa stated calmly as Aaliyah took a seat in the chair. "That's bollocks. He wouldn't do that." Alissa sighs, rubbing her forehead. "Look, Liyah-"

"No, you lost the privilege to call me that." Aaliyah corrects.

Alissa huffs lightly, normally she would snap back with a "i can call you whatever i want, i gave birth to you" but that wouldn't go over too well with Aaliyah. "Okay, Aaliyah. I just want to make things right with you. When I think about the pain I put you through, it kills me, lookin' back at it."

Aaliyah couldn't help but scoff, feeling that was a bunch of bullshit. "Oh, it kills you, huh? Imagine what I felt. You have no idea what it's like. You were pampered all your bloody life. You could do no wrong, huh?" Alissa pursed her lips, "I'm sorry you feel that way."

"But you're not. Because you're a piece of shit of a mother. You never cared about me. I doubt you even cared about dad. You just wanted his fucking money." Aaliyah snapped, tears falling from her eyes that she didn't bother to wipe away. "You watch your mouth, young lady. I loved your father. He was the love of my life," Alissa corrected, a tear falling from her eye simply by seeing her daughter cry.

"If you loved him, you wouldn't have shagged some other bloke behind his back. But you know what, I'm so grateful that you did. Cause you gave me the best brother I could ask for. Sometimes I can't even believe he came from a nasty spirit like you." Aaliyah spat, crossing her arms over her chest. It hurt for Alissa to hear those words come from her daughter. She didn't think her cheating would affect Aaliyah so much. Guess she thought wrong.

"And that's not even at the tip of the iceberg. Remember when you beat me until I could barely breath? Cause I do. I remember it so fucking clearly. Like it was yesterday." Aaliyah smiles, even though it wasn't the situation to smile about. But even Alissa could tell that that smile wasn't a happy smile, it was spiteful and unnerving.

Alissa looks down, wanting to forget that happened. She wanted to erase the memory. However, Aaliyah on the other hand? No. She was gonna bring it up every time she could. She wasn't gonna give Alissa the satisfaction of forgetting that. "And I regret that every day, Aaliyah. I am sorry, truly."

Aaliyah laughs, shaking her head. "No, no sorry in the world will ever cover the feeling of pain and betrayal I felt that night. And that's not even all of it, mother. You remember the night you left? Just what, two days after dad got diagnosed with cancer? Yeah, mother of the fucking year. You claim to love my father but the minute he becomes useless to you, you just drop him and leave. Just like what you did with Alec."

Aaliyah wipes her tears, "Do you have any idea what that felt like? I was a teenager! Taking care of my sick father cause his wife deemed him no longer useful. So what is it you really want, Alissa? Why are you here? Closure, so you can move on? You wanna actually step up? Cause it's sure as hell too late for that." Aaliyah shrugs her shoulders, leaning back in her chair.

"I just want to be here for you. I don't want you to go down the same path as I did." Alissa says, reaching for Aaliyah's hand but she pulled them away quickly. Aaliyah squints at her, still suspicious of her reasoning. "You need your mother during these times. Prison is not easy." Aaliyah studied her, the way she moved, the way she talked, the way she looked. "I just want my daughter back. I want back the little girl who ran to me when she fell, and cried to me about boys." Alissa chuckles lightly at the memory.

Aaliyah smiled, Alissa growing one as well, but Aaliyah wasn't smiling for the same reason she was. Liyah leaned forward, her elbows holding her up on the table. "Bloody hell. You're dying." She chuckles lightly.

Alissa's smile dropped, diverting her eyes to her pale weak hands. "That's why you're here, huh? You don't give a shit about me. You're doing this for yourself. I'm your unfinished business, mum. So you don't feel like a shitty mother when you finally get what you deserve." Liyah laughs, running a hand over her head. Alissa didn't speak. Cause it was true. If she wasn't sick, she probably would've never talked to Aaliyah again. And that was the sad truth of it. It took her getting sick, to finally act like a mother.

"You're right. I am sick. I am dying. But it doesn't change my desire to make things right with you." Alissa states, only getting a mere scoff in reply.

"Wow. This is just grand innit? After all you did to our family, it's finally coming back to bite you right in the arse. It's a shame really. Part of me kinda hoped you'd change." Aaliyah shrugs, chuckling to herself. Honestly, she had never been more relieved. "I have changed, Aaliyah. I am willing to support you and your choices, even if I may disagree with some of them." And by some of them, she meant the whole lesbian thing. It's not like Aaliyah cared anyways. Plus, Aaliyah didn't even label herself as lesbian. She hated labels.

"Willing? Do you even hear yourself?" Aaliyah scoffed, standing up and leaning forward. "It took you getting sick for you to finally step the fuck up. And even then, you're still not here for me. There's no way in hell I will ever give you what you so desperately crave from me. Forgiveness."

Tears pooled in Aaliyah's eyes, "Go the hell. You're fucking dead to me."

Aaliyah gave a nod the CO Ford, "We're done here." He nods, opening the door for Aaliyah to walk out. She found Janae standing by the window, having got there about halfway done. "You good?" Janae asked, glancing at the window to see Alissa crying in her hands. "My mum's dying." Is all that came from Aaliyah's mouth.

Janae sighed, pulling Aaliyah into a hug glancing at the window to see Alissa watching them. She didn't know what drew her to do it. But she couldn't handle seeing Aaliyah in so much pain, caused by the woman on the other side of the glass.

So she let her intrusive thoughts win. Aaliyah pulled away, only for Janae to cup her face and press their lips together. It was a short, sweet kiss, kinda like an extra long peck. Alissa's mouth practically falls to the floor, a mixture of shock and disgust on her face. Aaliyah pulled away, a little confused, but man she wasn't complaining. Her eyes flickered to where Janae was looking. Alissa clenched her jaw, in disbelief of what she just saw. Part of her had hoped Aaliyah had changed her ways.

Janae lifted up her middle finger, flipping off Alissa. Aaliyah smiled to herself, now understanding that Janae kissed her to spite Alissa. "Mhm, get to steppin' bitch," Janae said loudly so Alissa could hear her. Aaliyah chuckles as Alissa made her way out, her expression was definitely worth it.

Janae turns to Aaliyah, "Uh, you said yo ma was dyin' right?"

Aaliyah cracks a laugh, nodding, "Yeah, the bloody slag is goin' to hell."

"Cool. That's- that's cool." Janae mumbles, scratching the back of her neck nervously.

"Thanks for that little kiss though. It made my day," Aaliyah smirks, nudging Janae's shoulder.

"No problem."

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a/n: ANDDDD THEY KISSED, BUT IT WASNT LIKE A FIREWORKS TYPE KISS 😔💔

so this chapter more so kinda focused on aaliyahs background, so u could understand her character more 💕

janae letting her intrusive thoughts win >>>

her mother has stage three cancer btw 🤞

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