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Aaliyah sat on one of the chairs in the common room, playing Candy Crush on the phone as Janae was helping Soso get her rage out or something like that. On the other side in the cafeteria, Taystee and Piper were doing some kind of suggestion things for Poussey's memorial. Aaliyah planned to help put it together but as for ideas went, she didn't have much going on in her head. She looked up from her game hearing Soso asking for water. Yeah tough luck. Janae never gave Liyah water until she finished. And that went for more than one thing.

"No, you get water when I say you get water. We ain't done yet." Janae states towards the exhausted and sweaty Brook. "But I'm dehydrated." Soso argues with a huff. Aaliyah smiled, looking back down at her phone. "Tough shit. Shouldn't drink all that hooch. Now I want you to punch this face like it's the person you're most angry at." Janae held up the double taped pillows attached to her arms for Soso to punch.

"Okay, that's is so reductionistic. I'm not, like, angry at one individual person." Brook said.

"You gotta want to punch something." Janae said, letting go of the pillow, she grabbed Aaliyah's hand, pulling her in to take her place whilst she instructed. Her arms starting to hurt after holding the pillow up for so long. Aaliyah huffs, "I was playing candy crush." Janae scoffed, softly hitting her in the back of the head. "You seriously don't wanna punch something?" Aaliyah questions Soso.

"Yeah, but it's bigger than people. I want to punch the prison-industrial complex." Brook decides. "Well, we can't draw that shit, so punch the pillow!" Janae orders, pointing to Aaliyah. "Okay." Soso yells as she angrily punches the pillow in Aaliyah's hands. "Hit harder!" Aaliyah says, not feeling much of anything. Janae instructed the girl as Liyah kept the pillow up, lowering it and making it higher ever so often to throw Soso off but she was getting the hang of it.

Aaliyah could hardly hear over Soso's grunts but she couldn't help but listen in on the conversation in the cafeteria. Dwight had tried to pitch an idea but was ultimately turned down by Taystee seeing as it was only sexual. As much as Poussey would've had a laugh, it was quite stupid. But hey, the thought was there. Taystee suddenly slammed her hands on the table, walking up to the grate and hitting on it. "Hey! Can you wax on, wax off someplace else?"

Janae turns to look at her as Soso continues to punch the pillow in Aaliyah's arms. "She getting her rage out, T."

"Well, she's buildin' mine, yo! We tryin' to get some shit done here, and we can't with all that huffin' and puffin'!" Taystee exclaimed. Soso grunts, hitting the pillow one last time before turning to Taystee. "You're wasting your time!" Aaliyah drops her arms, nodding in agreement with Brook. "The hell you know?" Aaliyah had heard what happened between Soso and Taystee from Janae. Honestly, it made sense. Taystee was very defensive when it came to her friendship with Poussey.

Brook walks over to the gate, looking at T who was on the other side. "I know that Poussey wouldn't have wanted a wall of nautical sex motifs or death-themed macaroni art. She would've wanted something special." Maureen goes to add in, "like hair dolls." Aaliyah points at her in annoyance, "You, shut your mouth. Grown ups are talking."

Brook is quick to correct. "Like everybody coming together to create something beautiful and memorable." Taystee clasped her hands, "And what would that look like, O visionary warrior? You want to grunt an actual idea, maybe?" Brook sighed, turning around, she grabbed Aaliyah's hand and dragged her into the cafeteria. Janae following after them.

"Okay, yup. Kidnapping is quite fun." Aaliyah hums. Brook let's go of her as they stop in front of Piper, Taystee sitting down next to her. "Be scary and get everyone's attention," Brook said. Aaliyah sighed, standing on top of the table, she slammed her boot on it, "Everyone listen up! My widow friend here has something to say. And don't you turn away or I'll tase you!" Seeing as their attention was faced forward, she hopped off the table.

Brook gave her a grateful look before pitching her idea to Taystee and Piper. Aaliyah took a seat on the table, Janae wrapping her arms around her and pulling the girl closer. Soso finishes up her idea, pausing, she gave them time to think before continuing. "So, you see, it's not one structure. It's a living, breathing example of what Poussey would've wanted this prison to be." She finished. Piper taking notes on the notepad in her binder.

"And who's supposed to build all this?" Taystee questions.

"All of us, as a community. We'll each down what we can and, together, creat a portrait of Poussey." Soso smiles softly, glancing at the little memorial for Poussey near the tables where she had passed. "It'll be like, a monument to her legacy." Aaliyah smiled, quite liking the idea. It was sweet. Seeing as Poussey's love for books was deeply routed to who she was.

Taystee didn't seem to like it. Maybe cause she didn't like Brook. Or maybe cause she was a little envious of Brook's connection with Poussey. Who really knew to be honest? "Right. And then we all do Thriller." Soso scoffs under her breath, a little in disbelief. "Okay. I know that it seems crazy, but when Maya Lin conceived of Vietnam Memorial, people thought she was crazy too. And now it's one of the most visited attractions in Washington, DC." She did make a decent point.

"You know, Larry and I did visit there once, and it was very moving." Piper agrees. "Well, this ain't Washington, DC. And I don't know who the fuck Larry is...but I'm guessin' the demographic in here ain't very Larry-like." Taystee argues with a sarcastic undertone to her voice.

"Fine. Go with fuckin' hair dolls, then. I tried." Brook shrugs, fed up with Taystee's hostility towards her.

"Yes." Kukudio goes to stand, Aaliyah quickly turning to her, "Sit your crazy ass back down."

"Just wait. Wait." Piper spoke, stopping Brook who was on her way to leave. Piper turns to Taystee. "Let's at least give her a shot. I mean, it's this or we have clams." Taystee sighs, finally giving it. Brook's idea was far better than anything else they heard. "Fine." She rolls her eyes. "But don't fuck this up, Maya."

Brook smiles softly, going over, she takes the hands of Janae and Aaliyah, dragging them away. "Oh great, kidnapping again."

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Everyone was in the common room, books in their hands, waiting for the doors to open. Aaliyah took a second look at Brook, "You ready?" She takes a breath before nodding. Aaliyah and Janae grab the doors, pulling them open to the common room.

They looked up, slowly walking out. Soso standing in the middle of the entrance. "Hi, everyone. Um..uh, thank you for bringing your books. In honor of Poussey, I'd like to welcome you all to the new Litchfield Community Library. Now, as you can see, it's not longer just one room, but it's everywhere. Um, so just take your book, replace it with another. Kind of like a book swap. And no, uh, smoking, cause, like, you know, paper. Um, and no stealing. And no flash photography. Just be respectful. Okay." Soso moved out of the way, letting people through.

Strings hung to the ceiling and walls, books attached to them. Aaliyah smiled softy, taking Janae's hand and pulling her in. Poussey would've loved this. She did love it. Brook and Taystee made up, thankfully. It was beautiful. The energy in the room was...it was warm, and joyful. Aaliyah had no doubt Poussey was with them. She could just see that smile on her face, her brows raised high when she laughed. Now it was all starting to hit her. She would never be able to see that face again.

Aaliyah sat on the floor against the wall, opening a book that Poussey once gave her. It would take time to accept it. To accept that she got to move on with life and Poussey didn't. As long as she did it with family, and her friends. And her girlfriend.

Whistling caught her off guard. Aaliyah quickly looked up, her mouth practically dropping to the floor at the sight. Nicky was in a dress, her hair all up neatly and light but nice makeup on. Alex was next to her, light but cute makeup on with a makeshift skirt and matching shirt. Janae raised a brow, easily being able to tell that it was Maritza and Flaca's doing. She kinda wondered how Aaliyah would look if they worked their magic on her. Though Aaliyah would kill anyone who got near her face with that.

Nicky winks at Aaliyah, the Brit girl just laughing into her book. What an odd sight it was for her. Piper quickly dragged Alex into a supply closet as Nicky eyed some girl, who did in fact eye her back. Janae sat down next to Aaliyah, both of them looking at Nicky with very amused looks. They could spot Maritza and Flaca standing not far ways from them and shared a look. Of course it was their doing.

"Flaritza."

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a/n: short and sweet chapter dedicated to our bby poussey 🤞

aaliyah and janae helping brook together is so goals of them 😭

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