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Poussey Washington was dead. An amazing, smart, beautiful, and gentle woman lost her life. For no reason. She had a plan, she had family, and now everyone in her life was going to have to grieve her. There was now yet another hole in Aaliyah Channing's heart. Why was this happening? Why did she keep losing people? Was it a curse? Was it just bad luck? She didn't know. She desperately wanted to know. She couldn't move. She was frozen in her place. Sitting outside her cube in the corner.

Janae didn't know how to comfort her. She was dealing with her own grief and figured Aaliyah just wanted space. Aaliyah could hear the faint yells of Taystee and Cindy, arguing with the CO on the other side of the glass. She blamed herself. If she hadn't started the protest, maybe Poussey would still be here. She didn't deserve the fate she was forced upon. And Aaliyah would be dammed if she was gonna let her go in vain.

Janae stood outside her cube, not having the courage to go in. How could she? It was filled with memories of Poussey. "I can't go in." Aaliyah looked up, her vision blurry from lack of sleep and her tears. "Then don't." Cindy replied. Cindy looked behind Janae, "Get your girl too. Come on." Janae nods, walking over to Aaliyah. She leaned down in front of her, "Come on. I won't take no for an answer."

Aaliyah sighed, wiping her face, she took Janae's outstretched hand. Janae pulled her up, walking her over to Taystee's cube. Cindy patted Aaliyah's back softly with a sad smile. "You, you, go visit Abdullah. She like company." Cindy says towards to other two girls on the top bunks. "Come on now! We need us some shivah time. Thank you."

Janae sat on the floor, pulling Aaliyah down next to her. She put an arm around the girl, letting Liyah lay her head on her shoulder. "Fuck man. Why don't you sit?" Cindy says, sitting down, towards Taystee who was pacing back and forward. "Don't wanna." She continued her pacing as Suzanne walked into the cube with books in her left arm. "Anybody got an book? I need more books."

Suzanne laid down on her bed, trying to stack the books on top of her. "What the hell are you doing?" Janae questioned. "Wait, hold up." Cindy picked up one of the books that fell. "Alexander McCall Smith." Suzanne took it from her, "I need more books, not take books away." Cindy blinked, weirded out by Suzanne's behavior. "Uh, Taystee...you gotta deal with this." Cindy sits down as Taystee stops her pacing.

She turned to Suzanne, leaning down in front of her, she exhaled. "Suzanne, I know you're tryin' to feel close to her, but this-" Suzanne interrupts her abruptly. "No, I'm not. I want to know what it feels like...to not breathe." This ticked off Taystee, "Cut it out." Taystee shoves all the books off of her, Janae buried her face in Aaliyah's neck, holding a cry. "Uh-uh. That ain't happening."

"I know where I can get more!" Suzanne runs out, coming back with more books. "Poussey keeps extra books under her bed. Special books. It's like the library VIP room under there." It goes silent as Suzanne thinks about what she said. "Kept. Keeps? Kept." Aaliyah looks up, seeing Taystee sobbing into a pillow. She closed her eyes, laying her head back on Janae's shoulder. They were in pain.

"Come on." Aaliyah pulled Janae up, pulling her over to her own bunk. "Get out, now." Aaliyah snapped her fingers at the people who were chillin' in her bunk. Aaliyah brought Janae onto the bed, using a blanket to cover the bed before getting inside. She sat up, Janae laying in her lap. She wraps her arms about Janae, letting the girl just cry as much as she wanted.

"I got you. Just let out." Aaliyah pressed a kiss to Janae's head, rocking the girl gently as she sobbed. Aaliyah held her all night, her cries stopping as she fell to a slumber. So she didn't hear the three words that spilled from Aaliyah's soft lips.

"I love you."

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Breakfast was served outside because they had yet to remove Poussey's body from the cafeteria floor. It was... disgusting of them. Aaliyah wanted so badly to call her dad or brother but they cut off the phones so there was no outside access. It was bullshit to say the least. Teyana probably already gave birth and Aaliyah had no way of knowing. Janae was going on an angry rant, and she had every right to. It was bullshit.

Aaliyah tuned back into the conversation. "Cause black lives don't matter. That's why. She's lying in there. They don't even have the respect to take her away." She was right, and that was the problem. That was the fucked up truth. Janae looks at the table that had a bunch of gifts, everyone giving their condolences. "And look at this shit." Janae picks up a note, ripping it up angrily, "Don't mean nothing. They didn't know her."

"Hey, is that a Heath bar? Hand that over." Cindy spoke up. Janae turning to glare at her. "Hand it- what? You rage, I eat. We all have our way." Cindy leans over Janae, grabbing the candy bar as Janae scoffs lowly. "People are trying to be nice," Alison added. "People are full of shit," Janae shoots back. Aaliyah rubbed her back with a sigh.

"Uh, who brought that bubble water maker?" Cindy questions, knowing it belonged to Judy. "Not her. The skinny one brought it." Alison answers. "Yeah... people are full of shit." Cindy was still upset with the whole Judy situation and Aaliyah couldn't blame her.

"How heavy you think this bench is?" Suzanne questions as she attempts to lift the bench. Taystee was tired of her. "Stop it, Suzanne. Please. I can't. Not today. I find you with this bench upside down on your titties, I'mma lose it! I swear." Suzanne stops with a frown. Aaliyah leans over, patting Suzanne's shoulder, "Sit down sweets. Just..sit." Aaliyah sat back down as DeMarco walked over.

"I'm very sorry for your loss. She was a good kid. And if you're having a send-off for her, I'd like to contribute one of my commissary casseroles. It looks disgusting, but it tastes good. I just need a few hours heads-up. Gotta get some ingredients and some real time with the microwave. I wanna do that for you." The woman says to the group.

Janae was too angry, so she decided to take it out on her. "You don't know what we're going through. You don't know what this is like for us. And now you come around wantin' to make some ugly-ass casserole?" Cindy nudged her, Janae ignoring her. "Like that's gonna make everything all right?"

Aaliyah sighs. "I'm sorry. I think what she's trying to say is, "Thank you. It's very thoughtful." We appreciate your condolences."

"I get it. When my cousin Nino got shot and dumped in the Gowanus Canal, my brother took a bat and whacked ever bald-headed guy he came across." They all looked at her weirdly as she went on. "Then it turned out it wasn't even Bald Mario who'd done it. It was Nino's girlfriend's father, who had a full head of hair, and was mad about Nino not putting his name on the birth certificate for the baby! Oy, was that a mess." Aaliyah raised a brow, looking at her oddly.

"Anyhow...condolences." DeMarco sets down the a cup of juice before walking away.

Aaliyah took Janae's hand, pressing a kiss to it. "I keep thinkin' she gonna come around that corner any minute now, and be all, "Hey, party people!" Cindy says, they all chuckle softly, being able to see that. "That goofy smile. Man, it still ain't real, you know?" Taystee pulls her hoodie over her head, "I gotta go to work."

"But it's Saturday," Alison says, Taystee ignoring her as she walks away from the table.

"You tell that Caputo to call the fucking cops!" Janae stands up, looking at Taystee. "You tell them to arrest that murdering guard and get our girl off the floor, Taystee! You tell them! This shit ain't right!" Janae sat back down, Cindy putting an arm around her neck and pulling her closer to comfort the girl. Aaliyah went to do the same until she felt someone walk over.

Taylor stopped in front of the table. Janae pulling away from Cindy to look at her, immediately defensive. "The fuck you want?"

Taylor sighed, her hands tucked in her pockets, she looked at Aaliyah, who stared at the table instead. "We need to talk." Janae furrowed her brows, she didn't know what was going on between the two but she knew, she didn't like it. She seen how quick Aaliyah was to defend Taylor from the CO. "The fuck does that mean? Anything you wanna say to her, you can say in front of us." Janae said.

Aaliyah stood up, pressing a kiss to Janae's head, "It's fine." Janae scoffs as Aaliyah followed Taylor to the grass for more privacy. "The fuck is happening there?" Janae questions out loud. Cindy and Alison both shrug, having no clue about the sudden non-hostility between Aaliyah and Taylor.

"First, I'm sorry about your friend. I seen how close you were." Taylor said, placing her hand on Aaliyah's shoulder. Liyah glanced at her, shrugging it off. "Don't touch me, please. Just don't. What do you want?" Taylor pursed her lips, nodding. "I just wanna say thank you. For protecting me last night. It means a lot that you still care."

Aaliyah looks down, rubbing her chin, she scoffs. "Protecting you? I thought I made myself very clear when you first got here. I will never forgive you for what you did to me. I didn't do that for you. I did that because we were protesting and that motherfucker hurt my friend. You think I give a shit about you? You ruined my fucking life. I will never forget that. Fuck you." Aaliyah ran a hand over her hair, "And fuck you for thinking because I'm grieving, that it's gonna suddenly change my mind about you."

"You're still the same self absorbed bitch you've always been. You're a fucking snake. Don't make the mistake of thinking because I look weak, that I am." Taylor looked shocked as tears pooled in Aaliyah's eyes. "See, because loss, it just makes me so much more angry, and so much more violent. Come near me again, and I will kill you." Aaliyah shoved pass her, walking back to the table. She sat down next to Janae, all of them watching the interaction.

"You want me to kill her?" Janae asks quietly.

Aaliyah let's out a sob, Janae immediately pulling Aaliyah into her chest. "I hate her."

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Suzanne had took off to find Brook, who had yet to join everyone outside. But Liyah couldn't really blame her, she did just lose her girlfriend. Aaliyah had yet to talk to Nicky, who was probably just giving her time to grieve. Liyah knew how awkward death made Nicky so she didn't mind. Nicky would've accidentally said something wrong and tick Aaliyah off so it was best that she gave her time. Janae had calmed down a bit more, but she was still very clearly upset.

Flores walked over with a bouquet of flowers made of paper. "I'm sorry for your loss." Aaliyah glanced behind her, seeing the rest of the Spanish girls watching. They must've sent one of them to give their condolences to cover the rest of them. Ouija gave Aaliyah a small smile that she returned. "Hey, you're the table-standing, pissed-on-herself lady, right?" Janae questioned with a small hint of amusement.

Flores pursed her lips, "Yeah." She stood there awkwardly for a minute, almost expecting them to say more. "Okay." Flores held out the flowers, Cindy leaned over to take them. "Thank you sweets." Aaliyah said. Flores nodded before walking back over towards the group of girls.

"That bitch can stand for a hella long time." Janae said, scratching her head. "We gotta find that hooch. I mean, ain't much of a wake without drink. China Doll probably know where she kept it. I mean, where she at anyhow? I mean, some of this candy for her, bein' that she the widow and all." Cindy says, looking at all the candy, which majority of it she ate.

"Then save her some," Alison comments.

"Fuck off." Cindy points her snickers at Alison.

"Suzanne went to look for her. Hopefully not dead on the library. P ain't here to save her ass no more." Janae said. Though it may have been rude of her to say, she was grieving, and she was talking it out on others. Aaliyah could understand that. She had just took it out on Taylor not too long ago. "Someone should sing. Don't people sing at these things?" Alison says, holding the paper flowers.

"Me and Taystee gonna sing. A little "Goin' Up Yonder," and a little "Bye and Bye." Some Sounds of Blackness, "I'll Fly Away." Or Hezekiah Walker, "I'll Fly Away." I mean, I may be a Jew now, but times like this, call for some black gospel, no matter what." Cindy says, chewing another piece of candy.

Janae chuckles. "P...P had some pipes." Aaliyah smiles softly, leaning over to take the Slim Jim from Cindy. "Oh..hell, yeah. I mean, that voice would take you places. But that she-wee thing, though, was for shit, though." Janae laughed, remembering that. "I pissed all over my hands." Their laughs turned into sniffles, getting sad all over again.

"Fuck, man." Cindy's voice cracked. Janae putting an arm around her, "Man, fuck!" Aaliyah stood up, standing behind Cindy, she wrapped her arms around her, Cindy crying into her arm. "I know. It just doesn't feel real."

The sound of an ambulance made them look over. Janae got up first, the rest following her as she walked over to the fence. A body bag on a gurney, clearly Poussey, was being transported into the ambulance. Aaliyah looked down, holding back tears for the millionth time that day.

"Shit. Why bother with an ambulance, you know? I mean, it's not like she's gonna get well." Sankey said, her and her friends laughing with her. Taylor being one of them.

Janae looked at Cindy and Aaliyah. "What the fuck did she say?" Janae scoffs, turning over to the group, she walked forward. "The fuck did you say?" Sankey looked at her weirdly before Janae swung, punching Sankey right in the face. Aaliyah, Cindy, and Alison ran over to even the odds as Sankey's group stepped up. "Whoa. Y'all wanna get dirty. We can get dirty."

Aaliyah gets in Taylor's face, shoving her back. "And my friend here will share what she's hidin' in her scarf." They all breathed heavily, ready to fight. Sankey held her arms out, not wanting to fight. As Aaliyah predicted, she was all bark, no bite. "Another time." They walked away.

"Great! All we got is time!" Janae shouts before holding herself up, her hands on her knees. Aaliyah rubbed her back as Janae cried. "You might need to load that thing up now," Cindy says towards Alison. "There's not that much room." Alison pulled down her hijab, revealing her bright red hair.

Cindy stared at her in shock as Janae laughed. Aaliyah's eyes widened, tilting her head in curiosity. "Watson, you see this shit?" Janae laughed more, standing up as Aaliyah wrapped an arm around her waist. "That's some Raggedy Ann nap." Aaliyah joins in on the laughter, even Alison laughed a bit. "Oh, man. It's like Backdraft up in that shit. Atomic Fireball."

Alison smiles, pulling her hijab back over her hair, glad that cheered them up a bit. "Oh, man. Yo, Little Red Riding Head. Yo, Ariel! Ariel!" Cindy jokes. "Oh!" Janae agrees, laughing some more.

Aaliyah puts her hands on her hips, "I would totally watch a movie with a black Ariel."

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"Yo, you still got that taser?" Janae walked into Aaliyah's bunk, seeing the girl holding a letter in her hands. "What's that?" Janae sat down next to her, seeing the letter was from Alec. "It's uh, it's my mum's note she left me...before she killed herself." Aaliyah wiped her mouth, exhaling softly. "You gonna read it?" Janae asked softly, twirling a bag of what looked like canned food in her hand.

Everyone was making weapons, getting ready for the potential fight against the white girls and to defend themselves against guards. "No. Nows not the time." Aaliyah slid the letter until the blanket before standing up, walking over to her locker. She kneeled down, pulling out the taser. "Ready to tase some white nazi bitches?" She smirked. Janae chuckles, standing up, her hands go to her waist. Aaliyah leaned in, stopping her movement abruptly when Taystee came marching in.

"They lettin' him off! They didn't even say here name, yo!" Taystee picked up a chair, throwing it against the wall. "They didn't even say her name!"

"Oh hell no." Janae and Aaliyah said simultaneously. They marched out of the cube, Janae pulling her hood over her head. Taystee led them out, everyone following behind. "There's no justice! There's no justice!" Taystee exclaimed, more people coming out of their rooms to join. "They fuckin' defendin' him!"

"Fuck this place! We are done! Fuck this place!" Janae exclaims as the CO's immediately run to lock the gates, protecting themselves from the chaos.

"It's riot time motherfuckers!" Aaliyah shouts, hitting the walls.

They came down, the white girls down one hall, the spanish on the other, the black women another and the others on another one. Judy King was standing in the middle with a box in her hand, ready to be released. CO Humps and CO McCullough with her. Humps goes for his illegal gun on his ankle until Maritza pushes him down, the gun falling from his hand. Dayanara picks it up quickly, everyone going silent, waiting to see what she does.

"Daya, you sure you know what you're doin'? Maybe you wanna give it to someone else?" Maria spoke. Daya looks at her before pointing the gun at the white girls, more specifically Sankey. She moves the aim towards McCullough, "Hey, lady CO. Get on the floor with your hands behind your head, right now...before I shoot your little friend here in the eyeball." McCullough follows orders, getting down on the ground.

"Good." Maria raises her hands, pretty impressed. "Jesus, Diaz."

"Fuckin' COs. Y'all are pieces of shit." The shouting started up again, urging the woman to shoot him.

"Shoot that motherfucker!"

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a/n: season four is officially complete! wow, i can't believe i wrote it all in three days y'all 😭

imo the riot was the best storyline and my favorite so i can't wait to write it!

aaliyah said the words but janae was asleep 💔💔

i just KNOW aaliyah would defend halle bailey with her life 😭 she would eat up the live action lil mermaid 🤞

and i have not forgotten abt the letter and aaliyahs mum, that's gonna be very important to her grieving process! see u for season five 🤭

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