The Approach
The first time Jayden noticed Spider was in the yard.
Small, wiry, with quick eyes that never stayed still. He moved like smoke, slipping between groups, never settling in one place.
Dre had warned him: Quick hands. Good for stealing, bad for secrets.
So when Spider slid up to Jayden by the fence one afternoon, grinning like a cat with a secret, Jayden's guard went up immediately.
"Heard about you," Spider said. "New kid with fire in his fists."
Jayden narrowed his eyes. "Not interested."
Spider laughed, light and sharp. "You don't even know what I'm offering yet."
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The Temptation
That night, in the cafeteria, Spider sat across from him uninvited, his voice low enough to dodge the guards' ears.
"There's ways to make this place work for you," he whispered. "Ways to get respect, to get things you need."
Jayden frowned. "Like what?"
Spider leaned in. "Contraband. Candy bars, blades, pens, whatever. You want it, I can get it. And I'll cut you in if you help me move it."
Jayden's chest tightened. A pencil. Paper. A way to draw again. The thought lit something inside him.
But Dre's rule echoed in his head: Don't trust Spider. Quick hands, bad secrets.
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The Fire and the Shadow
Later, back in the cell, Jayden told Dre about the offer.
"Don't even think about it," Dre said flatly.
"Why not? You don't get it, man. I need something. Anything to keep my head straight."
Dre's voice hardened. "And when Spider gets caught — because he will — you go down with him. That's how this place works. One bad move, and they'll bury you in the hole until you forget your own name."
Jayden pressed his fists into his mattress, fire burning in his chest. "So I just sit here? Do nothing?"
"You survive," Dre said. "That's the only game worth playing."
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The Test
The next day, Spider caught Jayden alone in the hallway between blocks. He slipped a folded wrapper into Jayden's pocket so fast even the guard didn't notice.
"Just a taste," Spider whispered with a grin. "See how it feels to win for once."
Jayden's stomach dropped. He shoved it back at Spider, his voice low and sharp. "I'm not your mule."
Spider's grin faded. For a moment, his eyes went cold, dangerous. "Careful, fire-boy. Friends are rare here. Enemies are easy."
He melted back into the crowd, leaving Jayden's pulse racing.
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The Warning
That night, Dre leaned through the bars, his voice low. "Now you see. Spider doesn't offer gifts. He sets traps."
Jayden stared at the cracks in his ceiling, his fists clenched. He hated feeling powerless, hated having to say no when all he wanted was a pencil in his hand.
But he knew Dre was right. One slip with Spider, and Lockdown would chew him up for good.
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The Vow
Still, as he lay awake, Jayden whispered to himself:
"I'll find another way. I won't let them take this from me."
And in the darkness, he knew one thing for certain — Spider wasn't finished. The real game hadn't even started.
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