The Calm Before
For two days, things were strangely quiet.
Too quiet.
No shoves in the hallway. No muttered taunts in the yard. Even Rico, who usually smirked at every chance, kept his distance.
It was the kind of silence that wasn't peace — it was pressure. A storm waiting to break.
Dre noticed it too. "They're planning something," he muttered. "Silence is Spider's favorite trick. Don't blink."
Jayden stayed on edge, fists clenched at every laugh, every shadow in the corner. But he couldn't shake the feeling that Spider was already ten steps ahead.
---
The Setup
It happened during kitchen duty. Jayden had been assigned to wipe trays while a handful of other boys scrubbed counters. The guards weren't paying attention — too busy gossiping near the door.
Jayden bent over the sink, rinsing, when he felt a weight in his pocket. He froze.
Reaching inside, his fingers brushed something sharp. A blade.
His chest seized. Panic flared. He hadn't touched it. He hadn't put it there.
But when he glanced across the room, Spider was watching, his grin stretched wide.
---
The Trap Springs
The guards barked suddenly, "Hands where we can see them!"
Jayden's pulse thundered. He yanked the blade from his pocket and dropped it onto the sink before they could pat him down.
But it was too late. The clang of metal hitting steel echoed through the kitchen like a gunshot.
The guards rushed in, grabbing Jayden, slamming him against the wall. "Contraband weapon! Carter, you're done!"
Spider laughed, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Told you fire-boy was dangerous."
The other kids nodded, whispers rising like smoke.
---
The Director's Verdict
Minutes later, Jayden stood cuffed in the director's office again, the blade sitting on the desk like proof of his guilt.
"You don't learn, do you, Carter?" the director said, voice like ice. "This was your last chance. Next incident, and you're gone to max security. But maybe…" He tapped the blade with his pen. "…maybe you don't even deserve the warning this time."
Jayden's throat burned. "It wasn't mine. They set me up. Spider planted it."
The director sneered. "You expect me to believe that? Everyone says the same thing. Always the victim."
Jayden's fists shook behind his back. He wanted to scream. To flip the desk. To burn this whole building down. But the cuffs dug deeper, cutting into his skin, reminding him that fire without aim was death.
---
Dre's Anchor
That night, back in the cell, Jayden sat with his head in his hands. The fire raged so hot inside him it felt like his chest would crack open.
Through the wall, Dre's voice came steady. "They want you to snap. They want you in max. That's the game. Don't give it to them."
Jayden whispered, his voice breaking: "How much more can I take?"
"As much as it takes," Dre said. "Survival ain't about strength, Jay. It's about patience. You wait. You watch. And when the time comes, you burn them on your terms."
Jayden closed his eyes, gripping the edge of his mattress until his knuckles bled.
Spider thought he'd won. Rico thought he'd broken him. The system thought he was already gone.
But Jayden swore to himself: This fire is mine. And when it burns, it won't be for them. It'll be for me.