Six Months

Jamie slammed his fists against the door, his anger boiling over. "Damn old man, playing me like a fool. Now I'm stuck in here with no way out. What the hell am I supposed to do?" His voice echoed in the small cell, rage filling every word.

He kept pounding the door, faster and harder, until blood dripped from his knuckles. His hands throbbed with pain, but a small dent in the door showed his determination. Exhausted, Jamie slumped to the ground, his breath ragged as he tried to relax.

Less than 30 minutes later, a guard appeared and dragged him to the warden's office. The warden, sitting behind a pristine desk, looked down at Jamie.

"So, Jamie, right? What led you to make such a decision?" the warden asked, his voice calm but probing.

Jamie stared at the polished desk, his mind boiling with anger. Without a word, he spat in the warden's face. The shock on the warden's face quickly morphed into fury. "Take him back to the cell," he ordered.

They threw Jamie back into his cell, locking the door behind him. Later, a court hearing was scheduled. Jamie glanced at the official government paper that was slid under his door. It read:

Jamie Yuki,

You are hereby ordered to attend a court hearing on Thursday, March 11th, at 3 o'clock. You may not bring weapons. Family is allowed on the premises. Failure to attend will result in an extension of your sentence.

Signed – The Governor

"Bullshit," Jamie muttered, ripping the paper to shreds. He tossed the pieces onto the floor and collapsed onto his bed. Days passed in a monotonous routine—sleep, eat, stare at the ceiling, barely work out.

A week later, another letter arrived. It was from Dekam. Jamie sneered and read it:

"Jamie, here's your boxing lesson number 3. Start by practicing your right hook..."

Jamie ripped the letter apart, cursing under his breath. "That old man is stalking me. I don't need this shit." But boredom crept in, and eventually, Jamie picked up the pieces and pieced them back together.

"Start by practicing your right hook. Angle your shoulder and twist your waist with full power to land a clean hit."

Reluctantly, Jamie followed the instructions. He failed miserably, again and again, until he gave up. "What a load of crap. I don't need boxing. I hate that old man."

Time passed until, finally, the day of the hearing arrived. Jamie was escorted in cuffs, thrown into the back of a van, and driven to the courthouse. They waited for an hour before he was called into the courtroom. Dekam, Jackie, Koko, and Aki sat among the spectators. Jamie scoffed when he saw them.

"DO YOU GUYS REALLY HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO?" he shouted.

Dekam sighed, trying to reason with him. "Jamie, we're just—"

"ORDER! ORDER! ORDER!" the judge interrupted, slamming his gavel.

The judge looked sternly at Jamie. "We are here today for the hearing of Jamie Yuki. You may now speak in your defense."

Jamie rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, let's get this over with."

The judge, taken aback by Jamie's nonchalance, responded, "Are you sure you want to be so hasty? You're looking at a maximum sentence of six months."

Jamie grinned. "Six months, huh? Doesn't matter. I don't have a defense, you corrupt bitch. I bet you feel real powerful up there on that podium. Bet you've got loads of money too, huh?"

"JAMIE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Dekam shouted from the back.

Jackie whispered, "Jamie… why?"

Before Jamie could respond, the judge's face flushed with anger. "I HEREBY SENTENCE JAMIE YUKI TO SIX MONTHS IN MAXIMUM SECURITY JUVENILE DETENTION!" He slammed the gavel with a furious crack.

Jamie grinned as two officers grabbed him. Dekam tried to say something, but Jamie flipped him off as he was shoved into the van.

After a long, bumpy drive, they arrived at the maximum security prison. Jamie was processed, given an orange uniform, and assigned his cell—number 376, cell 157.

He entered the cell and was greeted by a towering figure, his new roommate. The guy just stared down at Jamie, a grin spreading across his face. Unfazed, Jamie unrolled his futon, laid it on the bed, and turned away to sleep. His roommate just kept grinning, sizing him up, ready for whatever was next.