Rikers Island Inmates

[illWILL8455]

REPORT: Inmate Ike blames 'Unfortunate Angle' for Supposed 'Mooning'

(October 7th, 2012) Following his 5th arrest of the season prior to his pre-game performance, 'Inmate Ike' speaks out on the true cause of his supposed mooning incident....

Shareem Abdullah, the inmate who wears the 'Inmate Ike' suit spoke to reporters following his arrest for mooning the fans in Rikers Island's game against North Texas yesterday.

"Very, very unfortunate angle! I didn't notice that my trousers had dropped off at first. Once I did finally notice, I tried to bend over and snatch them up. It's hard to grab furry trousers, while wearing furry mittens. It took me time to try to get hold of my trousers. I guess that's why everyone thought that I was flashing my bottom at them. For that I apologize, but I never meant to flash them!"

The reporters interviewing 'Inmate Ike' didn't seem to be buying this story. 'Inmate Ike' has quite a rap sheet so far this season. He has been arrested for high fiving a fan, pointing a t-shirt cannon at cops, jumping on a trampoline into the bleachers in a potential escape attempt, and throwing juggling balls angrily at fans. Nonetheless, 'Inmate Ike' continued.

"I'd like to let all the fans know that the 'Inmate Ike' suit is hot. Like, really really hot. I sweat so much while in costume that I don't want to wear no clothes. It's sick, I know. But it is true. It's so hot. That's why everyone saw my bottom once my trousers dropped. I promise everyone that I was only trying to yank them up while I was bent over. I wasn't flashing nobody, I promise."

Once again, reporters questioned Inmate Ike's motives. He seemed to be bent over for a little too long to be earnestly trying to pull his 'trousers' up. However, Shareem may have a point. It may be really hard to pull up furry trousers while wearing furry mittens....

The real question that should be asked is why it is that 'Inmate Ike' is a cute, furry animal wearing a jail jumpsuit...?

Nothing about this seems to make any sense. Shareem Abdullah will face a panel of judges to decide upon his punishment for once again acting out while performing as 'Inmate Ike'

*

[illWILL8455]

Halfway Point

It was finally official. The first half of the Rikers Island football season was officially over. The Inmates were 0-6, and hadn't even been close in any of their games.

Connie reflected on the disaster of a season. The frustrations and failures early on gave way to her having control of the team snatched away from her. Connie now lived in fear of the unknown of what Prescott had planned for her and the team.

Papers and game tapes had been piled up on Connie's desk for her to look over and review in order to prepare for Rikers Island's next game against Arkansas State. In a fit of rage, Connie had shoved the entire pile onto the floor.

She sat alone in her office with her head down on her empty desk. Connie pondered where she had gone so wrong. Her fear was that she was in way over her head, and that she would lose the one thing that she had clinged to since losing her husband, Rikers Island football.

The feeling of helplessness overcame Connie. She didn't know what to do. Prescott had yet to make any moves since the horrifying meeting, yet Connie remained paranoid that a move could be coming at any time.

Part of her wished that Prescott would go ahead and make a move. She knew that it would likely be horrible, but this fear of the unknown was killing Connie. She hadn't been able to sleep at all each night since the meeting, and when she did manage to fall asleep, she had a horrible nightmare.

Connie knew that she wouldn't survive many more years if she kept living like this. The stress was killing her slowly. Each day she watched as the bags under her eyes got heavier, and more and more wrinkles appeared. Her once beautiful brunette hair was now had noticeable frosty white streaks. Connie was ashamed of how poorly she looked, but she no longer cared.

She had watched her team lose faith in her before her very eyes in Rikers Island's last game against North Texas. They knew that Connie didn't care and it hurt them. They stopped listening to her and did their own thing. This was frustrating and it resulted in a huge locker room brawl following yet another embarrassing loss.

Connie felt small and helpless. She didn't know where to turn or who to talk to. She feared that this horrible feeling would stick with her for life until Prescott had no more use for her, and through her away.

She felt as though she was a shell of the once proud woman that stood beside "The Warden." Those days brought her so much joy as she knew that her and her loving husband were doing great things for people who desperately needed love and affection.

Those days were gone.... Connie was now left alone in this cruel, cold world. She no longer felt as though she was strong enough to make "The Warden's" dream come true. She felt weak and her heart filled with regret. She hoped that "The Warden" wasn't able to look down on her or else he would likely be upset that his dream was dying.

His dream was slowly fading away, much like "The Warden" had in his final days in the hospital. Connie began to cry as she saw nothing that she could do about it....

*

[illWILL8455]

Jumped in the Shower?

Buzzers began to sound across the Rikers Island Jail Complex. The inmates knew that it was time to make their way to their cells and begin preparing for 'Lights Out' time at 8 pm.

Many inmates elected to shower quickly in the time they had before lockdown. Fu Fu Brown was one of these inmates.

Casually, Fu Fu stopped by her cell to grab her bar of soap, and her toothbrush. Fu Fu didn't believe in towels because her family was so poor that they couldn't afford towels when she was growing up. Fu Fu always showered off, dried herself with her jumpsuit, and then put the wet jumpsuit back on. She maintained that it would eventually drip dry....

Fu Fu was usually the only one still fully clothed as she entered the bathroom. Everyone else usually was wrapped in a towel. Fu Fu would push her way to the front of the line, and sing gleefully as she showered off, much to the distaste of those showering beside her.

However, today Fu Fu noticed that multiple girls were still wearing their jumpsuits. They huddled up as Fu Fu walked into the bathroom, and began making their way towards Fu Fu.

Fu Fu had been singing a 'Backstreet Boys' song loudly as she entered the bathroom, but stopped when she saw the mob of girls coming towards her.

As the group neared, Fu Fu noticed that it was the cheer team. She greeted them but they didn't seem amused. They surrounded Fu Fu with stern looks on their faces.

Fu Fu noticed what was about to happen. She chose one of the girls that was surrounding her and shoved her as hard as she could. The girl stumbled but did not fall. The rest of the girls grabbed Fu Fu and began jerking her around.

Fu Fu kicked and squirmed, but couldn't break the hold of the girls who were pulling her around. The girl that Fu Fu had shoved drew back and kicked Fu Fu hard in her side.

Fu Fu cried out and the group of girls tossed her onto the floor. The entire group began kicking and punching the defenseless Fu Fu. Many girls began cheering as Fu Fu continued to get beat down. Fu Fu's egotistical attitude caused her to be hated by the vast majority of the female inmates at Rikers.

Nobody jumped to Fu Fu's rescue as the beat down continued. Fu Fu did all she could to fight back but there were simply too many of them. They kept on attacking her until Fu Fu gave up trying to fight back and began trying to get away.

Slightly dizzy from all of the kicks and punches to the face, Fu Fu grabbed one of the girl's legs. She yanked it as hard as she could and the girl lost her balance and toppled over.

This was Fu Fu's chance. She flopped towards the gap where the girl had fallen down. Fu Fu then climbed across the fallen girl before she was able to get up. The girls chased Fu Fu and tried to grab her as she made her way across the fallen girl. Fu Fu slipped out of their grip and found an opening where she could climb back up on her feet.

Bloody, and dizzy from the beating. Fu Fu turned and looked at the mob of girls who were beaming at her. Their smiles quickly faded as Fu Fu beamed back towards them and confidently walked back towards them.

"Oh so that's how it is now? You all are just gonna run up on your girl like that? Aw hell naw! That **** not gonna fly up in here! I run this b****! Y'alls ain't never gonna be me! Who trying to go now, huh? Let's go, what y'alls waiting for? Y'alls scared?"

Fu Fu had grown up rough. Her family was dead broke. Whatever money came in was quickly used for drugs. Fu Fu was one of six children living in a one bedroom apartment with her grandma and aunt. The apartment complex was run by gangs so Fu Fu had to learn to fight.

Many of the boys in her apartment complex lashed out against girls, and Fu Fu was forced to fight boys with fair regularity. She always lost, but she began to vastly improve her skills. It wasn't something that Fu Fu was proud of, but she did view it as an excellent way to learn how to fight. Fu Fu had never lost a fight since being sent to jail.

The group of cheerleaders had surprised Fu Fu and jumped her when she wasn't expecting it. Fu Fu beamed as she realized that she was in between them and the door.

Fu Fu approached the first girl. She squared up against Fu Fu, and Fu Fu could only chuckle. She had horrible form and was leaving herself exposed for a hard hit from Fu Fu. That's exactly what Fu Fu did. One swift right hook later, and the girl was sprawled out on the floor. Knocked out cold.

"Nighty night, b****! Whose next? Come get yo a** whooped!"

Fu Fu's vicious punch had left the other girls concerned. They didn't know that Fu Fu could fight like that.

Fu Fu saw that they were looking to run towards the door. Fu Fu laughed and shook her head.

"Uh uh uhhhh.... Y'alls had y'alls chance to run. Shoulda thought about that before you came over here f***ing with your girl, Fu Fu!"

Fu Fu was slowly making her way closer to the remaining mob of girls. They were cowering in the corner. Fu Fu chuckled as she drew back to land another huge punch.

One of the girls simply covered her eyes. Fu Fu chose her, and swiftly punched her lights out. The limp girl slowly crumbled to the floor. She was also out cold....

The girls who were left begged and pleaded for Fu Fu to let them go. Fu Fu belly laughed at their desperation and proceeded to knock each and every one of them out....

The entire bathroom was silent as Fu Fu made her way towards the line that was waiting to use the showers. Fu Fu stepped over all of the limp bodies of the cheerleaders who had attacked her and began singing the same 'Backstreet Boys' song that she had when she first walked in the bathroom.

As usual, Fu Fu pushed her way to the front of the line, and took a nice, hot shower. She passionately sang that song, and all of the inmates waiting in line had to endure it. It was absolutely horrible....

Fu Fu finished up and swagged out of the shower in her dripping wet jumpsuit. She once again stepped over the knocked out girls, and made her way back to her cell.

*

[illWILL8455]

Wisdom

Connie slammed her alarm clock hard....

Pieces of it flew off, and the time faded away. She had broken it....

Connie had endured yet another sleepless night. Her depression had turned to fury and she was now lashing out. She was beyond frustrated that she couldn't sleep. She slapped the badly damaged alarm clock off of her bedside table and began stomping on it. After it was totally destroyed, Connie stormed off to the bathroom to get ready.

Connie stared blankly at the shower. She tried to think back on how long it had been since she had showered. It was day 2 without a shower. Connie began to turn the water on, but ultimately decided against it. She sprayed on extra perfume and called it a day.

After brushing her teeth, and tying her hair back, Connie proceeded to get dressed. It was a warm October morning, so Connie elected to throw on a 'wife beater' and saggy sweat pants. It wasn't the most lady like thing to wear but she didn't care. What did it matter anyways.

Disgusted with how bad of a mood she was in, Connie made her way out of her home. She had decided to stop by the Medical Ward prior to going to her office. Her office was a wreck since she shoved all of the papers onto the floor and Connie wasn't looking forward to sorting them out.

Her first stop was to see Wallace Brunner. Brunner was recovering from ACL surgery that he had last week. Connie had been blown away by how well Brunner had tolerated the pain, as he refused to take any pills. That was a warrior-like mentality.

While this impressed Connie, it also saddened her. Connie once considered herself a warrior. She considered herself a fighter who had endured everything that life had thrown at her. However, Prescott had scared her so much that she sold out, and gave up on the only thing that she was passionate about, her husband's dream....

Connie finally made her way up to Brunner's room. Doctors were scolding him as Connie walked in. They explained that Brunner was attempting to walk around on his own. This was not advised at all as he needed to wait and allow the knee to heal.

Brunner had fussed at the doctors that he felt like a wussy laying around all day when it didn't hurt. Connie asked if he was high on pain medications but the doctors assured her that he had still refused any medication for pain.

Blown away by his warrior like mentality, Connie sat beside him. Brunner was staring out the window at the beautiful fall morning. Connie knew that it was killing him to be cooped up in the medical ward.

Connie waited for the doctor's to leave. She wanted to talk to Brunner indirectly about her situation, just to see if anything that he said would bring her any peace of mind. Brunner was one of the few inmates that Connie respected as he had demonstrated his ability to fight and bounce back against pain.

Finally, the doctors left Connie and Brunner alone. Connie cleared her throat and looked to Brunner. Brunner had not stopped staring out of the window.

"I came here to talk to you. I really need to see what you think about a certain situation."

Brunner turned and looked at Connie. He seemed confused. Connie could understand why. She knew that she seemed crazy for talking to Brunner, but at this point, she would talk to about anyone who would listen.

She also had accepted the fact that all of the sleepless nights had likely made her a touch crazy, so Connie continued.

"See...I have this friend. He got in way over his head. A scary man threatened to end him if he didn't do exactly as the scary man wanted. My friend now feels like he has no control over his situation. He's too scared to stand up to the scary man, but feels like his life is slipping away.... What should my friend do?"

Brunner stared blankly at Connie. Connie didn't know why she had just vented to Brunner but part of her really wanted to know what he thought. Brunner rocked back in his hospital bed, and smirked.

"No offense, coach. It sounds like this friend of yours is a total b****."

That wasn't what Connie wanted to hear. That didn't describe her at all...did it? She considered herself a fighter who had gotten in too deep and was forced to do what she had to do. Could Brunner be right? Was she being a total b****?

Brunner picked up on the fact that Connie didn't like the response so he attempted to clarify.

"I mean, like, he shouldn't just do what that scary dude say. What's that scary dude gonna do? It don't sound like your friend know him at all. How do your friend know that the scary dude is real or not. He may be a b**** too and is just trying to scare your friend. I be d***ed if I would be scared of someone that I ain't even know, you feel me, coach?"

Connie pondered what Brunner had just said. He was absolutely right. Connie didn't know Prescott and he could be a normal guy who set out to scare Connie. She couldn't convince herself though. Something seemed off about Prescott and Connie had remembered feeling scared for her life during that meeting. Prescott was evil and Connie knew it.

She sighed and got up. The talk with Brunner hadn't done much to ease Connie's mind. She had hoped that he'd magically say something to bring her peace of mind but Connie was wrong.

Brunner looked confused as Connie walked off without saying anything. He wondered if he had made his coach mad. He thought what he had said was wisdom, but apparently she had taken it the wrong way. Brunner shrugged and looked back out the window at the beautiful fall morning. He wished that he was able to get back outside. He hated the medical ward so much.

Connie cursed under her breath as she walked down the hall. She reflected on how Brunner had laughed and said that 'her friend' was a b****.... Connie was most definitely not that. The more she thought about what Brunner had said, the angrier she got. Connie had worked herself up in a fit of rage as she finally made it to the room of Devon Howard.

Connie took a deep breath outside before making her way inside. Devon was sitting up in his bed sipping on a carton of milk. Connie's rage dissolved as she stared at the once frail Devon. He was full of life now. Devon greeted Connie with a huge grin and sat his milk carton back on his tray.

The medical staff explained that Devon needed to be discharged. They had done everything that they knew how to do. Devon had no feeling from the waist down, so he would never be able to walk again.

Connie glanced over at Devon who still seemed happy. Connie felt so bad for him, but Devon seemed to be in good spirits.

The medical staff informed Connie that a wheelchair had been assigned to Devon and let her know that Devon had been practicing all of the ways to take care of himself now that he was paralyzed.

The nurse left Connie and Devon alone as she walked down the hall to get the discharge papers for Connie to sign off on. Devon couldn't stop smiling. Connie couldn't figure out why he was so happy now that he would never walk again.

"Coach! I'm finally getting to get out of here! I'm getting to go back and hang out with my friends! I've missed everyone!"

Connie smiled. She appreciated the joy that Devon had. She hadn't smiled enough lately so it felt good to.

"I'm ready to get back to football too, Coach! I've been thinking about lots of plays! I think we can work on them and get them to work!"

Connie paused. She stared at Devon. She had no idea that he still anticipated being a part of the Rikers Island team. She was caught completely off guard.

Sadness soon rushed over Connie as she realized that Devon would soon learn how horrible she had been in the last game. This passion and joy that Devon had would likely turn to distrust and disappointment once everyone told him how poorly she had coached.

"What's wrong, coach?"

Connie knew that her sorrow was all over her face. She wished that she could go back to a time where she truly felt that the team was her's and that what she did truly did matter. She would've gladly taken Devon back as an assistant coach, and worked all day with him to develop plays. Connie hung her head as she feared that Prescott wouldn't approve of Connie accepting Devon as an 'assistant player coach.'

"They... they all hate me...."

Connie hung her head again and stared at the floor. That had slipped out. She hadn't meant to put it so bluntly, but it was exactly how she felt.

"What do you mean, coach? What did you do?"

Devon's concern seemed real. Connie felt comfortable enough to vent to him. She informed Devon that she had lost herself as she watched him laying unconscious in his coma. Connie told Devon how his injury had brought back flashes of the last days of her husband before he died in the hospital.

She began crying as she let it slip that she no longer was in control. Connie told him about powerful people who wanted Connie to do as they said. She let him know how scared she was, and how helpless she felt.

"Easy coach! It's okay. It's okay, Coach! Seriously! That sucks. That's a bad situation. There ain't no two ways about it."

Connie wiped the tears off of her face and listened to Devon. Once again, Connie questioned herself as to why she was venting to these inmates, but she was desperate for someone to make her feel better.

"Why haven't you told your boys, coach? They aren't mind readers. All they saw was their leader stopped leading. You hung them out to dry and that's a bad feeling. I'd be mad too."

Connie agreed with that concept. Devon was absolutely right. She was still so scared that Prescott could be listening at any point, so she still wondered if she would ever be able to tell the team what was going on.

"Coach, no offense, but you gotta be scrong. This dude thinks he's all that but he has never met nobody like you, coach! Your husband got shot for this, yet you still kept fighting. When he died, there was no Rikers football team. Because of you, I am a part of Rikers football. It was all you coach. That's the true meaning of a warrior. You didn't crumble after they came and shot your husband down. You stood tall and made this team happen. It ain't all about the wins or nothing, your husband wanted football for us inmates and you, and you alone, made it happen."

Connie was speechless. She couldn't believe what Devon had just said. It was the truth! Connie was a warrior and she had overcame adversity. She was blown away that Devon had picked up on her courage. She felt appreciated. It was nice knowing that her work hadn't gone unnoticed.

"You a hell of a person, coach! Don't go around selling yourself short. You don't know this dude. How do you know he ain't some nobody trying to get your job. Be scrong coach! You overcame adversity before and you can do it again. I know it, and you know it to."

Connie realized how silly she had been. Devon was speaking the truth. Connie really had been a fighter. Few people could have endured the tribulations that Connie had in order to ensure that her husband's controversial dream came true. Connie had fought hard against adversity and won. Rikers football was halfway through their season. The team really existed. Her husband's dream had ALREADY came true!

Connie was beaming at Devon. She laughed as she knew that he likely had no idea how much better she felt now than when she had first walked in.

The nurse made her way back into the room, and yet again stared blankly at Connie who was grinning from ear to ear, sitting very close to Devon. Connie quickly snapped back into reality and set back in her chair and cleared her throat. She just knew that the nurse assumed that Connie had feelings for Devon....

The nurse gave Connie a thick packet of discharge papers for Connie to sign off on. Connie got up and began to make her way out of the room. She turned back to Devon before she left and lightly hugged him.

Devon laughed.

"Thanks coach! Hey, you ever need to talk, holla at your boy!"

Connie giggled. She waved at Devon. The nurse's blank stare had turned into an awkward stare as things were seemingly getting more intimate between Connie and Devon.

Connie had almost made her way out of the door before Devon yelled for her.

"Hey yo coach! Don't be stressing about the boys. I'll talk to them. They'll be cool. You just do you and get ready for practice. I'll see you out there. It ain't all about winning, but I've got some ideas that might just get us one or two."

Connie was in complete disbelief. How had she missed the fact that Devon was such an incredible human being? He had gone out of his way to make Connie feel so much better. His willingness to talk to the team and let them know what had happened was over and above as well.

Connie left Devon's room with a whole new level of confidence. She may have to endure more adversity with Prescott, but Connie had been through the storm of her husband dying. She had not just survived, but she had thrived. She had single-handedly made her husband's dream a reality.

Devon was right. Connie had instantly folded when Prescott intimidated her. That wasn't who Connie was at all. She was a fighter, and a warrior. That submissive behavior was killing Connie and she needed to break free and get back to being who she really was.

Connie vowed to approach this week's game with a whole new level of rigor and determination. With the help of Devon, Connie was sure that she could rally her team to their first competitive game of the season!

*

[illWILL8455]

Lots of Falls

Connie was back! Her spirit was lifted and her will to fight had bounced back. She stepped outside of the medical ward into the beautiful fall morning.

The world looked brighter. Connie took the time to enjoy her stroll through the jail's yard as she made her way towards her office. The birds were chirping, and the sun was shining through a thin cloud cover. While it was warm, a cool breeze blew making Connie's choice of clothing a little light. Connie chuckled as she thought of how ridiculous she looked in a 'wife beater' and sweat pants.

It wasn't uncommon for Connie to pass by inmates during her walk to the yard. Sometimes the inmates were playing basketball, and other times they were simply hanging out. Every once in a while, Connie timed her walk right to see the Cheer Team practicing. She smiled as she saw the cheerleaders from a distance.

Connie decided that she would stop by and see how Fu Fu was doing. Fu Fu wasn't Connie's favorite inmate, but she liked her a lot better than Derricka. Connie hoped that Fu Fu had somehow managed to put together a show that blew Derricka's show away.

However, Connie's enthusiasm soon faded as she arrived at the cheerleaders. Fu Fu had turned to Connie as she noticed her walking up and greeted her.

Connie was appalled by how rough Fu Fu looked. Her eyes were nearly swollen shut, and she had cuts across her face and neck. The girls who jumped her in the shower had really messed her up.

"What up doe, coach! Us girls' is just out here doing our thang! Ain't that right, girls..?"

Connie glanced at the other girls. They looked even worse than Fu Fu. Connie picked up on a negative tone in Fu Fu's voice and the girls looked scared of Fu Fu and they nodded as she wanted them to.

Fu Fu beamed at Connie. Connie knew that there had been a fight amongst them, and that all of them had gotten pretty badly beaten up. She guessed that some of them had tried to beat up Fu Fu because Fu Fu was one of the more hated female inmates. From the looks of things, Fu Fu had managed to protect herself in the end, and had maintained her position of power.

"Uhhh...what happened to you all?"

Connie didn't expect to get the truth but she at least wanted to let them know that she was on to them.

"Lots of falls. We've been out here trying to flip. It's all good though. We be ready by the time the game comes, won't we girls..?!"

Once again, Fu Fu had a stern tone in her voice. She glared at the girls so that none of them would snitch on the fight that had happened the night before. They agreed with Fu Fu. Fu Fu once again smiled at Connie.

All Connie could do was shake her head. That would never work. Fu Fu couldn't be the only one in charge with a bunch of terrified followers. Fu Fu's insanely large ego and her hero complex would get way out of hand....

Connie knew what she had to do. She would have to get Derricka released from solitary confinement. Connie hated Derricka, but she viewed her as a necessary evil to keep Fu Fu in check. Connie didn't think Fu Fu or Derricka were capable of leading on their own, but together, they could probably work together enough to put together a solid show.

Connie faked a smile back at Fu Fu. She watched as Fu Fu clearly thought that she had fooled Connie into thinking they had just fallen a lot that practice. She laughed and went back to coaching up the girls. Connie simply shook her head, and made a mental note to stop by solitary and get Derricka freed.

Connie couldn't believe some of the nonsense that she heard Fu Fu yapping at the cheerleaders as she walked off. Did Fu Fu really think that she was coaching effectively?

Despite the fact that she'd have to deal with Derricka later, Connie was still in great spirits as she made it to her office. The feeling of pride and passion in her work was back. Connie felt alive again.

Her next task was to sort through all of the papers that covered the floor of her office. It would likely be a frustrating task, but Connie knew that she needed to do it in order to get to the fun part of developing plays and preparing for their next game.

Mysterious Phone Calls

Connie took a step back and admired her work. After an hours worth of work, Connie had sorted and cleaned her office completely. It looked better than ever.

Connie plopped down into her desk chair and spun around. It felt so good to be back in control of her life. She had took what Devon said to heart, and she wasn't going to be pushed around by someone that she didn't even know.

Satisfied with her peace of mind, Connie found the first binder of plays that Arkansas State liked to run. Rikers Island would host Arkansas State later that week. Connie knew that ASU was one of the better teams on her schedule, but she planned to be more prepared than ever.

Hours past as Connie reviewed binders, watched game film, and jotted down notes. She was beginning to catch onto some trends in how their coaches liked to call plays, when suddenly her phone began to ring.

Connie was deep in thought as she studied game stats, so the loud ringing startled her. She plopped down the binder, and checked her Caller ID.

Connie didn't recognize the number. She didn't receive many calls, and when she did, it was usually from someone who she had saved in her contacts. Connie elected not to bother with it and got back to her work.

She managed to jot down a few more notes before her phone started ringing again....

Connie quickly scribbled down one more note before checking her Caller ID. It was the same number again. Connie paused for a minute, but finally elected to let it go to voicemail. Whoever was calling could leave a message. Connie was busy.

Once Connie finished off that sheet, she thumbed through for another sheet of stats. These stats helped Connie break down how successful the team had been in running and passing the football.

Connie was happy with her progress. She wanted to grind through a few more sheets of stats in order to formulate the most efficient strategy. However, once again, her phone began ringing and it broke her concentration.

She was beginning to get frustrated with whoever was calling. Connie couldn't figure out why they wouldn't leave her a message and get Connie to call them back. Connie refused to even look as she knew it was the same jerk who had been calling before.

Focused and determined, Connie dove back into her work. She had never tried this hard so she was hopeful that her hard work would pay off. She looked forward to hearing what Devon had come up with too. Devon had managed to lead the team to their only touchdown, so he obviously knew his stuff.

Once again, ringing began blasting from Connie's phone. Connie chuckled as it was starting to get normal. It no longer bothered her and she was able to stay focused and keep grinding on her work.

Suddenly her phone buzzed. Connie looked up at it. Her phone only buzzed when she received a text message. Connie didn't have many friends who texted so this caught her attention.

She scribbled down the note that she was working on and was planning to go check the phone when yet again, it began to ring.

This seemed odd to Connie. Whoever that was on the other line, really wanted to speak to Connie. She feared that the text would also be from the same person. Her imagination began to run wild as she reached for her phone when it finally stopped ringing.

She checked her inbox, and sure enough, it was sent from the same number that was calling. Connie opened the message up, and what she saw sent chills down her spine....

answer NOW!

Instantly, Connie knew who had been trying to call. It was Prescott or one of the people that he was going to send to her. Connie felt scared all over again. The ringing started again....

Connie stared at her phone. She considered answering it. Prescott would definitely be mad if she didn't....

She felt herself getting weak, and she reached to answer the call. At the last moment, she glanced back at her work. She noticed how detailed it was, and how much she cared about every little thing. She remembered how excited she was for the practice later that day. The wise words of Devon came back to her as well, and she remembered that she was a warrior.

Once again, Connie felt the sensation of power and pride and she confidently tossed the phone down and went back to her work. She smiled as she felt as though she had resisted the temptation to give in to Prescott's intimidation tactics.

Satisfied that she had stayed 'scrong' as Devon put it, Connie continued studying Arkansas State's stats. The calls continued for a few more minutes before her phone fell silent.

She smirked as she whispered to herself.

"Not today, Prescott. I'm on a mission!"

Mustache

"All done!"

Connie shouted out loud as she finished the last page of stats. Connie had jotted down notes about Arkansas State's offensive and defensive plays from this season and the previous one.

She had outlined multiple trends in how their coaches liked to call plays, and identified key weaknesses in their roster. Connie was so excited to get to practice and share her information with the team. She was really looking forward to seeing what Devon had to offer. Maybe her research could help him come up with his masterful trick plays.

Connie was excited that she was done a little early as well. She had hoped to get a chance to go home and shower off and put on an actual outfit prior to practice. She was finally feeling good again, so she wanted to dress up and look pretty.

Connie gathered her things, and organized her desk so that it was still clean as she left. She smiled as she looked back at her clean and well organized office as she flipped the light off and closed the door.

She knew that she needed to stop by the solitary confinement cells and get Derricka released. The poor cheerleaders were going to kill each other if she left Fu Fu solely in charge, so Connie felt obligated to get Derricka back on the team.

Connie confidently made her way across the jail, to where the solitary cells were located. She got the attention of Senior officer, Flapjack Cooke.

Officer Cooke was finishing off a 'Family Size' bag of spicy Doritos. Orange dust from the Doritos was all over his fingers, and mustache. He greeted Connie happily, and Connie tried to ignore all of the orange dust....

Connie explained her situation to Officer Cooke as he munched on the remaining Doritos. He seemed to be going along with Connie so she was happy. Connie finished her proposal to get Derricka released, and waited for Officer Cooke to respond.

Officer Cooke appeared to be deep in thought as he considered his options. He turned up the Doritos bag over his mouth and poured the tiny particles of chips from the bottom of the bag into his mouth....

Connie was grossed at. She wondered how long it had taken him to eat the entire 'Family Size' bag. She cringed as he put the bag down revealing that multiple tiny chips were caught in his mustache....

She did her best to play it cool. It was hard because Connie found it absolutely disgusting. She had never liked facial hair on a man for that very reason. Connie was always grossed out as she pictured how much food or drink got on a man's beard or mustache. "The Warden" had remained clean shaven for the entire time that Connie knew him. This was one of the many things that she loved about him.

"Sorry as I can be, coach. I have orders to keep her in here. There's nothing that I can do."

Connie wasn't satisfied with that. She begged him to make an exception. She politely asked him to do her this favor.

Officer Cooke simply shook his head and began walking towards a 3 liter bottle of grape soda. Connie stared in disbelief as Officer Cooke opened up the bottle and chugged a huge gulp of soda, directly from the bottle....

He smiled, and licked his lips.

"Like I said Coach, I have orders. There's nothing that I can do."

Connie knew that he was making that up. It didn't sit well with her. She didn't like getting lied to, especially by a fat moron with a power problem.

Connie beamed as she came up with a plan that was guaranteed to work. Officer Cooke may have a power problem, but he was also very sensitive about his weight. He easily weighed more than 300 pounds.

She pulled out her phone and snapped multiple pics of Officer Cooke. He looked perplexed. Connie beamed at him as she informed him of her plot if he refused to release Derricka.

"See this picture? It's kinda funny isn't it. Well, I don't really think so but I bet I know someone who will think that it's absolutely hilarious. Fu Fu Brown...."

Officer Cooke's entire demeanor changed. He looked sad. Connie knew that this was a low blow, but she had an obligation. She couldn't let Fu Fu and the rest of the cheerleaders kill each other. She needed to get Derricka out at all costs, and Officer Cooke and his mustache full of spicy Dorito flakes weren't going to stand in her way.

"I will stop by her cell right now and let her check this picture out. Rumor has it that she got into a fight recently. If the security tapes show that this rumor is true, she'll be coming to see you. I wouldn't want her to see this picture before that, would you?"

Officer Cooke looked horrified. He hated Fu Fu, and her insults really got under his skin. Connie hated lying about Fu Fu potentially coming to solitary but with how wild and crazy Fu Fu was, it was always a possibility.

Officer Cooke knew that he needed to do anything to prevent Fu Fu from seeing that embarrassing picture of him. He stood up quickly and grabbed his keys. He motioned for Connie to follow him into the hallway to go see Derricka in her solitary cell.

Necessary Evil

Connie wasn't looking forward to seeing Derricka. She had resented Derricka ever since she laughed in her face during a conversation. Derricka was trying to get Fu Fu kicked off of the team for no reason during that discussion which Connie didn't appreciate either.

She tried to think of the positives of having Derricka released. Regardless how much her and Fu Fu clashed, Derricka always seemed to keep the team as a whole united. Connie figured that Fu Fu would have less ability to develop a following too. Fu Fu by herself was scary enough, but if she ever gained a legion of followers, there is no end to the potential craziness that could ensue.

They arrived at Derricka's cell. Officer Cooke unlocked the door, and opened it up. Derricka seemed shocked. Officer Cooke ordered her to sit on the bed until she was informed as to what was going on.

Derricka sat patiently on the bed. Connie eased past Officer Cooke, and into Derricka's cell. An evil grin came over Derricka's face. She knew that Connie didn't like her. She also knew that the only reason that Connie was there was to get her released.

Connie hated her evil grin. She had once thought Derricka was a heroic leader, only to find out that she had a horrible dark side. Connie swallowed her pride and informed Derricka that she was being released and that she was back on the cheer team.

Derricka grinned from ear to ear. She didn't show her teeth like she usually did. Connie always thought that Derricka had the straightest, whitest teeth of anyone she had ever seen. She liked her smile, even if Derricka was a horrible person.

Connie didn't think much of it. She motioned to Officer Cooke that she was done, and Officer Cooke ordered Derricka to come towards him to begin her walk back to the main part of the jail.

Connie glared at Derricka as Officer Cooke began chaining her up. She didn't like Derricka's cavalier attitude at all. Connie had pulled all of these strings for her and she had yet to even say thank you to Connie.

"Got anything to say, b****?"

Derricka looked surprised. Perhaps a bit flustered. She appeared to have startled Derricka and she was beginning to sweat.

"Something the matter? B****?"

Derricka shook her head quickly. Connie had never seen Derricka this rattled before. Derricka usually swagged around the jail with a cocky demeanor. Seeing Derricka like this amused Connie.

"Oh yeah? Then what do you say? B****?"

Derricka looked directly at Connie. Derricka had a concerned look on her face. Connie knew something was off.

Connie scanned Derricka. Why had what Connie had said rattled Derricka so much? Connie had witnessed the charismatic leader, crumble in mere moments. Derricka was still unable to pull herself together as Connie continued to scan her to see if she could figure out what was up.

Connie thought back to what had initially rattled her. Connie had asked Derricka is she had something to say. That was the point that total shock came over Derricka.

"All ready to go...."

Officer Cooke had finished chaining Derricka up for her walk back to the main part of the jail. Her hands were cuffed behind her, and her feet were chained.

Connie finally put all of the pieces together!

Derricka had a little surprise stashed in her mouth. She thought back to when Derricka had refused to smile, showing her teeth. Now she suddenly couldn't talk....

Connie beamed from ear to ear.

"Officer Cooke... why don't you let me walk the lovely Ms. Derricka back to the jail?"

Derricka frowned as she knew that she was busted. She knew that she would have a better chance of getting away with it if she went with Connie. If Officer Cooke saw the screw in her mouth, Derricka knew that she'd get charged with smuggling out a deadly weapon from the workshop.

Officer Cooke began shaking his head, but Connie flashed the pic of him eating spicy Doritos. Officer Cooke hung his head and agreed to let Connie walk her to the main part of the jail.

Connie grabbed Derricka hard, and shoved her out in front of her down the hall. Connie was about to get the ultimate form of blackmail on Derricka, once she figured out what was in her mouth.

Connie knew just where the cameras wouldn't see them so she could have a nice little private chat with Derricka and figure out what she was hiding....

Next Door

As Connie led Derricka down the hall, the slot in the cell door next to Derricka's closed abruptly.

Estrella Nunez had heard Connie's voice as she made her way down the hallway. She had peered out to see Connie walk into Derricka's cell and free her. Estrella had hoped that Connie would also save her but she hadn't.

Unable to speak any English, Estrella had no idea what had been said in the cell next to her. She only knew that Connie had came in and saved Derricka while totally forgetting about her. That didn't sit well with Estrella....

Estrella plopped down on her mattress. She was furious. Connie had not only lied to her about getting Derricka to braid her hair, she had also forgotten about her as Estrella sat alone in this tiny cell day after day.

Rage filled Estrella, and the tiny cheerleader began screaming profanities in Spanish. She began ripping into her mattress, throwing stuffing everywhere. Estrella completely destroyed her mattress. It didn't matter, she hadn't slept on it once anyway. She only slept as she sat in the corner sulking.

Connie would pay for how badly she had mistreated her. Estrella knew this. She vowed to make Connie pay, even if it meant spending the rest of her life in a tiny jail cell....

Black Mail

Connie walked Derricka nicely down the hallway as she knew the security cameras would be watching. Derricka trembled as she worried what Connie was going to do once she found the screw in her mouth.

Connie knew a perfect storage closet along the way that she could dip into with Derricka and have some time to figure out what Derricka was hiding that was off the security cameras.

They slowly made their way down the hallways until Connie saw the storage closet. After peaking both ways down the hall, Connie opened up the door to the closet.

Connie shoved Derricka in as hard as she could. Derricka slammed up against multiple brooms and cleaning supplies. Derricka wasn't surprised. She knew Connie didn't like her and would take the opportunity to rough her up a little. The only thing that Derricka cared about was how much trouble she was going to get in for having the screw in her mouth.

Derricka had considered swallowing it. She almost had but she worried that she wouldn't be able to throw it up in time. She didn't want to even let herself think about what could happen if she waited too long....

She was screwed and Connie knew it. Connie closed the door of the closet and flipped on the light. Derricka trembled as Connie grabbed her under her chin and motioned for her to spit out what she was hiding.

Derricka sadly did as she was asking, and out dropped the screw....

It was a large screw. Definitely capable of doing the job that Derricka intended to use it for. She hung her head at how her evil plot had now gone up in smoke and she was now entirely at the mercy of what Connie decided to do to her.

"Well, well, well... what were you planning on doing with this?"

Connie smugly clinched the screw and held it right in front of Derricka's face.

"Nothing...."

An evil grin came over Connie's face. She had Derricka right where she wanted her and she was going to enjoy it.

"Oh really...? That's interesting. So... I suppose you'd be okay with me going to the workshop and searching the security cameras for anyone who may have smuggled a deadly screw out of there recently. Maybe, then I'll let the officers know, and possibly a judge too?"

Derricka's heart sank. The look of total desperation came over her. She began begging Connie not to tell on her. She swore that she'd do anything.

"Oh yeah? Well then, tell me what you were planning on doing with this screw!"

A dark look came over Derricka's face. Connie didn't like it one bit. Derricka broke eye contact and stared at the floor.

"Hurt Fu Fu...."

Connie's heart sank. She couldn't believe that Derricka had gone this far to simply hurt Fu Fu. The dark look and the shame that came over Derricka's face as she said that seemed more like Derricka meant to KILL Fu Fu....

"I see.... Hmm. Well, you are kinda screwed. I have the screw. I'll save the security tapes. I could turn you in anytime I want."

Connie beamed at Derricka. Derricka looked crushed. She seemed to be giving up hope that she would actually get away with this without getting charged with attempted murder.

Connie waved the screw in front of Derricka's face. She watched as the once cocky cheerleader with the cavalier attitude was crumbling before her eyes.

Then Connie had a shocking revelation... Connie was doing to Derricka, what Prescott had done to Connie....

Connie snapped out of it. She pulled the screw back and stared at Derricka. Connie was now concerned as she saw tears building up in Derricka's eyes. What had Connie done?

Determined to play it cool, and make the most out of the power that she had over Derricka, Connie took another approach.

"Guess what, Derricka. I'm not going to turn you in... as long as you help me out. I have a huge problem with the cheerleaders right now, and only you are able to even them out. If you want to keep this from ending up in a police officer's hand, as a tape of you smuggling it out of the workshop gets shown, I believe that I'd do exactly what I say if I was you."

Derricka made eye contact with Connie. She seemed relieved. Derricka knew that her life was over if Connie turned her in, so she smiled at Connie as if to thank her for giving her another chance.

"Thank you so much, coach! I will do anything! Thank you!"

Connie still enjoyed watching Derricka like this since she didn't like her at all before today. She refused to let herself do what Prescott had done to her though. She felt as though that was inhumane, and no human, even Derricka, deserved to be treated so poorly.

Connie smirked at Derricka and dropped the screw into a secure pocket in her purse. She grabbed Derricka by her hair and drug her out of the storage closet.

Derricka didn't care for her treatment, but still couldn't stop smiling. She had been given another chance by Connie. She would do anything to avoid getting charged for smuggling out the screw from the workshop.

Connie kicked Derricka lightly in her back to get Derricka walking down the hall again. Connie confidently walked behind her with a huge smile on her face. From now on, Connie would have complete control over the cheerleaders (minus Fu Fu...) now that Derricka was at her disposal. She may not be able to contain Fu Fu, but all of the others would be taken care of.

Connie chuckled as she thought to herself that she may have more problems pop up in the future, but as of today, the cheerleaders would no longer be one of them.

*

[illWILL8455]

Getting Creative

Connie felt a sense of hope and ambition as she made her way back towards the dome. Practice would begin soon, and Connie had loads of research with her. She was determined to make the most of her time with her team.

After her confrontation with Derricka, Connie had left Rikers and made her way home. She treated herself to a hot shower, and put on a nice outfit. For the first time in a long time, Connie felt as though she was back.

It was almost time for practice to begin. Connie made her way out of the tunnel, towards the sideline. She sat her research down on a table and looked up to see Claude Newman smirking at her.

"My oh my.... Don't you look adorable. Is some feller getting the chance to take a fine gal like yourself on a date?"

Connie blushed and shook her head. She just wanted to look nice, that was all. She may have over dressed, but she felt so much better after feeling oppressed by Prescott for so long.

Connie shook her head at Claude and began thumbing through some of her research. Claude was still grinning at her as if he didn't believe her, but he finally drifted off to go refill his 'Special Gatorade' canister.

While Claude's comment had been slightly awkward, Connie was flattered that Claude thought that she looked nice.

"Coach! You ready to get down to business!"

Connie smiled and looked up. It was Devon. Having just rolled onto the field, Devon was beaming at Connie as he continued making his way towards her. Connie couldn't stop smiling. She had really enjoyed their talk, and she credited Devon with helping her break out of her funk lately.

"What's all this, coach?"

Devon had looked down at all of the binders, and notebooks full of research that Connie had done.

"Research. It's sort of a detailed analysis of Arkansas State over the past two seasons. I now know what they like to run, what they like to call, and what kind of trends have developed over time with their current coaches. I feel like I know way too much about Arkansas State...but at the same time, I've never been so prepared!"

Devon's face lit up. He was blown away by everything that Connie had done. She could see that Devon felt as though her research would help them out tremendously.

"That's incredible, coach! I...I think that's perfect! Can we meet, maybe tomorrow, and go through it? I think that this may be our key to upsetting Arkansas State!"

Hope filled Devon's eyes as he peered over the first few pages of Connie's notes. She could tell that he truly enjoyed getting the opportunity to show his creativity on the football field. Connie agreed to meet up with him, and was very much looking forward to it.

Whistles blew, and the team knew that it was time to begin running laps around the field. Practice was starting. The mood of the Rikers Island football team was surprisingly light for having had a brawl a few days earlier. Devon had kept his word and spoken to the team. Connie could tell that the team respected her again. She smiled as she felt as though she had been given a second chance to be their leader.

Devon rolled over to Connie as the laps came to an end, and the team began stretching. Connie feared that Devon would miss being a player, but he remained happy as he puttered around on the sideline in his wheelchair.

"Coach. We need to shake things up today. We need to get creative. These boys aren't like other teams' boys. They are totally different. Therefore, we need to approach them totally different."

Devon had a way of getting through to Connie. What he said always made perfect sense. Connie listened as he continued.

"I know all these boys. They don't respond to typical coaching. They don't know what all the technical football terms are and frankly, they don't care. If you want to tap into their full potential, you need to think like them."

Connie smirked at the thought of that. These inmates were capable of far worse things than Connie was. She often wondered how the inmates could be so violent, crazy, or stupid. She never once felt as though she understood where they were coming from, or what thoughts were running through their heads.

Devon beamed at Connie. It was as if he knew just what Connie had been thinking.

"Don't worry, coach! You don't have to pick their brains. That's why you have me. I chill with these boys every day, I know what they're like. I can let you in on exactly how to succeed with each of them."

Connie couldn't believe it. How had she been so lucky as to stumble onto someone like Devon. He was incredible, and seemed to be going over and above to make this team work. Connie smiled as she imagined her team actually doing well for a change.

Connie called the offense onto the field to begin a scrimmage game. The starting offense would go up against the starting defense. Devon moved next to Connie and began giving her tips as to what to say to the team.

Connie elected to call in a running play to start practice off. She ran the idea past Devon. Devon nodded and looked up to see who the running back was. He identified that Terrance Horton was the running back. Devon chuckled to himself, and instructed Connie to call him over to the sideline before starting the play.

Connie motioned for Horton to come to her. He seemed confused but did as she asked. Once Horton had arrived, Connie looked to Devon for more advice. Devon was smirking at Horton. Horton had no idea what was going on so he too looked to Devon.

"So, I heard them boys on defense is animal enthusiasts. They said they were coming after you. They were talking mad s*** about you, bro. They said, what kind of animal keeps all those fishes when he should have only kept a few? They said that they'd get you good if they ever tackled you in practice."

Horton had been arrested for keeping way too many bass fish following a fishing trip. He had also fled the police and gotten into a long police chase before ultimately crashing his truck into a lake (ironically...)

Horton's eyes got wide. He was terrified of the defense now. Connie could tell that Horton regretted keeping all of those fish. She could also tell that he too felt as though he was wrong for doing it, so he knew why they'd be mad at him. He began asking Devon who he needed to watch out for.

"I don't know, bruh. There were so many of them yelling about it. It was so hard to tell who was who. If I were you, I would just not get tackled."

Horton nodded at the thought of that. He sprinted back onto the field, motivated to stay on his feet at all costs.

Connie signaled in the play. Quarterback Gary Donaldson set the play up and awaited the snap. Connie glanced at Devon who was smiling at her. He winked at her as the play began.

Donaldson took the snap and pitched the ball to Horton. Horton's eyes got wide as defenders began streaking towards him. Running on pure adrenaline, Horton exploded ahead, and juked away before the first defender could hit him. The defender toppled to the ground and Horton raced past him.

A few of the linebackers were rushing towards Horton and looked to be forcing him towards the sideline. Horton worried that they'd still tackle him even if he ran out of bounds so he cut back aggressively. The sharp cut surprised the defense and they fell to the ground. Horton was able to cut back towards the wide open middle of the field.

Horton was sprinting as hard as he possibly could. He had never ran so fast in his life. Flashbacks of speeding away from the cops with way too many fish in his truck popped back into his head. He hit a whole new level of speed, and there was no chance that anyone was going to catch him, Horton scored easily, with nobody within 20 yards of him.

Connie could hardly breath. She was blown away that Horton had pulled off such a heroic run. Connie knew that her defense was really bad but there was no doubt in her mind that a run like that, would've easily been enough for a big gain against Arkansas State.

She had jumped around on the sideline as Horton was juking and cutting up the field. Connie had been jumping and cheering as if she was a cheerleader. She was overcome with joy as she watched Horton cross the goal line. Connie had turned to Devon who simply winked at her with a huge grin on his face.

There was hope for this team yet!

*

[AdamJones113]

I'll murder you if Devon goes down. Hmm, then I guess I'd replace him eh?

[illWILL8455]

Quote: Originally Posted by AdamJones113

I'll murder you if Devon goes down. Hmm, then I guess I'd replace him eh?

Haha good point! At least you'll get plenty of playing time on a team this bad. Maybe you can even find a way to flirt with Fu Fu, with her knappy dreadlocks and horrible freestyle rapping skills lol

Thanks for the comment! It's great to know that others are enjoying this as much as I am!