It was Aron's first day in prison. His heart was racing and he could feel the eyes on him. He barely fit into the jumpsuit they had given him and his fat, wobbly ass made the onlookers yell all sorts of nasty things. Aron wished he could go back and stop himself from stealing all those things, but it was too late. Now he could only hope that his cellmate wouldn't make his new life hell

He ignored his cellmate's greeting and lay down on the bed, trying to pretend like he didn't exist. He was better than this loser; he should never have been put in here with the likes of him. Aron wished there was some way out of this prison, but it seemed like an impossible dream.

He turned away from Zer and stared at the dirty walls, tears beginning to well up in his eyes. Why did he ever think stealing would solve anything? Now look where it got him... locked up with people worse than himself. Aron buried his face in his pillow, silently praying for a way out of this nightmare.

Ignoring the cellmate's question, Aron turned even further away and curled up tighter in a ball. He didn't need anyone's pity; he could take care of himself. The only thing that mattered now was getting out of here, back to where he belonged. A thousand schemes raced through his head, but none seemed plausible enough to work. All he could do now was wait and hope that one day his luck would change.

Desperately, he tried to block out the sound of Zer's voice, refusing to acknowledge him as a real person. If only there were some way for Aron to show this cellmate who's boss... But for now, all he could do was focus on surviving another day in this prison hellhole.

Aron gritted his teeth and clenched his fists in frustration as he heard the cellmate's taunt. He wanted nothing more than to prove himself, to show that he didn't belong here with these losers. The need for companionship and belonging burned inside him like a fire, making it nearly impossible to ignore Zer any longer. Maybe if he tried talking to his cellmate...

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. "Look," he said slowly, hesitantly, "I don't know who you think you are, but I don't need your help or your insults. Just leave me alone."

Aron frowned as he saw the slightest hint of a smile tug at Zer's lips. He didn't know why he bothered talking to this guy in the first place, but something about him just got under his skin. Before he could respond, however, their door suddenly swung open and two guards entered the cell.

"Time for chow," one of them grunted as they shoved each prisoner roughly into a sitting position on their bunks. "Move it, you lazy fucks." As Aron reluctantly stood up, he shot Zer a dirty look before following the guards out of the cell and down the hall to the cafeteria.

The food wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. He sat at an empty table, hunching over his tray as he methodically shoveled spaghetti into his mouth. His mind drifted back to

Aron glared at the cellmate as he sat down across from him. "What do you want now?" he growled through a mouthful of food.

"Nothing much," Zer replied casually, folding his hands on the tabletop. "Just thought maybe we could chat or something."

Aron snorted derisively and went back to eating in silence. He didn't trust this guy; there had to be an ulterior motive behind everything he said. But as the minutes ticked by and Zer continued to act civil, Aron found himself beginning to wonder...

Aron shrugged, pushing his tray aside. "Shoplifting," he mumbled. He didn't want to talk about it; the shame of being caught still burned too freshly in his heart. But for some reason, the curiosity in Zer's eyes made him continue.

"I needed money... my parents can barely afford food as it is, let alone extra stuff." He scowled at his orange-stained hands, feeling even more pathetic now than before. "It was stupid of me; I know that now."

Aron snorted derisively. "Yeah, well, that's the justice system for you. I guess it's my fault for being stupid enough to get caught." He crossed his arms over his chest, a defiant expression on his face. But deep down, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of unease. Maybe there was something to what Zer was saying...

"So," Zer said after a moment, breaking the uncomfortable silence, "what are you in for?" It was Aron's turn to ask the question. The truth was, he didn't really care what his cellmate had done; all that mattered was getting out of here and going back to his life. But perhaps knowing more about him could give Aron some insight into how to survive in prison.

"Oh, this and that," Zer replied nonchalantly as he leaned back in

Aron's blood ran cold as he heard the words "rape" and "life sentence." It was one thing to be locked up with petty criminals like himself, but a rapist? The thought made him feel dirty just being near Zer. He looked away, trying not to show any reaction. "Why... why would you do something like that?" he managed to choke out after a moment.

Zer shrugged noncommittally. "I didn't have much of a choice, you know? Some people are just born with the wrong cards in their hand." Aron opened his mouth to retort but was interrupted by the sound of a guard barking orders for them to return to their cells. He stood up, suddenly feeling uneasy and grateful that he would soon be alone again.

As they made their way back down the hall, Aron couldn't help but wonder if there was any truth to what