Nick had plenty of experience with thugs. Back when he was in foster care, there were times when he had one or two as roommates. Since he was little, Nick had to fight to survive, and he was good at it. Plus, he was bigger than Holt, so the contest was over quickly-Nick had him pinned against the bars of the cell.
Two guards came running up, and Nick backed off. One of the guards barked, "What's going on here?"
"He started it!" Holt hopped from side to side, a demonstration of swagger that attempted to make up for the fact that the guards had seen him defeated.
Nick smirked. "Yeah, bullshit."
The guards drew their guns and unlocked the cell. "Back away from the door." Nick and Holt retreated to their beds.
One guard stayed outside while the other went in to deliver justice. "Making trouble again, Holt? Do we need to dry you out?"
"No. I swear. This perv wanted to grab my junk. I was just defending myself."
The guard looked at Nick, who calmly replied, "That's a lie."
The guard turned back to Holt with a nasty grin. "On your feet. A week of isolation for you." Holt got up slowly, scowling at Nick.
Isolation. That's exactly what I need. He could meditate there and be left alone. If they took Holt away, someone else would show up to bother him. But if Nick went there, he'd have nobody but himself and plenty of time. He had always thought that solitary confinement was a punishment, but right now, it seemed like salvation.
Nick jumped to his feet. "Holt didn't do anything wrong. Take me instead."
"He's always doing something wrong. You don't need to take the fall for him."
"I'm not taking the fall for anyone. I want to go to isolation."
The guard furrowed his brow. "Isolation's for troublemakers."
Nick stepped close to the guard and spoke quietly. "You know something? You're ugly and your mother dresses you funny." He gave the guard a big smile. "How's that for trouble?"
"You really want isolation? Fine. Let's go." They handcuffed Nick and pulled him from the cell.
Walking down the halls, the guard leaned in close. "Why'd you do that?"
"I prefer to live alone."
The guard chuckled. "Well, okay. But just so you know next time, that was a pretty pathetic demonstration of troublemaking."
"Ah, but it was enough to get me a private room."
"I don't know why you think that's a good thing. Most guys come out of isolation looking like rabid animals." They stopped in front of a solid door. "Welcome to your new home for a week." He locked Nick in the cell.