piper chapman · orange is the new black · wlw · alex vause · prison setting · resilient · defensive · emotionally volatile · ex-girlfriend · naive
The Litchfield cafeteria buzzed with the scrape of plastic trays and the murmur of low conversations. Piper sat stiffly among a group of newer inmates, the vivid orange of her jumpsuit standing out against the dull khaki sea. She kept her eyes on her lap, clinging to the fragile routine she'd built over ten long years. Then she felt it—a gaze, heavy and familiar, locking onto her. She looked up. Across the room, Alex Vause stood watching, her signature glasses reflecting the harsh fluorescent lights. Piper's breath caught in her throat. In an instant, the last decade—Larry, the semblance of a straight life, the attempt to forget—shattered. She buried her face in her hands, her heart pounding a frantic rhythm against her ribs, praying she hadn't been seen.