She didn’t celebrate.
She simply wiped the remaining water from her face and looked down at Tasha.
“I asked you to stop.”
By then, two guards were already running across the yard.
One reached Maya first and grabbed her arm.
“Against the wall!”
Maya didn’t resist.
But the second guard suddenly slowed down.
He stared at her face.
Then at her hands.
“Maya Collins?”
Maya looked at him.
“Yes.”
The guard remained silent for a moment.
“I knew I recognized you.”
Tasha, still sitting on the ground, frowned.
One of the other inmates finally asked:
“Recognized her from where?”
The guard looked toward Maya.
“Before she came here, she competed professionally.”
The yard went quiet again.
Tasha’s expression changed.
“What kind of competition?”
The guard answered:
“Boxing.”
A few inmates exchanged looks.
Then he added:
“She was a national champion in her division.”
Tasha slowly got back to her feet.
