Usually seconds turn into minutes, minutes turn into hours, hours turn into days, and days turn into months. When you're out living your life, time flies by. But where I'm at, time moves slowly, like a hundred-year-old lady crossing the street. It takes forever for a week to pass, and it feels like years before the month ends. As the days slowly pass, the more depressed I get; I try to sleep, but wind up staying awake staring at these cold gray walls.

I'm used to a certain lifestyle. I got accustomed to the finer things in life. I was a baller's bitch. I never coped nothing but the best of everything. Now I'm sleeping under nasty-ass used sheets and they make me cringe; my skin's flaking up from using that generic-ass soap these crackers give me.

I thought being a baller's bitch was easy. I had the hottest whips, the best clothes, and mad dollars at my fingertips. I was the baddest bitch in the CHI. I was Dollar's girl. And I was his wifey, not no sideline ho. I enjoyed being a baller's chick, but everything that glitters ain't gold.

I was down for Dollar and I talked to him every day since I was sixteen; now it's been three months since I saw or heard a word from him. Dis nigga is playing me now. I was the same bitch that went across state lines for him, took the stand and lied for him; I was the same woman he asked to marry three months ago. Now a bitch can't even get a visit outta his ass after all I did for him.

"Everybody up and out!" the prison guard yelled.

I couldn't jump up fast enough. I dashed down the hall because I needed to be the first person on the phone. Once I made it to the head of the line, I couldn't dial Sissy's number fast enough. I needed to see what the hell was going on.

Sissy answered right away. "Emerald, how you holding up?" she asked.

"Bitch, how you think? I'm in fucking prison! Where the fuck is Dollar? How come he ain't put no money on my books or came and seen me?"

Sissy swallowed hard before she answered me. "I been trying to call him," she said in a low voice. "I don't know if he got locked up or not."

"Bitch, what the fuck you mean you ain't heard from him?" I screamed so loud my voice began to shake. "What about SL? You call him."

"Emerald, I done tried everybody," she cried.

"What?"

"I don't know what's going on."

"Call his momma right now!" I told her.

Sissy clicked over, called Dollar's momma on the three-way, and clicked me in.

"Hello, Sissy. Dollar ain't in --" Dollar's momma said.

Sissy cut her off. "Ms. Price, I have Emerald on the line."

"What's going on, Ms. Price?" I asked. "I'm in here and I haven't heard or seen Dollar in three months now!"

"Baby, I ain't seen him either. I think he out of town. I'll tell him to come up there soon as he gets back."

"What am I supposed to do for money?"

"I got some," Sissy answered.

"I'll put some on your books."

"Well, I need for you to come today."

"All right. See you when I get there."

I hung up the phone; there were too many people behind me waiting to make phone calls. My gut was telling me something was going on with Dollar. My gut was telling me that he was playing me. He done got me locked up, and now I'm doing his time.