The Convict

A Moment of Silence

Shortly after the trial of Dakota Foley Antonia's family started a foundation in her name to help victims of cyberbullying. Once a month they hold a morning service, giving a moment of silence to those who lost their lives to bullying.

It gained a lot of traction at first, but like most things it eventually fizzled out until the only ones who showed up was Antonia's family.

Once Dakota escaped the services started picking back up again, to bring awareness to their cause once more. Thankfully, it has started to die down again. Still, I knew there would be a decent crowd once I got there.

It was obvious it was a trap. I'd get there and have no choice but to agree to start a task force to bring Dakota in, otherwise, everyone would see me say no and I'd look suspicious and like an asshole.

Even though I knew it was a trap, could I keep myself from falling into it?

A Moment of Silence

I showed up to the cemetery wearing all black, which was the custom for these meetings. I kept my hair down and my head low as I walked over to the small crowd gathered around Antonia's grave.

It's ironic actually, that those choosing to remember the victims of bullying gather here, at the grave of one of the biggest bullies there ever was. Antonia may have been a victim in her own right, but I think she was just as awful as Dakota, maybe even worse. Sometimes I wonder if she ever felt remorse for what she did.

People look up at me and get bug-eyed, but everyone remains silent as we bow our heads for a moment.

I don't bow my head for Antonia, though. Instead, I think of Dakota's sister Carolina, the real victim in all of this. If it wasn't for me and Dakota, I bet nobody would remember Carolina. That makes me sad.

After 10 minutes of silence, everyone goes back to the parking lot where the Hernadez family has a table set up with pamphlets and finger foods. Me and Mrs. Hernadez hang back though, just the two of us.

I stare at Antonia's grave. She was two years younger than me, only 19 when she was killed.

I sigh and shove my hands in my pockets as the two of us stare at her grave for a moment. Nothing but the sound of the wind whistling through trees and the occasional bird caw to fill the silence.

"What do you want?" I finally break the silence.

"You know what I want." She says.

"I told you never to contact me again. I told you I would never take your side over Dakota's remember?" I turn to face her.

"She's a killer."

"She's a girl who has made mistakes, and I won't join your stupid task force to hunt her down like a dog. I love her and what you are asking me to do is impossible."

"You know where she is don't you," she narrows her eyes at me.

"I don't, and I have cooperated fully with the police. But even if I did, I would never tell you. Dakota deserves a second chance, away from that hell hole. You have no idea what it was like for her in there."

"I don't care! She deserves to pay for what she did to my daughter! For what she's done to my family!"

"I advise you to seek help for all this hate you carry in your heart. Dakota carried a lot of hate in her heart and it's how she wound up in that prison. I used to be angry too, for so long after what happened. Angry at Dakota, at myself, at Antonia. I had to get help, even now I am still working on making peace with what happened to me all those years ago."