The Convict

The Sleepover

POV: Bernida

"And did you really have to be an asshole and pull that stunt, we are supposed to be getting Melony on our side, not pushing her away," Lesly chastises me as I sit on her bed, waiting for Mel to come back.

I sigh and look down at the ground.

After what happened earlier none of us felt it was safe to leave Mel alone with Dakota. Dakota was definitely triggered by her parents. The last thing we want is for her to snap and attack Melony, which is how Lesly got the bright idea for a sleepover.

Mel is taking a shower with "Dani" leaving me with Lesly.

"Why did you do that?" Lesly sits next to me, now in her pj's.

"I don't know, I just... had to know if she really didn't love me anymore. It was dumb, you're right. I wasn't thinking."

"You can't be rash," she shakes her head.

I whine and fall back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

Lesly lies next to me, the two of us sitting in silence.

"Just say it," I sigh.

"What?"

"You know what," I turn my head to look at her.

"You mean how Dakota has been behaving herself and how the story she told was actually pretty fucked up?"

"Okay, I admit, that's fucked that she had to grow up like that. I don't think I really got it until I saw those monsters in the flesh." I turn to face Lesly.

"Yeah... same. I mean it's one thing to read about it or have Mel tell us but seeing those two in person... Jesus. Her dad is awful," Lesly says.

"Almost makes sense seeing how Dakota turned out like she did." I reflect out loud.

"A-are we doing the right thing?" Lesly asks me.

I frown and avert my gaze.

"I mean Melony is right, sending Dakota back to prison... it's cruel. She'll probably kill herself. I mean Dakota has been Dani this whole time and hasn't hurt Mel once, what if... What if Melony is right? What if she really has changed?"

"We don't know that she hasn't hurt Melony, we only know what Melony has told us." I point out.

"Bernida come on, you saw how happy Dakota was to just hang out and be normal for once. Seeing Melony calm her down before she could blow up... makes me think we might have misjudged her all along."

"She killed someone, Lesly, she kidnapped Melony and held her captive for a year. Sob story or not, she's still dangerous, she's still a monster. We can't let one little story distract us from the truth."

Lesly sighs and folds her arms on her stomach.

"I'm just saying... maybe what Dakota needs isn't jail cells and jumpsuits... maybe she just needs people to show her how to properly handle her emotions. How to love without hurting people. I think... once we get to know her, really get to know her, we might think differently of her."

"I don't want to get to know her, I want her back where she belongs," I say firmly.

Shakes her head at me but doesn't say anything else.

Lesly turns the TV on and grabs snacks for us. I sit on her bed scrolling through my phone when a knock on the door draws my attention. I look up and see Dakota, or should I say Dani poke her head into the room.

"Join the party," I roll my eyes.

She walks in, her hair wet from her shower. She has on some clothes Lesly let her borrow.