THE DRAGON KING'S SECOND CHANCE MATE

Friend with benefits

Málaga Juvenile House for Girls

You will take the bottom, the girl in the cell said to me.

Her hair was jet black with streaks of pink running through it.

I sat down on the bed. My palms were sweaty against the rough sheet, and my stomach hurt from how tense I was. The room felt cold, even though I was sweating. I pressed my fists into my knees, trying to keep it together, and memories of laughing with my sister on the porch ran through my mind. Now there was just concrete and the heavy feeling of what she’d done. I couldn’t believe how my whole life had changed in just one day.

What did you do? She asked.

Nothing.

She laughed. They all say that, at least be honest with yourself.

My sister set me up.

Claudia climbed down and looked at me, eyebrows raised. "Damn, your own sister did that? That’s rough."

It doesn’t matter; no one believes me anyway.

I’m Claudia, she said.

Valeria, I put out my hand.

Don’t do that, they’ll beat you up. Must teach you some rules; you won’t survive a day here otherwise.

I moved back until my back touched the wall, and Claudia sat next to me and started explaining the basic rules. She looked at me with a softer expression, and I wondered if she saw a bit of her old self in me. Maybe that’s why she decided to help, instead of ignoring me like everyone else.

What did you do?

I made my manager angry at work. Like you, she set me up and got me arrested.

"Come on," she said as the metal gate opened. "Lunch."

Who are you? A girl walked up to me.

She’s no one. Back the f**k off Claudia said.

Bitch watch your back, I’m coming for you.

I stared, scared, as Claudia stood up for me. "Thank you," I whispered, my hands shaking.

Hey, Claudia, at least this one, she’s hot. Pumping fist with her.

"What did she mean by that?" I asked.

Don’t worry your pretty head about it, Claudia said.

After lunch, the guard took me to a room. A woman was sitting behind the desk.

"Please have a seat," she said. The room was small and smelled faintly of disinfectant. The white walls were mostly bare, except for a faded mental health poster behind her desk. There was a heavy metal file cabinet in one corner and a wilting plant on the windowsill, its leaves dusty. "I’m Dr. Julia Gonzales, psychologist." She had a kind but tired face, wire-framed glasses slipping down her nose, and her dark hair pulled back in a braid. Her voice was gentle, but her eyes noticed everything. "I read your file, and I’m trying to make sense of it. Bright future, and then a day before graduation, you break into a house and steal jewelry worth half a million euros."

I just stared at her.

Okay, you don’t trust me, I get it.

What’s the point? You won’t believe me anyway, I said.

Try me, I mean nothing else to lose, right?

Yeah, I hit bottom. I was set up. My sister brought that bag into the house—into our room, actually—and put it in the closet." Tell her what was in it?

"I wanted to stay out of it. Just one more day and I should have been in a dorm, away from them."

My dad and sister. My mom died at birth. Dr. Julia kept writing on her notepad.

How did it make you feel to be betrayed by your sister?

I looked her in the eyes. "How do you think?" I clenched my fists. She kept writing. I knew I had to control my anger, or they’d keep me here longer. I wasn’t ready to talk about it.

Did anyone tell you how long you’ll be here?

Not really, I know nothing about it.

Six months, Valeria, I want you to resolve your anger before you leave. Also, can enroll in classes, and let me know if you need anything else. And by the way, I do believe you.

Was she for real? I don’t trust anyone anymore, I told myself. Glad you do.

In the next session, you’ll have to do better. Think about your feelings.

"I want to rip my sister’s head off for ruining my life. Those kinds of feelings?" I thought. But I stopped myself—if I said that out loud, she might think I really meant it. "Okay, thank you," I said as the guard opened the door and took me back to the cell.

Claudia was sitting cross-legged on the top bunk, drawing on a pad.

Let me see, I need something to get distracted, I said.

"Anger? Control it, or your sentence will get longer. That’s what happened to me." She handed me the pad, and I looked through her drawings. "This is amazing," I said. "Are you a tattoo artist?"

You’re just saying that Claudia said

"Okay, come here. Let’s make a pact. No matter how much it hurts, we’ll always tell each other the truth."

We shook hands. Nope, not good enough. Tell me your favorite song, she asked me.

I told her. As we sang, we started to dance. That’s how our friendship began.

Of course, life never goes as you plan. Just look at me, I’m in juvie. But I enrolled in classes, I talked with Dr. Gonzales every Tuesday and Thursday, and Claudia and I planned.

Valerie, I’m putting my trust in you, and you in me. “ I can’t live through another betrayal," she said.

I sat next to her and hugged her. Then she kissed me.

I pulled away. Look, we are friends, and ... I like guys even though I’m a virgin.

She laughed. I got that part, Valeria, but we can be friends with benefits. You are so beautiful, maybe no one ever told you that, she said, kissing my neck.

I figured, hey, no harm can be done having some fun, right? But even as I let myself melt into Claudia's touch, a knot of guilt twisted tighter in my stomach. Part of me wanted to forget everything, slip into the moment, letting her hands and laughter drown out the ache in my chest. But another part of me kept flinching inside, second-guessing, wondering what it said about me that I needed this comfort, even for a breath. I felt pulled in two directions, excitement tugging me forward, unease yanking me back. And yeah, she made me feel good. For a few minutes, I almost managed to relax, to stop questioning everything I did. Claudia was a free spirit; she just went for it. I was more calculated, always trying to figure out my next moves, never brave enough to leap first.

Valeria looked at me and said, "Tell me what you’re thinking."

I like it, but I want to be friends. This was a one-time deal, Claudia.

Her eyes told me everything. I hurt her; my words hurt her.

Please don’t be mad at me.

Valeria, even if I try, I can’t be mad at you. But I get it. You don’t feel the same way. She went up to her bed.

I thought about what I’d do in a week when I got out. Then I came up with a plan. I couldn’t just leave things as they were. Maybe I owed it to myself to finally tell the truth instead of running away. I didn’t know what would happen next, but I knew I had to get as far away from my old life as possible.