"Hello, Karla."
Camila gulps back a breath of air, "Hi. Who... who are you?" Camila knows who it is. She probably has known in her subconscious since the moment the guard told her she has a visitor. But still, she asks anyway. Too late to take it back now...
"My name is Sofia Cabello," She explains, though judging by the annoyed look in her eyes she knows that Camila knows that already, "I wrote to you a few months ago."
"Oh..."
"You already knew that though, didn't you?" Sofia calls her out on her bullshit, and Camila tucks her head a little lower. Only because I snooped and found your letter by accident.
"Yes," I feel a speech coming along, Camila bites the inside of her cheek, trying to prevent herself from crying. She wants to do something; touch her sister's face, hug her, tell her how much it means to have someone who could explain where she came from... not to mention, her sister is extremely beautiful and Camila can tell by the nice jacket and fancy necklance dangling around her neck that she's done something right with her life. She feels proud, even though they've never met.
"I thought about this for a really long time. I thought about what it would be like to sit across from you and meet you. And not once, not until a few months ago, did I imagine it would be in this place," Sofia pauses a little too soon for Camila's liking. She'd barely had a few moments to collect her thoughts. I mean, her long-lost sister is sitting across from her right now!
"I know..."
"I didn't want to come. And I wasn't going to, but... I wanted to know why. I wanted to give you a chance to explain yourself. Not that I'd believe you, but I wanted to at least try. So... why? Why did you let this happen?" It comes out rushed, but Camila gets the jist of everything she asks.
She fumbles with the edges of her sleeves, looking down in her lap and frowning, "I... I don't know," She wants to explain, but she feels so cornered it's nearly impossible to vocalize anything her brain wants her to.
"So you admit it, then?" No, no, no, Her brain shouts at her to say something! "You attempted robbery, and assaulted a police officer? On your own accord? You're telling me nothing swayed you to take this path? Nothing at all?"
Just tell her, what have you got to lose?
Everything! Literally everything!
Come on, Cabello! If she doesn't believe you, so what?
Camila's inner turmoil goes back and forth for too long, it seems. She can tell her blood sister is getting fed up with her lack of words. She tries to speak, "Sofia, I—"
Sofia scoffs, "You know what, this was a waste of my time," She rises abruptly, gathering her things and pushing her chair back. But, Camila rises alongside her and stops her before she can take another step.
"Sofia, wait!" Sofia freezes in place, surprised by her sudden raise in voice. Camila lowers it significantly, her next word coming out in barely a whisper, "Please..."
Sofia's eyes scan her face for what feels like forever. Her expression faulters when she sees the broken, teary-eyed look on Camila's face and she hesitates. Camila wants to reach out for her. She wants to beg some more. And just as she thinks she might break down and do just that, Sofia sinks back into her seat.
Camila follows suit, and it's as if her words have finally caught up with her brain, "Look. Before I tell you anything, I just want to say I don't expect you to believe anything I tell you. We don't know each other, and I know that. Just know that I would never lie to you, especially because it might mean I'll never get to know the only family I've ever even known existed. Just..." Camila sucks in a breath, trying to keep her heart rate at a normal pace, "Please forgive me, I wasn't expecting this today and I'm still trying to process that you're really here. I was beginning to think you were never coming."
Sofia soaks all of this in, nodding her head slowly, "Okay."
Camila gives herself a moment to gather everything she wants to say, then begins, "So, for starters, I never got your letter. Not until recently. I may have been... sneaking around looking for a file and stumbled across it tucked away in my personal file. I can explain that situation another time, but... I just wanted you to know this place isn't exactly trustworthy.
"Anyway, I can explain the whole robbery situation. I know all the evidence piled against me is convincing, but I swear I had nothing to do with it. I was trying to steal, but only so I could get something to eat. I was only planning to take those donuts and go, I never had any intention to rob the place of all its financials. It was just... extremely bad timing.
"I've been living on the streets since shortly after I got out of the system. My friend who supplied me with dinners had just moved in with his brother out of state. Stealing was my only option to get a meal every few days. I know it's not honest, I know that. I regretted every theft down to the smallest energy bar. But... it was necessary for my survival.
"As for the assault of a cop," Camila scoffs and glances over at the guards laughing and joking by the door, "That never happened. That was self-defense from a predator. I don't know what kind of world you grew up in, but in mine... it wasn't the first time someone had tried something on me. My friend—the one I mentioned earlier—he taught me a few things about how to defend myself. And I did, when I had to.
"They made it all up. Everything. They wanted to blame someone, and I was convenient. It's not fair, but I can't change it now."
Sofia's mouth had fallen open at some point, though Camila would never be able to pinpoint the exact moment it had. She blinks, "Karla..."
"I go by Camila," Camila quickly corrects, "I... never really liked the idea of going by the first name our parents gave me."
"Okay, well... Camila, I-I don't even know what to say," Sofia mutters so quietly Camila barely hears her. She reaches up and wipes a stray tear away. Camila would probably have cried a month ago, but by this point, she had become numb to it all.
"So," Realization and surprise dawn on Camila, "You believe me, then?"
"Yeah. Yes," Sofia nods, "I think so."
Camila's heart jumps a beat; nobody has ever believed her before. Nobody except for Lauren. Camila peeks over Sofia's shoulder at the thought of Lauren, catching Lauren looking at her. She smiles before turning her attention back to Sofia. An overwhelming sense of emotion overtakes her and she stands, reaching across the table to give her sister a hug.
Sofia squeezes her so tightly she thinks she might lose all circulation. Camila can almost feel the apology waiting to slip off her tongue. Their hug lasts about three seconds before a guard shouts, "No touching!" And they're forced to split apart.
The rest of their time is spent learning about one another. Camila wants to ask questions about their family, but she decides now might not be the time. Plus, she rather enjoys her sister's company, and it's nice to see the real parts of her as opposed to the angry, hateful taste she got at the beginning of their relationship.
As visiting time is wrapped up, their conversation dies down. The gentle, concerned look hadn't left her face since about halfway through their talk when Camila told her all about Shawn. She reassured Sofia she has protection here after they got to Frangipane, Camila sneaking a glance at Lauren as she smiles to herself.
When the guards call for the last minute, Sofia grabs her purse and jumps up excitedly, seemingly getting a burst of energy from literally nowhere, "Don't worry, Camila. I'm going to look into this. I'll prove you innocent, no matter what it takes. I promise," Sofia's voice is surprisingly calm compared to the rest of her, and she talks lowly to avoid unwanted ears nearby, "And I'll be back in two weeks, next visiting day. I'm so incredibly sorry for... for... you know."
"Sofia—"
"I'm getting you out of here. And, and... and we'll become sisters! Not just blood sisters, but more than that. I promise," Camila thinks she's making more promises than she can handle for them just having officially met today, but all she can muster out is another quiet, "Sofia, I—" before she's cut off again.
"I'll see you in two weeks!"
Sofia has already vanished along with a good portion of the other visitors when Camila tucks her hands in her pockets and mumbles, "See you in two weeks..."
-
After the visitors all cleared and everything falls back into its normal rhythm, Camila makes her way back to the cell blocks. She enters Lauren's with a frown, Lauren immediately patting the spot beside her as if she had been waiting for Camila's arrival.
Camila plops down, puffing out a breath of air that sends her bangs fluttering. She brushes them away from her eyes, leaning her head against the wall behind her and turning to look at Lauren, "She... she believed me, Laur."
If Lauren is surprised by the new nickname, she doesn't show it. Instead, she looks over Camila's features, trying to figure out what exactly is going through her head, "Is that... bad?"
"No, of course not. It's just," Camila pauses, fighting a growl of frustration. She wasn't frustrated with Lauren not understanding; she'd barely offered much of an explanation. She's simply frustrated with the situation, "She wants to prove me innocent."
Lauren says nothing, indicating she needs more information before she offers up any advice.
"I don't want her getting hurt trying to find the answers. There are a million things that could go wrong if she tries, and I'm not exactly worth it."
"Bullshit," Lauren spits out almost immediately, Camila startling at her sudden outburst. The last time she heard that tone, she sent a group of people harassing Camila scattering, "You are worth it. One-hundred percent."
Camila wants to say something. Something that may or may not be concerning her gay feelings for Lauren... the urge to spit it out comes very suddenly and quickly in this moment. Lauren is looking at her with so much care and tenderness that Camila nearly forgets that everyone else in this prison is scared shitless of her.
But she doesn't. Now doesn't feel like the time for that. However, according to Camila's brain, it is always time for word-vomit, "Thank you, Lauren. For everything you've done for me since I got here," She pauses, arguing momentarily with herself against what she's about to say. Just say it now, Cabello, her brain decides, You might not get another chance.
"Listen, I know how hard it is for you to trust people. And I'm glad you trust me enough to do something you've barely even done for your close friends. But I would like to get to know you better, if you're willing to share more of yourself with me. When you feel comfortable, anyway," Lauren opens and closes her mouth several times, unable to respond. Camila cuts her off, "You don't have to say anything. I just wanted you to know."
Lauren closes her mouth and smiles warmly over at Camila, nodding.
At least I can do one thing right.
-
Camila curses under her breath as she walks down a hallway, Normani's file nearly slipping out of the bottom of her jacket. She feels horrible; she'd nearly forgotten about Dinah while she'd been wrapped up in her own little bubble. And to think, Camila thought prison life would wind up being kind of boring once her presence settled and people had made decisions on if they wanted to kill her or leave her alone.
She enters the hallway of Sophia's salon, approaching the door. She knocks on the doorframe, poking her head in. Sophia glances up from the mirror, which she's polishing, looking Camila up and down, "Are you here for an appointment, Cabello?"
At the mention of Camila's name, Dinah turns her head. She has her feet propped up on a chair, a magazine in her lap. She rolls her eyes and returns her attention to the article. Camila sighs, adjusting her jacket when she feels the file slip again, "No, uh... can I talk to Dinah for a moment?"
Sophia glances over at Dinah, waiting for Dinah to make a decision. She drops her feet to the floor and stands, about to step outside with Camila before Sophia stops her, "Whatever it is, you guys should discuss it in here. I'll make sure nobody lurks around to overhear you."
"Thank you," Camila steps inside while Sophia heads out, shutting the door behind her. Camila hovers by the door until Dinah gestures for her to move closer. She takes a few hesitant steps, playing with her hands and using her forearms to press the file tightly against her.
Dinah crosses her arms, returning to her seat, "What do you want?"
Camila expected her to be angry, but still she says, "You can't seriously be mad at me too?"
Dinah looks away, picking at her fingernails, "I dunno. Maybe I am, maybe I'm not."
"I can't help it if your friend has suddenly decided I'm worth talking to," Dinah's head snaps back to Camila, one of her feet dropping to the floor. She's about to launch herself, Camila can tell by the aggravated expression on her face. She holds a hand out, quickly switching her tone, "That's not what I meant! That's not what I meant! I'm sorry..."
Dinah tilts her chin up, sliding her foot back and leaning back in her seat. Though this time, her cold, hardened glare doesn't budge.
"Please, just hear me out," Camila continues once Dinah has calmed down, "I still care about you, even if you don't want to talk to me right now. That's why I need to give you this, so you can decide what you want to do."
Camila pulls the file from her jacket, offering it over to Dinah. Dinah looks at it skeptically, "What's that?"
"It's Kordei's file. I stole it, to show you who she really is. Lauren told me I shouldn't be this direct, but after a lot of contemplation I decided I should give you the option," Camila explains.
Dinah scoffs and shoves the file back, "I don't need that, she told me who she is."
"But did she?" Dinah blinks, "Look, you don't have to read it. But please, take it. Just in case."
Dinah clenches her jaw before snatching it from Camila's hands and tucking it under her sleeve. Camila nods once and jams her hands in her pockets, approaching the door. She places one hand over the handle, peering over her shoulder, "Oh, and... about Lauren; she misses you. I can tell. You shouldn't blame her for not speaking for so long. I can only imagine the trauma she must have experienced that lead her to—"
Camila's voice shakes and she stops herself before she makes herself upset. When she thinks about the wide range of horrors that her mind had made up about Lauren's past just for its own personal enjoyment of torturing her... her stomach turns and she gets this tight feeling in her chest. And she really wants to smother Lauren with hugs. And maybe kisses. But, that's besides the point.
"Just..." Camila clears her throat, facing the door so Dinah doesn't see the tears pricking the edges of her eyes, "Talk to her, please."
And with that, she walks out.