LbN: Didn't account for the day I had to travel. Here's Day 2 of 100 Days of AUs. Happy reading!
Dani sat, flanked by her parents, staring at the Warden. She felt a tiny bit of comfort knowing that her twin brother, Dylan, was sitting just behind her and scowling at their parents. She didn't take her eyes off the large, stern woman across from her as she explained the in-processing order.
"...so we'll take her fingerprints, and then you can say a last goodbye," Warden Michaelis said. "But before we get to all of that, we need to do the entrance interview. Mrs. LaCroix, in your letter you stated that you wanted Dani admitted to the center because she's been acting out. Could you give us specifics? It will help us put together her behavior modification program if we know specifically the skills we need to work on."
"She's gay," Dylan blurted from the back. "She's gay and they're pissed, and that's why they're leaving her here."
"Dylan Connor!" Their dad snapped.
"This isn't a... A rehab facility for sexuality," the warden said carefully.
"She's been disrespectful, defiant, and irresponsible," Dani's mom said.
The warden sighed. "Let me be clear," she said. "This facility has a six month minimum. Once you sign these papers... You're signing your daughter over to us, but she'll be here with girls with violent histories, criminals... I want you to be sure."
"This is the method of treatment we want," Mr. LaCroix said.
The warden nodded and passed him the papers. "Danielle, if you'll stand. I need to wand you down."
Dani stayed silent as she stood. She wasn't going to give her parents the satisfaction of begging or seeing any emotion from her. She was silent as the warden's helper gave her the briefing. She was silent as she changed into her slacks and polo uniform. In fact, the first words she said from the moment they'd walked into Last Chance Juvenille Behavioral Rehabilitation Center, was during the goodbye. But she didn't say goodbye to her parents.
Dylan pulled her into a hug. "I'll yell at them every day until you're out," he promised. "Don't get shanked."
"I'll try not to." She turned to look at her parents, who both looked vaguely uncomfortable, but defiant. "Bye," she said, and then turned to let the guard take her through the sliding doors.
"Heard your brother in there," he said. "My name's Turner. There's some others in here like you - it's not all hardened criminals." He gave her a slight smile, that turned into a look of concern when he spotted her blank expression. "Danielle, I know it's rough. I can't imagine what you're going through, but I promise it'll be okay. Just keep your head down and do what you're asked."
"Yes, sir." She said nothing else as she followed him through the main hall and into the dorm wing. They walked up the stairs just one flight, and entered a hall decorated with scrapbooking paper.
Turner stopped in front of room 7A, and knocked on the frame. There were no doors. "Lopez! Got someone here I want you to meet!" he called cheerfully.
From her vantage point in the hallway, all Dani had been able to see was an empty bed, but now another girl came to the doorway. She looked Dani's age, maybe a little older, and had an air of superiority. Dani remembered some of the old prison movies she and Dylan used to watch when their parents left them at the house on Saturday nights, and hoped she wasn't in for any newbie hazing.
"Turner, sir, I thought I requested a single," the girl name Santana said smoothly.
"This is juvi, not college," Turner replied. "This is Danielle LaCroix. She'll be staying with us, and I expect you to help her settle in. Danielle, your Hall Advisor is Mrs. Bookbinder. Read your introduction notes, and she'll be by to talk to you before dinner."
"Thank you," Dani said quietly, accepting the small bookbag and entering the room.
When Turner had gone, Santana grinned at her. "Welcome to the Last Resort."
Dani gave her a confused look. "I thought it was Last Chance -"
"Yeah, the official name. We all call it the last resort, because it is. Where our parents dump us when they're tired of being parents. I'm Santana," she said, tossing a Powerbar at her. "That's your welcome basket. And here's your orientation lesson: don't fuck up and don't fuck around, and you'll be fine."
"Is that the official line, or the abridged version?" Dani asked, managing a smile.
"Heavily paraphrased. Seriously though, it's not too bad here. As long as you do your chores and stay out of the way of the few asshole guards, you'll be fine from the warden's standpoint. And as long as you don't mess with the psychopaths among our ranks, you'll be fine from our standpoint."
"There a lot of psychos here?"
"Nah," Santana said, sitting crosslegged on her bed and watching Dani unpack. "So what are you in for? D'you rob a liquor store? Get kicked out of a few schools."
"My mom caught me making out with someone, and decided I was a delinquent," Dani said, leaving out a few key details.
"Ahhh, totally understand. There are a few of those stories here - my best friend's one of them. She's on the next floor up."
"What about you?" Dani asked, wanting to get the topic away from herself as quickly as possible.
"Oh, you know how it is. Mom and Dad split, Dad remarried, got saddled with the evilest of step-mothers, and they decided they didn't need me in their life. True, the grafitti and getting expelled made their decision easier, but still."
"How long have you been here?"
"Two years."
A bell rang, and Santana hopped up. "Time for chores. I'll see you at dinner."
"Wait, what do I do?" Dani asked, flipping through the stapled papers.
"Calm your tits, read your papers, and wait for Bookbinder to get here. I've got to go."
Dani sighed, sat back against the wall, and began to read.
Dani hadn't made dinner that evening. When Bookbinder got there, it was the first time that the reality had set in, and she'd cried. Bookbinder had nearly put her under psych watch, but had settled for staying with her as she'd eaten dinner in her room. So when she got to breakfast that next morning, it was the first time she'd been in the cafeteria. She could spot a few whisperers and points as she got in line for her tray. Grilled apples, pancakes, and a boiled egg. She stood glancing around the rows of tables until she spotted Santana waving at her.
"Morning, Danielle," Santana said.
"Dani," she corrected. "You can call me Dani."
"Right, well Dani, this is Quinn - same story as you. An this is Tina - she sets things on fire."
"I used to set things on fire," Tina corrected. "I don't anymore."
"Yeah, because you're stuck in here with us," the blonde girl - Quinn? - said. "So, Dani... what was it for you? I went all the way - teenage pregnancy. What about you?"
"I...er...I got caught kissing someone."
"Kissing?" Tina asked. "Weaksauce. That's it?"
"Well, it was more...more about who I was kissing."
"Bad boy type?'
"Um...no. Not exactly," Dani said, and began eating her food at top speed.
"Hey, hey," Santana said. "Slow down. They don't let us up until meal time is over anyway, so your bolt and bolt plan is out. What's up? Did you get caught with a girl or some - oh my god," Santana said, grinning at Dani's blush.
"Yeah," she grumbled.
"That's cool," Quinn said.
"Finally, someone I can discuss the beauty of Natalie Dormer with!" Santana said. "These two just don't get it."
"Wait," Dani said. "So you're -"
"Less talking, more eating!" one of the guards called.
"That's Karsdale," Santana whispered, cutting into her pancakes. "Stay on her good side. Or out of her way."
"Who's the one with the red goatee?"
"Fuller. He's a creeper. Eat, I'll talk to you during chores."
The four of them were on kitchen duty, but Santana and Dani were assigned to the sanitizer stations while Quinn and Tina were on the other side of the wall, washing. Santana gave her the rundown on the rest of the guards and teachers. It seemed as though all but three were decent enough. Unfortunately it was one of the not decent ones who came through on rounds and spotted Dani.
"New girl!" Fuller said, striding over. "Hear you're going to be with us for a while. Do you really want to start that time off by time in the box?"
"I'm sorry, sir," Dani said, confused. "What did I do?"
"Talking on chore time."
"She was asking a question about the sanitizer, sir," Santana cut in. "First chore rounds - you know how it is."
Fuller kept staring at Dani for about three seconds longer than was comfortable, before nodding at Santana. "I know how it is. I'll see you around, newbie."
"What's his deal?" Dani asked, once they could see Fuller out in the seating area, berating the mopping team.
"No one really knows. He's never been, you know, accused of anything gross. He just sort of lurks, and tries to get you in trouble for bullshit. Anyway, you almost done so we can stack?"
When they were finished with the dishes, they made their way to the classroom wing. Santana was a senior, so Dani wasn't in her class. The juniors weren't nearly as welcoming, and she remembered Turner's advice to keep her head down. The classes were easier than her hardcore, college prep private school, and she blazed through her math and history assignments. She pulled out the two pieces of paper that Bookbinder had given her the night before. It was a "settling in assignment" - a set of getting to know you questions. She looked them over, until there was a tiny tap on the corner of her desk. She looked up into the face of Ms. Greene.
"What is that, Dani?" she asked.
"My assignment from my hall advisor, ma'am," Dani answered, showing her the papers.
Greene nodded, but said, "We read when we finish our work. You may go pick a book from the shelves."
As Dani walked to the two bookshelves, she heard someone mutter "Slut" under their breath. She ignored it, and grabbed the first book from A Song of Ice and Fire.
"What's with these questions?" Santana asked.
Dani had been there for two week by now, with no calls or letters from home. Definitely no prospects of going home. She was starting to have fun with their questions, actually. Santana hadn't gone cold or distant after Dani had been there a while. She was a good roommate, and they'd had a good time making fun of whoever had put this list together. Tonight's question was: If you were a fruit, which fruit would you be?
"I'm offended," Dani deadpanned. "I think they're calling me fruity."
Santana cackled and pulled out their "Roomie Notebook". "Come on, we've got to answer. So, fruit?"
"Tomato," Dani answered. "Because people assume things about me, but I'm never what they think. You?"
"Pineapple," Santana said after a moment of thought. "I'm prickly on the outside but delic -delightful on the inside."
"You almost said delicious," Dani said, grinning.
"And for once I actually heard how it sounded in my head. Why don't we just do all of these tonight?"
"Because that would be cheating."
"It's not cheating if it doesn't get graded," Santana countered. "Come on - what was the first amusement park you ever went to?"
"Disneyland. We went to visit my aunt and uncle, and they took us." Dani couldn't mask the sadness in her voice. Among the intensely unpleasant interventions her parents had hosted, an actual intervention had been one of them. Pastor Jones and the entire Hartman side of the family had gathered in their living room to remind her that she was unnatural and going to hell. Oodles of fun. Her aunt and uncle hadn't even been able to look at her.
Santana seemed to pick up on the sadness and moved to sit next to her. "Hey, it's okay."
"It's just... Hard knowing they don't want me."
Santana nodded. "Yeah, I know the feeling."
Dani didn't bother keeping track of the days. It wasn't like she had a countdown to release. Nothing improved, but nothing got worse either. She continued to hang out with Santana's group, and the girls in her grade continued to largely ignore her. Until the last Friday in October, that is.
"LaCroix!"
Dani looked up from where she'd been reading. She spotted the other four girls from her grade coming toward her, walking with a bit more purpose than she liked. She saw the punch before the girl had finished drawing back, and managed to duck. It wasn't like the movies - there were no insults exchanged, no volley of threats. Just four of them jumping on her. And suddenly, they scattered. When she looked up, she saw that Santana had the leader, Trini Olson, pinned to the wall.
There were two short blasts on a whistle, and all six of them dropped to the floor as Karsdale came round the corner. She glared at all of them, and then pointed to Dani. "What's this all about?" she barked.
"I...I…" Dani stammered.
"It was my fault, ma'am," Santana broke in. "They were bullying Dani and I lost my temper. I'm sorry."
Karsdale stared at her for a long moment. "I thought we were getting through to you, Lopez. One night in the box for you and Olson. Come with me - the rest of you can get to your chores."
Quinn, who had been lurking behind the group, saw Dani about to protest and grabbed her. "Let's go, D."
As she led her away, Dani craned to see the others disappearing around a corner. "What the hell?" she asked.
Quinn shrugged.
"But why didn't you let me say what really happened?" she nearly wailed. "Santana's -"
"Santana's been in the box more times than anyone can count. She'll be fine. If you had told Karsdale that they jumped you, they would've had an actual reason to hate you, and you'd be fighting for the rest of your time here. Plus, it's Fuller in the box tonight. He likes to scare first-timers. She probably didn't want you to go through all that."
"Why would she do that for me?"
Quinn chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Just go do your chores, LaCroix. I'll see you at dinner."
Later that evening, Dani sat trying to do her homework, casting guilty glances at Santana's empty bed every once in a while. She looked up at a knock on the doorframe, and spotted Turner standing there.
"Heard you had an eventful day, LaCroix," he said in a voice that carried. He subtly beckoned her over to the door. "I told you to keep your head down when you first got here. Try to remember that. You have to be smarter about things," he added, pointing theatrically to her.
She then noticed the slip of paper between his fingers.
He nodded, and waggled it a bit.
She took it quickly and stuck it in her pocket. "I know, sir. I'll do better."
"I know you will, kid. Chin up - it's visit day tomorrow." With that, he winked and strode off down the hall.
Dani waited a few minutes before taking the slip of paper out of her pocket. It was from Santana, and read:
It's my lucky day. Turner was on dinner duty, and he's good about passing notes along. It's actually Spencer and McCourt on overnight, and they're decent. You would've been fine, but I didn't want to chance you getting stuck with Fuller. Anyway, if you're feeling guilty, don't. Get Tina to tell you about the grease fire incident - I look after my friends, and I'm totally cool with being in the box. We'll get through this together. Don't worry. And to answer tonight's homework question, I was eight when I found out Santa wasn't real. - S
Dani folded the paper and stuck it in the front cover of the diary her brother had sent her. She went to bed that night with the first feelings of hope she'd had in a long time.
Families were allowed to visit the next day. Hours began at breakfast and went until four o'clock. They were all lined up at seven-thirty, and handed report cards. This included progress in classes, as well as their behavior modification program. Dani's was stellar.
Dylan was the one to rush up and hug her when she got to the meeting room. "Oh good, you haven't been shanked yet," he said.
"This isn't actually a prison, Dylan," she said, laughing. Even though her parents were looking somber, she was still happy to see them. Well, happy to see Dylan, at least.
They sat at one of the meeting tables, and he hurled questions at her.
"Did you get the package I sent you?" he asked, after being assured that she wasn't fighting hooligans for her supper each night.
"Yeah. I love the journal. Thanks. And the Reece's were all that got me through this month."
He grinned.
Her father cleared his throat, then, and said. "We're happy you're doing so well. Perhaps this discipline was all you needed."
She kept quiet, not sure where this was going.
"And have you… rethought any of your destructive… tendencies?" he asked.
"I'm still gay, if that's what you're asking," she grumbled.
"I see."
That was it. That was all that either of them said for the rest of the time there. Dylan filled her in on his lacrosse team's escapades, and the family left in another fifteen minutes. Dani sat there after they'd gone, with an empty buzzing filling her head. She wasn't sad, per se, just… numb.
Santana waved at her through the doorway, and waited patiently for her to gather the few books Dylan had brought her, and make her way over. "Hey."
"Hey."
"I thought for sure you'd be going today, and I'd be getting a new roommate."
"I guess I did too," Dani said, walking next to her.
"At least we get to finish our roommate questions," she said, smiling. "Tonight's the last one. What do you want to be when you grow up?"
"I want to be as far away from here as possible."
Santana nodded, and threw an arm around her shoulders. "Preach. It'll be okay. Promise."
And, somehow, Dani believed her.