I sat in the study, nervously awaiting with the rest of my housemates. It had been exactly one week since Juniper had given me my rotor. It had also beeen a week since I had broken heavens rules. Juniper, apparently, was... Dissapointed to say the least. Oli held my hand under the table. I heard movement I looked up and saw Jakob smiling at me.
"It's not your fault Cora. You didn't know it was against the rules. We can make a plea and I'll help, considering it was MY room."
"Really? You'd do that for me?"
"Of course I would."
"Oh Jakob thank you!" I cried leaning over the table and hugging him. He embraced me and whispered in my ear.
"Anything for you gorgeous." I blushed and smiled coyly. I sat back down.
The door opened slowly. Juniper walked in, her usual bound replaced with a begrudging trudge. She caught sight of me and averted her gaze abruptly.
"Well done guys." She said trying to be enthusiastic and failing miserably. "You all finished your objectives."
Adela glanced at me. Over the past week i had become somewhat close to her and Sapphy. Oli squeezed my hand.
"However, i bring bad news, the high court has recognized a misgiving within our sector. Cora Maple broke a standard rule of heaven and a warning has been placed over her name." Jakob stood suddenly.
"I want a plea on her case." He said confidently, he'ed either been in a position like this before or he had rehersed these lines like mad.
"A plea. On what grounds" Jakob stared Juniper straight in the eye and then did the most remarkable thing. He lied. A straihght out lie to a high court angel. I forced my face into a mask of indifference as did everyone else as he spoke his next few words.
"I gave Cora permission to go into my room. But she went in a minute earlier then my permission allowed that's why it appears that she broke the rules."
"What?" Juniper's face was confused then happy then neutral.
"That's right, I gave her permission. She didnt break the rules it was just a misreading of the time."
"Oh... that changes everything i must take this up with the high court at once. Cora, Jakob with me... Oli you too considering you are her guide." the three of us stood and followed Juniper out of the room. We were silent as we paced down the corridors. I felt sick to my stomach, my palms were sweating. Oli glanced at me nervously.
"Are you okay?" he muttered so quietly that only I could hear it. "You look a bit green." he said.
"I'll be fine." I replied feeling anything but. We came to the cinema again and marched through. We didn't even stop for tickets. Oli had explained to me, earlier that week about the high court angels and their influences over heaven and it's average citizans. We came to those double doors, once again and Juniper ushered us in. Over 40 adults were collected in the stands around us, all of them staring holes into us as we made our way to the centre.
"Jakob Carson wishes to make a plea on Cora Maples case."
"call the witnesses." An ancient woman with leathery skin said.
"Jakob Carson. Cora Maple make your way to the podium." Juniper said. Jakob directed me to a risen platform in the very centre of the room. We stepped onto it. i could see why the witnesses stood here. It was a fear ploy. Everything seemed so much bigger and scarier up there.
"Jakob Carson what is your plea?" The leathery lady asked.
"I wish to make a plea to remove the warning over Cora maple."
"And how do you wish to this?"
"By telling the truth of what actually happened."
"Fair enough, tell your tale and we will revote and decide wether or not to remove the warning." I glanced back at Oli quickly he looked like I felt. grey and small and sick to the stomach. i turned back to the high court.
"Me and Cora made friends the day we met and I wanted to improve our friendship. I decided that she should see my room, to get a better understanding of who i am. I gave her permission to enter my room at 11am. Cora misread the time and made to enter at only 10:59am. She didn't break the rules, she just can't tell the time properly it seems." He said his speech clearly and confidently. If I didn't know better I definatly would have been convinced. The little joke at the end made it only seem more real. And i thought he had it. i thought that they were all convinced, until one voice piped up and wrecked it all.
"He's lying." the voice said. Jakob's sureness dropped for a moment but he quickly replaced it.
"How can you be sure?" A different angel asked.
"I can tell, i can see inside his head, he's lying."
"Ask the girl maybe she'll tell us what happened."
"He's telling the truth." I whispered, trembling.
"they are both lying. I can see her fear, because she knows that it's a lie and she's scared of what will happen to her. She knows I'm right."
"No." I said, my tone rising. "I'm telling the truth."
"No you're not, so shut up."
"are you 100%" a male angel asked this time.
"Yes I can see into their minds. i can see their formulations and the truth." the disembodied voice hissed out of the shadows. the leather faced woman glared at us.
"Lying to the high court is a crime in heaven. Two warnings will be handed out. One for Cora Maple and anther for jakob Carson for the same crime. Miss Maple you are treading on thin ice you only have one chance left and then you'll be punished. Mr Carson, be careful who you make friends with, they could lead you astray." I gasped. Not only was I in trouble again, but I had dragged jkob into it too. I looked at him, his face was stony. The high court dismissed us and we stepped off the podium, hiding in the shadows.
"I'm so sorry."
"Why?"
"it's my fault i should never have tried to go into your room."
"No Cora it's my fault i shuldn't have tried to make things better it was destined to go wrong, i could feel it yet i still ran head first into things." A tear slid down my face. "Don't cry gorgeous, don't wanna wreck that pretty litttle face of yours eh?" He brushed the tear away with his thumb and hugged me, kissing the top of my head. "be careful Cora, you don't deserve punishment. You're much to good for that." He smiled sadly and walked away, leaving me on my own. Oli came up behind me. he was shaking withh anger.
"it's not fair you don't deserve this." He hissed.
"Maybe i do." I said quietly.
"Don't say that." He muttered quietly. I didn't look at him. We walked back to our house in angry and sad silence...
