Worship You

Chapter Fifteen A - Reality Check

When I saw One-Way Goff at the window of my cell's door, I knew. You wait for it and wait and then it's there. Bad news. In the person of your Public Defender, who seems unable of bringing any other kind. 

"They've decided to try you as an adult." 

That means lethal injection, because there's no way you're getting off, I thought.  

I should have known of course. The DA wants to be Governor, that was common knowledge all over Juvee Dee. But what I didn't know, what I couldn't believe was what I read when One-Way handed me the papers. The front-page headline read: 

 Local Football Star Arrested By Homeland Security. 

At first I thought they meant me. Who else? Then I read and found out that Ron Gazowsky was planning to blow up the school. For real? I looked at my lawyer and said, WTF? 

"Ron Gazowsky is no star." As if it matters. But you think stupid things. 

One-Way looked at me like I was speaking in a foreign tongue.  

Then he said, "I haven't seen what they have yet, but Gazowsky's on the second floor right now. He's being charged using the Patriot Act. Which basically can send you to Guantánamo for thinking bad thoughts." 

I looked up from the paper.  I couldn't believe it. "He was planning to blow up the school? Like, actually explode something? He didn't do anything, did he? It's not real, is it?"  

"I don't know how serious it is. But it's against the law even to threaten this kind of thing. Even in a joke. Really against the law since the Patriot Act. They could send him away for a long time if they want to." 

I said, "I don't believe it. Gazz is too stupid to be a terrorist." 

"Be that as it may, the DA is using this to show that you and Cassie are part of a wider conspiracy." 

"What?" Now it was really getting nuts. 

"Ron Gazowsky is testifying for the prosecution. That's all I know until I get full disclosure." 

"It doesn't make sense."  

"We'll see," said Goff. He gave me some magazines and left. 

Gazz had been sending emails to Cassie and the cops got them all. What they said, and what she said in return, we didn't know yet.