How To Cuddle in a Leather Jacket

Step Nine - Overcome the Difficulties

He took a deep breath. "Let's just get going."

Mark took Jack's hand and led him to the car. The drive was long, silent, and agonizing as the time drew closer and closer.

-----

Jack sat in the courtroom next to his lawyer. The jury box was filled with people that didn't seem to care about what was going on, and they all obviously felt like they could be doing something better with their time.

Police stood at the front of the courtroom, talking as they waited for the case to start.

The judge walked in, and everyone stood up, then sat down, and the case began.

The doors at the back of the room opened, and a very nicely dressed lawyer walked in, followed by Felix and two police officers. The lawyer nodded curtly at the judge, then sat down at the table across the room from the jury box.

The case began with opening statements, which were way too long for Jack to be able to focus. He just avoided Felix's gaze, anxiously awaiting for witnesses to be called.

"Prosecution, you may call your first witness." The judge turned to Jack's lawyer, who Jack didn't even notice sat back down next to him.

"Thank you, your honor." Jack's lawyer stood up. "Prosecution calls Molly Smith to the stand."

The doors opened, and Molly walked up to the witness stand. She obviously couldn't care less about being there.

"Please state your name and age for the record." Jack's lawyer approached the witness.

"Molly Smith. Nineteen years old." She stated blandly.

After long and arduous questioning and Molly ratting Felix out about smoking marijuana illegally and drinking underage, one question caught Jack's attention.

"Did you know how Felix was treating Jack?" The lawyer asked.

"Yeah. Felix beat him up every time he-"

"Objection, hearsay!" Felix's lawyer shot out of her seat.

"Sustained." The judge nodded at Felix's lawyer. He then turned back to Jack's lawyer, allowing her to continue.

"Did Jack ever look beat up?" Jack's lawyer asked Molly.

"Yeah. He had black eyes and stuff. He also had a lot of bruises." Molly shrugged.

"When did you begin noticing this?" Jack's lawyer asked.

"A couple months after Felix's friend broke up with Jack." Molly answered.

"Thank you. No further questions, your honor." Jack's lawyer turned to the judge.

"Has the defense prepared a cross examination?" The judge asked Felix's lawyer as Jack's lawyer returned to her seat.

"Yes, your honor." Felix's lawyer stood up.

After repeating the same standard information over again, Felix's lawyer asked, "Do you have any proof that Felix abused Jack?"

"Well, when he was drunk he said he was proud of it. The day after he raped Jack, he said it was the best sex he'd ever had." Molly admitted. Everyone in the room gasped, and Jack's jaw dropped. Felix's lawyer couldn't object while she was questioning a witness, and Jack's lawyer certainly wasn't going to object to something that could help their case. Felix's lawyer was shot down in what she obviously thought was her best question to close her examination.

"No further questions, your honor." She said as she walked back to her seat.

"You may step down." The judge nodded to Molly. Molly hopped out of the seat and left the room. "Prosecution, you may call your next witness."