little bird. [oscar diaz]

01. the beginning.

july, twenty-twelve.

A DARK BLUE SUNDRESS with heels seemed like standard courtroom attire. I had never been to court ever in my life, so I was really just guessing. A dark blue sundress with black flats, a necklace and a couple rings seemed professional enough. It was the middle of summer in Los Angeles, so I wanted to be as professional as I could while making sure I didn't have a heatstroke.

      It seemed as though the careful planning of my outfit went to waste because as I sat on the courtroom bench I was sweating like a pig. It felt like the air was off, but I knew it was just because I was nervous. How could I not be? Oscar was on trial for murder. Not robbery or battery, goddamn murder. He could be sentenced to life depending on how his trial went.

      I watched the police officers hall him in and the state he was in broke my heart. He wore an orange jumpsuit with low-quality white shoes that looked like knock-off Vans. His hands were handcuffed in front of him and his face was beat up. I wondered how many fights he'd been in since he got arrested a week ago.

      The light in his eyes was gone. His brown ojos that usually were sparkling were replaced by dark holes of nothingness. The shine only semi-returned when he saw me sitting on the bench behind the defense table. I gave him a small reassuring smile as they walked him over and he took a spot next to his lawyer.

      Instead of him using a public defense lawyer like he usually did a few of the Santos, Dominique, Mariana and I all pitched in and hired one. We wanted the best we could get regarding the kind of charges he was facing.

      Her name was Carol Halingston. She was a middle aged white lady with long brown hair who surprisingly looked good for her age. She wore a white collared shirt tucked into a black pencil skirt along with a turquoise jacket and black heels. She knew what the hell she was doing.

      Sadly, so did her opponent.

      The prosecuting attorney's name was Samuel Daniels. He was a little older than Carol, but still look pretty good for his age. He wore a boring black suit with neatly combed black hair. Anyone who stood within ten feet of him could feel his smug energy. I wanted to win mostly because I didn't want Oscar to go away for who knows how long, but also because I wanted to see his face as soon he learned he lost.

      I fiddled with the hem of my dress as I looked around the courtroom. The benches behind us were filled with Santos and other citizen's from Oscar's side who probably knew him well, including Oscar's little brother Cesar who was accompanied by Sad Eyes, while the other side of the benches were filled with Prophets and people from my side of the hood.

      Many of them I recognized because they were regulars at my Dad's gym or they went to school with us, like Elijah. Mariana, Joanna and Dominique sat next to me on the witness bench while a police officer sat on the prosecutor's bench - all of us here to testify against or for Oscar.