Eddie stands and his hand slowly slips from mine, leaving me feeling cold and jittery. He gives me a reassuring smile as he makes his way up to the podium and my legs shake. Before I can really panic, Dustin slides into Eddie's spot beside me and grabs my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Mike moves to slide onto the bench on my other side and gives my leg a calming pat before turning his attention forward. When Eddie finishes swearing in and turns to see them beside me, he smiles, making me smile in return.
"Hello, Mr. Munson," Mrs. Barley grins and Eddie looks at her nervously, nodding in greeting. I can see his fingers moving over his rings as he plays with the cool metal. His eyes move from Mrs. Barley to me and back, over and over. His normal goofy and fun-loving demeanor is gone and my heart clenches in my chest.
"From what I've come to understand, you and Miss Marro are in a romantic relationship. Is that correct?"
"Yes, it is," Eddie says softly, nodding. His brown curls move around his face as he bobs his head and he reaches up to push them out of his eyes.
"And you both started dating shortly after the party, right?"
Eddie nods again.
"How long have you known Miss Marro?"
"Ripley and I met during preschool when we were four years old."
"And when did you fall in love with Miss Marro?" Mrs. Barley asks and Eddie answers without hesitation.
"When I met her in preschool when we were four."
"So you both have kind of been inseparable for a long time?" Mrs. Barley questions, crossing her arms over her chest and Eddie nods.
"Mr. Munson, your police report was particularly gut-wrenching just based on how much worry there seemed to be that you had for Miss. Marro. Is it true that you stayed with her during her entire hospital stay?"
"Yes, it is. I promised her I wouldn't leave."
Mrs. Barley's smile is soft as she regards Eddie on the stand and he fidgets slightly, unsure what to do. Eddie isn't used to this kind of thing and the unfamiliar atmosphere is obviously making him uncomfortable.
"Mr. Munson, you told police that you had had a long history of issues with Mr. McKinney and Mr. Carver is that correct?"
"Yes, I have."
"Have they been violent towards you? And if so what happened?"
"I have gotten into multiple fist fights with Jason and almost every time Patrick has assisted him in some way. Either by being a look out so he wouldn't get caught, holding me down, or helping to beat me up."
"There are records, your honor, that have been submitted to evidence that show the long history of bullying and abuse Mr. Munson has endured due to Jason Carver and his friends. One instance in particular resulted in Mr. Munson's arm being broken and the school failed to follow appropriate disciplinary action for these boys due to their status on the basketball team."
The judge nods as she flips over to the section of evidence documented and her eyebrows shoot up at the number of incidents notated there. Her head shakes slightly in disbelief as she scans Eddie's school records. Mr. Azure begins angrily tapping his pen against his notebook, his leg bouncing underneath the table.
"Mr. Munson," Mrs. Barley begins, turning back to Eddie. "Did you have any difficulties after the party?"
Eddie's eyebrows furrow and he tilts his head slightly, obviously confused and Mrs. Barley shakes her head.
"Let me rephrase," she offers. "Did you have any issues sleeping or eating? Did you face any hardships returning to normal activity?"
Eddie is silent for a moment, his hands moving back over his rings. His eyes dart momentarily back to me before he focuses back on Mrs. Barley.
"I had some issues sleeping," he admits.
"What issues were you experiencing?"
"Nightmares."
"Nightmares of what?"
"Ripley in Steve's parents' room the night of the party. I would see her lying at the edge of the bed, but then my mind would wander and it would show me my worst fears. I would start to see the things I didn't want to even think about. I would have to watch what would have happened to her if Steve and I hadn't found her."
Eddie's face is pale and even from here I can tell his hands are shaking. It's taking everything in me to stay seated. Dustin squeezes my hand and Mike pats my leg again. Gareth leans in from behind me and starts to massage my shoulders, all of them trying their best to keep me calm in Eddie's absence.
"So you would say that Miss Marro's attack had a great impact on you as well?"
"Not as big of an impact as it was on Ripley, but yes." Eddie says with a nod.
"No further questions, your honor."
Mrs. Barley turns to sit and Mr. Azure strides forward, some of his earlier confidence replaced by annoyance.
"Edward, are you aware that your girlfriend invited Patrick to her home a few days before the party?"
"Yes I am," Eddie says and Mr. Azure raises his eyebrows in surprise.
"And you are alright with the fact that she was alone with another man in her home?"
"Objection your honor, leading," Mrs. Barley calls and the judge nods telling Mr. Azure he needs to either rephrase his question or ask a different one.
"You had no qualms with that fact?" Mr. Azure amends with an eyeroll.
"No," Eddie answers. "Ripley told me openly it was for tutoring and she rejected Patrick's advances during that visit and I trust her."
"Do you know anything about Miss Marro's past relationships, Mr. Munson?" Mr. Azure asks and Eddie clenches his jaw. It's so obvious he wants to rip this guys head off, but he is doing his best to remain polite and still.
"Objection your honor, relevance," Mrs. Barley calls and the judge just looks at Mr. Azure who huffs and changes the subject.
"You and Ripley were not dating at the time of the party is that correct?"
"Yes it is."
"And you were in the middle of a disagreement, is that right?"
"Yes."
"What was the disagreement about?"
"Ripley caught me kissing someone else." Eddie looks down at his hands for a moment, ashamed and my heart squeezes.
"So the two of you were fighting because she saw you kissing someone, but you were not dating?" Mr. Azure clarifies.
"Yes, we were not dating at the time, but we were headed in that direction and my actions upset and confused her."
"Do you think they would have confused her enough to run to Patrick?" Mr. Azure asks. Before the last word leaves his lips, though, Mrs. Barley is already speaking.
"Objection your honor, leading."
Mr. Azure shoots her a dirty look as again the judge does not overrule her calling and he is forced to redirect the questioning.
"Eddie," Mr. Azure says, clearing his throat. "You had told the police that you saw Jason Carver hand Ripley a drink at the beginning of the party. Did you see Jason put anything into that drink before he handed it to Ripley?"
"No, I did not."
Mr. Azure nods before returning to his table and taking a seat.
"No further questions, your honor."
Eddie returns and Dustin and Mike move back to where they were, allowing him to slide back into place beside me. His arm comes up and around my shoulder, pulling me firmly into his side and his other hand holds mine. He is still trembling slightly and I know that the contact isn't just for me, but for him as well. I give his hand a loving squeeze and he kisses my cheek.
The questioning continues. Mr. Azure must have dropped his desire to have me up on the stand ASAP because he calls several other character witnesses for Jason and Patrick first including several members from the football team, members of their church, their parents, and even Coach Martens. Patrick and Jason are also called to the stand and get a chance to tell their side of the story.
It takes all my strength to keep Eddie in his seat as we listen to both Patrick and Jason explain that I got heavily intoxicated and invited them up to Steve's parents' bedroom for a little action. Patrick goes on to explain that I came on to him several days earlier at my house while he had simply been there for tutoring and he had gotten the impression that we were headed in the direction of dating. He tells the lawyers he had no idea about my history with Eddie. When asked about the high levels of Rohypnol found in my bloodstream upon my arrival to the hospital, they claim to know nothing about it and go on to explain I must have Roofied myself. Eddie's hands are hard fists in his lap as he watches them rejoin their side of the courtroom and I worry about his nails digging into the palms of his hands and I try to pry them from his skin.
When my name is finally called, it is by Mrs. Barley rather than Mr. Azure and I realize that I am the last witness; the final testimony.
My legs shake slightly as I stand and Eddie holds my hand for as long as possible before dropping my fingers from his. It feels almost like ripping skin from my body, the lose is so great. I try to keep my head up as I walk to the podium and place my hand on the Bible. I swear to tell the whole truth, nothing but the truth, so help me God, and then I'm told to sit. When I take my seat, I feel so much smaller than I already am. I look over the crowd of people and gulp, my hands shaking in my lap before I train my eyes on Mrs. Barley, a kind looking woman with graying hair and green eyes.
"Hello, Miss Marro," she greets me with a smile and I smile back.
"Hello, Mrs. Barley."
"Can I please have you start by telling us what you recall of the night of October 3rd?" I nod slowly, worrying a little at my bottom lip before I begin.
"I had been invited to Steve's party by my friend, Robin Buckley. She knew I was going through a hard time since my argument with Eddie and wanted me to get out of the house. I agreed to go, wanting the distraction and I agreed to meet her at the party. What I didn't expect was how huge Steve's house was going to be or how many people there would be. When I got there, there were swarms of people everywhere and I couldn't find Robin. I know she doesn't like crowds, so I thought maybe she would be in the backyard since it might be a little more open out there.
When I went out there, I still couldn't find her, but I did bump into Jason. He and I never get along and he had made some snide comment that ultimately resulted in an argument. I don't even remember what started the disagreement. But before things could get too heated, Patrick showed up and it was like a flip was switched inside of Jason. As soon as he saw him, Jason was all sunshine and rainbows. I thought it was weird, but I was honestly just thankful that I didn't have to deal with Jason anymore, so I didn't make anything of it.
Jason offered to get us drinks, but I said I was good. They both were insistent, though, and he ran off to get us drinks. While he was gone, Patrick and I made pleasant conversation and I genuinely thought we could be friends with how well he was taking my rejection. I never disliked Patrick as a person, I just didn't want to date him.
Jason came back with the drinks and I was content to just hang on to mine and sip on it occasionally, but they wanted to do a cheers and to down it. I felt the pressure, especially from Jason, so I joined in and downed the drink.
I wanted to return to looking for Robin and they offered to come with me. I really didn't mind if Patrick tagged along, but the idea of Jason there annoyed me. I was trying to be nice, though, so I let it slide.
We still couldn't find Robin anywhere and Patrick offered me a second drink, again, encouraging me to drink it fully. I was so confused as to why he was so persistent, but he kept taunting me calling me a 'kill joy' and a 'party pooper' if I said no.
After the second drink, I started to feel really dizzy, light headed, and my vision started to tunnel. I also started to feel like my limbs were too heavy, almost like they were made out of lead. I couldn't understand what was going on because I had been to parties before and could handle my alcohol and am aware of my tolerance level. Two drinks would normally never do me in like that.
I was still looking for Robin, when I noticed Eddie in the living room. I debated going up to him and asking him to take me home, but I was still upset with him. He looked unbothered as well, almost as if he was unfazed by our recent argument. I grew extremely upset and right at that moment, Patrick and Jason offered me a third drink, which I chugged without needing any encouragement.
After that drink, everything gets extremely hazy and I only remember bits and pieces. I remember making it down the hall before stumbling into Patrick. I remember him laughing in my ear and him saying something to Jason before they started pulling me towards the stairs. I remember being tossed onto a bed and being pushed over onto my back. I remember Jason cutting open my shirt and my bra. I remember him spitting on my face. I remember both of them touching my breasts. I remember some of the awful things they said to me. I remember Patrick touching my genitalia. And the entire time, I remember wanting to cry, wanting to run, wanting to scream, or just wanting to be able to do something. I remember the hopelessness. Above all else, I remember wishing for death."
My voice cracks and fades over the last sentence and the entire courtroom is still. I reach up and wipe away the tears that are streaming freely down my face and Mrs. Barley grabs a box of tissues off of her table and offers them to me. I take them appreciatively and dry my face, wiping my nose.
"How many medications are you on since the attack Miss Marro?" Mrs. Barley asks quietly and I clear my throat.
"Five medications. One for my depression, one for my anxiety, one for my PTSD, one to help me eat, and one to help me sleep."
"And how many medications were you on before the attack?"
"None."
"Did you have any difficulty returning to school?" Mrs. Barley questions, she crosses her arms over one another softly, almost as though she is cold.
"Yes, some of Jason and Patrick's friends made it difficult to return. They would taunt or belittle me whenever they got the chance, but I chose to ignore it and I have good friends who made it easy."
Mrs. Barley smiles at that and nods.
"Miss. Marro," she clears her throat. "Have you ever done drugs before?"
"Other than the occasional blunt, no." I answer honestly, cringing internally at the fact that my mom is in attendance.
Mrs. Barley walks up to me and hands me three photos of three different types of pills. She lays them flat across the table so I can look at each one of them, side by side.
"Have you seen any of these pills before Miss Marro?"
I look closely, noting their shape and colors. I notice the numbers on them, but unfortunately, none of them are ringing any bells. After a moment, I shake my head, looking back up at Mrs. Barley. She grabs the photo on the far right and holds it up, addressing the jury.
"This is Rohypnol. This is the drug that was found in Miss Marro's system when she was taken to the hospital on October 3rd. If Miss Marro had drugged herself like the defense wants you to believe, why can't she even identify which drug it is?"
Mrs. Barley moves back towards me and collects the other photos from in front of me.
"No further questions, your honor," Mrs. Barley calls and she returns to her seat and I straighten slightly, preparing myself for what comes next.
Mr. Azure saunters forward, his hands in his pockets and a smirk on his lips.
"Ripley," he says, approaching the bench. "You and Patrick kissed at your home several days before the party, is that correct?"
I blanch slightly at his question, my stomach rolling in on itself and nod.
"Yes, but Pat-" Before I can finish my statement Mr. Azure waves a hand to dismiss me, a slimey grin on his face.
"Only answer the questions asked of you, please," he instructs loudly, drowning the rest of what I was saying out. I slum slightly in my seat and curl my hands around one another, gripping them tightly.
"You also stated that the night of the party, you allowed Jason and Patrick to accompany you in search for your other friend, correct?"
"Yes," I say softly, unsure where he is going with this.
"So would it be entirely unfair for two high school boys to assume that your behavior is inviting based off of that behavior alone?" Mr. Azure asks with a shrug and I can feel my face heating up in anger.
"Objection, your honor," Mrs. Barley calls and the judge informs me I do not have to answer that question, which provides me with a little bit of comfort. The idea that this is their defense though is still unsettling and it makes my skin crawl. I yearn so desperately to get off of this stand and to rejoin Eddie. My leg begins to bounce anxiously as I watch Mr. Azure pace before me.
"The night of the party," he says, looking up at me. "Did you ever once tell Patrick or Jason that you did not want them around or you would prefer they leave you alone?"
I thought back to that night and nodded.
"I told Jason to leave me alone during our argument multiple times, but other then that no, I did not."
Mr. Azure looks sharply away from me at that and clears his throat. I can tell he was expecting me to say that I hadn't told them to leave me alone at all.
"If you had reservations about the beverages given to you and about your companions behavior, why did you continue to indulge and continue to hang out with Patrick and Jason?" Mr. Azure asks, after a pause.
"Because like I said earlier, no one ever wants to believe that the people they know are capable of something like this. I didn't think they were capable of such evil and cruelty."
"Is it possible during the course of the evening you lost count of how many drinks you actually consumed?" Mr. Azure asks and I clench my fists in my lap again. I hear a soft jostle in the crowd and turn to see Dustin and Gareth on either side of Eddie, holding his arms in tight grips. They keep him locked in place in his seat while Steve keeps a firm grip on his shoulders from behind him. Eddie's brown eyes are wide and filled with hatred as he looks at Mr. Azure and his nostrils are flared slightly as he takes a few ragged breaths.
"No, it's not possible," I answer, turning my attention back to Mr. Azure. I'm desperate for the subject to change so Eddie will calm down.
"Were you given drinks by anyone other then Patrick or Jason?" He asks with an eyebrow raised.
"No I was not."
"Some of the other witnesses have testified that you are popular with the boys," Mr. Azure insinuates. "Do you feel that that testimony is accurate?"
"No I do not," I answer honestly and wait for the next question, but he simply waves his hand, encouraging me to elaborate. "I have gone on dates before, but I have never really had a boyfriend until Eddie. I get along with boys and have male friends, but I also get along with girls just as well. I think I'm fairly neutral."
Mr. Azure nods slowly and moves to his table. He pulls a few photos from his stack and walks up to me with a smug grin on his face. He places the photos down in front of me in the same fashion that Mrs. Barley did, but when I look down at them I see pictures of myself. The photos are images that were taken for the yearbook or at parties. Some pictures I didn't even know existed while others I had already seen. I look over each one with my eyebrows furrowed, confused.
"Ripley," Mr. Azure says. "Before you are a number of photos collected for evidence to demonstrate the type of dress you tend to adorn on a day to day basis. Do you see anything wrong with any of these outfits?"
My blood boils as I look over the clothes I am wearing in each of the photos before me. In some photos I am wearing skirts and short sleeve blouses, others spaghetti strap tank tops with a cardigans over it, jeans covering my legs. Most of the pictures though, feature me in my cheer uniform.
"No I don't, especially since most of these are of my cheer uniform which is provided by the school," I answer, my tone sharp and Mr. Azure grins, smug at the fact he is getting a rise out of me. He gathers the photos and hands them out to the jury, letting them pass them around to one another.
"Outfits like these," he says, pointing to the pictures before turning to point at me. "On girls like those are a recipe for disaster for our young boys. No further questions, your honor."
Mr. Azure to take his seat again and Eddie jumps up, meaning to barrel towards him, but the boys have him and practically tackle him back to his seat, pushing his down and causing a huge commotion.
"Order! Order!" The judge yells, smacking her gavel down on her desk and Eddie eventually settles as I pop up from the stand and rejoin him. His arms come up and hug me as I settle in beside him and I relax into his arms for a moment before we settle back into our previous position. I run my arm, soothingly up and down his arm to help calm him as the judge lets the lawyers each make their closing statements.
Once the statements are made and all the evidence is logged, the jury leaves to make their decision. We are allowed to leave the courtroom, but it doesn't take them nearly as long as we thought it would. We make it out into the lobby when the bailiff calls everyone back, letting us know they have already decided.
We file back inside and watch as the jury passes forward envelope with their verdict to be read. Once their verdict is read, the judge can then decide on a sentence if Patrick is found guilty. A member of the jury steps forward to read the envelope and Eddie squeezes my hand. Our palms are sweaty and hot, but we don't care.
"We the jury find the defendant, Patrick McKinney, guilty," the person says and there is a collective sigh from our side of the courtroom. Patrick's mom lets out a sob and I peek over to see his father throw a protective arm over her shoulder as she cries into the tissues in her hand. Patrick has let his head fall into his hands and Mr. Azure is patting his back, reassuringly.
The judge clears her throat and looks over the courtroom, tapping her fingers on her desk.
"There were a lot of young lives impacted by this case," she begins looking first at me and then over at Patrick and Jason. "I think I need to take that into account along with the severity of the crimes committed when sentencing for this case. In the hopes that Mr. McKinney is still young enough to learn from his mistakes and because he has no other criminal records, I sentence him to one year in Hawkins Correction Facility."
The judge slams her gavel down on her desk and stands before turning to leave. The bailiff moves forward to collect Patrick and he shuffles forward, waving goodbye to his parents before he is ushered out. When I turn to Eddie, his gaze is filled with rage and his jaw is set. I can feel my own disbelief and shock setting into the pit of my stomach. Only one year? I have to live with this for the rest of my life and he only has to face the consequences for a year? And that is if they don't let him out early on good behavior. Despite myself, a single tear rolls from my eye and down my cheek and I reach up to brush it hastily away, not wanting anyone to know how worthless and unseen I feel. I will not break here. I will not give them the satisfaction. I squeeze Eddie's hand in mine, relying on him for strength and take a deep breath. I look around and my friends and family all have the same expressions of disbelief and anger on their faces and I prepare to face them. I can do this.