I have never been to court and only watched a few on TV, so I have no idea how this thing works. I tried researching, but I just did a project for English and I am done with research, so just roll with it. cx
Chapter 39
My bedroom door slowly creaked open, making me groan as whoever dared to enter my room turned on the lights. I looked over to see who did it, only to see Seb. He was dressed up fancier than normal. "What?" I asked.
"You forgot, didn't you?" he said.
"Well, excuse me for just waking up," I said. "Happy birthday, shithead."
Seb sighed. "Okay, I'm not that big of a shithead to wake you up just so you could wish me a happy birthday. Dad's trial. It's today."
I laid back down and covered my face with the pillow. "I don't want to go."
Seb walked over and took the pillow out of my grasp. "Dax, I know it's going to be hard for you to see Dad, but they said you and I have to testify."
"He's a jackass and a bastard," I said. "I can't see him, Seb. You know what I had to go through because of him. I don't want those memories coming back."
"I know," Seb said. "But if we don't go, they'll probably grant him his parole."
I looked down, knowing Seb was right. If I went, I had to face my father and no doubt those stupid voices would appear. But if I didn't go, they wouldn't hold anything against my dad and probably grant him the parole.
"Can I see if Isadora could come?" I asked. "For support?"
"Yeah, of course," Seb said. "Call her, then get ready. I thought you were already up and we kind of have to leave in, like, fifteen minutes."
Seb left, closing the door behind him. I grabbed my cell phone off of the nightstand and called Isadora. Luckily, she was awake and she agreed on coming for support. That was one of the many things about her. I know she liked staying home on Saturdays, but she was still coming to support me.
I got changed, then went to the kitchen to get something to eat. Artemis was already eating a lot of food. I noticed that her appetite changed drastically and she was usually very hungry. And she was always craving ketchup. I once saw her eat a small bowl-full of ketchup. By itself.
Pregnancy was weird.
"Isadora said she'll come," I told Seb, who was peeling a banana.
"Okay, we'll pick her up on the way," Seb said. "And tuck in your shirt."
"No."
"Tuck it in," Seb repeated.
"Make me."
Seb sighed loudly. "Dax, just tuck in your fucking shirt. We have to look our fucking best so it looks like we fucking care and Dad won't get his fucking parole."
"Seb," Artemis said. "Stop swearing. She can hear you."
Seb raised an eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure our baby can't hear me swear. And I'll swear all I want until this idiot tucks his fucking shirt in."
"Alright, alright, I'll tuck it in," I muttered as I stood up from the table to tuck in my stupid shirt. "You sure are grouchy today."
"Yeah, I wonder why," Seb said. "I have to go to a hearing to see if our dad can get a parole on my fucking birthday. I'd rather spend it a different way like, I don't know, jumping off a cliff or anything. I don't want to see my dad."
"Same here," I said. "But at least you weren't sent to juvie because of him."
"I was stabbed," Seb reminded. "I'd rather go to juvie from something I didn't do than be stabbed."
"Not me," I said. "I fucking injured someone in there. I hate hurting people, but he had to go to the hospital, all because I wasn't allowed to listen to music, talk to you, and I couldn't take my medication properly."
"Then we'll tell them everything that happened and hopefully, they're not stupid enough to put him on parole," Seb said. "Now eat your fucking breakfast."
"Seb, if you curse one more time, I will slap you upside the head," Artemis said.
"Well, sorry for being in a bad mood," Seb snapped. "There's my back, not being able to be the sensei at the dojo, your mood swings, the fact that my dad might be released from prison. I can curse if I want to curse."
Artemis sighed. "You're being so irritating, though. You don't have to curse just because you're in a bad mood."
"I can and I will."
Artemis stood up from the table and cupped Seb's face in her hands. "No, you don't. Just take a few deep breaths and you'll be fine, okay?" She then pressed her lips on hers, which made me gag. I hated seeing my brother and his wife kiss.
....Even if I kiss Isadora all the time. But still.
After we were done eating, we got ready and left the apartment. Seb's back wasn't hurting as much, so he was able to drive to Isadora's house. I got out and knocked on the door. She soon walked out, giving me a small smile. "How are you feeling about all of it?" she asked.
I sighed. "I really don't want to see my dad. So, thanks for coming."
"Yeah, of course," she said as we both got into the car. Seb then pulled out of the driveway and went back to driving.
"How's Rosa?" I asked Isadora.
Isadora smiled. "She's so adorable and she's not a big hassle at all. Thank you so much for getting me her."
I smiled back at her. "Well, you wanted a cat, so your wish is my command. And, by the way, my birthday is in three days, so...."
"You'll have to wait and see what I get you," Isadora said.
"Come on, you can tell me. I won't tell anyone else."
Isadora raised an eyebrow. "You know the whole point of your birthday present is so you'll be surprised. I'm not telling you, so you can wait."
"That's not fair."
"That's how presents work," Isadora said with an eye roll..
We soon got to the place I didn't want to be at. My heart was beating faster and I soon realized something.
I forgot my earphones.
I mean, I have been taking my medication and going to my doctor visits, but sometimes, especially seeing someone I really didn't want to and being reminded of the past, the voices would come. And even Isadora might not be enough to stop them.
We got out of the car and I followed everyone else into the building, my eyes staying glued to the ground. I really didn't want to be here.
Shortly after we got inside, Seb talked to someone there, who then led us into the courtroom. Seb had to sit in the front row, but he then told me that I could sit behind him, on the end, just in case I had to leave.
Isadora sat on the other side of me and Artemis sat beside Seb since she was going to testifying as well.
People who were there to watch began trickling in and it wasn't long before I saw my dad enter with an officer. I immediately looked away as he was led to sit in the front row, but on the other side.
"Is that your dad?" Isadora asked in a soft voice.
All I did was nodded. Isadora, however, intertwined our hands together and gave mine a tight squeeze.
When the hearing started, Seb was the first one called to the stand. After giving the oath, he was then questioned by the attorney for Dad, asking to explain what happened. And the stupid attorney brought up my brother's record, saying how he was egging my dad on.
Bitch what?
Even if Seb was egging Dad on, which he wasn't, it was no excuse to stab him and blame me. Nothing was a good enough excuse to stab someone unless it's out of self-defense of something like that.
After Seb was done, Artemis was called up. "Can you state your relationship with the Smythes?" the attorney asked.
"I'm Sebastian's wife," she said. "And I was his girlfriend at the time of the incident."
"And do you agree that Sebastian is a troublemaker?" he asked.
"He was one," Artemis corrected. "He hasn't done anything in a long time."
"So, he was one at the time of the stabbing," the attorney stated. "Do you think Mr. Smythe was getting irritated by Sebastian's behavior?"
"No," Artemis said. "Because he was the one who was causing Seb to act that way."
"How so?"
"How so?" Artemis repeated before scoffing. "When I met Seb for the first time, he was always saying life is a disappointment. He was five. No five year old ever thinks that. But Seb did, because he was being verbally abused since he was four. And even if Seb's dad was getting irritated by his son, it doesn't give him the right to stab him."
"You're right, it doesn't," the attorney agreed. "But I am saying is that Sebastian's behavior could have played a factor in it. And since Sebastian is now a responsible young man, or so I've heard, then Clarke Smythe shouldn't act violently towards his sons anymore."
Unbelievable.
Un-fucking-believable.
Artemis looked just as pissed off as I felt as she took her spot next to Seb. Then I was called to the stand. I was going to have to stand in front of my dad.
I took a deep breath and stood up, shakily making my way to the stand. So far, so good.
"Daxton Smythe," the attorney said. "What was your role in the incident?"
"My....he...." I stopped and took a deep breath. "I was b-blamed for it. My d-dad pretended....he made it seem like....l-like it was because of m-my condition."
"And what is your condition?" the attorney asked.
"S-schiz....schizophrenia." It was way to hard for me to sit up here in front of my dad. I was trying my hardest not to look at him.
"What type?" he asked.
"Undifferentiated."
"I see," he said. "And the blame was put on you because of this, because you were an easy target. But, your father may have been protecting you, putting you in a better place where you could be watched."
I was no longer nervous once he said that.
Where I could be watched? Seriously?
"Yeah, I was being 'watched' by my brother," I said. "In fact, putting me in juvie only made things worse, so technically, he wasn't protecting me at all. He was just protecting himself."
"Do you live with your brother?" he asked.
"I live with him and his wife," I said. "And my dog, Skittles. Seb got him for me. He's a rottweiler and, despite traditional belief, rottweilers aren't dangerous at all. It all depends on the owner and I'm probably one of the best owners out there. Speaking of pet owners, did you know my girlfriend owns a cat? I got one for her for her birthday. She really wanted one and she named it Rosa. Oh, and...."
"Daxton," the attorney interrupted. "I asked for a simple yes or no."
"What was the question?" I asked.
"Do you live with your brother?"
"Oh. Yeah."
"And I have learned that you have a record yourself," the attorney said. "For, apparently, slashing car tires. But if your brother was watching you, how did this happen?"
"Oh, well, there's a story for that," I said. "You see, one day, I found out that my girlfriend, her name is Isadora, got into a car crash. And because of it, she got amnesia and didn't remember me. Then this jerk who is, well, a jerk, pretended that he was her boyfriend and basically took advantage of her amnesia. Long story short, she ended up remembering me and I had to get revenge so I slashed his car tires because I'm not into the whole violence thing."
"You still did it under your brother's watch."
"No, not really. I was at school and I believe he was either shopping or at the dojo he owns. I wasn't under his watch."
"I meant, you did it under his custody," he said.
Aww, the attorney thought he had something to help my dad win.
Guess again, bitch.
"Oh, so you're saying my brother is still irresponsible," I said. "That he still acts the way he did almost three years ago. Funny thing is that he got arrested under my dad's custody so if you're going to point fingers at who the irresponsible one is here, might as well point them at my dad. I got arrested once under Seb's custody. And how many times did Seb get arrested under our father's custody. I rest my case."
"You can't rest your case," the attorney said. "You're not an attorney."
"I'm still resting it. Face it. Seb did nothing that could have made my dad stab him. He said it himself when Seb went to visit him after he was arrested. He did it to get rid of us because it was apparently our fault that our mom did. It wasn't."
It was your fault. You know it.
Your father is going to get out. He deserves it.
But you don't deserve to be alive.
"Are you done with the questions?" I asked. Please be done.
"Not yet," he said.
"But you have to be done," I said. "Please."
"I'll be done when I say I'm done," he said. "I just have one more question. You said you have a girlfriend. Is she here in the room?" I nodded. "Great. That is all."
I quickly walked back to my spot, hoping I could just hold hands with Isadora and the voices would at least stop, but I couldn't.
Because she was called to the stand.
She looked a bit surprised, but she still walked over there. "Have you known the Smythes at the time of the event?" the attorney asked.
"No," she said. "I only met Dax this school year and we have been dating for about three months."
"I see," he said. "So, ever since you've known Dax, would you think their father did him a favor by keeping him in a safe place?"
"A safe place?" Isadora asked. "Dax being in juvie wasn't safe at all. He wasn't allowed to listen to music, which he normally did when he heard voices, and it through off the schedule he had to keep to take his medication. The safest place for him is being with his brother."
The safest place wouldn't be on earth at all.
The safest place would be with you being dead.
I closed my eyes and dug my face in my hands, wanting the voices to leave.
"He was arrested under the custody of his brother," the attorney pointed out.
"And you think being in juvie, or having their father roam free, is safer?" Isadora asked. "My boyfriend is freaking terrified of his dad. He couldn't even look at his own father. You really think he should be released from prison this soon when he stabbed a seventeen year old and put the blame on a fifteen year old? I wasn't there when it happened, but I know it still affects the both of them. So think twice before trying to make something up just so whatever his name is can be granted parole. Because juvie isn't safe for Dax and he didn't stab Sebastian just because he was being irritating."
The attorney cleared his throat. "Thank you. That's all."
Isadora got off the stand and sat back down beside me. "You okay?" she asked quietly.
Keeping my face in my hands, I shook my head.
"Is it the voices?"
I nodded.
Without saying another word, Isadora began rubbing my back as the stupid attorney continued talking, going on and on about how my dad has changed and was a better person.
If I wasn't trying to block out the voices, I would have fingered the attorney by now.
After what felt like I long time, the decision was made. The judge cleared his throat and read the decision. "It has been decided that Mr. Clarke Smythe has been denied parole and can apply again next year on January 13th."
I felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulder when that was announced. I wasn't worried about me having to live with dad again if he was granted parole since I was going to be eighteen in three days and I would have been able to move out. What I was worried about was seeing him if I was walking down the street or in the grocery store or anything. And I was also worried if Sara saw him, she would have thought the feelings came back and gave him another chance.
Now none of that couldn't happen and I could go another year without worrying about it.
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Woo, almost 3000 words. I was on a roll. cx
So, Isadora named her cat after her sister. :) I think only one person guessed that. I honestly thought everyone was going to guess that, but I guess not. cx I liked some of the guesses and even put some of them in consideration, but I thought it would be sweet if Isadora named the cat Rosa.
Don't worry, when Skittles and Rosa have cat-dog babies, I'll take some of those names.
And now, here's a gif of shirtless Dax.