No One’s Point of View
:
As the police officers raided the entire house trying to find any clues that tied the boys to the warehouse bombings, Justin was brought into the kitchen by Officer Bentley. “Sit,” He ordered as he stood, leaning against the counter. His face was solemn almost sympathetic even making the situation all the more tense as Justin did as he was told though he fought the urge to throw a tantrum.
This was the last thing he needed and Justin cursed the day they ever left Barbados to come back to this hell hole. He knew something was waiting for them when they came back and he was right—he always was.
“Listen here son—”
“I’m not your son,” Justin spat, his eyes heavy with anger.
“It’s called figure of speech,” Bentley snipped, his eyes piercing through his in a way that told him that if he didn’t stay quiet there would be consequences.
“Just tell me what the hell you’re all here for,” Justin leaned back against the stool, kicking his legs up as he held his hands locked behind his head. “You guys are starting to bore me with the same old crap.”
“If I were you, I’d watch your mouth around me Bieber. One wrong thing and I can and will have you locked up.” He threatened darkly, “I’m here to help. Hell, if I know why but I—we all—know those bombings weren’t just a local set up. This was retaliation towards your group.”
“You know shit,” Justin hissed. He wasn’t going to back down especially to some cop who could twist his words around. That’s all they were ever good at—tricking you to benefit them. He’d seen it happen one too many times before and he refused to believe anything that was coming out of Bentley’s mouth.
“I know that Lyndon is the leader of the Snipers. He’s been in town for quite some time now ever since you came back. We’ve seen enough gang wars in our lifetime to know that they’re not just here to check the place out. They want what youhave.” Bentley cocked his head to the side, his eyes narrowed in a scrutinizing manner, almost as if he were checking to see if he could find answers within Justin’s behavior. But, he didn’t give anything away. “You own quite some property around here Justin; places that they want to call their own.”
“And your point here is…” Justin gestured with his hands for him to continue.
“My point here is,” Shoving Justin’s feet down from the counter, Bentley got in his face, leaving a few inches in between. “That if Lyndon Mathews turns up dead, you’re going to jail.” He spoke with such confidence it brought an unnatural chill down Justin’s back.
Licking his lips, Justin shrugged, “And what makes you think it would be me that’ll get him killed?”
“Because we all know you here Justin, you and your group are known for your constant need for power and the moment a threat comes to play, you have to get rid of it.” Bentley crossed his arms against his chest, his eyes never once straying from Justin’s.
Justin didn’t say much as he pressed his lips together, swallowing down the bile that forced itself up. He wasn’t going to show it but he knew that Bentley was right. He knew more than he should and it worried Justin.
Not wanting to give anything away, Justin sat up, leaning his elbows on his knees as he looked up at him through his lashes. “If Lyndon dies, it could be an accident, maybe even another gang member wanting a go at the so-called competition.”
Bentley didn’t say anything for what felt like hours as he blinked a few times before letting out a sharp laugh, one that pierced through Justin’s ears. “You and I both know that’s a cold hard lie.”
“It’s always a possibility,” Justin shrugged, his hands clasped on his lap. “Let’s me real here Bentley, you and your team will do anything and everything to ensure that I’m back in prison, locked away forever.”
“I know what’s at stake here. What’s going on around town is going to lead to not only one but many deaths. I’m trying to keep you from making the biggest mistake of your life—”
“The only mistake that could be made is letting that bastard live!” Justin barked angrily as he shoved out of his seat, chest heaving. “Fucks sake, you think he’s innocent or something? You don’t know what the fuck he’s been up to. All you fucking idiots worry about is me!” Justin shoved a finger to his chest, emphasizing his point. “Well, let me tell you something here Bentley,” He growled in anger, “I’m not the threat here anymore. He is.” Letting those words escape his lips, Justin froze.
Wiping his mouth with the palm of his hand, Justin wrapped it around the back of his neck as he rubbed furiously at the skin, not being able to believe what he had just said. “Fuck,” He threw his head back, cursing the day he ever got involved with this.
Bentley didn’t say a word as he stood there, staring at Justin with a blank expression. He didn’t know what to make of the information he was just given. Of all the years he’s known Justin, not once had he ever admitted something like that.
“If he dies,” Justin scoffed, a lazy smirk fitting his lips as he met Bentley’s eyes, pure exasperation pouring from the soles of his own, “It’s because he deserves it.”
Opening his mouth to say something, Bentley was interrupted when Officer Carmelo made his way into the kitchen. “We found nothing.” He said, “We checked every ounce of the place, tore the dressers open in each room, looked behind every possible space given in order to store anything away. We looked under the mattresses and inside the bathroom cabinets. We also checked the attic; we didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.”
“Why am I not surprised,” Justin sarcastically snapped as he rolled his eyes, “Are you guys done now? Can you leave my fucking house?”
Before Carmelo had the time to reply, Officer Bentley got in the middle of it, “Round the team and wait outside. I have a few more things I need to discuss with Mr. Bieber over here before we return to the office.”
Nodding, Carmelo made a beeline towards the living room, his voice booming throughout the place as he called out for the others to do as he was directed.
“We have nothing more to talk about,” Justin said, “You came here to have your goons tear the place apart and you already said what you had to say. Now, I suggest you leave unless that warrant of yours says it’s okay for you to harass the other—which, I’m pretty sure it doesn’t.” Backing away from Bentley with his arms held in mock surrender, he turned on the heels of his shoes to walk away.
“You were able to get three years for man slaughter when it came to Lucas Delgado but this time around you will get life in prison if you so much as touch Lyndon Mathews.”
Justin came to a halt mid step as he tuned into what Bentley had to say.
“You were saved before but not this time around. If Lyndon ends up dead, you will be our main suspect and will be charged for first degree murder.” He strained his words, making sure Justin head each and every one as clear as day.
“I already told you,” Justin turned his head a bit but not entirely as he balled his hands into fists at his side; “Plenty of people probably want him dead.”
“You have all the reason to want Lyndon dead—”
“And it was the same when it came to Luke!” Justin barked loudly, his body now fully turned as he faced Bentley spot on. “You saw the video! You saw what he did—Lyndon’s no different!”
“The jury won’t be lenient this time Justin! They won’t even think twice before sending you to prison! Do you really want a repeat of the last time you were there?” He raised his voice a fraction above Justin’s, standing tall as he veered over him.
Justin pressed his lips together, his face hot with rage. Clenching his teeth, Justin held back his urge to punch a hole through the wall. “This is bullshit.”
“This is reality,” Bentley countered. “Just think about it Justin, you can end this. You can walk away from all of this and start a life with your girlfriend who I know means a lot to you. You don’t have to get mixed in with this life anymore—”
“It’s not that easy,” Justin shook his head.
“Yes, it is!”
“No, it’s not!” Justin screamed, “Fucking hell, you don’t understand. With a life like this I will always be a target and you will always find a way to come after me. It won’t end. This cycle is an endless nightmare.”
“Justin—”
“If you lock me up, it’ll all just continue even with me behind bars.” Justin shrugged, “You think that by locking me up it’ll do you guys any good? It’ll just make things worse around here.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,”
“Don’t be naïve,” Justin chuckled humorlessly, “You think you know everything about me and what we go through but the truth is you don’t know anything. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to unpack my things. I’m sure you can find your way out.” Turning, Justin walked out of the kitchen and up the flight of stairs to his room, ignoring everyone along the way.
Slamming the door shut, Justin seeped in a sharp breath as he looked around to see that Sanchez wasn’t bluffing. Almost everything was turned upside down. Biting the inside of his cheek, he grabbed the picture frame of both him and Kelsey from the floor before chucking it across the room, the glass shattering into pieces.
Cupping the back of his head as he pulled at the ends of his hair, Justin let out a rumble of annoyance, plopping himself down on his bed. His eyes were thick with undeniable anger, pent up tension and immense about of loathing.
He knew he should’ve expected the worse but he never thought it would end up like this. Lyndon was the one at fault; he tore his family apart and made him choose between the two people he can’t live without. He almost lost the love of his life on more than one occasion and put all the people he cared about at risk.
Karma shouldn’t be biting him in the ass it should be the other way around—Lyndon should be getting the punishment. He should be the one warned away from Justin but he knew, deep down, it never worked that way.
Justin had been on the hit list of the entire police department since he made his name known all across town. They thrived to throw him in jail where they said he belonged and maybe he did. He killed people, hurt those around him and did unspeakable things.
Deep down inside however, he knew it was all for a reason. But, was it all worth it? Justin had yet to figure that out.
Spotting the picture that the frame he had thrown supported, Justin crouched down, grabbing it before sitting back on his bed as he stared down at the photo. Kelsey was wrapped in Justin’s arms laughing at something he said, his head dug into her neck, a smile present on his lips.
Letting his fingers brush against the memory, Justin closed his eyes, a heavy feeling in the midst of his chest as he thought back to the moment in his life he never thought he’d have to relieve again…
Justin’s Point of View:
I stood for a while anxiously waiting for them to open the doors to take me into the court room. It was weird standing here after all that’s happened. I, for one, never expected to turn up here. I was smart, I did things a certain way and I made sure there was nothing that could tie me into my own doings.
But, I fucked up this time and now I was taking the fall for the bastard who started it all.
After what felt like an eternity, a man opened the door and nodded to the guard next to me, signaling that it was time to bring me in. I instantly tensed inside knowing this was it. I was going to face everybody and none of them would be willing to hear my side of the story.
Grabbing hold of my bicep, he half lead me, half shoved me through the double doors into the large brightly lit room. I stumbled a bit before regaining my balance. My hands were still handcuffed together in front of me and connected to a chain around my waste and all the way down to my ankles which were also loosely fastened together.
Once my eyes adjusted to the light, I looked around me feeling almost lost in a way. Something inside of me screamed that I didn’t belong here despite the things I’ve done. Every single person in the room turned to look at me the moment I was out and it was like I was a deer caught in the headlights.
The silence was worse if that’s even possible. It made me nervous almost, seeing as though everyone in here was sitting there scrutinizing my every move. I scanned the room, spotting the judge who was currently sitting up towards the front eyeing me carefully before I glanced over at the jury. Most just looked at me with blank expression no emotions present except for one girl who seemed utterly bored out of her mind and a man who sat with a smirk on his face like he knew something I didn’t.
And I’d be lying if I said it didn’t take everything in me not to walk right on up to him and wipe it right off his motherfucking face.
Shaking my head, I looked to the audience, my eyes immediately settling on her. She looked so out of place and scared. I hated that she had to be here and I hated it even more that she's here because of me.
Kelsey caught my eyes as she gave me a slight smile but as quickly as it appeared; it dropped instantly and she looked away, avoiding any more eye contact.
I opened my mouth, wanting to say something, anything that could make this all better; desperate to tell her how sorry I was when the guard snapped me back to reality, pushing me forward.
“Move it, Bieber." He sternly ordered his face set in a grim expression.
I scowled, walking slowly towards the table where my lawyer sat with several pieces of paper spread out in front of her. She looked up at me and gave a small reassuring smile, one I didn't bother to return because I couldn't even sort out my own thoughts.
There was the obvious anxiety, but along with that, I felt angry. I was angry at every person in the room for sitting there, judging me as if they knew half of what I went through, I was angry at the asshole who pushed me far enough to make the mistake I did and most of all, I was angry at myself for being so stupid for getting into this mess.
It took a couple minutes for everything to settle down before the calling began and the district prosecuting attorney called me to the stand. Standing up, I walked up towards the front, keeping my head held high with each step I took. Confidence is key—if you avoid eye contact it makes you look suspicious, if you look like you have nothing to hide it shows that you’re not conning.
Taking my seat next to the judge, I waited for the DA to begin asking the questions I knew he had prepared. Jean, my own attorney, had tried to prepare me with the kinds of questions I'd be asked, but that didn't make me any less on edge. One wrong move and it could be over for me. That much I knew.
Fumbling with my fingers, I held my breath waiting for what it was he was going to ask me first and it didn’t take long before he began hounding me.
"What were your intentions the night you killed Lucas Delgado?" He barked his eyes hard on mine, lips pressed firmly together.
Tiredly looking up at him, I licked my lips, “My intentions were simply to talk with the guy,” I replied smoothly. “That’s it.”
Smirking as if he knew something I didn’t, he began walking towards me, “Did you plan on killing him all along?”
I shook my head, “Like I said I just wanted to talk,” Shrugging, I leaned back. “I never thought it’d end up the way it had.”
The DA's voice took on a much more mocking tone as he asked, "Did you think you wouldn’t get caught?” He cocked his head to the side, “Is that why you did this?"
Grinding my teeth together, I bit my tongue, careful not to lash out. “I didn’t plan on killing him,” I hissed, starting to get annoyed with him rephrasing the same question over and over. It was their way of trying to confuse you to see if you’d change your answer and he was stupid enough to believe that would work. “What part of that don’t you understand?”
The DA raised his voice, pointing at me, "What made you think it was okay to take your gun out and shoot Lucas Delgado in the chest?"
My jaw clenched at the hardness of the interrogation, my mind reeling. "Because if I didn't, I would have been the one shot and he'd be in my place right now," I growled, clenching my fists under the table, “But I’m sure you would’ve loved that, wouldn’t you?”
Ignoring me, he tapped his chin, "Why did you have a gun in the first place?" He retorted, his tone sharp, cutting through the thick tension surrounding us.
I took a deep breath and raised an eyebrow, "With the life I lead and the people I'm around, I'd be an idiot not to have some kind of protection with me now wouldn't I?" Shaking my head as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, I locked my jaw tight.
The DA looked like he had about enough before he slammed his hands down in front of me, getting in my face and his own burning with evident anger at my boldness. “If you were going to meet to talk there shouldn’t have been a need to bring any sort of weapon with you, isn’t that correct?” He practically yelled, desperate for me to crack.
“You never know—” I started to respond but he cut me off.
"It’s a shame that Lucas couldn’t be here with us today to justify himself in front of all these people but we have to go by what you say," He turned to the jury, "The monster that’s killed more people than I could count." I felt my blood start to boil at his words, fighting the urge to jump over this stand and strangle him to death. "You're a criminal and deserve to rot in jail for the pain you’ve caused." I glared back into his eyes, but at the same time I couldn't help but feel the sting of the harsh words.
“Objection!” Jean yelled, “Personal opinions have no part to take in this case. It’s clear the district attorney would like to take my client away for his own personal agenda but in no way is it necessary to state it openly in front of the jury.”
“Get on with it Mr. Sanchez,” Judge Patterson spoke sternly, “This case must move on.”
“That’s alright,” He took a few steps back; his hands held up in mock surrender, “I have no further questions your honor." He calmly stated before looking at me one last time and walking back to his seat.
After Sanchez sat down, the judge called my attorney forward for her turn.
I was still fucking fuming at how that just went down. He barely even gave me the chance to speak, wanting his voice to be heard over my own. He wanted me gone and he was doing a pretty damn good job making sure I looked guilty.
I managed to relax however the second Jean began to approach me, her hands clasped behind her back as she warmly gazed at me. She knew the true story, she knew what happened and I knew deep down inside that she was confident enough to get me out.
She started off, "So what happened that night, Justin?" Before I had the chance to say anything the DA instantly stood up shouting "Objection! That question has already been asked.”
Wanting to roll her eyes but keeping calm, Jean looked up at the judge, “As a right to query my client, I have a point in which it will be made with time.”
Pausing to think a moment about this, he nodded, “Overruled.” He simply said, Sanchez quickly muttering to himself angrily as he sat down once more, his hatred for me burning within his eyes.
Looking at me, she simply nodded for me to continue with what I had wanted to say before I was interrupted.
“I planned to go see Luke to come to an agreement so no one else could get hurt. I knew that it wouldn’t end well if we continued with this war.” Looking over at the jury, I sighed, feeling my stomach plummet to the ground. “I know what it’s like to lose someone to this sort of life. I lost my sister a few years ago because of some stupid rivalry and I wasn’t about to let it happen again.”
A silence fell amongst the crowd, “And what happened when you arrived to the spot in which you both agreed to meet?” Jean continued professionally though I could see the sadness on her face.
“The first thing he did was tell me how he watched my girl dress herself earlier that evening and that’s when I knew, he didn’t want to talk. He wanted trouble and before I knew it, fists were flying and we both somehow ended up on the ground. None of us was going to back down but I had him pretty beat up. So I stood and that’s when I saw him reach in his pocket for his gun and I shot him before he had the chance to first.”
Nodding, Jean walked back over to the table before picking up a plastic bag and holding it up in plain view. “This is the gun Luke had with him that night.” Making sure all of the jury saw it before handing it over to the judge, she took a step back. “The results proving the fingerprints are his are in the folder I had provided for you sir.” She said before turning to face everyone.
“My client had every right to defend himself that night. He was tortured enough by Lucas Delgado and even wanted to end the feud but Lucas had other plans.”
“In what ways could Lukas have done such a thing when he was the one treated like an animal the night of his death?” The DA roared as he stood, his body shaking in anger.
“You are treated the way you perceive yourself, Mr. Sanchez.” Her voice was sharp, “Your client, may he rest in peace, is not the innocent party in this. Neither is my own, both of which they could have handled this differently, my client did what was necessary to ensure he stayed alive which I’m sure you would do the same given the circumstances.”
“I wouldn’t kill a person that’s for damn sure.”
Ignoring him, Jean turned to me, “Justin, why don’t you go ahead and tell us all what Lucas had done to you previous to that fateful night.”
Raising my eyebrows at her, she nodded, reassuring me that this would benefit the point in which she was trying to make.
Swallowing hard, I looked away from Jean and over to towards the jury before finally, my eyes landed on her. “Luke wanted me out of the picture from the very moment we crossed paths. He went after me every chance he got.”
Kelsey parted her lips as her eyes watered, knowing where I was going with this. Biting the corner of her lip, she shook her head, her hand cupping her mouth.
I felt my heart strings pull violently, “He kidnapped my girl, he tortured her, beat her and nearly…” Shaking my head, I felt my throat burn at the words that were soon to follow, “raped her.” I whispered. “If I wouldn’t have gotten to her in time, he would’ve taken everything away from her just to benefit himself of hurting me.”
“That’s all this ever was,” I scoffed to myself, “He wanted to get to me through her and I wasn’t having it. I wanted it to end, he didn’t. He wanted to win.”
“All the more reason to want him dead!” The DA yelled from his seat, his hands thrown up in emphasis to what he was saying.
I shook my head sadly, my eyes never straying from Kelsey’s, “No.” I simply said, “I know the consequences of killing someone and if I knew this was how it would turn up, I would’ve just let him kill me instead.”
Kelsey gasped at my words, a permanent frown tugging on her lips as the tears cascaded down her cheeks.
“I fuck up a lot, there’s no denying that. I hurt the people I love and I end up hurting myself even more. It’s a constant battle that I wanted to finish.”
“If I may,” Jean stated quietly, her words powerful over our own, “I would like to show you all a video. One that I warn you is not pretty but shows that the other party involved in this, isn’t as acquitted as he seems.”
As she said this a television was rolled out into the room. Taking a DVD out of its paper holder from inside her folder, Jean placed it into the player before pressing play and waiting for the video to reveal itself.
I held my breath as Kelsey’s bruised face came into view.
“Justin will kill you,” She spat with venom, meaning every word she said.
Luke laughed loudly, causing the other two guys to laugh as well. “Yeah, well, where is he babe? Because last time I checked, you guys got into a pretty heated fight and he didn’t even run after you.”
“You think he’ll just let me run off with some low life scum and not come after me?” She smirked, chuckling lightly to herself. “You must be stupider than I thought.” Even though she seemed confident on the inside, I knew she was anything but on the inside.
Luke’s face hardened as he growled lowly. “If you were so smart yourself, you wouldn’t be saying half the things you are now,” He sneered, “If I were you, I’d keep your mouth shut. The last thing you’d want to be doing is throwing insults at me.”
Kelsey narrowed my eyes. “Or what, you’ll slap me again? Cut me?” She scoffed, looking away. “Dirt bag”
What happened next made my blood boil and the hairs on my arms stand, anger getting the best of me, wanting to kill him when I realized he was already dead.
Luke rounded his hand into a fist, slamming it into the side of Kelsey’s face without a moment’s hesitation causing her to cough unexpectedly, her body jerking forwards.
Luke grabbed a hold of her face, forcing Kelsey to look at him. “You got one hell of a big mouth. You should put it to use bitch,” He spat in disgust, digging his fingers into her skin making her shriek in pain.
Building up all the strength she had left, Kelsey looked him right in the eyes, assembling the look of the utmost loathe for this guy before spitting in his face.
“You bitch!” He barked, wiping the spit off his face with the back of his hand before grabbing a hold of Kelsey’s neck as he began choking her.
Gasping for air, Kelsey’s eyes went wide as she desperately tried to breathe again. “St-stop,” She choked out.
“You’re going to pay for this.” He sneered while giving her one last squeeze before pushing Kelsey back against the bed. His chest was heaving up and down, his face red with anger. “You guys can head on out now,” Luke craned his neck around a bit to focus on those behind him, “It seems like this bitch over here needs to be taught a lesson.”
Andrew and the other guy nodded their heads in understanding before walking out, closing the door behind them.
Luke continued to devilishly leer at Kelsey while grabbing the hem of his shirt and pulling it over his head, discarding it to the side before hovering over Kelsey’s shaking body. “There’s no fighting me now bitch.” He glowered, moving his head down to her neck where he began kissing and sucking on the skin.
I felt my body grow hot, the immense about of disgust I felt in that moment was unbearable as I saw Kelsey’s eyes widen at the memories she was forced to take part in reliving all over again.
“No, stop,” She mumbled, shifting, trying to move under him, “please,” She begged.
Luke didn’t say anything as he tugged on her clothes, marking her skin.
Kelsey shook, her small hands trying their best to push his weight off of her as nothing but fear was shown, “Please, don’t do this. I’m sorry,” She whispered.
“Too late for that now, babe,” He hissed before forcing his lips on hers, his tongue slipping between her parted lips, tasting what was mine.
Kelsey pushed, shaking her head, the tears falling from her eyes making me sick to my stomach.
When he finally pulled away, Luke began to pull at her shirt, ripping it open with one forceful tug.
“Stop!” She screamed, “Don’t do this! Please, I’ll do anything, “She cried, “Please…”
“No can do baby,” He mumbled against her skin as he began to nip on her exposed chest before the video ended.
I didn’t even realize I was shaking until his voice was cut off and the cries coming from Kelsey stopped. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath wanting to relax myself from lashing out. Chanting the same things over and over again in my head—he’s dead; he’s not going to hurt her anymore.
“As you can tell, Lucas opposed more of a threat then you seem to believe. He was no better than any other criminal you’ve come across. What happened to him is tragic and no one should die the way he had but the blame shouldn’t be pointed to one and not the other. He got himself mixed with the wrong things and he went about them in ways that cannot be excusable. He nearly forced himself on a female in which had repeated on several occasions that she did not want what he intended to do to her. Yet, he continued anyways and that in itself is punishable by law.”
Turning towards the crowd, she held her chin up high, her confidence flowing briskly, “Justin did what he had to do in order to protect himself. He was willing to put this,” She pointed towards the television, “behind him in order to ensure no one would get hurt. He wanted to forget the pain Lucas caused to start a fresh life with his girlfriend. Lucas brought this upon himself. He could have pushed his ego away for a day, he could have swallowed his pride like my client had in order to put the past to rest but instead he wanted to finish what he started and in return, ended up dead instead.”
“Now you can make as many excuses as you want Mr. Sanchez,” Jean turned towards the DA, “but nothing will change the events in which lead to this very day and I,” She looked at the judge, “rest my case your honor.”
The judge looked over at him in which he stood, making his way to the audience.
“Lucas may have done damage, things that cannot be erased and for that I apologize on behalf of him but to let a criminal such as Justin Bieber run the streets of Stratford once more is a bigger mistake all on its own. He deserves to be locked up for the justice of not only Lucas but for all the other lives he’s taken.”
“Objection! There has been no proof of these allegations Mr. Sanchez seems to be throwing around!” Jean stood, her lips pursed in annoyance.
“I agree, get on with it Mr. Sanchez.” The judge spat sternly, his eyes narrowed in his direction.
“Justin Bieber has taken the life of a human. That should be taken into consideration. I know you all have the smarts to figure out what the real punishment regarding him should be.” Bowing his head, he turned away, letting us all know that was all he had to say.
“This courtroom is now adjourned until tomorrow morning.” Slamming his gavel down, a loud echo booming throughout the entire court room, the judge got up and disappeared back to his office.
Walking over towards the end where a low barrier separated me from the rest, I looked over to Kelsey, “I love you.” I said before being yanked away, the chains wrapped around my waist down to my ankles rattling with each step I took.
The next morning rolled around faster than I expected. I hadn’t gotten any sleep, two to three hours being the most I’ve been able to rest my eyes since I’ve been here but last night, nothing could get me to nap without feeling the need to throw up.
It all kept replaying in my head from the moment I left Kelsey at her house to the very last second of my time as a free man. It was like a broken tape that kept on rolling, showing the same things over and over again, not giving me the chance to skip over it.
I wasn’t used to the springs digging into my back or the smell of sweat and defeat lingering in the air.
What I was used to however was the feeling of waking up next to her, her smile burning into my mind and her lips on mine. I was used to spending every waking moment with her and now I was barely ever able to see her at all.
I felt empty inside, lost and confused without her. It was like a part of me was missing and I couldn’t find the puzzle piece that finished the set.
“Bieber,” The guard that usually secured the hallway, in which my cell was located, spoke his voice snapping me out of my trance. “It’s time to head on out.”
Nodding, I sat up just as he opened the door. Walking over to him, I held my hands out in front of me as he clasped the cuffs onto my wrists before tying the chains around my waist and clinching my ankles together as well.
Tugging on my elbow, he led me down the hall as the other inmates began hollering, banging against the bars that held them back from escape.
When I was eventually brought back into the court room it was like everything inside of me froze and I couldn’t move nor think. It all hit me at once—I was either going to face life in prison or be set a free man and instantly I paled, my throat closing in around me.
Walking over to Jean who stood proudly, she smiled at me in a knowing manner, trying her best to reassure me that everything was going to be okay.
Finding Kelsey amongst the crowd near the guys, I held her gaze for as long as I can before forcing myself to turn away, facing the front.
Waiting as the judge made his arrival, he stood before allowing us all to sit as he did so himself, his gavel hitting the stand.
Folding his hands together in front of him, Judge Patterson peered out over the entire room, “As you can tell the jury is not here with us today...” He paused, gesturing to the left of him, “Because I have decided to take this case up myself being that there has been quite the controversy on how it should be handled.”
“The system doesn’t tolerate the act of killing nor do we encourage this as a way of allowing anyone to do so again.” Looking me square in the eye, he didn’t once flinch, “Justin Bieber you have been caught in the act of killing Lucas Delgado but because there was no malice or premeditation and the victim was in the act of committing a crime you have been evicted of involuntary manslaughter and the penalty for that is five to twenty years in prison. Do you understand?”
“Yes, your honor.”
“But given the circumstances and the evidence that was shown in the court room, Justin Bieber, I hereby sentence you to three years in prison—”
Without even much of a chance to say more after that, the entire court room burst into hysterics, the DA shouting in defense of his case, the guys bickering over how unfair this was and Jean who tried to negotiate a better deal.
All I could do was stand there in shock that this was actually happening. Not only was I going to jail but I was being locked away for three years while Luke was able to get away with torturing me and my girl. He’ll be rotting in hell while I rot in a prison cell and immediately everything inside of me restricted. I went cold.
“Quiet!” The judge shouted angrily, stopping everyone midsentence, “I will not tolerate any of this behavior in my court room!” He barked, “Now either you all take a seat or get the hell on out of here.”
After every settled down, he shook his head, “I am being lenient in my decision towards this case.” He locked his eyes against mine, “Justin Bieber deserves nothing more than to serve all twenty years for taking the life of another but giving his mental state and the events in which went on, I am giving him the opportunity to reevaluate his life decisions.”
“I hope you will do just that,” With the sound of his gavel, the judge rose, “Guards take the prisoner out of my court room...”
No One’s Point of View:
Re-opening his eyes, it was like all he could see was red. It was all going to happen again but this time, Justin wasn’t going to get three years in prison if Lyndon died—he was going to get life.
Growling angrily, Justin ripped the picture in half knowing the smile he had in it was not to last long. It never did.
Standing with his chest heaving and his hands balled into fists, Justin looked around the room trying to figure out what he was going to break first.
“That if Lyndon Mathews turns up dead, you’re going to jail.” Officer Bentley’s voice rang endlessly in Justin’s ears causing him to lose it completely.
Pulling each of the drawers out from the cabinet, Justin tossed them across the room not even flinching as it fell to the floor in a loud bang, the clothes that were once folded neatly inside now scattered around the floor.
Throwing the lamp off, Justin swung it in the opposite direction as the glass shattered, adding onto the growing mess in his room, “Fucking son of a bitch!” Taking the covers from the bed, Justin began ripping them off knowing there was no point in having a bed if he wasn’t going to be sleeping in it anymore.
Flipping the mattress off, Justin didn’t waste time before grabbing the variety of perfume bottles on the dresser and throwing them off the top, tipping the entire thing over.
A loud slam was heard causing a yelp of surprise to come from Kelsey’s mouth. Before anyone has the chance to say anything, she began shoving past everyone, darting up the stairs and into the room where she held the door open, her breath caught in her throat.
Looking around, she couldn’t believe her eyes. “Justin…” She choked, spotting him in the corner, clutching his head in his hands, blood oozing from his knuckles. Observing to the left it was there where Kelsey spotted multiple blows to the wall knowing Justin had let the rest of his anger out with his fists.
“Justin…” Kelsey began once more, desperate to calm his tirade. She’s seen him angry before but out of all those times, this had to be one of the worst.
Turning around to face her, Kelsey gasped as their eyes met. They weren’t the same warm brown she was accustomed to—they were different. They were dark—black, scary and emotionless. It was like looking into the eyes of the devil and she felt as if someone had taken her will to breathe away.
Hesitant, Kelsey took a simple step forwards despite the voice in the back of her head screaming for her to run as far from him as she could.
“Don’t,” He voiced calmly but the force behind that one single word was enough to send an eerie chill down her spine.
“W—what happened?” She choked out, her mouth going dry as she forced herself to keep walking, “What’s wrong?”
“Everything,” Justin whispered pain laced with each staggering breath he took. “I’m a monster,” He shook his head, a sarcastic smile pulling at his lips, “I destroy everything I touch and you—you’re no better.”
Swallowing at his words, Kelsey stood frozen in place, her brows furrowed in a frown, “Don’t—don’t say that—”
“I should’ve listened to everyone when I had the chance. You’re the devil in disguise baby and I’ve fallen under your trap and God damn it, I can’t get out.” He hissed, his jaw tightening, eyes widening a fraction.
“You… you don’t mean that…” Kelsey choked out, tears whelming up in her eyes.
Justin couldn’t help but think back to his time in the court room, those same eyes looking into his with nothing but sadness and regret. He didn’t want that. He didn’t want to disappoint her again.
“Why are you still here?” He growled, his eyes darkening in a shade Kelsey couldn’t detect.
“Stop,” Kelsey begged, desperate for him to calm down. He was talking crazy and she was trying her hardest to make sense of all this. What could the cops have possibly said to him to make him act this way?
“Why don’t you hate me?” Justin spoke as though he were in physical pain and maybe he was but deep down inside, the pain he felt traveled far deep than that. “It would make this a whole lot easier—”
“Who would this make it easier for? Because I certainly don’t think me leaving will change anything.” Kelsey hissed despite the hurt she was feeling inside. His words cut through her like a knife.
“Just leave,” Justin said through clenched teeth.
“No.”
“Fucking hell Kelsey!” He barked sharply, his hands attaching to one of the frames that hung loosely off the edge as he chucked it across the room, missing her by a few inches, “Why are you doing this?”
“Because I love you,” Kelsey pulled her bottom lip into her mouth as she shakily reached out to touch his face.
“You shouldn’t…” He shook his head, forcing his eyes away from hers. “I’m not worth it. I never was.” Grabbing her hand, he held it down by her side, “Just go.”
“No.” Kelsey stood her ground as she pulled her hand from his grasp. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Seeing the determination behind her eyes sent a wave of nausea through him. All it took was one girl—one simple girl to turn his life around. Without much thought, Justin grasped her face in his hands before slamming his lips down upon hers, transferring every ounce of emotion he felt inside into it.
Gasping at the intensity behind their embrace, it didn’t take long before Kelsey began moving her lips against his. Fisting his shirt into her hands, Kelsey rolled onto the tips of her toes, the heat between the two heightening to extreme measures.
Turning them around, Justin slammed her back against the wall before detaching his lips and pressing several sloppy kisses down her neck and across her shoulder before pulling away completely, leaving the both of them breathless.
Taking a step back, Justin pressed his lips together, running a hand down the back of his neck as he shook his head, “You should go.” He gestured with his chin towards the door.
Opening her mouth to say something, her eyes wide in shock to what had just happened Kelsey tried to regain her breathing as she reached out towards him once more but was caught by surprise when he grabbed her hand in a harsh grip before she had the chance to.
“I said leave!” He screamed causing her to jump from his sudden outburst.
“Justin—”
“Just go, Kelsey,” John spoke from the doorway, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his jeans. He knew all the sides to Justin and this had to be one of the scarcest of them all. It rarely ever came out but when it did, it was lethal and there was no telling where his anger would take him.
“Now,” He nodded, “I’ll take it from here.”
Fighting the will to stay despite knowing John was probably right in making her leave, Kelsey hesitantly slid her hand up the base of Justin’s neck before pressing a soft kiss to his cheek, her lips brushing over his ear gently, “I love you.” She whispered before slipping past them both and disappearing out of sight.
When the coast was clear, John looked over at Justin. “What’s going on with you?”
“She deserves better than this…” He looked down at his feet, the tip of his sneakers scratching against the wooden surface.
“She doesn’t want better, she wants you. How many times are you going to try and push her away before you realize she’s not going anywhere?”
“Are you seriously going to stand there and make believe that it’s safe for her?”
“It never was but I think she’s already made her point that she doesn’t care. Come on man, this is Kelsey we’re talking about. She’s been through hell and back with and without you yet she’s still here. So why don’t you tell me what’s really going on with you?”
“Do you remember when I killed Luke, that night when we were all taken into custody?” Justin turned his head a bit though not bothering to fully face his best friend.
“Yeah,” John nodded despite the confusion he was experiencing at that moment, “What about it?”
“Kelsey came later that night…” He trailed off slowly, “And I don’t think I’ve ever seen her so angry with me.”
“Well yeah, you were arrested Justin that tends to happen when—”
“No,” Justin shook his head, “This was different.” He whispered and it didn’t take long before the flashbacks came reeling in.
“Bieber, you have a visitor.”
Growling in annoyance, Justin turned to look at the guard, “Who could possibly—” When his eyes fell on Kelsey’s swollen, determined gaze it was like he couldn’t breathe anymore.
“Kelsey—”
“No,” She sternly spoke, “You have no right to say a word to me,” She pointed in my direction, “Not before I’ve had my say first.”
With his quietness came her answer to continue which she did without a moment’s hesitation. “You promised…” She said, “You promised me that you wouldn’t let this happen that you had it all under control.”
“I know—”
“Shut up!” Kelsey screamed, silencing Justin completely, “I’m not done.” She seethed though the hurt was evident despite the act she tried to pull. She didn’t even bother to hide the fact that tears were pooling in her eyes, ready to cascade down her delicate cheeks any second now.
“You told me that you loved me and that you wouldn’t ever hurt me. You said that Justin! And what do you do after you make love to me? You run off and kill someone! I asked you repeatedly if anything was bothering you because I knew you and I knew something was wrong and you know what you said to me?” She paused for effect though she didn’t give him the chance to answer, “You said that it was nothing!”
“I didn’t want to worry you.”
“I’m a big girl, Justin! I don’t need you keeping things from me because you don’t think I can handle it! Having to find out my boyfriend wasn’t going to show up on my doorstep because he was too busy being locked up in a prison cell is not my idea of being honest!” She held a desperate hand to her chest.
“I’m sorry,” He whispered, “I never meant to hurt you.”
“Well too bad because you did.” She whimpered; the pain she felt inside too much to handle as she nearly collapsed on the floor right there. “I should hate you,” She whispered after a few minutes of silence, “I should hate you so much…” Kelsey bit her lip, “But I don’t and I don’t know why.”
“Because you love me,” He said monotonously, desperately wanting to walk over to her and hold her in his arms but the cuffs pinning him to the table didn’t allow him to.
“That’s the thing!” Kelsey screeched, “I shouldn’t love you! Not after what you did. It’s not fair, this is not fair…” She looked away from me. “I was so excited for you to come over so we could all start fresh. But you just gave my parents another reason on why we shouldn’t be together.”
“Don’t fucking say that.”
“It’s true! They never wanted us to be together from the very beginning. My mother understood but my dad? Not so much! And now… now you’ve ruined everything.”
“Kelsey—”
“Nothing you say or do will make up for what you did.” She spoke with defiance, “You said you loved me…”
“I do love you.”
“No, if you loved me, you wouldn’t have done what you did.” And with that, Kelsey turned to walk away from him.
“Kelsey!” Justin yelled after her but she didn’t bother to turn around as she reached for the door. “You didn’t even give me a chance to explain myself! You had your say now I deserve mine.”
“I deserved to know the truth but yet you still kept it from me,” Kelsey murmured quietly though he heard her loud and clear as if she yelled instead.
“I did it for your own good.”
“You think this is for my own good?!” She shot back, her body hot with fury, “Are you seriously going to sit there and make believe what you did was the right thing to do?”
“Let’s just say if I had to do it again, I would. I would do anything to keep you away from the business.”
“You can try all you want but as your girl,” She emphasized the words, “I’ll always be a part of it.” Opening the door, Kelsey turned the corner, never once looking back.
“She had a point when she left.”
John sighed, “You have got to let the past go, man. It’s not healthy always reliving it. It’s done, finished and buried for a reason stop digging it back up again.”
“That’s the thing, John—the past is repeating itself.” With his shoulders slouched, Justin slowly turned around, catching his gaze with his own. “This is it,” He said, “no matter what we say or do, we can’t save ourselves. Not this time.”
John shook his head, “What are you talking about, Justin?”
“Us, this, you and me, the guys, the business… it’s all over.” Justin nodded as though he was coming into terms with it himself but the truth of the matter is, no matter what he did, that’ll never be possible. “All we’ve built for ourselves is going to come crumbling down.”
Searching Justin’s eyes for answers it wasn’t until he pieced it all together that realization seemed to kick in—the feeling Justin had before arriving back to Stratford, the cops, the sudden outburst… “What did they say to you?” John asked while holding his breath, afraid of the answer for the first time.
“It doesn’t matter,” He shook his head.
“The hell it doesn’t!” John shouted, “We come back and all of a sudden you’re talking all sorts of crap! Tell me what the fuck is going on.” He demanded.
Licking his lips, Justin chewed on the inside of his cheek as he let out steam through his nose. Looking up at the ceiling as if it would somehow reveal to him what he should do, Justin dragged his eyes to meet John’s once more.
“This is the end.” He said.