ohhHH crap.
We going full on judge-with-jury on this.
I was jittery as Mom drove my brother and I to the court. There was an ice-cream shop we passed on the way, and I didn't even ask if we could go get some.
In short, I was high-key nervous.
When we arrived, we had to get a few legal forms filled out, mentioning how we want to set my kidnappers free.
And then it was time to go to court.
I was seated in the front row, in the middle of Alex and Mom. There were a few important people sitting behind us at the council tables, ready for the show, I guess. Members of the police were lined up on each side of the room. The judge, with his glassy glasses (lol) and short dark mustache was seated behind the bench. There were two wooden cage-like boxes for a member of each party to stand in, I guess.
Look at me, knowing all the technical terms for this place.
Sarcasm. That was sarcasm.
Did I mention how my knee would just NOT stop bouncing up and down? I had to freaking PLACE MY HAND on it to stop it. Even Alex looked at my knee, my hand, and then me, giving me the 'wtf' look.
;-;
Hushed murmurs were circling around the courtroom. Mom was silently waiting, like a patient angel.
"Thanks, Mom." I blurted.
She was snapped out of her silent trance and turned her head to look at me. "For what, honey?"
"For-" I hesitated. "I guess for being so patient with everything. It's not a general thing for a mother of a girl to be sitting in a courtroom to be fighting for the freedom of her daughter's kidnappers. Thank you for believing me when I say they're innocent."
Her eyes widened. "Who are you and WHAT have you done to Rachel??"
Alex burst out laughing. I furrowed my eyebrows. We were having a sERiOUS moment h e r e .
"What?" I asked.
"I've just- I've never seen you talk so politely like a normal teenage girl." He snorted.
I glared at him and thwacked his arm.
Mom chuckled as well. "Rachel, honey, you don't have to say thank you. I mean, it did take me a while to agree to help you in freeing your friends. I had to think about it a lot. I figured that they couldn't have been harmful if there was not a single scratch on you AND they dealt with your hourly pestering for ice-cream-"
"hEY!" I objected.
She laughed. "But, in all honestly, it was Alex who convinced me to help you. He told me you looked heartbroken when you saw them getting arrested."
I was shookETH. I looked at my buffoon of a brother, who was smiling sheepishly at me.
"What? Can't a handsome young kind adoring charming beautiful to-die-for smart young man help his baby sister out?" He grinned.
I thwacked his arm again. But this time, there was a funny grin on my face.
"Thanks, bRo."
My knee had stopped bouncing. The tension in the air was gone. Everything was going to be okay.
Suddenly, everyone went silent. The judge was lightly tapping his desk with that huge hammer.
"I would like to initiate this trial now. As we all know, the five kidnappers of Rachel Waters were arrested two days ago. This month-long kidnapping had made national headlines. The criminals were going to be given a life-long sentence, not only for the kidnapping, but also because of their notorious 'most dangerous gang of the country' title. The punishment was going to go through until an interruption was made. The very victim of this kidnapping, Rachel Waters, and her family, have decided to try and prove this group of people's innocence-"
I could feel everyone's eyes on me.
"-therefore we will now proceed with the case. I call the until-now criminals to enter the courtroom." He continued.
wEW that was a long-arse essay.
My breath was hitched in my throat as I saw Keith enter the room from behind the judge, still handcuffed. He wasn't looking up. It was as if he knew I was here. He was forcing himself to look at the ground.
You hear that? It's the sound of my heart breaking into tiny pieces.
Behind him entered Theo. He was looking at the ground as well, but suddenly he looked up, found my eyes, and gave me a small smile. His eyes immediately went towards the white concrete floor again.
Behind Theo came Dani! I desperately tried to catch her eye but she was looking at the floor.
Why were they so interested in the floor today?
Then entered Roy. He was the only one who looked at me for more than 3 seconds. Then he just stared at the back of Dani's head.
Sarah came as well. She snatched a look at me shook her head. In disappointment? I don't know. My heart was breaking more and more. They all thought I was fighting THEM, not FOR them.
"You guys think that if you don't look at me, I won't be here, don't you? Well I'll tell your sorry butts right now that I'm here to help you." I yelled.
Silence. Oops, I don't think I was supposed to interrupt standard protocol.
wELp.
Theo looked up at me and grinned like a child receiving a present on Christmas. "I KNEW IT! TAKE THAT, ROY, YOU COW! I TOLD YOU RACHEL WAS GONNA SAVE US-"
The judge smacked his hammer on his wooden desk. "SILENCE!"
Immediately, all you could hear was silence.
Then I snorted.
oOpS-
The judge glared at me before tapping the desk with the hammer 2 times.
"We will now commence the trial. I ask the lawyers of each side to come up."
The lawyer Alex found for us stood up and walked towards the judge. No one else got up.
So Keith didn't have a lawyer?
ooOH teaaa
Mr. Grumpy Pants (*coughs*, the judge) tapped his desk multiple times with his hammer AGAIN. "Ah, I see that one party does not have a lawyer. Therefore, I announce this case undecided-"
"OBJECTION!" I suddenly yelled.
Silence.
I'LL BE THEIR LAWYER!" I shouted, continuing my random outburst.
Silence again.
Alex nudged me. "Don't say anything stupid." He whispered.
"ReLaX. I GOT this."
He rolled his eyes.
The judge's mouth was open like a dead fish who needed H2O ASAP. "You can't be their lawyer!"
"Hell yeah I can!"
Gasps circulated around the room.
"No vulgar language is spoken here, ma'am."
"Fine, fine. But what I'm saying is that if no lawyer decided to take up the gang's case after seeing their ugly constipated faces, I will!"
"Hey!" I heard Theo shout. Then I heard him laugh. "You only mean Keith, right? I mean look at hi- OW!"
I think Keith smacked Theo on the back of his head ;-;
The judge was clearly not amused. "We need a professional lawyer for this case."
"Objection!" I yelled again.
Mr. Grumpy Pants glared me.
"Awww come on lemme do itttt-"
"No."
"Pwease?"
He sighed. "Do you not understand English?"
I SWEAR I heard Dani mutter a, "non."
Yas French sisterr.
"And do you not understand that there's a typewriter legit RIGHT NEXT TO YOU who's typing everything anyone says in this stinkin' courtroom and that if anyone reads it they could conclude that you were a weird-arse judge who bullied a young girl who just wanted to chase her dreams and become a lawyer?"
I sniffed at the end as if I was crying for the drama.
"And now you're making me cry!" I cried. "Shame on you!"
Alex did a face-palm.
The judge was c l e a r l y feeling pressured to do something. I think I made a few people sitting behind us tear up.
"I j-just wanted to be a l-l-lawyer..." I stuttered, my voice cracking.
>:)
The judge sighed. "FINE, JEEZ! BE THEIR FREAKING LAWYER!"
I grinned and got up. "Thanks, Mr. Grumpy Pants. Now, les get this show on the road." I strolled my way to Keith. "YOU! Get in this cage here."
Keith finally looked up at me since he had entered this room. ooOH crap. His face was bruised real bad.
Was he glaring at me?
"What do you want??" He said. It wasn't too loud, but it was enough to be pierced straight through my heart.
Just kidding, I don't have a heart.
"I-I-" I stammered. I didn't understand. Why was he being like this?
He rolled his eyes and got in the cage thing.
"What's your PROBLEM?" I demanded.
"No, no, go on. Ask me when I got you kidnapped and how I tortured you in the basement." He stated, showing no emotion.
My eyes widened. Is he TRYING to prove himself guilty?
"Keith, that's-that's not even what happened."
I looked over at the gang who looked just as shocked as what Keith said as I did. They saw me looking at them and shrugged.
I glared at Keith.
"What is your problem, man?? I'm trying to help!"
"How? By putting us in jail? I trusted you, Rachel! I didn't think you'd freaking call the cops!"
"I didn't!"
"Of course you didn't."
I crossed my arms. "Believe what you want. I'm your lawyer fighting for your case."
"Fighting FOR me? Psh. Then who's YOUR lawyer fighting for?"
I blinked at him.
"Wow. You're a genius!" I laughed. I turned towards the judge.
"Mr. Grumpy Pants, we have two lawyers fighting for the freedom of this group of innocent angels. Therefore I announce this case won and closed."
Everyone began to stand up and clap.
"YOU ALL MAY LEAVE!" I told them.
Whispers erupted as everyone who was sitting behind me turned to leave the room. Suddenly, Mr. Grumpy Pants threw his fist at the table, making a huge THUMP sound.
"I'M the judge here! I handle this case!"
"Someone's PMSing.." I muttered.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?"
I smiled at him. "Mr. Grumpy Pants, I think even a two-year-old knows that if two people agree on the same thing, that thing happens. Therefore my 'kidnappers' are free."
I heard Sarah and Dani laugh.
"YOU TELL EM, SISTA!" Theo yelled.
Mr. Grumpy Pants went red. "Don't you talk to me like that, young l a d y ."
I put my hands on my hips. "Talk like what? Like t h i s ?"
"Stop!"
"Or like D I S? OR LIKE TIS? OR LIKE- LIKE THISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS?" I said, extending the 'hiss' sound.
I saw Alex roll his eyes and whisper something to Mom.
"Ma'am I will not hesitate to call security on you."
"For what? hissing?" I snorted.
OMG Keith SMILED! It was a tiny smirk, but still!
The judge sighed. "EVERYBODY, sit down. This case isn't over. I believe that Rachel Waters is experiencing Stockholm Syndrome."
Almost everyone gasped.
"Stock em who now? What's that?" I asked.
Keith gave me a look. "It's when a kidnappee, AKA you, falls in love with the kidnapper, AKA me."
He was still looking at me. My mouth was left hanging open.
"Bruh."
"Mhm." He replied to my dumbfoundedness.
"You be trippinnnnn-"
I turned to face the judge. "I'm not in love with Keith! He's like a moody cow who doesn't even eat Froot Loops! WHO DOESN'T EAT FROOT LOOPS????"
"I actually do eat Froot Loops-"
"WHY WOULD I LIKE HIM? I mean, he's my friend, sure, and he's better than my dad. Waitwaitwait I'm not saying he's LIKE my father figure, ew, no. He too young for that. But he too OLD for me, you get me? EVERYONE in the gang be like my FAMILY, man! They didn't even kidnap me! I went by my own free will!"
Okay, so everyone, including my mom and my brother, kind of gasped in shock.
"Yes, that's right folks. When Theo and I were coming in the car, a police dude stopped us and asked me if I was related to him. And WHAT did I say, by my own free will? I said I DO know him! And that he was interrupting me from getting my ice-cream!"
I looked up at Theo. He smiled. "I remember! And then I asked you why you're not fat and you got offended and said that ice-cream's your baby. I actually thought of dropping you off to the nearest mental hospital then..."
:O
rood much?
"Well, at least the mental hospital would've ACTUALLY provided me with GLORIOUS ICE-CREAM unlike you, who RAN AWAY WHEN I ASKED FOR SOME!" I shot back.
He gasped. "Excuse you! I got you ice-cream whenever I had money! That time I was broke! I'm in debt cuz of you, man! In fact, I'm gonna file a case against you for using up so much of my money!"
"Whew. Another case." The judge noted it down.
Theo looked at the judge. "I-I was kidding, sir....don't ACTUALLY arrest Rachel, lol, she's like a cute wittle baby..."
"I AM NOT!"
"CAN WE GET THIS OVER WITH ALREADY??" Some cop yelled from the side of the room.
"Yes. Yes we can." I answered. "I am not a victim. No one is a victim of these people. They're innocent."
"How do we know you were not tortured or brainwashed to think this way?" The judge demanded, staring at me.
I stared right back at him. "You can get all the medical tests you want done. I don't have a single scratch on me."
A medical guy ran out. "That's right, sir, I did a few checks on her before this trial. There is no sign of any physical abuse. Her mental state is normal as well."
Alex's eyes widened. "She's normal?? Since when??" He started laughing when he saw me glaring at him.
Yeah, I'll admit I'm weird. But I'm still normal!
Right?
"There. Ya got yer proof. Now let em go." I said, my arms crossed together.
The judge sighed. "Fine. You can take your mental selves home."
I looked at Keith, the gang, and then my family. I grinned. "HELLLL YEAH! NO OBJECTION HERE, SISTERS!!"
I yeeted Keith out of his depressing little cage and hugged him. Without seeing his reaction, I ran over to the gang and hugged them all.
"THANKS, Mr. Grumpy Pants!" I smiled. I started to go forward to hug him as well, but his eyes widened and he scuttled out of the room, muttering a, "Sure. Okay. Bye."
Huh. Maybe he's like, extra introverted. Not to mention grumpy.
Soon everyone was out. The police, the jury, the news reporters. Everyone. We all walked out as well: myself, my brother and mother, and le gang.
"I knew you didn't betray us. I just knew it." Theo kept telling me.
"No one else thought like you, though." I replied sadly.
Dani widened her eyes. "Dude. Keith ordered us all not to even look at you when we were waiting to get in. I really really reaaaally wanted to wave at you and smile in a french accent. Really."
"Wow. Keith's a douche." I muttered.
"I heard that." He rolled his eyes.
"I mean, BRUH! I was STANDING in your FACE telling you I was your LAWYER and you MESS IT UP by ANNOUNCING that you TORTURED ME?? Dude."
He smirked. "If I didn't do that, no one really would've realized that y'all we fighting for the same thing. I just sped that process up a little."
Oh. Oh.
So Keith's the smart one now, huh?
"Well, you still didn't have to NOT LOOK AT MY FREAKING FACE while waltzing in!" I huffed.
"I didn't want to give the police or the judge any idea of me communicating with or threatening you with my body language and facial expressions." He deadpanned.
Again, oOHHhHHhh.
"So you still trusted me?"
"How could I not? You're Rachel."
I could feel my heart swell with pride. They trusted me. They trusted me so, so much.
And I trusted them, too.
After Alex filled out a few forms, Mom drove us all home.
:)
**********************************************************
A/N
Whewww
That was a long chapter.
At least it felt long writing it. In like 2 days.
Shocker, isn't it? I ACTUALLY uploaded within a week of le last chapter! :D
Turns out you can type quicker on a new laptop than on an old iPad which has a cracked screen.
(rip)
By the way, have you guys like, cracked? Smoked too much weed?
11 THOUSAND READS????
WE HAVEN'T EVEN FINISHED THIS BOOK, PEEPS!
I guess I'd like to say thanks for the support, man. Liek, where'd I be without y'all?
Don't forget to tell me in the comments how y'all be feeling about this book!! :D Next chapter is like the last one rip. Mom, come pick me up. I'm scared.
Love y'all xxx don't forget to smile :)))))
Stay safe, eat ice-cream cake.
-R