Pile of papers.
Books scattered on the table.
Sound of finger typing something.
Serious faces.
I sighed as I turned the last page of the documents I was reading about Traise's last trial case.
"Are you done reviewing the case?" Newt, the defender, asked me, who was just sitting beside me. We were inside the query room which we often use as if it's our office.
"Not yet," I replied, without looking at him, emotionless.
"Sino nag re-review ng evidence?" the former prosecutor, Tyler, asked.
I don't know, even though he was on our side already, I call him prosecutor still and my blood boils the same way with the sight of him.
"Ako," Newt said, looking at his papers too.
"I'm done reviewing the testimonies," Tyler said. "I'll summon past witnesses and new witnesses in court. We shall start brainstorming ten minutes from now."
I smirked. "Minamanduhan mo ba kami?"
"What?" he asked, caught off guard. "I'm just making things organized."
I looked at him. "Just to remind you, you are in the defense counsel not the prosecution and whether you like it or not, you're under us."
"Alright," he smiled. "If you say so."
I rolled my eyes. I am not usually this rude, and I'm not actually rude.
Maybe, just for him? I don't know. I developed hatred against him ever since I received perjury. I literally cleaned streets in broad daylight for six straight months!
"Guys I've found out—" the prosecutor.
"CAN YOU PLEASE LET US FINISH FIRST?" I frustratedly exclaimed. "YOU'RE DISTRACTING ME!"
"Why are you treating me that way?"
he reasoned out, he was just on the side of the table and the other side was Traise, reading related cases.
“You're treating me as if I did something bad to your ancestor!"
"JUST STOP TALKING!" I exclaimed. “YOU LOOK LIKE A BUBBLE WRAP I WANNA POP!"
Beat.
Silence.
WAIT.
WHAT DID I JUST SAY?
Tyler tried his best not to laugh, and Newt burst out laughing.
"That sounds so wrong!" Newt said in between his laugh, trying his best not to laugh anymore. "Sounds like something sexual!"
"EXCUSE ME?!" I exclaimed and they all went back to what they were doing, fearing what could I do.
It had been weeks since Tyler joined the team. It became too controversial, of course. Imagine the defense counsel and the prosecution of the same case joined forces to prove an accused's innocence.
Ever since he joined us, some people started doubting if Traise really did it kasi nga 'di ba, bakit kakampihan ng prosecutor noon ang kriminal? It created division in public but there were still more people who condemned him. The verdict was attempted murder but for them it was intentional.
The division in public made the prosecution more triggered to persecute him, though. Halatang politicians were behind this. Pinag-aralan namin lahat ng juries representatives and more than half, and almost all of them actually were close to the officials before who manipulated the case na mga nasa gobyerno pa rin.
I know they'll do everything to make him guilty, at ganun din kami. In fact, we were having meetings almost every day just to brainstorm. We were going to different places, seeking for someone who could testify. On the other note, my father was strongly against it. Soon as he found out I took the case still, we barely talked. He was aloof, he was mad at me.
This time, we were determined to win this case. More than determined than we were years ago. Oh no, scratch that. We are not just determined, we will surely win this.
I looked at Traise who's scanning related cases that might help what approach we will use. Ever since we started, sobrang tahimik n’ya. Minsan lilipat lang 'yung tingin n'ya sa 'kin at kay Tyler. He seemed in a bad mood.
I cleared my throat.
"Hey," I said. He looked at me, face emotionless.
"May tanong ako," I started. "Nakita ko kasi isa sa evidence 'yung autopsy. Kasi 'di ba halatang stabbing na 'yung cause of death since he had stabs, so was the autopsy just a redundancy? Kasi, if oo we can take this one out."
"Autopsy will only be done if the cause of death is suspicious," Traise said, "If the cause of death is obvious, hindi na kailangan unless the coroner will mandatorily ask."
I nodded understandingly.
"Siguro, i-cross out ko nalang ito.”
"Don't!" Tyler said. "Baka magamit pa natin ‘yan balang araw.”
"Ba't mo ba ako pinakikialaman?" I asked.
"Siguro kasi kasali kasi rito?" he sarcastically answered.
"Mind your own business!" I replied.
"And this is my business!"
I lost my temper. "BAKIT BA—"
"CAN YOU TWO STOP?" Traise halted us and he looked at us, madly, and jaw clenched. He once again looked at his paper and in less than a minute, he placed it down.
"You!" he said, looking at me. "Can you stop giving him the attention that you should’ve been giving me?!"
I gulped. He sounded and looked so mad.
"W-What—"
"STOP GIVING HIM TIME AS WELL!" he exclaimed at me. "I DON'T WANT ANYONE OCCUPYING YOUR TIME ASIDE FROM ME!"
WHAT THE HELL IS HE SAYING?!
"Bro," Tyler said, awkwardly smiling. "I think you've mistaken—"
"AND CAN YOU STOP TALKING TO HER?" he asked. "YOU CAN ONLY TALK TO HER IF IT'S ABOUT THE CASE,” he said, his stare so lethal.
"No, Traise it's—"
“Don't tease her, don't make her mad, don't look at her, don't smile at her, don't make her feel in rage, don't occupy her time, it's my job."
Tyler smiled bitterly. "You've misunder—"
"You called me bro?" Traise halted him. "Then let's show a real brotherhood here. Don't cross the fence I built, or you'll be messing with me."
There's a trace of warning in his voice.
Then suddenly, I felt the tension inside the room. The atmosphere was suffocating. They were just looking at each other, no one dodging sharp eye contact, both jaws clenched.
Then Tyler spoke.
“I doubt that," he said and he smirked.
“No one can tell. Will I cross, or will I not?"
"You want to try me?" Traise asked while looking deadly in Tyler's eyes.
Tyler smirked. "Threatened?"
Traise smirked back. "You wish."
WHAT ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT?!?!
Then the door opened, and in my great horror, I felt my legs shaking. IT'S THE POLICE WHO CAUGHT US!
He went in, and placed a pizza on the table.
"Hindi ko na pinapasok ‘yung delivery boy," he said. "Ako na ‘ka ko
magpapasok."
"Oh, thank you officer," Tyler said. “Want some?"
Umiling s’ya and then he looked at me and Traise. “Busog na ‘ko sa nakita ko eh. Sarap!"
I felt my cheeks once again turning burning red.
WHAT THE F*CK.
And as I looked at Traise, he was emotionless.
Paano n’ya ‘yan nagagawa habang ako mamatay na sa sobrang awkward!
"Una na ako," the officer said, and with his eyes teasing us, he went out.
"Matuto po tayong mag lock ha," he said, grinning as he closed the door.
SH*T. THAT WAS AWKWARD!
"Are you guys done arguing?" Newt asked. "Can we start?"
We all prepared our case and argument. All the things we found from evidence, testimonies, to related cases we presented, we found something in common; the verdict is too heavy for the case.
"We'll win it, for sure,” Newt said, smiling. “Napakaraming loopholes ng unang trial.”
"That's why I joined you," Tyler said. "This time we'll solidify the self-defense claim."
"No," Traise said. "We won't."
I looked at him, confused.
"Why not?" Tyler asked. “’Pag napatunayan nating it was self-defense, you'll be acquitted of all charges! Our evidence is solid. Makakalaya ka na.”
"He's right," Newt said. “Our evidence are enough to support it. It's the best way."
"No, it's not," Traise then said, all our eyes on him.
He smiled.
"I have a tactic."
The next day, I found myself inside the court, with really loads of people inside. It doubled the attendees of the last trial 8 years ago. As expected, it's the main talk. People were rallying outside. The trial became a really, hot topic in the whole nation like it was ages ago.
With legs shaking, I closed my eyes and sighed.
"Ready ka na?" Newt asked, and he smiled. "We've been here before but this time, we're no longer powerless."
"Ewan ko," I said. "Kinakabahan pa rin ako."
"Oh, hello.”
Suddenly, may lumapit sa aming babae. She was wearing a prosecutor's robe and my eyes grew bigger when I found out who was she.
"Kumusta ang partner in crime ng kriminal?"
THAT IRRITATING VOICE, SHE STILL HAS IT!
She smirked.
"Pinanindigan mo talaga, ano?"
SHE'S THE WOMAN I PUNCHED BEFORE IN CLASS WHEN SHE INSULTED TRAISE’S CASE!
"Avery, Anong...ginagawa mo rito?" I asked.
She smiled. "Are you blind or something? Do you think I’m wearing this robe for nothing? Ano ako, choir?"
She smiled widely, seeing me being uncomfortable.
"Courtney, use your brain. I’m the other party. I'm the prosecutor."
She let out an intimidating smirk.
"If I were your friend, I'll tremble in fear. You know why? Because I'll make sure he'll be convicted, forever, or by death."
“Since when did you get this brave, Prosecutor Avery Heimsworth?" I asked sarcastically.
"'Dunno," she said. "I've always been brave. I never lose," she said and smirked. "Not even once."
I scoffed. "Really? Eh, the last time I knew, you kissed the floor when I punched you.”
She laughed. “Easy, Courtney. Resorting to violence doesn’t make you cool. Show some class!”
"Wow," I said, with lower voice. "Class? Why don't you just convict your dad? Wasn't he corrupt? Oh, wait! I bet he still is?"
Her smile faded and she smirked. Sge seemed insulted.
"Don't be too confident, Defense Courtney Spencer. You can't even surpass my scores in exam, so tell me, how will you beat me in this case? Pure luck and prayers, I supposed?"
"By the truth," I said, meeting her eyes. “And nothing but the truth."
"So inspiring," she said sarcastically. "Iiyak na ba 'ko?"
And in a flash, a man in his 60's approached us. I immediately recognized him.
"Dad…" Avery uttered. Her face softened.
"Why are you wasting your time here? Go review the case!"
She looked at me and her father. She then sighed.
"O-Opo…" hesitant, she walked away.
The man looked at me.
"So you're the defender now?”
"I am, sir," I said.
"Do you know me?"
"Y-Yes…"
"The case is too complicated, isn't it?" he asked.
"Indeed it is, sir," I said, trying to show dominance.
"Why not drop it?"
It rendered me speechless. I was caught off guard.
He smiled. “You still have time, miss."
He's intimidating me! He's trying to use his power over me!
"It might cause you trouble and worse...alam mo na ‘yun. Aren't you scared?”
I looked at his eyes, staring at it and I smiled back.
"Fear is associated with dishonesty, sir," I said. "But with the truth on our side, I don't fear it. People who keep on twisting it should.”
He looked offended.
With a smile on my face, I walked away.