Court Day
I looked at myself in the mirror. "You can do it", I said a silent prayer before going downstairs. I saw my parents talking in the kitchen. "I'm ready" they turned to me. My dad walked over to me. "You look beautiful" he hugged me for the second time in ten years, the first time being when they found out about the drugs.
The last time he hugged me, I was six. My mom came over and hugged me too, kissing my forehead. "Sweetheart if it's okay with you. Your dad and I were thinking it's okay for him to start back living with us", she said. "Yes, I don't mind under one condition please don't act like we're invisible" he looked sad.
"I promise Ella" he hugged my mom and kissed her cheek. We stayed like that for a while before leaving for the court. When we got there, I saw Cyrus sitting down, waiting already. I walked over to him. "Thanks for coming to Cy" he got up and hugged me. "Of course anything for you E."
"There's someone I want you to meet" we walked over to my dad. "Dad this is Cyrus he's my boyfriend. Cyrus this is my father" they shook hands. "Nice to meet you Mr Walker" "You too Cryus."
Alex came over. "Hey Ella."
My mom hugged him quickly. "Oh, my look at you, how are you?" She asked concerningly. "I'm doing better, Mrs Walker thanks", he looked uncomfortable. I knew he didn't like people feeling sorry for him.
"Hey Alex I don't think you've met Cyrus yet he's my boyfriend. Cryus, Alex, he's my best friend" Cyrus nodded, "Hey."
"Hey", Alex replied.
"I just wanted to let you know I'll be sitting with Clay, Zach and Tony good luck."
"Thank you" Lord knows I'll need it.
••••
"This is Andrew and Olivia Baker vs The Evergreen County School District. Please state your full name for the record."
"Ella Grace Walker"
"Ella describe your experience at Liberty High to us please", Baker's lawyer, Dennis, asked me.
"Um normal I guess," I noticed Sheri came in.
"How was your relationship with Hannah before she passed?" I looked at her mother, remembering the first time we met.
"Good after a month she made me her best friend I remember telling her I had two already, but she said you could have more than two", I reminisced, tapping my nails gently against the wood.
"Was Hannah a good friend? A good person?" He asked.
"Yeah she listened, she gave advice though flawed at times, she's human it's okay. She was nice to everyone once you didn't upset her" he shook his head.
"So when Hannah started getting slut-shamed what did the school do about it?"
"Nothing really. They deemed it petty issues among children and said no one got hurt."
"Hannah was a good person; this should've been a big issue. Someone did get hurt Hannah, she got hurt time and time again, and the school did nothing to help."
"Objection your honour he's attempting to imply false narratives", the school's lawyer, Sonya, interjected.
"Your honour I'm simply stating the facts Hannah reported it, but yet nothing was done," Dennis argued.
"I'll allow it," the judge said.
"What did Hannah do when the pictures of her and Courtney went around?"
"She told me about it. I told her to tell the principal, but I'm not sure if she did."
"What about the video of you two that was posted on Instagram what happened after that?"
He was referring to a video I filmed of Hannah and me dancing.
"People called her names again, but that seemed usual at that point."
"What about you? What did people tell you?"
"They said it was funny. I looked good. My body looked good."
"No further questions at this point your honour" he went to his seat.
Sonya got up "Ella Walker. Is Bryce Walker, your cousin?"
"Yes"
"He's in charge of the school, right?"
"I guess...I don't know. Wass that a correct response?
"You dated Jeff Atkins star baseball player?"
"Yes," I looked down at my hands.
"Relevance?" Dennis asked.
"Trying to understand the students and situations. Defence exhibit F" she walked back to her desk then placed a paper in front of me.
"Were you and Hannah friends up until she took her life?"
"No"
"When did the friendship end and why?"
"October 2017. I lost my boyfriend in September, and I started overdosing on anti-depressants and pain killers I became wild... we just grew apart."
"I see. Can you read what's on the paper please?"
(It's the last conversation between Ella and Hannah. I'll put Hannah's text in bold, so you guys don't get confused)
I looked at the paper and sighed.
"Ella, what's wrong with you? Why are you acting this way?" I paused. I don't remember this conversation then again...I don't remember much from then.
"How am I acting? I'm freaking great. Your not! Just because Jeff died, it doesn't mean you can be a bitch and forget everyone else exists." I gasped. How could she say that?
"You know what fuck you, Hannah. Fuck you! The world doesn't revolve around you stop making everything about you. He was my boyfriend! Mine!" I started tearing up. She brought another paper.
"Read that one too."
"I never said the world revolved around me, but I need you right now, but you rather cry and get high over some guy they come and go Ella. Friends stay forever" how could she say that about Jeff he was my friend way before her too.
"Fine, I don't need you. I have Sheri" I felt my voice break. I looked up, and we made eye contact; she had tears in her eyes. "And Alex and Bryce and Justin I don't need you to live" I wiped my face. "Yeah, Sheri. Fuck you, Ella. You think your perfect and better than me because your parents are rich and you live in a big house. Your fake! Your friends, are fake too oh and guess what your dad-" I stopped talking and threw up.
Everyone gasped and started talking and freaking out. "Order! Order in the court! A twenty minutes recess will be held!" I heard the judge pounding his gavel. I threw up some more "Thirty minutes. We will be moving to another room, if Ms Walker is not better she will not be allowed to testify for the rest of the day" someone helped me out of the booth.
My mom held on to me, "Where's the bathroom?" She asked. I felt my dad left me up, and they quickly got me to the bathroom.
I threw up some more in the toilet then my mom gave me mouthwash. I heard the door open.
"Hi I know I'm the last-" my mom cut her off. "Sheri please I don't think-"
"Mom it's okay I want to hear what she has to say," I spoke up, leaning against the sink top. "I know I'm the last person you want to talk to right now, but I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. I killed Jeff, and I watched you spiral out of control and didn't stop you" I observed her face in case she was lying.
"I went to juvie, and I did my time. I'm helping the elderly couple who was in the accident. I'm trying to make up for my past mistakes" she came closer to me. "So what you want to be best friends again?" I snapped at her. "No I just want you to forgive me, Ella" I looked down at the floor.
"I forgive you", she hugged me. I slowly patted her back. "Do you want to go back, sweetie? The judge said if your still unwell you don't have to go again till tomorrow" my mom rubbed my back comfortingly. "Yeah, I just need some water" we walked outside; she took my dad and walked off.
"You alright E?" Cyrus wrapped his arms around me. "I don't remember those texts Cyrus and the things she said...I-
she threw my dad's affair in my face" I started breathing heavily again.
"Where is she? Move! Ella!" that could only be one person. Bryce. He pushed Zach aside and walked up to me, pulling me away from Cyrus. "What's wrong why did you start throwing up?" He asked worriedly. "I'm fine just the nerves" I hugged him.
"Oh, Bryce your here," my mom said, giving me water and some mints. "Oh hey yeah I heard about what happened, so I came to make sure she was alright", he replied, shaking my dad's hand. "That's good she needs support during this difficult time" my mom rubbed my shoulders. "Wait you're still doing it? Why?" He asked.
"What do you mean why Bryce? It's for Hannah. She deserves justice!" Clay yelled. "And what Jensen she's dead!" Bryce yelled. Hannah's dead. "That means we stop caring? Yeah of course cause the more that comes out, the more it makes you look guilty! You fucking rapist!" He yelled. I watched Tony and Zach hold him back.
"Clay man you need to stop saying shit like that your going to get yourself into serious trouble", Bryce warned him. "That's it, Ella! You are just going to give up on Hannah. Again!" I looked at Sherri. Jeff got justice. I suppose it didn't bring him back, but someone still paid for it.
"Clay listen I don't know you, but you got to calm down I don't care what you to say, Bryce. Ella, she's my girl so watch your mouth," Cyrus said to him angrily. "Sweetheart, we should go come on" my mom ushered me out of the intense area. "I'm right behind you guys", I heard my dad's voice.
••••
"Order! Order! We're back in session now." The judge pounded his gavel. "Are you alright to proceed Ms Walker?" He asked, "Yes your honour" he nodded. "You may approach the bench", I rose my mom squeezed my hands. "You got this sweetie" I walked and sat down.
Sonya came back. "Before we went to recess, I had Ella read the final conversation between her and Hannah Baker. Would you say she was jealous of you, Ella?" I looked around.
"I mean yes but we're all a little jealous-"
"So she liked attention? She liked making everything about her?"
"We all like attention, don't we? We all want to be seen."
"Did Hannah like attention?" She pressed the question.
"Yes"
"Did she purposely try to get attention from boys?" She asked.
"No people spread rumours, and she started getting unwanted attention from everyone."
"Did she purposely print out Justin Foley's class schedule so that she would run into him?"
"Yes"
"Then, when he paid attention to her, she got upset?"
"She was not upset about that. She was upset about the leaked picture for the record he didn't share it that was Bryce," I explained angrily.
"Right but she basically stalked the boy, got involved in his life then was upset with the repercussions."
"She didn't expect-"
"What was she expecting going out with a random boy in the night alone?"
"I-"
"To play games. To do homework. The school had nothing to do with Hannah chasing a boy, and when he reacted, she got scared."
"She's badgering the witness" Dennis jumped up.
"Just establishing character and motive your honour" she held her arms up defensively. "Let me see if I understand this, Hannah liked being the centre of attention, but when she got it she cried?"
"Objection your honour!" Dennis said, obviously perturbed.
"Sustained! Stuhl cool it," he warned her.
"Fine. Fine. Tell us about the Hot or Not list."
I looked at Alex. "It was a dumb list created by my friend Alex Standall he said Hannah had the best ass and Jessica the worst and it caused problems."
"Did Hannah tell the school?"
"No"
"Again she doesn't tell the school but expects them to do something about it unbelievable. What did Hannah do?"
"She asked me if I knew about it I said no I didn't so she wanted to confront Alex."
"Was she hostile?"
"I guess she was upset"
"Was she hostile? What did she do?"
"We went into the boy's locker room, and she seemed angry."
"She took matters into her own hand."
"Yes"
"One more thing. Did you and Hannah ever fight?"
I looked confused. "Yes."
"Was it physical or verbal?"
"Both"
"Can you describe what happened to us?"
I looked at everyone, slightly scared and took a breath. No one knew about this really well except the people that were there.
I was making out with Monty in Bryce's backyard. He was throwing a party. "Your so hot", Monty moaned, kissing on my neck squeezing my butt. "You too" this is before I went really overboard with the pills. I still had coherent thoughts.
"Maybe we should go upstairs", he suggested. "Yes please", I giggled, picking up my cup. We started walking into Bryce's house. "Ella!" I heard someone yell. I turned to see Hannah. "Ugh what does she want" I rolled my eyes, drinking from my cup.
She walked up to me. "What are you doing here?" I looked around. "Obviously partying" she grabbed the cup from me, sniffing it. "What is this? You ditch me to get wasted and high?" She threw the cup on the ground. "Hey what the hell Hannah!" I let out angrily.
"You're my friend Ella you're supposed to be there for me all the time", she confessed. "I can't deal with this right now bye", I turned to walk away. "No I'm talking to you. Just because Jeff died you don't have to give up on me and be a bitch" she pulled me back.
"Hannah let go of her" Monty tried tugging her hand off me. "Don't you dare talk about Jeff! Let go of me!" I dug my nails into her arm. "Ow!" she released my arm. "Leave me alone, Hannah! As a matter of fact, we're not friends anymore!" I yelled at her. "No, you can't", she yanked me again.
I nudged her really hard. "Leave me the fuck alone!"I screamed then I ran into the house.
I touched my face; it was damp. I was crying again.
"After this, you asked the school to make sure you had no classes together?" She asked.
"Yes," I wiped my face.
"So the school did listen to you and did act in your best interest?"
"Yes," I sniffed.
"No further questions your honour" she went and sat down.
"Mr Vasquez, do you have any more questions?" The judge asked.
"Do you remember Hannah's last text to you?" He asked me.
"Um no, I thought it was what I saw in the picture" he brought a picture for me.
"Ella, I don't know what to do anymore. Where are you? Oh yeah, you said not to text you."
"Why didn't you reply?"
"I didn't have my phone, I was getting better, and my mom thought it would be best if I didn't talk to anyone" I played with my nails.
"Thank you, Ella. No further questions your honour" he took the picture and walked off.
Finally, it was over.