"It's okay. Bad people have done bad things to me my whole life. I might as well do a bad thing for the right reasons. I owe this Adonis one anyway. Paul had been hurting me for days. He gave drugs to my mom, who let him in, and then she passed out that was the first time. I want to make sure people know the monster he was. I have a bus pass from school. I'll go there now.
. . .
Adonis started crying when I told him the news. He couldn't believe that she was going to do it. "Do you think this is the right thing to do?" He asked me as he drove us back to Katherine's house.
"I do as long as Zabrina is okay. She's safe now, and she gets to tell the cops what Paul did to her. It'll be okay. It has to be."
When we got to Katherine's, Ryan was already there waiting with the body. He and Ryan drove to where the accident took place to put the body back.
"I can't believe you did it. Did you promise her a kidney?" Isabella wanted to know. We sat down on the couch, and Katherine turned to the news.
"No, something far better. Justice." I said, writing the article, and I already knew the title. Justice.
Twelve-year-old Justice, for the sake of keeping the minor anonymous, was being raped in August one late afternoon by a Paul Pierce. The man has no immediate family and just recently came back to his hometown. . .
An hour later and there was nothing on the news yet about Zabrina and Paul Pierce. Adonis and Ryan were back waiting with us in Katherine's living room.
Justice shoved Paul Pierce, and he fell back his skull falling onto a sharp rock killing him instantly. Poor Justice scared and alone ran, leaving the body at the scene. Now months later, after the incident, Justice has come forward. She confessed to the cops of the incident, and the body was found.
I wrapped the article up and let Katherine read over it. Everyone agreed that it would be wise to wait until we saw the news to post the story. We waited all day and all night. We heard nothing, and everyone went to sleep. Everyone was so sad so upset that no one could eat any dinner. A part of me was scared that Zabrina would tell the cops on us and that they would show up at Katherine's house thanks to the address I gave Zabrina.
The next morning the television was still on channel three. I actually don't recall anyone turning it off last night. Once again, everyone was up before me.
"Anything?" I asked, accepting a cup of coffee from Katherine. Ryan shook his head and sighed, looking down at his phone. I bet he was looking at a picture of his family. I wondered briefly if his wife was going to be mad at him for not coming home but remembered that he hadn't come home a week ago when we went on that stakeout. She must know that it was in his job description that he wouldn't be coming home every night.
"I think I should-" Adonis began, but an excited Isabella drowned him out.
Isabella jumped up and down on the couch, pointing at the screen. "It's her. It's her. Shhhh!" She said even though she was the only one talking. She grabbed the remote, turning up the volume.
Yesterday afternoon we were saddened to hear about a young girl who had been raped multiple times by a man named Paul Pierce. Paul Pierce had been molesting the victim a twelve-year-old girl for days before his death months ago. He took the victim out to secluded, rocky area this time and raped her there. She was able to push him away, and he fell, hitting his head on a sharp, rough stone dying instantly. Police were sent to the location that the victim gave us and found Paul Pierce there. The case is an open and closed one, and the victim will not be sent to juvie. The judge has made a quick decision that she was only protecting herself. The victim will be released into the custody of her mother this afternoon.
A picture of Paul Pierce before the accident was shown. He was dark skin with black hair that was in an afro. He was wearing a red shirt and had tattoos on his neck and a single one that I couldn't see clearly on his arm.
What made my skin crawl was the fact that Detective V was giving the announcement. I was seeing her too much for someone Katherine said not to worry about. She wanted to know who the online leaker was, and I didn't think she was about to give up anytime soon.
"Post it. Post the article." I said. I wanted Zabrina to know that I kept my word. Katherine logged into her laptop, pressing a few keys.
"Done." She said. "You did it, Victoria." Katherine smiled a toothy grin. Her marshmallow white teeth glistening.
"We did it. We did it. We're saved. We're not going to jail. We're not going to jail." Isabella sang dancing around the living room. Everyone stopped and stared at the normally stoic woman. Isabella paused her booty-shaking when she noticed we were staring. "I mean. I wasn't worried. My calculations told me that Victoria was the right person for the job to convince Zabrina."
"Oh, really?" I teased, making everyone laugh. It was like being underwater for a minute and finally sucking in a breath of fresh, crisp air. We did it. Zabrina did it.
Ryan went home shortly afterward to spend the day with his family. Adonis went to go see Mia and spend the day with her. Isabella went home to see her big family. It was still early, and I had someplace to be myself.
"How about we spend the day together? We can go to the mall. Do some shopping, grab a bite. You in?" Katherine asked once we were the only two left in her house.