One of the Boys...Right?

still *Jess*

I was allowed to sit down after Chase's lawyer stopped questioning me with things that didnt even apply to the trial.

"Jury calls Chase Andrews to the stand." the judge announced. I shot him an icy glare as he nonchalantly strutted past me.

"Mr. Andrews, what do you think of Ms. Walker?" his lawyer, Anna, asked.

"She's bright, she's sweet, cute, clever, sarcastic...the perfect girl in a perfect shell." Chase said simply.

"So what drove you to bring a gun into school and threaten her life?" Anna stopped in front of him.

"I wasnt thinking. I hadnt slept for three days, my friends were making fun of me because I couldnt tell her how I felt about her. I didnt think about all of the people who were trying to stop me. I just wanted her to see that I wasnt the asshole she thought I was." he let a tear escape. That bastard. [A/N: Excuse my language!]

He didnt like me. I know he didnt. Girls were nothing but a trophy to him. Get a girl's virginity and get another notch in your belt. Beer, cars, and girls. Life in the fast lane. Everything gets handed to you in life. And just like with teachers and his parents, he was playing the jury like a violin, feeding them what they wanted to hear. Smooth and lyrical. Hell, he should grow up to be a lawyer. Greedy and devious...he probably slept with the lawyer, too.

Oops, am I being too harsh?

"As the jury can see from the drug tests, Mr. Andrews was under the influence the night before the incident. He wasnt thinking clearly, which is why we would like to go ahead and declare mental unstability, unless Ms. Walker and her lawyer have another point to make." she turned and smirked at our table.

"I'm calling a 10 minute recess." the judge said.

Even though I knew I wasnt following the court rules, I raised my hand. I needed to stop this circus before the clown was allowed to walk away scot-free.

"May I ask Chase a question before anyone makes a decision?" I asked.

"Your honor, she's a child." his lawyer sighed.

"Seeing as we're on recess, I'm going to allow it." the judge shook her head at Anna.

"Chase, you say you were under the influence the night before you recklessly murdered those people?" I said.

"Yes-uh...what?" he caught himself.

"Were you drinking even though you're under the legal drinking age? And were you drinking the night before you murdered innocent people?" I asked again.

"Yes, I was drinking." he scowled at me.

"So even though you plead insanity, you broke the law." I countered.

"What are you trying to say, Jessica?" he asked.

"That even though you're trying to get away from this, you'll never escape it. That no matter what happens, you're still going to be charged one day." I folded my arms across my chest.

"Your honor, this line of questioning is completely irrelevant. She's underage, therefore she has lo legal power in this trial." Anna interjected.

"Mrs. Jacobs, sit down." the judge shushed her.

"You cant run from this one Chase. You cant smoothly play your way out of this one. Running doesnt help at all, trust me. I'm tired of running from you and pretending this is going to go away. You wont make me hide anymore, and no matter what happens in this trial, I'll see to it that you never come near me or my friends again, even if I have to wait until I'm 18 to charge you with attempted murder." I hissed.

"Objection! Harassment!" Anna screeched.

"Mrs. Jacobs! Sit. Down." the judge frowned.

"Shut up, Jessica. Just shut up. You dont know anything. You're just a pathetic little girl putting on a facade. Your past haunts you and you cant do shit about it. You're nothing and you know it. If I wasnt such a nice guy I wouldve pulled that trigger right there. Those people that tried to stop me deserved to die. No amount of alcohol could cover how much I wanted you dead. To wipe the smirk off your face would put a big ol' smile on mine. To know that I wouldnt have to see you again, have to listen to my friends laugh at me for not getting you, would help me sleep at night. And then every day I would go dance on your grave, you pathetic, emo bitch!" he slapped me as hard as he could.

The baliff rushed him, people stood up and started yelling, the jury gasped, Kelsey was screaming at Chase while she tried to hold Bam back, and the judge continued to bang the gavel, screaming "ORDER!" over and over again.

When the court was finally in order, the judge spoke.

"Again, how does the defense plead?" she scowled at Chase.

"Guilty, and we would like to declare temporary insanity. Mr. Andrews cannot be held accountable for his actions." Anna said.

"Your honor, Mr. Andrews just assaulted Ms. Walker. He also confessed to wanting her dead and conciously killing the people who tried to stop him." our lawyer stood up.

"How does the jury plead?" the judge looked toward the row of people.

"We of the jury find Mr. Andrews guilty of murder in the first degree, plot to kill, and attempted murder." a woman stood up.

"Mr. Andrews, I'm sentencing you to 75 years in the Pennsylvania State Prision with no parol. Court dismissed." the judge banged her gavel. Chase's face drained of all its color. My friends and family stood up and cheered and hugged each other. Chase's family cried as they watched their son, brother, and nephew be taken out by police.

And me? I could feel the white hot sting on my cheek, and tears blocked my vision, but I smiled. Chase couldnt knock me down this time. I had taken him out at the knees, so to speak. Somehow, I didnt feel pathetic anymore. I felt strong, like I could take on the world. And I felt like I could breathe again.

Then I felt a pair of arms wrap around me. I looked up and saw Bam.

"You did it, Jess!" he was grinning, and his smile was infectious.

"Yes!" Kelsey threw her arms around the both of us.

"Go JJ! Go JJ! Go, go, go JJ!" the guys chanted from the back of the courtroom. I laughed until my stomach hurt, until tears ran down my face. This is the happiness I had waited so long to feel, and now that I had it...

I never wanted to let it go.