Status: I write this kind of slowly but I write more when I get input
What You Don't Know Will Hurt Me
THREE- Truth Be Told
I awoke the next morning laying next to Mavrik. He slept soundly as I lifted myself off the couch and into the kitchen to make breakfast. I put a couple of eggs in a frying pan and put a lid over it. I put pancake batter and milk and oil, vanilla extract and a little dash of cinnamon sugar. I greased and heated a griddle on the electric stove. Once it heated up,I poured spoonfuls of batter onto the griddle to cook. I checked on the eggs and flipped them over carefully and put the lid back on and slid a few pieces of bread in the toaster. Mrs.Weller came downstairs and gasped loudly as she saw me in the kitchen. "You scared me! I though you were still asleep!" I smiled. "Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you." She waved her hand. "No need to apologize, I'm just unobservant." She laughed and I smiled. "I'm cooking pancakes and eggs and toast. I hope you don't mind. I'm just a little jittery and doing things helps." She smiled. "I don't mind at all! It'll be nice not to have to cook for once."
I went back to the pancakes to make sure they weren't burning. "What time is it, dear?" I checked the lit-up numbers on the stove in front of me. "Five forty-seven." I replied. I had a little less than two hours before I went to the courthouse. "Yesterday Mike and I were gone looking at houses with the Realtor and preparing stuff for the move but we found a gorgeous house! It has four bedrooms, two full and a half bath, it's two stories and it's only about a quarter mile from the beach! It's surrounded by trees and there's a forest back behind our house. It's a white Victorian style home with a turret and a great school nearby. I think you will love it! I certainly do." She ended with a smile. I smiled back at her and nodded."It sounds awesome!" I finished making the pancakes as Mrs. Weller, well, Walton, smiled proudly at her assessment of the house and read the paper. I put the pancakes on a platter on the table and did the same with the eggs and toast. I set the table and got coffee for Mrs.Weller and a glass of milk for myself.
We began putting food on our plates when Mr.Weller came down."This looks wonderful Lucy." He said to his wife. "Actually Kai made it! But it does indeed look wonderful!"Mrs. Weller said. Her husband smiled "Thank you for breakfast!" He kissed my forehead in a fatherly way and got himself a cup of coffee."It's only a few minutes after six! Why is everyone up so early?" He asked. I smiled sheepishly. "Nerves.." I said. "I couldn't sleep." Lucy replied, her eyes still skimming the newspaper. "Oh well, at least we'll have plenty of time to eat and get ready." I smiled and nodded. I only ate a small portion of food- a small pancake I made for myself with a serving spoonful of eggs dashed with salt and pepper. "That was so good!" Mike smiled. He ate at least twice as much as I did and we finished at almost the same time. "Thank you." I smiled. I got my own plate and Mr. Weller's and put them in the sink, leaving Lucy to pick at her food in between parts of the article she was reading.
Mavrik was stirring on the couch, his white shirt pushed up, revealing his tight abs and lightly tanned skin. His dark hair was disheveled and his legs were caught in the tight snare of the blanket I had put over him when I got up and saw him shiver slightly. I smiled at his sleeping form and skipped up the stairs to get ready. I left my clothes I ironed the night before on my bed and went into the bathroom to shower. I shampoo and conditioned my hair, letting the cool water run over my skin, waking me up yet helping me to relax. When I was done showering, I dried myself off with a towel and wrapped it around my body and went back into "my" room. I put on my bra and underwear, pulling on black slacks and a nice white blouse. I took out my lip rings and earrings and left myself just plain. I pulled my hair back into a braid and let it hang down my back, pulling on plain, small black heels and a small dash of perfume. I brushed my teeth and looked at myself in the mirror. I took a few deep breaths and went downstairs. Mavrik was finishing his food, Mr. Weller was already dressed in a simple yet nice suit and I guessed Mrs. Weller was getting ready. "You look nice." Mavrik said with a smile. I thanked him and sat down next to him at the table.
It was almost seven and Mavrik had to leave the table quickly to get ready. Mr. Weller looked at me with an interested expression. "You aren't scared, are you?" I hesitated and then shook my head. "I'm not scared, really. I just want him gone. If he gets away, I'll be scared but I know that everything will work out." He smiled at me. "You're a strong girl, Kai. Most people wouldn't be able to be so levelheaded about this. Don't be nervous." He said as I fidgeted with the hem of my slacks nervously. "You know the truth and there's a heap of evidence against him already. He made a lot of stupid mistakes to stay out of jail so long. You'll do wonderfully." He smiled and gave me a hug. Mrs. Weller came down the stairs in a simple business suit.
"You look lovely dear!" She said kissing my cheek. I thanked her and returned the compliment. Her long straight black hair was pulled neatly into a bun with little makeup around her soft brown eyes. She had taken off her jewelry too, except for her wedding ring. Mavrik soon joined us and he was dressed similarly to Mike. His dark hair was styled as usual but he had taken out his eyebrow ring and industrial ear piercing. He had no eyeliner on but his thick eyelashes made it look like he had a thin line on anyway. He hugged me close, telling me I looked great. His cologne intoxicated me for a moment and I relaxed completely against him. He smiled and gently rubbed my back. A few minutes after, at seven thirty sharp, a mail truck pulled up and a kind looking man came to the door. I'm here to take you to the courthouse.
We went in to find there were seats in the back- two bucket seat with a bench in the back. Mavrik and I sat in the back while Mike and Lucy sat in front of us. I tensed as we drove toward the courthouse, my back rigid and straight while Mavrik took my hand, reassuring me. I leaned against his chest, letting his cologne fill my senses, allowing me to relax a little. "It'll be okay, I'll be right there with you, don't be nervous, it'll be alright." He muttered in my ear. When we arrived at the courthouse I was escorted in by a policeman and the driver. Mavrik wrapped his hand around mine and I was grateful for the contact. Mike and Lucy also had their hands clasped and followed behind us. When we reached the bench they sat down close together not saying anything and the bailiff took me to my seat by my lawyer, a kind lady with blond hair and light blue eyes.
People came in and I saw him, my dad, in a expensive looking suit, a smug looking lawyer next to him and a man similarly dressed in the bench just behind him. The jury was seated at the side of the room running their eyes over me. "All rise for the Honorable Judge Casters." We all rose as the judge strode in and took his seat. He had a fleshy face and large brown eyes, and fine dark hair. His face wasn't unpleasant but he seemed to see deeper than what was there. We were seated again by the judge and he asked if that was their first case. The bailiff replied "Your Honor, our first case is Rogan vs. the United States of America." When it was confirmed that the prosecution and defense were both ready, the judge allowed them opening remarks. Then, I was called to this witness stand. I strode confidently in front of the judge, raised my right hand and swore my oath and took the stand. Mrs. Alsman gave me a small smile and began my questioning.
"Mrs. Rogan. What is your relationship to this man?" I looked at him sitting there with cruel, navy eyes that matched my own. "He is my father." "And what happened on the morning of July 9th, 2010?" She asked. "I woke up to fighting." "Who was fighting, Mrs. Rogan?" "My mother and father." "And then what happened?" "I got in the shower and got dressed. They were still fighting so I hid behind the banister so I could see them. They fought for a little bit longer and I heard a gunshot and my mother fell to the floor. I looked over the banister to get a better look and my dad was leaning over her and shot her again." "You said he shot her again, after she was already lying on the floor?" "Yes." Mrs. Alsman nodded. "Then what did you do?" "I ran upstairs and I jumped out of my window and ran next door. The door was open so I ran inside and bolted the door shut and told my neighbor who was in the house to call the police because my mother had been shot. I hid upstairs in her house until the cops came and arrested my dad.""What was said between your mother and father that morning?" "My mother said 'I told you not to and you do it anyways'. Then my dad said 'I can do whatever the hell I want to!'. That's when I got into the shower. When I was by the banister my mother said 'What about your daughter?' and then he said 'She's nothing to me.' That's all I heard." I made sure to keep my voice slow and steady and clear, looking at the judge, the jury, and the Weller's."Did you see Mr. Rogan shoot your mother?" "Yes. Both times." "Why did you jump out your window?" "I ran up to my room because I was scared but then I heard him coming up the stairs after me so I went out the window." "No further questions your honor." Lucy smiled at me from beside her husband and nodded encouragingly.
Then came the cross examination. The smug lawyer gave me a cold look and began his questions. "Why didn't you go downstairs when you first heard the fighting to try to settle it?" "When my dad was home, they fought a lot. I never got in the middle of their arguments." "You say your parents fought a lot?" "Yes, whenever he was home." "But your mother made no move toward him before he fired the alleged weapon?" "No, she did not." "You said you jumped out of your window when you heard footsteps on the stairs?" "That's correct." "Yet somehow your father managed not to catch you?" I looked at him confusedly. "I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't understand what you're asking." He gave me a cold look. "While you ran up the stairs, into your room, took out your screen, climbed onto the roof and jumped off and ran next door, your father never caught up to you?" "That's correct however, my window stays open and I took out the screen long ago." "Still, doesn't it seem strange, if your father had a gun, he wouldn't have been able to shoot you? He could have gone out the front door and from the time you were out your window to the time you were at your neighbors house, he would have had a clear shot." "Objection, Your Honor, the question is argumentative." "Sustained!""No further questions Your Honor."
I was dismissed from the stand. My heart was pounding but as the evidence from his shirt came up (the gunpowder, the matching shells, and the found weapon also came into play), my lawyer smiled at me and I knew we had him. The jury deliberated for just a few hours and they pronounced him guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to life without parole. My lawyer hugged me and told me I did a great job and she was happy for me. "You bitch! I'll kill you like I killed her! You wait!" His threats trailed off as he was dragged off by police officers and bailiff and the Weller's all ran up and hugged me.
"We are so proud of you! You did it! Congratulations!" Others came up and shared their condolences and congratulations. However, I knew this high was short lived as this day was more than halfway over and we were leaving early morning. We were taken back behind the building and put back into the mail car and driven back to the house where things were already being packed. Our new identities were in a Manila envelope. "Laurette Walton. Complete with a new I.D, driver's license, passport, the works!" "Maxwell Walton" also pulled out his identification, putting his old things in a safe that was soon to be packed. "Matthew Walton" became my new best friend and I became Letty Walton. After everything I'd been through, maybe it was time for a whole new me after all.
I went back to the pancakes to make sure they weren't burning. "What time is it, dear?" I checked the lit-up numbers on the stove in front of me. "Five forty-seven." I replied. I had a little less than two hours before I went to the courthouse. "Yesterday Mike and I were gone looking at houses with the Realtor and preparing stuff for the move but we found a gorgeous house! It has four bedrooms, two full and a half bath, it's two stories and it's only about a quarter mile from the beach! It's surrounded by trees and there's a forest back behind our house. It's a white Victorian style home with a turret and a great school nearby. I think you will love it! I certainly do." She ended with a smile. I smiled back at her and nodded."It sounds awesome!" I finished making the pancakes as Mrs. Weller, well, Walton, smiled proudly at her assessment of the house and read the paper. I put the pancakes on a platter on the table and did the same with the eggs and toast. I set the table and got coffee for Mrs.Weller and a glass of milk for myself.
We began putting food on our plates when Mr.Weller came down."This looks wonderful Lucy." He said to his wife. "Actually Kai made it! But it does indeed look wonderful!"Mrs. Weller said. Her husband smiled "Thank you for breakfast!" He kissed my forehead in a fatherly way and got himself a cup of coffee."It's only a few minutes after six! Why is everyone up so early?" He asked. I smiled sheepishly. "Nerves.." I said. "I couldn't sleep." Lucy replied, her eyes still skimming the newspaper. "Oh well, at least we'll have plenty of time to eat and get ready." I smiled and nodded. I only ate a small portion of food- a small pancake I made for myself with a serving spoonful of eggs dashed with salt and pepper. "That was so good!" Mike smiled. He ate at least twice as much as I did and we finished at almost the same time. "Thank you." I smiled. I got my own plate and Mr. Weller's and put them in the sink, leaving Lucy to pick at her food in between parts of the article she was reading.
Mavrik was stirring on the couch, his white shirt pushed up, revealing his tight abs and lightly tanned skin. His dark hair was disheveled and his legs were caught in the tight snare of the blanket I had put over him when I got up and saw him shiver slightly. I smiled at his sleeping form and skipped up the stairs to get ready. I left my clothes I ironed the night before on my bed and went into the bathroom to shower. I shampoo and conditioned my hair, letting the cool water run over my skin, waking me up yet helping me to relax. When I was done showering, I dried myself off with a towel and wrapped it around my body and went back into "my" room. I put on my bra and underwear, pulling on black slacks and a nice white blouse. I took out my lip rings and earrings and left myself just plain. I pulled my hair back into a braid and let it hang down my back, pulling on plain, small black heels and a small dash of perfume. I brushed my teeth and looked at myself in the mirror. I took a few deep breaths and went downstairs. Mavrik was finishing his food, Mr. Weller was already dressed in a simple yet nice suit and I guessed Mrs. Weller was getting ready. "You look nice." Mavrik said with a smile. I thanked him and sat down next to him at the table.
It was almost seven and Mavrik had to leave the table quickly to get ready. Mr. Weller looked at me with an interested expression. "You aren't scared, are you?" I hesitated and then shook my head. "I'm not scared, really. I just want him gone. If he gets away, I'll be scared but I know that everything will work out." He smiled at me. "You're a strong girl, Kai. Most people wouldn't be able to be so levelheaded about this. Don't be nervous." He said as I fidgeted with the hem of my slacks nervously. "You know the truth and there's a heap of evidence against him already. He made a lot of stupid mistakes to stay out of jail so long. You'll do wonderfully." He smiled and gave me a hug. Mrs. Weller came down the stairs in a simple business suit.
"You look lovely dear!" She said kissing my cheek. I thanked her and returned the compliment. Her long straight black hair was pulled neatly into a bun with little makeup around her soft brown eyes. She had taken off her jewelry too, except for her wedding ring. Mavrik soon joined us and he was dressed similarly to Mike. His dark hair was styled as usual but he had taken out his eyebrow ring and industrial ear piercing. He had no eyeliner on but his thick eyelashes made it look like he had a thin line on anyway. He hugged me close, telling me I looked great. His cologne intoxicated me for a moment and I relaxed completely against him. He smiled and gently rubbed my back. A few minutes after, at seven thirty sharp, a mail truck pulled up and a kind looking man came to the door. I'm here to take you to the courthouse.
We went in to find there were seats in the back- two bucket seat with a bench in the back. Mavrik and I sat in the back while Mike and Lucy sat in front of us. I tensed as we drove toward the courthouse, my back rigid and straight while Mavrik took my hand, reassuring me. I leaned against his chest, letting his cologne fill my senses, allowing me to relax a little. "It'll be okay, I'll be right there with you, don't be nervous, it'll be alright." He muttered in my ear. When we arrived at the courthouse I was escorted in by a policeman and the driver. Mavrik wrapped his hand around mine and I was grateful for the contact. Mike and Lucy also had their hands clasped and followed behind us. When we reached the bench they sat down close together not saying anything and the bailiff took me to my seat by my lawyer, a kind lady with blond hair and light blue eyes.
People came in and I saw him, my dad, in a expensive looking suit, a smug looking lawyer next to him and a man similarly dressed in the bench just behind him. The jury was seated at the side of the room running their eyes over me. "All rise for the Honorable Judge Casters." We all rose as the judge strode in and took his seat. He had a fleshy face and large brown eyes, and fine dark hair. His face wasn't unpleasant but he seemed to see deeper than what was there. We were seated again by the judge and he asked if that was their first case. The bailiff replied "Your Honor, our first case is Rogan vs. the United States of America." When it was confirmed that the prosecution and defense were both ready, the judge allowed them opening remarks. Then, I was called to this witness stand. I strode confidently in front of the judge, raised my right hand and swore my oath and took the stand. Mrs. Alsman gave me a small smile and began my questioning.
"Mrs. Rogan. What is your relationship to this man?" I looked at him sitting there with cruel, navy eyes that matched my own. "He is my father." "And what happened on the morning of July 9th, 2010?" She asked. "I woke up to fighting." "Who was fighting, Mrs. Rogan?" "My mother and father." "And then what happened?" "I got in the shower and got dressed. They were still fighting so I hid behind the banister so I could see them. They fought for a little bit longer and I heard a gunshot and my mother fell to the floor. I looked over the banister to get a better look and my dad was leaning over her and shot her again." "You said he shot her again, after she was already lying on the floor?" "Yes." Mrs. Alsman nodded. "Then what did you do?" "I ran upstairs and I jumped out of my window and ran next door. The door was open so I ran inside and bolted the door shut and told my neighbor who was in the house to call the police because my mother had been shot. I hid upstairs in her house until the cops came and arrested my dad.""What was said between your mother and father that morning?" "My mother said 'I told you not to and you do it anyways'. Then my dad said 'I can do whatever the hell I want to!'. That's when I got into the shower. When I was by the banister my mother said 'What about your daughter?' and then he said 'She's nothing to me.' That's all I heard." I made sure to keep my voice slow and steady and clear, looking at the judge, the jury, and the Weller's."Did you see Mr. Rogan shoot your mother?" "Yes. Both times." "Why did you jump out your window?" "I ran up to my room because I was scared but then I heard him coming up the stairs after me so I went out the window." "No further questions your honor." Lucy smiled at me from beside her husband and nodded encouragingly.
Then came the cross examination. The smug lawyer gave me a cold look and began his questions. "Why didn't you go downstairs when you first heard the fighting to try to settle it?" "When my dad was home, they fought a lot. I never got in the middle of their arguments." "You say your parents fought a lot?" "Yes, whenever he was home." "But your mother made no move toward him before he fired the alleged weapon?" "No, she did not." "You said you jumped out of your window when you heard footsteps on the stairs?" "That's correct." "Yet somehow your father managed not to catch you?" I looked at him confusedly. "I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't understand what you're asking." He gave me a cold look. "While you ran up the stairs, into your room, took out your screen, climbed onto the roof and jumped off and ran next door, your father never caught up to you?" "That's correct however, my window stays open and I took out the screen long ago." "Still, doesn't it seem strange, if your father had a gun, he wouldn't have been able to shoot you? He could have gone out the front door and from the time you were out your window to the time you were at your neighbors house, he would have had a clear shot." "Objection, Your Honor, the question is argumentative." "Sustained!""No further questions Your Honor."
I was dismissed from the stand. My heart was pounding but as the evidence from his shirt came up (the gunpowder, the matching shells, and the found weapon also came into play), my lawyer smiled at me and I knew we had him. The jury deliberated for just a few hours and they pronounced him guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to life without parole. My lawyer hugged me and told me I did a great job and she was happy for me. "You bitch! I'll kill you like I killed her! You wait!" His threats trailed off as he was dragged off by police officers and bailiff and the Weller's all ran up and hugged me.
"We are so proud of you! You did it! Congratulations!" Others came up and shared their condolences and congratulations. However, I knew this high was short lived as this day was more than halfway over and we were leaving early morning. We were taken back behind the building and put back into the mail car and driven back to the house where things were already being packed. Our new identities were in a Manila envelope. "Laurette Walton. Complete with a new I.D, driver's license, passport, the works!" "Maxwell Walton" also pulled out his identification, putting his old things in a safe that was soon to be packed. "Matthew Walton" became my new best friend and I became Letty Walton. After everything I'd been through, maybe it was time for a whole new me after all.