He Saved Me, Loved Me, Wanted Me

“Oh thank God!” I quickly said as I started pushing people out of my way.

“Babe, where’re you going?” Brian asked me.

“I gotta piss!” I nearly yelled. A hand grabbed mine and I jumped. “Brian, don’t do that!” I said.

He laughed. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”

I rolled my eyes. “Help me through this crowd before I piss myself!” I was now tugging him, anything to get out of this mob of people all exiting the courtroom at the same time. “Finally,” I mumbled.

“I’ll wait for you,” Brian said.

“Okay.” I nearly ran into the bathroom and went in the first opened stall I came to. I did what I had to and went to wash my hands.

“Why do you have to lie?” I stopped from lathering my hands; making them all soapy before I looked beside me. Never thought I’d see her again. “Better yet,” she said when I didn’t say anything. “Why are you doing this to your father, of all people?”

“Excuse me?” I asked, rinsing off my hands and pulled on paper towels. The girl was Macy, my evil cousin from hell. She was Ricky’s girlfriend. Poor, sick bastards. I sear, the girl was fake from her hair to her toes. Bleach blond, over processed hair accompanied her Oompa-Loompa tan.

“Why are you doing this to your father? Why are you lying like everything else in your life? You’re such a whore, you know, getting pregnant at twenty one.”

I rolled my eyes. I wasn’t having any of this. “You don’t know anything,” I spat at her before turning to walk out.

“I know enough to do the truth! Uncle Al wouldn’t murder anyone. You heard what Dave said.” I continued out the door and she continued with her rant as she followed me. Brian caught up but couldn’t get a word in. “She wouldn’t do something like that. For all we know, you could’ve shot Ricky because he wouldn’t put out for you. Just like when we were younger. Why do you always have to be so damn jealous?” I stopped and turned around.

“Shut the fuck up Macy,” I said.

“Babe?” Brian asked.

“And why are you even calling her babe?” Macy asked Brian, “You don’t deserve some slut like her!”

“Shut the fuck up Macy!” Brian copied me, “She isn’t a slut and you don’t even know her so just shut the hell up, go listen to Hannah Montana or some shit and try to fuck a Jonas brother.” He paused. “Oh wait, they’re too good for you and that’s really saying something. C’mon, Ana. Let’s go.”

Once we were away from the destruction that is Macy, we were able to sit down and debrief in the courtroom.

“Hungry?” Brian asked. I nodded.

“There isn’t much longer, at the most, it’ll be ten minutes. That is if the jury has a verdict,” Mr. Ames said.

“Thank you, Brian,” I said, leaning my head on his shoulder.

“For what?” he asked, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and gently rubbing the cotton of my sleeve.

“Sticking up for me. I don’t know what’s up with my family. They’re all against me.”

Brian kissed my forehead. “It’s okay. You’ve got a new family now. It’s better.” I smiled.

“That it is.”

“So what’s going on?”

Mr. Ames broke down the whole day for him, explaining what happened. He left off with saying he thinks the favor is in for giving Al the maximum.

“What’s the maximum?” I asked.

“In France, it’s thirty years for what he’s done. But with his drug selling and use, it may be more.”

“That’s bullshit!” Brian whispered harshly. “He kills someone and he gets thirty years in prison?”

Mr. Ames shrugged. “I can’t change it.”

“All rise…”

Soon enough the jury walked in and sat down.

“Have you come to a verdict?” the judge asked.

“No, your honor. We request fifteen more minutes.”

The judge granted it, leaving the judge in his seat.

“What’s there to be undecided about?” I asked Mr. Ames.

“This jury needs all members to be on the same answer. Either a yes or no.”

“That could take a while,” Brian said. Mr. Ames nodded.

“Brian, I just thought of something,” I said.

“What, baby?” I looked up at him with fear in my eyes.

“What if they say he’s innocent and he decides to come kill me?” I whispered.

“I wouldn’t let it happen.” He kissed my lips gently.

Soon, the jury came back out. The head juror stood. “We have reached a verdict,” he said. My heart jumped and my stomach fluttered. Wait a minute… which kind of fluttering is that?

“Proceed,” the judge said.

“We, the jury, find the defendant, Al Whitaker, guilty on all charges.”

I smiled widely and sat up straight. I looked over to the other side of the room where Al sat with his face in his hands, and Mom tried to comfort him, but she couldn’t do much. Macy glared at me.

“Al Whitaker, I sentence you to fifty years in prison. Thirty for the murder of Ricky Miller, ten for selling drugs, and ten for using them. While in prison, you are court ordered to attend rehabilitation. You will have no possibility for parole. Court dismissed.” The grovel hit the table and Al was immediately taken away.

“YOU LITTLE BITCH!!” Al screamed. I looked to his gaze; it was directly at me. “I SHOULD’VE KILLED YOU TOO!!” My blood ran cold. Brian’s grip on me tightened as he heard these words.

“All rise…”

Al was so lucky he said that in English.

Mom stared at him disbelieving, as did Macy and several people that were on his side. Many of those people were my family that were ignoring my existence. Maybe they’ll start believing me now.

“Let’s go,” Brian said soothingly.