Chapter 31: Facing The Music

 By the time the sun shed it's light on our hemisphere I was already up. After Langston's performance I couldn't sleep a wink.

 

I busied myself in the kitchen by sweeping, mopping, wiping, and reorganizing. Anything to keep my mind off the impending doom headed my way.

 

Before I knew it someone was behind me grasping at my hips and swinging me in a seductive groove.

 

"I need to get these cans in order," I said trying to move out of his grip.

 

"Good morning to you too," Langston said.

 

I looked at him. He was about six foot two already with wide shoulders that had served him well on the football field. I never had a chance to watch him play this year because of my expulsion. His mahogany colored skinned covered ever inch of his body minus his hands and feet. His eyes were almond shaped and brown. His lips were subtly full and his cheeks were high. His eyebrows stayed trim and I suspected he had them waxed.

 

"Is it time for us to leave?" I asked, changing the subject.

 

"Almost, but I'm hungry," Langston said as he sat down at the kitchen table.

 

"Well make some toast," I said, going back to my cans.

 

"No," Langston told me vehemently, "you make me breakfast."

 

"You're out of your mind," I said, turning to face him.

 

"That's what I expect out of you from here on out. You don't seem to ever get morning sickness so I'm guessing the smell of food doesn't make you sick," Langston observed, "I want eggs, bacon, sausage, and hash browns."

 

"I'm a terrible cook," I said and I was telling the truth.

 

"I don't care. Practice makes perfect so get to it," Langston commanded and I knew looking dumbfounded was going to get me nowhere.

 

So I pulled out all the food he'd requested out of the refrigerator and went to work. Within an hour I had soggy eggs, burned back and sausage, and my hash browns wouldn't come together. Langston was either hungry or trying to encourage me because he ate it up.

 

"I need to go get ready," I said as Langston took a huge bite out of his eggs.

 

"You do that," he called as I walked out of the kitchen.

 

My lack of sleep was taking a toll on my body. The only thing that kept me alert was the baby's movements inside of me. In the bathroom I brushed my teeth, flat ironed my hair, and applied make-up. Once inside our bedroom I put on a black t-shirt with a pair of black stretch jeans. I sat on the bed, exhausted from my minimal workout when I felt Langston's presence in the room.

 

"Yes?" I asked turning to him.

 

"The food passes. It's time that we leave. No need to be late when you're already ready, beautiful," Langston said.

 

To my surprise he walked out of the bedroom and jingled his keys in the hallways which meant it was time to go.

 

Winter time in this city meant cold temperatures, but no snow ever fell. Everyone was walking around with jeans, thick coats, scarves, warm caps, and boots. I tried to keep my spirits up, but after this mornings events with Langston and my impending doom facing me I was at an all time low.

 

We pulled in front of the courthouse and to my dismay camera crews and reporters lined the front entrance.

 

"Oh no," I said gasping with horror.

 

"Let me park and we'll walk in together," Langston said as we drove passed the hoard.

 

"That's ok," I told him and he stopped, "I'll go in and you follow. If they see us together it'll be worse."

 

I saw Langston's knuckles grip the steering wheel.

 

"Well get out then!" he hollered at me.

 

I stepped out the car and into the frigid December morning. Langston sped off in such a hurry that most of those milling around in front of me turned. That's when the closest camera came at me with such fury that I almost turned around and ran.

 

I sucked in some air and let out a white puff of winter air.

 

"Myra," a news reporter yelled out to me, "is it true that Daisy Spins tried to commit suicide after you released her sex tape?"

 

"Myra," a woman reporter called, "we hear that you're now living with Langston Miles. How do you think that will affect your case?"

 

For the life of me I tried to control my breathing, but I couldn't. When I went to step forward I found that my feet were cemented to the ground and refused to budge.

 

"When is your due date?" and by now I was surrounded.

 

Bright lights blinded me and just when I thought I was going to lose it someone grabbed my hand.

 

"That's enough! Can't you people see she's pregnant, step aside!" Langston growled at them.

 

His voice was so powerful that it parted the white sea of camera people trying to get the clearest shot.

 

Langston and I walked hand in through the glass doors. No media people were allowed beyond this point unless they had special clearance and even then a judge was weary of letting cameras of any kind enter their courtrooms.

 

The walk to where my fate awaited lay right in front of me.

 

This time no one except for Langston and my attorney Mr. Litfield sat on my side of the room. Kimmi and Daisy's side was so over packed that people were standing in the back. I could see by their looks of disgust that things were worse than I could imagine.

 

This courtroom was bigger than last times hearing. To my right sat a jury box that was now filled with people. I looked and Mr. Litfield and he spoke quickly.

 

"I didn't want to bother you with all jury selection process. I was here for everything so don't worry I know what's going on," he said.

 

I truly wished I knew too. We were sitting on the defendant's side of the courtroom. I looked to my right and saw Kimmi sitting next to her lawyer with her mom on her right side. I felt so alone even with Mr. Litfield next to me.

 

"You're Honorable Judge Kathy Alberson, presiding," the bailiff announced and we all stood.

 

"You can be seated," Judge Alberson spoke, "as you all know Judge DeWalt is off for her Christmas holiday so I'll be presiding over this case until she returns. All parties have been sworn in, but I've come to understand that more evidence has been filed against Miss Huntington, is that correct?"

 

"Yes, your Honor," Daisy and Kimmi's lawyer spoke up.

 

"I've reviewed everything and I feel that it is in the best interest of the courts to allow the new evidence to be included in this trial," Judge Alberson said and Mr. Litfield tensed up, "now, Mr. Litfield you have the floor to make your opening argument."

 

Mr. Litfield fixed his tie and then went to the middle of the room.

 

"One hot June night, many months ago, Myra Huntington discovered that her best friends had betrayed her," Mr. Litfield began, "distraught Myra decided to go out with a friend to get something to eat. She had no idea that these two girl, Kimmi Lautner and Daisy Spins, would be also be there. In an instant Myra let her disappointment take control and here we are today. I don't Myra can be solely blamed for the events that transpired. There's two sides to this story."

 

Mr Litfield completed his speech and sat back down next to me. I tried to smile, but couldn't as Kimmi and Daisy's lawyer stood up to speak.

 

"What a touching tale you told, Mr. Litfield, but I think we all know a different Myra Huntington," he began, "that hot June night that you speak so longingly of was actually the worst night of these girls' life! Myra attacked them, viciously, in front of their peers and astonished families who were simply trying to get some dinner. She cursed out two members of the PTA who tried unsuccessfully to get Myra away from an unconscious Daisy Spins and a severely beaten Kimmi Lautner. I don't think this was based solely on disappointment over lost friendships. Myra Huntington is a monster. Don't be fooled by her present condition. She's angry, we can all see that, but it's blatantly obvious that Myra is a liar too. She claimed that Langston Miles raped her. Now, here today, Langston is sitting beside her and not only is she expecting a baby in March, but she and Langston are shacking up together. Can you really trust anything she says?"

 

'I haven't said anything,' I thought to myself as I felt my body shrink into the chair.

 

The lawyer sat back down and there was much uproar on the right side of the room. How the lawyer knew I was due in March I didn't know, but I suspected Mr. Litfield had let them know.

 

"We've heard from both sides in this argument and now it's time to hear the new evidence. Mr. Bosley, you have the floor again," Judge Alberson spoke from way up high on her podium.

 

Mr. Bosley, Daisy and Kimmi's lawyer, stood again and this time he fixed his tie. As he stood he grabbed a stack of papers and a small black case that had to hold something important on the inside.

 

"Your Honor and respectable members of the jury I hold here sworn statement from peers and parents who were at the Homecoming Rally back in October of this year stating that not only had Myra tricked a member of student government into playing this video, but she alone recorded what is on this DVD to mock Daisy Spins and Kimmi Lautner who, for the record, were both under heavy amounts of alcohol," Mr. Bosley said and gasps spun around the room as he wove his intricate web of lies.

 

He held up the DVD that I could only assume when played would display Daisy and Kimmi in their naked dance.

 

"Have you submitted those documents and DVD in your discovery, Mr. Bosley?" Judge Alberson asked.

 

"Of course, your Honor, I do everything by the book," Mr. Bosley said and smiles beamed on the faces of those in the jury box.

 

"What do you have to say to that, Mr. Litfield?" Judge Alberson turned to our side and asked.

 

"Plenty," Mr. Litfield replied and stood up as Mr. Bosley took his seat, "it is not possible that my client recorded this video because."

 

People sucked in their teeth and one person yelled out an expletive.

 

"Another word like, sir, and you'll be removed from the room!" Judge Alberson spoke and everyone hushed.

 

"The night that video was recorded, Myra was at home with her mother and soon to be step-father Arthur Lampinelli along with his daughter Celia Lampinelli," Mr. Litfield said.

 

There was an awkward silence as Mr. Litfield finished with his speech.

 

"Is that all you have, Mr. Litfield? A bit of hearsay?" Judge Alberson asked and I thought I could hear hateful giggle under her breath.

 

"The courts have always taken a sworn statement from a child's parent. Of course Ms. Freedmon's testimony is in my portfolio somewhere, but rest assured, members of the jury, Myra was at home with her parents as she should have been," Mr. Litfield stammered and he moved back to the table at which we sat.

 

His big black bag was next to me and as he fumbled about, quite embarrassingly I might add, trying to find mom's snickering from the other side made my face go red.

 

"I'm sure we'd all like to conclude the opening statements this century, Mr. Litfield," Judge Alberson said harshly, "if you can't find the papers then we'll have to recess."

 

Frantic and thrown off Mr. Litfield plowed through his briefcase until he produced rumpled papers. I let out a sigh and Mr. Litfield mouthed an, 'I'm sorry,' my way.

 

"Here you are, your Honor," Mr. Litfield said approaching the podium now looking like a lost little boy.

 

"This is all ripped and tattered. Unacceptable, Mr. Litfield you'll need to present the courts with a neat piece of paper and please have Ms. Freedmon sign it again," Judge Alberson said, disgust written all over her face.

 

"Yes your Honor," Mr. Litfield said and then he returned to the middle of the room, "like I was saying, Myra had no knowledge of the video prior to the incident at the Homecoming Rally."

 

"Your Honor I object!" Mr. Bosley shouted from his table.

 

Kimmi, who sat there in a pair of blue jeans and a gray Graham high sweatshirt, hid a smile. She looked the same as I'd last seen her. In my mind I was rushing over to her with my fist balled up. I'd hit her so hard that her gray t-shirt would turn red.

 

"Yes, Mr. Bosley?" Judge Alberson asked politely.

 

"We have Myra's computer records, as you'll remember because they were submitted in the discovery, and it clearly shows that she received this video two weeks prior to it being released to the school," Mr. Bosley said, "and for the record Miss Daisy Spins sits in a hospital right now recovering from a suicide attempt as a result of said video."

 

I felt everyones eyes on me. It was true, Linda had sent me that video way before it was released to the school.

 

"Members of the jury, all that proves is Myra is a very social girl. A friend of hers sent that video to her in the same manner that Daisy and Kimmi sent a link of Myra and a Mr. Rick Santos' make out tape to Myra and the rest of the student body. No, two wrongs don't make a right, but honestly this entire case is based on kids just being kids," Mr. Litfield explained.

 

"Thank you for your commentary, Mr. Litfield. Now if that's all from the two of you I'd like to conclude todays opening arguments," Judge Alberson said as she raised her gavel, "we said resume on January fifteenth after the Christmas holidays."

 

Judge Alberson banged her gavel and everyone stood up to leave.

 

"We won't be coming back until after Christmas?" I asked Mr. Litfield who was busy putting everything back in his portfolio inside his briefcase.

 

"The jury hasn't been sequestered so we're all free to go home and enjoy the winter break," Mr. Litfield explained calmly, "Myra, judicial proceedings are a very long drawn out process. I don't expect this trial to be over until summer, maybe even the fall.

 

"What if I choose to settle out?" I asked with dread growing even more fervently in my chest.

 

"Then we all meet in the judge's chambers and discuss what the plaintiffs in this case are willing to let you do in order to put this all behind us, but Myra, I don't believe you want to do that," Mr. Litfield said.

 

"Why not?" I asked.

 

"Mrs. Spins and Ms. Lautner will not be satisfied with you simply doing community service to repay your debt to society. They want to see you locked up in juvenile hall until your twenty-second birthday," Mr. Litfield said as I watched the crowds exit the courtroom.

 

"Is that even a possibility?" I asked.

 

"Oh yes, most definitely," Mr. Litfield replied to me.

 

I closed my eyes and silently wept.

Reviews

[courtneyfilth]

[trish420]

Yay! She's finally into court and fit's starting to hit the shan (he he). I'm really diggin' it so far, always checkin' back to see if there's a new chapter yet lol. Can't wait to see how Christmas and her mom's wedding go!

[Tina Kline]

Glad to read more about Myra.

Finally Myra makes it to court.
Court can be a long and drawn out afair.

I really like this story and Myra
as well.

[talulu love]

HAHAHAHA luv the pic u used

the story is pretty good
keep it up