Lewis

March 1. 2023

I sighed as I looked into my mirror and tidied up my bow. I was wearing a black suit with a red bow. My hair had recently been trimmed, and while doing so, I got a lineup as well. I was trying to look as cleaned up, or as "sharp and sophisticated" as possible, because well dressed somehow equated to less likely to commit a crime, apparently.

I heard a knock on my dorm door, and assumed that it was either Nick or Jason, which would make the most sense. Both Aubrey and Nova had already told me that they would be sitting amongst press, so I knew they were gonna be there.

I opened the door, unintentionally locking eyes with May as I did so, which caused a heavy jolt in my stomach. I didn't know whether to be happy or to be fearful in that moment. May could've been here to tell me that she'll be supporting me, or she could be here to tell me her final goodbyes and announce that she no longer wants anything to do with me.

"Hi?" I greeted my maybe-girlfriend-maybe-enemy in an unintentionally bleak voice, having meant to sound confident. May gave me a weak smile."Hi" she replied back, just as shyly as I had sounded, as she rubbed her palm against her thigh. She had been wearing a cross off the shoulder white knit dress that was short though not skimpy. Along with that, she appeared to be wearing some kind of makeup. Don't get me wrong, May always looked good, but she looked real exceptional right now.

"I'm hurt, but you knew that" May continued, playing with her thumbs. "I know it'll take a while, and maybe even some therapy for me to heal. But, this moment is a one time thing, and me supporting you could be beneficial to you and the people watching. There could be a girl out there right now who is struggling with figuring out if she should or should not leave her man because he made a mistake. There could be someone thats struggling to forgive themself, and needs to hear what I'm gonna say. And on top of that, me advocating for you may just help your reputation. I wanna be there for you, Lewis. That way, you can be there for me later."

I could feel my face heating up, and my throat clogging. I tried my best to fight back the tears that were coming, but some of them were already too far to fight off. Neither May or I said another word. Instead, I pulled her into a hug, and she accepted.

"I know you didn't rape her" she whispered, "and I promise I'll stand by you."

"I'm sorry" I whispered back, "I know that words can't heal, but know that I'll do everything I can to make it up to you. I love you May, I really, really do."

***

Aubrey

"Wow this place is packed" Nova observed, as she, Nick, Jason, and I all sat in a back row to avoid being recorded by press. I nodded, "well, it may have not been in the way that he had hoped, but at least Lewis is a star." Jason chuckled, "too soon" he insisted.

The room quieted down, which told me that Lewis was about to come in. As his lawyer, an officer, and some random chick walked in first, I saw May's ankle, which I could identify almost anywhere due to the oddly placed orchid tattoo she has on it, and I was overcome with happiness. I looked over at Nova and the guys as they too soon understood what was happening. I watched as beaming ear-to-ear smiles grew on my wife and friend's faces one by one like some falling dominoes.

The room had grown to a full silence, one that would make a pen drop feel explosive. Both May and Lewis, who had came hand-in-hand, took their seats at the long table that had been covered with a blue table cloth. The people who I watched come in before them had been sitting next to them.

The camera crew had been pointing their cameras at Lewis, which was expected because he was the man in question. Lewis took a deep breath, pulled the microphone closer to him, and spoke.

"I know that based off of DNA, it seems almost certain that I committed the crime for which I am being accused of" Lewis started, "but I can assure you all: cameramen, family, friends, and even fans that I may have gained from attending and playing at one of the most all around schools in the nation, that I am nothing near a rapist."

I looked on as a serious looking Lewis, with a cocked eyebrow, continued with his speech once more. "I am teenage boy who chose to think lustfully instead of critically. Yes, I slept with my accuser, but it was consensual, and it happened many times as we had been in a legitimate, mutual relationship. Even after I prove my innocence, I'll be plagued by this accusation forever. This is something that I'll have to live with for the rest of my life. Besides death, I don't think there is any punishment greater." I shivered at those last two sentences. That statement was true, and I'm sure we all knew that, but we had always avoided thinking about it.

"At the same time of being in said relationship with my accuser, I was also still in a relationship with my high school sweetheart, Maeve, who you see sitting next to me right now." Lewis and May's grip that their connected hands had been in, tightened as Lewis said that last line.

I looked over at my wife and friends for a second, and they all were staring intensely at Lewis, seeming to absorb every word. "As a black athlete who plays at a D1 NCAA school, and may be able to one day prove himself NFL material, I believe that I was the perfect bait for a situation like this. So many athletes, and black men in general, become victims to falsely accused situations annually," Lewis added.

"As a six foot two, two hundred and twenty-five pound running back, who, if I didn't stress it enough, also happens to be black, it's easy to look at me and then look at a petite white woman, and say 'he did it.' But the truth is, I didn't, and for a system that claims to be "innocent until proven guilty," I sure as hell don't feel like I'm being treated as an innocent person." I nodded at Lewis' words, they were deep, and I swear I've never heard him speak that proper in my life. This side of him was mesmerizing really.

"I lost my spot on the football team, lost friends, lost the right to privacy, and nearly lost my sanity. So to my accuser, who I'm sure is watching this, I want you to do something. I want you to do something for my sake, and for yours too because you know what? Karma is a very real, and very dangerous thing. Please, tell the truth. Admit what really happened, between you being upset that I had given Maeve flowers, and you threatening me in an attempt to make me stay. I was wrong to play you, knowing that I had someone else the whole time, but that doesn't make it okay to ultimately try to ruin my entire life. I'm begging you, come forward with the truth."

I smiled and clasped my hands together as I looked at my wife and friends yet again. That was perfectly said, and I couldn't be any prouder of Lewis.

I watched as May quickly adjusted herself, looking like she too was about to say something. The cameras all shifted at her, which wasn't much of a shift, so I had wondered if maybe May privately announced that she would be speaking today, and we just didn't know it.

"Hello everybody" May began in a light hearted tone. "I'm Maeve, Lewis' girlfriend, confidant, back bone, and number one supporter. I know that some of you may be watching me right now, and wondering what kind of sorcery my boyfriend must've done on me for me to stay despite the accusations he's facing at this moment." A few light giggles echoed throughout the room at May's last sentence.

"And the truth is, this hurts, real bad. I'm not gonna sit up here and sugar coat this just because of the severity of the situation. Like my boyfriend has already stated, he's been declined the lack of privacy, and so there's really no reason in my eyes to hide the raw emotions behind the mess." I understood what May was saying, but I was confused. What was her point? What was she getting at?

"But I can't even imagine the pain that my boyfriend is currently going through, knowing that his whole future, his life as he knows it, and all that he's worked for to get to where he is right now, is in immense jeopardy. In two months time, I can be over the fact that I was cheated on. I can look back at it as a lower point in my life that I rose up from. But for my boyfriend, the next two months will undoubtedly be filled with harsh judgement, more losses, and possibly even jail time. The next two months may very well be excruciating and mentally withering." I nodded as if May was talking directly to me, since when did these two airheads get all smart?

"In saying that, I say that relationships aren't easy. Everybody glorifies the fun, good moments so much, that they seem to be bewildered when the hard reality comes around. People make bad decisions, they cheat, they fight with their partner, they call them out of their name and so on and so forth. It happens. Of course it shouldn't happen every day, or even extremely often, but when it does happen, assuming it isn't overlapping the good in your relationship, you should face it. You should face it and find a way to fix it." Nova's leg began bouncing slightly, making me wonder.

"The day that I agreed to be Lewis' girlfriend, I signed a mental contract in my head. I take my relationship serious, and although there's no ring on my finger or matching last name, I consider Lewis to be my life partner. He's my husband without the title. So, like a married couple would say during their vows, I'm choosing to stand by Lewis' side through thick and thin. The Lewis that the media is portraying is nothing like the true Lewis that I know. And as somebody who has done almost everything you can think of with him, I can confidently say that I know what a mad Lewis, a sad Lewis, a happy Lewis, and a vengeful Lewis look like. Even at his worst, he's still a great human. He's loving, kind, respects boundaries, is responsible, and most importantly, treats every human being with love. I watched him help a female friend get out of a then-abusive situation. I've watched him stick up for random girls all through out senior year."

"So in finishing" May said lastly, "know that the man that you all are seeing on your tv screens, the quote on quote 'rapist', is a regular black kid with a big heart who fell victim to a literal stigma. Is he a cheater? Absolutely, and trust that he and I will deal with that. But he isn't a rapist, or a predator, or any other demeaning word that the media can find to describe a male minority who hasn't even had the chance to plead his case."

Before May could say her "thank you" bit, or the small press could react, an officer rushed into the room like a battering ram. "We have an issue!"

We all looked at him, waiting.

"Cassidy Daniels, the girl who is testifying against this young man, has been murdered."

My eyes went wide as Nova and Nick made an in sync gasping noise. Jason didn't really react, he just stared at the officer as did much of the press in the room did. That was the last thing you'd expect to be said. I looked over at Lewis and May, who both looked just as shocked as we in the back did.

Hailey

"So what the hell does that mean?" as I stared at the tv that now announced that Lewis' accuser was dead. "Is Lewis off the hook, or what?"

"Depends on what the girl's family decides to do" my mother said, as she caressed my hair. I had been laying on her lap, talking, and explaining what a big fucking mess I got myself into. To my knowledge, Zack hasn't said or started anything, but I'm sure he will soon. He won't speak to me or answer my calls, and Derek keeps trying to speak to me. But I know that Derek is just a horny piece of shit, pretending to care.

***

Nova

Today was just a little too eventful for me. While our group had been dealing with this Lewis mess, Aubrey and I also had to go to couples counseling because she swears that we need it. I tried to plead with her to at least postpone it, but she thinks that now is probably the best time, especially seeing that Cassidy was just fucking killed.

"Well the first thing is, you two need to understand one another in a calm manner" a red haired, freckled face lady said. "Yelling, lying, threatening, all that does not help. You will not figure it out that way. All that creates is resentment." I looked at the ground as I could feel Aubrey's eyes piercing through me. "Ya hear that?" she asked, and I nodded lightly.

"I think accountability is important too" I mumbled, "but hey, that's just me." I refused to look up, but I could feel Aubrey's eyes. Almost as if her literal eyeballs had been glued to my face. "Elaborate" Aubrey suggested in her infamous fake cheerful tone, "please. I'd love to know what you mean by that."

"I feel like you lack self awareness" I said as I somehow built the courage to look up at my wife. "You know when I'm wrong, and you're good at picking that up, but you don't know how to acknowledge when I may be a little right." Aubrey leaned back in her chair a little bit, "give me an example" she calmly demanded.

"I'd love to" I began. "You got mad at me for not disliking Rico upon your request, though you were in that similar position a good year and some change ago." Aubrey scoffed.

"So how did I not see that you were 'a little right' Nova?" Aubrey asked, with her leg now shaking. I adjusted my posture, "because you got mad at me for being right instead of acknowledging it" I answered simply. "You tried to make me feel bad for providing factual information. Incase you didn't know, that's a form of gaslighting."

"Nice" Aubrey stated, "and you know what your issue is?" Aubrey didn't give me a moment to respond or even react in any way. "Your issue is that you don't respect boundaries. But I shouldn't be surprised because you've never respected boundaries. You never respected them with Nick, with Lewis, with May, or with me." I was stunned, what the hell was this girl talking about?

"I never respect boundaries?" I asked with a little chuckle behind my words. "Please elaborate."

"Nick begged you to stop seeing me, and you didn't. He asked you to live with him, and you didn't. Lewis asked you to stop seeing me as well, and you didn't! May asked you to stop seeing Lewis, and you slept with him. I asked that you stay away from Rico because I could see that he liked you, and you chose to go to his dorm. You're selfish and you don't respect anybody's wishes, only yours."

I looked at Aubrey with my mouth agape, and could feel my face getting hot. Now wasn't the time for embarrassment tears however, so I smiled lightly, with my cheeks on fire and my vision getting blurry.

"Ladies?" the counselor began, but I talked over her.

"You know" I said in a simple, light tone as a tear slowly streamed down my face. "If I had a time machine, I'd go back to June 1st, 2022. And then, at the altar, in front of everybody, I'd say I fucking don't." I quickly got up, blocking out Aubrey and the lady's voice, and opened the door.

"Nova!" Aubrey yelled, as I could hear her steps following me. I stopped walking, but didn't dare to turn around. "Nova!" Aubrey said as she turned me herself, "what the hell was that supposed to mean?"

"It means" I began in a light tone, "don't fucking touch me!" I yelled that last part as I shoved Aubrey, which I've never done. She was stunned, and once she registered what had just happened, she shoved me right back. "Are you mental?" she asked me, "why are you doing this?"

"Why the hell would you try to be funny and put on a show in there?" I asked as I shoved Aubrey as hard as I possibly could. I could see in Aubrey's face the exact moment that she decided that she wasn't putting up with my shit anymore. "I let you say what you wanted, which had truth in it. Then I said what I wanted, which was also the truth!" she responded with hostility, following her words with a hard shove.

"Get away from me!" I screeched like a lunatic as I threw my wife down by her hair.

"That's it!" Aubrey shouted as she got up and practically tackled me NFL style, overpowering me. I began screaming and crying like a baby as Aubrey used her knees to pin my armpits, and held my wrists above my head with her hands.

"You're acting fucking crazy! Do you wanna get sent to a mental asylum or something Nova?"

I didn't try squirming away or fighting back. Aubrey was heavier than me at this point as my senior year rollercoaster with food and my weight had gone lengths. Trying to get out of this without her cooperation would be no use.

"Do you ladies need help?" that dumb ass, useless ass counselor asked. "Help!" I began to yell, as Aubrey used her left hand to cover my mouth. "She's being dramatic," she told the counselor, "I'm sorry. We're all set for today. Just give us a couple minutes and we'll be out of here." The lady looked at me sympathetically, but didn't say anything. "Okay" she eventually let out, "have a good evening you two."

Aubrey waited for the lady to go back in her room and shut the door, then leaned down so that she could whisper in my ear. "We're gonna leave" she began, "and you're not gonna act like a toddler. When we get home, then you can do all the screaming and yelling you want. But right now, you need to get it together Nova." I can't lie, Aubrey being in charge was actually kind of turning me on, but now wasn't the time for that. I slowly shook my head as I tried to catch my breath in between cries, and Aubrey finally got up, helping me up right after.