Chapter 17

As the days passed following our date, it was as if I had stepped foot into another girl’s life. It was strange, I found, to have somebody to hold your hand or text you goodnight constantly, but it was a good kind of strange.

New Year’s Eve passed in a blur of cake, candy, and laughter, as Saige, Parker and I camped out in my living room, our eyes glued to the television as we waited for the ball to drop in Times Square. We spent hours after midnight just laughing and talking, surprisingly, not waking my dad as we stayed up to the crack of dawn.

The best part of that night however, was the end. Just as the sun started to make its ascent into the sky, the three of us finally started to fall asleep. As I remembered snuggling into my blankets and closing my eyes, I felt a strong arm wrap around my stomach and pull me closer, making my heart beat faster and my mind feel at ease. And although it was the first time I fell asleep in Parker’s arms, I hoped that it wouldn’t be the last, as I fell asleep with a smile on my face.

That night was just one in a long string of nights that Saige, Parker and I spent together over the Christmas break, but as school quickly snuck up on us, so did our first semester exams.

It had slipped my mind that with Christmas and the holidays behind us, we now had only two weeks until exams started, and to be honest, I needed a little bit of help studying for my classes.

And that was how Saige found Parker and I during lunch on Thursday – studying for history in the art room.

“Ugh, I know you guys are dating and all, but have you ever stopped to consider that some people don’t exactly like to watch two of her best friends making out.” Saige said teasingly, her tone mocking disgust as she sat on top of the desk next to Parker.

Rolling my eyes at Saige as she walked into the room, I couldn’t help the small thrill that occurred when she mentioned Parker and I’s relationship.

“I didn’t know that by agreeing to be your boyfriend meant that I had to deal with your annoying friends too.” Parker said, turning to me with a wicked smile as Saige scowled at the back of his head.

I laughed. “Hey buddy, she’s your cousin.” I said defensively. “Plus, I seem to remember that you were actually the one who asked me out, not the other way around.” I continued teasingly.

Parker had asked me to be his girlfriend during our third date at a cute little coffee shop. I was somewhat shocked when I heard the words leave his mouth, so much so that I clearly remembered half-choking to death on my coffee. However, once my lungs started to work again, I didn’t hesitate more than a second with my reply.

“Whatever,” Parker mumbled embarrassedly, scribbling down something in his notebook as he realized his comment had backfired.

“And Saige,” I continued, looking up at her as I gestured between Parker and myself, “You do know that we’re doing nothing wrong here, right?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. Parker and I had pushed two desks together so that he could help me review my history notes from the beginning of the semester, because if he could push me to do well on a test, he would hopefully help me prepare for the exam.

“I know,” Saige shrugged, taking a bite of the sandwich, “I just like teasing you two, so I’m also going to point out that if you’re trying to hide the fact that you guys are holding hands, you aren’t doing a very good job.”

I felt the apples of my cheeks slowly heat up as I glanced down at my hand, which was intertwined with Parker’s. Ducking my head, I scribbled down some important facts into my notebook that Parker had just pointed out while keeping silent as I heard Saige chuckle.

“Aww, no need to be embarrassed Jill,” she cooed teasingly.

“So…” Parker started, facing his cousin as he spoke, “Did you have a reason for coming here, or were you just looking for two people to tease?”

“Ah, a little bit of both.” she admitted, crossing her legs as she took another bite of her lunch. “I actually need your girlfriend’s help studying.”

“My help?” I asked, my eyebrows furring in confusion.

She nodded. “Come on Jill, you know you’re acing both biology and calculus. I, on the other hand, need a little bit of help if I even want to think about getting an A in either class.” she stated.

I saw Parker shoot me a look that said he was clearly impressed by what Saige had just said, where as I felt slightly embarrassed as I tried to cover my face.

“So… will you help me?” Saige asked, her voice hopeful.

I sighed and nodded, smiling at her. “Yea, I don’t mind. You can come over this weekend and we can study together.”

“Awesome,” Saige chirped as Parker’s cell phone beeped and he checked it, frowning at his screen. “Aww, does little Parker not like the fact that I’m stealing his girlfriend for the day?”

It seemed as though Saige’s teasing didn’t affect Parker at all, in fact, he rolled his eyes and turned his frown upside down, but before he could reply, something interrupted him.

The sound of my grumbling stomach.

A red tinge crept up my neck as I sat there humiliated as both Parker and Saige chuckled.

“Hungry?”

“It’s nothing,” I said, jotting down a few more notes, “I have a salad in my bag, I just wanted to finish these notes first… HEY!”

Parker’s hand quickly slapped onto my notebook, stopping me mid-sentence as I accidentally dragged my pen down the length of my page. “Hay is for horses,” he replied, clearly amused as he wiggled my notebook out of my hands with little struggle, “And you can have this back once you’ve eaten something.”

“But-“

“No buts,” he said, shaking his head, “I’m not letting my girlfriend starve just because she’s determined to study her brains out.”

At the word girlfriend it was as if any objections I had suddenly floated out of my mind as I saw Saige wiggling her eyebrows suggestively behind Parker’s back. How Parker suddenly had this power over me, I had no clue, I just hoped that I wouldn’t look like this love-struck, blushing fool forever.

“Fine,” I mumbled as my blush subsided and I pulled my lunch out of my bag. “Happy?”

“Ecstatic.” Parker smirked, eating his own lunch as I dug into my salad.

The rest of the lunch period seemed to whiz by, and before I knew it, the warning bell was ringing and the three of us were packing up our bags.

“So much for finishing those notes.” I muttered as I slipped my notebook into my bag before tossing it over my shoulder.

“Just finish them now,” Parker suggested, remembering that I now had a spare, “And if you don’t, I promise I’ll help you out tomorrow after you finish eating.”

Rolling my eyes, I couldn’t help but feel my heart beat a little faster. “Thanks.”

“Not a problem,” he smiled, leaning in to give me a quick kiss, “I’ll see you at the end of the day.”

I nodded, smiling at him as he left the classroom, but when I turned to face Saige, she was smirking at me.

“What?”

“Nothing,” she replied smugly, “You guys are cute, that’s all.”

“Shut up.” I mumbled, smiling slightly as the two of us left the classroom when students slowly started to pile in.

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Parker’s POV

“Are you sure you don’t want to come over and study?” Jillian asked, her voice travelling clearly through the phone.

“No! He doesn’t need to be here.” I could hear Saige say in the background, making me chuckle lightly and shake my head.

Today was Saturday and before I had even finished my breakfast Saige had came into the kitchen, teasing me that she was stealing my girlfriend for the day. I knew that my aunt found it amusing, considering how I was more than positive the tips of my ears turned beet red, but I didn’t actually mind her studying with Jillian today. This was mainly due to the fact that I had taken Jillian out the night before, bringing her to go see a movie we both wanted to see.

But also, it was because I had something to do today, and I hadn’t yet found the opportunity to talk to Jillian about it.

“Shut up.” I could hear Jillian telling Saige. “Forget about Saige, are you sure?”

I nodded my head before quickly realizing that neither her nor Saige could see me. “Yea, I’m sure.” I replied, “I actually have something to do today, but I’ll text you later on.”

“Oh really,” she started, and I could just imagine her tilting to the side curiously as a cute look of confusion graced her face, “What are you doing?”

“Just running some errands with my aunt,” I replied vaguely, my stomach tied in knots as the lie slipped through my lips easily, “It’s really nothing.”

Holding my breath anxiously, I waited for Jillian to reply.

“Okay,” she said seconds later as I blew out a breath of relief, “Well have fun.”

I chuckled, although it didn’t feel quite right with a pit of guilt growing inside of me. “I’ll try to,” I forced out, “I talk to you later.”

“See you.”

Hanging up my phone, a frown slowly formed on my face as I looked down at it resting in my hand. I felt bad about lying to Jillian, worse because I knew I was keeping something from her that she’d want to know. The only thing fighting back against doing the right thing was a small, yet logical part of my brain that was telling me that if I’d had told her the truth, she would’ve abandoned studying and have been by my side.

But as much as I wanted her next to me today, I kept telling myself that I was doing the right thing.

As a silent battle was being fought within the deepest depths of my head between my mind and my conscience, everything suddenly came crumpling down as a knock interrupted my thoughts.

Turning my head, I saw my aunt dressed and ready, her face sympathetic as she stood in the doorway of my room. “So, are you ready for today?” she asked, her voice monotone, not giving away anything.

“No,” I replied, shuffling off of my bed as I stood up, “But that really doesn’t matter, does it?”

“You never know,” she started optimistically as we headed downstairs, “Maybe if you’re confident she’ll go easy on you.”

“One can only hope.” I muttered, opening the door as I headed towards the car.

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I sat in the waiting room, my arms resting on my knees as I tried not to observe the people around me. My aunt was seated beside me, reading an old magazine that she’d spotted on the side table, but other than her, the few other people that filled up the room were sneaking glances at me suspiciously.

Freya’s death was common knowledge in this city, and it was obvious by the snide look I was receiving from a middle-aged woman across the room that she knew exactly who I was. She was one of the ones that blamed me, judging me without knowing the whole story.

My leg was bouncing up and down in anticipation, and as the jitters slowly flowed through me, I found myself wringing my hands together as well.

And it was now, when I really needed somebody to distract me, that I wished I had told Jillian the truth. I wished that she were beside me to hold my hand as I waited for the door to open and the lawyer to call my name.

“I’m just going to get a coffee from the lobby.” my aunt said, placing her magazine down as she stood up, readjusting her purse on her shoulder. “If you need anything while I’m gone just text me, and I’ll be back up by the time your out.” she finished, nodding to the door.

Not saying anything, I nodded my head slowly, ducking my head.

“I know you’re scared, but it’s all going to be okay in the end Parker.” she said worriedly, touching my shoulder before she headed down the corridor towards the elevators.

Staring at the dull beige wall across from me, I couldn’t help but feel responsible for the trouble’s she’d gone through in the past couple of months. I know that she did everything she could for me: taking me in and supporting me through thick and thin, but I also knew that it was hard for her. I’d seen people around town cast glances at her because she was one of the few people that knew my story, one of the ones that supported me, but she didn’t deserve it.

Maybe it would’ve been easier on everybody if I‘d stayed at the correction center until my trial.

Before I could seep any further in self-doubt and pity, a guy that looked to be a few years older than me came down to sit beside me. “So, why are you here?”

Scrunching my eyebrows, I couldn’t help but be surprised by his bluntness. “What?” I asked slowly.

“Come on dude,” he said, rolling his eyes as though he found this to be a joke. “Why are here? Did you steal a car, get caught dealing drugs, or get busted for vandalism? Why else would you be here if you weren’t in need of a good lawyer?”

“I, umm…” I trailed, not knowing how to respond, but luckily I didn’t have to.

The door across from me opened as the receptionist for Mrs. Rodriguez stepped out, clipboard in hand.

“Parker Collins?” she called, looking towards me, as she knew who I was.

Standing up, I ignored the looks of everyone around me as I headed into the room and let the door close behind me.

“Mrs. Rodriguez will be with you in just a minute,” she told me, “Just head in a take a seat.”

Nodding, I headed into the room that branched off from the small hallway, the one that I had been in many times before. Taking a seat, I realized that my nerves were back as my leg started to bounce once again and my heart pounded twice as fast. The clock on the wall ticked forwards slowly, and as the hands hit exactly 1:00, the door behind me opened as Mrs. Rodriguez stepped in.

“Parker,” she acknowledged, sitting down on the other side of her desk as she shuffled through a few papers, “How are you doing today?”

“Umm… fine.”

An apologetic smile graced her face as she looked at me. “Look, I know you’re nervous,” she said, folding her hands in front of her, “But I am trying to help you. Today isn’t going to be like the others meetings we’ve had…”

I became confused at her words, because if I wasn’t here for a regular meeting, why was I here?

“I’ve collected some of the facts of the case that can be used against you, and we’re going to do a trial run. When you’re on the stand and the opposition is throwing questions at you, well let’s just say a lot of people crack under the pressure. Lawyers try to get under your skin when they want information from you, but the key to fighting off the allegations against you is to stay calm, cool, and collected.”

“Okay…” I trailed, understanding what she was saying as I had heard her say these things in the past. I knew that I had to look professional on the stand, keep my cool and stay collected as the opposing lawyer tried to tear me down.

“So, are you ready?” she asked, raising an eyebrow as she scribbled down a note or two on her notepad.

“I think so.”

As it turned out, I was not ready at all.

“When the police arrived at your house on the night of December 15th, 2010, can you please describe the scene they walked in on.”

“Umm… my sister was lying dead on the floor, blood all around her as I hugged myself to her. My dad was nowhere to be found.”

“Try to sound more confident with your answers.” she advised, nodding before continuing. “And can you please explain why you prolonged the call to the police?”

“I didn’t know what to do. I walked into my own house to see my sister lying dead on the floor and I broke down. Everything was spinning and I couldn’t think straight. When I finally called the police, they were there within minutes, taking away my only family left away from me.”

“So you’re saying that you wanted to be with your sister as long as you could?” she asked.

“Well, yes, but-“

“Parker,” she said, stopping me mid-sentence, “I know these questions bring up bad memories, but I’m just trying to prepare you for your trial. I want to win this case for you, but one thing I have to tell you is try not to say anything that can look incriminating, and saying things like ‘but’ can seem as though you were trying to cover things up in a previous statement, do you understand?”

I nodded, feeling more nervous than ever now as I realized that my story needed to be spot on if I wanted the jury and judge to take my side.

“Okay, then I’ll continue.” she said, her eyes scrolling down her notepad for a second. “The autopsy papers reported signs of physical abuse scars on Freya’s body. Can you tell me how these got there?”

“My dad was abusive.” I stated clearly, trying not to let the chills going down my spine affect me. “Even before my mom left us he was always prone to getting mad and lashing out, but once she was gone, it was like there was nothing holding him back. Both me and my sister received multiple beatings from him, and even though I tried to protect her, I never seemed to be enough.”

“Is there proof of your physical scars?”

“Yes,” I nodded, “I had a medical exam days after Freya’s autopsy, and the doctor confirmed the marks on my skin were caused by hand?”

“Now is there proof that your father was the one who laid a hand on you?”

I shook my head. “I never told anyone what was going on at home, I was ashamed and didn’t want to risk the chance of loosing the rest of my family.”

“So you’re saying that you protected a criminal, but is there any chance that these wounds on your skin were due to something other than your father? Perhaps fights with classmates or enemies?”

“What? No!” I exclaimed, wondering why she was asking preposterous things. 

“Why not?” she asked. “You seem like the type of guy who could get mixed up with the wrong crowds, so who’s to say that you didn’t upset some people? Or better yet, who’s to say that you didn’t fight as a kid?”

“I didn’t!”

My aggravation was seeping through, and I realized, when Mrs. Rodriguez looked at me with pity in her eyes that she realized the affect her words were having on me.

“Parker,” she said softly, “I know that these questions can seem ridiculous at points, but when lawyers find holes and gaps in stories, such as lack of proof, they try to spin the facts to make the jury see what they want them to see. The opposition won’t just lie down and accept the fact that you say your dad was behind Freya’s death, they’ll fight tooth and nail to try and push the blame to you, and you have to be ready for that.”

“I thought I was.” I muttered under my breath.

She sighed. “I think that’s enough for today, but just know that this is what the trial will be like. It won’t be easy, but I’ll do whatever it takes to prove you innocent.”

“Thanks.” I said softly, saying goodbye as I stood up and headed out of the office.

Resting my head on the wall, I blew out a breath as I tried to gain composure before going back out into the waiting room.

I felt as if everything was suddenly real… this trial was actually happening, and I wasn’t sure if I was ready for it.

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Another chapter written, and one chapter closer to the end. In case you guys didn’t know, there actually isn’t much left to this story, five or six chapters at the most.

I really would appreciate your opinions on this chapter in the comments. Did you guys like Parker’s POV, or are you missing the romance with Jillian? How do you think the trial’s going to go? Or just what do you think of the story in general?

I’ll try to get one more chapter up during July, probably towards the middle/end of next week! I’m glad you guys are enjoying this story, so vote/comment/follow, and I’ll see you soon xx