A.N: 

Warning: Extra long chapter, my fingers hurt now XD

Firstly... I'd like to apologize to @JustRandomMe96 

I'm soo sorry 

Secondly, I listened to Magic Shop by BTS and Serendipity by BTS while writing this and I'd strongly recommend these songs if you'd like to cry while reading 

Happy reading :) 

No I'm just kidding

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Think of the time in your life when you've been so nervous you couldn't move. The palm-sweating, paralyzing, heart wrenching kind of nervous. Now multiply it by about a thousand. This doesn't even begin to describe what Rae was feeling that morning. 

Like every other building in her city, the courthouse too, was broken down and clearly low budget. What looked like broken school desks had replaced the judge's spot near the front, and everyone was left to stand. A small box was taped off for the accused to stand. Everyone else watching was left to stand. 

But even the sheer ruggedness of it couldn't mask its intimidation. The was a place of importance. A place where justice was served.

Rae was let in by the guard at the entrance, who gave her a curt nod and a clenching of the jaw. Probably the most polite greeting she was going to get in a while. When she walked in, with the guards following closely behind her, all the heads turned in unison. 

The whispering got significantly louder and Rae felt cold sweat run down her face as she walked the lane. She felt every step get heavier under her feet. She searched frantically in the crowd for familiar faces and stopped when she caught sight of her parents, Ethan, Riley and Asha at the front row. Yup, the whole gang was here. 

And right behind them, was a familiar dark haired figure... could that be... yup. Darren. Rae felt her heart instinctively soar before memories pushed it down again. He was here to testify for Sir Wagner.

Rae scoffed and walked over to her box about as confidently as someone could in such a situation. They waited. Maybe 15 minutes. Maybe 30. Every so often, Asha would give Rae a thumbs up for moral support, a practice probably frowned upon at court. Darren kept his eyes ritually glued to the floor. 

Finally, the door swung open and Sir Wagner stepped in with an overly dramatic wave. Rae resisted the urge to roll her eyes, of course he needed a grand entrance. There was silence. Sir Wagner frowned as if he was expecting cheers. 

As he moved to the side, a small, tired looking woman slouching downward followed behind him. No one paid her much mind until she sat at the judge's chair with a yawn. 

"Let's be getting this over with," Rae heard her grumble before she addressed the crowd. She said the rest with a very monotone voice, as if she'd said it hundreds of times before. 

"Today's topic of discussion. Rae Casey be accused by Sir Wagner of illegally handling and profiting off of government property. We be hearing from both the accused and the accusing before the decision be made by the jury. No interjections are to be made from the audience yada yada yada... oh and arguments to be limited to 2 minutes at a time because in this day and age, who be having time for that?"

She looked up at the crowd with a pained smile, as if waiting for them to laugh. When no one did, she let out a loud, exaggerated smile and pointed at Sir Wagner. "Just start..."

Sir Wagner leaped out of his chair and bowed. "Thank you, your honour. I be liking to start today by thanking all of you for joining us in our quest to be finding justice!"

He raised his fist in the air and the judge sighed again, louder. 

"First, I be liking to show my first proof of evidence." He nodded at a guard who held up a plastic zip-lock bag containing the book Rae had let Darren borrow, the Shakespeare novel. "This be one of the books in circulation. Here be DNA testing done on the book." 

He handed the judge a stack of printed papers and she thumbed through them. 

"As you can see, your honour, the test's be proving positive for the accused's touch."

Rae glanced at Ethan, biting her nail nervously, and he nodded slightly. 

"Interjection!" Rae raised her hand. 

Sir Wagner smiled politely at the judge but glared at her out of the corner of his eye. 

"Proceed..." the judge said, waving at Rae's general direction. 

"A lot of hands touched the books while they were in circulation, Sir Wagner. As I was in constant acquaintance with Mr. Martinez, it is likely I came in contact with the book without actually be dealing it out."

"True, true..." the judge nodded. Sir Wagner became red in the face. Then the judge continued, "But knowledge of a crime without telling anyone be a crime still."

"Since Miss. Casey be so excited to share her side of the story, may I please cross-examine the accused?" Sir Wagner asked slyly. 

"Sure, sure..." 

He walked up to Rae, but she was prepared. She had practiced this with Ethan yesterday, and she had made sure that Sir Wagner wouldn't get any information out of her. 

"I hope you be having a good morning Miss. Casey?"

"Oh, just the greatest." 

"Really?"

"Yes, the weather's been great lately, don't you think?"

"Are you two really be doing this right now?," the judge interrupted. 

"Sorry, your honour. Miss. Casey, please tell us, what do you be thinking of reading?"

Rae frowned, this was not the question she was expecting. "Well... I not be knowing much about it... until the whole news be surfacing at school and stuff..."

"What news?"

"You know... about the-the book-dealer and stuff."

"Is that so?"

"Yes." 

"Well you be helping with my investigation, correct?"

"Yes."

"And why didn't you be telling me about the library in Lin-- or rather, your property?"

"I not be aware of it."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"You don't think you'd be able to open it, do you?"

"No."

Sir Wagner smiled. "That be all, your honour."

"That's all?"

"Yes, your honour." He smiled and walked back to his seat. Even though Rae didn't feel she had revealed anything, she got the strangest sense that she'd already been defeated. 

"Well, the accused be next, then."

Rae cleared her throat, realizing that meant her. She closed her eyes, it's not all lost yet. 

"Um. I be having a bed to go home to, please start," the judge said. 

"Right. Um." Rae looked over to her family smiling at her encouragingly, "I'd be liking to reference to the case 42 under sector 15 in this court 10 years ago. The vulnerable sector protects any citizen under the age of 18 or any citizen with mental disabilities of a crime, as they might have not been aware of it."

Sir Wagner raised his hand. "Interjection."

"Procee--"

"So you be admitting that you committed the crime?"

"No! I just be meaning that if--"

"Well, Miss. Casey I'm sorry to say that that was ten years ago. Since the implication of the child tax, the practice has since been removed."

Rae's face went deathly white. Nothing was going as planned. In her pocket, she felt a small metal chip. The USB with the video from the hospital. Her one secret weapon. "Next, I'd like to show a video."

"Did you be submitting a summary ahead of time?," the judge asked. 

Rae shook her head. 

"Well how long it be?"

"About 17 minutes..."

"Well we not be having time for that!"

"No, you have to be watching--"

"I'm sorry, but I did be warning you. Sir Wagner?"

"You've got to be kidding me..." Rae muttered under her breath, feeling that their world was nothing but a joke. Did they really have time for anything anymore?

Sir Wagner said, "I would like to interview a witness. Darren Martinez, if you would be stepping to the front please?"

Rae's eyes followed Darren as he walked up and got to the front, he kept his head facing the ground. 

"Darren, how old you be?"

"16."

"And how school be?"

"I not be getting any younger here!," the judge yelled out.

"Sorry. How you be knowing Rae?"

Darren clenched his fist. "She be- she be a friend."

"Really, so you be supporting her behaviour?" 

"I be having no idea what you be talking about."

The crowd gasped and started whispering amongst themselves.

"Darren, you be aware that your mom handed in a book that Rae allegedly gave you?"

"That-- that be my book. It be me all along, okay?! She did nothing!"

The crowd went silent and Rae's eyes widened. What was Darren getting himself into? There was all the evidence in the world against Rae, did he really think this would do anything?

Sir Wagner chuckled sympathetically. "Oh poor Darren, your mom be making me perfectly aware of how Rae be seducing you into this."

"What? No! I-- I-- I like her."

Rae sighed deeply, going red. The crowd laughed, like this was some joke to them. Rae wished for once, that Darren would just keep his mouth shut. 

"Aw, the typical teenage love story, isn't it be?" Sir Wagner said, "Tell me Darren, what do you like so much about Rae?"

Darren's face brightened, like he wasn't expecting this question, but he was happy to answer. "Well she be just great, she be so smart and she be helping me with so much, school work, y'know, language and stuff, reading books and--"

Darren went white, realizing what he had just said. The room became so quiet you could've heard a pin drop. 

Sir Wagner smiled in an evil, crooked smile. "Really now? Reading?"

"N-no!" 

"That be quite enough, thank you Mr. Martinez!" 

Darren sat back into his seat, once again unable to look at Rae. Rae was so disappointed she couldn't form words.

"For my last piece of evidence, I be having a video to show!" Sir Wagner said, as if Darren's statement wasn't enough evidence already. "Keep in mind that Miss. Casey said that she had no way of accessing the library." 

"And you be providing a summary?," the judge interrupted.

"Yes, and it be under 4 minutes."

"Perfect," she rolled back in her chair. 

The video played and Rae knew immediately what it was. A video of her opening the door to the library. Apparently, one of the guards had been recording. Rae wasn't even surprised. 

The crowd's whispered went on as did the video, until the moment the door to the library slammed open and they all collectively gasped. 

Sir Wagner spread out his hands as if he was opening curtains. "That, I think, be enough evidence."

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The judge continued as if she wasn't already ready to make her decision. "Um, Rae?"

Rae just stood there speechless. 

"Well, then I suppose it's time for me to be making my decision..." said the judge. 

"WAIT!" came a single voice from the crowd. Asha. 

"Rae not be doing this for herself! Don't you fools be seeing? She be doing this because she actually be caring about our community!"

"No interruptions!," the judge said, but she didn't seem to mean it.

"You just be proposing child taxes and money making machines, and, and I be seeing first hand what those camps be doing! Rae be the only damn good thing here and you be getting rid of her!"

"No interr--"

Ethan spoke up. "Did you be knowing that in the past if books be coming with the property? This be unfair!"

"NO. INTERRUPTIONS. IN MY COURT!"

Slowly, the doors in the back squealed open. Out stepped a figure Rae thought she would never see again. Perhaps she was dreaming. She must be dreaming. 

"Terribly sorry to interrupt," said Lin. 

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It looked every bit like Lin and nothing like her at all. She was skinny, hunched over and there wasn't as much energy in her eyes. She looked tired and hollow, like she held the world on her back.

"LIN," Rae sobbed, and ran up to her. 

Lin held up her hand and Rae halted to a stop. "Your honour. I know I'm not supposed to interrupt, but considering the circumstances... may I?"

The judge who looked like she had just seen a ghost said, "Yeah... uh... proceed."

Lin smiled. "Thank you. I'm sure most of you be under the circumstance that I'm dead."

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING? ARREST HER!" Sir Wagner looked frantic and was waving his hands around like pool noodles. 

"Shh," the judge said, and Sir Wagner was smart enough to oblige.

"May I continue?" Lin asked, still smiling. "Thank you. This young man right here is the reason I'm here." 

She pointed at Sir Wagner and he gulped. 

"I was forced from my home and tortured for information at his secret base," she said all of this like she was discussing afternoon tea. "It was only thanks to a little helpful robot that I was able to leave messages for Rae. The little robot helped me escape, and I came straight here... And, Rae... This clever, clever child followed my clues, and... roll the clip honey." 

She smiled warmly at Rae. Rae handed the USB chip to the judge and she played the video. It was the quietist 17 minutes of the entire hearing. 

When the video ended, Rae saw the judge massage her forehead and she could hear her say something like, "For fucks sake, I didn't sign up for this..." 

The judge looked up and slammed her gavel on the desk. "In the light of the new events... it be clear that... new decisions... must be made. Rae be proven not guilty by the court and a new investigation be sentenced for Sir Wagner and his team. Case dismissed."

Four very important things took place at once. 

Rae heard her family roar with disbelief and happiness, and Sir Wagner roar in anger.

Rae ran for Lin, her feet moving before she did. 

She felt someone chase her and yell, "Rae, watch--"

Lastly, a loud gunshot. Loud enough that Rae felt she would go deaf. She felt something hit her back. She saw blood pool on the ground. Heard her parents scream. 

But why didn't she feel any pain? 

Rae turned around slowly. 

Darren was on the ground, looking like an angel, except for the scarlet blood running out of his shirt. Rae screamed, but didn't hear anything. She was vaguely aware of a lot of running and screaming. She heard the guards run to arrest Sir Wagner, heard her parents call 911, though she knew it was too late. 

Her vision was tunnelled toward Darren. Beautiful, innocent Darren. He had chased after her and taken the bullet that had been meant for her. Sir Wagner had nothing against Darren. It was unfair that the kindest had to die. 

Rae bent down and kissed him gently on the lips. 

Then she looked up at the roof screamed and screamed until she couldn't feel no more.

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A.N: Oh gosh I'm crying as I write this. For those of you that are confused: 😭 😵 ---------- 🔫 🤠

I swear the epilogue is better just stick with me for one more chapter!

EEEE I'm scared to publish this I feel like you might hate the ending

EDIT: It's been 3 days, still haven't published it, kay imma do it wish me luckkk