AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She cleared her throat and I scanned the room for some water. “Let me go get you a bottle,” I said and rose from my seat. She put her hand on mine and shook her head. Judging from the resolve on her face, she wanted to get this story out. Now. I nodded and sat down.
“When the screaming started, I thought I was dreaming. Men shouted, doors banged against walls, and then my bedroom door came crashing down. Three officers stood in my room, their guns drawn and pointed at me.
“Shit,” I whispered, imagining the horrific scene. It would be terrifying for anyone, but especially a fifteen-year-old.
“I screamed. They shouted. I thought they were going to shoot me. Throwing my hands up in the air, I cried. An officer handcuffed me and led me out of my bedroom. Another two officers stood at the kitchen table.”
She fisted her hands on the table. I wasn’t sure where the story was going but I knew it wouldn’t be a happy ending.
“Staring at the piles of drugs, one of the officers demanded where my father was. I told him he wasn’t home. I knew if they pinned this on my father, he would do some serious time. I also knew I was a minor and wouldn’t be sent to prison. At least that’s what I thought.”
“Oh, Laura,” I said, my voice filled with sadness for the girl who had to be an adult.
“I told him the drugs were mine. The officer in front of the table tilted his head. ‘Really? Yours?’” She tried to mimic the officer’s voice, it came out low and raspy.
“I nodded. ‘I was going to put it away before my father got home and fell asleep. It’s all mine,’ I told them.
“’Well, you can explain it to the judge. You’re coming with us,’ he said.
“I did explain it to the judge and my attorney. With my father corroborating my story, they had no choice but to believe us. Naively, I thought I would get a month or two in juvie. I hadn’t expected the two-year sentence. They said with my previous run-ins and the number of drugs found in my home, the judge had no choice but to give me a harsher sentence. I was devastated. I half expected my father to confess, but I knew he would have been given a lot more time in an adult prison. At least I was being sent to juvie.”
What the fuck? Two years! And she hadn’t even committed the crime. It was moments like this that I hated the system.
Laura ran her hand over her face, and her mouth pinched as though she was in pain. “I’d heard stories, but they hadn’t prepared me for the reality. It was awful. The food was disgusting, they always kept the lights on at night, so I couldn’t sleep. And the other girls, well, there was a reason society felt they should be locked up and I felt those reasons on my face, body, and emotions every day.”
Dear god. This time, I reached for her hand and covered it with both of mine. Her fingers were icicles, but her words had thawed my icy heart and it beat faster now. I was sad and angry. But mostly, I wanted justice. “I can’t believe your father would do that to you,” I said and immediately regretted my words. They were meant to comfort her, but her face hardened and her jawline ticked.
“I’m glad you told me everything. With this not being a drug charge, it should not come up. However, if or when you’re on the stand, do not mention you’ve been arrested before or have been to juvie. The prosecutor cannot ask these questions, but if you somehow mention them, then you’ve opened that door into your past for him to walk through. Do you understand?”
She nodded.
“Okay. My next step is to get your father on board to corroborate your story.” I knew I should have let go of her hand by now, but I couldn’t. Her fingers were still cold.
She laughed, with no humor behind it. “He’s not gonna do that.”
“The hell he won’t,” I growled.
“He didn’t do it then; he won’t do it now. My father only thinks of himself.”
“We’ll find out soon enough.” Then, after a moment, when she turned her eyes on me, I added. “He’s here.”
“Here? How?”
“I called him on my drive over. We need his testimony, Laura. Without it, we stand no chance.”
She pulled her hands from my grip and ran them through her dark hair. “Then I guess it’s over.”
I didn’t like the defeated sound in her voice. She was tired, but she couldn’t lose hope. It was a steep climb to dig yourself out of hopelessness.
Not wanting to waste another moment, I went outside to speak to the officer.
“Is there a Mr. Stevens waiting outside?”
“Yes, sir. He arrived about ten minutes ago.”
“Good. He can come in now.”
The officer stood from his desk. When he returned, a man with short brown hair and a scruffy brown jacket walked along beside him.
