BF 2nd edition

by Isabel Curtis

  "That's why she had a gun." James started putting the pieces together, thinking out loud. "They found someone to do the dirty work for them."

  "Luke said A.K.A gave the gun to her, and it was no coincidence it had already been used."

  "Let me guess, they were the ones who killed Marika?" James asked.

  "Bingo."

  "Those heartless bitches are smarter than I thought," James said, opening his car door "Where are you going?" he said, noticing that his brothers were headed in a different direction.

  "To our cars," Will said, reminding his brother that they had all used a different car to get to the hospital. "Not a chance, someone's gotta come with me and tell me everything Luke said."

  "I can't just leave J's car here!" Mike said. "Of course you can, we'll come get it some other time. Jump in!" he prompted his brother, as Will waved goodbye and walked to his car.

  "So what's the deal with Lorenzo Perez?" James asked, when they were both in the car.

  "A.K.A. have been trying to ruin his business for over a year, but when Marika's brother died because of the drug they sold him they had to keep a low profile for a while. I guess they thought the best way to get rid of a competitor was to kill him."

  "But they don't like to get their hands dirty," James concluded.

  "Exactly."

  "Do you think she was really going to kill Perez?" James wondered out loud.

  "I can't believe Hayden could be able to shoot someone coldblooded."

  "I don't know. Luke said she was being threatened, but he didn't know much about that." The short ride home was spent mostly quietly, except for Mike recalling some random things Luke had confessed back at the hospital.

  They got home just a second after Will, and were welcomed by Jesse J.'s sleepy voice coming from living room. "Where's my car?" he yelled, not having heard the unique rumble of his old car engine.

  "You explain this to him," Mike said pointing his finger at James, who replied by rolling his eyes.

  March 31st

  Dear Diary,

  I think it's time to give my life on the road a break. Sunrise and I have spoken a lot today, and strangely enough she didn't do all the talking this time. But she did give me some good advice, I guess she is wiser than her age. She suggested I go back home, and I think I should listen to her.

  I've been thinking about it for a while now, and I should face whatever mess I've left behind. It's the first step towards a normal life. I'm tired of missing what I had before Mom and Dad died. I miss who I was before the accident.

  I've lost myself along the way, but won't let these past months become my future. I know things won't ever be the same, but that doesn't mean things have to be just bad. My brothers and I can have a new beginning, and we can face together whatever comes.

  Having them by my side is my only certainty, but it's the most than anyone could ever hope for, can I say I'm lucky? Why not.

  The judges will have to listen to my version of the story, and shooting someone out of self-defense can't lead me to prison... right? I hope so.

  I should get some sleep now, I'll be leaving tomorrow morning. I can't wait to be back home.

  H.

  PS. I think I'll miss Sunrise.

  THIRTY

  Inside the motel room, the silence of the night was abruptly injured in a heartbeat.

  The sound of the door being broken down.

  Flashlights invaded the darkness.

  People were yelling.

  Someone turned on the lights.

  Confusion.

  A chair was knocked over.

  A lamp fell.

  Policemen everywhere, pointing their guns.

  It all happened quickly.

  Before she could even realize it, Hayden was headed back home – in the backseat of a police car.

  Does anything ever go the way we plan?

  THIRTY-ONE

  To Hayden, forty-eight hours in that cell seemed like a month. No one had been allowed to see her, nor talk to her, except for Mrs Selling.

  "How are you, Hayden?" she asked, hugging her.

  "I'm in a cell, wearing an oversized orange jumpsuit. I'm handcuffed, and charged with the murder of a very close friend. I think I'm doing just fine. Oh and let's not forget the good news, Luke's alive!"

  "You haven't lost your sense of humor," she said, taking a seat on the only chair in the room.

  "How are they?" Hayden asked, she had been longing to talk to her brothers for over a week.

  "They're happy you're back safe and sound. They've been extremely worried."

  "I never meant for this situation to get so out of hand...."

  "I know."

  "How did they find me?"

  "The car." Running away with her brother's car had not been a smart move after all. The license plate had been easy to track.

  "They think I killed Marika. How is this even possible? I'm innocent," she said, looking at the social worker straight in the eye.

  "I know that too, Hayden," she replied.

  "We all know that."

  "Then why am I still in here?"

  "Well, you haven't exactly been cooperative lately. Plus, it's the procedure," she explained. "I've been talking to the judge, I'm sure we can come up with a solution. Have some patience, I'll get you out of here," she said with a smile.

  "...and what's going to happen after?" she asked, hinting at her 'adoptive' status.

  "Let's focus on the now, Hayden. There's no need to worry about other things," Mrs Selling replied, as she got up getting ready to leave.

  "You're leaving already?" Who would have thought that she'd be sad in seeing Mrs Selling go; times really do change.

  "I have a meeting with your lawyer, plus I shouldn't even be here. It's the rules." She told the guard to open the cell, and walked out.

  "Have you seen Sunrise?" Hayden asked, from behind bars.

  "The girl that was arrested with you at the motel?" "Yes."

  "So that's really her name?" she asked, smiling. "I'm not sure," Hayden confessed.

  "They let her go already," Mrs Selling said, then added, "Oh, I almost forgot. She asked me to give you this." She handed her a folded piece of paper she had been keeping in her pocket. "I'll see you soon."

  As soon as Hayden was left alone, she read the paper.

  “What a plot twist! Hang in there girl!”

  And for a second there, Hayden smiled.

  THIRTY-TWO

  The next day, around eleven am, Hayden was escorted to her hearing by a few guards. Her mind was a hurricane of thoughts and the feeling of being totally powerless over her future was overwhelming.

  She walked into the courtroom, which was nothing like she had imagined. Just a big desk where the judge was sitting at, and around ten chairs were scattered around the room. No jury, no big audience. Movies are so fake, she thought.

  There were a few people in the room, but still the only eyes she met as she walked inside were James's. His eyes were watery, the perfect resemblance of his feelings: happy and worried at the same time. He looked tired, and Hayden truly realized how hard these days must have been on him. The chair she sat on, next to the judge who was busy minding his own business by writing in an old notebook, was not far away from where James was sitting, yet each floor tile that separated them seemed like an ocean. Mike and Will were also there, same look and same eyes as James. They had all worn their most elegant clothes, which meant wearing a white shirt and a pair of random clean pants. Mrs Selling was sitting next to a young man, probably Hayden's lawyer, who was whispering something to her.

  "Shall we begin?" the judge said, clearing his throat and putting his notebook on the side. Hayden's lawyer fell silent in an instant and replied,

  "Yes, Your Honor," in a very nervous tone.

  "If Miss Wilson's lawyer and representatives have nothing to object, I'd like to interrogate the girl personally".

  "Your Honor"
Mrs Selling said, standing up "Miss Wilson is a minor thus the law calls for her lawyer to answer on her behalf".

  "I know exactly what the law says, Mrs" the judge affirmed "I am asking if you have something against me questioning Miss Wilson directly". He was now looking at Hayden's lawyer.

  "No objection, Your Honor" the lawyer said, probably relieved he did not have to say anything else.

  "Good, let's begin” the judge said, while Mrs Selling took her seat. "Miss Wilson, do you know why you are here today?" he asked Hayden.

  "Yes".

  "How do you plead?"

  "Not guilty."

  "On what charges, exactly?" he asked, in a challenging tone.

  "All of them, I guess," she replied, hesitantly.

  "Miss Wilson, are you aware of how many charges you have pending?"

  "I'm not sure," she whispered, lowering her head. Holding back the tears was getting hard.

  "I'll make a quick overview for you," he said as he began reading through some notes, "Murder of Marika Ross. Attempted murder of Luke Morrison. Illegal gun possession. Drug dealing...should I go on?"

  "I didn't kill Marika!" Hayden cried out, almost yelling at the judge.

  "And I suppose you didn't even shoot Mr. Morrison."

  "It was self defense!" she argued, silent tears running down her face.

  "Right. Let's talk about your drug dealing job then."

  "I don't know what you are talking about."

  "So this isn't you?" he asked, taking out a picture which showed Hayden handing a package to a guy.

  "You want me to tell you what was in the parcel? Drugs."

  Hayden looked at that picture for a while. It was her indeed, and she remembered perfectly about that delivery. It was the package Ashley, Kristina and Allyson had asked her to bring to that guy a few weeks back. It was just a favor. Just a way to make her feel part of the group. Just a way to prove they trusted her. No, it was just a way to use her. They played me all along.

  "I had no idea," she muttered "Someone asked me to make that delivery."

  "Just like someone asked you to shoplift?" he argued. But Hayden did not say anything "Yes, Miss Wilson, we have pictures and footage of that too." Silence reigned in the room.

  "I'm going to ask you once again: Miss Wilson, how do you plead?"

  "This is not what it looks like!" Hayden shrieked, getting up from her chair. Tears were now pouring down her face. "Miss Wilson, sit down or I'll have to ask you to leave."

  "I've been set up!" she raged.

  "Hayden, please sit down," Mrs Selling said, getting closer. But Hayden wasn't listening anymore, to anyone. All she could see was betrayal, and people who didn't believe her, and who would never take the time to find out the truth.

  The guards were ordered to take her outside, and so she left and was sent back to her cell. The chaos that had arisen in that courtroom was nothing compared to the chaos in Hayden's soul. She entered her cell, almost relieved by the stillness and loneliness of that place. She threw herself on the bed and cried herself to sleep. Her last thought before falling asleep was: What's the point in having a lawyer if he doesn't speak up for you?

  ****

  Later that day Hayden was startled to see Mrs Selling standing right outsider her cell door. She thought bad news would reach her in a more indirect way. The guard opened the cell, and Mrs Selling said, smiling,

  "Get ready, you are free to go," and handed her a bag. "Your clothes and the rest of your stuff is in here." "Wait, what?" Hayden replied, puzzled. "I thought I was never going to see the light of day ever again!" "Just because you haven't been so nice to the judge doesn't mean he can make you pay for something you didn't do. Anyway, I'll explain everything in the car. I'll wait outside."

  Hayden watched Mrs Selling leave and opened the bag: her diary, her pendant (which she immediately put back on) and the few other belongings they had found at the motel the night she was arrested were all there, along with a few clean clothes that her brothers had probably packed for the occasion.

  She took the jumpsuit off and wore a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, a big sweater and walked out. After signing a few forms, and solving some formalities, she was finally free to go. Mrs Selling was waiting for her in the car, parked right outside. For a moment there Hayden was surprised her brothers hadn't come too. But she soon dismissed any negative thoughts, happy to be finally going back home. She put the bag in the trunk and sat at the passenger's seat.

  "So?" Hayden said, waiting for Mrs Selling to start the car and leave.

  "I'm waiting for you to put your seatbelt on," she replied.

  "Right," Hayden said, buckling up. Now just twenty-five miles separated her from her brothers, her home and the life she had been missing.

  "Are you gonna tell me what happened after I left the courtroom?" Hayden asked, after a few minutes. "You mean after you yelled at the judge, and had a breakdown in front of the man who already sort of disliked you?"

  "Yeah."

  "The thing is, Luke testified in your favor – and besides, your diary was accepted as proof, so that charge was dropped instantly. He'll be spending some time in prison. Marika's case has been reopened, because too many things still don't fit, so investigations will be carried out...."

  "So I'm still accused of killing her?" she asked, trying to overlook the fact her diary had been read by total strangers.

  "Not exactly. You have an alibi for the day she was shot, but they'll want to hear your version of the story sooner or later."

  "Alibi?"

  "A security camera spotted you ten miles away from where Marika was, a few minutes before the shooting."

  "What about Ashley, Kristina and Allyson?"

  "I have to admit, they are smart. It will be hard to prove they are behind Marika's death – and their involvement in everything else. Their parents are rich and they'll have the best lawyers. I can't guarantee you justice will be done, but we will try." "And what about my other charges?"

  "There wasn't much we could do. You have been accused of drug dealing and shoplifting, but you are underage and I did manage to convince the judge to not send you to the reformatory." Hayden couldn't help but notice the lack of enthusiasm in her tone of voice. This was probably the best outcome anyone could have hoped for, right? So why was there an aura of unrest everywhere? Hayden was about to ask more questions, but the sight of her house right at the end of the road brightened her. Excitement and happiness were all over her face. As soon as the car pulled into the driveway she opened the car door and ran into her house, without waiting for Mrs Selling.

  "I'm home!" Hayden yelled, as she opened the front door. Will and Mike were sitting at the couch, and they seemed startled by her sudden appearance. She ran towards them in a second. They hugged and kissed, but as soon as James walked into the room the chatter and joy seemed to vanish.

  They looked at each other for an instant, waiting for either one of them to do or say something. Hayden was trying to figure out his mood, and wished he'd be the one to make the first move. But then she decided that it was time to put her wounded pride away, so she walked towards him, and they hugged.

  "I'm so happy to be back," she said, and she could feel from his embrace that he was relieved and happy in holding her as well.

  "I've been so worried," he said, as they separated. "And I'm sorry about so many things – ."

  "It's okay," she said, holding his hand and smiling. "I'm here now and we'll have time to talk about everything. We can move on now." Her smile and innocence illuminated the room. "Everything is going to be fine now."

  "I thought you'd be mad," he said, looking at his sister awkwardly.

  "What? Why would I be mad?"

  "James," Mrs Selling said, as she walked into the door bringing along the bag Hayden had left in the car.

  "I haven't told her yet."

  "Told me what?" Hayden asked, worried. She looked around, trying to understand wh
at was going on by studying her brothers' faces.

  "Hayden, listen...." Mrs Selling began explaining. "As I told you, the judge has accepted to let you go, and to not send you to reformatory school, but you are also not allowed to stay here with your brothers anymore. The custody is revoked."

  "And where I am supposed to go?" she whispered, her voice cracking.

  "He's sending you to California, you have some relatives there. Aunt Michelle is more than happy to take you in." Michelle was her father's aunt, and the first time (and also last time) she had seen her and her husband and kids was when Hayden was five years old, during a family vacation. They were relatives yes, but she didn't know them – they were like total strangers. "California? That's on the other side of the country! What about school?" Hayden was scared and mad at the same time. "Plus, I don't even know these people!" She was now crying.

  "You'll finish the school year there," Mrs Selling explained.

  "Aren't you gonna say something?" Hayden asked James.

  "He's the one who suggested this solution," Mrs Selling confessed. Hayden stared at her brother in disbelief.

  "You're sending me away?"

  "I'm sorry, Hayden. We had no other choice," he said, and he sounded really sorry.

  "Hayden, your flight departs tomorrow morning. I'll come pick you up at eight-thirty am," Mrs Selling said, before leaving. No one spoke nor made a move for a few instants, the stillness of the house was surreal.

  Then Hayden, without saying a word, grabbed her bag and walked to her room, where she now knew she was going to spend just one last night before her life was going to change once again. No one dared to stop her from walking away.

  Family is always there for you, especially in your darkest times. Or so they say. But what they don't tell you about family is that it's not always there for you the way you imagine – or the way you hoped for.