Fight For Me

by Alexis Noelle

  I hear footsteps coming, and when I turn around, I see Scott stumbling toward me. He’s been drinking a lot tonight because the club doesn’t card. He sits down next to me and the smell of whiskey on his breath turns my stomach. He snakes his arm around my shoulder like he’s been doing all night, except this time when I go to move away, his grip tightens.

  “Why are you so uptight?” he slurs into my ear. “I mean, you can spread your legs for riff raff, but not for me.” I swing my hand in an attempt to smack him but he catches it with his free hand. “Uh uh uh, that’s not lady like.”

  “Let me go, Scott.” I try to stand up but he forces me back down.

  He moves so he’s now hovering over me. “What you don’t understand, Christen, is I’m done asking. I’m going to take what I want.” His hand starts to creep up my leg and under my dress. I try to push him off of me, but I can’t budge him. The music inside is so loud that I know if I scream, no one will hear me, but it doesn’t stop me from trying.

  The next thing I know, Scott is flying off of me and lands on the grass outside of the gazebo. When I look up, I see Shawn walking toward him as he’s lifting himself off the ground. Shawn wastes no time and punches him in the face, knocking him back toward the ground. When Scott doesn’t get up, Shawn turns around and comes back toward me.

  “Are you okay?”

  I think I’m still in shock because I can’t even form an answer. All of a sudden, Scott is charging at Shawn and he has a knife in his hand. I yell out to warn him, and he throws me to the side while trying to dodge Scott. They start to fight and I can barely keep up with what’s happening. Eventually, Shawn ends up on top and I can see a red stain on his t-shirt. He’s punching Scott over and over, and Scott isn’t even fighting back anymore.

  I hear yelling, and when I look up, Jason and Carter are running toward us. What are they doing here? Jason pulls Shawn off of Scott while Carter grabs my hand and leads me out to the parking lot. We walk over to Shawn’s truck and wait for him and Jason. When they walk up, Jason and Carter jump in the front and Shawn and I get in the back.

  I turn to him, seeing that his shirt is covered in blood. I’m about to ask him what he’s doing here, when he wraps his arms around me. “I missed you so fucking much,” he whispers as he buries his head in my neck. He pulls back and is about to kiss me when I pull away. I turn my head away from him, overwhelmed by everything that has just happened.

  Shawn grabs my chin and tilts my head toward him, “I’m sorry, babe. You have no idea how much.”

  I look toward the front of the car, apprehensive about having this discussion in front of them. Jason notices me looking at them and then turns on the radio and adjusts the speakers so it’s louder in the front. I’m thankful he does that for us and I turn to Shawn so I can figure out what is going on. “Why did you leave? Why are you here now?” I still have so much anger running through me thinking about the way he left me and what he did.

  He rakes his hands through his hair and I can see the pain in his face. As much as I want to comfort him, I need to be strong and not give in. “It was your dad.”

  “My dad? What the heck does he have to do with anything?”

  “When you were out with your mom, your dad called me into his office. He tried to offer me money to walk away from you. When I told him no, he tried to blackmail me by threatening to send my family into poverty. I didn’t want to leave you, and it killed me to do it, but it was the only choice I could see at the time. You know how much I worry about my parents, and I couldn’t let them suffer because of me. I knew it was going to hurt you, but I felt like I was backed up into a corner with no way out. I’ve been so miserable without you. Jason finally got me to tell him what happened, and he talked some sense into me.”

  I can’t believe my father would do something like that. Well, maybe I can believe it, but I still can’t wrap my head around it. “Why didn’t you just tell me in the first place?”

  “I don’t know. I guess I just panicked. Please say you’ll forgive me? Tell me I didn’t screw us up too badly.”

  I put my hands on both sides of his face. “You should’ve just told me. I would have stood by you and stood up to my father.”

  He leans in closer and touches his lips to mine. His gentle kiss quickly catches fire and we pour everything we’ve been feeling for the last couple of days into it.

  Jason must have seen us in the rearview mirror because I hear him say, “Thank fucking God.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Shawn

  We go back to my apartment and all of the girls are still there. Everyone seems to be more at ease now that Christen and I have worked things out.

  I go into my room to change out of my dirty clothes and that’s when I really notice all of the blood all over my shirt. I completely lost control tonight. When I saw him on top of her trying to fight him off, I snapped. I would have left him there if he hadn’t come back for more. When we were wrestling on the ground, he muttered some asshole comment about having her one way or another and I blacked out. I don’t remember anything after that until I was in the car with Christen. I was so nervous that she wouldn’t take me back and that I had really fucked everything up.

  I go back out and sit down next to Christen on the couch, putting my arm around her. When someone knocks at the door, I get up to answer it. I open the door and two police officers are standing there.

  “Are you Shawn Matthews?” one asks with a stoic face.

  “Yes.”

  They exchange a look, and the taller one reaches behind his back and pulls out a set of handcuffs. “Shawn Matthews, you are under arrest for the murder of Scott Jameson.” My jaw drops to the floor. Before I can say anything, the officer turns me around and starts to fasten the handcuffs on my wrists. “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say, can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to have an attorney present during questioning. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand these rights as I have read them to you?”

  Nicole and Christen come running to the door with looks of horror on their faces.

  “You can’t arrest him!” Christen shouts. “He was just protecting me, you don’t understand!”

  “I’m sorry, miss, but I have to take him down to the station.” They start to lead me away from the door. I look back and Christen has collapsed onto the floor and Nicole is trying to get her back into the house. As they are loading me into the back of the car, the reality of the situation hits me like a freight train.

  I’m being arrested for murder.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Christen

  “Shit, shit, shit.” Everyone is pacing the apartment, still trying to figure out what to do. All I can think about is this has to be some kind of sick joke. Everything that happened tonight is just too much.

  Madison and Nicole sit down next to me. “Christen, what happened tonight with Shawn and that kid?”

  I tell Nicole everything from the moment I took a walk out to the gazebo, until Shawn showed up. It feels like I’m talking about someone else’s life and that none of this is real.

  Jason walks over and sits down next to me, “So, I called the station. They won’t set a bail until he is arraigned because of the severity of the crime. An arraignment can take up to forty-eight hours depending on the availability of the judge. The cop said he will get a phone call after he is processed and everything is settled, so I guess we will know more then.”

  “This is all my fault.” Shawn’s whole life could be over because I didn’t have enough nerve to stand up to my parents and tell them to take the party and Scott and go to hell. Jason puts his arm around me, and the river of tears I’ve been holding back begins to flow.

  ***

  It’s been almost two full days since everything happened and we are on our way to the courthouse for Shawn’s arraignment. He told us on the phone we didn’t need to be there, but there’s no way I’m
staying home when I’m the one who put him there in the first place.

  Nicole and Jason agreed to come with me to support him, and I think they know I need some support as well. Shawn is going to claim self-defense and we are hoping the district attorney will drop the charges.

  We walk into the courtroom just as the hearing is about to start. The bailiff leads Shawn into the courtroom and my heart breaks at seeing how defeated he looks. When he looks up and sees us, he just shakes his head. My heart breaks just looking at him. The person I love is in pain and in danger and I can’t do anything about it.

  Jason squeezes my hand, “Hey, he probably just didn’t want us to see him like this.”

  “All rise. This court is now in session, the honorable Judge Peters presiding.”

  The judge sits down and begins by advising Shawn of his right to trial, the right to counsel, and the right against self-incrimination. Shawn had Jason get money from his room to hire his attorney for the hearing. The judge goes over the charges against him and then asks how he’s going to plead.

  Shawn looks up at the judge and says, “Not guilty by reason of self-defense.”

  The judge then turns to the prosecution and asks them to present any evidence they have against him. Their evidence is solid, because of course he did it, but Shawn now needs to prove if he did it because he had to. “Your honor, Scott Jameson died due to brain swelling caused by blunt trauma to the head. Mr. Matthews has been involved in underground fighting and is well-versed in how to harm someone in a physical altercation.” The three of us collectively gasp. How do they know about that? “Due to this, we are claiming that he had the knowledge that the punches he was inflicting on Mr. Jameson were beyond the force needed to simply make him leave the premises.”

  The judge asks Shawn’s lawyer if he has anything else to add, and since he was unprepared for that bombshell, he says no. He does mention that the reason he and Scott were fighting is because he was assaulting me but the judge doesn’t look too moved.

  “Based on the circumstances of the crime, I am denying bail for Mr. Matthews and setting the trial date for three weeks from now.”

  I sink down onto the bench and tears start streaming down my face. Who would have told them about the fighting? Shawn has no enemies, no one hates him enough to ruin his life. Just then a haunting realization comes over me and I pull out my phone.

  Me: Please tell me that you weren’t the one who told the prosecution about the fighting.

  It takes less than a minute for him to answer me.

  Dad: I told you I would keep you away from him. You should have just listened to me.

  I gasp as my stomach drops. Nausea takes over me at the amount of hate my father has for the person that I love. This really is all my fault, and now Shawn’s life is ruined because of me.

  Epilogue

  Shawn

  When the prosecutors bring up the fighting, my heart stops. All I could think was I’m screwed. The judge even adds multiple accounts of illegal fighting and other miscellaneous charges. Apparently, Christen’s dad found out about it and had me followed to the tournaments, so they have pictures of me fighting three different people. Throughout the entire trial, they paint me as some rage filled psychopath. Thankfully, Scott cut me with the knife that night, which was a big plus for my defense. I think it’s the one thing that might save me.

  Christen testifies on my behalf and tells them the events of that night, and to my surprise, the dean of the pre-med department at school testifies as a character witness. The trial lasts about two and a half weeks, and today is the day I hear the verdict. I shuffle into the courtroom, trying not to bust my face since my ankles are cuffed together.

  I look up and see Christen and everyone else sitting in the front row. She has been here every single day, which kills me because she should be in class. Jason told me she filed a paper with the dean’s office to take a leave for this semester without academic penalty due to the circumstances, and it was granted. I hate how she's putting her life on hold for me. My family is sitting next to Carter on the bench. The look on my mom’s face when I told her everything still haunts me. She was so disappointed and she won’t even look me in the eye right now. I think she is more upset I had been fighting and lying for so long, than about what happened with Scott. Christen went to my house after the arraignment to tell my parents about everything that happened that night, but left the explanation of the fighting to me.

  The jury enters the courtroom, followed by the judge. The judge turns to the jury and I feel like I might throw up at any moment. “Has the jury come to a verdict regarding the defendant?”

  “We have, Your Honor.”

  “How does the jury find the defendant on multiple accounts of assault and battery?”

  “We find the defendant guilty, Your Honor.” Fuck.

  “How does the jury find the defendant in murder of the second degree?”

  “We find the defendant not guilty.”

  “Yes!” I scream out before I can catch myself.

  “Mr. Matthews, you will control yourself in my courtroom.”

  “Yes, Your Honor.”

  My heart is beating so fast it feels like it’s about to come out of my chest. I look behind me and smile at Christen. The judge bangs his gavel in an attempt to restore order. “Mr. Matthews, you will be fined five thousand dollars for each battery offense, and will be placed under house arrest for the duration of six months. If you are ever caught fighting again, it will be noted that it will result in jail time of no less than one year. This case is adjourned, all parties may be dismissed.”

  I thank my lawyer for all of his hard work, and am led out of the room to finally be set free from this hell.

  ***

  I’ve been out for a week and have received permission to go to campus with this damn ankle bracelet on. Every time I want to leave the house, I need permission and they give me a curfew. This is going to be a long six months. I’m on my way to the tuition office so that I can officially drop out of the classes I have registered for the fall semester. After paying my lawyer and all of the fines, almost all the money I earned is gone, and there is no way I can pay for classes.

  “Shawn Matthews.” I walk into my advisor’s office, hating what I’m about to do. “How can I help you today?”

  “I need to drop out of the program.”

  He looks absolutely shocked. “Why is that? We rescheduled your classes for fall so that you could pick up where you left off.”

  “I know that, and I appreciate all the help, but unfortunately, I just can’t afford to continue in the program right now.”

  “Have you applied for scholarships and grants?”

  “Yeah, and I’ve taken on loans, too. It’s just not enough.” It sucks to know that you can’t achieve the one thing you want because you can’t afford it.

  “Let me take a look at your account.” He types away at his computer and I almost want to stop him. It’s great that he wants to help, but there is nothing that he can do for me. “Mr. Matthews, it seems that there has been an account linked to yours that is set up to pay for your education from this point until graduation.”

  “What? You must be looking at someone else’s account.” My confusion and surprise is evident.

  “I’m looking at it right now. It seems it was set up a few days ago, and will cover what your financial aid won’t until graduation.”

  “How is that possible? Does it say where it came from?” My family definitely doesn’t have it, and unless I have a rich relative hiding somewhere, none of this makes sense.

  “No, it says it was anonymous. I’m assuming you don’t want to drop your classes then?”

  “No, I guess not.” I walk out of his office more confused than I have ever been. Who would have that kind of money? When I leave the building, Christen is waiting outside.

  “Hey, are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I, um…my tuition was mysteriously paid for.”

  “Oh my G
od! That’s great! How?”

  “I don’t know.”

  My mom used to always tell us when we were kids that the angels were guarding us. I guess my angel decided to step in and help.

  Christen

  We are on our way home and Shawn is still racking his brain, trying to figure out who set up that account. What he doesn’t know is, he’s sitting right next to the person. My parents had set up a trust for me, which has been mine since I turned eighteen. I never wanted to touch it because I didn’t need it. I went to the tuition office a few days ago and met with one of the counselors to set up direct withdrawals from my account for his tuition. I made her promise it would be anonymous because I knew Shawn would not accept it if he knew it was coming from me.

  When we get back to the apartment, everyone is hanging out. We’ve all gotten so much closer and have really leaned on each other throughout everything that has happened.

  Carter and Madison have actually started planning their wedding. They want to do it next summer after Carter graduates.

  Jason and Nicole are still as crazy in love as they have ever been. Unfortunately, when Nicole told her father she wouldn’t come home while Jason’s mom was there, he told her that was too bad and he would miss her. He refuses to see how hard the situation is for her and she hasn’t talked to him since. Jason’s dad is still as miserable and nasty as he was the first time she met him, so neither of them plan on visiting home anytime soon.

  Shawn and I have only grown closer with everything that’s happened. He can’t go home for the summer because of the house arrest, and I haven’t spoken to my parents since I found out what my dad did. His parole officer gave him the green light to apply for jobs, and Carter is trying to get him a job at the club. I took a waitressing job so I can support myself and be more independent. It seems like everything has finally fallen into place for all of us. The demons are gone and everyone is finally at peace, except J and Nic, but fighting is a staple in their relationship and they love making up way too much to get along.