Not a Cinderella story but close

Chapter 24 / Court

We work out the details and we have our day in court on Friday right before the big football game. 

Over the suspension we all talk and go over the details of what we're going to say. Not all of us will get a chance to speak, but we'll all be there. The four of us are the main people so we will be speaking and a couple of others. We're going to bring the DVD for court. We won't watch the whole video, but we will play all the parts that are relevant to our case. Gary made a reel of them. Tanner, Jason, Jack, and Rex will all be there. We also have the note from Jack and the clip of him saying he doesn't hate us. 

 As the day of our court appearance arrives we get nervous that maybe one of the guys will do something, but they wouldn't be stupid enough to attack us before the court date and prove our point. Our day in court is finally here and I don't know about the rest, but my stomach has caterpillars that just turned into butterflies. We all walked into the theater that was turned into a makeshift courtroom. Four tables together and six seats behind them. All thirty four of us North, Fenix, East and me at the lead. We all take a seat and fill up the first row. Then the guys walk through the doors and take their seats. Then the school board arrives and they each take a seat. 

Three men and three women I'm assuming anyway. Two black men, one black woman, two white women and one white man. Mr. Crow, Mr. Frank, Ms. Evern, Ms. White(Ironic), Mrs. Pot (yeah I know right), Mr. Poet. Even though I'm white white men freak me out. Ms. Evern starts talking "What do you accuse these four men of?". I stand up "Actually we're only accusing three of harassment, hate speech, and hate crimes." then I sit. The guys start murmuring. "Order" Ms. Evern says spacking a ruler down on a book. They quiet real quick. "Why not the fourth man?" Mrs. Pot asks. 

Fenix stands "We originally thought that he acted out of malition and homophobia, but there has been a discovery that he was only doing what he did to protect his future." then sits. "Where is this evidence?" Mr. Crow asks. Fenix stands note in hand "Here your honors is a note that was found on my locker last Monday. It wasn't signed, but on Friday night we questioned these boys and only one would have written an apology. Jack punched me a few weeks ago not out of hate, but to protect his future this was his response to me asking "Why did you have to punch me when I told you that I would stay quiet about Tanner calling me and Iris fags and that's what started the fight?". Fenix says handing Ms. Evern the note. 

"So you don't want him to be punished?" Mr Frank asks, raising an eyebrow. "We want him to have detention for a week, after football practice" Fenix says sitting down. Ms. Evern passed the note around. "Where is the evidence that he ever punched you Ms. Hardinge?" Mr. Poet asked. Fenix flinches, but walks to the first row and asks for the DVD and the photo Fenix took of themself after it happened. "Are you ok?" East asks. "Yeah I'm fine" Fenix says walking back to the stage. "Can I get a DVD player and a small TV?" Fenix asks as they hand the photo to Mr. Poet who passes it around to the other board members. 

Mr. Poet goes backstage and comes back with a cart, a TV in the top and a DVD player in the middle. He plugs it in, goes back to his seat and Fenix puts the DVD in and presses play. They grab the remote and fast forward to the moment they asked Jack the question. They watch and then when it's done Fenix pauses the video and looks at the board. "Young man how do you plead?" Mr. Frank asks Jack. Jack stands looking at Fenix then back at the four of us. He mouths thank you and then says "Guilty". "Okay you are free to go" Ms. Evern says. Jack walks out of the theater. 

Fenix then sits down. "What are you accusing the rest of?" Mr. Crow says. North stands, "Harassment, hate speech, and hate crimes against the lgbtq students at this school" she says. "What is your evidence?" Mrs. Pot says. North walks up on stage grabs the remote and backs it up to the beginning where Tanner says "I believe that they should take that crap somewhere else, maybe off a bridge". "What about the other two?" Ms. White asks. North walks down the stage and hands me the remote for Rex's part. I fast forward to the part where Rex says "I'm not no fag". "The other?" Mr. Frank asks. I bring the remote to, East for Jason's downfall. She fast forwards to the part where he says "Yeah I'm not no fag". "Well did you show this to your principal?" Ms. Evern asks East. "Yes" East replies. "What did they say?" Mr Frank asks.