Addicted To You (TO BE PUBLISHED)

107

I sit at the very front of the courthouse with Chase and Vanessa. I kept wiping my sweaty palms on my dress pants nervously. This isn't something I am used to. Seeing a judge in front of me is discomforting. Everything can go wrong at any moment.

Everyone we know of is here, including Ritchie and Alex, who is on the other side. Calvin apparently fled and is nowhere to be found. Vanessa had talked to Luke, and he said Calvin left one night and hasn't come back.

I place my hands on the brown wooden table and stare back at Claudia and Ellie. Ellie had the chance to be up here, but she didn't want to speak. She is frightened of what he might try to do. I was the one that didn't care. Ritchie may have harmed and abducted me, but once he and Alex are locked up for good, they won't see me again.

Both Ellie and Claudia blew kisses my way.

Trevor and Celeste were looking at the baby, starting to cry. Mary is next to them, looking just as sick as the other day.

The judge finished getting settled then the Bailiff told us all to rise from our seats. "Department One of the Superior Court is now in session. Judge Lincoln presiding. Please be seated." He tells us.

I sit down nervously, and Chase had gripped my hand to comfort me. I stare at him, clothed with a white dress shirt and pants, then stare to my right, where Ritchie stands smiling at me deviously.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Calling the case between Mr. & Mrs. Hamilton and the Millers is it?" The judge looks up at them for confirmation.

"Yes." the lawyers said.

He looks at them with a slanted mouth while shaking his head. "Okay. Are both sides ready?"

"Yes, your honor." Both Vanessa and the other Attorney spoke.

The judge had presented the swear and let Vanessa start her statement first. "Your Honor and ladies and gentlemen of the jury. We have here a family tale that lasts on till this day. The Miller's, which I am sure you know as the Dawns from Pennsylvania, had violated their plea deal from their release in 1996. Along with the case of the second-degree kidnapping of Amelia Hamilton. Also known as Amelia Bennett."

The judge flips through papers while listening to Vanessa. "Amelia, your mother is Allie Bennett?" He asked.

I tried to speak into the microphone, but it made that screech, ringing sound everyone hates. "Yes."

He smiles. "I went to middle school with her. Sweet girl."

Chase glances at me and smiles while I lean forward to speak again. "Small world." I laugh, trying to play it cool even though I am flipping out on the inside.

The other attorney spoke of his statement how Ritchie and Alex are falsely accused of things they haven't committed and telling the judge that his clients are not guilty. I suddenly felt so certain we will win this thing without a doubt.

The first witness was Daniel. He sat in the tiny booth next to the judge and answered many questions from Vanessa about the night Ritchie offered him a suitcase of money to take me. It's not like I already know everything that had happened. It's worst enough I have to hear it all again. The other Attorney, Jules, started asking questions about Daniels work when he was working under Alex.

He was just a simple driver and guard.

Next up was Chase. He came up front to oath and truthfully told the whole court about the night he was forced to drug the missing girl at the club. Vanessa pulled up evidence through the video camera of a gun being drawn behind his back. The other attorney, Jules, had started questioning Chase opposing the situation on him instead of making it seem like Ritchie did it. The whole time I couldn't help to notice how confident they stood over there, especially Alex.