On Top//Topper Thornton

thirty

John B is being arraigned this morning. We all sit in the courthouse waiting to hear if John B is going to be charged with murder.

The judge bangs the gavel. "John Booker Routledge, pursuant to the North Carolina statute section 14, you are charged with murder in the first degree with aggravated circumstances. If convicted, the maximum sentence would be the death penalty." He strikes the gavel again.

People start to whisper to one another about the charges.

"Your Honor, he's 17," JJ shouts.

"Stop," I tell him.

"Quiet in the courtroom," the judge demands.

"He's 17! Are you kidding me?" JJ remarks.

Pope tries to calm JJ down, "You're good."

"Bailiff!" the judge shouts.

"Hey, John B, we're gonna figure it out" JJ assures.

The bailiff takes John B by the arm to drag him back to jail.

"John B! John B!" Sarah shouts. "John B! No!" A deputy stops her.

Kie and I go to get her.

"Sarah!" I shout.

"Stop! Don't touch her!" Kie tells the deputy.

I grab Sarah's arm. "Let's go, Sarah. Let's get out of here."

We walk out the front of the courthouse with everyone else.

"Is this a joke? Like, are we in hell or...?" I remark.

"I should have never come home," Sarah states.

"They're gonna kill him, guys. I know it," JJ says.

I can hear my dad's lawyer. "Sorry for what you and your family have gone through. Thank God the system works."

"Can you please shut up?" Kie shouts. "Of course you think the system worked because it was made to protect you and people like you."

"He'll have his day in court. A jury will decide," the guy says.

"He shouldn't even be in court!" Kie points at Ward. "You should, 'cause you're a murderer. You have a lot of nerve showing up to court."

"I know you're upset. I understand you're upset, okay?" Dad says.

"Upset?" Kie remarks.

"I know he's got you fooled. He's got you all fooled," Dad states.

"No, I'm not just upset!" Kie shouts.

She goes to step towards Ward and Shoupe stops her.

"Show some respect!" Ward shouts.

JJ points at Thomas. "Muzzle your goddamned dog!" he tells Shoupe.

"Get off her!" Pope tells Thomas.

"Why don't you take the Kooks down for a change, Shoupe?" JJ remarks.

"You wanna get arrested?" Shoupe asks. "Get out! You need to go."

"This is bullshit," Kie states.

"Come on. Look, it's not worth it," Sarah tells her.

"Sorry, you shouldn't be going through this," Plumb tells Ward.

"Thank you," Ward says.

"Have a good night," Plumb tells them.

"Get out of here," Shoupe tells us.

"It's not a coincidence that your daughters are sitting with us," Kie tells Ward.