unspoken thing » jj maybank

44

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"John Booker Routledge, pursuant to the North Caroline 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." the judge stated before striking the gavel.

Shocked filled Emelina's entire body. She sat on the bench in one of the rows, watching John B stand at the front in his new orange jumpsuit, hearing his possible future and it broke her.

The one thing that tipped her over was the wicked smirk playing on Ward's lips from across the room. She was so sick of them getting her way that she couldn't stop herself from disrupting the courtroom with her voice. "You can't do this!"

JJ stood up next to her, pointing his arm outward in continuation, "Your Honor, he's seventeen!"

"Guys, stop it!" Kiara and Pope both shushed them, but JJ refused to listen. "He's seventeen! Are you kidding me?!"

Pope pushed them both away, hearing the judge call bailiff. John B turned his head slightly to the two, his eyes tired and dull. This was unfair to him. One of the officers started to pull him away.

"He's just a kid!" Emelina said one last time. JJ pointed to his best friend, "Hey, John B, we're gonna figure it out!"

Sarah walked over to him, tears filling her eyes as she cried out to him. Another officer began to tug her away from him and Kiara came to her rescue, telling him not to touch her.

JJ's hands found Emelina's waist as he pushed her out of the courthouse. Everything was so overwhelming, she felt the tears threatening to fall, especially when her eyes landed on Ward again.

Others who were in the courtroom continued to chatter outside, preaching about how John B deserved for what he had coming.

"Is this a joke? Like, are we in hell or...?" Kiara's shocked voice filled their group. Sarah sniffled as she walked down the steps, "I should have never come home."

"They're gonna kill him, guys. I know it." JJ said, releasing his hold on Emelina. She looked at him and he caught the gaze of her tearful eyes.

"Sorry for what you and your family have gone through. Thank God the system works." a man said to Ward, but the rest heard him.

Kiara was the first to speak, "Can you please shut up? Of course you think the system worked because it was made to protect you and people like you."

The man looked at her, "He'll have his day in court. A jury will decide."

Kiara pointed to the courthouse, "He shouldn't even be in court! You should," She then pointed to Ward, "'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?"

"Upset?!" Kiara scoffed. "I know he's got you fooled. He's got you all fooled." Ward said, glancing at the rest of them.