Electric Love - R. Meeks

{ 𝚃𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚊𝚐𝚎 𝙳𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚖 }

"I'ᴍᴀ ɢᴇᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ ʀᴀᴄɪɴɢ ɪɴ ᴍʏ sᴋɪɴ ᴛɪɢʜᴛ ᴊᴇᴀɴs, ʙᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴛᴇᴇɴᴀɢᴇ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍ ᴛᴏɴɪɢʜᴛ. Lᴇᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴘᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʜᴀɴᴅs ᴏɴ ᴍᴇ ɪɴ ᴍʏ sᴋɪɴ ᴛɪɢʜᴛ ᴊᴇᴀɴs, ʙᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴛᴇᴇɴᴀɢᴇ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍ ᴛᴏɴɪɢʜᴛ. Yᴏᴜ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ᴍᴇ ғᴇᴇʟ ʟɪᴋᴇ ɪ'ᴍ ʟɪᴠɪɴɢ ᴀ ᴛᴇᴇɴᴀɢᴇ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍ. Tʜᴇ ᴡᴀʏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴜʀɴ ᴍᴇ ᴏɴ, ɪ ᴄᴀɴ'ᴛ sʟᴇᴇᴘ. Lᴇᴛ's ʀᴜɴ ᴀᴡᴀʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴇᴠᴇʀ ʟᴏᴏᴋ ʙᴀᴄᴋ, ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴇᴠᴇʀ ʟᴏᴏᴋ ʙᴀᴄᴋ."

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"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury," Belle paused, turning to look at the film students who had been roped in to the mock trial for her pre-law class, "Mickey Altieri ruined the lives of many. He brutally murdered three people and claims to have done it accidentally. The victims, Casey "Cici" Cooper, Randy Meeks, and Kenny Waters were stabbed multiple times. One doesn't do that accidentally. Casey was stabbed eleven times. Randy was stabbed 6 times and his throat was slit. Kenny was mutilated beyond recognition. How can Mr. Altieri claim to have done that on accident? Medical professionals have said Mr. Altieri is insane, friends of Mr. Altieri have confessed that they can't say for sure he couldn't do something like this, and family members of his victims have asked he be held responsible. I ask you this,

"Would you be okay knowing the man who stabbed your little sister eleven times was found not guilty? Would you be alright if the man who murdered your uncle was allowed free? Would you feel safe knowing that the man who mutilated your son was still out there? I know I wouldn't. Members of the jury, I come to you not as a lawyer, but as a fellow citizen, and ask you to convict the defendant of his crimes. Prosecution rests," she walked back to her seat and listened to the defense give their closing speech.

This assignment had turned in to a project for the psychology, pre-med, and theater students as well. Some of them had been brought in as witnesses that either testified to Mickey's insanity, the nature of his crime, played a concerned family member of the victims, or played a friend of Mickey's.

As the defense rested their case, the film students in the jury box were sent to deliberate.

"As for the rest of you, take a brief recess while the jurors discuss," The judge, whom was Belle's teacher, announced.

Belle and the other members of the prosecution, stood and walked from the room, letting out the breath they'd been holding in as they did so.

The remaining film students were either in the gallery, four rows of chairs behind where the pre-law students were sitting, or sitting in the floor of the hallway.

Belle searched for the film students that had been selected as the victims.

She found Cici standing and talking to Randy and Kenny by a water fountain about 10 feet from the door.

She quickly walked over to the three, trying to avoid getting stuck in any conversations she didn't want to.

"Hi," she said, coming up to stand next to Cici.

"Hi," Cici replied, "How'd it go?"

"We just finished closings, the jury is deliberating as we speak. God, this is stressful," Belle breathed out.

"Why?" Kenny asked.

"Because this is a major grade and the highest I can get if Mickey isn't convicted is a 90. Not to mention, this the first one of these things we've done and I was first chair for the prosecution,"