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𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐖𝐎 | 𝖤𝖯𝖨𝖲𝖮𝖣𝖤 𝖳𝖶𝖤𝖫𝖵𝖤 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋𝖽𝗂𝖼𝗍 !
MADDIE WAS AT the police station. Both her and Justin. She decided to turn in a statement.
She sat across from two police officers, her parents on either side of her. Her mother held her hand while her father rubbed her back. "I, uh... I remember seeing him on top of me. I remember feeling the weight of him crushing me. I remember him holding me down and forcing himself on me. I was too weak to fight back, to... to do anything other the cry out." She looks at the police officers. "But I remember his face. He.. it... it was Bryce Walker. Bryce Walker raped me."
When Maddie walked out of the interrogation room, she saw everyone sitting, waiting for her. Her arm was wrapped around her mother's and she saw everyone stand up. Justin was the first one to walk over to her.
"I'm so proud of you." He says it in a low voice and Maddie smiles at him, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.
It was the first time they'd hugged in six months and it was an all too familiar feeling. She knew it all too well. She knew him all too well. He was as constant as the North Star for her. For her, it would always be Justin Foley. She realized it in that moment, but a gut feeling told her she'd always known it.
»--•--«
"All rise."
Maddie and everyone else in the courtroom stood to their feet. It was time for the verdict. Whether the jury would side with the Bakers or the school, Maddie didn't know. All she knew was that this suit brought a lot of pain to her life, and she could only hope with it, the pain would disappear too.
"The Honorable Judge Martin Campbell presiding."
"Be seated." The judge says after making his way to his seat. Everyone takes a seat following his order. "Bailiff, bring in the jury, please."
The bailiff moves to the side door, holding it open as the jury walks through and takes their seats.
"Madam Forewoman, have you reached a verdict?"
"We have, Your Honor." The forewoman hands the paper off, eventually landing in the judges hands. Maddie's leg bounces as she watches the judge review it and Justin places a hand on her leg, quickly stopping its movements.
The paper is returned to the forewoman. "What say you?"
"We the jury, in the case of Andrew and Olivia Baker versus the Evergreen County School District, find the defendant not responsible."
Whispers erupt in the courtroom as Maddie's heart drops down to her stomach. How could they not find the school responsible? There was so much shit wrong with Liberty. The staff tried to pretend like they didn't know about it, but they did. They just didn't care. Clearly, neither did the jury.
Everyone was gathered outside, press raiding everyone with questions and microphones. Maddie and everyone listened to Olivia speak about her daughter and her feelings about the verdict, which only made her heart hurt more.
Then, police arrived.
Maddie, Justin, Clay, Zach and Alex watch as Deputy Standall walks over toward Bryce. Maddie gasps slightly.
He's arresting him.
They walk the boy down the stairs with his hands cuffed behind his back. Only Bryce can't help but get in one last word. "You're making a big fucking mistake," he spits at Maddie.
She doesn't make a face, though. She doesn't care and she's not fazed by his empty threat. Bryce Walker doesn't scare her. Not anymore.
However, a few seconds later her worst fear begins to come true when police officers approach Justin. "Justin foley, you're under arrest..."
Maddie's head snaps around. "What?"
"...as an accessory to felony sexual assault."
Maddie's vision and her hearing blur out as she watches Justin's hands get cuffed behind his back and they lead him down he stairs. Maddie followed being them. "Justin! Wait, no."
Justin looks over his shoulder at her. "Mads, it's okay."
"What?"
"It's okay."
Maddie shakes her head, watching him get closer to being thrown in the back of the police cruiser. All she can think about is how she might not see him again in God know how long and all she has is one thing on her mind.
How much she loves him.
How much it would pain her to lose him again.
She didn't plan for her feet to move forward, they seemed to be moving on their own accord. She still managed to get to him before he was taken away, though. "Justin!"
Justin looks over his shoulder as the police officer opens the car door. An officer reaches for her, to tug her away from Justin, but she moves past his grip, quickly taking Justin's face in her hands.
She looks at him for a moment and the next thing she knows, her lips are on his.
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