Don't Call Me Angel

Angel 23

The courtroom buzzed with murmurs as friends and family gathered to witness the trial of Lavender White and Ambrose Cunningham. Celeste Bailey and Josh Worthy sat in the front row, their eyes fixed on the defendants. The air was thick with tension, and the weight of anticipation hung over everyone present.

Lavender sat beside Ambrose, both wearing somber expressions. Isabel Veratti, their formidable lawyer, stood between them, her demeanor calm and confident. She placed a reassuring hand on Lav's shoulder before stepping forward to address the judge.

"Your Honor, I'd like to begin by stating that my clients, Lavender White and Ambrose Cunningham, acted in self-defense on the night of Logan's death," Isabel said firmly. "We intend to prove this with the evidence and testimonies we've gathered."

The judge, a stern-looking man with silver hair, nodded. "Proceed, Ms. Veratti."

Isabel returned to her seat, and the prosecution rose to present their opening statement. The prosecutor, a tall man with a sharp gaze, began to paint a picture of Lav and Ambrose as dangerous criminals with violent pasts.

Josh leaned over to Celeste and whispered, "They're making them sound like monsters."

Celeste nodded, her eyes narrowing. "We have to believe in Isabel. She'll turn this around."

As the prosecution continued, Lav's mind drifted back to the night Logan died. She remembered the fear in his eyes, the way he lunged at her with the knife. She hadn't meant to push him; it was pure instinct.

The prosecutor finished his statement, and Isabel rose again. "Your Honor, we call Lavender White to the stand."

Lav took a deep breath and stood, walking to the witness stand. She could feel everyone's eyes on her, but she kept her gaze on Isabel, who gave her an encouraging nod.

"Lavender," Isabel began, "can you tell the court what happened on the night of Logan's death?"

Lav's voice was steady as she recounted the events. "Ambrose and I were on the roof, talking. Logan came out of nowhere, yelling that he was going to kill us. He had a knife. I tried to calm him down, but he wouldn't listen. He came at me, and I pushed him. It all happened so fast."

"Did you intend to kill Logan?" Isabel asked.

"No," Lav replied, her voice trembling slightly. "I just wanted to protect myself and Ambrose. I didn't mean for him to fall."

Isabel nodded. "Thank you, Lavender. No further questions."

The prosecutor stood, a skeptical look on his face. "Lavender, isn't it true that you have a history of violent behavior?"

Lav's heart pounded. "Yes, but I've never meant to hurt anyone. I've always acted out of fear or self-defense."

The prosecutor pressed on. "Isn't it also true that you've been arrested multiple times?"

"Yes," Lav admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Thank you, Lavender," the prosecutor said, returning to his seat.

Isabel called Ambrose to the stand next. He walked confidently, his eyes meeting Isabel's with determination.

"Ambrose, can you describe what happened the night Logan died?" Isabel asked.

Ambrose's voice was steady. "Logan was out of his mind. He had a knife and was threatening us. I was ready to fight him off, but Lav pushed him before he could hurt her. She saved us both."

"Did you see the knife?" Isabel asked.

"Yes," Ambrose replied. "It was in his hand. He was going to stab us."