Monsters || Punk 5SOS AU

#11

Katelyn_______

Court.

That one word scares the poop out of me. It's been two weeks since the cops showed up at Ash and Cal's place. Schools been hell. The amount of crap I get from my schizophrenia attack makes me want to punch the living day lights out of some people. I haven't gone home. I'm too scared to. I've been staying at Luke's place. His mum and dad are really nice, they let me stay in one of Luke's older brothers room since they moved out. Michael would sometimes come over.

Now I was sitting next to Luke and his mum Liz with her husband Andy next to her and Cal and Ash next to Luke. Michael was next to his lawyer and Karen was next to her lawyer. I wasn't allowed near either of them. Something about messing with the evidence. Considering I'm the evidence it both does and doesn't make sense.

Luke slings his arm around me and rubs my shoulder attempting to calm me down. I bounce my leg up and down as we wait for the judge to enter. I don't know what possible out come could come from his but I'm hoping none of them relate to 'and you shall never see Michael again.' I would cry if that was to happen. We have grown so close since the start of school. It's my dream coming true. Michaels the big bad boy senior who along side his mates rule the school in a way that no one talks about. I'm the bad boys little sister who he always looks out for and punches anyone who messes with me. (He's punched 2 guys in the past two weeks. They had it coming if you ask me.) this day could shatter that dream. Or it could build it. The choice is unknown at this present time.

We all stand as the judge walks into the room. "Be seated," her professional British sounding voice says and everyone sits down.

(Just gonna skip the majority cause I don't really know how court works.)

"Mrs Karen Clifford to the stand," someone says.
'Mum' walks up to that place where the witnesses sit.

"Mrs Clifford. You called this court meeting and rung the police on your son, Michael Clifford, is that correct?"

"Yes it is."

"Why is that?"

"Well, he kidnapped my daughter. I came home one night and I was talking to my daughter Katelyn, when he just barged in making a big scene before grabbing her and dragging her out of my house."

'Lies,' I thought.

"Why would he do something like that?"

"To gain attention, to anger me. My son and I haven't had much of a connected relationship ever since he got his first tattoo a few years ago. I told him he was heading  down a dark path but he chose to ignore. Now look at him and his friends."

She was in tears at this point.

"Thank you Karen. You may now sit down." She gets up and walks back to her seat.
"Your honor. I don't believe we need to hear anything more."

The judge starts nodding. I look over a Michael and he's whispering to his lawyer.

"Your honor. My client would like to question someone." Michaels lawyer states. The judge nods and Michael looks at me.

"I would like to call my younger sister, Katelyn Clifford, to the stand." Oh poop. I look at Michael and start shaking my head. He starts nodding a response. Luke grips my forearm forces me up. He rubs my back before passing me to Cal, then on to Ash. Ash stands up with me and leads me to the stand while in the process I'm shaking like a pooing dog.

Ash walks back to his seat while I stare at the floor. I look up to see Michael get handed a piece of paper. He walks up to me while reading what's written. Quickly he scrunches it up, throws it over his shoulder and grabs a chair. Sitting in front of me, he starts asking the questions.

"So. Your names Katelyn, correct?"

"Yeah," I mumble back.

"Nervous?" He raises an eyebrow.

I nod. In feel tears well up in my eyes and a need to start scratching my already shreded arms. Michael notices this.

"Hey. Its just me and you in the room okay? No one else. Just look at me." I do what he says.
"Good. Now Katelyn I actually have to ask you some stuff that could get quite deep and emotional for you so if I push it too far, say bubbles okay? In a really angry voice. Got it?" I let out a small smile and nod. His eyes shine a bit and he starts asking.

"You never fully explained to me what happened that night you rang. I saw heaps of bruises but when you explained, you left out something important."

"What?"

"You only talked about that Eric guy. Never mum. What did she do?"

"Nothing."

"Come on Katelyn. You can tell me."

"I just told you. She did nothing. Only encouraged him to keep going. She just stood there and laughed while that man kicked me repeatedly. They were both yelling insults. I'm too scared to go home because of it and I'm too scared to sleep incase they both just randomly show up." Rivers were running out of my eyes. I stared at my feet not wanting to meet Michael's gaze.
Instead he starts talking.

"That night I so called 'kidnapped' my sister was because she rang me screaming for help because someone was hurting her. I can reply you the phone call, but all I say is, if you are going to take Katelyn away from me, at least take her away from her biggest fear. Her mother."

Mic drop. The entire court room was silent. I run back down to my seat and Liz pulls me into her side. After several moments of discussion and the phone call being played out loud. The jury and judge had a private discussing before the formal decision was made.

"I have come to the conclusion that Katelyn Clifford will no longer be under the care of her mother, Karen Clifford. Instead the jury and I have decided that she will be under the care of the Hemmings family along side Michael Clifford. Case closed."