All The Lives I've Lived

Chapter 4

"Miss Grimes are you prepared to testify against Valencio?"

"Yes ma'am, I am."

"And you understand the possible consequences of you doing so?"

"I do."

"Good. I'm just going to need you to sign this form for clarification."

My hands shook in my lap due to nervousness. I rubbed my clammy palms down my thighs to smooth out my jeans. I reached up and grasped the fountain pen, as I wrote in my shaky handwriting my left hand smudged the black ink as it spelled out my full name.

"So will my family be able to be there?"

"No. I'm sorry but we cannot risk having your family there."

As much as I wanted my family there to support me and keep me calm through all this, I wanted them safe even more. I looked up at the woman on the other side of the desk. Her pant suit was a drab charcoal grey perfectly matching the drab attorney's office and her drab brown hair and her drab drab drab emotionless face. "Alright. I understand."

"So when you get up to the stand you will be sworn in, you'll have to swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. When you're up there only answer the questions they ask you. Do NOT try to overcompensate. Don't make up any excuses. Now when we present the evidence to the jury we'll show you the photographs taken at the crime scene and ask you to identify the young woman in the pictures. You must reply with her full name." Brekken pulled out a thick manila file from one of the drawers of her desk and dropped it onto the wood with a loud slap. She opened the file and spread out the photographs.

There she was. My dear Amanda. She was more than a friend, really. She was a second sister to me. She was there for me when Fletch went off to war, when the horse I had had since I was a small child had died, and through any relationship crisis I was having. And now I'd never see her again, other than in these pictures. With her body as limp as ever,  eyes wide in horror, mouth slack from death.

My throat closed up, my eyes started watering, and bile crawled up my throat choking me. My hands shook worse than ever. Even when I closed my eyes I could still see it. I saw it all. The red red blood. The horror. And those demon eyes.

I pulled away from Louis with a jolt, breaking the hug with my mind racing. Louis cocked an eyebrow at my undoubtedly strange reaction, but didn't voice any attention towards it, thankfully. What was I going to say if he questioned it? Oh, I was just, you know, having the complete urge to run as fast as I could and find somewhere to hid and curl up in a ball because I had a minor flashback to a jackass murdering my best friend and for a minuscule second panicked because of my PTSD but it's all good. How bout no? That was not going to happen.

"Well, Alex, I've got a meeting in ten minutes so you can either wait in my office or stay with Preston," Paul motioned towards the a man about ten feet away next to the lobby desk.

"Uhm, I guess I'll just stay in your office." I answered with haste. I really just needed to clear my head again. Wow, this day already was becoming too much to handle. "But I really need to use the restroom, where is it?"

"Oh, just down that hall" Zayn pointed to the left.

"Uh, thanks" I quickly dismissed myself and briskly walked to the bathroom. I yanked the heavy dark wood door open revealing the sterilized white tile flooring and porcelain sinks. I stopped in front of the mirror and turned the nobs on the faucet up, cupping it in my hands and splashing my face with the cold water. I could already feel my headaches returning. Whenever I was stressed or under some sort of pressure I would get these pounding migraines, I had to take a ton of Advil just so they let up enough for my to properly think. Being in Witness Protection, I was constantly stressed. So you can imagine that these headaches had become practically a regular thing. I used to have to take special medication in the mornings to try and prevent my migraines but I haven't taken them in about two weeks, it was now that I popped a few Advil in my mouth and swallowed them dry.

I opened my backpack and took out my mascara to re-apply and clean up the black trails running down my cheeks from the water. My under-eyes were still puffy but over all I looked much better. Running a hand through my hair one more time I exited the bathroom, coming face to face with a gorgeous girl around 17 or 18.

"Oh, sorry!" She spoke, shyly pushing a lock of brown hair behind her ear.

I grunted but still said "No. I should've been watching where I was going." Because my mother raised me to be a nice, well mannered young lady. Gag.

"Well, let's say we're both at fault here" she softly laughed. "I'm Alexis, but everyone calls me Lexie," She stuck out her hand to me with a dimpled smile. She really was adorable. She had long light brown hair that as far as I could tell was naturally straight, hazel eyes that were so unique, they were actually more dark teal than hazel. She had a curvy body shape and she certainly knew how to dress to flatter her body. She honestly looked skinnier than she actually was. But I would say her face is what made her so pretty, she had a small dimple in her left cheek, light eye brows, and a natural glow to her that seemed care free and fun-loving.

"I'm Alex. Nice to meet you."

"Sorry if I seem rude, but I've really gotta go, have a nice day" She smiled again, walking past me into the bathroom. I wonder if she's signed to Simon too or if she works here. I suppose she could also be visiting her dad or something.  I made my way back to the lobby where Preston directed my down the opposite hallway and to the dark wood door with a plaque reading Paul's name. I guess he already went to his meeting because the room was vacant when I walked in. I had about an hour to kill so I plopped down on the small dark leather couch and pulled out my phone.

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Fifty short minutes later the door was opening and Paul was stepping through. Turns out time flies when you're playing Angry Birds. I swear, I still can't decide if it was the best game invented or the worst.

"Oh! Hey Al, did you want to go out to lunch with the boys? I've got another meeting during lunch break so I won't be able to make it."

"Uhh..." I had no idea what to do. I'm not supposed to get close to anyone but wouldn't it be considered rude to not go? I don't want the guys to think I don't like them, they're really nice and I don't want them to think I'm botching them. "Yeah, sure I could use some lunch."

"M'kay, they'll be here in a few minutes."

Just moments later there was a knock on the door. Niall opened the door without waiting for Paul to answer first.

"Hey Al! You ready to head out?"

"Sure, let's go."

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"Where do you lads wanna go?" Niall asked peering over the back of the seat at Liam, Zayn, and Harry who were sitting by me in the back seat.

"On three?" Louis suggested.

"1...2...3" They all counted down together.

"PIZZA!"

"CHINESE!"

"SUSHI!"

"MCDONALDS!" All the guys shouted at once.

"YES!!!" Harry and Louis high fived, being the only two who had said the same thing. Chinese.

"NO! Damn it!" Niall exclaimed, "I wanted McDonalds..." He pouted sticking out his lower lip.

"If you stick out your lip any further a bird's going to come and poop on it." I told him raising a brow. My mom used to say the same to me when I was a child and pouting about something. Though when she would say that I would just jut out my lip further and reply with 'good'. Yeah I was a bit of a smart ass when I was younger, still am really.

"Ew. That's gross." Niall scrunched up his nose at the thought.

"Ugh I hate birds." Louis commented, making a disgusted face.

"Same. When I was little, about 7, I was chased by our turkeys and they wouldn't leave me alone. It was horrible and a scarring experience." I remember my brother had to come save me. I called him my hero for a quite awhile afterwards.

"Not too long ago I had something similar happen to me too! So I was walking into the bathroom..."

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