\\Connor//

Judges and Witnesses

I sat in the courtroom. Feeling just as guilty as Maddie's uncle was. He was on trial for the murder of Connor Wayne Sampson. Silent tears kept falling down the cheeks of my mother and me. She had loved Connor too. He was a good boy.

"He was a good boy," she said blowing her nose. "I'm sorry you lost him, baby. You don't have to be here if you don't want to."

"I want to. I want to see him found guilty."

Maddie walked past me. She was also crying. She was crying for the loss of her uncle, not for the loss of an innocent life.

The jury sat along with us and listened to the witnesses say they saw Mr. Walker put his hands roughly on Connor Wayne Sampson. They said he had stepped on his ribcage and twisted his arm until it broke. And when asked if he did these things Mr. Walker replied.

"Yes. I did."

"Why did you do it?"

"Because that kid was a freak of nature, that's why. He was in the girls bathroom looking like a boy while my niece was in there. Then he was using the boys. You pick a goddamn bathroom. You don't switch between the two."

"Thank you, Mr. Walker."

I sat for 4 painful hours listening to people who didn't matter talk about Connor.

"Connor was killed from a punctured lung. The doctors saw nothing eking when he was examined but the wound grew slowly and quietly. He died from blood filling up the lungs." I had to leave.

I ran out of the room quickly to the nearest bathroom and vomitted. I didn't want to know how he died, all I needed to know was that he was gone. Connor was in pain. I ran out on him while he was in pain.

My mom came to find me.

"We're just waiting on the verdict now, baby." I nodded.

We sat on a bench. My head rested in her shoulders as I weeped for my lost love. 45 minutes passed and we were called back in to see what the jury had decided. It was a quick decision, and that gave me hope.

"How do you find?"

"We find the defendant... guilty."

I breathed a sigh of relief. I could go home knowing the man who killed Connor woukd be sent away. The meeting was adjourned and my mother and I went home, and while I knew that Mr. Walker woukd spend his days in a cell... I didn't know how I would spend mine. Connor would come see me. He would take me places, show me the world, or rather just this little city we lived in. But he made it seem like the entire world revolved around me.

I would miss him so much. Especially down by the beach where I fell in love with him. Come to find weeks later, he left a note in my room. It was hidden in my dresser under my clothes.

"Hey, beautiful. I want you to wake up and know that you are appreciated by the world. You have the potential to do great things. I am in love with you, Dakota. I am. I'm not sorry about it either. I've never felt so liberated as I do when I'm with you. I know the whole story hasn't come out yet, I just hope when it does you'll stay by my side.
Love you always, Connor."

"I'll love you always, Connor."

Fin