Naomi's hands were soaked with sweat, she wasn't guilty so why was she the one sweating like she was? "Because so much is about to get aired out" the little voice in her head screamed back. She kept pacing, half of her couldn't wait for her name to be called and the other half wanted to just run away.
The doors open, and she's told they're ready for her. She walks in to an already full court room, wth Derrick in the chair. "Why couldn't they have me come in AFTER he testified?" She thought to herself. The thought of him exposing Leah, or worse, her and Leah, made her tremor. She glanced up to Bernice who gave her a look and smile that told her to hold it together, not to worry, and that everything was going to be ok. She leaned back and took a deep breath "everything IS going to be alright" she told herself, at least she hoped it would be.
Derrick started from the beginning just as he was asked.
"I've done a lot of things in my life to impress people who didn't even care about me, Anastasia being one of the biggest things. She was every guys fantasy, and me having the reputation I had, I had to make it seem like she was my biggest fantasy as well...you know, to keep my rep up. When the Kapa Alpha Thetas came to me, they weren't completely honest. I never thought I was going I be 'raping' the girl, they told me they was throwing her a party and SHE said she wanted to have an orgy. The person who I THOUGHT was my best friend applied he most pressure, if I declined the ONE girl that wasn't giving anybody play, how would I look?"
"Like you were faithful, dumb ass" 🙄 Naomi mumbled to herself, "shhhh" Bernice said silently with a glare. "Do NOT get yourself in trouble in here, just do what you came here to do so we can gon on about our business".
Derrick: "I knew I should have left when I noticed she was acting completely different, enjoying herself a little too much. It was never her! She was always conservative, she got enough attention trying to stay out the spotlight it's not like she ever needed or wanted to draw it to herself, I should have known and I should have left when I noticed but apparently my reputation meant more to me."
Lawyer: "continue please"
Derrick: "I went in there for what everyone else wanted me to go in there for. For them, it was entertainment. Especially since they would be the first to know the secret."
Lawyer: "did she ever consent to the acts you acted upon?"
The sounds of Anastasia's screams and cries took completely over in his head. He could feel the guilt burning his stomach and chest again. "No," he finally said "as a matter of fact she begged me to stop"
The court room grew with angry an disgusted feed back.
"Order! Order in the court" the judge yelled while banging his hammer.
Lawyer: "so, if she wanted...excuse me, begged you to stop. Why did you continue?"
Derrick: "I felt like I couldn't stop until the girls came, they said she wanted an orgy, I just figured she didn't want me to start without them. As soon as they got there she stopped."
Lawyer: "didn't your mother ever teach you that 'no' means 'no'?"
Derrick: "like I said, I've done a lot of things I'm not proud of."
The lawyer turns his nose up to Derrick and continues "after you...did your deed, what happened?"
Derrick: "I heard the next day that she shot herself in the head, found out das later she wasn't the one who did it"
Lawyer: "who was the person who did it?"
Derrick: 😔"Dean Richard Johnson..."
Lawyer: "and how do you know he killed her?"
Derrick: "he told me he did, he bragged about it actually. He also admitted that he convinced my best friend Renzo to shoot Irvanna, and we later found out that he had him kill off Marciella, Susie, and Tosha before the could get to him. But his confession of Anastasia and Irvanna I had recorded when I called 911 without him knowing."
Lawyer: "thank you, no further questions, we will listen to the audio tape after we get to our last witness, defense calls Naomi Johnson to the stand"
She stands up with her head kept down the entire time she walks up to the stand.
She swears on the Bible to tell nothing but the truth, so she hoped Leah would never be brought up.
Before the lawyer could even open his mouth she blurts out "all I know, is what he confessed to me through text, I went straight to the police with the information I had, and had my mom meet me at Mr. Johnson's office because Derrick was worried he was in danger. Please don't ask me any questions, all I know is what I told you, and what I told you is all I know."
Lawyer: "I guess we have no furth...well questions. Lets move on to evidence B, the audio tape."
The whole court room is both silent, and intense while the tape plays. As soon as it ends whispers and emotions fluctuate amongst the crowd.
When the jury come back with their verdict, the judge asks Derrick "the defendant" to rise. He's so nervous it took him a couple of minutes because his knees almost gave out on him.
Judge: "Foreman, has the jury reached a verdict?"
Person of the jury: "yes your honor."
Judge: "please read the verdict before the court."
Person of the jury: "We the jury, find Derrick Swanson guilty of charge."
His ears started ringing, did he really here what he just heard?
Judge: "Mr. Derick Swanson, do you have anything you would like to say before being sentenced."
Of course he had a lot to say, "please don't take me to jail was one of them." But he knew he had to live with the consequences, and besides, like he told Naomi, he was prepared for them.
Derrick: "no ma'am, I don't."
Judge: "okay then, I hearby find you guilty as charge of raping Anastasia Jonson, a felony in the state of Texas. I hearby sentence you to 30 years of incarceration wth chance of parole with good behavior. You will hearby go into the custody of The Clemens Unit of Brazoria, TX for the execution of this sentence, court is adjourned. The slam of her hammer echoed in Derricks head. "30 years?" He and Naomi asked aloud at the same time, him with the look of fear, her with the look of sympathy...
