Cli-Clunk. Cli-Clunk. Cli-Clunk.
I inwardly cringed at the sound of the prosecutor's heels slapping the ground as she power walked towards me. I tried to keep eye contact with her, as if to show her that I wasn't afraid. She yanked a piece of paper out of her briefcase and slammed it onto my desk.
"Do you know this guy." She more said than asked. She already knew that the picture she was rapidly tapping was my best friend. Why did she have to act like I would deny knowing him? It's not like I murdered him. My stomach violently turned at the thought of that word. Murder, It might as well have been.
"Yes, I suppose I do." I answered, trying to sound casual. The lady death stared me as she proceeded to ask another question.
"So it's safe to say you partied together right?"
I grunted in response and feel my bruised knuckles. The judge banged her gavel, making me jump up to attention.
"Mr. Frank," he began sternly, "you are being charged with involuntary manslaughter. Being disrespectful is not helping your case."
A satisfied expression found its way on the prosecutor's face.
I knew that expression all too well. It was the same look Ian got after he knew that he had outsmarted me. The same face that he made after he talked me into doing something that we both knew was stupid. The same look he got when drunk.
The prosecutor cleared her voice to cue it was my turn to talk. "I'm sorry, can you repeat that question?" I politely asked the attorney. She let out an audible sigh.
"Where were you last night? Specifically between the hours of 10 p.m. and 1 a.m."
"With Ian" I said flatly.
"The whole time or did you leave him?" she put a huge emphasis on leave. I knew this was a trick question. I looked to my lawyer and tried to send him signals to help me, but he shrugged his shoulders.
Defeated, I went on to answer, "yes, I did leave him."
"What was he doing when you left?" She pryed.
My blood began to pound its way through my veins as I opened my mouth to answer. My mouth suddenly went dry and I choked out the word, "drowning."
"C'mon man, this will be the perfect way to forget about her." I looked over to Ian who was fiddling with my ipod. A sad smile appeared on his face as Maroon 5's "Wake Up Call" came on.
"Dude, she's not even worth it," I continued. He answered by turning up the song and looking out of the window.
"Look man, I'm tired of you being all depressed and shit." I said. "It's been a month, let's just go to this party and get wasted. Beer is the best medicine, I say." I laughed at the terrible joke I made hoping that he would laugh along. But he never did find me funny. I let out a frustrated breath. We awkwardly sat in silence as I waited for him to say something. After what may have actually been forever, Ian turned to face me. "Yeah, okay."
I could feel tears gather in my eyes, but I blinked them back. These people were going to take pity on me. Not on an accidental killer. I was the one responsiblle for his death. I could have, should have, done something, but I chose not to.
I ignored the hollow feeling forming in my chest as the prosecutor went on to apound me.
"We have eye witnesses saying that you were pushing him under the water to keep him from getting air." she commented. Unfazed by her accusation I quickly replied, "did they see him doing that to me too?"
