Can I?

The law

I was always good at arguing.Even as a child I had the knack of worming out of consequences. I remember the time in 8th grade. I painted on the walls in the bathroom. Unfortunately, my little piece of artwork was discovered mere hours later. I was yawning when the principal walked into my dull social studies classroom. His pointy nose with his mustache called two names. Me, Zara Ackel and Kelly Mraine.

 Kelly and I stared at each other before standing up. We weren't friends, at all. It was quite the opposite. She rolled her eyes at me as we followed the skyscraper of a principal.

"There was graffiti found in the bathroom. The two girls that were signed in at that time was the both you" ,he muttered quietly, staring us down. My heart dropped. Suspension for sure.  The boarding school at the time, was extremely strict.

"It wasn't me!" Kelly cried out. I almost started to sweat nervously now. He turned to me, "Was it you? Tell me and I won't punish you severely." I snorted internally. I would be given the same punishment.

Kelly was suspended from school for two weeks. Her reputation for being a sweet girl had turned bitter in the eyes of the teachers.   

I feel guilty now about what I had done. Not for painting the bathroom but for placing the blame on Kelly. She did not deserve that. But anyway, I was pretty good at arguing and debating. Good enough to escape any consequence that anyone threw at me.

I became a lawyer. it was my dream; my parents shared this dream also. I studied hard and got my facts straight. Blooming with arrogance and stubbornness, I walked to my first case.

It was well fought case. People applauded as I left the court and some clapped me behind my back. they were all congratulating me for winning my first case. But all I could think about was how I let a murderer walk away as a freeman. Judges won't put me in jail for doing my job. Yet now it was my own conscious scolding me.

I had the done the right thing for the wrong person.