Sam and I

Chapter 7

"So Ms. Youngblood, what happens in the office?" My lawyer Mr. Pritchard asked.

"Mr. Wheeler asked me if I was an slut multiple time, I told him that was inappropriate, he came closer than touched my inner thigh near my private, so I freaked out and pulled the fire alarm."

"And how young are you?"

"Only 16, I am in the 11th grade."

"Only 16, he asked multiple times if she was a slut, and touched her inner thigh." He told the jury.

"I am finished your honor," he told the judge.

"I would like to present Miss. Youngblood's mental history. She is not stable to testify."

"What is her history?" The judge asked.

"Schizophrenia, self-mutilation..."

"Relevance!" Mr. Pritchard shouts.

"Mr. Pritchard let him finish."

"Your honor, with Ms. Youngblood's history her testimony isn't reliable."

"That was a side-effect of a traumatic experience she has had from when she was a child." Mr. Pritchard said.

They kept talking as I started to cry on the stand.

"It's going to be okay," Sam tells me trying to comfort me.

I nod acknowledging him, I try to calm down.

"My client is in now in obvious distress," I hear Mr. Pritchard say.

"10-minute recess." The judge says.

I got up still crying, I can't do this. I just can't.

"You can do this Juliani, I have your back," Sam says.

I look up and Mr. Wheeler smirked like he knew he was going to get away with it. I then saw Mr. Pritchard talking to my mother and by her face, I could tell she knew that I was going to lose. Does no one believe I can win?

"Mr. Pritchard, is there a way I can be rebound?" I ask.

"Well, we know that you have never gotten in trouble, you have had a traumatic experience when you were younger and the self-harm is in the past. You are also getting help with Schizophrenia with one of the top doctors in the state."

"So, I am actually okay?"

"That is up to the jury to say, I will discuss that when we come back."

I nod knowing that this is not going to go well.

"You are brave Juliani for doing this, " He tells me looking into his eyes.

"Thank you, sir."

I turn and hug my mother, I am glad I have her. I wonder how my father would think if he was here or even in my life for that matter.

"Juliani, you are doing great," she tells me with a stressed smile.

I take a seat in my place looking around the courtroom, some people come back looking tired and not wanting to be there at all. One person looked at me with pity like she already knew the answer and she felt awful. I took a deep breath and Sam laid his hand on my shoulder. I closed my eyes praying that this would just end. I blocked out everything just try to hear the words, 'guilty' or 'not guilty'. It felt like an entirety. I bite my lip, messed with my dress, and shut my eyes tight. At one point slightly tore my dress.

"Guilty," I heard the jury say.

I opened my eyes in shock. It happened, people actually believed me.

" Sexual Assault in the 4th Degree, I sentence Daniel Wheeler for two years. " The judge states.