The Phantom of Scranton Hill

36

Justine stood in her bedroom, gazing at her reflection in the full body mirror. She took a deep breath and exhaled with her eyes shut, scrunching her nose and slightly unhappy with her choice of wardrobe.

Today was the day. She couldn't mess anything up. The skinny, navy blue jeans seemed too tight, and the light blue button down blouse clashed with the bright red blazer. She had braided her hair in a fishtail to the side and refused to apply any makeup whatsoever. Even though she wouldn't be the one being judged, she didn't want to look like a circus clown. Justine stuck to neutral gray flats. Charlotte had put together every piece of her outfit like a puzzle, so there couldn't be anything wrong with it. Still, Justine had doubts.

"Justine, sweetie?" Her mother called from the kitchen. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes," she yelled back, her voice traveling across the hall. Justine took a deep breath and exited her bedroom, mentally preparing herself for the day.

Her friends were waiting for her in the living room, nervous expressions plastered on each of their faces. Charlotte was lovely in a yellow sundress and white flats, her hair straightened so it met her lower back. Dax donned a white button down and black dress pants, his baseball jersey from when he made the team the second time wrapped around his shoulders and black skater shoes on his feet. Justine's mother wore a simple gray pantsuit, a salmon-colored blouse underneath.

They gave each other antsy glances and smiles before filing out the front door and hopping into Justine's mother's electric, gas-free, metallic blue Prius. They drove off to their destination, different scenarios taking control of each of their minds. Each person in the car expected something different, each more nerve-wracking than the next.

As Justine got out of the front seat, the heavy wooden doors intimidated her, demanding that she turn around with her tail between her legs. She gulped, and Dax took notice, pulling her into his side as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

Today was the day that her father could potentially be released. Her family could be whole again, but only if the jury was on his side. They could be corrupt, paid by some ruling foundation to vote against him.

Who knows if they're even real people, Justine thought, playing with her long fingernails as her imagination wandered. Robots and aliens seem very likely these days.

She was broken from her trance when someone placed a hand on her shoulder. Charlotte. Justine's new best friend smiled at her. "Everything will be okay," she squeezed her hand in reassurance.

Then a cold breeze swept over her entire side, the side that her boyfriend once warmed. She glanced to the left to see Dax. Fear was written across his face, and they knew exactly why.

"Oh, my god," Dax panicked, running his fingers through his hair and down his face. "He's going to kill me isn't he? I didn't even ask for your hand in... or his blessing. I'm going to die today. He's going to kill me for kissing his only daughter. I'm dead. I'm so dead." His eyes were wide as he rocked back and forth on his heels, traumatized.

Justine laughed. "He's not going to kill you. I wouldn't let him." She grabbed his hand and the three of them pushed open the doors to the court, stalking inside in a vertical line, Justine in the middle.

They took a seat in the same row as her mother, the two people she needed most on either side of her.

The judge ran through protocol, skimming over Mr. Powers' almost spotless record, aside from the reason why he was imprisoned in the first place. He was a cop, and they wouldn't accept a charged felon into the police academy.

She began to ask the guards to act as witnesses and come to represent Justine's father on the stands, under oath. They shared their sides of the rehabilitation process, none of them giving a reason why he shouldn't be released. None of them seemed to be against his release, which Justine was more than elated about.