Exotica

The Knowing

In honor of Exotica hitting 70k damn reads, here's an update. Just know that I'm fucking thankful that you guys rock with me and this story, enjoy. 💚

◇ Omniscient ◇

Fixing the Chanel tie his wife had gifted him when they were back in Paris, Quinten clears his throat and looks over at his daughter who was nervous, her facial expression giving it away with ease. He extends his hand and grabs her's, interlocking their fingers before walking down the hallway to the quiet LA courtroom. "What if they put me in Juive." Yesenia utters with tear filled eyes. Although the two of them had discussed what the worst case scenario might be the night before which was just community service, Yesenia was still worried and let her mind think of the worst. She knew that her record was filled with many incidents similar to the current one she was facing and she told her father countless times that this would be the one crime that would get her behind bars for a few months or possibly a year. Quinten on the other hand, knew that it would never come to that, one being that he had a good lawyer and two being that Imani's husband would also be on trial for child abuse. Quinten stops at the mahogany double doors and turns to look his daughter in her big, dark brown eyes. "We talked about this last night and nearly every day leading to today, everything will be fine. I assure you that it will." He says confidently. Quinten looked all through Yesenia record numerous times and even though it was a lengthy record he knew that would not get in the way of her going to a juvenile detention center. "Are you sure?" Yesenia questions her father while chewing on the piece of gum she had popped in her mouth when they were in the parking garage. "I am." He states, fixing the top button on her red sweater. Yesenia nods and runs her hands down her sweater just to try and calm herself down. She looks up at her father and smiles then steps forward, Quinten opens the door for her and let's her enter the courtroom first. The two of them quietly walk down the aisle while looking at the other souls who were in the courtroom. Amini and Cyarra to the left of them and Imani and Zaveri to the right of them. Quinten walks over to his wife and takes a seat beside her while Yesenia slowly walks behind the small gate and sits down next to her lawyer.

"All rise, the supreme court of Los Angeles county, State of California is now in session." An officer states as the judge steps into the courtroom. "So the plaintiff, Zaveri Gibson is pressing charges against Yesenia Salazar, correct?" Quinten glares over at Zaveri who nods and fixes the cufflinks on his suit while glancing at his own lawyer.

"Yes, ma'am." His Lawyer answers for him. Nodding the judge begins to look over the paperwork in front of her. "It says here that you stabbed Mr. Gibson. I also see that this is not your first run in with the law. Three years ago you were arrested for assaulting one of your foster siblings and again two months afterwards for assaulting your teacher." Yesenia nods and looks over her shoulders at her parents, Amini reaches forward and squeezes her shoulder while Quinten whispers something to her that she couldn't quite hear.

"Mr Gibson, you have a record as well, I see." The judge places some papers to the side and looks after Zaveri's record that wasn't as long as Yesenia but, was a much more serious matter. "You're a registered sex offender." Quickly darting his head to the right of the room, Quinten stares at Zaveri and attempts to stand up but his sister along with wife place their hand on his shoulders, pulling him down. Quinten lightly laughs just to calm his being while bouncing his leg impatiently. "Calm down, bro." Cyarra whispers patting his shoulder. His wife rubs his back and whispers calming words into his ear but they were doing everything but helping him calm down so instead of making a scene, he stands and exits out the courtroom.

"You have an open case regarding child abuse and now this one. You're pressing charges on the defendant for assaulting you but, it says that she was only defending one of her siblings that you were abusing. So what is it we do here. Both of you were in the wrong, Yesenia I understand you defending your sibling but in the state of California, we do not have a self defense law like other states not to mention, your record is not squeaky clean but neither is yours Mr. Gibson, you could actually be facing seven years in prison." Yesenia looks to the right of her nervous as ever, trying to think of the positive like her father said.