Rose Petals

Chapter 30

The judge hit his mallet and called order to the court. The room went silent. "Nova Vulcan. Accused of attempt at murder, breaking and entering, promotion of self harm and suicide, and harassment." He announced.

"Nathan Silverstone to the stand." The judge said. I got up and walked towards the seat beside the judge, my hands in my pockets. Clammy. Nervous. Shaking.

I took a seat and sighed. Everyone was staring at me. My chest tingled and restricted.

"Mr. Stone." The defendants lawyer said. "Did you see Mr. Vulcan do any physical harm to Ashton five years ago?" He started.

"I didn't see him near Ashton but I've seen bruises on Ashton that were definitely human inflicted." I said, calmly.

"And you don't think somebody else could have inflicted such bruises? Per say, a bully?" He asked, voice cunning and sharp. I hate lawyers who defend the guilty people. Money hungry bastards is all they are.

"Ashton didn't have any persistent bullies. Only one, who stopped bothering him physically soon  after I came into the picture." I furrowed my brows, trying to think.

"What about this bully? What was his motive?" The lawyer asked.

"Objection!" My lawyer shouted. He then looked at the judge with impatience. "Relevance?"

"Withdrawn. Mr. Stone, please tell me about Ashton? Would he ever put himself in a dangerous situation on purpose for attention from others?" He asked next.

"No! Never! Why would you even think that?" I asked, offended.

"Well, Mr. Vulcan seems to think otherwise, from what he's told me." He gestured over to him. I looked over at his disgusting face, a smug smile all over it. "Ashton was a conniving con artist who manipulated his way into other peoples lives." I clenched my fists in my pockets.

"Objection! Your honor, please tell Mr. Lennard to refrain from dishonoring a deceased loved one."

"Sustained. Mr. Lennard, take more caution in your choice of words. Continue." The judge said. Lennard cleared his throat and looked over at me again.

"Ashton was a very sweet and caring individual. He would never think or try to use somebody to his own advantage." I said sternly.

"All except you, right?" Said Mr. Lennard.

"Objection! The man in question did not use nor manipulate the victim from the evidence we have collected." Said my lawyer.

"Overruled." Said the judge.

"Withdrawn." Said Mr. Lennard. "No further questions." He went to sit back down and then my lawyer got up from his chair and came forward.

"You came here today to testify because the defendant tried to kill you and promoted your friend in taking his own life, right?" He started out.

"Correct." I said.

"And you are sure it was Mr. Vulcan who did this to your friend?" He asked.

"Yes. I sneaked some glances on Ashton's cell phone when he was furiously texting someone and recognized the number from when he first called me. He is also Ashtons half brother, and I was told by Ashtons mother Mr. Vulcan had a deep hate for Ashton." I stated.

"And why is that?" I looked over at Nova. His face held a threatening scowl.

"I've learned that Mr. Vulcan is the jealous needy type. He lived with his father who is a billionaire basically, yet he was unhappy with the things he had. So instead of seeking a solution, he found a person to blame." I said.

"No further questions."

I stood and went to sit back next to Christy while Nova got up and took the place in the stand.

"Jealous and needy type, huh?" My attorney asked Nova, who was now on the stand instead of myself. "Did you rely on others more than you relied on yourself, Mr. Vulcan?"

"I guess some would say that, yes." Nova said, face smug and annoyed, like this whole ordeal was a waste of his time.

"And you wanted to rely on your parental figures, but they weren't around much correct? Therefor you didn't have a proper role model to look up to and you became angry."

Nova sighed audibly and tilted his head carelessly. "Yes, I presume so."

"Hm." He paced in front of the people, and then turned to the jury. "No further questions."

~^~*~^~

"Please remember you're under the oath of the Bible, Mr. Vulcan." The judge stated sternly. Nova gulped audibly and had a very nervous expression. By this time now, many questions have been asked, answered, and gawked at. Nova knew he was in a hard place, so he tried lying. But the court already knew the story, and they caught his ass right in it.

"Have you reached a verdict?" The judge asked. A man stood up in the jury and cleared his throat.

"We have." He said, fidgeting with a piece of paper in his hands.

"On the first count of the indictment, attempt at murder, how do you find?" The judge asked, again. The whole courtroom was holding their breath, along with myself. But more, I was checking my pulse to make sure it was still there.

The man read the paper and looked up. "We find the defendant guilty."

"On the second count of the indictment, breaking and entering, how do you find?"

"We find the defendant guilty."

"And on the third count of the indictment, promotion of self harm and suicide, how do you find?" I felt my heart clench at this one. This one is the one that mattered most.

I'd been waiting years for this day, this moment, this minute, this upcoming answer. I clenched my shirt in an attempt to slow my heart beat down. It sounded like it was in my ears. I needed to hear this next sentence.

"We find the defendant not guilty."