Just Give Me A Reason || 13 Reasons Why

12

Jade Adams

"Please state your name for the record."

"Jade Adams."

"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God?"

"Yep." I say with my right hand raised.

"Miss. Adams," the defense lawyer begins. "You are a junior at Liberty High correct?"

"Yep."

"And you've been at Liberty High since freshman year?"

"Yep."

"And during freshman year, tragedy hit your family when your mother died correct?" I sigh.

"If that's what your research says then it must be true."

"And a year later, you lost your best friend Jeffrey Atkins."

"Yep."

"So let's backtrack to when you lost your mother. Did the school provide any help or support to you?"

"Not the school as a whole. It was Mrs. Antilly. The counselor before Mr. Porter."

"And how did Mrs. Antilly help you?"

"She called me into her office about once a week to see how I was doing. And sometimes I went to see her on my own."

"And did it help?"

"Yeah. She was weird, very perky but yeah. She helped."

"And when Mr. Porter came, did he help you with Jeffrey's death?" I look into the seats and see Jeff sitting next to Zach.

"No. He didn't."

"But did you go see him on your own like you did with Mrs. Antilly?"

"No but—"

"So the school's resources are there but it's up to the student if they want to use them?"

"Sure but—"

"So if Hannah was really in any crisis, she could have—"

"Shut the fuck up." I say into the mic and everyone gasps.

"Language Miss. Adams." I groan and rub my head.

"Clearly Sonya, that is your name right? Clearly Sonya here was raised by wolves and she doesn't know proper etiquette. Because if she did, she would know there's something called a 'pause.' Now a pause is something that a person does to show that they have finished talking, therefore giving permission to the other person or people to speak."

"You lawyers are a bunch of fire breathing dragons." I continue. "You're all a bunch of snakes. And I get it, it's part of your job description to get your next question or comment out as soon as possible so you can trap the other person and make them feel like shit so you can feel better about yourself, I get it."

"Typist lady, what I'm about to say you can put this on record, you could not put this on record. The judge can tell the jury to disregard it, you could throw out my entire testimony, hell you could throw me out. I don't give a dead moose's last shit. But I need you to understand something, I don't care who sits in this chair after me. But as long as I, Jade Adams sit in this chair and talk to you, if you interrupt me or speak over me again, I will rip this microphone off this stand and beat you senseless with it." the room erupts in exclaims. "I wonder what your face will look like with a microphone imprint on it?"

"Order! Order!" The judge bangs his gavel. "Was that a threat Miss. Adams?" I lean forward and tap the mic.

"Whole-fucking-heartedly."

"Move to strike as non-responsive." Sonya says.

"The jury will disregard that last comment." The judge says. "Watch your words Miss. Adams or I will fulfill your wish and remove you from this courtroom."

"No further questions your honor." Sonya says.

"I'd like to redirect."

"Hello Dennis." I smile.

"Miss. Adams, you're saying that the school does nothing to help those in crisis even if they know something is going on?"

"I know I was called to defend the school. I know I'm supposed to talk about how great they are and how they in no way, shape or form are responsible for the death of Hannah Baker. But I can't lie. Not just because I swore not to, but because I just can't."

"So what are you saying?"

"I'm saying... if the school hadn't taken out Mrs. Antilly, if Mrs. Antilly with her weird, perky self had stayed at Liberty High, I think Hannah would still be alive today."

"No further questions your honor."

"You may step down Miss. Adams."

"Best news I heard all day." I step down and as I walk past Sonya, I wink and blow her a kiss.

Deran, Zach and I walk through the doors with Jeff on my heels.

"I'm so proud of you." Deran says.

"I'm proud of you too." Jeff says in my ear.

"Me too." Zach says. "They're gonna be talking about that for a while."

"You stood up to that bitch of a lawyer. Your mother would be proud."

"She'd be proud of you too Daddy D."

"I gotta get to practice. I'll see you later."

"I'll see you later." Jeff mimics. Zach kisses my cheek before leaving.

"How about we get some ice cream and go to the docks before we go home?" Deran suggests.

"I'd like that. I'd like that very much."

<>

"Do you think they're going to win?" Deran asks as we sit at the harbor.

"The Bakers?" He nods and I sigh. "Honestly, no. No I don't. Sonya is one ruthless lawyer and she is pulling slick shit left and right. And it's not completely the school's fault. It's the people inside the school that did the damage. When we sued for mom, we didn't sue the whole hospital. We just did her doctor."

"How could something like this happen?"

"Hannah did what all humans do. She put her trust and affection into people and like most people do, they let her down. It happens to all of us. We all put our trust in people and we end up getting hurt. But this time, there was no one there to help her through it."