Resilience | Sweet Pea.

51 - Court dates & secrets spilled

Thursday morning had been a mix of stress, anxiety, high energy and sweat. Mary and I had been fluttering around the house, her gathering papers, me making sure Fred and Archie's formal attire was in check. The thought of Hiram Lodge, sat in the courtroom with us, a smug look on his face made my blood boil. I try not to let it show, today I am nothing more than my brother's support.

As we enter the courtroom, I follow behind Fred and Veronica, and my heart falls into my stomach, as I see Sweet pea, sat in the row Veronica is entering, sitting with Josie McCoy. We make brief eye contact, but I look away, sitting down next to Veronica. Josie leans forward.

"Nice to see you back in town, Nova." Josie says, giving my hand a squeeze.

"Yeah. Thanks." I say bluntly.

I can't help but try and catch glances of him. Him sitting with her. Are they a thing? Are they together?

"V?" I say in barely a voice.

"Hm?" She replies.

"Are they-" I'm cut off by Sweet pea putting his hand on Josie's thigh, she squeezes his hand before brushing it away. "N-Nevermind."

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the evidence and testimony that was presented in this court tell a dark story." The prosecuting attorney, Ms. Wright begins. "That Mr Andrews has a history of violent behaviour. That he started not one, but two masked vigilante groups. That he assaulted an innocent boy who was helpless with two broken legs. That he went "wilding" in the Southside of town and threatened to shoot a young man in the face."

My blood boils under my skin at how this story is being spun. Hiram Lodge manipulated my brother. Archie Andrews is a strong, protective and fiercely loyal human being, but he is so easily manipulated, it hurts.

"That while partying with his friends in the town of Shadow Lake, Mr Andrews ran into the woods and shot the victim, Cassidy Bullock, point-blank in the head. Now Mr Andrews claims that it was his girlfriend's father's doorman who shot Mr Bullock. A shot Mr Andrews claims to have heard, but not seen. Who knows the truth of what happened that terrible night in the woods near Shadow Lake? I'll tell you who." Ms Wright continues, then points at Archie. "That man. Archie Andrews may be a varsity athlete and he may be a sensitive musician. But he is also A cold-blooded Killer."

I grab Veronica's hand, Fred's too as this Marilyn Monroe wannabe paints my sweet brother as a blood thirsty killer. If I had it my way, I would've stood up and debunked everything she said but this is a courtroom, and I am a teenager, I have no leverage here.

The woman sits down, and Mary gets out of her seat, giving Ms Wright a dirty look as she does, which makes me smile a little. Mary stands before the jury and clasps her hands together.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we know, for a fact, that Archie Andrews constantly puts the needs of others ahead of his own." Mary begins. "We know he helped to solve the murder of Jason Blossom. We know that he offered both friends and enemies shelter when they had nowhere else to stay. We know that he punched through a river of ice to save the life of his classmate Cheryl Blossom. And we know he has saved the life of his adoptive sister, Nova Daniels, on multiple occasions, from both drowning and from a vile kidnapping."

I shift in my seat a little, squeezing Freds hand, as Veronica had let me go to use a fan on herself in this sweltering weather. I watch with a strange mix of fear and pride as Mary defends her son.

"Let me remind you that there were no witnesses to the actual killing. There was no murder weapon. There was no motive. At the end of the day, all the prosecution has is cloudy testimony from unreliable people. Now, it is my solemn duty as a mother to protect my son. But as an attorney, it's my duty to adhere to the facts, to the evidence. There is nothing here that proves that Archie Andrews is anything less than an innocent boy. Thank you."