Nobody else picked up on the difference in Andrew as trial began to approach. The rest of the foxes were used to his ambivalent behaviour and didn't think twice about it.
Even Nicky didn't see it for what it was, too focused on seeing his parents again, since they were witnesses in the trial. He tried to talk to Andrew about it once, hoping for some sort of response from him; fear or anger or sadness. But instead he was met with apathy and cold indifference. So instead he focused his attention on Aaron, who was standing trial for killing Drake. Aaron liked to pretend he was fine, but he wasn't as good at getting away with it as his brother. It was easy to see in the way he could hardly look at Andrew or the long nights he spent away from the dorms, presumably with Katelyn.
Aaron was the only other person besides Neil who could see the change in Andrew. Though not quite as fully. He noticed how the few words Andrew spoke began to seem fewer and even farther between. How he would disappear up to the roof for hours at a time, sometimes with Neil, sometimes Neil stayed in his room and Aaron would open the door to see Neil staring at his scars. He never asked why Neil wasn't with Andrew, even if only the thought of them in the same room together made him sick, he knew Neil would be if he could.
Andrew began to miss practice more and more frequently, whether it was to see Bee or just to get away no one knew and no one was about to ask. Even Wymack brushed it off. Probably because of his promise not to get involved with their personal lives.
The day of the trial was obnoxiously hot for November. The sweat on Neil's neck was making his shirt collar stick to this throat like a second skin, choking him.
He sat in the front row, along with Andrew and Nicky, who were both called to testify as well. Aaron was seated right in front of them, since he was the one being prosecuted. Kevin offered to come but one look from Andrew cut the offer off in his throat. When they left Neil saw him heading into Matt's room, a handle of vodka in his hand. But right now Kevin was the last person on his mind.
He knew better then to touch or even try to talk to Andrew right now. That wasn't what Andrew needed, he needed space to recognise that he was safe and his body and reactions are his own. But he hoped that his presence brought at least a tiny bit of comfort or security to Andrew.
The conversation in the room hushed as someone else walked into the room. Neil didn't recognise her but he didn't need anybody to tell him her name.
Cass Spear.
She was cloaked in the black of mourning, even though it had been months since Drake's death. Her eyes stayed on the ground as she made her way to her seat but Neil could see that they were red-rimmed. She settled into her seat without a word, looking as though she was going to crumble.
Neil hated her. How dare she come here and mourn for her son. How dare she act like anything she is feeling compares to that of Andrew.
He looked away from her, determined to put her out of his mind. This wasn't about her, it was about Andrew.
Andrew must have known she would be here but he didn't turn around. He was tugging on the ends of their matching armbands as he waited for the trial to start. For once his were empty, no knives in court. Neil wished that Andrew could have kept that security.
Nobody was that worried about the outcome of the trial. When you looked at the facts and history it was pretty obvious that Aaron killed Drake out of self defence of his brother. The only slight issue was the topic of premeditation since Neil brought the racket with him up stairs. But Aaron's lawyer wasn't worried about that and just told Neil to say that he had a good idea who Drake was and he brought the racket out of self defence as well, because of Drake's history and physique. None of it was a lie.
