Torn [J.Barber]

[16] JOB STORIES

It was now day four, and May hadn't spoken to Jacob the night before, unsure of what to even say to him. May leans her head on her mother's shoulder as usual, every few moments glancing at her father, who had decided to rejoin them in the court.

Derek was now sat at the witness stand, telling his part of the story. "I was like, 'That's the same way you go to school. Did you see anything?' And Jake said no." He explains.

"Nothing about seeing Ben on the ground or trying to help him?" Neal inquires. "No. And then he made a joke." Derek tells.
"Something like, 'Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.'"

May furrows her eyebrows, trying to process everything, which was beginning to be a lot. "And this is within a few hours after learning about Ben's murder?" Neal continues.

"I guess, yeah. We were at Jake's house, playing video games." He stammers. "When you said that Ben used to pick on Jacob, what do you mean by that?" Neal asks.

"Ben always kinda had it in for Jake. He was always calling him 'fag.' Like a nickname. Like he'd ask Jake questions about different sex things gay people do, but in front of everyone to embarrass him." Derek tells. "Or he'd fake a punch at Jake if he passed him in the hall. Stuff like that."

May had never even known her brother was like this, as he was always so kind around her and her parents. It seemed that Mr. and Mrs. Rifkin were just as shocked.

"And all of this bullying, it upset Jacob." Neal furrows his eyebrows. "Yeah, of course." Derek nods.

"Did it make him angry?"

"Not so much in front of Ben, but...privately, he'd go off on how much he hated Ben's guts. Which I got. I mean, Ben would be a jerk to me too sometimes." He sighs.

"At what point after Ben's murder did you begin to consider your friend Jacob's role in it?" Neal says.

"Objection. Leading the witness." Andy comments. "Overruled." Judge French responds. "You can go ahead and answer, young man."

"I guess it was three days later." Derek tells. "Was there anything other than his temper that began to make you suspicious?"

"Well, Yeah. The knife. Jake has this scary combat knife he'd bought in town. He used to bring it to school Sometimes."

"To show it off, or what?" Neal cocks an eyebrow. "Not really. I mean, he showed it to me and our friend Dylan but... but it was more like he liked having it on him, walking around with it." Derek stumbles over his words for a moment, growing more anxious.