Innocent

Chapter Eighteen

"How do you think they'll plead?" I questioned my family as I came out of the courtroom. The jury was taking an awfully long time to decide whether or not he was a freeman or guilty. My dad was clutching his hands so tightly that his knuckles were turning a ghostly shade of white so I assume he's pretty mad about what happened. Until today, nobody knew in detail what had happened except for the lawyer but now they all knew. They all knew how I was stupid to keep going to the after school things and they all probably thought I was a little stupid, I did. My mom walked out of the courtroom crying before I even had time to finish my recount. Marissa was there too but she didn't know why until it started. The least to say is she and Luke talked the whole time and she looked like she might cry at any moment. Luke looked like he could hit Craig again—who by the way, had a broken nose. Aaron seemed disgusted by his Uncle the entire time and it helped me walk through what happened.

"I hope they'll decide that he's guilty," Marissa whispered to me while clutching her round belly. She was due any minute since this court hearing was incredibly hard since we had to get the money first.

"It might be hard though," Aaron told me. "With that false account by my cousin, they might not believe you."

I nodded my head and looked for my mom but she was nowhere in sight. I knew that she might've headed towards the bathroom but I was hoping she would be here for the final decision.

As the doors to the courtroom opened again, I couldn't help but turn around and see him slyly walk with a smirk on his face behind his attorney. I felt my smile fade and my eyes darted towards the ground before I realized that Aaron had also tensed. I placed my arm out in front of him to stop him from whatever he was thinking about doing but all he did was take a good look at me and then his expression softened before nodding his head that he wouldn't do anything he would regret.

Not that he would regret doing it.

"Guys," I whispered. My dad, Luke, Aaron, and Marissa all glanced at me before I looked at Aaron again. "Can I talk to Aaron for a few minutes?" Luke and Marissa nodded their heads and headed out faster than I would've though possible. When I gave my dad another glance, he nodded his head but he didn't leave. "Alone?"

Finally understanding what I was talking about, my dad scurried out of the hall and I sat on a nearby bench. I waited until Aaron sat down with me before I talked in a hushed tone with him.

"Are you going to have anywhere to stay after?" I asked. Aaron nodded his head no and I placed my hands on top of his. "You could stay at my place."

"Yeah, but my mom, Tanner." I nodded my head for a moment and then sucked my cheeks in. I didn't really want to offer Aaron's mom a spot in our house because I was afraid she would have beer all around the house. Or find the beer that is around the house. "Just because one of your problems is being solved, doesn't mean that mine are done being solved."

"I wasn't implying that everything would be normal," I whispered. I shrugged my shoulders and removed my hands from his. "But maybe you should place your mom in a rehab center or something and—"

"Tanner, leave my family alone!" Aaron yelled. I was appalled that he was yelling at me so I just blinked my eyes a couple of times before shooting back at him.

"Like you did with mine?" I questioned. Aaron just seemed like he was being slapped in the face. His cheeks sucked in and his jaw tightened before whispering to me—much scarier than yelling at me.

"If it wasn't for me, Tanner, than you wouldn't be getting the justice you deserve!" Aaron shot at me. I blinked at him before standing up to his level. I balled my fists up next to my sides and felt my heart breaking with every little stab that Aaron was yelling at me.