Title; Bending the Rules
Author; babysgnr - formerly sunnyxday
AN; The story, the grammar, the spelling - no matter how good or how awful, it all belongs to me since I am writing unbeta'ed. I know that the first chapter is short, but with the way the first chapters played out, it worked out better this way.
As always; love it - hate it - let me know.
bgnr
Edward Masen stood up from the light-colored wooden table as the judge dismissed the court room. He felt completely defeated and understandable so. This time, his typical defense of a fake apology and a promise to never be on the wrong side of the law fell on deaf ears. Judge Swan had sentenced him to the local chapter of AA and three hundred and fifty hours of community service. It could have been worse…and Edward knew that. He could have been in his best friend's shoes, or the girl's place struggling to live in the community hospital.
His head was pounding with what reminded of the weekend. His body was sore in places that he didn't know could ache... or at least to that degree. The past few days were a blur of bottles, flashing lights, hospitals and ultimately thanks to the victim's family - handcuffs and new legal woes.
The sun hit him hard as he pushed through the doors of the courthouse, finally feeling like he could breathe. Without a thought, he rolled up the sleeves of his button down shirt exposing the heavy ink on his right arm before yanking the tie from around his neck. Those clothes made him feel uncomfortable and he was pretty sure that everyone around him could tell. But now, he probably looked even stranger - a mix between clean - cut and the town delinquent, but as always he didn't care. He was going to do him and to hell with everyone and anyone else.
Across the street sat his silver Ford Raptor. It glistened in the sun, standing out with it's clean paint job and sheer size - much like how its owner stood out. With a quick glance at the ticking parking meter, Edward climbed onto the tailgate and dug a lighter and a pack of cigarettes from his back pocket. Anything to calm his nerves…
In that moment, it finally hit him how lucky he was. They had gone out that night, he and his best friend, Sam Uley, with the intention of letting off a let steam and maybe finding a girl for the night… but fate was a cruel mistress sometimes. Granted no one goes out with the intention of causing a car accident and the aftermath which left Jessica, a girl he had never even heard of before, clinging to life…closer to the grave than the kitchen table.
Sam, he had gotten the short end of the justice stick, and part of him hated that for his best friend…a friend that was more of a brother than a friend. However, there was a part, the bigger selfish part, that hated to admit that he was glad that it wasn't him.
After all, his reputation preceded him enough already without having the added stigma that came with serving two years behind bars.
He stubbed the remainder of the cigarette out with the heel of his boot and climbed in the cab of the truck. There was a drive ahead of him…plenty of time for him to think and vent to himself. Apparently, word had gotten around about Edward, that was the only thing it could have been; he had never stood in Judge Swan's court room before and his file wasn't anything serious. He figured someone somewhere along the line had gotten tired of his shit. The sad thing though is that Edward couldn't blame them. There was nothing to do in the town… hell, on a good day the single stop light in the town square caused a traffic jam.
After an hour and a half, the Raptor was driving down the dusty path that Brycen called a drive way. In all honesty, the drive way was more a dead - end drive since Edward's single story ranch house sat at the back of two and a half acres of land, and no neighbors in sight. Country living was his escape. It was in his blood. But even now, his demons were finding him way out here. There wasn't much more running he could do.
There would be more time to dwell on everything that happened when he had to have his first face to face with his court-appointed consuleor who would be somewhat of his over seer before the first meeting that he was ordered to attend. Right now, a glass, three fingers high with any kind of amber -colored liquid was calling his name.
One glass.
Two glasses.
Three glasses.
He fell asleep before finishing the fifth glass, lulled into a dream that was a repeat of the past couple days. He would be lucky if he could somehow function without a hint of whiskey in his system, but that was all gone to hell now. Oh well. It wasn't like it was some big secret that he enjoyed a drink - or several.
Whiskey was his comfort. He was all alone day in and day out expect for those times that Jack came and comforted him like an old friend.
But sometimes, friendships ended...