Proving Innocence: By Luna Mrow
Chapter One: The Case at Hand
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters of TDI/TDA/TDWT. This disclaimer will stretch out to all my chapters so I don't have to repeat myself.
My name is Courtney Vega. I'm nineteen and I'm currently the youngest lawyer in Canada. It may seem surprising that for being so young I'm already a court lawyer, like the kind of people you see on T.V. where I stand in front of the judge and try to defend clients. Well that's partly because my older brother pulled some strings because he teaches for the most popular law school in Canada- Weston Prep School of Law.
However it's not like I didn't work hard to be where I am. I happily sacrificed almost every Saturday and Friday night, and almost all my free time studying the law. Because one day I'm going to have a client who's going to need my help, one day I'm going to be the best lawyer around, one day I might even be running for governor! But governor is a long term goal. My current goal is to get a client, a case, anything. I know I'm ready for whatever comes my way. At least, I thought I did. That was before I met a delinquent and my life got turned upside down…
Friday, 6:52 P.M.
"Come on Courtney! Come out and have some fun with us!" my best friend Bridgette exclaimed. She banged on my bedroom door to purposely annoy me.
"I have a ton of studying to do Bridge!" I called back to her. "Just go have fun without me."
"I always have fun without you! Tonight I want to have fun with you. The past couple weeks you've been locked away in your room studying law book after law book. Time to get out and socialize!"
Bridgette, Gwen and I are best friends and roommates living in Bridgette's dad's house. Between the three of us we always had rent and bills paid and I liked living with my two friends. Except when Bridgette pulled this on me. She always thought of me to be a zombie with no social life. Maybe that's been true the past two weeks but that's because I've been studying; I've got goals. Gwen understands the space I need, sometimes I wish Bridgette would.
"Okay, look if you give me ten minutes I'll come out and join you," I sighed, giving up.
"Hooray!" Bridgette squealed. "So you'll come with me to dinner with Geoff at Olive Garden?"
"I never said that!"
"Courtney!" Bridgette whined.
I rolled my eyes. "Yes. If you give me ten more minutes of peace I'll join you and Geoff for dinner."
"Hooray!" Bridgette squealed once again. I couldn't help but smile at her effervescent personality. Bridgette only pushed me to go out because she cared for me.
I slammed my 768 paged law text book shut and went up to my mirror, making sure I looked good enough for dinner. A plain purple tee hung loosely on my shoulders and my legs were covered with average black Levi jeans. Dressing casual was rare for me, since you can't show up to court like a slob. So slipping on my purple converses I went out of my room and across the hall to Gwen's room.
My relationship with Gwen was sometimes rocky, but we survived our quarrels and became best friends. She was very independent and very creative by all the drawings hung up on her dark painted walls. There were times she seemed distant, but if it was one thing Gwen respected it was space, which I gladly gave back to her. She wasn't nearly as bubbly and as social as Bridgette, but she had a good heart and I'm lucky to have someone who can put up with me.
I knocked on her door lightly then opened it to find her drawing at her desk blasting her favorite band Evanescence. "Hey Courtney," she greeted casually. "What can I get you?"
"Away from Bridgette," I answered jokingly.
She smiled. "Bridge invited me to dinner but I gave her the excuse I had an upset stomach."
"I should've thought of something like that," I mumbled. Crap now I forgot what I came in here for. Oh that's right. "Can I borrow your black hat? They match my jeans," I asked her.
Gwen nodded and tossed her black hat to me. "Try and have fun, okay?"
"Yeah," I smiled, putting on her hat.
I turned around to leave and as I walked downstairs I heard Gwen call, "Bring me back breadsticks!"
When I came down the stairs I saw Bridgette dressed up in a light blue sleeveless dress that came up to the middle of her calves, with white leggings and a matching white vest. "You're going to like my boyfriend Geoff. He's really sweet," Bridgette said.
"Boyfriend?" I asked puzzled.
She sighed. "Yeah Court, we've been going out for like three weeks."
"But you met him three weeks ago at that bonfire."
Bridgette smiled. "I work fast." I returned her smile and rolled my eyes, and we both walked out the door and started walking to Olive Garden (which was a reasonable distance away).
Geoff was a little crazy if you ask me. He was a total party boy. However I must say he was perfect for Bridgette. Immediately I could feel the sparks between them when we walked into the restaurant and sat down with Geoff at a table. Did watching them get all lovey-dovey with each other all night making me feel like a third wheel feel good? No. But I was happy for Bridgette. I still have to meet my perfect guy. But boys aren't my priority, becoming a lawyer is. Well technically I am a lawyer, I just need a case.
Bridgette and Geoff were busy staring into each other's eyes while eating cheesy ravioli, and I was munching down on breadsticks and minestrone soup. But finally the two love birds snapped out of their own little world and Geoff asked, "So what do you like to do Courtney?"
It surprised me that he started a conversation but I'm glad he did. "I'm a studying lawyer," I answered, trying not to make my voice sound boring.
He raised a brow. "Like those dudes from Law and Order?"
"Kind of," Bridgette giggled. "She's currently trying to find a case. Aren't you Court?"
I nodded. Surprisingly Geoff fell silent, so Bridgette and I did small talk about a random TV show. But finally after ten minutes or so, Geoff finally spoke up and said, "So do you think you'll be able to help me out?"
"With what?" I asked.
"You're not getting sued, are you?" Bridgette asked jokingly.
"No. I have a friend who was convicted for a crime he's innocent for, and he's been in jail for a few weeks. But tomorrow he's having a trial and he has no lawyer or anything. If he does get one and if you can prove that my buddy is innocent…" Geoff drifted off for a second lost in thought, "then maybe he won't go to prison."
I was in shock. I knew absolutely nothing about Geoff's friend, if I can even be his lawyer, and if I was in any way prepared for this! But I did know one thing- this opportunity won't come twice. So all I could answer with was, "I'll come to the trial tomorrow and we'll see what happens."
Geoff's eyes were filled with shining gratitude. "Thank you," he said, almost whispered. "That really means a lot."
Bridgette wrapped an arm around his. "You got a suit for the trial honey?"
"You have to wear a suit?"
I smiled and rolled my eyes. Tomorrow was going to be huge.
Author Note: This is my first D/C fic. Just so you all know, I'm not a diehard D/C fan, but they fit this story I've had in my head awhile. And for future reference, what I write happens in court probably doesn't happen like that in real life. But you bend rules for stories :D Please review, and thank you for reading!