A Huge Mistake
I struggled to balance the huge stack of files in my arms as I walked down the hall. It had been another long day of Brooke Windham's murder trial, but for the first time since we started, things were looking up. Enrique the pool boy had been discredited as a witness, thanks to Elle. I shook my head a little. As lawyers went, Elle was the definition of unconventional, but she had great instincts. Nobody else would've realized Enrique was gay. And speak of the devil - Elle was walking toward the doors at the end of the hallway.
"Oh - Elle, Callahan asked to see you before you leave."
"Really?"
"Yeah, well, he already has his coffee, maybe he needs a doughnut," I joked. We both laughed.
"You need any help?" she asked. I could've used it, but Callahan didn't like to be kept waiting.
"No, I'm fine."
"Okay, bye." I managed to walk across the parking lot to my car without dropping any files, which I felt was pretty impressive - until I realized I'd left my laptop in our conference room. Sighing, I unlocked the car and put the files inside before turning back and heading toward the courthouse. I walked in and took the elevator to the third floor. As I walked down the hall to our conference room I heard Elle and Callahan in a room nearby. What could they possibly still be doing here? I wondered. I walked past their office - just in time to see Callahan slide his hand up Elle's leg. Oh my God. I hurried past them before they could notice me standing there. I found our conference room, grabbed my laptop, and headed for the elevator. I was in a state of complete disbelief. Elle and Callahan? That was so wrong for many different reasons. Suddenly I was furious. Warner, Enid and I worked our a*ses off to earn this internship, but Ms. Barbie Doll doesn't have to lift a finger to get what she wants in life.
I reached the elevator just as the elevator doors were closing on Elle. I opened the doors.
"You almost had me fooled." Elle looked at me.
"What?" Like I would fall for that.
"Maybe you should sleep with the jury, too, then we can win the case."
I turned on my heel as the elevator doors closed, giving her no chance to reply. I would take the stairs.
The next day was the last day before D-Day - D for Damnation, since this case would make or break our careers, and we had next to no evidence that Mrs. Windham was innocent. Emmett and I went to meet Mrs. Windham before what would likely be the final day of the trial. We all watched Callahan talking to some reporters on the tiny T.V.
"Enrique Salvatore has been discredited as a witness," Callahan told them.
"Did you go in there knowing how you were going to discredit Mr. Salvatore?" one reported asked.
"Absolutely. It's a little thing I like to call strategy" Callahan replied pompously. We all turned away.
Brooke scowled.
"Is he always such an a*s?" Emmet looks like he's holding back a grin.
"He's the top defense attorney in the state - of course he's an a*s." he replies.
"Fine, but is he a*s that's going to win my case?!" Brook demanded. Emmett shrugged,
"Well, he's an a*s that's gonna try."
"He doesn't trust me, does he?"
"That's not what's important."
"If he doesn't trust me, then why should I trust him?" I interrupted their argument,
"Ask Elle. She looked pretty cozy with him last night," I scoffed. Emmett turned and glared at me.
"No - You don't even know what the he*l you're talking about." I was about to set him straight when Brooke looked at us in confusion.
"What's going on here?"
"Elle quit. Yeah, Callahan hit on her, so she quit." What?
"Oh my God," Brooke scowled, crossing her arms, "Scumbag." I was shocked. I thought back to what I'd seen the night before...Callahan sliding his hand up her thigh...but he was the one hitting on her, not the other way around...and then I had said -
"Oh God," I groaned. Brooke looked at me.
"What?" I shook my head.
"I feel terrible. I made a huge mistake." Emmett looked at me and I couldn't meet his eyes. There was silence. Then -
"Well," Emmett said, "Maybe there's something we can do about it."
Emmett and I had left the prison as quickly as possible, trying to reach Elle before she left for California. I peered out into the dark night.
"Hey, this isn't the way to the campus," I said. Emmett replied,
"Elle won't be at Harvard, she'll be saying goodbye to that hairstylist she made friends with." I prayed he was right. We pulled into the parking lot of a small salon at a strip mall. Elle's car was parked outside, piled with all her belongings. Emmet and I hurried in to see Elle hugging a middle-aged blonde women. Emmett spoke up.
"Elle, we want you to stay." She frowned.
"Who's we?" she asked. Then she saw me. We stared at each other, saying nothing. Emmett cleared his throat.
"Okay, well, I'll wait outside."
"I'll join you," said Elle's friend. The door closed, and then it was just Elle and I in the empty salon. I took a deep breath.
"Elle, I am so sorry," I said. Elle didn't look at me, didn't reply. I went on,
"What I said last night - I never should've said those things. I was wrong. I jumped to conclusions and stereotyped you. Emmett set me straight." Still nothing. "I do want you to stay, Elle. But I'm not going to ask you to." She finally looked up, surprised.
"I don't deserve to win the case - not after I treated you. Enid doesn't deserve it, either, and Callahan can rot in he*l. But Emmett stuck by you. Maybe you can stay for him. And Brooke. You're the only one she trusts, and she's counting on you." I paused, wondering what to say next.
"You got off to a rough start, Elle, but you're really smart. I should've realized that. You've proven over and over in class - and in court - that you deserve this internship. Way more than the rest of us do."
"No I don't." It was so quiet I barely heard it.
"You don't what?" I asked, confused.
"Deserve the internship. Callahan made it clear that he only hired me because he thought he'd get something nice out of the deal." I scowled. Emmett was right, Callahan is a serious a*s.
"But now you've proven him wrong, haven't you? Sure, Emmett was the one who got Enrique to confess, but he only did it because you followed your instincts - instincts that nobody else on the team has." She didn't look convinced. I didn't know what else to say.
"Anyway, Elle, for what it's worth, I'm really sorry. I hope you'll forgive me someday." I sighed, "It's too bad Brook has Callahan as an attorney, because you'd be-" I froze. "So much better," I whispered. Elle looked at me warily.
"What?" I beamed.
"Elle!" I exclaimed, "You should replace Callahan as Brooke's attorney!" Elle looked at me like I'd suddenly grown an extra boob.
"You've lost your mind. I can't defend Brooke! Even if I was capable enough, I'm only a law student."
"No, no - hear me out! State law says an intern can represent as long as their supervised by a licensed attorney." Elle sighed.
"Vivian, even if I wanted to do that, Callahan would never, in a million years, agree to supervise me."
"He wouldn't. But I sure would." We turned. Emmett was standing there.
"You're the only one Brooke trusts, and as for being capable enough - look at what you've done! The only victory we've had against the prosecution - that was all because of you. The rest of us didn't do squat." Emmett and I waited with baited breath.
"Well," Elle said slowly, "I guess I've got nothing to lose." We both cheered.
"Alright," said Emmett, "If we're going to make this work, we have to move quickly. Visiting hours are almost over at the prison, and we need to brief Brooke." The three of us rushed out of the salon, Elle's friend calling,
"Don't worry, I'll watch your car while you're gone!" We piled into Emmett's car and drove as fast as we could - legally, of course - to the prison. As we drove I prayed to God that this would work out.
The parole officer was surprised to see us back so soon, but he let us in. Brook was overjoyed that Elle was staying, and couldn't thank her enough.
"Well," Elle said, "Delta Nu sisters don't just abandon each other." Brooke smothered her in a hug. Elle looked at me over her shoulder and gave me the tiniest of smiles. And maybe it was just wishful thinking, but I thought I saw a little forgiveness in her eyes.