A CRIMINAL'S DEFENSE.
[Ch. 1] Entry 0.
"Prisoner 00453601 audio code 218, entry 0, time: 12:17 p.m., you may proceed with an introduction, Ms. Lancaster."
A girl about the age of 17 sits in a metal folding chair, wearing an white jumpsuit and cuffs holding her feet together and her hands behind her back. She is facing a metal table with a recorder on it. The sound of the tape moving, indicating that the recorder was on, crackled and let out a low hum. She took a breath in and began.
"Hello. My name is Linette Lancaster. I am an orphan with no siblings. I have no friends. I am currently being held-" A shuffling sound is heard and the girl stumbles over her words, "a-at a h-holding facility. I am being told that I must relay all that I witnessed from March 19, 2014 up to now. April 2, 2014. The investigation of sorts has to do with two deceased, Dothanna Lancaster and Bartholomew Roslinger. It starts on the 19th, 10:46 p.m. My sister had just interrupted me from Moby Dick…"
"Linette! Must you keep mucking up the house with all you atrocious novels?!"
I jump at the resounding sound of my sister's screeching from the back of me. I rubbed my ear and set down Moby dick. I turn to find her standing behind me, picking up my books that had been haphazardly strewn across the living room. "Sis! You nearly scared Moby Dick out of the pages! Must you continue mucking up my head and peace with your vile screeches?!" I say back, sarcastically.
"You know why it's called a "living room", Linny? Because you're supposed to live in it! Not indulge in dead, mindless garbage that you pay for! Stop reading about adventures and go have some for your own!"
"But then I'd have to leave the house!"
"Why don't you go back to work? You got a great pay!"
"No one's asking for me."
"Why don't you ask them if they need you?" She huffs as she sets down the books she was picking up. "And clean up your own messes, will you?! Bartholomew and his parents are coming over in an hour. Put something nice on, would you?" And with that, she storms off to get changed for the dinner party, her long, light, auburn hair trailing behind her.
I pout and begin to mumble to myself as i lug stacks of novels, encyclopedias, research books, and any other type of reading material you could hope to find. "Anna…always bossing my around…that stupid minger! And calling my books "mindless garbage"?! She doesn't have enough mind to ever even consider writing! Uuugghh.." I continued to grumble as i cleared the house of my collection. After everything was together and in my bookshelves, I flopped onto my bed and considered what i would wear.
I say bed, but it is in actuality, a couch. A very comfortable one, but a couch nonetheless. I turn over onto my stomach and snuggle into my pillow.
"Why does she always have to muck up my life? She can have the amazing, nice, handsome, nearly perfect boyfriend that was supposed to be mine, but does she have to bring him over for dinner? Does she have to rub it in? I was his assistant. I met him first…It just isn't fair, is it, Hamlet?" I mumble towards my stuffed monster that I had had since I was 10.
"Oh, well. I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later. I can't very well show up to dinner, looking like this, can I?" I push myself up off of my bed and traverse my cold, hard-wood floors to my closet.
I look over my choices carefully, scanning for posh, but not preppy, dark, but not depressing, and neat, but not motherly.
"Ah! perfect!" I sigh with relief at finding the perfect dress.
It was a knee-length, dark blue dress with a medium neck scoop, and high waist. A sailor-type style. But not show-off-ish. Just my style. I give myself a playful smirk in the mirror as I get ready to take a shower.
I get out of the shower and dry my hair with the towel, scuffing it up. Indubitably, my hair would pay me back come dinner time when it mattered. It was a wild, untamed one. I have yet to have met Bar's parents so I chose to apply no makeup. My policy was to show them i was beautiful as i was so they would think i look even more so when i did choose to wear it, on special occasions. I did choose to wear jewelry, however. My favorite necklace,(It looks like a simple silver chain with a heart charm on it, but if you push against the top sides, two hidden blades came out from the sides. Quite a clever invention I'd say.) and my shark earrings. (They were two little sharks that hung from the ear as if they were clinging onto your earlobes by their teeth. Clever as well.) I then began the task of brushing out my mangled locks. They, as usual, refused to cooperate and forced me into submission. I decided to let it hang as it was, with a simple ponytail to hold it back.
"Linette, are you almost ready?" My sister asked sweetly.
She was speaking nicely, so I assume that the guests had arrived.
"Oh, yes! Do excuse me!" I say back, with the same sickeningly sweet tone.
As I walked out, i saw her expression contort in annoyance. I grinned mischievously and walked into the kitchen.
"Did you wait up for me? You really shouldn't have!" I say, mostly for Bar's parents".
"Oh no, dear! It was the least we could do, you working so had to get all pretty for us!" Bar's mother chimed.
"Thank you very much, Mrs. Roslinger." I bowed my head towards her in thanks.
My sister sat down in-between me and Bar. We sat around the small dinning table. My sister coughed and nudged me, queuing me to say the script I was assigned the previous day. I jolted slightly in surprise. I don't handle surprises too well.
"Bar, I just wanted to say how honored we are to have you here! You are like a brother to me and, I wish you were." I made a sound as if I was getting choked up and Bar's mother patted my shoulder, getting teary-eyed. "I just wanted to say how happy i am to-"
Bar cut me off. "I-I'm sorry…"
I held down my first instinct to yell as him or sigh in annoyance. He was always doing this! Always apologizing! Ugh! "No-no! Bar! you have no need to apologize! I'm just really-"
"I'm sorry…i-i'm…i'm so..i…s-s-sorry.." He continued to mutter, eyes squeezed shut.
My eye twitched in aggravation. If Bar keeps this up, Anna's going to have my head! I started to panic.
"Please, no…don't apologize!" I gave him a slight glare.
I looked over to see Mr. and Mrs. Roslinger looked nervous. I smile at them, in the sweetest way I could and say, "I'm sorry. I just wanted to say thank you."
I hear my sister sigh, obviously disappointed. "Bar, please excuse my sister. You have no need to apologize. Linny and I only wished to thank you for coming and express our gratitude to your family."
And then, the unexpected happened.
"u-umm…well, about that, Do…" I cringe at the nickname he gave my sister, Dothanna. He also seems to be cringing, shaking even.
"I'm sorry, but-I'm breaking up with you because I'm in love with your sister, Linette!"
Everyone sits in shock, Me, a blush spreading across my cheeks. Anna, a horrified and angry expression on her face. And Bar's parents, a guilty expression crossing their countenance. You could tell Bar had prepped them for this news beforehand. Anna stood up, rubbing tears from her eyes, and stomped towards her room. "Uh! Sis!" I tried to call her back.
"Shut up, leave me alone you stupid skank!" She spat back at me.
That got me. I felt my eyes sting as a scowl pulled onto my face. "Fine. Don't ever come back for all I bloody care." I mumbled.
At this point in time, Bar's parents felt it would be an appropriate time to exit. Mrs. Roslinger put a hand on Bar's shoulder and whispered something. Bar shook both her words and her hand off. She huffed and threw her jacket over her shoulder. "Let's go, Alix!" She lead Mr. Roslingler out.
He tipped his head in apology. I nodded back and smiled. And with that, Bar smiled and let out a huge sigh of relief. "I really am so-"
I cut him off this time. "Stop apologizing for Christ's sake! And that part about loving me? Ridiculous!" I huffed and turned my head away, hiding my embarrassment.
No way could Bar have interest in me!
"Linette…I wish I didn't have to tell you this way." He placed his hands on my shoulders and I could feel his breath on the base of my neck. I knew what was going to happen. As much as I wanted it…my sister…well, actually, as of right now she can go screw herself. I turned to face him as he caught my lips in his. I melted. I caressed his cheek and he cupped my hip. When we pulled apart, I frowned at him. "How would you have wanted it to turn out?"
He smiled, "I would have told your sister no when she asked me out.I would have asked you out on our first day together at the clinic. I would have never gotten together with your sister…but it's too late now, and I wanted to set the record straight…as soon as possible."
"No time like the present."
"The present is indeed the best."
Then we just sat there, staring at each other. It may sound boring, but it was the best experience in my life. Considering the past few months of hell I've had to endure with the whole, "The love of my life's dating my sister" thing, Being able to just sit there and stare into his eyes was a privilege. I hope he felt the same way. No, I knew he did. He had just confessed to the fact that my sister had been stringing him along for all those weeks, He being too less of a man to turn her down. We both smiled and then he kissed my forehead, "I should be leaving. Goodbye, Linette."
"Wait! Bar!"
"What is it?"
"You can't just leave!"
"I wish it weren't so, but I simply must. Goodbye, linette."
"Goodbye, Bartholomew."
He walked out the door and I stood from the table, realizing none of us actually got any food out and left the table set up, with nothing on it. I chuckled and did a little twirl as I walked towards my room. I passed by my sister's room and heard crying and dirty dancing turned up high. I almost felt bad. But i was too happy. I went to my room and looked at the clock. It was 1:27 a.m. I changed into an overly large t-shirt, took out my earrings and ponytail and slid under my covers.
"Prisoner 00453601, Entry 0 end. Time: 12:47 p.m., Ms. Lancaster, you are dismissed."