Chapter 10
It's raining so I have the day off. So here's another chapter. It's a big one. (In my opinion). Enjoy.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Santana wakes up full of anxiety. Today is the day that the judge will make his decision. She hopes that he sides with her and that the charge of second degree murder is reduced to an involuntary manslaughter charge. She is fairly confident that that's what the outcome will be, but one can never be certain. Her whole defense strategy depends on what charge it is that Brittany is ultimately charged with.
The Latina gets out of bed and prepares for the day ahead. She wants to get down to her office as soon as possible. She wants to be there when the judge's decision comes in.
Its gonna be a long day for her. With Puck coming over Santana hadn't gotten as much time as she wanted to look over Brittany's case again. She is going to have to stay up late working on it tonight.
She has a meeting with Brittany tomorrow, after all. She needs to be ready for it. Her last meeting with Brittany didn't end well. She knows that she is going to have to amend that somehow. That she should probably apologize to her client for upsetting her and explain to her how important it is to get the facts about Brittany's life.
Santana still feels a little bad about it. Making Brittany upset wasn't her goal. Not at all. She feels bad for the woman. Brittany is stuck in jail until her trial and there is nothing Santana can do about it. She feels bad that the blonde had to give up her apartment.
"No one should ever have to go through all of that." Santana says under her breath as she reads the morning paper. Actually she's really not reading the paper. Yes, it is in front of her but she couldn't name one item from the front page. As she drinks her morning coffee all of her thoughts seems to revolve around her client.
She eventually looks down at her watch. "When did it get so late?" She mumbles standing from her chair and making her way to the front door. "I should have left 10 minutes ago." With that she grabs her keys and is out the front door.
"Big day." Sugar says from behind Brittany.
"What?" Brittany turns, from where she is looking out of the cell, in Sugar's direction .
"It's a big day for you." Sugar clarifies.
"What? No, it's not." Brittany waves the woman off.
"Yeah. It is. Didn't you say that the judge is suppose to make his decision on your charges today?" Sugar reminds the blonde.
"Yeah, so?"
"So there's a big difference between a second degree murder charge and a involuntary manslaughter charge."
"Yeah. I guess." Brittany says absentmindedly.
"What's up with you today?" Sugar asks noticing Brittany less than enthusiastic demeanor.
"Nothing. I just wish it was tomorrow already." Brittany shrugs looking out into the hallway.
"Why's that?"
"Then I will know what the judge has decided. Even though he will make his decision today. I won't know what it is until tomorrow. Santana will know but I won't have a clue until our meeting tomorrow."
"Oh. That makes sense."
"Yeah. And I have to apologize to her. For my behavior the other day. I feel bad. She was just trying to do her job." Brittany sighs.
"I've got a lot on my mind. I just wish it was tomorrow and I could get it over with and then everything will be out of my mind. Anxiety I guess." Brittany moves from the cell door and hops up on the top bunk.
"Why don't you read a little. Lose yourself in a book. Forget about the real world for a little while. Maybe ease your anxiety some." Sugar suggests.
"Don't think I could read if I wanted to. Can't concentrate." Brittany rolls over on her side and traces her fingertips along the cement of the wall.
"Ok then, just thought I would suggest it. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help. I ain't going anywhere." Sugar goes back to read her own book.
Brittany doesn't reply but a tiny smile pulls at her lips at Sugar's little joke. And Sugar knows the blonde heard her.
Santana is sitting at her office desk looking over one of her other cases when there is a knock at the door. Her head pops up from the pages in front of her. "Yes." She calls out.
A woman enters the room. She smiles at Santana. Santana returns the smile. "What is it?" She asks. The woman walks across the room and hands Santana a note.
"This just came for you." She then hands Santana a manila envelope.
"Thank you." The Latina says and the woman turns and leave the office.
Santana opens the envelope immediately. The nerves coursing through her body. She knows exactly what it is that's in the envelope.
She pulls out a few pieces of paper and looks in the envelope to make sure she has taking everything out before setting it aside.
Santana takes in a deep breath and looks over the papers. She reads down the page that is addressed to her and District Attorney Berry. When Santana is finished reading the page she sets the paper down on her desk. She leans back in her desk chair and runs her hands through her hair.
"Yes." She shouts and raised her fists in the air. "Yes. Yes. Yes."
The door of Santana's office swings open forcefully. Santana drops her arms. "Is everything alright, Ms. Lopez?" Her assistants asks as she stands in the doorway.
"Yes." Santana tells her with a huge smile on her face. "Everything is just great. I just got some good news."
"Oh. Good. I just heard you shouting and I got concerned that something might be wrong." The woman explains her presence in the doorway.
"I appreciate your concern Linda but I assure you that everything is fine. You can go now." Santana dismisses the woman.
"Ok. Just let me know if you need anything." Linda adds as she grabs the door handle and pulls the door shut behind herself.
Santana pushes herself back away from her desk a little. She pulls her feet up and rests her heels on the corner of her desk. She leans back in her desk chair folding her hands together on the back of her head.
"Things are looking up. This is great. Brittany is going to be so happy about this. Heck, I'm so happy about this." She says to herself before closing her eyes and thinking about how this is going to change the case.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Brittany wakes up still full of anxiety, just like the day before. It was a miracle that she even got any sleep. She looks around the tiny jail cell and wonders what time it is. She doesn't hear much noise from the hallway so she knows that it must be early yet.
"Sugar?" She whispers. Brittany hopes that maybe Sugar is awake and that they can talk about something clueless. Anything really, just so she doesn't have to think about her meeting with her lawyer or what the judge has decided.
She doesn't get any answer though. Brittany sighs and rolls over onto her stomach and smothers her face into her thin pillow. She growls into it in frustration. She wishes that there was something she could do. Something that she could help with regarding her case. But as she sits in her jail cell she knows that there is very little in the way of help she can offer, other than the truth.
She decides that that's what she needs to do. She needs to be truthful to anyone she may come across from now until her trial is over. That includes her lawyer, the district attorney, any police or guards, and even other inmates that she might speak with. 'Honesty is the best policy, right?' She thinks.
Clank. Clank. Clank.
The guards nightstick runs across the bars of Brittany's cell. "Breakfast time." The man calls out through the hallway. Brittany jumps down from her bunk and gets her and Sugar's breakfast.
"Here you go." She hands Sugar the tray with the food on it. "Doesn't look to appetizing." Brittany comments as she looks down at the food in her hands.
"It never does." Sugar says with sleep still in her voice. "But I eat it anyway."
Brittany sighs. "Yuck." She shrugs. "Don't really have much of a choice, I guess. Either eat this shit or starve to death." She looks over at Sugar who was now sitting up on her bed. "I don't know which would be more painful."
Sugar laughs. "True."
Brittany sits down next to the brunette. "You know, you're not so bad."
Sugar scrunches up her face. "What?"
"When I first got her. I didn't know what to expect from you. I didn't know what you were in here for and I thought you had a crazy name. Actually, I still think it's crazy. But you aren't bad."
"Gee thanks." Sugar teases Brittany.
"No I'm serious."
"I'm just kidding you. Come on. What time is your meeting today?" She asks the blonde as she takes a bite out of her toast.
"Don't know. Santana never said." Brittany shrugs and opens her carton of milk. "I just hope that it goes will. I didn't sleep too good last night. I have a lot of anxiety about it."
Sugar lays a hand on Brittany's shoulder. "You shouldn't worry to much. You said you have a good lawyer. Trust her judgment and believe that you two can win your case. Simple as that."
"Thanks." Brittany mumbles. She focuses on her less than exciting breakfast, putting her troubles aside, at least for a few minutes.
Brittany is sitting there waiting for Santana to come in for their weekly meeting. The first meeting since they met with the DA and detective the Friday before. Today she isn't in the interrogation room like that time. She is back in the room for more private meetings. The room without a one-way window.
She feels bad for the way their last meeting ended. Bad for the way she got upset. She know Santana was just doing her job. That she needed to ask Brittany questions about her life in order to represent her properly.
Brittany sits there waiting, twiddling her thumbs in her clasped hands on top of the table. She keeps her head bowed low, reserved.
After a few minutes of Brittany sitting there; her lawyer walks through the door. Brittany looks up in the direction of the brunette. Santana smiles gently at Brittany once there eyes meet.
"Good morning, Ms. Pierce." Santana shuts the door and moves towards the table. She sets her briefcase down on top of it. She opens the item up and pulls out her notebook and a pen.
"Morning." Brittany smiles shyly.
"How are you doing today?" Santana asks as she takes a seat in the chair across from Brittany.
Brittany rolls her thumbs over each other. Anxiety coursing through her body. She intends on apologizing for her behavior at their last meeting. But she has no idea how to bring it up.
"Um- I'm okay." Brittany replies. Santana watches as Brittany plays with her thumbs. "Uh- how are you?" Brittany follows with.
"I'm good. Though I little tired. I haven't been sleeping to well the last couple of days." Santana raises her hand and flicks her wrist, as if to brush it off.
"Why's that?" Brittany asks suddenly less anxious and more curious as to why the woman across from her hasn't been sleeping.
"It's not important. I'll get over it." She opens up her notebook. "I have some good news for you."
"Is it about my charges?" Brittany thinks that it probably is but she asks anyway.
"Yes. The judge has agreed with me and you will now be charged with involuntary manslaughter and vandalism." Santana says beaming with pride.
"Good." Brittany lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding.
"Good. That's it. I thought you would be more excited about this. This is a big win for us, for your case, for your future." Santana watches as Brittany sits there obviously nervous about something.
"I am but-"
"Listen, Ms. Pierce, I know that you have a lot on your mind right now. But- this should be nothing but a positive in your mind. But enough about that for now. I have a few things to discuss with you today. First off, I know that our last meeting didn't end so well." Brittany bows her head knowing more now than before that she has to apologize to the woman. "And I wanted to apologize for that. For making you so upset. I didn't-"
"What?" Brittany all but shouts. Santana flinches back slightly at the sudden outburst. She narrows her eyes on Brittany. Trying to read her body language. The blonde's eyes widened while a look of surprise is etched on her face.
"I didn't mean to upset you the other day. Even though it is my job to ask you about your life, the last thing that I wanted to do was upset you in any way. So I'm sorry for that." She shrugs and looks away from Brittany.
Brittany scrunches her eyebrows together. "What?" Brittany whispers. She can't believe Santana right now. She shouldn't be the one apologizing. Brittany should be.
The lawyer snaps her eyes back to Brittany as she hears her whispered voice. The confusion on the blonde's face clearly evident. "I said I was sorry for upsetting you." Santana says again. This time in more of a whisper that matches Brittany's.
Brittany stares at the woman for a few seconds. "I- you- I. You shouldn't be the one apologizing. I should be. I should be and I intended on doing just that as soon as you arrived." She shakes her head back and forth once. "But you beat me to it. You don't- you didn't need to apologize. It was all on me. I should have not gotten so- so mad." She looks away from Santana unable to hold her eyes any longer. "I'm sorry. I knew that you were only doing your job and that you had to ask me those questions. It didn't stop me though. Even though I knew, I still got upset."
"It's okay." Santana tells her.
Brittany spins her attention back to Santana. "It's not okay." She says slowly before letting out a sigh. "It's not okay and I want to at least right one wrong in my life. So- I'll tell you."
"Tell me what?" Santana is confused now. She's not exactly sure what Brittany is talking about.
"All about myself. How I went from drawings in sketchbooks and painting on canvas to illegally spray painting parts of the city."
Santana lets out an audible breath. "Alright."
Brittany sits completely still. Her fists clenched on top of the table trying to think of the best way to go about this.
"I'm not sure where I should start but- but- Oh fuck this shit." Brittany rolls her eyes before closing them altogether. She runs her right hand over her face before resting it back on the tabletop. Unclenching her fists she opens her eyes.
"It all started when I was a senior in high school. Everything was great. I was doing good in school. I was a cheerleader. I had awesome friends. Everything was just great. Too great maybe?" She stops at that last thought.
With her face turned slightly to the side and staring off into the corner of the room as she speaks.
"It was a couple of months before I graduated. February or March when we got the news. I can't really remember. My mom was sick. All of a sudden everything was about her and about helping her get better. My friends became less important. My school work became less important. Cheerleading was just something I did. None of it really mattered anymore."
Santana brow furrows in confusion. But Brittany continues unaware.
"The only thing that mattered was my family. Helping my mom with anything she needed. Being home instead of spending time with my friends. Yeah, I went to school but each day after cheerleading practice I would go home immediately."
She looks at Santana for a brief second before turning her head away again. She couldn't look at the brunette when she told her this story.
"Mom seemed like she was getting better. Everything was going well. She even came to my graduation ceremony. I spent that summer after high school looking after my mom and my little sister. It was something I had to do. My dad worked full time so he needed my help at home."
"I was leery about going to college in the fall. But I went anyway. I took a art class and I fell in love with it. It turned into a way for me to let out some of my emotions onto paper. To not keep things bottled inside of me."
Brittany shifts her palms so that they are flat on the table as she looks down at them. "My mom got worse a couple of weeks after I left. They had to put her in the hospital when she developed an infection. There wasn't much I could do while I was away at school. I prayed everyday that she would get better. She died on November 5th that year." The blonde sniffles.
Santana's eye widen at the realization. Almost automatically her hands reach out and takes Brittany's in her own. She gives them gentle squeeze. Brittany looks up at Santana with tear-filled eyes. "I'm so sorry Brittany. I had no idea."
The blonde shakes her head. A tear falling from her right eyes as she does. "I had just turned 19 and my mother was dead. My whole life changed that day. I dropped out of college and got a job."
Santana rubs her thumbs across the back of the blondes hands. She doesn't know what else to do. She knew that there was something that Brittany was keeping from her but she never imagined it would be something as big and traumatizing as this.
"The same job I have today actually. With my mom being sick my family acquired a ton of medical bills. I dropped out of college because I knew that we couldn't afford it. The debt we were in was already unfathomable. I couldn't let it get any worse. So I dropped out and got a job."
Brittany looks up from the table. She isn't ready for what she sees. She sees her lawyer sitting across from her. Her eyes filled with tears too. Ready to spills over at any second. It's almost too much for Brittany. She turns away again. Looking off into the corner of the room as she continues.
"I got my little apartment and worked. Everyday. I worked and every time I got paid I would send money home to my dad. He didn't want me too. He wanted me to keep what I earned. He didn't want me to drop out of college either but he knew that there was no way we could afford it if I continued. So he didn't fight me on it. On any of it. I send him money to help pay off the debt and to make sure my little sister has everything that she needs. My dad has a good job. But when you're in that much debt it hardly makes a difference how much money you make. He does his best and he takes really good care of my little sister."
Brittany's eyes wander back to the table where her hands are wrapped in Santana's. A small smile tugs at her lips at the sight. She knew that there hands were connected; she could feel it. But seeing it is something else entirely.
"My art became an outlet for me after my mom died. It helped me. It was like a therapy for me. For a while it made me feel better. It was soothing to paint. I could pour all of my emotions onto that paper. But after a few months it stopped working though. I needed something more. Something bigger. That's when I went out and bought spray paint and started doing my street art. That's basically how it started."
She looks up from their hands to meet Santana's eyes. She shrugs. "That's all I guess. That's my story."
Santana nods. She stares at Brittany not sure what to say next. "Wow." She sniffles holding back the tears that threaten to fall from her eyes. "I don't even know what to say. I just- I- I'm so sorry. I didn't know. Well, how could I have known. But still. That's just so sad. I- I- god I'm a blubbering mess." Santana shakes her head.
"It's okay. I know it's a lot to hear all at once. But I also know that I had to tell you. That if you are going to help me then I need to help you too. You needed to know."
"Thank you, Brittany. Thank you for telling me. I'm sure that was difficult but I'm glad that you decided to tell me. Now we can move onto putting together your defense." She rubs her thumbs over Brittany's knuckles once more before letting go of the blonde's hands.
Brittany lets out a sigh as Santana's hands retreat to her side of the table. Santana smiles gently at Brittany. Brittany watches Santana as she moves her notebook in front of herself and picks up a pen. She isn't quite sure what she is smiling at but it feels good.
Santana takes a few moments while aimlessly arranges and rearranges the items in front of her. The whole time composing herself after Brittany's confession. "Next…" Santana starts.