I am SO sorry, so much s*** had been going on that I won't even bother to run my mouth… Or fingers about it. I am so sorry.
BPOV
My head was spinning, stomach churning, heart thumping; the judge walked into the court room. I knew the Cullens were seated behind me, just like I knew Jacob and Paul were there. Peter stood up with me and waited for the judge to tell us to be seated. On the prosecutor side there was a lawyer and my old foster mother, plus a bunch of people I've never seen.
Peter gave me a small, reassuring smile. He was the only person I've spoken to since our last meeting. Carlisle and Esme tried to get me to start talking again, but I refused. Just like I refused to eat and chose to ignore how big my clothes were getting on me.
We were seated and the prosecutor stood and started talking to the jury, but I couldn't focus on anything being said.
"I feel sick" I murmured to Peter.
"It's just nerves" He said with an understanding smile.
I knew it wasn't nerves, but I didn't speak up again. Surprisingly they called my case worker to the podium. At first the questions were simple questions, when did he become my case worker, how long has he been a case worker, and things of that nature.
"How would you describe Isabella Swan?" The prosecutor asks.
"Unstable, angry, dramatic, dangerous" The case worker said seriously. "Mostly unpredictable"
"Can you elaborate?"
"Well, Isabella has been arrested on multiple occasions, ranging from drug use to violence, she has always found a problem with the families we have placed her with even though no one else has, and she definitely has mental stability problems. When I first took on her case she was 8, her case worker relocated, she was already on antianxiety medications and now is on antidepressants, and as I said she has a problem with drug abuse. There is just no controlling her and I'm honestly glad she has aged out of the system."
I hated him, but I didn't make any move to say anything. I wanted him to tell the truth but I couldn't focus on anything with the way my head as spinning and every few minutes black spots filled my eyes.
"No further questions" The prosecutor said.
Peter stood up, shooting me one last smile, and strode to the front of court.
"Thank you, Mr. Brown, for your insight into Bella's past" He said seriously. "However, you were rather vague. Now of course I have obtained a copy of Isabella's file, however, I noticed there were two files, would you care to explain why that is?"
"Well, I, uh" He stuttered.
"Yes" Peter prompted.
"We felt it would be easier to place her if she has more than one file."
"I need to remind you that you are under oath Mr. Brown, but I'll let that slide. When you compare her files there are some inconsistencies pieces filled. Many of the times Bella was placed in a new home her smaller file said that she ran away, for no reason, or she got into a fight with one of the other children. However, her other file says differently"
"I don't know what you mean" Mr. Brown lied.
"Your honor, we have a liar on the stand" Peter says seriously.
"I will be forced to sentence you, you are under oath" The judge said harshly.
Peter walked up to the table and pulled two pieces of papers from a folder and strode up to Mr. Brown and handed him the first paper.
"Do you recognize this paper?"
"Yes"
"Please tell us where and then read it."
"This is the paperwork I filed when we moved Bella to her second foster home since I had her case. She was twelve, it reads the family has decided to discontinue their care for Isabella Swan, she is a trouble child and requires too much and they weren't prepared to take on such a high maintenance child. We are searching for another family."
"Thank you, now do you recognize this paper?" Peter asks switching papers for Mr. Brown, he squeaked a yes. "Please do the same for this one as you did for the last one."
"This is the second set of paperwork I filed for the same reason, Isabella was 12 and we were changing her foster home, it reads we have taken Bella out of the foster home and taken their license to ever care for another foster child. The father has been charged with rape because Bella was taken to the doctor and was diagnosed with Gonorrhea, and she is now being treated. She is in a group home until we can find her a better family."
The jury gasps in horror.
"Why would there be two different stories for the same occasion?"
"I thought it would be easier to get her with another family with a cover story in case they decided to request her file."
The line of questioning only got worse until finally the judge had him taken out in hand cuffs charging him with something. Many of the jury looked horror stricken. Next they called up my old foster mother and she told them how horrible I was, I was rude, disrespectful, disgusting, and a murderer. Next I was called up.
I was once again sworn in, which didn't make sense to me, I was forced to make a promise with my hand on the Bible, but I had no religious affiliation with it. The prosecutor glared at me like I killed him, or like I tried to.
"Isabella Swan, do you deny killing your foster father?"
"No" I said, trying to rub the dark spots out of my eyes.
"Do you regret killing him?"
"Not at all" I snarled. "I wish I would have done it sooner."
"No further questions" He said over the jury's gasps.
Peter stood up and I already knew what to expect.
"Ms. Swan can you tell us what happened the night your foster father was killed?"
"I came home late like always and was trying to be quiet so he wouldn't hear me and come into my room, but he did. He yelled at me for drinking and kicked over the boxes full of my stuff, I was getting my things ready to move out. He said I couldn't leave the house, he wouldn't let me and then he tore my shirt open and threw me on my bed. I told him he couldn't touch me anymore, but he just laughed at me. I guess I snapped and when he came closer to me I grabbed the gun and shot him. My friend Edward was waiting for me outside and ran up when he heard the gunshots and took me to his house." The end was a lie, but so what, it was a well-planned lie.
"Did your foster father have a history of abuse?"
"When he was drunk he'd come in my room in the middle of the night to fuck" I said with a shrug.
Suddenly my vision blanked, but it came right back. Carlisle whispered something to Esme. Jacob and Paul looked ready to kill someone.
"I got used to it, I guess I was always used to it. It's not like he'd get caught anyway, no one believed me before him and it's not like I can have kids, so there was no proof" tears burned my eyes.
"Can you elaborate on that?"
"Well my case worker didn't believe anything I said, he was forced to believe the first time because of, you know. But once that was cleared it was like it never happened. He didn't believe after that, not even when I was 15 and got pregnant."
"You were pregnant?" Peter asked as if he didn't know. "What happened?"
"I had a miscarriage" I choked, tears spilled down my eyes. This cut was still too fresh. "I tried to kill myself after that and failed because my friends found me, that's why I'm on antidepressants, like Mr. Brown said. Now I can't have kids."
"I'm sorry" Peter said, handing me a tissue.
I wiped my eyes ignoring the way my heart was racing, pounding against my chest violently. Peter said he had no more questions. The prosecutor started giving his closing argument as I walked to my seat. Suddenly my legs gave out and I hit the floor. Everyone in the court gasps.
This is why I didn't get out of bed, my muscles weren't working properly.
"I'm sorry" I said, "I'm alright"
Peter helped me up, staring at me with worried eyes. He took his turn giving his closing argument and then the jury walked out of the court to deliberate. They were back an hour later.
"The jury finds Isabella Swan not guilty for reasons of self-defense. You are free to go, however" the judge said as I get up, "we suggest you get counseling and you will never be able to obtain a gun license or a gun"
I turned and walked through the crowd, trying to hurry out of the court before I passed out, or one of the Cullens caught up to me. But my legs give out again before we even clear the door. My head slams against the floor because I couldn't catch myself in time. My vision blinks out and I hear people screaming.
When I open my eyes I am in a hospital bed. The room smells sterile and the white lights are blinding. My brain is pounding against my skull angrily. I look around and see Paul sitting in the seat by my bed, when he sees that my eyes are open he rushes over.
"Oh my God! Bella we were so worried! How are you feeling?"
"Like shit" I said seriously. "My fucking head is filling me, my eyes hurt, and I could really go for a smoke. How long have I been out?"
"A few hours. The doctor said you haven't been eating and that's why you fell, when you hit your head it caused you to pass out"
"Sounds right" I said with a shrug.
"Why haven't you been eating?"
"No appetite. Do you know when they are letting me out?"
"Today if you can pass something about a concussion, sorry I was burnt and trying to listen to that man talking."
"You sat with me, high, while I have been sober for a month" I asked with mock horror and feigning hurt. "You are a true friend" but I busted out laughing, breaking the façade.
"We are waiting for them to release you, Jacob is setting up a welcome home bon fire at the beach for either tonight or tomorrow, depending on when they let you out. By the way, happy birthday"
"Thank goodness, life is just not life here without you guys, and I completely forgot, I haven't been keeping up with the dates."
Suddenly a doctor walks in followed by Carlisle. The doctor gives me a regular checkup, asks me a million question, and finally says I can leave.
"Who is signing your release papers?" He asks.
"I am" Carlisle says.
"No, I am" I snap, glaring at Carlisle. "Today is my 18th birthday."
The doctor checks my ID and then hands me the papers. I sign them and Paul looks at me with a huge smile.
"Bonfire" He says.
"Definitely"
"Hold on" The doctor says.
He reaches out and hands me a pamphlet on overcoming eating disorders and anorexia. Paul looks at them and looks at me before he busts out laughing.
"Izzy, anorexic, she can eat a horse on a day she isn't even hungry!"
I laugh and drop the pamphlets on the bed. Paul grabs my hand and drags me out of the room. From his pocket he pulls out a small flask, I down the contents loving the burn it gave me and the almost instant fuzz around the edges, it's been too long!
"Bella hold on" Carlisle calls as we pass the rest of the Cullens in the waiting room. They all jump up.
"I love you in a tie" I tell Paul.
I grab him by his tie and pull him against me, his lips touch mine almost immediately and we stumble back against a wall. When he pulls back his eyes are alight, the Cullens have frozen behind us.
"Tell Sam I want pizza after we smoke" I tell Paul.
"Goodness I missed you Izzy!" He says.
We walk towards the elevators. Carlisle calls my name from behind me and I ignore him. This time it was my choice to leave them, they wouldn't ever get a chance to abandon me again.
"Isabella!" Carlisle screams.
I freeze and turn to him.
"What the fuck do you want?!" I yell. "I appreciate what you guys did for me, I really do, but that's over. It's time for me to go back where I belong and it isn't with you guys. You proved that to me when I was 8 and you LET that fucked case worker take me away and put me in a house with a rapist! I hate you Carlisle! I hate your entire family" The elevator dings behind me. "And I especially hate Esme and Alice!"
The look of pain and shock on Carlisle's face shakes me to my core. Paul pulls me into the elevator.
"You don't have to worry about me anymore."
Paul grabs my hand and I look at him. He looks surprised by my outburst as well.
"I've missed you" I tell him seriously.
I turn and press myself against him, his lips are on mine before the elevator even closes.
The bonfire was just… Amazing. It was like life was just normal again. The only bad thing was now that I was off of house arrest I would have to start going back to school and I'd have a lot of work to make up if I wanted to graduate. Since tomorrow was Friday I'd just go pick up my work and leave.
I was so hungry after we smoked that I finished and entire large pizza. The music was loud, the fire was bright, and the floor was littered with now empty liquor bottles. I went home with Paul.