February 24th 2014: Reaction; Cross Examination of Tommy O'Hara
Once Tommy had finished, the judge called a break for lunch. The majority of the room quickly left, but in the gallery, none of the Warblers moved. The New Directions left for lunch with Burt and Carole, to talk through the crisis together. Once they had left, the silence was broken by a scream of anguish from Nick, who had been staring blankly ahead since he had found out Hunter's intentions for himself and Jeff. He was swiftly pulled into Grace's arms - she had also remained behind. It was the trigger that set everyone else off. Wes blinked back his own tears as Thad wailed in his arms. Next to him, David had taken hold of Sebastian and Trent, as Dave and Rory looked on - they both knew that at this point, the Warblers proper needed to bond together. Beats and Flint were then drawn into the circle.
"He was supposed to be our friend. He was teaching us how to drive the snowmobile, and all the time, it was so that we could have an accident…" sobbed Flint.
"He wanted to destroy all of us; so that he could wipe out the group of Warblers that had been celebrated as decent and honest; a band of brothers. But to set it up so it looked like Trent had done it - that's sick," said David quietly.
Suddenly Nick stopped screaming and looked at the clock. "Guys, we can't tell Jeff any of this. If he finds out before he goes on the stand tomorrow, he'll lose it. He'll be better than useless. So we have to pull ourselves together; go out there and be happy and smiling for him. I know it is a big ask, but we have to. Tomorrow night we can tell him - until then…"
"We act as if nothing untoward has happened. Nick's right. So, best show faces everyone - and that's an order," said Wes. There were nods of agreement - eyes were wiped and noses blown. They straightened themselves out and filed out of the gallery. As they did so, Wes stopped Trent, and held him back until everyone else had left. "I know. I know that you knew all about this before today. We will talk about it later. You've been very brave to bear all of this alone, my young friend. I am proud of you, so very proud of you." With that, he pulled Trent into a deep hug.
Outside the court, Nick's scream had been heard by the majority of the New Directions alumni, who had stopped to talk outside; the exceptions being Mike and Tina, the latter being in such a state of shock that Mike had taken her home so that she could lie down in a darkened room for the rest of the day. As he screamed, they all looked at each other - at the look of shock on each others' faces. They all felt so badly for the Warblers, who had been slated to die in such horrible ways.
"Guys, we need to be there for them for a while. I know that we were all part of the plot too, but our projected demise was a lot less brutal than theirs," said Sam.
Santana joined in at that point. "And we make sure that Jeff doesn't find out yet - I'm sure that Nick would agree on that. He doesn't need to know this yet - we can't keep it from him forever, but until his day in court is over, we say nothing. I'm just glad that it's finally out in the open…" She realised that she had said too much as Quinn fixed a glare on her, Puck following - and Sam face palmed. "Trent knew - the cops told him. He told Sam, mainly because he needed to tell someone, and I overheard."
"When did you find out?" said Artie quietly.
"Thanksgiving," said Sam. "We've had to deal with the secret for the 3 months. I'm just glad that it is out in the open. But guys, until you hear otherwise, no mention of the fact that Trent knew to the Warblers." There were nods of agreement. They then left for lunch, a subdued affair, before heading back to court to witness Tommy's cross examination.
"You tell quite the tale, Mr O'Hara," began Mr Masterton. "Paint my client as a mastermind of death; and it is hard to argue with the evidence of his hand-written list. But there is the thing - did my client write this of his own free will, or was he coerced into doing so by the real boss of the situation - his former leader? You. A man who allowed a young student in his charge to be shot on a training day. A man with a penchant for violent horror films. A man who polluted the mind of a young boy and turned him into a killing machine!"
"Now," said Tommy, "I have heard some nonsense in my time, but that has to be the biggest load of claptrap I have ever heard. Yes, I watch horror films - I did own a copy of all the Saw films; of the film Hostel. I also owned a copy of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but I didn't see anyone being hacked to death by one on Hunter's list. So, as I already said, I was nowhere near Hunter on the day he shot Mark. I was in charge of the opposing team. It is recorded in the Academy's official report, which I presume you read? The only reason that I was given any part of the blame was because I was in official charge of Hunter's dorm, and I hadn't reported his earlier abusive behaviour towards Mark. Mainly because I didn't want him labelled as gay by the Academy. Which, by the way, it turns out he isn't. Last I heard, he has a girlfriend, and she is pregnant with his child. He is far more straight than Hunter."
"But your love of violent films could easily have influenced my client in his behaviour."
"Or it could just as easily have been his own collection of dvds; his pile of horror stories; and all the violent videos that he watched online. Again, all of this is documented in the official expulsion report. I obtained a copy - seems like you didn't even bother to try and read it!"
"I was provided with a copy, yes, but didn't see its relevance to this case."
"Pity. It would have made a lot of things clear to you. Told you about his sadistic behaviour towards the other students, towards animals; his lack of social skills; his psychopathic tendencies. His expulsion only came after multiple warnings, after each of which any other student would have been expelled - but money talks."
"Yet, knowing all of this, you still willingly took a job from him?"
"What can I say - the money was good and I was in a hole. I thought that it would involve me talking to a few high school toughs; possibly even the Principal of the school in question. I wasn't thinking straight. Plus, it meant a reunion with Dan, who had been a good guy, before Hunter got his claws into him. I wish now, so much, that I had steered clear. But he knew my secret, even then - just like I knew his…" There was a murmur of interest in that around the court, but to their dismay, Tommy went on "…but to reveal that - well, it has no relevance to this case."
"Are you trying to tell us that having accused my client of being a blackmailer, you were plotting exactly the same course on him? Perhaps you blackmailed him into this whole course of events? Started off something that lead to the deaths of three people and threatened the lives of others? Ruined my client, and his uncle. I put it to you that it was all your idea, wasn't it, Mr O'Hara? You alone are the liar, the blackmailer, the guilty one here. Not my poor innocent client!"
Tommy just stood and shook his head. "Hunter Clarington a poor innocent boy. Don't make me laugh. If this is the course you want to take, then fine by me. Would an innocent like him have been sent from one school to another for years? If he is so sweet and easily lead, then why would no school want to take him after expulsion from Eisenhower? That he only got enrolled at Dalton because his uncle became Principal is common knowledge. He was the only one that would ignore his catalogue of misdemeanours; the list of attacks on those that wronged him. I was given a lot of background information on Hunter when he first enrolled at Eisenhower. He was expelled from his first elementary school for stabbing a boy who had broken his pencil accidentally. He was expelled from his next for trying to drown a boy who had called him out for lying in class. I could go on… At Eisenhower, he was constantly in fights. Each and every time, he was not sent down because his father paid hush money. He was desperate for Hunter to do well. Hunter had an older brother - but he had issues, and the family had sent him away, into the system. Washed their hands of him in favour of Hunter. He should never have been allowed near the live ammo in my opinion, but Dan let him. I know why - wasn't going to say, but you've pushed me. Hunter had got hold of a quantity of whiskey - more than one bottle. I was away from school - Dan was a fool and let Hunter throw a party in the dorm. Let them get drunk, and allowed Hunter to ply him with alcohol too. At some point that night, Hunter assaulted three people sexually. By that, I mean rape. One of the boys he attacked was only 14. He tried to kill himself a few weeks later. He didn't succeed, but was left with scars and nightmares. He was paid off by Mr Clarington. And one of his other victims was Dan. Who he knew had strict, religious parents who would kill him for it. The perfect set up for blackmail."
After that revelation, there wasn't really much more that could be said. As the gallery sat stunned, the prosecution lawyer, Mr Rosen, sat quietly as Mr Masterton desperately sought some way to come back from this. There wasn't one - if Hunter had made any kind of denial, had even just sat still, then maybe. Instead, Hunter had jumped up and started to shout that Tommy was dead; "as soon as I get out of here, I'll kill you. You're just jealous because it wasn't you, you fag!" That last line had Masterton burying his head in his hands and the judge banging her gavel like no-ones business, calling for Hunter to be taken down to the cells. In the gallery, the shock turned to delight as they realised that Hunter had just dug himself a huge hole. Looking down at the stand, Wes found himself smiling as Tommy caught his eye, and winked. Wes felt genuinely sorry for the young man; he had fallen into the orbit of a serial blackmailer - he had allowed himself to be manipulated, but at least he was showing signs of remorse, by coming forward and implicating Hunter. He was not sure of the level of protection that he was going to be given - but he hoped that he would be kept out of harm.