Part II.
(Note to the Readers: Thank you readers for your support in this story. I was very angry about the show gone so I wrote the story as an act of defiance. Now, I would like to ask you for your help - I would like to write a fan fic to deal with Mary Cherry and her family. So email me with your opinions on what happened that day to Mary C., B-Ho, etc. Thanks!)
Everyone waited to see if Brooke would make it through...
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"How is she?" asked Harrison with two coffee cups in his hands. Sam came out of the room after saying to Brooke, "I will be back soon."
Sam sighed and looked very weary, "Not good...the doctors say that she's in a coma and she may not come out."
Harrison looked away and shut his eyes, "Oh god..." He looked like he was about to cry again but thought, "Harrison, get a grip! Be strong for them. Be strong."
Harrison stood up straight and hand Sam the coffee, "Here. Why don't you go and be with your family? They're waiting for you."
Sam started to protest, "But..."
"I need to do this, Sam. I have to talk to her. To make this okay again...I'll be out soon...Here, take my coffee and give it to your mom for me."
She nodded and slowly went back to her friends.
At the Juvie Hall...
Judy Julian strolled up to find her daughter, in an old orange suit, in a cell, staring at the wall. The guard opened the door to let her in.
She stood in front of her daughter. "What is this I hear? Did you hit and run? Why did you not stop?!" asked Mrs. Julian angrily.
Nicole gave no response. Her eyebrows narrowed and it was evident she has been crying heavily.
"Nicole? I want to know what's going on! What's wrong with you? I don't know if Brooke will make through."
No answer. Mrs. Julian was shocked and dismayed at Nicole. She did not know what to do.
"Ma'am? It is best thing if you could call a lawyer. This young lady here may be tried as an adult..." The voices faded away as Nicole found herself in the courtroom with clamoring crowd.
They chanted, "She's killer! She's a whore!"
"Order! Order in the court!" yelled the Judge. The Judge was Claw.
Nicole stood up and walked before Claw and asked, "Claw? What are you doing here?"
Claw leaned over and laughed. She answered, "The question you should be asking is why are you here? Nevertheless, let proceed with this. I got to get home to watch 'Providence,' all right?"
Nicole went back to take her seat and find that her lawyer is Bobby Donnell. Ooh la la...what a yummy treat. I'll be out here in no time.
Bobby Donnell stood up and as the prosecutor did. Spam was on the other side, wearing a ridiculous outfit.
"Go ahead and make your opening statement." Claw winked at Bobby, err, Dylan and he smiled.
In realization that he was not a real lawyer, Nicole raised her hands, "Err, Claw? Can I talk to my lawyer?"
Claw sighed in disgust and said, "Sure. One min."
Nicole pulled him down and asked, "Why are you here, defending me? I mean, you're adorable and all but you are not a real lawyer so how could you help me?"
"Of course I am not a real one. But no real lawyers in America or court-appointed want to take this case on. Besides, that lovely young lady over there paid me to be your lawyer." He pointed to Mary Cherry and she waved, giving a thumb ups.
She thinks to herself, "Oh brother. I am truly doomed..."
"So can I start defending you?"
"By all means, go ahead. See if you can get my sorry ass out of this mess." He shrugged and starts to speak.
"Thank you, your Honor. We're here to condemn Nicole Julian for the most heinous crime she did in her life. Yes, she lied, slapped, (everyone nodded) and cussed out everyone in every name imaginable in the dictionary (Sam coughed and said, "Bitch." Claw looked at her.) Yes, she tends to be angry with people to get attention and to get things in her way. Yes, she's vengeful. ("Oh yeah, she can do that perfectly," whispered Harrison to Sugar.) Yesterday, Brooke McQueen was run down. But let's not overreact here. Did Nicole do it? Is she capable in doing such thing? Remember. She brought the Judge an incredible Christmas present. She let Ms. Carmen Ferrara on the Glamazon, now known as "Bring It On!" squad. And most important of all, she has shown us her true compassionate character when she donated bone marrow to Mr. Harrison John last winter. Therefore, I believe that Nicole did not have the intent to run down Ms. McQueen but it was an ACCIDENT. Thank you."
He sat down and looked confident. She shook her head in disbelief and looked at her friends, or her ex-friends. They tossed disgust looks at her except Mary Cherry was just laughing at her.
Nicole looked forward and swallowed her fears. Sam stood up and took out her sexy glasses. She walked around to compose her thoughts and began to speak...
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Back to Brooke's room:
Harrison sat down and took Brooke's limp hand into his hands. He stared down at the delicate fingers and began to sob. He wiped the tears away and said, "Brooke, it's me, Harrison. I don't know if you can hear me. They say that when one in the coma, they could hear what you say...So I hope that you could hear me what I am about to say..."
He looked around the room and rubbed her fingers gently, "This is a familiar scene to me...Remember when I was in the hospital? I must have look like this way..."
"This may sound stupid but Clarence visited me after he died. I was about to jump out the window on Christmas Day and die but he was there to stop me. As my angel...he took me to the future for me to see what would happen if I lived and what could have been if I never was born in the first place..."
His voice cracked and cleared his throat, "I saw you with me. I was out that day because of a bad reaction to drug. But I saw you, holding my hand just like I am doing right now with you. Your dad came earlier and made you realize that you have to live because I was trying to live..."
"But I wasn't. But you know what made me live? You and Clarence. You told me this and I'll never forget it...'Live Harrison. You have so much to live for - so much potential. You have people out there that loves you so much. I love you too much and you're a great friend.' You laughed and said, "Besides, who is going to be there to stop fights between Sam and me?"
Harrison could have sworn that Brooke squeezed his hand.
"Two words 'so live' right from your mouth made me realize that I wanted to live again. And now I am going to say the same thing to you, Brooke."
Harrison brushed her hair away from her eyes and said, "Brooke, I will love you always and I always have been since we were little. I love Sam, too and she is my best friend. But now it's time for me to go on more than being friends with her. I decided to risk my heart again..."
"I hope you are listening to me because it is so important. I will always be there for you and Sam, too. You won't lose me. Brooke, you have so much things to do in this by getting out this bed than lying here. I hate hurting you so much...Right now, Sam and I are not going to do anything about our situation. We want you back...Please come back to us. We both need you..." He let go of her hands and cried. Sam came in and hugged him. She looked up to the ceiling and prayed, "God...please, please..."
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In the waiting room:
Lily whispered to Josh, "I think we need to get this marriage annulled..."
Josh uttered no protest and tiredly agreed, "Yes...this won't work. I mean, we have a life to live and we're too young to fully commit to be together forever..."
Lily nodded her head and asked, "You're thinking about Brooke?"
Josh looked at her and said, "Yes, I am. I am just thinking what if I done this or that? I mean, if I stayed with her as a couple, she might not be in that room, fighting for her life...but that would mean, I would not have known about you and me together..." His tears came to light.
Lily took his head on her shoulder, "You can't blame yourself, baby. Seeing her tonight make us realize that it could have happened to us. I think I learn that life is so precious and a gift from above. We're too young to throw it away to rebel against our parents, you know? That is so meaningless."
Josh lifted his head and said, "I know this is a horrible thing to say but maybe her accident was meant to happen. Like, to make us realize how stupid we are - caring about things that does not matter...I mean, you matter to me but I can bear it through the football camp and be with you at the same time, you know?"
He stood up straight and took her hands to his lip and kissed them. He said, "Lily, I love you and I want to marry you someday when we are both and really are ready to marry. Right now, we got to pray that Brooke make it through tonight."
"Ok, but you know this means that we don't have to clean up Ms. Glass' crappy house or anything anymore, right?"
Josh chuckled through tears. "Right and we will tell her later. She'll understand about the rent and all that stuff..." They hugged.
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While they are standing by, Brooke continues to dream...
The scenery changed and she sees herself with Sam, bitching each other. It was at a party when they met and learned about their parents' quick engagement. Brooke chuckled at the memories. She remembers how much Sam and her hated each other and that famous foodfight that nearly caused them to be suspended.
God. And now look where they are. Close sisters. A little sister who will soon grow up and look up to them soon. Harrison got through them unintentionally and it wasn't his fault. She stood still and saw through the eyes of God (God?) that there was Harrison, holding her hands. She heard him say "Brooke, I will love you always and I always have since we were little... I hope you are listening to me because it is so important. I will always be there for you and Sam, too. You won't lose me. Brooke, you have so much things to do in this by getting out this bed than lying here. I hate hurting you so much...Right now, Sam and I are not going to do anything about our situation. We want you back...Please come back to us. We both need you..."
It must be really God that was there with her because she was able to see Sam, coming in. She saw them, crying and comforting each other. She could see her father subdued and Jane weeping. She was able to see Lil, Carm, Josh, and George sitting and waiting to hear the news. Even Glass was there. Brooke wanted to come back and forget it all happen. Brooke finds herself that she couldn't because there was something blocking her way to get the door to life: Nicole.
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After long series of criticism from other side, Nicole wanted to bolt but she couldn't, not when everyone was looking at her. She kept on the straight face with a hint of indifference. But inside, Nicole was scared for the first time in her life.
"Thank you, Harrison. You may take the seat now...My next witness is Nicole Julian."
Nicole got up and no one could help her now. The entire football team was not there to protect her when the court pelted her with tomatoes in the courtroom.
"Order, Order!! No more tomatoes! That's for later!" Claw yelled.
She wiped off the tomatoes on her face and walked proudly to the stand.
Yada yada about truth. She was ready for them all.
Sam walked to her and asked, "Nicole, where were you around 8 pm yesterday?"
"Look, I don't have to say anything. It's my 5th here."
"This is your last chance to defend yourself, Devil's Advocate."
Nicole spit at Sam, and Sam, with a look of hatred, wiped it off with her handkerchief.
Dylan jumped up, asking, "Your honor, may I have a min to counsel her on this?"
"Yes, you have three min. Make it fast."
He took Nicole down and jerked her, whispering urgently, "Look, just tell her that you're crazy at the moment and you didn't mean to run Brooke down. Just do it and I'll get you off with an easy sentencing."
Nicole slowly looked at him and said, "I...never...lose. I won't do it. I did ran down her because I...wanted...to!" There was a fire in her eyes and Dylan was shocked and released her arms. She continued, "Yes, I did, and I don't have to say anything."
Claw said, "Hello? Hello?" The defense looked up to her.
"Okay, Spawn. Time's up. Well, what will it be?"
Dylan stood up and said, "Your honor, my client takes fifth."
Claw shifted her position and said, "Counsels, state your concluding statements."
Dylan looked at Nicole to see if she would defend herself at all. Apparently not.
He walked over to the jurors which consisted of the unpopular kids - April Tuna, Freddy Gong, May Tuna, etc. He was demonstrating that Nicole had an unstable life at home and at school. Nicole snorted and laughed at those pathetic images on the juror's box.
Everyone looked at her and she said, "Hey, relax. They just looked sad, that's all."
Dylan shook his head and finished up his statement, "Look, don't punish her too severely. She was just like you before, unpopular, dying to be in a group. But now, look what she has become a 'bitch. Why? She did not have the love and protection or confidence from her loved one. No one believed in her. So Nicole learns to manipulate, lie, and seduce to get power, to feel loved. Brooke was the first person to believe in her. Nicole has shown us and to Brooke that she can be compassionate but all the years of being ignored and lied to caught up to her in the last min. It was an accident that she ran Brooke down and she never had an intention to do that. Note that Brooke was the only person who truly believes in her. Please, ladies and gents, do what you think it is best for society but remember this: or society's ways and ideas shape her this way. She is a person, a human, and not an savage animal. Thank you."
The courtroom became silent and Sam got up to make her case:
"I have to laugh about Mr. Dermott's assumption that it was the society who made Ms. Julian this way. All of us have our good and bad side in us - but we have a choice: to do what is right or keep on doing wrong things with no conscience. Nicole chose to do the wrong thing. She ran down her ex-best friend and did not stop. What kind of person would do that? Especially to her ex-best friend? Brooke, who is not here today because of her, wrote in her diary that Nicole and her have had a horrible argument a day before the prom. It was the most intense argument she ever had with Ms. Julian and she told Nicole that she would see it to it that Nicole will not go to the prom with Mr. Austin and she will never speak to her again. What did Nicole do? She said the most hateful thing: she would hurt Brooke by seducing Mr. John. All of us know the bad qualities of Nicole: her temper, her power, her vengeful self and I believe that that argument led Nicole to be so hateful of Brooke - hating Brooke so much that she could just kill her. She even told Mr. McQueen that quote quote she hate that 'bitch'. To Mr. McQueen, The tone, the face showed a face of a murderer. Regretfully, he could not stop her from taking the car keys to her car that later killed Brooke McQueen. So I ask the juror to do what is right. She's dangerous to our society and an animal. Thank you."
"And now, the juror will go and make its decision." The juror left and soon came back with the verdict.
"Have you came up with the verdict?"
"Yes, we have."
"What say you, forewoman Tuna?"
"We, in the case of Nicole Julian v. Brooke McQueen, find her GUILTY, GUILTY, GUILTY of 1st degree murder...."
Nicole woke up with the start. She touched her face and the walls around her. She was back to her cell. Her mother was still there, but sitting down beside her. She began to cry and said, "I killed her! I killed her...No..." She sobbed heavily
and collapse to her mother.
Her mother sadly looked at her daughter and whispered, "She isn't dead...she's in a coma right now..."
Nicole cried even harder...and waiting for the absolution that may never come.
Part III coming soon!
