The days before graduation sped by faster and faster, but the day of the trial of the boys who attacked Simon neared much too slowly. Simon sat on the hard wooden seats, his stomach tightening itself into a knot. Mike and Chris sat on one side of him, his parents on the other Simon's mother had one hand firmly entwined with his, and Simon could tell, although he wouldn't say anything, that she was shaking.
Mike sighed and slumped down further into the seat. 'I finally found a chair more uncomfortable than the ones at the hospital..' he thought to himself. He looked over and saw that strangely enough, Chris was praying.
"They won't get the death penalty." Mike muttered to him.
"Of course not." Chris didn't even look up, his hands clasped together. "Look.. it can't hurt, all right?"
Mike shook his head, but didn't comment further on the subject. He glanced at Simon and frowned. Simon was pale and shaking worse than his mother. "Simon.. you okay?"
Simon groaned softly. "I think I'm going to throw up.." He murmured. Almost as an after thought, Mike reached over and took one of Simon's hands into his own, squeezing it once. Simon offered him a weak smile. "Thanks."
"How long's that bloody idiot going to be?" Simon's father grumbled.
"He must be thinking of what the verdict will be." His wife said softly.
"It should be obvious what the verdict will be, Ellen.. our son almost died."
"Shh."
The baliff walked into the room again. It had been twenty minutes and Simon, his friends and family were close to nervous breakdowns. "All rise!" He barked, and the judge re-entered. Everyone sat down again. "Will the defendant please stand for the verdict?" The young men and their lawyer stood. "In the case number 237AP3154, I find the defendants guilty of aggravated assault, and will each do 500 hours of community service and spend thirty days in a youth detention facility. " He hit his gavel on the board and left the room again. Everyone started to leave, and as they walked past Simon, the young men smirked and laughed.
"That was goddamned attempted murder." Simon's father muttered under his breath. Simon's shoulders slumped slightly.
"Si?" Chris stood up and walked over to him. "You know, that's not such a bad verdict.."
"...if they had killed me.." Simon whispered so his parents couldn't hear. "What would they have gotten? A thousand hours of community service? A fine?"
"Come on.. that's as good as it's going to get."
"That's why I'm upset." He said quietly, standing, walking out of the courthouse silently, hands clasped behind his back. Mike sighed, closing his eyes. It was like he had lost Simon all over again. He chased Simon out of the courthouse, with Chris hot on his heels and grabbed him by the shoulder. Simon pulled away and tried to keep walking, but Mike grabbed him again and pushed him against a wall.
"Look, I'm not going to let you do this again, Simon."
"Do what?"
"Feel sorry for yourself."
Simon sighed, averting his eyes, yanking himself free. "I'm not. Look, just leave me alone."
"What, you gonna go in the back room of the club and get laid!?" Mike snapped. Simon shrugged as he started to walk away.
"Hopefully."
Mike sighed in frustration and stormed off the other way. Chris followed him. "The hell is the matter with you two?"
"I don't know." He shook his head.
"My god, you're acting like bitter ex-lovers." He commented off-hand. Mike paled slightly, but didn't say anything.
"Look, I'm going to get something to eat, you coming?"
Chris looked at Simon's retreating figure and finally nodded. "Yeah. Let's go."
The club closed at two am, and Simon was still going strong. Three men had had a piece of him that night, and he was getting to the point where he was too drunk to feel anything. Finally, he got a cab home, giving the driver a fifty pound note instead of a twenty, and stumbling up the front steps. His father watched him through the darkness, frowning in disapproval, but not saying anything.
Simon walked up the stairs and collapsed onto his bed, not bothering to undress, falling into a fitful sleep, rolling off the bed in the middle of the night. He woke up hungover, on the floor, the blankets curled around his legs, and a shadow looming over him.
Mike sighed and slumped down further into the seat. 'I finally found a chair more uncomfortable than the ones at the hospital..' he thought to himself. He looked over and saw that strangely enough, Chris was praying.
"They won't get the death penalty." Mike muttered to him.
"Of course not." Chris didn't even look up, his hands clasped together. "Look.. it can't hurt, all right?"
Mike shook his head, but didn't comment further on the subject. He glanced at Simon and frowned. Simon was pale and shaking worse than his mother. "Simon.. you okay?"
Simon groaned softly. "I think I'm going to throw up.." He murmured. Almost as an after thought, Mike reached over and took one of Simon's hands into his own, squeezing it once. Simon offered him a weak smile. "Thanks."
"How long's that bloody idiot going to be?" Simon's father grumbled.
"He must be thinking of what the verdict will be." His wife said softly.
"It should be obvious what the verdict will be, Ellen.. our son almost died."
"Shh."
The baliff walked into the room again. It had been twenty minutes and Simon, his friends and family were close to nervous breakdowns. "All rise!" He barked, and the judge re-entered. Everyone sat down again. "Will the defendant please stand for the verdict?" The young men and their lawyer stood. "In the case number 237AP3154, I find the defendants guilty of aggravated assault, and will each do 500 hours of community service and spend thirty days in a youth detention facility. " He hit his gavel on the board and left the room again. Everyone started to leave, and as they walked past Simon, the young men smirked and laughed.
"That was goddamned attempted murder." Simon's father muttered under his breath. Simon's shoulders slumped slightly.
"Si?" Chris stood up and walked over to him. "You know, that's not such a bad verdict.."
"...if they had killed me.." Simon whispered so his parents couldn't hear. "What would they have gotten? A thousand hours of community service? A fine?"
"Come on.. that's as good as it's going to get."
"That's why I'm upset." He said quietly, standing, walking out of the courthouse silently, hands clasped behind his back. Mike sighed, closing his eyes. It was like he had lost Simon all over again. He chased Simon out of the courthouse, with Chris hot on his heels and grabbed him by the shoulder. Simon pulled away and tried to keep walking, but Mike grabbed him again and pushed him against a wall.
"Look, I'm not going to let you do this again, Simon."
"Do what?"
"Feel sorry for yourself."
Simon sighed, averting his eyes, yanking himself free. "I'm not. Look, just leave me alone."
"What, you gonna go in the back room of the club and get laid!?" Mike snapped. Simon shrugged as he started to walk away.
"Hopefully."
Mike sighed in frustration and stormed off the other way. Chris followed him. "The hell is the matter with you two?"
"I don't know." He shook his head.
"My god, you're acting like bitter ex-lovers." He commented off-hand. Mike paled slightly, but didn't say anything.
"Look, I'm going to get something to eat, you coming?"
Chris looked at Simon's retreating figure and finally nodded. "Yeah. Let's go."
The club closed at two am, and Simon was still going strong. Three men had had a piece of him that night, and he was getting to the point where he was too drunk to feel anything. Finally, he got a cab home, giving the driver a fifty pound note instead of a twenty, and stumbling up the front steps. His father watched him through the darkness, frowning in disapproval, but not saying anything.
Simon walked up the stairs and collapsed onto his bed, not bothering to undress, falling into a fitful sleep, rolling off the bed in the middle of the night. He woke up hungover, on the floor, the blankets curled around his legs, and a shadow looming over him.
