Higher Expectations
Chapter 7: Refusal
Disclaimer: Just to remind you that the disclaimer for this whole story is in the beginning of the story on Chapter 1: Not Enough. Enjoy.
AN: Sorry for taking so long. Lots of High School stress.
*****
Juliette shoved the door to the dorms open and cringed at the sight of Daisy sitting on her bed, flipping through a magazine entitled, 'Mortuary Sciences Weekly' Daisy figured if she couldn't get the monthly edition, she'd get the weekly.
"Hey, Jules. How did the call with your mom go?" She asked. Juliette forced a fake smile on her face and grinned back.
"Oh, it went great! My mom thanked me for calling her and everything. I've got to go to the bathroom, though.. I'll tell you all about it when I get back." Juliette said and turned on her heal to walk toward the door to the bathroom.
Once inside, she locked the door and pulled out a knife from lunch. They had given them a sharper knife for the food they were eating. It wasn't much more sharpened than a butter knife, but it would work. She sat down beside the toilet and looked into it.
Perfect white. Someone had just cleaned the bathrooms earlier and Juliette looked around.
"Why can't I be perfect?" She murmured to herself, unknowing of the prying ears outside.
Daisy winced at Juliette's hate for herself. She would say things like this every once and a while so she didn't think anything of it and sat down on Shelby's bed, which was the closest to the bathroom. Just in case.
Juliette placed the knife on one of the showers sides and closed her eyes, sighing. She was preparing to upturn both breakfast and lunch for that day. She opened her eyes and stared at her finger, then she shoved it down her throat.
*****
Shelby stumbled off the witness stand and walked down the aisle toward the door to the court room. They weren't allowing her to stay for the duration because it could take days or weeks... maybe even months. She glanced over to her sister's seat and noticed she was missing. A confused look came upon her face as the bailiff lead her out.
"Where did my sister go, sir?" Shelby asked the bailiff when they got past the 'Do Not Talk Past This Point' sign. The bailiff stopped and turned around to face her.
"I think I saw your mother take her to the bathroom. She looked pretty sick while you were talking. I don't blame her..." He trailed off and started walking again. Shelby looked hurt that she had upset her sister but walked on after a few seconds.
They entered the room she had been sitting in before and they both saw Alice and Jess sitting at the desk she was sitting at before. Jess was shaking she was crying so much.
"Jess!" Shelby exclaimed and ran over to her.
"I can't do it, Shelby!" Jess cried out, "I just can't do it! Not in front of him.. not in front of a camera, no where! I'm not ready. I can't do it!" Shelby looked at her sympathetically and then faced the prosecutor, who shrugged.
"I suppose we don't really need her testimony.." The prosecutor said, thinking, "though it would help tons."
"What are the chances of winning the case if she doesn't testify?" Alice asked the prosecutor.
"I'll be honest with you, Mrs. Merrick.. they aren't great. You have about a 45% chance of turning the jury over to your side. The case in defense of him is good. He had never been arrested before... he never even got a speeding ticket! You forget he has alot of friends on the police force, they're all on his side. They don't believe he could do such things. She doesn't have to testify though.. not if you don't want her to." The prosecutor said, frowning.
Alice sighed and Shelby stepped forward in front of her sister.
"Can you do it, Jess? Honestly." Shelby asked. Alice backed off and let Shelby talk to her sister. Jess' shaking was starting to go down now and she spoke out.
"No, Shelby.. he'll hurt me if he gets off. He'll do it all over again and I just can't take that! I can't take even the slightest chance. No. I can't do it. No." Her voice was starting to break again and she buried her head in her hands. Shelby looked at the prosecutor who looked at Alice. Alice looked at Jess and then back to the prosecutor.
"I'm not making her do this." Alice said, "Don't worry, Jess. You don't have to."
*****
Peter walked in the lodge slowly and sat down on a couch and closed his eyes. Before he could get to sleep, the Trailblazer's counselor walked up to him and shook him awake.
"There's news, Peter.. about Frank." She said sadly.
"He's alive right? He's not... no, he's not.. he.. " His voice was breaking. The counselor wiped away the tear from her eye. She shook her head and walked away. Peter fell back onto the couch again and sobbed.
All the student's sitting in the lodge knew right then that Frank Markasian had died.
*****
Daisy gaped at the retching sounds she heard coming from the bathroom. Juliette was doing what she shouldn't have been doing.
"Juliette!" She yelled into the door. "JULIETTE! Open this door RIGHT NOW! I'm going to go get Peter if you don't! I promise!" She hit the door with her fists and kicked at it with her knees. Just before she was about to use something to break down the door, she heard a click.. and Juliette walked out with the knife. She dropped it on the floor and layed down on her bed.
Daisy looked at her confused and picked up the knife. She figured she'd better not leave Jules alone right then, so she stashed the knife under her pillow and sat down to watch Jules sleep. She was going to tell Peter about this during dinner.
*****
AN: I know, a crap chap, but hang in there. I know you wanted something, so here it is. Enjoy as much as you can enjoy it.
Chapter 7: Refusal
Disclaimer: Just to remind you that the disclaimer for this whole story is in the beginning of the story on Chapter 1: Not Enough. Enjoy.
AN: Sorry for taking so long. Lots of High School stress.
*****
Juliette shoved the door to the dorms open and cringed at the sight of Daisy sitting on her bed, flipping through a magazine entitled, 'Mortuary Sciences Weekly' Daisy figured if she couldn't get the monthly edition, she'd get the weekly.
"Hey, Jules. How did the call with your mom go?" She asked. Juliette forced a fake smile on her face and grinned back.
"Oh, it went great! My mom thanked me for calling her and everything. I've got to go to the bathroom, though.. I'll tell you all about it when I get back." Juliette said and turned on her heal to walk toward the door to the bathroom.
Once inside, she locked the door and pulled out a knife from lunch. They had given them a sharper knife for the food they were eating. It wasn't much more sharpened than a butter knife, but it would work. She sat down beside the toilet and looked into it.
Perfect white. Someone had just cleaned the bathrooms earlier and Juliette looked around.
"Why can't I be perfect?" She murmured to herself, unknowing of the prying ears outside.
Daisy winced at Juliette's hate for herself. She would say things like this every once and a while so she didn't think anything of it and sat down on Shelby's bed, which was the closest to the bathroom. Just in case.
Juliette placed the knife on one of the showers sides and closed her eyes, sighing. She was preparing to upturn both breakfast and lunch for that day. She opened her eyes and stared at her finger, then she shoved it down her throat.
*****
Shelby stumbled off the witness stand and walked down the aisle toward the door to the court room. They weren't allowing her to stay for the duration because it could take days or weeks... maybe even months. She glanced over to her sister's seat and noticed she was missing. A confused look came upon her face as the bailiff lead her out.
"Where did my sister go, sir?" Shelby asked the bailiff when they got past the 'Do Not Talk Past This Point' sign. The bailiff stopped and turned around to face her.
"I think I saw your mother take her to the bathroom. She looked pretty sick while you were talking. I don't blame her..." He trailed off and started walking again. Shelby looked hurt that she had upset her sister but walked on after a few seconds.
They entered the room she had been sitting in before and they both saw Alice and Jess sitting at the desk she was sitting at before. Jess was shaking she was crying so much.
"Jess!" Shelby exclaimed and ran over to her.
"I can't do it, Shelby!" Jess cried out, "I just can't do it! Not in front of him.. not in front of a camera, no where! I'm not ready. I can't do it!" Shelby looked at her sympathetically and then faced the prosecutor, who shrugged.
"I suppose we don't really need her testimony.." The prosecutor said, thinking, "though it would help tons."
"What are the chances of winning the case if she doesn't testify?" Alice asked the prosecutor.
"I'll be honest with you, Mrs. Merrick.. they aren't great. You have about a 45% chance of turning the jury over to your side. The case in defense of him is good. He had never been arrested before... he never even got a speeding ticket! You forget he has alot of friends on the police force, they're all on his side. They don't believe he could do such things. She doesn't have to testify though.. not if you don't want her to." The prosecutor said, frowning.
Alice sighed and Shelby stepped forward in front of her sister.
"Can you do it, Jess? Honestly." Shelby asked. Alice backed off and let Shelby talk to her sister. Jess' shaking was starting to go down now and she spoke out.
"No, Shelby.. he'll hurt me if he gets off. He'll do it all over again and I just can't take that! I can't take even the slightest chance. No. I can't do it. No." Her voice was starting to break again and she buried her head in her hands. Shelby looked at the prosecutor who looked at Alice. Alice looked at Jess and then back to the prosecutor.
"I'm not making her do this." Alice said, "Don't worry, Jess. You don't have to."
*****
Peter walked in the lodge slowly and sat down on a couch and closed his eyes. Before he could get to sleep, the Trailblazer's counselor walked up to him and shook him awake.
"There's news, Peter.. about Frank." She said sadly.
"He's alive right? He's not... no, he's not.. he.. " His voice was breaking. The counselor wiped away the tear from her eye. She shook her head and walked away. Peter fell back onto the couch again and sobbed.
All the student's sitting in the lodge knew right then that Frank Markasian had died.
*****
Daisy gaped at the retching sounds she heard coming from the bathroom. Juliette was doing what she shouldn't have been doing.
"Juliette!" She yelled into the door. "JULIETTE! Open this door RIGHT NOW! I'm going to go get Peter if you don't! I promise!" She hit the door with her fists and kicked at it with her knees. Just before she was about to use something to break down the door, she heard a click.. and Juliette walked out with the knife. She dropped it on the floor and layed down on her bed.
Daisy looked at her confused and picked up the knife. She figured she'd better not leave Jules alone right then, so she stashed the knife under her pillow and sat down to watch Jules sleep. She was going to tell Peter about this during dinner.
*****
AN: I know, a crap chap, but hang in there. I know you wanted something, so here it is. Enjoy as much as you can enjoy it.