Ch 18- Guilty or Innocent?

"Did you not have the chance to leave Mr. Roberts when he put on the condom?" the defense attorney asked six days later.
"Yes, but-"
"So you could've left but you stayed. Hmm...hardly considered rape isn't it?"
"He beat me so bad that I had handprints on my back the entire next two days. If I could have moved, believe me I would've. But having sex with me while I was incapacitated is hardly my idea of pleasure," Paige answered.
"Did you go to a doctor for an examination of any kind?"
"No," she answered quietly.
"No?? And why not?"
"I don't know. Ok, I don't know."
"Did you enjoy it when my client felt up your skirt?"
"At first when he did it. Six years ago."
"I'm sorry?"
"This is not the first time he's done this to me. Six years ago we met at a party and he took me upstairs and raped me. I never went to a doctor, because it never registered in my mind that I could be hurt until later. Then when I came back here for the summer, I was at a club with some friends and he saw me and dragged me away."
"Where your friends at this time?"
"Somewhere in the club. It was so crowded that I couldn't find them."
"Now, Miss Michaelchuck, you did willingly dance with Mr. Roberts, correct?"
"To make him go away. I could smell alcohol on him and I thought that if I danced with him, he'd go away."
"Are you sure you didn't enjoy him rubbing himself on you?"
"Would you enjoy having the man that messed up your life rub on you?" she shot back.
"Miss Michaelchuck, please answer the question," the judge broke in.
"No! I hated it, I was scared the whole time. And apparently rightfully so."
"No further questions you Honor," the attorney stated as she walked back to her desk.
"I would like to call Lisa Winthrop to the stand please," Paige's lawyer announced after their recess. Paige sat up a little straighter, Lisa had never mentioned being called to the stand before. As she was being sworn in, Lisa avoided Paige's eyes who were just staring at her in disbelief and confusion.
"What is your relationship to my client?"
"I'm one of her best friends."
"Best friends. That would mean that you tell each other everything, yes?"
"Generally we did."
"Did she ever mention Mr. Roberts before?"
"Yes she did. She told me that he raped her all those years ago in high school and she saw him again in town. He was then harassing her almost every day it seemed like."
"Did you see the aftermath, or the effects of that night when he took her from the club?"
"Yes I did."
"Can you please elaborate?"
"She went straight to her room and just lied down on her bad and cried. She cried all day and then I remember telling her fiancé about her back being red. He peeled up her shirt a little bit and we saw bright red hand marks all over her back."
"Are you sure it was handprints and not just say, a result of laying on something wrong?"
"It had five fingers," she stated bluntly.
"Did you have a relationship with Mr. Roberts."
"In a way."
"Ms. Winthrop-"
"He raped me too."
A sudden murmuring raced through the courtroom and Paige just sat frozen to the spot, staring at her best friend. Dean had raped Lisa? But when? Why hadn't she told her? Paige looked around in back of her and saw Spinner, Craig and Ben looking incredibly pissed off. Lisa hadn't told anyone. But was it true?
"Order!! ORDER!!!" the judge yelled as she banged the gavel. "Please proceed," she said motioning towards Paige's lawyer.
"So you're saying that Dean Roberts raped you also?"
"Yes. The summer after my senior of high school, which would have made me eighteen. We were at a party, similar to the one Paige was at and we had just met. I had seen him around school and what not but we had never talked; I only knew him as the star basketball player. He said that he wanted to show me his trophies in the other room so I got up to follow him. Well he dragged me into his bedroom and proceeded to take advantage of me."
"Did you tell anyone?"
"No. I was too scared to tell anyone."
"Did you tell this to my client?"
"No...I didn't tell anyone."
"Have you had problems with Mr. Roberts lately?"
"No. He's been too busy trying to violate Paige. Prior to her returning home, he would give me little winks and smiles when we saw each other in town. He wrote me a note about two months after it happened and asked if we could do it again because he had fun. I was so disgusted that I ripped it up and burned it."
"So you did have a problem with him after that incident?"
"Yes."
"Do you know if has done this to any other girls?"
"It's not exactly the type of thing we talk about when we go shopping. So no, I have no idea."
"That's all your Honor," the lawyer said as Lisa answered.
The judge shook her head and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Will the jury please rise to deliberate the outcome of this case?" The jury members rose and walked into a room and shut the door.

"Lisa!!!" Paige hissed. "Did you make that up??"
"No. I just never told anyone until today," she said as she walked by to go sit with the boys.
"Why the hell didn't you say anything?" Ben hissed at her angrily.
"What was the point? It happened years ago!"
"You should've told me."
"Why? What would you have done?"
"Beat his ass...turn him in...beat his ass..."
"Ben!! Calm down. It's out now. I told someone when it mattered. I just want it to help Paige put that ass in jail."
"Imagine Dad seeing his son get put in jail. This is gonna be great."
Lisa just rubbed his arm and smiled.

"All rise please for the verdict in the case of Michaelchuck vs. Roberts."
They all stood and Craig patted Paige's shoulder from behind as she stood up.
"In the case of Michaelchuck vs. Roberts, we find the defendant, Dean Alexander Roberts, guilty in the account of rape, assault in battery and harassment..."
And the courtroom erupted in cheers as everyone on Paige's side of the courthouse whooped in relief. Paige just sat there crying, finally happy that it really was over.

"Honey it's gone! He's going to jail!" Spinner exclaimed as he twirled her around outside on the steps. They all just grinned and whooped and yelled as they ran down the stairs, leaving Lisa and Paige behind to follow.
"Dean's finally getting what he deserves," Lisa said quietly.
"I know. I can't believe it. I've waited for this for years."
"So how's it feel?"
"Honestly? I don't know. I'm happy that he's gone, but..."
"I know how you feel. After today, you get to be happy again...it just might take some time," Lisa replied as she hugged her. "Are you ready?"
Paige nodded and they slowly walked down the stairs and followed the boys, who were yards ahead, for the first in months without the fear of seeing him leering and commenting about them.