Chapter Forty-Six

John glanced up from his doodles as Jessica walked in, noticing that she was already working up fake tears. "Drama queen." He scoffed, ignoring the cocky look that her lawyer gave him.

Thomas shook his head, standing as the judge called for the evidence to be brought to the stand. "Settle down." He whispered, noticing how John made a face. "I mean it Johnny." He raised his brow at the kid, trying to get his point into his thick skull. "I don't want you having a seizure."

John rolled his eyes, crossing his arms as the judge began to speak. "Court is now in session, the case at hand being that of Johnathan Bender verses Jessica Jenkins on the accusation of rape." He looked to John, waving him forward. "We'll start with Johnathan."

John sighed, standing and adjusting his blazer as he walked up to the stand. He placed his hand on the Bible, raising his right hand and swearing to tell the truth and nothing but the truth.

Jessica's lawyer stepped before John, his presents already setting John on edge. "Mister. Bender, is it true, that both of your biological parents are in prison on drug and assault charges?"

John nodded, rubbing his fingers over the hidden burn on his arm. "Yes, Sir. My parents are in prison for drug, assault, and child abuse charges, as well as supplying drugs and alcohol to a minor."

The lawyer smirked knowing that he'd landed on something he could use. "So, you've done drugs in the past?" He asked, his snake eyes drilling into John like icepicks.

John nodded, lifting his hands to tick off the drugs he'd willingly done. "Oxycodone, ketamine, marijuana, and even one hit of heroin when I was desperate to relieve my pain."

"And what of the methamphetamine that you were accused of taking in Shermer?"

John took a breath, licking his lips with frustration. "That drug was in my body a few months ago, but I did not willingly take it." He glanced at Amelia, making sure she was fully engrossed in one of the books he'd bought her. "I was drugged while protecting that child, after she was kidnapped by my best friend's parents and murderers."

"I see." He paced before John for a moment, taking the brunt of John's unnerving Bender stare as nothing moved but his eyes. "Mister Bender, have you relapsed in your addictions in the past few months? Perhaps with either drugs or alcohol?"

John shook his head, knowing that was the truth. "No, Sir. I've been sober for three months and twenty-three days."

He leaned closer to John, smiling as John seemed to pull back from him. "I can smell cigarettes on you. Is it possible you've smoked in the past few days?"

John nodded, drilling his gaze into the lawyer's eyes in a daring challenge. "Yes Sir, but it seems to me like you've had a few in the past couple hours." He cocked an eyebrow, noticing that he started messing with his wedding band around his finger. "I'm sure you can forgive a small relapse of two Marlboro Reds, more than three days ago. After which I burned the rest in the firepit in our backyard."

The lawyer paced a few steps away from John noticing one of the other teens in the back of the courtroom giving him the same unnerving stare. "Mister Bender, did you ever wright obscene letters to Miss Jenkins?" He handed a folder to the judge letting him flip through the papers.

John shook his head, lifting his gaze to try and see what the judge was reading. "No Sir, my only notebook was stolen a few days ago when I was mugged on the street, and even if I did have it, I wouldn't waste that paper on writing porno to the likes of her."

"But you would write those things to other women in your life."

John's lip curled, as he turned his black eyes on the lawyer again. "I think actions speak louder than words." He let his gaze flit to Claire, starting to count the freckles on her nose to help calm him down. "And I prefer to not waste words when it comes to showing my love for someone."

"So, you have had sex before?" He grinned following John's line of sight to Claire. "With her?"

John shook his head, losing track of what freckles he had already counted and what ones he hadn't. "No, Sir. I'm as much of a virgin today as I was the day I was born." He glared at Jessica, before returning his gaze to the lawyer. "I pride myself on waiting for marriage, and always respecting the wishes of my female friends and enemies." He took a breath, checking to make sure Amelia was still distracted. "I saw enough rape in my own home, to know that no one should be put through it."

The lawyer raised a brow. "Were you the one raping women in your home?"

"No, Sir. My father used himself as a punishment to my mother, forcing himself on her when he was drunk, high, or decided to punish her for getting pregnant with me." He took a breath, returning to the task of counting Claire's freckles. "There were days that the rape happened regularly, those being Saturday's, Christmas, my birthday, and their anniversary."

Claire dropped her gaze, unable to meet the pain in John's eyes. She reached for Kaylie's hand, knowing that she and Allison were ready to act as her tether should she need it.

"Mister Bender, was your father present at your birth?"

John shook his head, remembering the glance he'd gotten at the letter. "No, Sir. My Father refused to believe I was his, and to be honest I'm not sure myself, he kicked my mother out when she was in the second trimester of her pregnancy, forcing her to give birth to me in my grandmother's apartment." He bit the inside of his cheek, feeling his muscles tense. "Can we take a break?" He looked up at the judge pleading with him to let him have a break.

The judge shook his head, looking down at the lawyer. "Go on, Mister Kemp."

Mister Kemp grinned, looking like a cat playing with his food. "Is it true, that Miss Jenkin's was alone with you in her uncle's basement?" He asked, not picking up on John's growing anxiety.

"Please." John looked up at the judge again, practically begging for a release from the stand. "Your Honor, please let me go."

Mister Kemp smirked leaning toward the kid. "Afraid we'll come up on something you did wrong?"

John's body gave a mild twitch, making him close his eyes as pain shot through his shoulder.

Thomas stood, pulling John to his feet and holding him tight against his chest. "Your Honor, Johnathan has a history of seizures if he gets too anxious or excited. He's also been known to get them if he feels threatened in any way, either physically, mentally, or sexually. We request a short intermission so that we can get John calmed down before he has an attack."

The judge nodded as realization hit him as to why John had been so desperate for a break. "Alright, ten minutes, but if he isn't well enough to continue in that time, we'll have to reschedule for Monday."

Thomas nodded, slowly pulling John from the room and letting Clarissa wrap him in the weighted blanket they'd found helped to calm him. "Thank you, your Honor."