I completely spaced out once we got going. I mean, I wasn't thinking about anything. And it wasn't that peaceful kind of spacing out either. It was dread. Pure, unadulterated dread. I didn't want to go, I never wanted to, I just wished it would all just go away.
But it wouldn't.
"Timberwolf?"
Curse this enhanced hearing. "What?" "We've landed. It's time to get out." Oh, joy. "But I don't want to do this. I want to stay in here and sulk." "Quit griping." "I like griping!" My ears picked up a sound from outside the cruiser. Clicking. Continous clicking. Cameras clicking! I'd forgotten about the press. And I really didn't want to talk to them. It was bad enough that I had to go to this dumb trial. But my dad probably had to go through the same storm. His story-and mine-would be everywhere. The whole universe would know that he was a creep. Just that thought was enough to make me feel better, if just a little. But I still wasn't saying anything to the press.
I had to sit through the whole thing. I was starting to feel a lot better now, seeing all those guys cross-examine my father. Man, they were really nailing him. He had gone bright red, sweating, scared. He knew he was in serious trouble. Plus it looked like I'd never get to testify. But it was too good to be true. I did have to testify, what's worse, all they really had to do was look at me. But they made me speak anyway. "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"
All these years and the oath is still the same.
I nodded yes. I told them everything I knew. My worst fears didn't come true, not in the courtroom. I cried a little, who wouldn't? My mom ws in the jury. I waved at her from the witness stand. She didn't wave back right away because she was busy looking at my dad with a scorching look that clearly wished a slow, painful death. It was making him nervous, and me too. I wouldn't want her looking at me like that, for sure. I'd be running as fast as I could in the opposite direction. All the drama was saved for after the trial. Dad was sentenced to 20 years. Funnily enough, he got a chance of parole. My mom didn't like that, I didn't care. But he was crying, he didn't want to be locked up for so long. My mom didn't like that either.
She leapt at him, screaming,"WHY ARE YOU CRYING?!!! YOU SICKO YOU TURNED MY SON INTO A MONSTER AND YOU'RE CRYING BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR IT!!!" He whimpered, in reply, maybe because she'd kicked him in the shins. "Maam, you're going to have to calm down-" She wouldn't calm down. She got worse. She condemned the entire court, saying that they were making a mistake, giving someone like him a chance to continue his evil work. She attacked the bailiff and got in the judge's face, and in the end, both of my parents ended up going to jail. Figures.
Boy, my family is a bunch of losers.
Bouncing Boy came back in time to pick me up before I got completely swamped by the press. Given my appearance, and the look on my face, however, I didn't have much to contend with. He'd picked up some fast food and tried to share it with me, but I wasn't very hungry for french fries. Truthfully I wasn't hungry for anything at all.
Was this a good chapter? I'm not sure, but I'm thinking this is kind of short. All my chapters are short. But they're good, aren't they? tell me!