Chapter 9 "Here we go again"

I was in a deep sleep that night, I didn't wake up until 11 o' clock. Ms. Sweet made me eat breakfast, so I had scrambled eggs and toast. The trial started at 1, so I still had 2 hours to get ready.

Ciara was following Ms. Sweet around the house asking her why she picked her for a witness. Ms. Sweet gave her the same answer every time, "Because you will do anything to keep Rayna away from her father, and that is just the person I need."

Later on, like a half hour before the trial me and Ciara went shopping for something to wear to the trial. We went to a little shop on the corner of the street to get dresses.

I got a sky blue, ruffle at the bottom, and dark blue sparkles on the belt. Ciara got an also sky blue ruffle dress, with a silver belt.

We went home and changed into our dresses, Ciara wore silver flats with her dress, and I wore my blue flats from the day before, and my jeans jacket that's dark blue and fades into white.

Ms. Sweet picked, me, Ciara, and Johnny up so she could talk to us and prepare us for today's trial.

"So the reason I chose you, Johnny was because you seem like you understand Rayna like no one else. You think the same way she thinks, so you know how Rayna feels. That's why I think you're the perfect witness for the case," Ms. Sweet told Johnny while we were in the car.

She continued, "The only thing you guys have to do is answer the questions honestly, if you do then we should be fine."

"Good, because today is the last trial," I reminded her.

"I know, that's why we have to nail it," Ms. Sweet said.

"Oh, we will do more than just nail it," Ciara smirked.

We arrived at the court house and took our same seats as yesterday. Soon the trial began and Ms. Sweet was the first one to call up a witness, "I call up Ciara Rose."

Ciara made her way to the stand and sat down.

"Ms. Rose, how long have you know Rayna?" Ms. Sweet asked her first question.

"Since kindergarten," Ciara answered.

"Did you know her brothers'?"

"Yes."

"How about Ms. Hunter's father?"

"Yes and no."

"What do you mean, yes and no?" Ms. Sweet asked.

"Yeah I know Mr. Hunter, but I never knew the real him, you know the him that hurts people," Ciara explained.

Ms. Sweet nodded and asked, "Do you think Mr. Hunter killed his sons?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Like Rayna said her dad is smart. And he would kill them just to make Rayna miserable."

Ms. Sweet turned towards Judge Jamie and said, "No further questions, your honor."

Mr. Greene stood up while Ms. Sweet sat down and he walked in front of the stand.

"Has Rayna ever told you about her father?" Mr. Greene asked.

"No, but-"

"Was there any signs that she was abused?"

"No, but-"

"How about her-"

"No, I'm not going to let you finish unless I get to finish my answer," Ciara slammed her hands on the disk of the stand.

Mr. Greene looked mad but didn't say anything. "No there were no signs she was abused, but she did seem edgy around him. Like she was afraid she was going to do something wrong," Ciara finished.

"Okay, how about her brothers?"

"Rayna always looked up to them, she absolutely loves them."

"So you would be surprised then if I said, I think Rayna had something to do with her brothers' death."

What? I nearly fell out of my chair. I would never hurt my brothers, their the reason I'm alive. If it wasn't for them I would be dead by now, if it wasn't for them I..I couldn't live I wouldn't have a reason to live, expect for Ciara.

"Yes I would be," Ciara yelled, "Rayna would never kill her own brothers, they may be annoying and stupid sometimes but she would never, never kill them."

"I'm just saying, it makes perfect sense. Rayna wanted attention from her father," Mr. Greene said like it was obvious.

"WHAT, NO I DID NOT AND STILL DO NOT WANT ATTENTION! ESPECIALLY FROM HIM," I yelled standing up.

"Ms. Sweet please calm down Ms. Hunter," Judge Jamie said.

I did calm down, but just because I didn't want us to get kicked out. Mr. Greene directed his attention towards Judge Jamie and said, "No further questions, your honor."

"I call up Mr. Hunter."

"Mr. Hunter, have you ever hurt Rayna?" Mr. Greene asked.

"Oh course not, I would never hurt her. She's my baby, my only daughter." My father asked innocently.

"How do you feel about your sons' deaths?"

"I feel like it's my fault…" cause it is your fault, I thought, "I wish I was able to stop it." Liar, no you don't.

"Do you think your wife's death changed your life?" Mr. Greene asked.

"Of course it did, it changed all of us," my dad said.

"Do you think Rayna had something to do with your sons' deaths?"

"Yes, she always seemed a like jealous of how much attention I gave them. But really I was giving her the same amount of attention. Maybe Rayna wanted to prove herself, so I forgive her."

My jaw dropped, "You're the one that should be praying that I forgive you, I had nothing to do with their deaths, you did. You big liar."

"Recess, we need a recess," Ms. Sweet pleaded.

"Accepted," Judge Jamie said.

Ms. Sweet took me by the arm and pulled me out of my chair, but I wasn't done yet, "I hate you. I wish you were dead. Brandon, Alex, and Keith should be alive not you. You're a piece of shit, you son of a bitch."

I held my middle finger up to my father, so he could see it. My father looked at me, didn't say anything, but I knew right then and there, that he wanted to kill me.

"Calm down. Get a hold of yourself," Ms. Sweet told me, once we got outside.

"I want to hurt him, and he wants to kill me," I told her.

"We have 5 minutes for recess. Do you think you will be able to go back in there?"

"I don't want to anymore, but I know I have to. I will not lose against him. I will never let him win….easily."

"Okay, well let's just walk around for a bit, then go back in," Ms. Sweet said.

Ciara, and Johnny came out with us, and we walked around the building.

"Johnny you're up next. Are you ready?" Ms. Sweet asked.

Johnny shrugged, "You're going to have to talk I hope you know," Ms. Sweet informed him.

"I know," he said.

"Okay, times up. Let's go back inside before they start without us," Ms. Sweet said.

We made it inside and sat back down at the table.

"I call up Johnny Cade to the stand," Ms. Sweet said.

Johnny stood up nervously and made it over to the stand.

"Johnny how well do you know Rayna?" Ms. Sweet asked.

"Well, I just met her a few weeks ago, so not that well."

"About her brothers, have you ever met them?"

"No they died before I even got to meet them," Johnny said.

"Are you aware of what happened to Rayna's brothers?" Ms. Sweet asked.

"All I know is the socs drove their car in front of Rayna's brothers' and they crashed."

"Do you think, Rayna's father had something to do with her brother's deaths?"

"Yes, I kind of do. But I don't know him very well," Johnny shrugged.

"No further questions, your honor," Ms. Sweet sat down.

"Mr. Cade, do you think Rayna's father hurts her?"

"Yes, he acts exactly like my ole man," Johnny said sadly.

I was surprised that Johnny was open like that.

"What do you mean by that?" Mr. Greene asks.

"Um….nothing, I mean he acts exactly like my dad when my dad's mad," Johnny said quickly.

"Okay, do you think Rayna has something to do with all of this?"

"Yes."

What? How could Johnny say that? I thought he cared about me, I thought we were friends.

"What?" Mr. Greene asked.

How could he betray me like that, I thought he understood me. I understood him. Why didn't he-

"She sued her father," Johnny said, looking over at me.

I can't help but smile, he got me all worked up, and then, then says that. I sigh with relief. Johnny knows what he is doing. Good, I thought, cause I don't.

Mr. Greene looked disappointed but he recovered and asked, "Were you there when the cars crashed?"

"Yes."

"Was her father there?"

"Yes," Johnny replied.

"Before? After? During?"

"After."

Mr. Greene smiled, "Then how could Mr. Hunter have something to do with the wreck? He wasn't there when it happened. He wasn't in the car. Can you tell me that, Mr. Cade, how could he have done it?"

Johnny looked overwhelmed, he didn't say anything. No surprise, I wouldn't either. I wouldn't know what to say.

When Johnny didn't answer Mr. Greene turned to Judge Jamie, "No further questions."

Johnny sat down, with the gang, next to Dally. Dally put an arm around his shoulder to comfort him.

"Now, Randy Anderson couldn't be here today, because he's sick. So I call up Ryan King to the stand," Mr. Greene said.

Once Ryan sat down at the stand, Mr. Greene started asking questions, "I heard you were in the car when the crash happened, is that true?"

"Yes."

"Who was driving?"

"Bob was, sir," Ryan answered.

"Did Mr. Hunter have anything to do with the wreck?" Mr. Greene asked.

"No, he had nothing to do with it."

"No further questions, your honor."

Next was Ms. Sweet, "Mr. King, you said Bob was driving, where were you sitting in the car?"

"In the back."

"Where in the back?"

"In the middle."

"Did Mr. Hunter help you?"

"No."

"Ryan the truth. If you lie, you can get in trouble to, even if you weren't driving," Ms. Sweet said.

"N-no-"

"Ryan, the truth," Ms. Sweet warned.

"N-no…..yes," Ryan broke, "yes Mr. Hunter helped, he told us when and where to be in front of the car. He told us exactly what to do, and….and we did it. I regret it big time, he said he would pay us, but he never did. Your right, he helped us with everything."

I stood up and started clapping, I was so happy! I knew he had something to do with the wreck, with us of this.

"I pronounce Mr. Hunter guilty," Judge Jamie said, "2 years in jail."

Author's note: Please R&R!