Chapter Thirty One

As the questioning from the police investigator dragged on throughout the morning the tension between Darry and I grew. With every word said, we worried we get someone else from the gang in trouble; Sodapop with a switchblade, Steve with a piece of pipe, and Two-Bit with his intensity and threats. Every time the investigator asked clarifying questions about the actions of one of our friends Darry would give me a look. It was the kind of look that said, 'Now see what you've done?' Look, or no look I wasn't going to lie, and the investigator thanked me on several occasions for my honesty. All I could hope for was Soda and Owen were in the other room telling the truth too. As long as our stories matched we stood a better chance of everyone staying out of trouble.

Without a word, the investigating officer finally left the stuffy room to confer with his associate. Once the door swung shut, and Darry and I were alone, I threw my head back and declared, "I hate all of this!"

My protest unexpectedly triggered my brother's temper. Angered, he looked at me. "If you would just do what I told you, when I told you to do it, none of us would be here right now!"

Instinctively, I sat up in my chair and looked down in silence. There it was, no matter what Darry was always right. I hated that too.

My brother scolded me. "When are you gonna learn that I know what's best for you?"

"Like sending me away?" I shot back, "Don't worry Darry, I'll be gone forever soon enough!"

"There you go again!" Indignant, Darry snapped back, "Tell me Scout, what is so wrong with making sure you take advantage of a once in a lifetime opportunity to attend a prestigious school that none of us, not even mom and dad, could have gotten you into? Huh? How does that make me the bad guy?"

"Because you never asked me if I wanted it! Ashford is what you want. It's your once in a lifetime opportunity, not mine! Every thing I want is here in Tulsa."

"What? Owen?"

"No! See you don't get it! This isn't about a boy. It's about me! It's about finally having the chance to be better than you." I snapped back and watched the expression on Darry's face turn to disbelief. I shifted my body to face him. "It's about standing up for myself and making my own choices. It's about having friends at school, going to dances, and out for Cokes after the football game. Its' about other girls looking at me and wishing they were me, the way other guys had secretly wished they were you. It's about finally feeling like I fit in, because I'm not a sissy anymore!"

I couldn't tell if the look on Darry's face was shock, hurt, or remorse and I didn't really care.

Then the door swung open. The investigator poked his head into the room and declared, "You all are free to go. We'll call ya if we need anything else, or if we need ya all to come to the station to identify any of the boys. If Scout's gone by then we'll have one of the other boys do it."

Gone? Hearing the officer say it only further drove home the point that it was inevitable.

"Thank you, Officer." Darry said coolly.

I glared at my brother for his aloofness. I hated the casualness everyone seemed to take about me going back to Ashford. I didn't want to go and I didn't think it was fair that no one seemed to care about what I wanted.

Darry and I stood up from our chairs just as Sodapop bounded into the room. I think he could feel the tension in the air because his weak smile drifted away with his words. "How's it going?" When we didn't answer, he filled in the silence. "The cops say they have all the info they need."

Looking forward to getting away from Darry I pushed past Soda, and out the door. As I turned down the hall I met face to face with Owen. It was the first chance we had to talk since I stepped off the elevator in the morning. He looked at me with puppy dog eyes. "You're not mad at me, are you?"

I couldn't resist him. "No, I know what you did was right." I folded my arms across my chest and leaned up against the wall. My thoughts flashed to what he and Sodapop may have told the police. "Please tell me you and Soda told the truth."

"Yeah. We downplayed some stuff, but neither of us lied about anything."

"Good." I said softy and looked away as thoughts of the morning flashed through my mind.

Darry and Soda walked into the hallway. Soda looked to Owen. "Did you find out what's up with the trial?"

"Yes, the courtroom broke for lunch about five minutes ago." Owen cleared is throat. "There's a little diner across the street if you all want to join me for lunch, my treat."

Sodapop and I looked to our oldest brother for approval. Darry nodded his head. "Sure, that sounds fine."

Hearing permission from Darry, I thought about how I couldn't believe how happy I was to be back with him only a day ago, and now I couldn't wait to get away. I looked up at Owen. "Why don't we run ahead and get everyone's order placed."

Owen and the boys agreed. I was happy to head down the stairs and out of the courthouse away from my brothers.

At the diner, Owen and I sat in a booth in the window. He placed the order with the waitress then he turned to me. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know," I said with sad frustration, "I just don't understand why Darry wants me gone so badly. I wonder if he blames me for what happened to him."

"Scout, I don't think he feels that way." Owen tried to assure me.

"He just never understands anything from someone else's point of view."

Owen raised his eyebrows at me in question. "Do you understand all of this from his point of view?"

I looked at him with a cold stare.

"Seriously," Owen said, "Imagine if it were you and Ponyboy. If someone tried to kill him what would you do? Where would you want him to be if there was some place he could be away from danger?"

"So you're on his side?"

"No, I am just saying I understand how he is thinking. Trust me, I want you here in Tulsa more than anything, but you would be pretty safe at Ashford, and it's a great opportunity." Owen put his arm around my shoulder. "Darry is not wrong for wanting what's best for you."

For some reason, when Owen said it, attending Ashford made a lot more sense. "I know." I let out an exhausted sigh. "For the life of me, I don't understand how girls are so excited to leave their homes to go to Ashford."

"They're bred that way. For most of them it's their ultimate achievement." Owen said simply, "Plus, they have ten years to get ready, not ten minutes."

"I have no plans to make Ashford Academy my ultimate achievement!"

"That's what I love about you." Owen said with a grin.

A faint smile pierced my lips. I turned my head to notice Darry and Sodapop make their way across the street. Even though Darry had only been back on his feet a couple of days his speed and strength were increasing rapidly. I was impressed with his stubbornness to succeed, it took me a lot longer to recover after my weeks in the hospital. Then I remembered that same stubbornness would be sending me away to a boarding school for the remainder of my school years, robbing me of what I really wanted. I silently fumed all through lunch just thinking about my demise.

After lunch the four of us took a seat in the front row of the courtroom behind the prosecution. For a great deal of time, Mr. Berta and Mr. Poe, the lead prosecuting attorney, were in an intense and private conversation. I strained to hear their words, but they were very good at keeping their conversations to themselves.

Moments later the jury walked in and the courtroom rose for the Judge to enter.

"Please be seated." The Judge invited the courtroom to rest as he turned to the prosecution to resume the trial. "Mr. Poe, I trust you have sorted through things."

"Yes sir, we have." Mr. Poe stood up and responded.

I wondered what things they had to sort through. Perhaps it was about the possibility of witness tampering by James' friends. Then I noticed Mr. Berta lean back in his chair and turn his head to look at me with a gentle smile.

"Call your next witness." The Judge prompted the prosecution.

"Your Honor," Mr. Poe's voice rang out, "the prosecution calls Scout Marie Curtis to the stand."

All of a sudden it felt as if I was being asphyxiated by the sound of my own name. My heart began to beat heavily against the inside of my chest and the sound of the mutterings from the courtroom faded into silence. For what seemed like minutes I stared straight ahead in distress and wondered, how could I be next? I wasn't supposed to testify this soon. Fear struck my nerves because once I was done testifying the court was making arrangements for me to return to Ashford Academy, where by Darry's directions I would never return. I wasn't ready to be gone forever! I needed more time!

Visually, the room began to swirl then I felt a warm strong arm wrap itself around my shoulder. The arm gave a little shake and I heard its owner speak to me. "Scout, are you okay?"

I turned my head to the left to see my father looking down at me. "It's your turn now. Be good and just tell the truth. Everything is going to be okay." My vision cleared and I realized it was Darry pulling me through. His blue eyes communicated the confidence he had in me. "Go on up there."

Dutifully, I slowly rose to my feet.

Mr. Berta looked up at me with a smile. "Don't worry, Scout. You'll do just fine."

I smiled back to hide my fears and hoped that no one could notice how weak my knees were feeling and how bad my hands were trembling. By the time I reached the witness stand my eyes were wet with unfallen tears. I sat down in the witness chair and out of the corner of my eye I saw the judge look down at me and smile.

"Darling," the Judge said, "we are going to need you to stand up and take the oath."

Feeling stupid I stood back to my feet and noticed the bailiff standing before me with the Holy Bible held out in his hand. I quietly took the oath and then I took my seat in the padded wooden witness chair. I looked out at the people in the courtroom and felt sick to my stomach. All I could think about was going back to Ashford and never being with my brothers again. As Mr. Poe rose to his feet I wondered if I looked as pale as I felt.

Mr. Poe called out his first question from the prosecution table. "How are you doing, Scout?"

I nodded my head then let out a timid answer, "fine." I panicked a little that Mr. Poe would figure out that I had lied under oath. The truth was I wasn't fine. All I could think about was how unfair things had been for me since I got home, and how I may have to leave Tulsa earlier than I had assumed, and how many weeks it had been since I had seen Ponyboy and how many more weeks would pass before I could see him again, if ever.

Mr. Poe smiled politely. "Can you please state your full name for the record?"

I could barely speak. "Scout Marie Curtis." Saying the names nearly released all of the sorrow from inside my body. Then my lower lip protruded from my face and began to quiver.

The Judge looked down at me. "Don't be scared. All you need to do is tell the truth, but I'm going to need you to speak a little louder and in to the microphone there. Okay?" The Judge pointed to the microphone on the small ledge in front of me. "Take your time, and answer again when you are ready."

I nodded and wiped the tears of frustration from my eyes. He didn't know it, but I was angry, not scared. I used a few moments to take in some deep breaths. I looked to the jury and then to the people in the courtroom. I tried to look towards the front row behind the prosecution for support, but every time I did my heart began to break for my brother who wasn't there. Then I looked to the defense table. Sitting there in his jail clothes was James with his green eyes sparkling and a grin on his face.

Seeing his smug look made me more mad than upset. I loathed him for what he had done to my family and me. Darry was right. I had a job to do. James had to be punished for his behavior and the burden of proving his guilt rested on my shoulders. I cleared my throat and leaned forward in my chair to answer with confidence. "Scout Marie Curtis."