"How does it work, Jason? How does talking about it all the time work? I just don't get it," Billy looked over at his friend with a puzzled expression.
Jason smiled a bit, taking another bite of his apple before answering. More and more Billy was asking him about his recovery process, which Jason took as a positive sign. "I don't know the answer to that, Billy. But I DO know it works. It did for me, and it will for you, of that I'm certain. Already you're looking a little easier about what happened."
"I don't feel that much easier. Yesterday Dad walked into the kitchen when I was eating my lunch, and he just touched my shoulder. Jase, I about leapt out of my skin. Spilled my soup, scared Dad half out of his wits, even managed to break the bowl when I knocked it off the table in my haste to get away from him. Does that sound like I'm getting better?" he asked bitterly.
"Yes."
"How can you say that?" Billy wondered, frankly surprised.
"You were eating, weren't you? Billy, I have no idea how much weight you've lost, but I do know it's too much. That you were eating lunch is a good sign," Jason said mildly.
The former Blue Ranger couldn't help but smile at Jason's logic. "Only you, Jason. Only you would find something positive in that." He sighed deeply, his momentary good humor gone as if it had never existed. "I'm so tired of being afraid, of jumping every time someone touches me."
Jason contemplated his friend, considering. He knew exactly what Billy was going through; he remembered it all too well. He also remembered what he and Zack had done to alleviate his problem, and wondered if he could ... if he should ... try to help Billy the same way. A closer look at his friend's miserable expression made up his mind.
"Billy, I do understand how you feel. I felt the same way, I wanted ... needed ... to be touched, but every time someone got near, I'd be afraid. I'd back off or lash out. Zack and I were sharing a pretty small room at the time, and he bore the brunt of my problem. It was his idea to try to get me past the worst of my fear, and it worked. But it wasn't easy. If you want, we could try it. If you trust me, that is," Jason suggested.
"I trust you Jason, it's me I don't trust. What do you have in mind?" While he hated being fearful all the time, he found Jason's warning tone to be ominous.
"What we did was he sat down on the floor, and I sat in front of him, with my back to him. Then he simply held me, from behind. That's all he did, but, God, it took forever for me to get used to it. The memories just overwhelmed me, but Zack was patient, he rode it out until I was completely relaxed. And the best part was, it worked. Oh, I still had my problems with being touched sometimes, still do occasionally, but it was like a barrier had dropped at last, and casual physical contact with others no longer freaked me out. Do you want to try?"
Billy looked at him, hope and fear at war in the weary blue eyes. "I ... I don't know if I can do this."
"You won't know until you try," Jason pointed out reasonably. "I won't force you into anything. We'll take it slow and easy, and if you really think you can't go on, we'll stop, I promise."
Though his stomach clenched at the idea of being touched ... being held ... he'd always trusted Jason, and had never regretted it. "O ... okay. What do I do?"
Jason smiled and sat down on the thickly carpeted floor, his back against the couch, his legs spread. "Come and sit here," he said, indicating a spot between his legs and perhaps half a foot away from him. Billy gave him a last, searching look, then took a seat where indicated, facing away from Jason.
"Perfect. Just relax Billy, I'm not going to do anything to hurt you, you're safe here, I promise," Jason said soothingly, seeing his friend was trembling at his proximity behind him. The dark-haired teen continued to speak gently until Billy seemed more relaxed and comfortable.
"Billy, I'm going to touch your shoulders now, okay? I'm not going to grab you, I'm just going to rub them gently." He very carefully put his hands on his friend's shoulders, saddened by the shudder of fear he felt run through the too-thin body in front of him. He began the gentlest of massages, continuing to speak as gently to Billy as he would to a child, encouraging and reassuring his friend that all was okay. It was a long spell before he felt the tension and fear leave Billy, and the bunched muscles in the shoulders beneath his hands relaxed at last.
"Billy, I'm going to reach around you and pull you a little closer to me, okay? This may scare you some, but try to ride it out, okay? You're doing great, just close your eyes and let the feelings come to the surface, let the fear out, it will be okay," Jason instructed, suiting gentle action to words. As he had expected, as soon as his arms wrapped around Billy's body and pulled him in closer, Billy began to shake harder than ever, moaning softly in fear. "It's okay, shhh ... it's okay," Jason soothed him, feeling the shuddering sobs that now possessed his friend. He was holding Billy loosely, he could get away at any time, but he didn't even try. Jason's respect for his friend soared as he realized just how completely Billy was cooperating with this idea, how deeply he trusted Jason to not hurt him. It was a testament to that trust that Billy didn't fight against Jason's hold despite his obvious terror.
The former Ranger leader maintained a firm, but not hard, hold on his friend, offering verbal and physical gestures of comfort, while carefully avoiding anything that could be construed in the slightest as sexual. He knew Billy was reliving the assault again, and his hope was that by doing this Billy would begin to truly understand that not all embraces from behind involved pain and humiliation. He felt moisture on his bare arms, and it took him a minute to realize that it was tears.
"Ah, Billy, come on, please, it's okay, you'll be okay, you're fine," he crooned softly. He felt his own control weakening as his friend's struggle reminded him of his own, far from complete recovery. He hadn't expected this, but he found he couldn't fight it; his own tears fell unheeded as he continued to hold his childhood friend.
Time had no meaning to the two teens as they both strove to bring their emotions back under some sort of control. Gradually they settled down, and Jason gratefully sensed his friend relax in his arms at long last. When he felt Billy had had enough time to get thoroughly used to being held in this manner, he again tightened his grip, to one Billy would not easily be able to escape. Tension returned to the former Ranger's body, but nothing like it had been. Once the fear had passed again, Jason moved his legs closer together, bending them so they were over Billy's blue-jean-clad ones. This time Billy hardly reacted at all and Jason knew finally that his plan had worked, at least a little.
"How're you doing, Bro? How're you feeling?" Jason asked at last.
Billy was slow to respond, and when he did his voice was very soft. "I think I'm okay. That was ... intense."
"Yeah. You did great, though," the former Red Ranger said quietly, still holding on closely to Billy.
"If you say so. Was it like that for you?"
"Yeah, very much so. I was terrified when Zack put his arms around me. Took a lot of guts for him to do that, considering how I'd thrown him into a wall the first time he tried to grab me from behind," he chuckled.
"Guess you didn't have to fear that, huh?" Billy put his two hands up and ran them lightly over Jason's arms. "God, I hope this worked."
"Me too. I'd hate to think I put you through that for nothing."
"It wasn't for nothing, Jason. I'm sure of that. But I'd just as soon not have to go through that again. I guess you could let me go, now," Billy replied, pulling slightly away from Jason.
The burly teen released his grip and watched Billy stand up a little shakily and move over to the easy chair. Jason remained seated on the floor.
"That was a big step, Billy, you should be proud of yourself. It took a lot of courage."
Billy expression showed he was considering the experience. "I don't know what to say, except thank you. I feel like a load has been taken off me, though I have no idea why." He mentally shook himself, not ready to examine the experience too closely yet. A change in mood seemed to be in order. "Maybe you should consider a career in psychology," Billy grinned, knowing full well what Jason's career dreams entailed.
"A law enforcement shrink? No way, buddy. As soon as I can convince my parents that I'm serious, I'm going to the police academy. I'll leave this psycho stuff to others, I want to bust some heads," Jason mock-growled, knowing what Billy was doing and willing to go along with it.
"Then marry a shrink. You can bust the heads and she can fix 'em," the former Ranger quipped back. It wasn't all that funny, but the two teens burst into laughter at that comment, and Lawrence, who'd just come home from the store, nearly dropped a gallon of milk in his surprise.
It had been a too-long time since he'd heard laughter in this house.
PRPRPRPR
"Do you have a handle on how Perkins is going to approach this case? How to diffuse his accusations and the witnesses' testimony?" Roland Oliver asked his attorney pointedly. It was Thursday evening, the trial would start Monday morning.
"Yes, I believe we have it all covered. Their so-called 'expert witnesses' can easily be contradicted, psychology is hardly an exact science. Character witnesses? I am presenting a witness to discuss the often inherent emotional instability of genius. And the idea the Scott boy is simply backing Cranston's play - perhaps even being blackmailed. And a couple of their character witnesses may backfire. High School Principal Victor Caplan will be asked about an episode where he was attacked by Cranston and Zack Taylor. Completely unprovoked and in front of dozens of witnesses. I've found two classmates who will testify to sometimes odd behavior by both boys. We are going to paint a picture of a severely disturbed young man, a genius, who manipulates others to serve his purposes. In this case, to destroy Tommy through you." Victor was smugly pleased with his plan to discredit Roland's two accusors.
"And his plan is what, again?" Roland knew the scenario they'd created, but needed the reassurance of hearing Victor describe it.
"Okay, from the top. Cranston either was actually attacked randomly or paid someone to attack him. He blackmailed the Scott boy into backing his play, perhaps having some information to threaten him with. Kwan is backing Scott because they are lovers, Taylor is being blackmailed as well. Cranston wants to destroy Tommy because of your son's relationship with Kimberly Hart, whom Cranston secretly desires. I have a copy of a note a classmate found, written by Cranston in junior high declaring his love for the Hart girl. Cranston's IQ is almost immeasurably high, he's at risk for mental illness. Simply put, he snapped. Anything to add?" The attorney asked with a sneer, thinking about the absurdity of the charges the teens were making.
"How do we refute the obvious physical damage to Cranston?" Roland prompted.
"We don't; they're genuine injuries. The kid's psychotic. Will go to any length to succeed in his plan."
"I know we have this possible scenario all worked out, but off the record, do we really have any idea why they did this? Why they are pressing charges?" Tommy's father asked.
"I've tried to find evidence of any reason for this to have happened, but there's nothing to find, it seems," Victor shrugged. The 'why' of the matter didn't much interest him.
Roland sighed, and looked away. "Well, we have a good plan, but I have to admit ... I never expected this from Billy. He always seemed to be a good kid. Guess you never know, right? But, Victor, remember not to go overboard on this. Most folks haven't seen anything but normal behavior from these kids, plus, they do have evidence of physical damage to the boy. And if we go too far, well, even Tommy might try to argue about it in court. I want to be cleared, but I don't want to hurt my son any more than he's already being hurt by his friends' actions. Tommy deserves to be protected."
"Right. It'll be a tightrope walk, but that is what we do best. It's not going to be an easy case, Roland. We should keep you from coming to jail; all we have to do is prove reasonable doubt. I just want you cleared, your name cleared. That's the ultimate goal."
PRPRPRPR
The warm afternoon sunlight filtered through the trees, dappling the table below with bright pinpoints of light. The seven teenagers gathered around that table didn't pay any attention to the beauty of the setting, though, engrossed as they were in making their plans.
"So we meet on the front steps each morning at 7:30, right?" Tanya repeated, making sure everyone had the correct meeting time.
"Yep, bright and early with a smile in our hearts and a song on our faces," Rocky agreed nonsensically.
The smiles that generated were a bit forced. The last few weeks had been hard at best, with all of them being interviewed by attorneys on both sides. Trini and Zack were testifying for the prosecution, Kimberly, Adam, and Rocky for the defense.
After meeting with Tommy in the park, Kimberly had told the others about it, stating quite firmly that she intended to maintain contact with him. The resulting discussion had gotten a bit heated, but in the end they decided that was not something they wanted to have come between them. They all respected Kim enough to accept that she had a different opinion, and the general consensus was that they agreed to disagree. Though they did not doubt that Roland Oliver was the one who attacked Jason and Billy, a belief shared by Kimberly herself, despite her words to Tommy. Katherine, Trini, and Tanya had each at one time or another gone with Kim to see Tommy, a gesture that had meant a lot to the young man. He'd begun to feel that his one-time teammates and friends had all found him guilty of some crime he was unaware of. It was a warm feeling to know that they understood he wasn't responsible for whatever happened to Jason and Billy.
"You all understand that some of the testimony will be ... hard ... to hear?" Trini reminded them. She'd had a particularly difficult time of it recently, having to tell her parents, and her friends, of her relationship with Jason, knowing that she would have to discuss it in court in front of a jury, a judge, and other strangers. She was grateful that her friends and family had accepted the news in a nonjudgmental manner.
"Yes," Katherine murmured, looking down. Of all the former Rangers, she was having the hardest time dealing with the FACT of what had happened to the two teens. Though she wanted to believe she was not prejudiced, the thought of anal sex was repulsive to her at a purely instinctual level. That two people she cared about had been FORCED into the act was nearly incomprehensible to her.
"Kat," Tanya said softly, putting a comforting arm around the blonde's shoulders. "If you can't deal with being there for some of the testimony, everyone will understand. And it would be better to not show up than to have to run out halfway through, okay?" she said gently. She, Kim, and Trini had all talked to the Australian about how she was feeling, and they understood her problem even if they didn't share it.
"Thank you," Kat replied in a whisper, still unable to meet the others' eyes. She felt a coward for her reaction, though she was at a loss as to how else to deal with it.
"And you guys will restrain yourselves at all times, right?" Kimberly asked sternly, looking at all three boys. For whatever reason, they were the anger of the group, primarily directed at Roland, but Tommy got some of the spillover. Zack had spent a year helping his best friend recover from what was done to him, only to find another close friend had fallen prey to the same danger. Adam rarely spoke of his feelings, eschewing the arguments and discussions for the most point. He only talked to Tanya about how he felt, how he felt oddly betrayed because Tommy had failed to protect Billy from danger in this instance, even though he understood intellectually that there was no way Tommy could have known.
Trini and Tanya were the logical, sensible, stable rocks for the others to lean on. Trini because, like Zack, she'd traveled this road longer and farther than the others. She understood what Jason and Billy were going through, and had the advantage of a longer-based friendship with both boys. Tanya, conversely, because she didn't know any of them that well, was less judgmental; she saw everyone's side of the story with the close to impartial eyes of a new acquaintance. She could listen to everyone's opinion with an open mind while not being swayed herself, providing a much-needed sounding board.
By strengthening their bonds to each other, and uniting despite divergent opinions on some aspects of the case, they were able to provide staunch support for those of their friends who needed it most. Friends who still had a rough road to travel before they could put the situation behind them. Which was why the seven teenagers had made a pact to attend the trial, no matter how much they'd rather not have to face the ugliness they knew would be revealed in that cold, almost antiseptic room during the stiflingly warm days of early summer. They would be there to offer their support, because they believed that no one should have to travel such a journey alone.
PRPRPRPR
Barbara Harrison was not a conventionally attractive woman, but her warmth, her caring personality, and her open, giving nature made her beautiful in the eyes of more than one person who had spent time behind closed doors with her. She could have undoubtedly had a lucrative private practice, but instead concentrated on cases sent to her by the District Attorney's office, having found a greater sense of achievement from helping crime victims through a crisis.
One of the few complaints she had about her work was when she got what she called a 'rush job', a case that was going to trial too soon to allow the victims sufficient time to recover. Such was the case of the patients she was discussing now, Jason Scott and Billy Cranston.
"Bottom line, Barbara, is: are they ready?" Richard Perkins asked tersely.
"Yes. As ready as anyone can be under the circumstances. As ready as I'd like them to be? No," she replied steadily.
"How do you think they will do? Off the record, if need be," Richard pushed.
"I think Jason will do very well. I read the report Janette, his therapist in Geneva, submitted. I talked to her several times on the phone. She did a wonderful job getting him through that, especially considering the boy was far from home and surrounded primarily by strangers. It definitely helps that Jason is a strong young man, with a particular internal strength, the kind of strength natural leaders have. In some ways it made what happened to him harder on him, yet it helped him recover more quickly."
"I'm not sure I understand," Don Bradford asked from where he was sitting near the door. He was waiting to give his report, such as it was, when the clients arrived. This meeting with Barbara would be over by then.
"Jason was not used to being victimized, it was a completely foreign experience for him, and it threw him badly off balance for a time. But, once Janette helped him past that part of it, that strength made his recovery quicker, if not easier. Billy doesn't have that advantage. Unfortunately, he's a young man who knows far too much about being victimized, having spent much of his youth being picked on by bullies, after being abandoned at an extremely young age by his mother," she explained.
"Will he be able to testify?" Richard asked.
"Yes. It will be harder for him, of course, but he does have courage, and a lot of it. Just different than Jason's. Billy's is more an ... enduring ... sort of strength. He doesn't exactly fight back, he simply endures, keeps going despite what happens. Very valiant in his own way. Plus, and here you got very lucky, there is a strong bond between the two of them. More than friendship, almost more than brotherhood. And it extends to include their group of friends. I don't know what it is about them, but each of them is somehow special, and together they are more than the sum of their parts. They are going to be in that courtroom, and that will help your clients more than you can imagine."
"Barbara, you sound almost ... mystical about it," Don teased gently.
"Don, in all my years of working with victims, I haven't encountered anything quite like this group of kids," she admitted. "They fascinate me, I have to admit. After that fiasco at the mall, I would have sworn Billy would never recover in time to stand up to the trial, but darned if he didn't, if just barely. And I know it had at least partially to do with his friends. I try to stay impartial, you know that, but I really hope you win this one. These two deserve to be vindicated, even if that isn't what they seem to want. I plan to continue working with Billy at least until he leaves for college, and it would help a lot if he has a guilty verdict against his attacker."
"Well, Barbara, we want the same thing. That's the whole game plan. Thanks for meeting with us, and I guess we'll see you in court."
PRPRPRPR
Joe Scott was a man who liked to get directly to the heart of the matter, which was one reason he rarely got along with lawyers. However, he was impressed with Richard Perkins as he sat in the corner of the office, next to Don Bradford, and listened to the attorney explain the exact witness lineup for the prosecution, and what they hoped to achieve with each one.
During the last three days, Jason and Billy had spent a couple of hours getting used to the idea of being on the witness stand, and experiencing cross-examination. Richard had enlisted a fellow attorney to 'play' Victor Manning, and try to trip up one of the boys' testimony. Jason had done well, keeping cool, seemingly unconcerned with the public nature of what was going to happen. Billy tried hard, but was pretty obviously having more problems than Jason. Still, the young man stuck to his story, even when the cross-examination got more intense and he got more upset. It was a good sign.
"Boys, Tuesday we are scheduled to present the physical evidence, and the expert witnesses regarding rape. Neither of you will be in court when this is being presented. Partially, well mostly, to spare you additional stress and distress, and partially to prevent the defense from saying you were coached in your testimony. It just looks better if you two aren't there listening to experts say how you SHOULD have reacted, okay?" At the boys' nods he continued. "Billy, I don't want you there when Jason testifies. Same reason. I know that if we wanted to coach you two, we could have long ago, but this is for the sake of appearance, okay? Jason, if you want to be present for Billy's testimony, it will be okay, since you'll be done. Now for the bad news."
Both tensed, as did their parents.
"I'm sorry, but it will be open court. I wasn't able to get a closed court ruling. No pictures, no live media coverage, but reporters can be in the courtroom. So can the public, up to the capacity of the room."
He had expected the flinches he saw, he'd hoped to at least spare them some of the public scrutiny, but it was unavoidable. "Perhaps you can take heart in this: by this time next week you should be done. Do you have any questions?" he asked at last.
They all shook their heads in the negative, except Billy, who looked up at Richard bleakly. "Did you ever figure out why?" he asked quietly.
"Why?" Richard repeated, not having expected the question at all.
"Why Mr. Oliver did this. Did you guys ever figure that out?" Billy asked in his soft voice. "It seems it would help, at least a little, to know there was some reason for this, no matter how odd. Why he thought we'd hurt Tommy, or how what he did would ... protect ... him."
Richard's eyes met Don Bradford's with a mute look of dismay. They'd been so busy preparing for the trial, figuring strategy; they'd forgotten this simple, basic point. Why, indeed?
"I think the answer may be in Oliver's past," Don suggested, grasping for straws, wanting to offer the teens something where he really had nothing.
"You didn't check it out?" Jason asked, his tone neutral.
Joe Scott bit back a harsh comment by force of will. He'd had enough dealings with the DA's office to understand how understaffed and overworked they were, but trying to establish a motive in this case should have been a priority.
"No, I didn't." Don was frankly ashamed. He was a detective, he should have investigated this more. "But I will this weekend. Oliver grew up in the Glendale area, so I'll check around there," he promised.
"I could go with you," Joe suggested quietly. "It's my line of work, too. And I'm on a leave of absence until this is settled. Between the two of us we could cover more ground."
Don nodded in agreement. He'd had dealings with Joe in the past, and had found the detective to be an honest sort; thorough and professional. It might be a little late, but they could poke around Roland's past a bit, just to see what they could shake loose.
PRPRPRPR
"All rise, court is now in session. The Honorable Judge Clark Addison presiding," the court clerk announced at nine sharp on Monday morning.
Jason and Billy, dressed in suits, sat next to Richard Perkins, while to their left across the aisle sat Victor Manning and Roland Oliver. Behind them sat Virginia Oliver with Tommy, and some close friends of Virginia's who were offering their support to the distraught woman. Behind Jason and Billy sat their parents, and the seven former Rangers. Beyond them were assorted reporters and interested citizens. The room was filled to capacity, as it would continue to be for the entire trial. Once the details had been made public, after the request for a closed trial had been denied, the press latched onto the story like a pitbull with a meaty bone. There was something about the case that intrigued people, and coverage was complete and intensive.
Jason looked around curiously, giving a faint smile at their friends sitting behind him, surprisingly buoyed by their presence. He touched Billy's arm, indicating he should look, and the slight relaxing of his expression showed it had helped him as well. Their attention was again directed to the floor as the lawyers were starting to make their opening statements.
It was a good thing the two teens had gotten some encouragement from the presence of their friends, because Victor Manning's opening statement threw them both for a loop. Hearing the attorney claim that they were conspiring to destroy Roland Oliver in revenge for a teenage love triangle was shocking, to put it mildly. Jason's jaw muscles twitched violently, in mute testimony to his mounting outrage, while Billy clasped his hands to hide their trembling. Richard Perkins kept a close eye on his two clients, dismayed he hadn't prepared them for this possibility, but he'd thought it was extremely unlikely their opposition would try to come up with such an outrageous scenario.
Once the opening statements were finished, Richard jumped right into the fray, gratified that his first witnesses were exactly the kind needed to refute Manning's claim that the whole situation was the twisted plot of an unstable genius. Miss Appleby, at first looking nervous and a trifle uncertain at being the center of attention, however gave a glowing portrait of the two young men, painting them as intelligent, caring, industrious, and nothing less than future pillars of the community. Following were Mr. Williams, the head of the Science Club, Jason's first sensei, the chief of police, the director of HeadStart-HeadSmart, a tutoring service Billy did volunteer work with, the chairwoman from the Peace Conference Selection Committee, and Principal Caplan.
For most of the witnesses, Victor Manning declined to cross-examine, his attitude that of disdain regarding the witnesses' testimony. There were two exceptions, however. Ms. Ferguson, the head of the Peace Conference Selection Committee, and Principal Victor Caplan.
When Ms. Ferguson had finished answering Richard's questions about how the Selection Committee made their choices, what their background checks had determined, and what duties the selected teens were expected to carry out, Victor took his turn.
"Ms. Ferguson, we appreciate your thoroughness in checking the background of the applicants. I'm sure you all put in tremendous effort. My only question, at this time, is: Why wasn't William Cranston chosen? He did apply, didn't he?" he asked smoothly.
"Well, yes. Yes he did," she stammered a little. "We declined to include William for two reasons, actually. One was his shyness and unease at public speaking. Though it seemed he was making significant progress with that, and even hosted the events when the first group of teen ambassadors visited here, there were applicants with superior skills in that area. The other was the fact William comes from a single-parent home. The students are expected to be gone from one to three years, and it was our feeling that is more difficult in single-parent situations. He had numerous points in his favor, but so did all the other applicants. It was a close call, but ultimately we felt the others would do a bit better," she concluded, obviously uncomfortable having to disclose that information.
"I see. So, it may be safe to say William Cranston lacked the stability and maturity to serve as an ambassador?"
"Objection!" Richard called out. "Mr. Manning is putting words in the witness's mouth!"
"Sustained. Strike that last comment from the record," Judge Addison agreed.
"No further questions," Victor smirked, talking his seat again.
After Victor Caplan had presented his opinion and summation of the boys' years at Angel Grove High, including the various academic and citizenship awards they'd received, Victor Manning once more took his turn with the witness.
"You said the boys were never any problem, is that correct?" he asked the principal.
"Yes, that is correct."
"Yet, William Cranston did in fact serve at least one period of detention, did he not?" Manning queried.
Mr. Caplan gave the attorney a puzzled look. "I don't recall any such episode," he replied at length.
"I'll refresh your memory. William Cranston and Zachary Taylor once created a disturbance in the hallway, culminating with their tackling you in front of dozens of students, all of whom heard your declaration of detention for both boys. Was this not in their school records?"
"It is policy to remove the record of detention if the student does not get into any more trouble in the next semester, and if the student petitions for the removal. Billy, and Zack as well, did so. I had forgotten the incident," the principal admitted.
"You forgot two of your best students tackling you in front of witnesses? Interesting. Seems you also forgot an incident where not only Mr. Cranston and , but Mr. Scott and Misses Kwan and Hart were assigned detention after exhibiting what one student called 'weird behavior'? Also conveniently removed?" he purred.
"Well ... well ... it was so unlike them!" Mr. Caplan sputtered.
"Can we assume there are other instances also 'forgotten'?" Victor sneered.
"Objection! Speculation on the part of the defense," Richard interrupted.
"Sustained. Strike the last comment from the record."
"No further questions."
PRPRPRPR
"Oh, God, what a day," Joe Scott moaned, collapsing on the couch. "I cannot believe what an asshole Victor Manning is!"
"Joseph," Claire said warningly. She understood her husband's frequent frustration with law and lawyers, but she insisted he keep his language under control.
"Sorry, Honey, but he IS being an asshole. Accusing the boys of making this all up to get back at Tommy! I cannot believe the Judge didn't burst into laughter at that, it's so absurd."
"Joe, you know as well as I do that in this day and age it is not absurd. With Jason and Billy, it is, but that's beside the point. Still, I wanted to slap him myself," she sighed.
"You and me, both," Lawrence Cranston muttered from his seat on the easy chair. They'd decided to travel to and from the courthouse together with the boys, who were now in the Scotts' garage gym working out, trying to settle themselves after the upsetting day.
"Well, tomorrow at least we don't have to go," Claire pointed out. The respite was welcome, they had all been very keyed up about the trial starting, and now that the first day was over, they needed to regroup a little, knowing more about how the defense was going to work.
"Yes, and at least it's started, you know? I'm glad to know that, one way or another, it should all be done in a week or so. Which is what I want, more than anything. To just be done," Lawrence said quietly. "I want to not have this hanging over us anymore."
"I couldn't agree more," Claire sighed.
PRPRPRPR
"The prosecution calls Trini Kwan to the stand."
The pretty Asian teen gave her friends a faint smile, then rose to approach the witness stand. She moved with her customary calm grace, belying the fact she was more than a little nervous.
The day had already been upsetting in the extreme. Though they had not actually seen the pictures taken at the hospital until now, they hardly needed to. The descriptions and explanations by Dr. Stanley and the two paramedics had been sufficient as far as the teens were concerned. It was the first time they'd heard that Billy had been beaten as well as raped, and that he'd almost required surgery to repair the damage done. The therapist the court had assigned, Ms. Harrison, discussed at length the psychological effects, and what symptoms both teens had exhibited. She also read and discussed the report from Janette, the therapist in Geneva.
The acts being described were ugly, brutal, and violent, and the teens would have found them upsetting if the victims had been strangers. More than one of them had a hard time reconciling the thought that those things had been perpetrated against friends of theirs. It was a concept that was hard ... almost impossible ... to accept.
Now Trini and Zack had to sit in front of this crowded room and describe how their friend nearly had a breakdown in the wake of what Roland had done to him, knowing the other attorney would be looking for ways to paint them as liars.
Zack had been called up first, and under Richard's guidance had recounted the events in Geneva, from having noticed Jason's mildly unusual behavior, through the night he had his first flashback, through long sleepless nights where he talked incessantly to Zack about everything ... anything ... except the attack, until Jason made the decision to come home to Angel Grove. Zack's customary humor was missing as he told of his best friend's trip through an emotional hell he should never have had to experience. Victor's attempts to sway Zack from his story, to find holes or inconsistencies, failed as Zack stuck to the story as told. But he hadn't really expected to get much from the young man; it was the Kwan girl he was expecting to rattle into revealing information to help his case.
As he had with Zack, Richard Perkins carefully and kindly led Trini through the events of the last year, from her and Zack's first suspicion that something was wrong with Jason, through their becoming lovers. She maintained an air of calmness - serenity even - as she recounted the painful memories of watching a friend struggle through an emotional ordeal. She spoke without embarrassment of their first lovemaking, what had led to it and what came of it. At last the prosecutor seemed satisfied, and turned the witness over to Victor Manning.
Trini watched Manning's approach with some trepidation. She knew he was only doing his job, trying to assure Roland would not go to prison, but his methods, and the almost predatory look he gave her, were disconcerting.
"Miss Kwan, you stated that you and Mr. Scott became intimate five months ago, is that correct?"
"Yes, sir."
"Why?"
"I'm sorry?" Trini gave him a puzzled look.
"Why did you two become lovers? Are you in love with Jason Scott?" he clarified.
"I am not sure. Jason is one of my oldest and dearest friends. I do love him in that regard," she replied.
"I see. But do you love him as, say, the man you want to spend the rest of your life with?" Manning countered.
"I don't know for certain yet."
"Yet? Interesting. But you love him as a friend, right?" he persisted.
"Yes." No uncertainty in that answer.
"Are you in the habit of having sex with your friends? Have you had sex with Mr. Taylor, perhaps? Or Mr. Cranston? Aren't they old, dear friends as well?"
Trini stared at the attorney, her face flushed with embarrassment and outrage at his callous comments. She gave herself a moment to get her emotions back under control before responding.
"Yes, Zack and Billy are also old, and very dear friends, whom I love. But isn't each relationship we develop in our lives special and unique? Do you love your sister? And your wife? Do you love them the same way? Jason and I came together under unique circumstances, and our act of love was a special, wonderful event between us. Not counting his assault, it was the first time for both of us, and I'm glad ... grateful ... that I could share it with someone who means so much to me. Nothing you can say or imply will make me ashamed of what we did." She met his gaze boldly, and this time the man flushed.
"Very eloquent, young lady. But the fact remains that you had sex with a young man you were not romantically involved with. There is a term for such behavior ..."
"Objection! This line of questioning is irrelevant!" Richard was furious.
"I am attempting to establish the witness's objectivity in this situation," Victor countered.
"Objection sustained. Strike the last comment from the record. Counsel is advised to stick to the issues relevant to this case."
"The fact the witness had sexual relations with at least one of the plaintiffs is," he argued.
"The objection is sustained," Judge Addison reiterated in a no-nonsense tone.
"I have no further questions," Manning concluded, walking away from a steaming Trini, ignoring the furious looks from her parents and friends.
Kim in particular was fighting the urge to run up to the smug lawyer and claw his eyes out. She and Trini had talked candidly about what had happened, and Kimberly knew how much their lovemaking had meant to the sensitive young woman. To have that man cheapen it, drag it out in public and ridicule it, was almost too much to bear. A look at the other teens confirmed that they were all feeling the same way. She could only thank God Jason wasn't there to hear it.
Richard strode up to the witness stand, knowing he needed to redirect the atmosphere to a more congenial mood. Trini was the last witness for the day, and tomorrow Jason would be on the stand; he needed to be sure there would be a sympathetic atmosphere for the young man.
"Trini," he said gently. "You were very hurt by the letter your boyfriend sent, weren't you?"
"Yes, I had thought things were okay between us."
"Jason invited you out to cheer you up, right?" At her nod he continued. "You had some innocent fun, and somehow it became more than just two friends spending time together, didn't it?"
"Yes. It seemed right, somehow. I didn't regret it then, and I don't regret it now. I don't know if I love Jason in quite that way, but I do know he is someone special to me. He always has been, always will be," she smiled a little, her expression a bit nostalgic.
"Thank you, Trini. No further questions."
PRPRPR
Kimberly was pacing the narrow width of her friend's bedroom in short, furious steps, her every movement expressing her outrage.
"I cannot believe what that man implied!" she all but shouted, startling the other three girls.
"Kimberly, please, it's okay. It's over at least," Trini said softly, her eyes still glistening from fresh tears.
"It is NOT okay! He shouldn't be able to make those sorts of accusations!"
"It's not like it isn't technically true," Trini replied, her eyes downcast. "I did have sexual relations with a man I'm not in love with."
"Trini," Kim said, sitting down and taking her friend's hands in hers. "You made love with someone you care deeply for, someone who means a lot to you. It was a physical expression of your love and caring, something beautiful and meaningful. Not what that ... that ... LAWYER tried to make it sound like."
Trini had to smile at the smaller girl's emphatic words. "I know. But, still ..."
"He was wrong, Trini. I can see what he was trying to do, I think, but I don't think it worked as well as he expected it to," Tanya cut in from her seat near the bedroom window. "I read an article once about court strategies, and I think what he's trying to do is make all of us look like ... well ...bad people. He only has to prove reasonable doubt, you know, not that Mr. Oliver is totally innocent. If that article was right, he's got a lot easier job than Mr. Perkins has."
"I guess that makes sense," Trini agreed, her face thoughtful.
"I don't even want to think about what he'll do to Jason and Billy when they are on the stand," Kat murmured softly.
"That's why we are there, to support them when he's being a jerk," Kim pointed out, still sitting at Trini's side. "After hearing what we heard today, how much worse can it be?" she wondered innocently.
Within a few days she would remember that comment with wry amusement.
To be continued...