Tell Me No Lies

16

- V E N U S -

I pace outside of the courthouse. Griffin's eyes follow me. Back and forth, back and forth. My mind won't stop running. It's sprinting around, trying to catch my thoughts. Like a kid trying to catch butterflies with a net, except my thoughts are wasps. And kids don't catch wasps. They kill them.

"It'll all be fine." Griffin says. He grabs my wrist, pulling me towards him.

"I don't want to see him." My voice shakes. He pulls me into his embrace, rubbing his hand down my back.

"It's okay." He presses his lips to the top of my head.

We walk in together, and he sits down behind me. I take a seat next to my lawyer, Stacy. She grabs my hand reassuringly when she sees me looking at my dad. I don't understand anything anymore. Why can't they just believe me? Yeah, the trial hasn't even started, but a daughter wouldn't cry abuse just because. Why put someone through something like this? Having to face their personal hell? Again?

The judge does the truth oath with my dad and I, then they call my father up to the stand. Staci said that my dad will try and say I'm mental.

"Did you find Venus home alone, injured?" The lawyer asks, walking back and forth.

"Yes." He says confidently.

"And do you believe she injured herself?" She asks, still pacing.

"I do, yes."

"Objection, Your Honor. Venus has never had suicidal tendencies or thoughts. Her mental health is just fine." My leg bounces under the table. "And how could she injure herself? I have photographs of her face. There's no physical way she could do it herself."

"Bring them to me." She grabs the photos out from underneath a file, and I almost burst into tears. Griffin must've taken them when I was asleep. I don't know how I didn't wake up. He even managed to take a picture of my ribs. I look away, blinking the tears away.

The judge takes them, observing them closely. He nods as he sets them down. Then, he dismisses my dad. And then he says my name. I don't want to do this.

"Tell me exactly what happened first." He says.

"I came home from a football game. When I walked into the house, my mom was sitting on the couch, sober, with a busted lip. She asked me where I was, and that I hadn't been home all week, which I had. I asked where Dad was, and she said he hit her and left. She said she didn't know if it was for good, so I went up to my room because I heard a sound, and it was my dad, destroying my room."

"Was your dad drunk when you walked in?" They ask.

"Yes. He was looking for liquor, which I knowingly hid."

"Did he hit you?"

"Yes. I told him I didn't know where it was, and he hit and kicked me." My voice cracks. I wipe a tear from my eyes.

"Objection, Your Honor. What about when you drank the liquor you hid?" My dad's lawyer speaks up.

"Yeah. I did. He left the room after he hurt me, and I drank it. I didn't know what else to do."

"And after that? You just stayed home after you claimed your dad hit you? That doesn't seem reasonable-"

"That's enough for today, Mrs. Green." The judge turns to me. "Go sit down."

I stood up and I could collapse. I feel like I'm going to throw up. I shouldn't have eaten anything today.

"Griffin Monroe. He will be our last for today, we will continue tomorrow."