Lights Out

Trial.

I got into the car with my mom and dad and Matt came with us too. And he held my hand the entire time we were in the car. Which made me feel a little bit better. Before the trial we met with our lawyer.

"Jordan, if they ask you about your troubled past, remember not to freak out. Tell the truth about everything that happened. Remember he needs to be put away. And he will try to claim he did these things because he is mentally ill. Just tell them his background, that he's not mentally ill that he is just a sick person. Remember these." Said Chris, my lawyer who's also my mom's brother. I nodded in response.

Matt pulled me aside. "Are you sure you can do this?" He whispered as he cupped my face in his hands and stared into my eyes. "Yeah." I whispered back. "Are you sure?" He whispered again. "I want to make sure he can't do this again." I whispered. A Matt pecked my lips.

I was hoping to get charges on kidnapping, assault, 2 counts of rape and attempted murder. I forgive him, and I don't hate him anymore but he needs to be put away, he's dangerous. And he needs to be stopped. I walked into the court room and saw Alex. He looked at me with no emotion, as if he had no idea why he was there.

The seats filled up fast, I saw Shawn, Kaylee, Paige and Matt all sitting together. I didn't like seeing Shawn, Alex and Matt all together in one room. They've never all been in one room together. Shawn has met Alex, Shawn and Matt are friends but Matt has never seen Alex. And I'm just happy my mom didn't try and talk me out of this trial.

I sat next to my lawyer and both my parents. "Please rise. The Court of the Second Judicial Circuit, Criminal Division, is now in session, the Honorable Judge Aaron Jackson  presiding." The bailiff said. "This case is Alexander Juan Ruiz against Jordan Amber Blander on 1 count of rape, one count of attempted rape,  one count of attempted murder, one count of kidnapping and one count of abuse. Thank you, you may all now be seated. Court starts now. Plaintiff you may call your first witness to the stand." The judge said banging his gavel. My lawyer stood up. "Thank you, your honor, the court would like to call our first witness, Mr. Mendes to the stand." He said and I widened my eyes, nobody had told me Shawn would be testifying. Shawn got sworn in and they began the interrogation. "Mr. Mendes, you had dated the defendant after or before the plaintiff's relationship with Mr. Ruiz?" Alex's lawyer asked Shawn. "After." Shawn spoke into the microphone. "And did Ms. Blander ever tell you about anything bad about her previous relationship with Mr. Ruiz?" He continued. "She did." Shawn said again. "Things such as?" He said pacing back and forth. "She said he had made her depressed, he was the reason she cut and starved herself, the reason she felt like she was nothing, the reason she never felt good enough. She told me." Shawn said looking saddened. "On the day in questioned, what had happened between you and Ms. Blander?" He said looking at Shawn seriously. "We had watched movies and laid around all day, it was rainy. We also had called our friend, Matt, on the phone trying to catch up with him. It was just a usual day between Ms. Blander and I. Until a few hours later I woke up, I had been knocked unconscious and I could not find, Jordan. And it scared me, and I knew it was him, I knew it and I called the police but since I had blacked out and had no memory they didn't believe me, not to mention it's not a missing person to them if they haven't been gone for 48 hours." Shawn said into the microphone sounding angry. "No further questioning." His lawyer said and quickly sat down and whispered something to Alex. My lawyer stood up and walked up to the stand. "During the time you were in a relationship with the plaintiff, has Mr. Ruiz ever shown any signs of doing harm to Ms. Blander?" He said messing with his pen. "Ms. Blander's mother did not know of what had happened between the 2 so she continued to talk to him. And he would give her evil stares." Shawn said looking at me with sadness in his eyes. "Did the plaintiff ever tell you she was scared of what Mr. Ruiz would do to her?" My lawyer said walking closer to Shawn. "She told me he was dangerous, that he was on drugs that made him psychotic and she was afraid of what he'd do to her." Shawn said looking down. "Alright no further questions." My lawyer said. "Defendant?" The Judge said. "No further questions." Alex's lawyer said. "Alright you may take your seat, Mr. Mendes." The Judge said.