The White Rabbit

Chapter 16

    Me and Caleb stand at the door, staring at the officer. Caleb clears his throat and begins to speak. "I'm sorry, but there has to be a mistake. I haven't kidnapped anyone."
    "Do you have custody papers for Jace Roberts," the officer asks. "No. I'm still working on those. He's my brother officer. Our father left him here." The man sighs.
    "We received a call from James Roberts saying that his son was missing and was being held here." Caleb looks at me before looking back at the officer. "My father left him here. You can ask Jace himself." The officer shakes his head. "I'm sorry, you can try to make a statement or try to convince your dad to drop the charges but right now, we need to take Jace back home."
    "No!" I finally speak up.  Both the officer and Caleb look at me. "I want to stay with Caleb."
    "I'm sorry son, you guys will have to go to a family court and try to get custody papers, but I have to take you back home." I clutch tightly to Caleb and whimper softly. Caleb look at the officer pleadingly. "Please sir, he has to stay here. My dad he...isn't in his right mind. It's safe for him here."
     "I'm sorry. I can take you to the station and you can make a statement, but I have to take the boy back home. Come on son." I shake my head and hold on tighter to Caleb. I don't want to leave. If I go back home then I'll die. I know it. He'll kill me. I may want to die but I made a promise to Caleb. I told him that I wouldn't die.
    "Jace," Caleb calls to me. I look up at him and he looks at me, unshed tears in his eyes. "I promise that I'll come get you Jace. Okay? I'm gonna come get you soon." I feel someone start to take my arms and pull me backward. I try to write out of they're grasp but it's no use. I'm placed inside of the police car and the door locks.
   "Caleb!" I watch as Caleb is put in handcuffs and put in the second car. I look at Caleb tearfully and he looks back at me through the window. He begins to mouth something. 'I love you. I'll be back soon.' I nod tearfully and the car pulls off. I look back at Caleb's house and cry quietly.
     The officer escorts me out of the car and towards the front porch. He rings the doorbell and my dad opens the door. I look down at the ground.
    "Thank you so much officer," he says. The officer nods and I walk towards dad. The door closes and I know that I'm back in my personal hellhole. Dad pulls me into his chest and hugs me. "I was so worried about you Jace. Are you okay?" I glare at him. "Why would you tell the police that Caleb kidnapped me? You told me that you didn't care, remember?"
     Dad sighs and puts his hand on my cheek. "I wasn't thinking clearly bug. I was angry and things were just running out of my mouth. But I'm better now and I promise I'll take care of you." My chest tightens when he hugs me again. "Come on bug. Let's get some sleep. We'll talk more about this tomorrow."
    I don't say anything as he leads me upstairs. I don't say anything as he leads me to his room instead of my own. I don't even say anything when he starts to kiss my neck as we lay down. I just go numb.
     When I wake up, I get ready for school and I'm about to head out of the door when my dad calls me. He walks out of the kitchen and pulls me close to him. "You are to go straight to school and straight home," he whispers in my ear. "Do you understand." I nod my head. I turn to leave but before I can, he kisses me then he pushes me toward the door. I make the walk to school.
     Ali's at school today. She waves at me cheerfully but I don't wave back. I can't find it in myself to pretend to be happy today. During lunch, Ali drags me to a small stairway near the back of the school. She sits on a step and motions for me to sit next to her. I do.
    "What's going on," Ali asks. I don't look at her. "Jace you need to tell me what's wrong. If you don't it'll only get worse." Without meaning to, I let the tears that I was holding back fall. I sob as I tell Ali everything. This time though, I don't leave anything out. When I'm done talking, Ali hugs me tightly. I stop crying and look at Ali.
    "Please Ali," I beg. "You can't tell anyone." She looks at me like I'm crazy. "Jace you have to tell someone! Your dad will just keep hurting you if you don't." I shake my head. "Caleb is getting custody of me. Once he does, this will all be over. Promise me that you won't tell Ali." She sighs and shakes her head. "I promise."
    We sit in silence for a while when she talks again. "Don't let this kill you Jace."
    "What do you mean," I ask. "If you're really cutting, then don't let it go too far. I would tell you not to do it but I know how hard it is to stop. Just please, don't kill yourself."
    I'm confused as to why so many people don't want me to kill myself. I thought that I would be doing a favor by disappearing. I already promised Caleb that I wouldn't do it, but I don't know how long it will be before I eventually break that promise. With him gone, there's not much persuading me away from the thought of dying. I don't look at Ali as I say, "I won't."
   
      ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    My cellphone begins to ring and I quickly answer is. "Hello?"
    "Jace are you okay?"
     "Caleb!" I yell surprised. I hear him chuckle over the phone before saying, "Yes Jace, it's me."
     "Are you okay," I ask. "Yeah I'm fine. Kyle bailed me out yesterday. They say that I'll have to go to trial unless dad drops the charges." I frown.
    "I don't think he will Caleb. He doesn't even like talking about you and he barely lets me out of his sight." I'm not lying. Over the past few days, my dad makes me sleep with him in his room and whenever I try to bring up Caleb, he snaps and beats me.
    "It'll be okay," Caleb says. "I'll go to trial. I can prove that I didn't kidnap you." He sounds unsure and I know that he is. If dad wants something, he'll do anything to get it. If he wants Caleb in jail, then he'll do everything in his power to make sure that it happens. "Jace," Caleb says. "Yes?"
    "When we go to the family court, we're going to have to prove that you're safer with me than with dad. Do you think you can do that?"
      I know what he means. He wants me to tell that dad has been beating me. "I don't know if I can," I whisper. "It's okay," he says. "We don't have to say anything about that. We can try another way."
     "Caleb, do you think that if I told, then they'll let me stay with you?"
    "I'm pretty sure. But we'll only do it if you want to," he says. I sigh. "Okay," I say.
     "I'll do it."

     ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    I sit nervously next to dad. We're in the court room and right now, we're waiting for the judge. On the other side of the room, Caleb sits with his lawyer. Kyle sits in the seat behind Caleb and smiles at me encouragingly at me.
    "All rise for Judge Mable," an officer says. A dark skin woman,  with black hair that is dotted with gray, walks and sits on the Bench of the court room. (A/N: this is my first time writing about a trial, so if I get some things wrong, then please work with me)
    Soon the trial starts and my dad and Caleb both explain why I should live with them. Dad's lawyer and tall man with piercing blue eyes speaks confidentially. I can see why dad would hire him. When he finishes his explanation, the judge turns to Caleb. "Now do you have any evidence, as to how Mr.Roberts is not a suitable guardian."
    Caleb's lawyer stands. "Well your honor, while Mr.Roberts is no doubt probably a good father, we have ample amounts of evidence and eyewitness accounts of abuse from Mr.Roberts."
     The judge looks at me and I look down. The judge whispers something to the Bailiff. He turns to me and says, "Jace Roberts, please rise to the witness stand." My dad glares at me slightly and I'm afraid to go up there. I walk up to the witness stand and sit down. Judge Mable looks at me and smiles softly. "Jace, has your father ever abused you?" I look at my dad and what I see terrifies me.
    His eyes look like pure ice as he glares at me, no doubt silently telling me to keep my mouth shut. When I look over at Caleb his smiles. I know that he only wants me to do what makes me comfortable, but at the same time he wants me to tell the truth.
    "Yes," I say. "Would you mind showing us where he has hit you?" I shake my head and stand up. I slowly unbutton my light blue shirt. The shirt opens and shows my chest. The judge gasps softly as she looks at the various scars and bruises that decorate my body. I let the shirt slide down to my forearms, making sure to stop it before it can show the bandages on my arms. I look down at my feet as everyone stares at my battered body. My chest tightens and it's getting hard to breathe.
    "Jace," the judge says. "What are those marks on your neck?" I don't even need to think about it to know the answer. "That's where he choked me." She doesn't say anything else. "You may go sit now Jace," she says. I nod and go back to my seat next to dad. When I sit down, he grabs me from under the table and squeezes tightly. I try not to cry out as his grip gets tighter. Suddenly he lets go and I sigh in relief.
    Judge Mable talks to the Bailiff for a second before he turns to us. "Judge Mable has ruled that custody of Jace Roberts has been switched from James Roberts to Caleb Roberts." Everyone is silent as Judge Mable stands up and leaves the room, the Bailiff following soon after.
   Caleb and his lawyer stand, walking over to me and dad. I stand up and hug Caleb tightly. My dad looks over at us, his face unreadable. Caleb and I begin to walk away and Kyle stands up and walks with us. When we get outside, I notice dad running towards us. Caleb pushes me behind him as my dad comes closer to us. He glares at Caleb then at me.
    "You're gonna regret this."
    He walks away and gets in his car. Caleb sighs and I look at dad's car nervously. He'll be back. I know it.