hard to love | john murphy

01. HOW DO YOU PLEAD?

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CHAPTER ONE
HOW DO YOU PLEAD?
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     "COBALT CONNORS, THE daughter of  Paul and Nadia Connors. Mother is deceased, floated for breaking and entering the Care Center. Station: Hydra. Training and learning to become a zoologist, following mother's footsteps. Committed crime..." Cobalt crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at the man known as Marcus Kane, who read her file about everything in her life as he ended with a sigh. "Assault." The girl sucked in a breath hearing those words. "Do you have anything to say about this?" She knew that she was under 18 so they couldn't do anything to her yet. Though she also knew that she was gonna be locked up in the Skybox, so there was really not much to say.

Cobalt bit her lip. She really didn't mean to assault anyone, it was just because a girl was getting on her nerves. She kept on saying rude things about her, she probably wouldn't have done anything, if she hadn't mentioned her family. That's what could really get Cobalt to snap. She wasn't one to have anger issues, but when it came to people talking about her loved ones, she'd have more than just a short temper. "Hm, I don't know, Councilor, what should I say?" Cobalt asked harshly (not intentionally, she never liked to have a hard attitude, but she was really pissed at the moment). "Should I talk about how Samantha Lichens harassed me while I was minding my own business? Hm? Is that what you want me to say?"

All eyes turned to Chancellor Jaha as he nodded, confirming, "If it's how you plead, then yes."

"How. I. Plead?" Cobalt repeated, leaning forward on the metal table that was in front of her. "I don't know if you know, but I'm 16 which means I can't be floated until I turn 18. So for the time being, I'll be cooped up in the Skybox, waiting to die. It doesn't matter, how I plead, what matters is that I know what's going to come. You're going to kill me by locking me away from my father, and then you're going to kill me by floating me. You wanna know how I plead? Here's how: I defended myself and my family. I stopped Samantha from harassing me. I did and I don't regret a single thing. So lock me up, because none of us are getting what we want."

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Hydra Station was Cobalt's favorite place on the Ark. It was where she was born, where she first spoke, where she first walked, it was where she learned basically everything in her life. But her other favorite place was the Go-Sci Ring. That was where she was learning to become a zoologist. It also used to be her favorite place, because it's where she met the love of her life... or well, the person she thought would be until he broke her heart. It was a tough subject to mention around her, not everyone knew exactly why Cobalt despised him after they broke up, not to mention no one even knew why they broke up. They were like high school sweethearts, always clinging onto each other when in desperate needs, having a hard time parting away. It was definitely the definition, until the cycle finally ended. All the love was gone and all the anger came.