Bryce Walker's Punishment

One

"Alright, let's get this meeting started," Kyle said as everyone was getting to their seats in the small room not far from our rooms. I'm liking it here. I've made a friend that is from Minnesota too. For the same part too. Kyle was sitting in the boss man chair since he was while the rest of us were sitting in the other chairs. 

"Matthew, you and Jackson go clean courtroom 1. Jackie, you and Gracie cleanout courtroom 3." Kyle said. He looked at me with this look on his face. One that is like I did something or something is going to happen that might change my life. "And Cassie. Pack your things and go to courtroom 2. Wait, for me outside the room." Kyle said. Everyone nodded before getting up to leave the tiny room. Everyone made their way to the courtrooms as I made my way to my room. 

I then got to my small room. I started to pack everything I had in the two bags I used a long time ago. I put on a baby blue hat before I took a big breath. I grabbed my bags and walked out of my small. I then made my way to courtroom 2. I could hear a lot of people in there talking loudly. I stepped back in fear. That's when what my old teacher said came back to me. Then another thing a different teacher told me came. 'It's okay to be scared. Even from the big things in life.' I took a breath in. 

One of the big oak doors opened to show Kyle. He walked to me. "Okay so, There is a boy in there. His name is Bryce Walker. You will live with him until you think he's clear of all charges." Kyle said. I nodded remember everything I've seen on the news about him and Hannah Baker. All that shit that happened. "Alright, we're going to go in there. Walk up to the judge. All eyes will be on you. If you feel an attack coming on tap my arm." Kyle said. 

I nodded. He opened the door before we walked through it. He was right. Every single pair of eyes came to me. "That's her." someone whispered. "She's the runaway on TV." some else said. I took a breath and kept on following Kyle up to the front of the room. Past the people that were in court at the table not far from the judge. He was the same judge that made my parents lose their custody of me. 

"Nice to see you, Cassie," he said. I gave a weak smile. "Come up here," he said. I nodded and looked over at Kyle. He nodded up to the judge. I put my bags down before walking up to him. 

The judge patted his lap. I gave a weak smile before sitting on his lap. It wasn't bad for him since he was around my dad's age. Well, the bad man's age. "Alright, you all know what's going on. Right?" Judge said. Almost everyone nodded their heads. I started to play with my hands in my lap so no one could see. 

"Bryce Walker stand up." the judge said with his little hammer in hand. "For now until the court and Cassie knows you're clear of all charges she'll be living with you. You will care for her, be there for her, and treat her like family. Proving to her that you're not the man that everything thinks you are." the judge said. Bryce nodded. 

"Let me tell you. It will not be easy with this one. I barely know her and I already know that she's a tough cookie. One that will take a while to prove yourself to her. She's a tough one to trust people." the judge said. I looked at my hands. "Good luck. This case is closed until further notice." The judge said hitting the little hammer on the round circle on the desk that had his papers on. 

He put the hammer down. "You okay?" He asked. "Yeah, just don't know if I'm the one you should assign for this case," I said. "I mean it's amazing and everything. But I'm just a runaway. That's all people care to talk about me." I said getting off his lap. I turned to face him. "I'm nothing. He's everything." I said sitting on the desk. 

"Cassie-Maddison Taylor. You are NOT nothing. I might not know you as long as Kyle or those other kids that work for the courthouse. But you are amazing. You are a light bulb waiting for someone to turn you on. I've seen you smiling and laughing like there was no tomorrow a couple of times with Matthew." he said. 

I looked at my hands in my lap. "Maybe this boy here can help you smile and laugh like that again," he said. I looked at him. "Just trust me," he said. I nodded while taking a breath. "You are amazing when you trust people. You can be your funny, cheesy self around them then. You just need to open those walls that you put up." he said. I nodded looking back at my hands. 

I could hear more teenagers talking in the back of the room. "Hey look at me." Judge said. I looked at him. "This boy way be in court for a bad reason. But he is not like your family," he said. I nodded getting up. I walked down to Kyle. 

He looked at me. "Why did you pick me for this?" I asked. "Because I thought you could see that someone will be out there. Someone that you can keep those walls of your's down all the time. Not shut." Kyle said handing me my bags. I nodded and grabbed my backpack from him. I put it on my back to see Bryce standing there talking to the boys in the back of the room. I grabbed my other bag from him. 

"Alright, let me introduce you to them," Kyle said as the Judge walked out of the room.