Unclutter, page 28
“Thank you, Officer, please get here soon,” Jai spoke in a loud voice.
Furious, Nicholas banged my head against the wall, over and over, tightening his hold on my neck. “How dare you call the police?”
Jai hurled his backpack at him. Nicholas let me go and clutched the back of his head.
I twisted his arms behind him, as I’d learned in karate, making him scream in pain. “I’m not afraid of you, Nicholas.”
He kicked Jai’s shoulder as he was trying to get hold of Nicholas’s feet. When Nicholas tried to kick again, Jai ducked and kicked his knees, while I twisted his arms further. Jai managed to tie Nicholas’s shoelaces together when he was still in pain.
“Fuck you both,” Nicholas swore. “I swear I will get you for this.”
“Try,” Jai and I said in unison.
When we heard the police siren, Nicholas slipped out of his shoes and our clutches and ran away. I collapsed on the floor from pain, relieved that it was over.
Jai wrapped his jacket around me and held me in his arms. My body was trembling, while my head and face throbbed.
Medical help arrived first. They wrapped me up in warm blankets and attended to the wounds on my face, head, and feet. They did the same with Jai, who was also injured.
The police were there shortly, along with Dean Sibiya. Many curious students tried to come to the stairway, but the dean stopped them from entering.
“Officer, I’m sure it was just a fight between two students. There was no need to trouble you,” Dean Sibiya said.
“I was physically assaulted by Nicholas Parker. He slapped me, stomped on my feet, and banged my head against the wall. My injuries are proof of this,” I countered.
“Assault is too strong a word—”
“No, Dean Sibiya. I saw it all. I’m a witness,” Jai cut him off. He turned to the officer whose badge read “Jenkins.” “I was the one who called for emergency help.”
“Why were the two of you eating lunch in this secluded area?” Officer Jenkins asked.
I scowled. “How’s that related to the physical assault?”
She moved my blanket to the side and exposed my torn shirt. “This would not have happened.”
“I request you to please move your hands away from me.” I spoke in an even tone, though I was livid. “I deserve to be treated with respect, and I refuse to speak with you further.”
“Miss Lauren, you’re overreacting,” Dean Sibiya said. “Officer Jenkins is just trying to help.”
“With due respect, sir, I know my rights. I can request another officer if I’m not comfortable with the current one. Could you please leave, along with Officer Jenkins?”
They left reluctantly, and I gestured Jai to hand me his phone and called the special victims’ protection services number that I knew by heart. I told them everything that happened. Luckily, Officer Hussein came on the phone and assured me she’d be there soon.
The medical responders asked me if I would like to go to a hospital, but I refused to budge until Officer Hussein arrived. After half an hour, she came with another officer whose badge read “Bennett.” Jai and I talked about the incident and answered their questions. We submitted Nicholas’s shoes as evidence. They were custom-made with a unique logo that had a crown on top of the N in green.
“I’m sorry one of our officers didn’t treat you with respect,” Officer Bennett said, handing my phone back to me. “You did the right thing by calling the special victims’ protection services’ number.” He turned to Jai. “We’ll ensure you’ll be provided the appropriate witness protection, sir.”
I smiled. “Thank you, Officer.”
“Miss Lauren, you need to go to the hospital now and get treated,” Officer Hussein said. She leaned closer and whispered. “I brought my boss along, so people think twice before messing with you again.”
Officers Bennett and Hussein marched into the cafeteria, as Jai and I followed in our stretchers. It was way past lunch, but students and professors were still in the cafeteria, curious about the commotion. They watched in awe as Officer Bennett walked to the center of the room.
I could hear him speak as we left the cafeteria. “There was an unfortunate incident of physical assault today in the cafeteria stairway. We request witnesses who are willing to testify to come forward and do so.”
I grinned widely, even though my face hurt like crazy.
We were one step closer to getting Nicholas Parker.
***
Ekon picked Jai and me up from the hospital that evening and drove us to Jai’s place. Winona and Nate were coming over later for an AA Squad sleepover. They were bringing Jai’s and my cars. AA said that her virtual self, a.k.a. her robotic voice, would be present.
“How did your tests go?” Ekon asked. “Nothing to be concerned with, I hope.”
“All good, thanks for asking,” Jai answered. “Just a second. I need to take this call.”
We heard Jai speak with his parents in Kannada. It sounded musical and sweet.
“My parents are really glad I’m not staying alone tonight. They say hi to all of you,” Jai said after hanging up. “They’ll be here tomorrow evening.”
“Mine wanted to come over, too, but there is a snowstorm expected this weekend. So, I told them not to travel,” I said.
When we reached Jai’s place, walking up the stairs was an ordeal for me. Ekon offered to carry me, but I refused.
“Can you hold onto my waist and climb?” he asked. “Is it okay if I put my arm around your shoulder for support?”
I nodded, feeling my face grow hot.
I slipped my hand around his waist and felt his arm around me. As I climbed up the stairs slowly, I wished Jai lived on the twentieth floor and not the second floor. Ekon must have felt the same way because he didn’t let go of me either when we reached Jai’s apartment. Until we heard someone clear their throat.
“Is this how it’s going to be the whole time we’re together? Your PDA?” Nate teased.
“Ekon was just helping me climb the stairs,” I replied defensively. “I got attacked by Nicholas today remember?”
“No more Nicholas talk today,” Winona said, waving to all of us. “Save that energy for the mock trial tomorrow.”
We got inside Jai’s apartment, settled down in his living room, and ordered some pizza. While deciding on what game to play or which movie to watch, our conversation kept drifting to the events of the day and Nicholas Parker. Finally, after dinner, we decided to hold the mock trial right away since we were talking about the case anyway.
Jai brought his whiteboard and markers from the room. He wrote “Victim (survivor): Tina Lauren role-played by herself,” and “Defendant: Nicholas Parker played by Nate Parker.”
AA started first. “First, we will write down the “evidence” and “witnesses” that we have so far. Obviously, all of the original evidence is with the police, and we might be missing some additional things they might have found during investigation, so we go by the ones we already know about. What are those, Tina?”
“First, we have the possible evidence from the sexual abuse forensic exam: Nicholas’s DNA sample, the photographs of my wounds, and my clothes. Next from Pete’s phone, we have the video of the attempted rape incident that shows Nicholas’s back. Then we have the videos we found online with Nicholas’s blurred face—one fabricated, one original. And finally, his shoes from today’s assault,” I replied as Jai listed them on the board.
“Next, let’s go to the witnesses,” AA said. “These will now be played by Ekon and Jai. Both of you can decide who would take whose role.”
“Rory Matthews: alumnus at Duckville High. Ekon Okoro and the workers at McCormick Park from the SCF fundraiser. Laila Yusuf, Harriet Shelby, Sudesh, and Pete Hilton, Nicholas’s underlings. The nurses who conducted the forensics. Officers Lee, Hussein, and Bennett. Jai Rao. Any Strollfield U student who was at the cafeteria today…” I trailed off.
“Affy Rodriguez,” AA finished my sentence.
“Is it okay?”
“We’ll go with the assumption that they’ll testify. They’re a minor, so they can choose not to appear in court. If they choose to testify, their anonymity, safety, security, and comfort will be ensured,” Winona assured.
“Okay, now, finally, court roles. Judge: AA; prosecutor: Tina; defense attorney: Winona.” Jai wrote on the board. “Let’s begin.”
Most of the mock trial proceeding was a recap of everything that had happened since the press conference at Duckville High when I had met Nicholas for the first time. However, there were some surprising things that were revealed.
“So, Mr. Okoro, are you sure you saw the defendant’s cap and watch at the SCF fundraiser last year?” Winona asked.
Ekon nodded. “Yes. I did.”
“Can you describe what you saw?”
“I saw Nicholas extend his hand to pick up his fallen cap. It had a fluorescent green brim that was hard to miss. I also got a glimpse of the large silver dial studded with diamonds on his watch.” Ekon answered.
“How can you be so sure it was Nicholas?” Winona asked. “It could have been anyone else.”
“I have seen Nicholas wear the cap before,” Ekon responded.
“He could have lent the cap to one of his friends,” Winona countered.
“But it’s highly improbable that he would give his expensive watch to anyone else,” Ekon replied. “It’s too expensive. Besides, I doubt anyone else has the same custom-made watch.”
Winona continued to badger Ekon and the other witnesses, twisting everything completely. She was a pro at playing the defendant’s attorney. Nate was even better at being the defendant. He spun a story about being in love with me since the first time he saw me, and claimed I was framing him because I hated him. But the one whose performance surprised me the most was Jai’s. He was despicable as Pete, Laila, and Harriet, who denied all charges against them, giving the falsest, but the most believable, excuses.
“Your Honor, my client Nicholas Parker has been in love with Tina Lauren in the purest way. Even after she hit him publicly at the press conference, he pursued her. She finally started reciprocating his feelings, but not for too long. She broke his heart and he found solace in Affy Rodriguez. They told my client that they were over sixteen, the legal age for sexual consent in our country. Jealous of their relationship, Miss Lauren fabricated an intimate video of the two and publicized it to play the victim. Further, her victim mentality was established at the SCF fundraiser where she staged an attempted rape and even got a forensic exam done. Yes, my client and Miss Lauren got intimate that day, but no, he did not sexually assault her. Finally, at the university, Nicholas went to the stairway only to see why Miss Lauren screamed, because he still cared about her. But she and her friend removed his shoes forcefully, tore their own clothes, and fought each other to create more false evidence. Your Honor, the defendant is the actual victim here. All he wanted was love.”
Wow, there was no way I would win this case. This trial proved that every single piece of evidence we had worked so hard to obtain could be destroyed within seconds.
“Prosecution, provide your closing statements,” AA called out. “If you don’t say anything, the judgment will be provided without it.”
But the truth is, Nicholas is a criminal and he deserves to be jailed. He and his lawyers can twist all the facts, but the truth will remain the truth.
“Your Honor, the victim was minding her own business as a high school student when the defendant came into her life out of nowhere. He harassed her and expected her to bear it quietly, but she stood up for herself by asking him to lay off. He should have stopped then, but he vowed to take revenge on her and ruin her life. First, he tried to ruin her reputation by fabricating a pornographic video and playing it publicly. When that did not work, he tried to rape her at the fundraiser. The defendant and his co-perps lied to the victim about a nonexistent meeting, removed the no-entry sign so she would be tricked, and attacked her in an abandoned area. Though his face is not seen in the video taken by Pete Hilton, the cap matches the defendant’s, exactly as described by the witness Ekon Okoro. And it’s clear that the defendant is wearing the same watch that Mr. Okoro saw from the fundraiser photos.”
“Coming to the incident at Strollfield University, the defendant stormed into the cafeteria stairway, furious that the victim had pressed multiple charges against him. He assaulted her yet again and ran away before the police arrived. Again, we have his shoes as solid evidence. Finally, if you examine the illegal pornographic videos, it’s clear that it’s not intimacy footage but that of abuse. Sexual abuse. Rape. That’s the category it was under on the website. Your honor, the victim has done everything by the law—pressing charges, sexual abuse forensic exam, submitting original untampered-with evidence, and contacting the special victim services protection unit. She did this, braving injuries and dangerous situations multiple times. That is not victim mentality but a survivor’s hope for justice. And all the evidence points toward the defendant that he is guilty. Therefore, the defendant deserves to be punished for rape, attempted rape, physical assault, and defamation.”
Everyone gave me a standing ovation, beaming at me proudly, and my eyes welled. Winona hugged me tightly, trying hard to blink back her own tears. “That was amazing. It’s not easy to stay focused when so many people twist the truth like that.”
I smiled. “Thank you.”
Thank you, my inner voice, for helping me snap out of it in time.
“Have you considered taking up law?” she asked. “You’d be good at it.”
I shook my head. “No way. I’m happy where I am, thanks. One case in my life is more than enough.”
All of us laughed at that.
“Hey, don’t you all want to hear the verdict?” AA asked.
“Guiltyyy!” everyone, including her, screamed.
Chapter 44
After the initial excitement of my explosive speech died down, we realized that the chances of winning the actual case were still low. We analyzed every single thing that could possibly go wrong—witnesses could go missing because of threats, cops could change sides, evidence could be tampered with or be made to disappear… And the probability came down to less than 50%. Clearly, all of us had watched way too many crime dramas.
We sighed, dejected at the low percentage, until Ekon got up and erased the number. He wrote “Reasons why we shouldn’t give up – 100% hope.” Winona added a +1 next to it and added “100% legal” below that. All of us followed one by one, and soon we had a positive list of 100%: hope, legal, truth, honesty, transparency, and AA Squad.
“Tina, 100% AA Squad doesn’t make sense,” AA said, laughing.
“It totally does. I wouldn’t have made it this far without you all. Thank you.”
We all cheered for our squad and celebrated our teamwork with chocolate brownies we got from the pizza place. They weren’t that good, but we still enjoyed ourselves, chatting and laughing together.
“Hey, AA, why don’t you join us in person next time? You’re really missing out on all the fun.”
“Tina, I…” AA trailed off.
“It’s alright if you aren’t comfortable. It’s just that we miss you.”
I looked at the others to add something supporting my statement, but they were fast asleep. I switched off the lights and hung up the call with AA after wishing her good night.
Feeling comforted by the soothing sounds of my friends’ soft snores, I nodded off.
***
I was jolted awake by the usual nightmares at dawn the next day. I got up and stretched my body, happy to see Winona and Nate still fast asleep on the floor. Ekon was awake, but hadn’t gotten up from his position next to Nate. I wondered where Jai was.
When I went to Jai’s kitchen to get a glass of water, I spotted him texting someone. Not wanting to startle him, I sent him a text that I was right behind. He turned around and waved. “Why are you up so early?”
I laughed. “I can ask you the same thing.”
“Ken’s back in town and wanted to come over,” Jai said. “I didn’t invite him, because he might feel out of place with everyone here.”
“We can all leave, Fellow Monster. Spend time with your boyfriend before your parents arrive.”
“But it snowed the whole night last night. Nate and Winona live close by, but what about you and Ekon?”
“Don’t worry, we’ll manage,” I assured him.
Winona woke up a few minutes later and said she had to leave to take care of Ribster and Dexter. Nate left soon after because he had forgotten to get his laptop charger and the battery would die out soon. Jai didn’t even have to mention Ken to them.
After breakfast of last night’s leftover pizza, Ekon offered to drop me home since I was still limping a little, and it was not safe for me to drive in this snowy weather. I protested, because the weather forecast had a storm coming in the next hour, and I wanted Ekon to reach home safely before it started.
“Fine, you can drop me. But if the weather gets worse, you’ll come home with me,” I finally said.
“Are you sure about inviting me over, Tia? I might be stuck there till tomorrow per the forecast.”
“Then let me drive back home. And I will call you when I get there,” I argued.
Ekon shook his head. “Absolutely not. You cannot drive with your injured feet.”
Stubbornly, I sat in the driver’s seat of my car, but soon realized Ekon was right. It hurt to press the brake and gas pedals.
“Okay, you win,” I said, shifting to the passenger seat.
Ekon chuckled as he sat behind the wheel in my car. “Let’s go in your car. I will take a cab back here to get mine.”
On my way home, it started snowing heavily. There was no way Ekon would get a cab in this weather. Somehow, we made it to my place safely. I held Ekon’s hand and led him to our apartment. He looked hesitant but followed me.
