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CHAPTER 21

The Trial—Part 1

It’s the day of the trial. Nerves usually vibrate beneath my skin during one, but they settle into a comforting vibration of anticipation. I love to be in court; I love to battle. Even the hardest fights—it only makes me feel better when they’re won.

For the first time, the nerves are all worry for a plethora of reasons.

Leading up, I’ve tried to get Theo to talk to me, to run through how the trial would be like, what to expect, how to answer questions, but he either ignores me or says, “What does it matter?”

I’m surprised he hasn’t done anything about it. Tried to get me off his case—though if he did, Ms. Cortez would tell him it’s too late. He could have said what was going on, but for some reason I haven’t been called to any offices to investigate, which means he hasn’t said a word.

Is he protecting me or plotting something or just giving up completely?

Incredibly frustrating.

He hasn’t even shown up yet. Jake and I are here standing in Ms. Cortez’s—dressed in an uncharacteristically muted, all-black dress—office. Ms. Cortez sits at her desk, and Mr. Moore, also in black, sits on the edge of it.

All the witnesses already arrived, signed a statement saying they would tell the truth to the best of their ability, and did the mandatory practice of dropping their phones in Ms. Cortez’s desk to be locked once everything starts to prevent any outsider information during the trial.

“Wow, Violet,” Jake says beside me, an annoying smirk on his pale face. His ashy blond hair is gelled stiffly back. His blazer is buttoned, and he wears a bow tie instead of the standard tie most students wear. Something about it makes his sneering, sharply angled face all the more punchable. “The first case you’ll ever lose will be by default. That’s got to sting.”

His pale blue eyes are filled with preemptive victory.

“Kiss my ass, Jake.”

“Ms. Lopez,” Mr. Moore says, his pale, wrinkled face shriveling up even more with distaste. Ms. Cortez, however, gives me a thumbs-up behind his back.

“Sorry,” I say, “I’m nervous.”

“Because you’re up against me?” Jake says. “I’m flattered.”

“Eat dirt,” I say.

“Ms. Lopez,” Mr. Moore snaps. “Are you kidding me?”

“He started it,” I mumble, trying not to laugh when Ms. Cortez, again, gives me two thumbs up.

The door beside us swings open and I jerk straight. Theo walks in, a white button-up tucked into black slacks, fitted perfectly to his body. I’m wearing something similar. “Am I supposed to drop my phone off here?” he says, sounding out of breath. That combined with his hair being slightly out of place makes me think he ran here.

“And sign here.” Mr. Moore points at a pile of papers beside him.

Theo does as he’s told and I swallow, the air now thickened since he’s walked in. When he signs, Ms. Cortez locks the drawer and stands. “All right, then, let’s all head to the auditorium.”

Jake moves first, and I sidestep him, grabbing onto Theo. Ms. Cortez and Mr. Moore move ahead of us as we follow behind, me yanking down Theo’s sleeve to give us some distance.

“Where have you been?” I whisper, then without thinking about it, I reach over and adjust Theo’s frantic hair. Surprisingly, he doesn’t move away, but I’m sure he doesn’t want me touching him.

“I had a couple things to do,” he says as we step through the nearly empty halls. Trials always happen an hour after school is cleared out, but students are welcome to be a part of the audience. I think partly to shame whoever is on trial, and also to mimic a real case.

“What could be more important than this?” I hiss.

“You,” I think he says at first, but then he waves me off. “Shush.”

My heart races even faster. “What?” I ask, just in case.

“I said shush.”

Right, must have imagined the first part.