Chapter 18 : Court
Sora
The week had been awful, simply awful. Going to school had
been a horrible experience. I don't know how the media found out,
but my theory was that Mimi told her parents what happened, and
her parents leaked it. I don't know who had it worse out of us,
Taichi or Mimi...Tai got into several fights. They all began with
someone taunting him about Yamato's situation.
Mimi, was asked a million times over what happened, she was
followed everywhere. People asking why Yama tried to kill her and
such. That was a question I wanted to know as well. Why had Matt
tried to do that? It was so unlike him...Mimi wouldn't tell me
either and I didn't want to press. She was pretty upset already,
I don't know how she feels...but I hope she didn't hate Yama for
it...
I guess I wasn't sure how I felt either. Yamato had tried to
//kill// Mimi, I don't know how long it took for that fact to
sink in. He tried to murder her. Why? Whatever the reason...how
did I feel about it? Did I hate him? Certainly not...I felt bad
for him, he had to have had some reason behind his
actions...right? I couldn't hate him...at least not until I knew
the reason why?
Hikari was quiet, I didn't see her much as she wasn't in any of
my classes. But from Taichi, I heard she was guilty and worried.
I felt really sorry for her, I didn't know if Tai had appoligized
to her, and I didn't want to ask. Everyone was so tense. We
hadn't been like this for a long time...
Koushirou was just worried,...he wondered what would happen to
Yamato. I knew he also wanted to know why our friend had done
it,...but he didn't show it. Joe was probably the most calm. He
thought Yamato was insane. He had gone out and said it several
times and each time it landed in a fight with Tai. The whole
situation was horrible. So when Friday came, I was relieved,
anxious, tired, scared, worried, and hell bunch of other
feelings. What was going to happen?
~
The courtroom was fairly small. Everything was a golden brown
color. There weren't that many present, althought this was
probably one of the biggest cases the city has had in a while.
Tai, Hikari, and their parents were here. My mother couldn't make
it, I forgot why. Izzy's adoptive parents were here. Joe was as
well, his brother and parents absent. Mimi and both her parents
were here. A couple of other people I didn't recognize, and
Yamato's parents.
The judge was a middle-aged woman, she was dressed in a silky
black gown, but didn't have a powdered wig like in so many old
cartoons. Her face was stern and stressed looking. I sat down in
my seat, I was already sweating. Would Yamato be present? I had
no idea.
The two tables in front were filled with papers, Mimi's parents
and their lawyer were at one table, Yamato's parents and lawyer
at the other. I still couldn't believe the Tachikawas were
sueing. Mimi's face was blank. Did she feel guilty for sueing an
old friend? Or was she glad? I wish I knew, but I didn't. What
was going to happen? What was going to happen?
Ms. Takaishi was crying, but not as hysterical as she had been
when I last saw her. Mr.Ishida looked pale. They had an appointed
lawyer since they could not afford their own. One of the side
doors opened, two police escorted a ragged looking blonde into
the room. I gasped.
I saw Taichi, Hikari, Koushirou, and Mimi turn their heads as
well. This wasn't Yamato...was it? His hair looked like it had
been cut in several places and the strands were uneven and dirty.
His eyes were a dull greyish blue, instead of bright sapphire,
there were rings under his eyes, like he hadn't been sleeping at
all. One eye had very dark grey under it, as if he had been given
a black eye recently. His clothes were the same he had been
wearing Monday night, but they were even more ragged. They were
tattered and torn, blots of dirt here and there. One leg of his
jeans were torn off at the knee and ther other had a hole at the
knee. He looked as skinny as ever, I swear I could see his ribs.
His arms and face were bruised visablely in several places, and I
think I saw cotted blood on his cheek.
He walked to the defendent's table slowly with the policemen, he
showed no expression, no pain, no hope, no anything. He just
stood their frozen when his mother hugged him tight and cried. He
stared blankly over his mother's shoulder at us. His dull eyes
still burned. He bore a hole through Mimi, the Keeper of
Sincerity cringed and turned away. What in the frikkin' world
could have happened to him? Why did he look so? How horrid was
treatment at the jail? Yamato looks like he had been beat up and
starved.
I could read the shock on my friends' faces, and I'm sure they
could read it on mine. My God,...what happened? And why? Why, oh
why? I was taken from my thoughts at the sharp hammer of the
judge's mallet. "This court will come to order." the
judge's voice was as sharp as the sound of her mallet, and icy
cold. I feared the worst for Matt, and I didn't even have enough
hope to hope for the best.
"Ishida Yamato is charged with assult to his psychiatrist
Dr.Aketo and the attempt murder of Tachikawa Mimi." someone
read. I saw Mimi flinch out of the corner of my eye. I also
spotted Taichi clenching and unclenching his fists, Hikari looked
terrifyed. I haven't seen that girl happy all week. I felt sorry
for her. I felt sorry for us all. Especially Yamato. What has
happened to him?
The next few minutes were a blur, I was too focused on Yamato to
pay much attention. He just sat there, staring forward. I know he
was good at not showing emotions, but he was a rock! No movement
whatsoever, I don't even think he was blinking. The next thing I
knew, the Tachikawa's lawyer had called Taichi as a witness to
the event. I was shocked. I knew Taichi had the power to prove
Yama's guilt, and I knew Tai would do everything within his power
to do otherwise. Would he get in trouble for lying? Oh fuck...
"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and
nothing but the truth, so help you God?"
"......yes." Taichi was going to lie, I knew it, he was
far to loyal to be truthful. It was impossible to be both in a
situation like this. "What happened Monday night,
Kamiya?" I don't remember anyone's voice ever being so
fierce. What are you going to do, Tai?
"I was making dinner with my sister when the phone
rang." he replied, his tone reminded me a lot of Matt's,
icy, cold, expressionless. "And who was on the phone?"
the lawyer asked. "Mr.Ishida, 'said that Yama had escaped
from the psychiatrists' and that no one knew where he was."
Tai said. He was leaving out the part about attacking the
psychiatrist...
"Is that all?"
"...yes."
"Nothing about attacking the psychiatrist?"
"..no." I saw Mr.Ishida flinch.
"And what did you do after the phonecall, Kamiya?"
"I called Sora, Joe, Mimi, Izzy and Yama's band and told
them what happened and to meet me at my apartment. Yama's band
couldn't make it."
"And when your friends arrived?"
"We went and searched for him."
"What happened while you were on the search?"
"Mimi ran off." That was too obvious of a lie
Taichi....
"Really, now?"
"Yes."
"I'm finished."
Taichi returned to his seat, looking furious. "I call
Tachikawa Mimi to the stand." "I object!" I
turned, it was Yama's lawyer. The judge raised an eyebrow.
"She was the victim! She'll say anything to get the
defendent in jail!" "It doesn't matter that she was the
victim, she's not the person sueing, and she will have been sworn
in." the other countered. Matt;s lawyer gave no reply other
than a fusterated look, and sat down again. The judge looked
somewhat amused.
Damn...if Mimi told the truth, then Taichi was busted. Would Mimi
lie to her lawyer for Yama's sake? Didn't the lawyer already
know!? If Mimi told her parents, then surely her parents told the
lawyer. I watched as Mimi was sworn in, she looked nervous. What
would she do? "Did you run off while you were on the
search?" the lawyer got right to the point. Mimi hesitated,
Taichi just glared at her.
"No." she whimpered. I sighed. Taichi clenched his
fists tightly. I think I saw Yamato's expression to darken.
Koushirou shook his head and looked at the floor.
"Uh-huuuh....so what did happen?" the lawyer asked.
Would Mimi spill the truth? If she did, then surely there would
be no hope for Yama...I wish I knew how she felt right now...I
wish I knew...
© Kiriska