Aquata Cove Ch. 87

"That's not for anyone to decide." Merrick shook his head, "I broke two laws, I was forced out, and now I'm here, and I can never really go back to my family without risking punishment. Simple as that."

"You merfolk sure have it rough, don't you...?" Erin said.

"Of course, I'm more than fine if one or a couple of members of my pod want to come and see ME if they want to, it's only dangerous when I'm with the whole pod as a group."

"That's at least good, right?" Erin said.

"I guess..." Merrick said, looking down at his hands, letting out a sigh, "Erin... I don't know what I'm going to do about this wedding..."

"It's a tough call, I know it." Erin says as she nods, "Do you still love Adam?"

"Of course I do, Erin. I will always love him. But I'm not so sure if he may love me anymore..."

"Merrick, it's going to be ok." She says, "You two are great together, even if he has amnesia, he'll probably-"

"I threw away the rings." Merrick interrupted. Erin blinks with a pause.

"Wait wait, what?" Erin asked, "What's this all of a sudden?"

"Erin... I try to be hopeful, and I was even happy a while ago." Merrick says, "But I keep thinking about the wedding, and I'm filled with fear and confusion... Adam can't remember me. Ever. He's just going to forget me the next day. And... I need to try and live with that, because he can't help it." He looks up at her.

"He proposed to me on the docks... He gave me an elegant platinum swirling ring with diamonds in it... Soon after, I went back to my pod, and my Mother created a beautiful ring made out of black pearls... It was only when I came back home when I found out Adam was struck down..."

"Ohhhhh..." Erin frowns sadly.

"Erin... I was so hurt and angry, I wanted to just walk away from everything and die... Before I ran away from the man I love, I took both our rings, and I threw them into the ocean. I tried looking for them, but I can't find them, they're gone."

"If Adam could remember me now, I can only guess how long it'll take for him to get over the fact that I chucked our promises into the sea." His eyes rim with that twinkling liquid, "But how am I supposed to forgive myself for how I've done and dealt with everything since he fell into a coma? How can I expect him to marry me knowing what I did to something he would only give to me? Why should there be a wedding at all..."

Merrick sniffed as he wiped his eyes. Erin glances down, her hand soon hold his. "All I can say Merrick... Is that I'll still fight for you. I'm going to help you get through this." Merrick nods as she rubs and pats his shoulder.

~~~

Merrick walks in through the Employees Only door, and went into the break room, where Nick is waiting for him in his manager uniform. He taps a pencil on the table, before gesturing to the other chair. "Have a seat, Merrick." Merrick nods, and then goes to sit down.

"So." Nick adjusts, and faces him, "As I said on the phone, I get that you're under a lot of stress right now."

"Hhhhh... Yeah..." Merrick doesn't like it when Nick has to be a manager instead of his friend...

"Look, you been a no-show a lot lately. However upset any of us are, we still need to at least give notice when we gonna go some place."

"If it's any consolation, I wasn't planning on coming back." Merrick said, "It wasn't like suicide, but I think I was wanting to die when I left."

"Merrick, whoa." Nick gives him an estranged look, "You serious man? You know we're all here for you, why would you go out to kill yourself?"

"We're both gay, Nick. We both face the same dangers and challenges. But I have a very bad way of dealing with my emotions, and I'm still working on them. But that doesn't excuse the way I've ditched work, or else half-ass my conduct."

Nick sighs before leaning it, "On a professional level, any other boss woulda fired you by now. As it is, I can't let you keep doin this to your place here. If you gonna miss any more days of work like this, I'mma have no choice but to let you go."

"I understand." Merrick nods, "I need this job. I need it to keep some kind of structure for myself at this time. I need something to keep me straight and narrow... In a matter of speaking."

"Aight." Nick nods, "So I want you to come in for work first thing in the morning after tomorrow."

"After tomorrow? Why?"

"Tomorrow's the second trial." Nick answered, "I be and fight with ya at that asshole who tried to throw Adam in jail."

Merrick chuckled, "Thanks, Nick..."

---The Next Day---

Merrick takes a deep breath as he looks at the building, feeling an intense purge of dark emotions as he can just imagine Judge Harris lurking inside like a malicious creature from a dark cavern.

Jamal puts his heavy hand on Merrick's shoulder, before they both walk into the building, along with their friends. He sees Donna and Luther waiting for him at the doors as he approaches. He goes to them, looking at them with sorrowful eyes.

"Donna... Luther, I... I'm sorry I ran off, I... I'm so sorry."

"Come here." Donna says as she hugs Merrick. He sniffed as he hugs her tight.

"It's ok, son." Luther said as he pats Merrick's back. "We understand. Just tell us next time." Merrick nods before he lets go, and he enters the courthouse with them.

As they filed in, Merrick sees Erin waiting at the front line, before Luther and Donna come to her, shaking hands with quaint greetings. As Merrick walks along the benches, filing with Sasha and Jamal, he notices a lot more people coming into the court room, filing in and taking their seats.

"Who are all these people?" Merrick asked.

"Local support groups." Sasha answered, "PFLAG, Anti-Bullying, local authorities, Adam's mum and Beth pulled together, and we got in contact with everyone to come here for support."

"Like I should've done..." Merrick said sadly. He comes to his place right behind Erin and the parents, and leans in, "So what's the story?"

"Well, I've done my share of digging around." Erin said, "The only reason the trial is taking place is because Adam's parents here agreed to appear in court on Adam's behalf. The bailiff is going to be Daniel, you remember him, right?"

"Yes..."

"He's the one who filed the report, but for some reason, another policeman's file was submitted, from the attackers' point of view, which is completely different from one another. I'm going to have THAT report dismissed based on the policeman's inexperience, and submit Daniel's report. On top of that, Judge Harris isn't exactly in the clear himself."

"Right..." Merrick said as Yuri comes to sit next to him. Yuri glances, and sees Merrick's knuckles tightening, along with the very quiet rattling in Merrick's throat.

"Merrick, please, try to sit still, please..." Yuri said. Then, Merrick's eyes locked onto the left side of the court, where the two attackers are escorted in. His teeth grits as his breathing becomes erratic.

"Hang tight, Merrick..." Jamal whispered, leering at them too while he squeezed his shoulder. He can hear whimpers of sheer rage coming from Merrick as he trembles on the spot with anger.

"I am not planning on staying quiet if that man tries to screw Adam again." Merrick's voice cracks as the intense wrath burns his throat. "I'll kill them right here..."

"I got yo back, dude, but ya need to keep cool..." Jamal mumbled, "Take it from a guy who knows, doin that is never worth it."

"Then it might be a good thing Harris isn't here today." Erin said.

"Wait, what?"

"Judge Harris is still very ill, and has not been able to come into work for several weeks. We've had to find a different judge fill in for him."

"Ok... Who did they get?" Merrick asked as everyone has arrived. Honestly, he had already prepared himself for that lying fraud to come up... What if this new judge is actually worse???

"All rise!" Daniel called out, prompting everybody to stand up, "The honorable Judge Jacquelyn presiding." In comes an African American woman with bright silver and purple streaks in her short, feathered black hair, with glittering silver fingernails on her fingernails as she steps up, looking rather serious.

"Oh snap." Yuri says with her eyebrows raised.

"Say whaaaaaat?" Jamal said lowly as his voice elevated slightly.

"Aight, yall sit down right now." Jacquelyn called out.

"Merrick, I think we're set." Yuri whispered as the judge walks onto the podium.

"What do you mean?"

"That woman there? She was Jamal's parole counselor. When Jamal moved to Hawaii, she was the one who made the agreement between me, Adam, and his grandparents to be his roommates and his dependents."

"She was the only one in the whole fuckin thing that actually listened to me..." Jamal said, "She axed me who I wanted to live wit, and she... She didn't tell me what to... Ya know..." Merrick can hear a hint of emotion coming from that deep voice, before he turns to look at the judge, hope pounding inside his chest.

"Alright, call to order," The judge said, "Adam Bryant vs Howard Larson and Ed Hezba, am I correct?"

"Yes, your Honor." Erin nodded.

"Now. What have we got here today?"

"Your Honor," Erin says as she stands up, "I'd like to present the following file, claiming a witnessed hate crime on one Adam Bryant." She holds up the binder containing the information.

"Yeah, I got the original file right here." Jacquelyn said as she held up. "I gave it a once-over, and I don't think things are matchin up." She leans her head in to give a shrewd look, "Maybe you can shed a lil light to what I'm missing?"

"If I may, your Honor," Erin says as she walks around, "I have recorded testimony that that report you have there is inaccurate to what happened on the night in question. The police officer who filed it is vastly inexperienced, and has a dismal record of sociopathic tendencies before his recruitment."

"Alright, lets see your file now." The judge says as she holds out her hand, while putting her reading glasses on with the other hand. Erin gives her the file. Her ruby red lips mumbles silently as her eyes scan the document contained within, noting that Jamal's name is listed in the file, while a description of a black male under the influence of drugs was written in the other one. "Says here a Jamal Tucker was seen at the scene of the crime, under the influence?"

"I ain't-"

"Jamal!" Yuri hushed harshly.

"Jamal." Jacquelyn gives him a very stern glance.

"Yes ma'am..." Jamal nodded, before the judge returned her attention to the files.

"Mmmmmhm." Jacquelyn focuses. Jamal was always very defensive, not the best sign of trying to prove innocence.

"Your Honor, I remind the court that if and when Jamal has been using any illegal substance, it would be reported by either Adam Bryant and/or Yuri Umiyama. Whom, as of to date, have not reported any such incident."

"Yeah, I know bout that. I seen enough of this file." Jacquelyn says as she closes the first file, frankly disgusted with what it says. She takes the other one containing the truth, which is a lot thicker than the former "Is the second witness here today?"

"One Karen Yorrum, bartender of the bar and grill known as Land Of Oz, has been questioned and recorded for her testimony, you will find her input in the file, as well as video surveillance of her testimony. She has requested not to appear in court due to emotional anxiety."

"I see..." The judge adjusts her fine glasses as she turns several pages.

"Wow... She's done her homework..." Luther muttered.

"I have also taken the liberty of obtaining certain other records of the two offenders in question, both of them guilty of multiple counts of felony, defacement of public AND private property, drug possession, and even pardoned jail time."

"I know, I recognize one'a them." Jacquelyn said with a low glare. "Aight, I ain't wasting time here."

Merrick's insides turn upside down as she adjusts in her seat.

"I am throwing out the charges against Adam Bryant on the grounds of false accusation and irrelevancy." She then takes a moment to look at the two men, "Just how stupid you tryin to be??" After insulting the convicts, she looks back forward.

"On charges of 2nd Degree Hate Crime, Attempted Murder, and Felony Assault and Battery, I hereby sentence Mr Howard Larson and Mr Owen Hezba to 50 years jail time. Further advisement and penalty will be decided upon further investigation of the evidence, with the sentence carried as motioned."

SLAM!

She bashes her gavel on the table, "Case dismissed."

"NO! Fuck this! Fuck you!" One of the men yelled out.

"This is bullshit!"

Jacquelyn rolls her eyes as she gestured for Daniel to call more guards. The police come in, needing two guards at a time to keep them from making any further moves than forcing or jerking about.

Merrick sits in stunned silence, his mouth ajar as Jamal's heavy hand claps his shoulder and shoves him as he whoops out. Other people in the benches talk excitedly all around him. All of it tunes out as Merrick stares with disbelief.

'They... Were punished...' He thought, 'That's... All it took...'

~~~

"Every time." Jacquelyn mumbles angrily, standing on a quaint patio, feeling the warm breeze, "Every time I try and quit." She holds a cigarette, clicking her lighter aflame to ignite it. She takes a deep breath from the cig, and blows out a puff of smoke.

"Judge Jacquelyn?" Comes a voice. She looks, and sees a handsome young man with bright blonde hair come to her.

"Oh hi, I seen you in court." She says leaning on the ledge of the patio, "What can I do for you, baby?"

"I just..." Merrick stands there, feeling a little awkward, "I just wanted to thank you, for what happened a while ago... When this Judge Harris took on this case, he... I don't know how or why he would turn it upside down like that."

"Mmmmm, I heard." She nods, "Harris always was an asshole, lil bit racist." She takes a huff from her cigarette, "Heard some kid wanted to rip his head off last time he was here."

"Yeah, it was a very bad few days for me..."

"Hm?" Jacquelyn raises her brows for a moment, before pointing to him with her cig hand, "Oh, you the guy who called'im out?"

"Yeah... I was so freaking pissed, I just lost control. I think if it went any longer, I would've been arrested."

"Ahahahaha, woulda looove to see that, see his ugleh bald face as rearranged as his personality." She grins, "What was it you said, called him a fraud?"

"Heh... I said, 'How dare you pretend to know what justice is, you are nothing but a fraud'."

"Hahahaha, niiiiice." She pats Merrick's shoulder, "Was my pleasure, sunshine."

"Yeah..." Merrick huffs as he walks to the metal rail, and leaned his arms on it. "That's one load off my mind, anyhow..."

"How's that?"

"Well... The victim, uh, Adam Bryant... He's actually my fiancé." Jacquelyn raises her brows from that, "And when Judge Harris actually started reading that Adam as being accused... And it looked like he was actually going to pardon those men for what they did..." Merrick wipes his eyes, before looking at the judge, "I can't tell you how much it feels to know there is some justice once in a while."

Jacquelyn takes a step beside him, her cigarette still streaming with a thin line of white wisp.

"When I was just about 4 years old, my granddaddy was roughed up too. Lost a foot and had to walk round with cane for the rest of his life. Two men cornered him and beat him to a pulp. Didn't even have a trial, they just left'im there to die, and he barely got back home covered in blood."

"Your Grandfather was attacked? Why?"

"Why? Cause he was black."

"... What's that got to do with anything?"

"You serious?" Jacquelyn gives him a very strange look, "Ain't you ever pay attention to history class?"

"I... Don't know a lot about history, I'm not from... You might say I'm from far away."

"Well, 'CASE you didn't know." Jacquelyn says with a sarcastic tone, "Bein black was reason enough to kill a person."

"W-What??"

"Same reason they go after LGBT people... Like yo hubby, baby." She says, "'Course, if that'd come up, they'd probably have to find a different judge than me, cuz it'd bring up personal feelings in an impartial environment.

"But... Why? I don't understand." Merrick said innocently.

"Neither do I, honeychild." She sighed, "White people."

"Heh... Straight white people." Merrick said with a snide smirk.

"Preach, gurl." Jacquelyn says as she casually holds her hand to the side, letting Merrick clap it. She laughs as several funny thoughts come to her head.

"Hey, Jacquelyn." Comes another voice. Merrick turns and sees Jamal standing there.

"Hey, boy." She said. "You better be keepin out of trouble now."

"Jacquelyn, I didn't do anything!"

"Jamal, calm down. You STILL too defensive." She comments, "Remember what I said? You ain't got nuthin to hide, you ain't got nuthin to worry about."

"Aight..." He nodded, "Didn't know you smoke."

"My line a work? You bet I'm takin it up."

"Aight..." Jamal huffs, glancing down, and looking back up, "Thanks, Jacquelyn. Fo ev'rything, and fo today." The judge nods, meshing her cigarette on top of a trashcan's ashtray.

"Yo welcome." She said as she walks. Jamal frowns still as she walked past him. He waits a few seconds before turning around.

"Why didn't you tell me you weren't my counselor no more? I had to hear it from some suit." Jacquelyn stops and turns, holding her hands out.

"Slipped mah mind. Want an apology?"

"... Naw. Just go on..." Jamal answered. Jacquelyn nods before she walks away. Merrick watches Jamal as he inhales deeply, and exhales, walking to one of the nearby chairs. "... NHH!" Jamal sends it crashing to the railing with just one kick! Merrick gasps from the brief moment of violence, before Jamal leans his arms on the railing. "Fucking, stupid..."

"J...Jamal?"

"Just when I thought I actually liked her... She still a fuckin... Gah... Thought we could talk or whateva..."

"Wait... You, 'LIKE' her? As in-"

"No. No." Jamal said firmly, "It ain't like dat."

"Then... What's the problem? You seemed to feel better when you saw her walk into the courtroom."

"Fuck..." Jamal shook his head, ducking his face into his arms. After taking a moment, he sighs as he looks outward, "She my aunt, ok?"

"Aunt... Is that like... A relative, right?"

"Yeah... She my Mama's sister." Jamal huffs as he looks downward.

"Oh! Then... Why are you so angry?"

"Cause... She didn't want me."

"Huh?"

"... I moved to Hawaii, she took me in as my counselor. I didn't find out till years later, and again, I heard it from someone else, not her... I was always askin, 'Why not lemme live wit chu? You my auntie, I wanna live wit you'. She never gamme a straight answer, still won't. It's like she dudn't like me just fo livin."

"Jamal, that can't be true..." Merrick said softly, putting a hand onto Jamal's arm, but is cast away promptly.

"Don't. Just don't." He said darkly, glaring at the distance, shaking his head again, "... I don't care no more. I don't wanna care, and I don't wanna know why she dudn't like me. She done her part. End of story." He said coldly before pushing up from the rail.

"Jamal."

"I'm headin to work. See ya later, ok?" He told him without turning, yanking his tie down from his neck. "And yall better apologize to Yuri! She made you a nice dinner when you decided to bail us."

"Jamal..." Merrick mumbled, a little hurt. This is so unlike him...

~~~

Belinda leans her back on the wall, giving her nails a fresh layer of color as she loiters next to the bathroom doors, biting her lip as she ponders to fashion them sharp or round while she paints the tiny brush. Maybe both? Then again, Theodore might get scratched.

She looks up, and sees the blonde Piscien come close, "Oh hi, Merrick."