When everyone returned to the court room, they took the same seats. I could look at Trevon now and I glanced at him from time to time. 

His hair had grown a lot, he never has his hair as high as it was today. He was always nicely trimmed. He did look exhausted though, like he just wanted to get out of there as quick as possible. I watch his arms and his broad shoulders, i begin missing him, and suddenly the emotions we settled in the bathroom are back. I hold them in and roll my eyes at myself. 

It is the Public Attorney's chance on the floor and he doesn't call me to the stand, I think to give me some time to breathe. He calls one of the people in the neighborhood who was willing to testify. .

"I call Mr. Carl Grant to the stand." Mr. Philip says. 

Carl goes through the entire process I did and is ready to be questioned. 

"Mr. Grant, about how long have you lived in the neighborhood of Brownsville?" 

Carl is in his sixties and his head began to gray while we were in Elementary school. We all loved him, the good kids. He would always fan the mischievous children away from him, even Trevon used to get fanned away when he was younger.

"All my life." Mr. Grant said with a calm smile. 

"So would you say you watched these boys grow?" Mr. Philip's voice is deep and soothing. I prayed that he would win at least five times in the last five minutes. 

"Yes, of course. I would even say I helped grow them myself." Mr. Grant's mouth claps together when he speaks. 

Philip laughs lightly. 

"It takes a village." Mr. Grant nods. 

"Mr. Grant, what can you say about my client, Trevon Wallace?" 

"Well, he is one of the good ones in the neighborhood. Provides for his Mother and little sister. Just began doing music so I haven't even seen him on the block too much." Mr. Grant says trying to remember. 

"As a matter of fact, before this incident, I hadn't seen him on the block at all, until his little music show." Mr. Grant says. 

"Is Trevon's music a depiction of the violence in his community at all? What would you say about it?" Mr. Philip asks. 

"It is very positive. Not like everything these other rappers are out here doin. Messin up the kids heads and tellin them to buy guns. He's a very positive kid and you can ask anyone at all in the neighborhood that." 

"No further questions, Your Honor."

Moments pass by and Mr. Bing validates Trevon's unregistered weapon claims. There is so little to dispute there, except for the fact that Trevon said he received the weapon from someone associated with Julius. There was little proof to that. 

The weapon found on the seen had Julius' finger prints on it, so there is no question that he also had an unregistered weapon. 

Flex is called as a witness and before long, they have twisted Flex' words so that Trevon seems guilty as well. My heart aches.

The only thing good enough to sway the jury seems to be Julius' records which show that he has been arrested many times before and is more prone to this kind of behavior. I saw some of the jurors nod when Mr. Philip brought this up. 

Mr. Bing closes with his final statement. 

"Your Honor and ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the hard facts here is that both of these men had unregistered weapons but only one of these men fired their weapon. The man who fired the weapon is the same man who is being accused of attempted murder, almost beating my client to death. Is it possible that when he fired his gun, he missed and Mr. Gray was within arms reach so a fight was easier to go to? We don't know. Did he almost commit murder because he was in love? We don't know. What we do know, is what we were presented in court here today. Thank you." 

At this point, I hated the sound of Mr. Bing's suggestive voice. I hated him with everything in me. 

Mr. Philip makes his closing statement and I want to crawl into a ball and cry to myself after. I don't feel that it is strong enough. 

The jury left to make their decision and I could hear my heart through my ears. I could hear Trevon's Mother and sisters heart too, or maybe my head was just creating muffling sounds. Maybe my body was shutting down in order for me to cope. 

We are called back into the court room within the hour and the jury takes their seat. 

The Judge looks to the jury. 

"Will the jury foreperson please stand?" An old bald man stands up and looks to the judge. 

"Has the jury reached a unanimous verdict?" The judge asks. 

The foreperson says they have, and for a moment my heart stops. It is completely quiet in the court room. 

"The jury finds the defendant guilty."

The court room erupts in a ball of confusion and protest. The judge knocks his hammer three times before everyone quiets down. 

"Trevon Wallace, you will return back to court for your sentencing in a week. Court is adjourned." The judge bangs the hammer again. 

As Trevon gets to leave, he looks at me once and I can't tell if he's crying or if his eyes just look tired. The look will haunt me for as long as I live. I sink to the ground and cry.