Disclaimer--You all know the drill, if your not old enough to read this then don't, or if you do just don't get caught.
This is a story I felt I needed to tell. It isn't always a happy story, but then again in life what is. I hope you enjoy it and learn something from it's message. This is only the first chapter so there will be a lot more to come.
GUILTY AS CHARGED
CHAPTER ONE
Keith Mitchell pulled on the tie he had been forced to wear. He was dressed in a brand new blue suit, with a red tie, which had set him back about forty bucks, sitting at his place next to his father. His eyes surveyed his sourroundings, he could see the jury box to his left, where in a few minutes twelve jurors would be seated in order to determine the fate of one man. Directly in front of him, he could could see the witness stand and the place where the Judge presided over the courtroom. He felt kinda lucky that they had gotten a female judge, he felt that she would be more understanding to the situation at hand. A male judge on the otherhand would have probably weighed a lot more into the fact that the victim was a homosexual, thinking he got what he deserved. He glanced over to where the defendant and his lawyer would be seated, and got a real bad pain in his stomach. He knew the day would come when he would have to face the man, and even though he had convinced himself and everyone else that he was prepared for it, he knew that there was no way in hell he could ever be prepared to face the man who had killed his boyfriend
His father grabbed his hand and squeezed it, "Are you okay, Keith?" he asked.
Keith nodded his head, "Just a little anxious to see justice done," he said.
The side door directly to the side of the judges stand opened, and two men walked through it. The first was a short man, no more then five foot six inches, with a hugh balding spot on the top of his head, and light rimmed glasses, that hung on his beak like nose. Despite his appearance, anyone who knew anything about law in the town of Belway, Texas, knew he was the most ruthless defense attorney in the town. The man standing behind the short man, towered over him, at a height of 6 feet 7 inches, and a weight of over two hundred and eighty pounds, nothing but solid muscle. He glanced over at Keith, and Keith felt the daggers digging into his heart.
He knudged his dad, "I didn't know Walter Bidman was gonna be his lawyer."
"That's a fact I wasn't made aware of either." his father said. "I'll have to bring it up with the judge, not that it would probably matter anyway."
Twenty minutes later, the courtroom was packed to full capacity. The majority of the people there were hoping for a guilty verdict, well a hand full were almost sure that he would go free. The victim had asked for what he had got. What was all the bullshit they were spewing out, about his being born gay, and that is wasn't a choice. Well to all of them, it was a crock of shit, God hated Gays, it said so in the bible, so why would he make somebody gay. He got what he asked for, so this man shouldn't be found guilty of anything. In fact to some of them, he should have been commended for what he did.
"All raise," The bailiffe said, "for the Honorable Judge Terri Smith."
The whole courtroom rose to their feet, as a strikingly good looking women in his mid forties walked through the same door at the defendant had come in through, she took her place in the courtroom and motion for everybody to sit down.
"We will not have this trial turned into a fiasco," she said, "Any comments or commotion from anybody and they will be escorted out of the courtroom and held with contempt. Do I make myself clear? Okay Mr. Mitchell you may present your opening arguments."
As Keith father was presenting his opening arguments, Keith's mind kept drifting back to the events that had led up to this moment. It was hard to believe that it was just over a year ago, when things started to change in his life. He had been content with his life, maybe not completely happy, until the day that Todd Miller walked into his first period English class, and his whole world turned on end. Keith had known as early as the age of twelve that he was gay, he would often look at his friends and wonder what they would look like naked. At first he thought it was just childhood curiousity, and that all his friends probably thought the same thing, but how was he gonna tell them what he was thinking, what if they didn't think the same thing, and thing he was some kinda freak. He came to the conclussion he was gay, when one day his then best friend, Rob Warren, had told him to met him at the clubhouse they had build in the woods behind his house, he had something to show him. It was a hardcore sex magazine, with a big breasted blonde chick getting her pussy fucked by a man with a eight inch cock. Well Rob was going gaga over the women's tits, Keith couldn't help but be mesmerized by the man's hughe cock. This fact of course was never revealed to Rob, he just agreed with Rob, when rob mentioned the women's tits and how he would love to suck on them. He hid his thoughts deep into the back of his mind, and went into his act as the world most heterosexual boy. And for four years, that act had been flawless, until the first day of school his sophmore year, when Todd Miller walked into his life. Keith had always thought that Rob was kinda cute, but since they had been best friends, since they were six, he really didn't have sexual fantasys about Rob, but here sitting down next to him was the most esquisite creature his eyes had ever laid themselves upon. He tried to say something, but his tounge was stuck in his throat, and the only thing that would come out was air. He hoped nobody noticed his making a complete fool of himself.
His rescue came from the place he least expected it, Todd turned towards him and said, "What's up, I'm Todd Miller, I jut moved here two days ago, I was hoping maybe you could show me around the place, who to hang out with and who to avoid."
Keith smiled, and drew a deep breath, "Sure, You picked the best person in town," he said, "first things first, hanging out with me, with do wonders for your reputation, since I am the king of the tenth grade."
Todd laughed and said, "Not for long, give the chicks a chance to get a look at my five inch tounge, and they'll be throwing rocks at your ass."
They started chatting, about nothing in particular, until finally Mrs Rydell, had to ask them both to eith be quite or leave the room. It was hard for them but they managed to control themselves for the rest of the class. They ended up having at least four classes and lunch together. Keith had introduced him to all his friends, and Todd's winning personality had taken over and before long it was almost as if he had been a part of thier group for years. It was the second day of school and they were sitting on the brick fence that enclosed the school, next to the main entrance gate, watching the girls walk into the school, when Rob noticed Wendy Hill and Carrie Terk coming up the walk. He nudged Todd who was sitting next to him and said, "Man, will you look at Wendy, she's fucking hot."
"Damn," Todd said, "the one with her isn't that bad looking either."
"You can look all you want to," Kieth said, "but if you touch I'd probably have to kick you ass, she's my women and I'm the only man she needs."
Todd glanced back over towards the girls and then towards Keith, "So she's a good person also doing her part for charity."
The rest of them started to laugh, and Todd could see Keith's face turning red. It was a moment as friends that neither one of them would forget.
Keith felt a hand touch his shoulder, as his father sat down next to him. He watched as Walter Bidman stood up and paced in front of the jury stand. "Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury, the prosecution wants you to believe that my client here is responsible for the death of the young man who's life was stolen from him at such a tender young age by his own hands. The autopsy report from the coroners office has officially claimed it a suicide. But because of the victims homosexuality and chosen life style..."
"Objection," Keith's father yelled, standing up. "It was not his chosen life style, he did not choose it, it was chosen for him before he was born."
"I withdraw that last comment," Walter Bidman said, "Because of the victim's homosexuality and society's intollerance towards homosexuality, he was tormented and tortured until the pain became to much to bear and he took his own life. I am not saying that it was right or even fair, and that all of us don't share some of the responsibility and blame for the death of this young boy, but to convict this man of a crime that we have all committed would be wrong in my eyes and the eyes of this court. People will come up and tell stories about the young boy, some will be good and some will be bad, don't let your prejudice sway your decision and when all the facts have been presented I am sure you will find my client not guilty."
He returned to his seat, and Judge Smith called for a two hour recess for lunch. Keith and his father stood up, when Keith noticed Rob sitting at the back of the courtroom. Where their had once been a look of brotherly love when they looked at each other, know their was nothing but a look of what Keith really couldn't say. It had taken months of therapy for Keith to finally come to terms with what had happened and the hate he had first felt for Rob had kinda of fizzled out, but would never be replaced by love again.
He tried to walk by Rob without him noticing, when he felt Rob touch his shoulder.
"I'm so sorry, Keith," he said, "Can we talk in private and then I will never bother you again."
Keith nodded his head as they walked out of the courtroom together. they walked in silence towards the park, neither one saying anything or exactly knowing what to say. It had been four months since either one had said a word to the other. Without a word between them, they both knew where they were going, ever since they had been little boys, when they needed to talk to each other they would always sit on the big Merry-go-round and let it spin around and around until all their problems were gone. Keith was the first there and he sat down, Rob was hesitant to sit down next to him.
"Sit down, Rob," Keith said, "I said I'd talk to you, but I don't know what you can say to change anything."
The tears started flowing freely down Rob's cheeks, "I don't think I can ever expect you to forgive me, hell I can't even forgive myself. I wake up at nights screaming, why didn't you tell me you were in love with him, instead of acting like the rest of us. I would have told the others to lay off of him."
Keith looked up at Rob, "and why would you have done that?"
Rob looked at Keith and said, "After eleven years of friendship, you never realized that I loved you."
"No, not like that," Rob said, "I'm sorry but I am hopeless straight. I loved you like a brother, and if my little brother came up to me and said he was gay, then I would do everything to protect him...oh, shit," he said, "Todd was like a brother and I didn't protect him. I'm the worst kinda person there is ain't I, no wonder you hate me."
Keith reached his hand out and placed it on Rob's shoulder, "I don't hate you, I just don't know what I feel for you."
"I promise you I will make it up to you," Rob said, "I know I can't change what happened, but I will make you proud of me again, that I promise you."