Chapter fifty two
"The News went viral in less than 24 hours," Noah leaned forward with a warm smile plastered on his face." Jeffrey Johnson, boxer and gym owner arrested for homicide!"
"Till today, how humans got their ears on that piece of info remains a mystery,"I complemented and snickered.
Was I underestimating the press?
They got their hands on every single information they smelt a rat in.
"I didn't say it back then," Simon added, "…but that decision of his was the start of a new irk of discipline and maturity. I was proud."
Blushing shamelessly, I looked at him. It wasn't a totally happy story though.
"I stayed in the cell for weeks before my hearing was finalized," my lips came between my teeth as I was lost in thought.
"We shuffled for the most competent lawyer existent in Los Angeles," Noah said. The furrow of his brows now was a vivid imagery of how it'd been two years back when I'd gotten arrested.
They'd been desperate to get me out of there then. All hands, so I heard, were on deck when the search for a defender began.
"He charged for the price of a damn car!" My Coach exclaimed with a horrid dose of shock painting his face. Who'd have guessed my funds suffered such a stab when I was in jail?
"Expensive or not," I shrugged. "It didn't change anything, did it? I was still sentenced."
Noah looked unto me. "Only because you pled guilty! Who does that?"
An audible gasp crossed the crowd.
Well…I still didn't regret it, did I? I did plead guilty. If not, what then was the use of turning myself in as a culprit?
"I remember it like it was yesterday," said Noah. "There we were, gathered in court and inwardly praying for this imbecile to get a favourable sentence."
At his insult, I couldn't hold back a smile.
"However…" he widened both eyes just for the drama it held, "…the hearing didn't last two minutes because the culprit himself admitted to be guilty of the crime when he was asked."
"I remember the look on the Judge's face," my smile only stretched some more. Honestly, I doubted there was any other part of the story worthy of gloom anymore. Well…except my sentence.
"It didn't change his heart, did it," Simon just had to ruin the mirth.
With his eyes cast mockingly on me, he went on to state. "Jeffery got a life jail sentence."
I stopped smiling and bowed over.
"Then, how come he's here now." Jade interrupted as always. As much as I hated spoilers, her question was quite reasonable and expected for the first time.
Consequently, I'd reacted normally. "That takes us to the next part of the story."
***
I figured I was going to be convicted for as long as could be; and so, I thought…why not open up and blend in as soon as possible?
Honestly, if I'd planned for anything when I'd turned myself in, it wasn't a life sentence. It was one of those points in my life where I had to shrug off my fear and force a smile right after the sentence.
I could remember the tears from Emily, the fear from Simon and the disappointment from Noah when I strode along the court aisle and past them without a word.
It was then I was truly scared. It was like…just when I'd found Noah and had the plans to complete the bucket list of everything we'd always wanted to do together, a life sentence happened. Was this the end of boxing for me? The end of life? Then, what was the use of the confession if I couldn't get the liberation I'd always wanted?
Well, I was allowed forty five minutes of phone call a week. How bad could this be?
With the shirt of the orange prison uniform hanging over my shoulders, I traded the prison corridors amongst a couple of police guards. It was the noon of my first day.
There was always this familiar, expected event in every institution when there was someone new. Everybody wanted to see!
And so, there were inmates peeping through the doors, poking heads to find out who this "new prisoner who was once a boxer" looked like.
While most of them only glared poisonously and stepped back in, a few had begun to throw threats, curses and any other sort of imaginable harsh words; actually, even the unimaginable.
A few minutes more of walking, stairs climbing and receiving trash talk, we came to a pause before a particular cell.
There I was hoping my roommate wasn't going to be some psychopath who yelled and got violent for absolutely no reason. Humans could amaze you, you know.
I watched a guard work through a bunch of keys and push it into a keyhole. Even with the jumpiness inside, I'd pulled a pose of fake confidence all along.
My soon-to-be room partner rose from where he'd been lying on the higher bunk and tried to make out the situation.
Soon, his eyes fell on me…and they narrowed quite dangerously. Only a few people on Earth knew how to make that look; the one that kept your insides churning even before the person made a move.
No…pose of confidence.
Noticeably, there was this caution, almost respect the officials treated me with. Whether it was my reputation or because they truly respected the fact I turned myself in, I wasn't sure.
They didn't handle me like some slave or push me onwards when I was too slow or yell at me. I followed my own pace; and I won't lie, I liked it.
However, famous or not, what prisoner here cared?
Holding the door open for me, the security guard, Cyrus, nodded his head as a last minute assurance before I stepped in.
When I did, the first thing I tried to take in was the scenery.