In My Defense

An Exclusive One-Shot by Elyssa Morales

It’s odd how life can suddenly take a total 180.

Like now, for instance.

Here I was, the tall, lanky, manless district attorney, in the middle of one of the biggest cases this rundown town has ever seen…

And in the middle of the testimonies, my worst nightmare runs into the court hall, spots me, and makes a mad dive only to land on his knees with a bouquet of flowers and my hand in his.

“Hey, Toni,” Destin Jacobs panted, his bronze hair plastered to his forehead with sweat. “I know this is a really bad time, but you’ve got to listen to me.”

I stared down at him in a mixture of shock and anger. I shouldn’t actually have been surprised, now that I think of it. For all of my twenty-four years of life, Destin has always been there, one step ahead, ruining my greatest moments.

When we were eight, a movie producer came to our suburbs of Los Angeles, looking for the next big child star. At the moment that I was about to perform and (possibly) turn my family’s bad luck around, here he comes, shoving in front of me and doing a horrible impersonation of Bela Lugosi. I thought it was stupid. They thought it was brilliance. He ends up in the limelight, and I’m still in the dust.

When we were twelve, I tried out for the boys’ football team on a dare from my friends. The coach later told me that I actually had a good chance…if Destin hadn’t stuck out his foot at the last minute, tripped me and sent me flying into the quarterback. He was scolded and punished lightly; I had a broken leg and was permanently out of the picture.

I could list a whole bunch of other instances, but I only have a lifetime. Maybe it was bad karma, or maybe it was fate, but the main idea is clear: Destin was only created to make my life miserable.

“Look, Destin,” I snapped, “I don’t have time for this. Take your flowers and your ring and get lost. This is a trial, not a bridal shower.”

“I know that,” he snapped back, confirming my suspicion that he was only here to ruin my life as always. I glanced up at the judge, and then at the defendant, alleged drug lord Tony McAllister. Both of them were practically tapping their feet with impatience, but no one was saying anything about what was going on.

“So…why are you still kneeling here?”

I kicked at his knee, feeling a perverse satisfaction when he winced. Still, he persisted, holding up the ring with a rather stupid grin.

“Um…I don’t really know how to say this…I mean, they make it look so easy in the movies…”

I gasped in horror.

“Destin…Anthony…Jacobs…you are so NOT proposing to me?!”

“Listen, hear me out…” Destin began, but I was already screaming.

“What. Is. Your. Problem? As if I would marry you! All my life, you have been there to make me miserable and defeat my dreams. And now, when I’m at the peak of my career, in a make-or-break situation, you come and fall on your knees and ask me to marry you?!”

Then, something else occurred to me.

“And also, weren’t you dating that soap opera actress a couple of weeks ago?”

“Will you let me finish?” Destin snapped back. I just glared at him. Did he even think I was finished? All of this was just so sudden, so stupid, so surreal, that I didn’t even know how to properly express it. So, I was quiet.

“Good. Thank you.”

Destin’s voice was harsh at first, but then it softened.

“I know that it may seem that we have a past of hatred and evil doing, Toni,” (I sniffed), “but I would really appreciate if you could just listen to my side of the story.

“When I first met you, we were in first grade. At first sight, I thought you were the cutest girl in the whole class. So, I hated you because you were stirring up feelings in me that no self-respecting boy should hold towards a potential cootie carrier. That was why I first started bullying you, and just kept rolling with it.

“Maybe, if you’d been nicer to me, I would have stopped by the time we reached middle school. But, you were always snobby and highhanded and never paid attention to me even when I did do something mean…and I guess it just kept on pushing me to new heights of bad behavior.”

I couldn’t believe this. I glanced around the room, catching eyes with my friends, my parents, my brothers, the news crew…They all grinned at me and gave me a thumbs up. Okay, they weren’t any help.

“Please, Toni,” Destin’s voice took on a sudden desperate edge. “Please just say yes.” He glanced up at the clock, and then back at me. “Come on. There isn’t much time.”

What did he mean?

I opened my mouth.

“Destin, I…”

And then, he had launched himself at my legs and was pinning me to the ground.

“Wha…”

Moments later, the clear shot of a gun rang out in the air. Startled, I squirmed underneath Destin’s protective hold.

“What just happened?”

Before I could say anything else, Destin’s lips were pressed over mine, effectively sealing them shut. I struggled, batting at him angrily, but then slowly relenting as it became more insistent. I almost whimpered as his tongue slipped in my mouth, gently caressing mine.

And then, he was gone, and his hand was pulling me up, as I dazedly focused around the courtroom and saw where I had been previously standing, a gunshot in the wall. Tony McAllister and two brawny men were being held back by two policemen, obviously being dragged off to jail. Clearly, the trial was over.

“What just happened?”

Destin caressed my cheek.

“Well, it goes a little like this…earlier today, my dad, who as you recall, is the Police Commissioner, got an anonymous call that some of Tony’s men would be waiting in the courtroom to shoot you and successfully end the trail with Tony’s grand escape. Now that I realized I loved you, I knew that couldn’t happen. So, I ran over here with the stupid idea of asking you to marry me, and stalling you for a few moments, long enough to save you and for Dad to make the arrest.”

I digested this as Destin’s face slowly got worried.

“So…I didn’t make you angry right? I’m sorry I didn’t ask your permission before I kissed you, but it was for a good cause…”

I smiled, and then slowly rolled up on my toes to kiss him on his cheek.

“The answer’s yes, not for marriage, but at least to go out tonight.”

Destin smiled back, goofily, and then whispered, “By the way, when I tackled you, your underwear showed.”

I gasped and pulled at the back of my skirt, only to glare at him when he chortled, “You ought to have seen your face!”

I guess some things don’t change.

Yes, I know this story was stupid and worthless, but it was the only idea I had!