Whitewash High

Nik sat on the witness stand inside the old city courthouse. Media sat on both sides of the room, taping and writing every comment said during testimony. The jury took notes during the proceeding. A diverse group of people, men, women, white, black, Hispanic, Asian, all did their civic duty. Even though Nik acted in self-defence, he felt the eyes of some onlookers made him out to be the criminal.

"Mr. Knight, please describe the events that occurred on the morning of September 14th," the prosecutor asked.

"It was the middle of gym class. We, the class, were playing basketball. The defendant got into a scuffle with a classmate. I intervened to break it up when the defendant pulled a knife and attacked me. I then defended myself by disarming him and keeping him under control until the authorities arrived."

"What caused the fight to begin?"

"They fought over the ball. Nothing serious. High emotions from a game."

"Did any student egg on the situation?"

"No, sir, it happened too fast for that to happen. One moment I'm breaking up the fight, the next I've got a stab wound."

"Thank you, Mr. Knight. No further questions, your honor."

The prosecutor sat down and up stood the defence attorney. He wore fancy everything, shirt, suit, and shoes, stylized by extravagant wealth. Nik looked behind the defence attorney. Amanda sat there but glanced around every direction like she didn't want to be there. Valerie sat on the people's side, dressed conservatively in her standard business suit.

"Mr. Knight, is this your first year of teaching at PS 69?"

"Yes, sir."

"Where did you work before this position?"

"I taught overseas in Japan."

"How long?"

"A few years, maybe five."

"What brought you to teach at PS 69?"

"Objection, relevance?" the prosecutor interrupted.

"Goes to character, your honor."

"I'll allow a little latitude. Objection overruled," the judge answered.

"I wanted to come back to my country."

"Do you speak fluent Japanese, Mr. Knight?"

"Yes, I do."

"And you don't teach Japanese currently?"

"Not currently, no."

"Have you ever struck a student before, Mr. Knight?"

"Objection," the prosecutor called out.

"Overruled."

"I'll repeat the question and remind you you're under oath. Have you ever struck a student before?"

"Yes, I have," he admitted.

The audience murmured, especially the jury. The judge had to bang the gavel to quiet the group down.

"Who did you strike?"

"Objection, your honor. I fail to see the relevance to this line of questioning. The witness is not on trial. In fact, he is the victim of this crime."

"Sidebar, your honor," the defence attorney asked.

As the two lawyers talked to the judge, Nik looked at Valerie's surprised face. The surprised look wasn't that she didn't know his past but how did the defence learn anything at all about him from Japan? Nik quickly glanced towards the defendant. Jimmy Jack sat there, dressed up in a fancy suit, cleaned up nice for the jury. He flashed Nik a cocky smile.

"Objection overruled. You'll answer the question, Mr. Knight," the judge said.

"I hit a student."

"Specifically who?"

"An exchange student."

"Isn't it a fact, the student you assaulted in your school was an American exchange student named Jamal Ortega?"

"Yes."

"And he is a black student?"

"Dark complexion, yes."

"Do you hate black people, Mr. Knight?"

"No, I do not. Don't be ridiculous," Nik answered, still remaining cool and calm.

"Tell the truth, Mr. Knight, my client struck you in self-defence, didn't he? You assaulted him and he was simply defending himself."

"No..."

"You attacked him because the minor argument over a basketball foul gave you the perfect excuse to satiate your racist jollies and attack an innocent child?"

"Objection!"

"Who lives in a foreign country for over five years, learns the language, and then decides to teach for half the salary unless there were ulterior motives?"

"Objection, your honor! He is badgering the witness."

"Sustained. Cool it, Mr. Shupley."

"No further questions for this witness."

"Recess, your honor?" the prosecutor asked.

"Granted. We'll take a thirty minute recess."

BANG! BANG!

Nik stood up, seeing Jimmy Jack flashing another arrogant smile as he was whisked away by a guard. The prosecutor took Nik aside quickly.

"Why didn't you tell me about that in Japan," he asked, angry.

"I didn't think of it, and why does it matter? The guy did it."

"I know it, and you know it, but the defence is trying to mark you as a bigot. Look, we got twenty minutes. I need to know everything, now, so I can redirect and do damage control."

After the break, everyone filtered back into the courtroom. People kept murmuring about the new break in the case. Valerie shook her head, concerned over the revelation of Nik's past. She hoped the prosecutor would be able to paint context into the picture.

"Your honor, permission to redirect," the prosecutor asked.

"Granted."

Nik stood up and retook the witness stand.

"I remind you you're still under oath, Mr. Knight," the judge said.

Nik simply nodded he understood.

"Mr. Knight, who is Jamal Ortega?"

"He was a student of mine at a high school I taught at in Japan."

"Would you please tell the jury the events of May 22

nd

, 2013."

"Objection, relevance, your honor," Mr. Shupley called out.

"Goes to character. Mr. Shupley brought the victim's past into the picture. The jury should be allowed the full story of the event in question and not movie theatrics."

"You opened the door, Mr. Shupley. Objection overruled. Please answer the question," the judge answered.

Nik played with his tie a moment, and cleared his throat.

"It was lunch time. I snuck away from lunch to rendezvous in the toilet stall with a woman I had a sexual relationship with. We were in the middle of sex when we could hear shouting from outside. It was an outdoor bathroom area, so it had a reputation for this sort of thing."

"Sexual activities?"

"Yes, sir."

"Please continue."

"We ignored it, thinking it was some lovers spat and misunderstanding. I knew the guy was a foreigner cause of his accent and broken Japanese. Anyways, I could hear a loud slap and louder screaming."

"What did you do next?" the prosecutor asked.

"I zipped up and stepped out to see Jamal forcing himself on a female student. Her clothing got ripped open and she tried to push him away."

"Is this when you struck him?"

"I pushed him off first to allow the girl to escape but he came at me in retaliation. Yes, I beat him up, but only to prevent him from sexually assaulting a student."

"Were you charged with a crime, Mr. Knight?"

"No, nothing."

"Did the police question you?"

"They questioned me but eye witnesses backed up my side of the story."

"So your attack of the young Mr. Ortega had nothing to do with race but an act of saving another student from an attacker."

"Yes, sir."

"No further questions, your honor."

"Redirect again, your honor," Mr. Shupley asked.

"Make it quick, Mr. Shupley, and no theatrics."

Mr. Shupley stood up, unbuttoning his suit jacket. He picked up a piece of paper, nodding his head.

"Mr. Knight, who were you engaged in sexual activity with in that cozy hideaway?"

Nik hesitated for a moment.

"I'll repeat myself. Who were you having sex with in the toilet stall?"

"One of my grade twelve students."

The answer got gasps from the audience and jury. More murmuring erupted at the new twist.

"Order, I'll have order in the court room," the judge yelled, banging the gavel.

"You said you were not charged with any crime? Didn't the police question the young lady?"

"Yes, they did."

"And they didn't charge you with sexual assault yourself?"

"She was eighteen, an adult. Whether they asked her about what we were doing, you'll have to ask her."

"So you've admitted, in court, that you've slept with a former student of yours. Are you sleeping with any of your current students?"

"Objection. Relevance?" the prosecutor interrupted.

"Goes towards motive."

"I'll allow it," the judge ruled.

"No, I am not."

"Did you, or did you not, show up at an Antonia Thompson's apartment last week?"

Nik hesitated for a moment. He wondered how the defence attorney knew that. It struck him like a lightning bolt, glancing toward Jimmy Jack's arrogant smile. JJ. Nik felt foolish and dumb not to put the two together. It took all his willpower not to jump the rail and beat the shit out of the punk for what he did to Suzy.

"Yes, I did. I visited for professional reasons."

"For the record, she is the mother of one of your students, a Suzy von Skylar, correct?"

"Yes."

"Miss von Skylar and her mother are known prostitutes. Were you hoping to get a special two-for-one deal after purchasing your student's services on school property?"

"That's a lie and absurd. She isn't a prostitute!"

"I've no further questions for this witness."

The defence attorney smirked arrogantly, walking back to his desk. He earned his paycheck, poisoning the well with Nik's past in Japan. How many people would believe his testimony? Even if they saw through the attempt at painting him a racist, people take a hypocritical and dim view at a teacher fucking a legal aged student, key word being legal. A high percentage of people have the fantasy, both male and female, but the action still resonated strong feelings of taboo and condemnation. They'll automatically think him a rapist and pedophile, and casually forget or gloss over the key word: legal.

Nik got off the witness stand and headed out the court room. He noticed Amanda squirming awkwardly in her chair. No gloating smile or arrogant aire emanated from her demeanour. Outside, Nik leaned up against the wall, breathing deeply, focusing not to punch a hole in the wall. Set-up, hook, line and sinker. Even if Jimmy Jack is convicted, the court logs are public record, high explosive ammunition for Amanda to use against him.

Valerie popped out, taking a spot next to him.

"Don't worry, Nik. I'll make sure you don't get fired. I'll do the best damage control I can do," she said, as if she knew what he was thinking.

"I'm not worried about the awkwardness at school from my testimony. I'm more concerned that asshole will get off cause his lawyer got me. How the hell did he know about Japan?"

"Amanda works in one of the top law firms in the city. They have a lot of connections, so they must have a contact overseas they contacted to run background on you. Pretty pricey mouthpiece for a simple high school gangbanger," Valerie mused, deep in thought.

"Look, I need to clear my head. I don't want to risk seeing him come out of the courtroom. Just don't say anything right now," Nik said, walking off before a reply.

Valerie looked on, concerned, but she did as she was told.

X

"Fucking bitch, what is your problem?" the black gang member cursed.

Arms and legs tied to a chair, he had a large cut on his face.

"No problem at all. I'm just following orders," she smirked.

They were in a small cell. The youth had no clue where or how he got there. One moment he hung out with his homeboys, the next he woke up here, tied up, a prisoner to a crazy Asian chick sporting a decretive dragon tattoo.

"I need information. I can play good cop or bad cop. It all depends on you," she commented.

"Let go of the ropes and I'll take the good cop any day of the week," he flirted, eyeing her up and down.

CRACK!

Her boot connected solidly across his jaw, hard enough to hurt but not break anything important.

"Damn chink, think you can hit me and get away with it?"

CRACK!

She struck the same spot again with military precision.

"Get over yourself. You're not impressive, and I don't do niggers."

Before the man had a chance to reply, she cracked him across the jaw with her fist. The hard strike didn't faze the woman.

"I need to know only one thing, where is Jimmy Jack's main dope house?"

"Fuck if I know. I'm just a grunt. And if I did know, I wouldn't tell a chink slut like you. Better hope I don't get free or else I'll..."

CRACK!

This strike broke his jaw clean. No nonsense. No games. One cannon punch.

"Not going to tell me, I've no reason to keep you alive. I haven't had a good punching bag in a while."

She punched him in the gut, eliciting a loud, painful groan from the man.

"So, have we come to an understanding yet?" she asked.

He tried to spit on her but only managed to spit on himself thanks to the broken jaw.

"Fuwuck yew," the youth slurred.

CRACK!

The Asian woman's heel connected on a kneecap, shattering it as well.

"I've got your sweetheart next door, a sweet, chocolate slut that'll make good money on the street corner if I pimped her out. Would you like that, knowing she is taking any and all cocks for pocket change? I know a few chinks with footlongs that'll love to gangbang a nigger whore. It'll happen unless I get the information I desire, so I'll repeat myself one more time. Where is Jimmy Jack's main dope house?"

No words came out, remaining stone silent in defiance.

"Fine, I've got special magic tricks I learned in SIA for intimate moments like this."

The woman adjusted her watch, pulling on the crown. A long piece of steel wire extended out, long enough to wrap around a man's neck. But she didn't wrap it around his neck. Squatting behind him, she tied it around the thug's pinky finger. Tied down, he could not fight back. Squirming accomplished nothing. With no comment and especially no remorse, she pulled on the cold wire, slicing through the man's finger. He screamed out in intense pain, outperforming the pain felt from a broken jaw and cracked kneecap.

"You've got how many more fingers? Shame to die fruitlessly. Your brothas don't give a shit about you. Your girlfriend is the one who told us where to find you. Jimmy Jack sure as hell won't lift a finger for...what is your name again? See, that is how insignificant you are in the grand scheme of things. You're going to die in this cell, the question is do you want a quick gunshot to the back of the skull, or the slow agony of having each finger and toe garrotted until you bleed to death?" she commented, sadistically.

"I dohnt no enyting...pwese stohp..." he slurred, barely coherent, before screaming out in renewed pain from a second severed finger.

X

Nik sat on his couch, head hanging over the backrest, eyes closed, deep in thought. The day didn't end up the way he wanted it to. No doubt tomorrow would bring a firestorm of controversy at school. How many of the staff would distance themselves? How many of the students he tried so hard to win over would now be dead set against him?

He remained this way for an unknown amount of time. Sun turned to darkness, denoting the passage of time. A set of headlights illuminated the dark living room. Even the sound of the front door opening and closing couldn't stir Nik from his trance.

"Nik...Nik...Nik..."

"What? I thought I told you I wanted to be left alone, Valerie," he mumbled.

She sat next to him on the couch, forcing him to look at her.

"You didn't reply to any texts or my calls. I'm worried about you. You told me to stay away but I couldn't."

"Do you hate me?" he randomly asked.

"Huh? What kind of question is that all of a sudden? Of course not, why would you think that?"

"I told you my past and you all stayed, but I'm not dumb. I could tell it put you on guard a little. You're not Gale. I could snap a man's neck and she'd cling tighter to me for it. She's a gangster, you're not."

"I don't hate you. I'm concerned about your past. I don't agree with it but it is the past. It was a fucked up situation that you had no control over."

"I sold my soul for power and got everything I wanted. Is this my penance?"

"I don't understand. I'm not going to fire you. Someone above me in the board of education would have to overrule me for an action like that to be enforced."

"I'm afraid," he mumbled, suddenly crying. "I don't want to lose you. I can't have what happened to Anri happen to any of you."

She hugged him tight. No dom/sub overtones, only a woman holding and consoling her man.

"Nothing is going to happen to us. They wouldn't dare try it, not after this trial. Too many eyes. Too much heat."

Nik platonically nestled his face into her chest. Valerie consoled him, letting him get out the harsh emotional strain kept pent up from recent events. Something spooked him royally, crying aside, Valerie could feel it. The past scared her knowing he held nothing back during their discussions. She would stand by him through thick and thin, but once the tears dried and he re-embraced the past, she knew the school would be crying tears of blood.

X

Jimmy Jack sauntered into the interrogation room with his expensive mouthpiece. Waiting inside sat Jerome Baxter. He fiddled with his shirt sleeves, waiting patiently.

"My nigga, Shupley, put that cracker on blast. No way the jury will convict me now," Jimmy Jack chimed.

Jerome leaned over the table, the moment Jimmy Jack sat down, slapping the punk across the face.

"Don't be stupid. You think one piece of testimony will save you? I've been watching all day. Those arrogant smiles and posturing to the witness is not doing you any favors. Don't act like a street punk in the court. Eyes forward. Neutral smile. Don't give the jury an excuse to fuck you."

"Alright, alright, damn man, you're sounding like I'm still going away."

"You just might. Why the fuck did you strap that girl?" Jerome asked, pissed.

"Suzy? Bitch didn't show the proper respect. If I let her lip me, all the other bitches will think they can."

Jerome smacked Jimmy Jack again.

"Like that? Going to take a swing at me now? Don't forget, my associates have invested a lot into you and your operation. If we tell you to stay low, you stay fucking limbo low."

"Fine, alright man. What's gotten into you?" Jimmy Jack asked, straightening his jacket.

"Associates of mine have informed me that the Yakuza are getting involved in the city."

"The Yaku what?"

"Yakuza. Japanese mafia."

"Why would a bunch of chinks come over the ocean to our city," Jimmy Jack asked.

"Exactly. Why would they come to this minor city? There might be more to this than meets the eye. You're going to stay low, and I fucking mean it this time. No calls, no bitches, you don't even go out for a pop unless you okay it with me first."

"Fine, fine, I know not to fuck up a good thing. I'll lay low. Ain't no pussy behind bars."

"Shupley, drive him home. I need to reach out to our associates and track a few leads."

After the pairing left the room, Jerome began talking to himself, deep in thought.

"Just who are you, Knight?"

X

The following day Amanda arrived outside the courthouse, a different one than the Jimmy Jack trial. The city held two court houses. Both heard the same kind of cases, from murders to parking tickets. One covered the northeast of the city, while the other, this one, covered the southwest. She noticed two gentlemen arguing in front of the steps, heated and loud.

"No way! We paid that fucker good money to come and represent us, and now he is cancelling? Better give us back our money. This is crap, man," guy one said.

"I'm only the messenger. He sent the text to me moments ago. I don't know what the problem is. He just said, quote, "Something came up. Sorry, got to cancel.""

"Bullshit. Once we're done this, I'm going to sue him. There has to be something in the law about a lawyer dropping a case five minutes before a hearing."

Amanda looked on. Both youths were white, maybe eighteen to twenty-one. She had a hard time pinpointing their age down. Instinctively, she licked her lips. Fortune favoured her today.