Girl Trouble (Completed) - Ayesha Azhar (graded readers .TXT) 📗

why she fell, otherwise she would not have been very hurt. It was not intentional on Ashley's part. She did not want to kill Mandy."

"Thankyou,"Mr Clark said,"And now I would like to call the second prime withness, Stephanie Moore!"

  I felt all eyes on me as I got up and made my way over to the withness box. I turned back to look at Mrs John once, she seemed to be begging, that look in her eyes, begging me to save her daughter. In a flash, I remembered how mummy had been crying, so worried about me even though I was alright. Mrs John must be nuts with worry now.  But then, what about Mandy's mother? What about Mrs McHugh? She had lost her daughter..

"Ugh," I sighed as I went and stood in the box, my legs still trembling and looked up at Mr Clark.

   "Your name is Stephanie Moore?"

Father had warned me that there would be alot of cross questioning, I nodded, then thinking better said,"Yes."

 "What is your age?"

"17 years, 4 months."

   "Were you there when the deed was performed?"

"Yes."

  "At whose house was the party?"

"My friend, Jake Wilson's."

   "Were his parents there?"

"Umm, I dont think so." The lawyer understood my hesitation and continued,

   "What exactly happened at the party?"

  There. The one question I was waiting for."Mandy and I went together,"I started," Then we had a drink and I went into the living room to phone my Mother, Jake met me there, and we started talking. That was when Ashley came into the room too and the fight got heated. I ran out of the room. Outside the livig room were the stairs that led to the den, Mandy was just coming up. She saw us and asked what the matter was. She and Ashley started fighting then, and then Ashley got angry and she pushed Mandy."

  "Did she push her intentionally?"

I felt all of the people in the room hold their breath. I looked from Mrs John to Mrs McHugh. A mother to a mother. And then I dared a glance at Ashley, she was looking at me with tear strewn eyes. One wrong for many rights. Yes.

   "No," I said, I saw Jake smiling at me encouragingly,"It was all unintentional. Ashley did want to hurt Mandy. But she did not mean to kill. She had no idea that there were stairs behind, and that by a push, Mandy could fall down the stairs and get seriously hurt."

  "Oh. Then you donot hold her responsible for you friend, Mandy McHugh's death?"

"No. That was all predestined. It was just fate, that Mandy happened to be there beside the stairs. If she had been standing anywhere else, she would not have been much hurt by Ashley's push. Yes, Ashley did mean to hurt her, cause her some physical injury, I know so, but she did not mean to kill."

 "You dont have anything to say on this topic?"

"No. Except that, even though I know that Mandy and Ashley didnot get along very well with each other, She would never want Ashley to go wrongfully into prison because of her."

"Thankyou. You can go now."

  I walked back towards my stage.There. I had done everything in my power. Now it was all in the hands of the judge.

 "The jury will now decide whether or not Ashley John is guilty of the murder of Mandy McHugh."

Oh God. Now was the moment. After a while, the judge started to speak.

  "The jury has now decided, taking in mind all of the withness, that Ashley John is not guilty of the murder of Mandy McHugh." Ashley and Jake hugged each other, Mrs John started crying, the judge continued," Miss John will be subject to spend 2 months in the Riverdale Hospital for the Mentally Unstable where she will have her mind treated, and then she will be free to go. This court is now dismissed."

   The jury started walking out of the courtroom. Mrs John, Ashley and Jake came running up to me.

"Thankyou so much, dear,"Mrs John sopke first,"You saved my daughter's life."

     I looked at Ashley, she didn't say anything, instead she came forward and hugged me,

"Thankyou. Thankyou so much, Steph. You gave me my life back. I am so sorry for alll that I did with you. I am so so sorry."

  I felt her hot tears against my hair and smiled,

"There, there. It's okay now, Ash. Everything is okay."

   Jake smiled at me,"I knew you would do it."

I smiled back at him.But one thing was still not perfect. I walked over to Mrs McHugh.

"Aunt Jenny," I smiled at her,"Are you angry at me?"

  "No, dear. Infact, I think you did the right thing," She smiled back at me,"What Mandy would have done."

Mummy and Father walked over to where I was standing and smiled, Mr and Mrs McHugh shook hands with them.

  "Do you mind?" Mrs McHugh asked," Steph's our daughter now too."

"Not at all."

   I didnot exactly understand what they meant by that. But I knew it was something good anyway. I smiled again when I looked up and saw Jake smiling at me from the other end of the court room. Finally, everything was perfect.

Sequel

"Steph, come on. You are gonna be late."

  I smiled as I looked up at Jake. Even though it had been months, I still couldn't get over the fact that he had grown so much. He was ever so tall and so handsome. He looked so bigger then me. It figured though. He was already 18. It was my birthday tomorrow. After Ashley had been declared innocent, we had all continued our education. Auditins had been held again, and Ashley had won that role in Mr Harry's film that had been Mandy's.  After we had finished our school, she had gone away in acting college, and Jake and I had both got admitted in Rochestar university of the Medical Sciences. That's right. We were both going to become a doctor.

Since Ashley had done Mr Harry's film, The Conjuring, she had been, as predicted, cast in many other movies and Tv Serials too. Her acting career was all set. She was a famous actress now. She even had all those fans. Jake and I on the other hand, had had a nice quiet life. Mr and Mrs McHugh had accepted me as their daughter now. And though our college was in Rochestar, we would go to Riverdale every two weekends to visit our parents and Mr and Mrs McHugh.

  Life was going so well now. Ashley had turned over a new leaf. She was ever so grateful to me for giving evidence in favour of her. We were very good friends now. And ofcourse, her and Jake were now over. They had never been. Jake and I still hadnt talked openly about how we felt about each other since that day in the living room of his house. Anyways, tomorrow was the 16th of February. It was my birthday. We had already celebrated Jake's birthday on the 7th of December. On honour of my birthday, Ashley was flying in from Los Angeles, where she was currently shooting a show, me and Jake were going back to Riverdale and we were all going to have this big birthday party at my house.

 I had never felt so happier in all my life. Soon, though it would be a year since Mandy had died. Though we had all moved on, we had never forgotten Mandy.

 "Stephanie Moore," Jake was getting annoyed now,"Do you need a written invitation?"

 I laughed,"Chill, Jakey, I am coming." It was so unbelievable that I was once disgusted that Ashley had called Jake Jakey. Now I loved that nicname and teased him with that. He hated that name. He glared at me now. Gosh, even while glaring he looked so cute.

"Well, Stephy, make it quick."

That was the nick name he had invented for me. Even though I already had a perfectly good nick name, Steph. But he was just annoyed. I laughed again,

"Come on, let's go."

I followed him  and entered the aeroplane. We were flying back to Riverdale. We normally went by bus, but as we wanted to get back to home early, we were flying.

"I'll have the window seat!" I yelled, and then not giving Jake a chance to contraduict, ran and sat down by the window. "Hah!" I announced triumphantly. Jalke smiled at me,

"Well, Steph, I hate to disappoint you, but that's not our seat. Our's is behind."

"Oho."

  I tried to get up quickly and sit on the window seat but Jake was already sitting there. I made my most innocent face and said,

"Pleeeasee, Jakey?"

"Oh. Alright."

  Jake sighed as he shifted over and let me sit in the window seat and then smiled.

"It's going to be an hour flight. Have some sleep."

  I nodded, and then looked out of the window. The plane had started, and the streets were whizing by, soon nothing was visible except clouds here and there. I closed my eyes and smiled. Life was a bliss.

 

"Oh, Steph, I am so glad to see you! It's been so long!"

Mummy rushed up to me as me and Jake opened the door to my house. I smiled sideways at Jake. This was the same routine. Everytime we would meet our parents, they would say it had been so long even though it had only been two weeks. Jake said this was because as we were busy in our studies, we didn't realize the  time passing. But our parents had to wait two whole weeks to see their children.

 "Yeah, Mummy, I am happy to see you too."

I turned to look at Jake, "Are you staying?"

   "No. I'll come over early tomorrow. ok?"

"Ok. Bye."

   "bye, Mrs Moore."

Jake waved once at Mummy, and then he was gone.

   "He's such a nice boy." My mother said wistfully after him. I smiled, Yes, he was.

  "Steph,you must be tired. you should go rest."

 "That's a good idea." I said and climbed upto my room. It was the same as ever, Mummy had kept it so neat. As if someone actually lived here. Well, I would be living here. For three days atleast. Jake and I were going back on the 18th.

  I sunk myself deep in my pillow and smiled again. It was so strange, nowadays, I could find a reason to smile at everything. Well, why shouldn't I? I had helped Ashley, she had  money now. Her brothers were both studying in a very good school now. And such cute little kids they were. Ashley had celebrated their 12th birthday, and invited all their famous actors and actresses. Frankly speaking, she had money now. Her mother would often come to visit us too. We were all on very good terms now. Mr McHugh and Aunt Jenny were sort of my parents now. Even though I lived  with Mummy and Father when we came from Rochestor, we would still go to visit them.

  A smile came on my lips again as I sank into sweet sleep.

 

 

"Throw it on her."

"No, no, she'll wake up."

  "We WANT her to wake up, Jake, come on, let me do it, this task is not for the light hearted."

"Light hearted? As if YOU are vey brave, Ash."

   I could hear whispering as