Today is another court day, hopefully the last. The only sad part is that if it is the last where does that leave me. We don't say a word while driving into the city. My nerves are getting to me and I feel like I am going to panic.

When I enter the court room, I am overwhelmed to see Storm there and when our eyes meet we both smile with tear filled eyes. We hug each other so tightly. I don't ever want to let go him go.

Our parents are also there but they don't bother to come over to us.

I am asked to go to the stand first. I repeat everything that I know about that night to the jury and to that lady lawyer who really gets to me. She always gives me this look as if I'm just a liar.

Then Mr. Dawson gets up and ask questions.

"Star we keep talking about the last night, but what about all those other nights. You know, what about that first night, that second night, the 5th, 10th, 50th what about all those nights?"

I look down; my hands are trembling so bad that I have to sit on them to keep them from moving.

"Star, can you prove to us that those nights with him, those nights are very real and they did in fact happen."

Now I know he also knows. I'm sure she told them and if she didn't then who? I don't want to answer the question. I don't want everyone here to see. This is no one's freaking business no one.

The judge looks over at me and states, "Please answer the question?"

I shake my head yes and then finally say, "Okay."

"Was that a yes, Star?"

"Yes!" I said again a little irritated.

"Will you please tell or show the jury?"

I shake my head no and all of a sudden I'm crying and practically hyperventilating, I can't breathe it hurts so bad.

Suddenly a voice emerges from the crowd and it's him, "Leave her alone, you are torturing her with all these questions. Find another way; don't make her do something that is going to hurt her more."

The judge hits the gavel several times. "Order in the court, order...who are you?"

"I'm Hayden, look she's been through so much, just don't make her do this."

"Attorneys please approach the bench," he orders.

He talk to them and then says aloud, "We are going to take a recess. Star you are excused to go with Mr. Dawson, we will return in fifteen."

When we get down the hall to the other room, Mr. Dawson is shaking his head and when he shuts the door behind me he starts with, "Star I know you don't want to do this but this is proof that he was hurting you. I don't know another way to make them understand and to believe. Please if you don't want to actually show them which I totally understand let's take pictures and they can see that way."

I want to say no so badly but I know it's the only way. "Can Mrs. Shaw take the pictures then." I'm still crying when he leaves the room to find her.

When she comes into the room, I thought she was going to say something but she holds it back.

"Just do it." I held up my shirt for her to take the pictures. She takes one from the front then the left side, then the right side and then one of my back. I close my eyes so I won't have to see her reaction again like the first time.

"I'm sorry Star. I'm sorry you have to relive all of this. I want you to know that I did not say anything and Mr. Shaw didn't either. The doctors at the hospital had to turn it in to the state."

"It's alright, I believe you; well let's get this over with." I pull my shirt back down and we both head back to the court room.

I'm back on the stand, yes again. They have the screen up for everyone to be able to see the pictures. I look away as Mr. Dawson describes what is being shown. There is no reason for me to look, it's not like I don't live with it every day.

"As you can see in this picture, this is a view of Star's stomach. There are several small round burn marks where Jackson Pruitt put out his cigarette on her. This was one of his many ways of punishment. One reason why she kept quiet and didn't want to tell anyone afraid of what he might do more to her." He changes the picture, "This is her right side and this one her is her left side. As you can see there are numerous one inch marks going all the way down on both sides. This was done by the use of a razor blade that he wore around his neck at all times. Each mark represents each time that he raped her. If we look at pictures of him he also has the same amount of marks however they are on his chest. This was his way of ownership, claiming her to be his property."

He throws up a picture for everyone to see Jackson's chest. I don't look at the screen. "And this last picture is of her back, where you will see more burn marks. Your honor, jury, look at these pictures this is not a girl who did this to herself. This is a girl who lived in hell for several years. She is a young girl whose life was basically taken away from her and her mother did nothing to protect her. I don't think her father ever knew about it because he did not live there and she was too scared to tell anyone."

My dad stands up abruptly and slams his fist into the railing in front of him. He all of a sudden is yelling at my moma, "You did this to our little girl, you're a drunk ass bitch! You will pay for this."

Moma stands up and yells back while crying, "I didn't know, I swear I didn't know he was abusing her; I swear I didn't know."

"Order, Order in the court!" the judge yells.

My dad looks at the judge and with frustration in his voice he says, "Your honor you can't tell me she didn't know something was going on, this is ridicules, dammit."

"Sir if you don't sit down and be quiet I will have you thrown out of here."

He doesn't say another word, instead he sits down and put his head in his hands, and starts running his fingers through his hair.

Mr. Dawson proceeds to talk. "Your honor we have all the proof we need to know that Mr. Jackson Pruitt did this to Star. In the picture that I showed you he is even wearing the razor on a chain. The guy was sick."

Everyone is looking at the pictures on display and making remarks under their breath. Some glance at the pictures then to me and then back to the pictures again.

"I know we just had a recess, but I think we need another one, please give the jury time to process this, we will be back in thirty minutes."

I watch as everyone gets up and leaves the courtroom. My dad stops me and hugs me like he has never hugged me before in my whole life.

I pull away from him, "Please don't touch me."

"Star, sweetie I'm so sorry, if I had known."

"If you had known...what? What would you have done?"

"I would have killed that bastard myself."

"Really dad, kinda late for that don't you think."

"Star!"

"No dad, please just don't. What happened happened alright. There is nothing you or anyone else in this world could have changed that. And please I don't need your pity so don't look at me like that."

He tries to touch me again and I scream. "Stop I said don't touch me."

Mr. Dawson stands next to me he looks at my dad and tells him, "Sir all due respect listen to your daughter. She doesn't want you or anyone for that matter to touch her. I'm sure you know why."

My dad looks down and back up at me. He is actually crying. "I'm sorry." And instead of leaving he sits right back down.

Then Storm come over to me and embraces me so hard but I don't say anything to him. He is crying on my shoulder. "Why didn't you tell me? I would have saved you a long time ago. I would have never let him hurt you."

"I know you would have helped, but then I thought he would hurt you or even kill you. But in the end you did save me, you did."

"I was there, I tried to fight him off but he hit me so hard and I feel backwards hitting my head."

"I know, but it's over now and we don't have to worry about him anymore alright, everything is going to be alright, I promise."

"Star let's get out of here for a few minutes, away from all of this." Mr. Dawson is holding me by arm, helping me navigate through the crowd.

In the hallway I see the Shaw's talking with Hayden. He is really upset. Mr. Shaw has his hand on his shoulder while Mrs. Shaw is hugging him. I know it's about me. I should have showed him last night. But I didn't know this was going to happen today.

He sees me looking at him. Our eyes lock on to each other. I want to say something to him but Mr. Dawson is still pulling me through the crowd down the hall. I will never forget the look in Hayden's eyes in that split moment. I feel like I lost him for good this time. He pulls away from Mrs. Shaw and moves so they are not touching him now and when I thought he was going to come my way he turns and runs like a bat out of hell out the front door.

I wish I could go after him, but I can't. In ten minutes I have to be back in the court room.

After a few more hours and hearing Storm's confession the jury finds Storm and I were protecting ourselves and we will not serve any time for killing him. If Jackson was still alive he would have been found guilty of multiple child abuse on the four of us and statutory rape of a minor on numerous accounts. My dad was only found guilty of not paying child support over the years. My mom on the other hand has to serve twenty years. Five years for each of us for child neglect and then another five years for being aware of Jackson abusing her children and she did nothing to protect us. They also terminate her parental rights to the four of us. If she has good behavior she may get out a little early, so the least she will serve is twelve years.

So as you can figure out all parental rights were given to our dad. As if he even really wants us. But we have till this weekend to move in with him. Which gives me only two days to be with the Shaws and with Hayden.