Below is a sneak peek of a new unedited chapter that I have for TUTW (Tears Upon The Window), I'm about 1/3 done with fixing bugs, lengthening chapters, adding and deleting things, and getting this book ready to be marked as completed. The possibility of a sequel from Noah's point of view during the time he was alive or another point of view from a different character or Gwen is about 40% not even. So here we go:

I woke, covered in sweat. It was a dream about that night again, the night that Noah and I had snuck out. It's not like we did anything bad, but just the thought of that night and all the memories was terrifying. Not to mention that Noah wasn't there, I couldn't call him and explain the dream. He couldn't comfort me just like he couldn't edit anymore of Dervik's music. So much had happened due to Noah's death. Mom and Dad's divorce became final, Dervik stopped making music, the band broke up, I lost the good friends I had, Noah's sibling had committed suicide, and I missed my best friend. Sometimes we don't realize what we had until it's gone. Maybe just maybe if I actually checked the weather conditions then we wouldn't have gone climbing and Noah wouldn't have gotten hurt. Or maybe if the ropes were double-checked, his life could have been saved that way. There were so many what-ifs that I could spend days thinking them all up and blaming myself for each and every one.

There was a knock on the door, one of the teachers peeked her head in, "Hi. I just wanted to let you know that the trial is starting soon, so you'll need to come down." Right. I'd forgotten. There was a trial to goto, Rosie's parents had decided that their daughter having almost died at, apparently, my hands should have a trial. They were suing and trying to put me in jail to 'cure the world' of my 'crazed terrorist attacks on America's children'. They decided that contacting Noah's parents would be a great thing to do and so Noah's parents had finally decided to do something regarding legal action.

"What's wrong? Are you not ready? Why are you still in your pajamas? C'mon, I'll help you." She walked over and helped me dress in my courtroom best and gently brushed out my hair
"My mother never did things like this."
"What do you mean?"
"Helped me dress, pick out my clothes, brush my hair, and all those things that normal happy mothers and daughters do."
"Not all 'normal' mothers and daughters do those things, besides everyone has a different definition of normal."
"Then my version of normal is this, something I've never had."
"My version of it is... Well, I take it back, there's no such thing as 'normal' there is only unique."
"Miss. Mary Anna?"
"Yes?"
"What if they find me guilty?" I choked out the words I had been dreading
"Make them realize that, no matter how much money the MacDonalles' throw at the jury, judge, or lawyers, you are not guilty and nothing did was on purpose or your fault- they were out of your control."
"Still."

The driver opened the door and I got into the small car, Miss. Mary Anna getting in on the other side. We drove in silence towards the courtroom just a mile away from the outskirts of the nearest town. The trial was moved to a half-way point between the boarding school I go to now and my old town. The MacDonalles' didn't really like the compromise but as long as I was rid from the Earth, I suppose it was okay. We pulled up to the doors of the courthouse, there weren't as big of a crowd as I thought there would be but then again I don't want this broadcasted all over the place. Miss. Mary Anna got out while the driver opened my door, she led me through the photographers, several newscasters, bloggers, and a huge crowd that showed up from both my town and the one where the trial was being held. "Gwen! Gwen! How do you feel about this trial?"
"Are you guilty?"
"Gwen!"
"Keep walking forward Gwen, ignore them." Miss. Mary Anna calmly reassured me and steered me towards the doors but it was hard since the crowd of people were pushing up against us
"How do you feel about all this?"
Awful.
I felt awful.

"Is it true you almost killed your uncle when you visited him in Hawaii?"
I stopped and turned, looking for the person who spoke, "Who said that?"
"Gwen, the trial." Miss. Mary Anna spoke, rubbing her head from when I stopped and she ran into me
"No, who said that?" I turned around looking for the person again, the various people there took this opportunity to shoot questions or yell at me
"Gwen, let's go." She led me forward again and we finally entered the courtroom.

Some of the most important people in town were allowed to be in the courtroom including the town consul and a couple people that Rosie convinced/begged her parents to let them join in on the fun. One of these people was Kiera. I hadn't seen her in such a long time she looked really drained, depressed, stressed out, and just bad in general. Rosie couldn't look even more from the opposite, she was radiant, glowed, and had a surplus of grace that wasn't there when I last saw her. Then again she was in a hospital bed last time I saw her and those flatter no one.
I walked towards the defense's side of the courtroom and took a seat, Miss. Mary Anna sat behind me, giving me the moral support that my parents should be giving me. The only family members that showed up were Alan, Dervik, and Aunt Lou.

The lawyer that was supposedly on my side shuffled some papers and started talking to Miss. Mary Anna. I slouched in my chair and waited for this stupid trial to start, closing my eyes I heard someone clear their throat. Opening them, I saw Rosie. She looked at my expectantly, "Yes?"
"Gwendolyn. Pleasure to see you again." She extended a dainty hand of which I just stared at, then slowly retracted her hand to her side, and cleared her throat. "Anyway, I hope there's no hard feelings regarding this trial today. It won't last really all that long. Then everything will all be back to normal, well except you'll be in jail for life and I'll be continuing my fabulous life."
"Rosie what do you want?" I asked tiredly
"It's Roselyn please."
"Yea, I'm not saying that. What do you want?"
"Well I want the one thing I don't already have. We all know what that is, do we not?"
"Yea, completely lost me."
"You're such a twat Gwen."
"Get lost Rosie."
"You really aren't helping the problem here are you?"
"The problem isn't the problem, Rosie. The problem is your attitude about the problem."
She turned back towards the plaintiff side of the court and left in a huff, "Just you wait, you'll get what's coming to you- what you deserve."

"Who was that?" Miss. Mary Anna asked after Rosie had left
"The MacDonalles' bitchy kid."
"That's not nice at all Gwen."
"It's true! She acts all high and mighty when she's such a- a- a jerk!"
"Okay, just calm down enough to give a testament and to be able to be calm during the trial. I'll be right here."

"All rise for the honorable Judge Marshall."  We rose and then sat as soon as the judge allowed. I glanced over at Rosie to see her playing on her phone, which was technically illegal. "Now let us commence with the trial. Plaintiff, your opening statement."
One of the many lawyers around Rosie and her family stood and walked over to face the jury. He began his opening statement, "Repeat killers are rarely a rarity in todays society, the thing that keeps them on the street is no one standing up and prosecuting them. This girl here," he pointed to me, "in the black lace dress, is one of those people. Not only was she the last person to see her first victim alive and walking but she could have cut the rope holding him to his Earthly being. Then, she continued this spree of killings attempting the murder of this young lady here," he pointed to Rosie, "in the white pleated dress, and soon after the attempted murder of her own family member." He continued his little speech and I bit my tongue- half the things he was saying he wasn't saying them right. None of those were intentional, I'd never kill anyone. Ever.

My lawyer looked at me sympathetically and stood to give his opening statement, "Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, please look towards this young girl in the black lace dress. Does this girl look like she's capable of killing anything nevertheless her best friends or family member? She is not able of doing so. All that has been told to you has been in the negative light and one-sided. Please listen closely during this trial and you will see that none of these were intentional nor would Gwendolyn hurt anything or anyone intentionally. Gwendolyn is a wonderful girl who is just dealing with those hard teenage years, all that has been heard of her story has been through negative media, negative townspeople, and even negativity from her family. As you can see there are not a lot on Gwendolyn's side, but we are the side that knows both sides- not just the negative but the positive as well. Please give Gwendolyn a chance to share her side before you make any decisions towards this case or towards who she is as a person. More often than not, you will find that she is a strong independent woman who just needs a friend in the world."
Boy was he right.