Page 150 of Forgotten Prejudice

“Listen up, buttercup—”

“Ugh, don’t call me that,” I hissed at Eiv while we both stood in the hospital parking lot, trying to look discreet.

“Why not? It’s cute,” he pouted, brows curved and eyes hiding behind dark sunglasses.

“Please focus.”

“Fine.” He looked over his shoulder, quickly scanning the ground before turning back to me. “I was only able to get you twenty minutes with him. So don’t waste them. I doubt we’ll get another chance.”

I nodded, well aware of how precious this limited access we had to Shay-Lee was. I had twenty minutes to convince him to give his testimony, which could win us the case.

“Let’s go.”

We parted paths as we agreed, and I began making my way to Shay-Lee’s floor. I was never one to care about breaking the rules or lying, but this time, my heart raced incredibly fast with the fear of getting caught. Thankfully, the elevator was empty when it arrived, and once the door closed, I leaned against the mirror and took deep breaths while I counted the floor’s buttons.

“And you know what good boys do? Good boys keep their mouths shut.”

My breath caught, and my blood ran cold. This was not the time or place to think about that, but ever since learning what Shay-Lee had been through, I couldn’t block away those memories from resurfacing.

The elevator stopped, and as the doors opened, I knew I had no choice but to step out, even if my guts were swirling. “Do your best, Soren,” I whispered to myself, then got out. I walked through the long hall until I reached the right room number, and just like Eiv had promised, the guard wasn’t there. Looking to my left and right, I pushed the door open, quickly closing it behind me.

The white room was bathed in sunlight, and it took my eyes a few seconds to adjust to the bright light. As soon as I was able to focus, I immediately looked at the bed placed in the center of the space and at the guy lying there, who looked nothing at all like the pictures I’d seen. Ignoring that his legs were in casts, the first change that stood out was his hair; while in all of his photos, he had long, golden hair that resembled the mane of a lion, now his head was shaved. It was probably because of the stitches that ran down the side of his skull, but it was certainly an unfortunate sight. Since he was staring out the window, I didn’t see his face, only the side of it. He seemed thin and pale, almost like the faintest gust of wind could break him.

I cleared my throat to get his attention, even though I was sure he’d noticed me already, then spoke. “Hello, Mr. Rogers, I’m Soren Dane. And I’m—”

“I know who you are,” he said, eyes still gazing out the window. “I’ve seen you on TV.”

A nervous smile crept to my lips. “Well, that will make it easier, I guess.” I looked around the room and spotted a chair by the window. “Mind if I sit there?” I asked. When he didn’t answer, I decided to go for it.

Sitting down, I was now able to see his face. And what I saw wasn’t the beautiful angel some described or the bully others feared, but a boy. A frightened boy who was living in an ongoing hell. It broke my heart, and I yearned to help him and Camilo in the same breath. Before the trial had started, my plan was to ruin Shay-Lee’s name in the process of getting Camilo vindicated, only to realize that one could never be free without the other. Those two were connected through their tragic fate and had no point in living in a world where the other didn’t exist.

“So if you know who I am, you also know why I’m here.”

“I’m not going to testify,” he said, his attention still focused on the window.

Curious to see what was so fascinating out there, I glanced over my shoulder. The view was of a small garden with some trees. It was pretty but nothing out of the ordinary.

Looking back at Shay-Lee, I leaned a bit closer. “You’re his last hope to get free, Shay-Lee.”

He said nothing, so I went on.

“Is that what you want? For him to spend the rest of his life in prison over a crime he didn’t commit? I’m sure it’s not the case because I know you love him.”

Finally, he turned to face me, his brilliant blue eyes locking with mine. The tears welling in the corners dried my throat, and I observed him with awe. So much pain was written on his young face, leaving me without words.

“He’ll kill him if I open my mouth,” he whispered, voice shivering.

“He’ll kill him either way, and you know it.”

Shay-Lee’s eyes widened, and he bit his lip before turning to face the window again. The sun’s rays made the tears flowing down his face look like glittering diamonds.

It’s heartbreaking how beautiful pain can be.

“I can help you.” I clenched my fists, which were resting on my knees. “I can help you get rid of him.”

He snorted, the sound so broken and twisted it made me pull back.

“Help me, huh? This foolish thought is why I’m here and he’s there.”