"I'm so nervous." Terri sighed, pacing the black and white tiled floor.
"Honey, don't worry. All you are is a witness now." AJ told her, holding her shoulders so she was looking at him. "As well as my fiancée." He added with a grin. It was January 10th, and the two had only been engaged for about 16 days.
"Oh, I love you." Terri sighed and embraced him.
"Love you too."
"Why did they have to put it off until now. They could've just had it in October like they had originally planned." Becca said, sitting in a chair beside Brian.
"Don't worry, it starts in a few minutes. And the reason it was put off was because of new evidence." Brian told her, squeezing her hand. Ten minutes later the group met with Heather, who would be the prosecuting attorney against Nancy, Andy's trial would be later.
"Ok, all you all have to do is stay calm. They might try to make it look like you could've done it, don't let them get to you, alright?" Heather asked them.
"No problem." Lexi replied, letting out a shaky breath.
"Ok, let's go in." Heather announced, walking into the courtroom.
"Prosecution may call its first witness." The judge announced after the opening statements had been made.
"Prosecution would like to call adverse witness Mr. Andrew Stroh." Heather announced. Andy walked over to the bailiff who swore him in, and then he took his seat. "Mr. Stroh, please state your name to the jury."
"Andrew Stroh."
"Mr. Stroh, what is your relation to my client, Ms. Gunn."
"Your honor I object, irrelevant." Andy's lawyer, Mr. Smith, spoke.
"Your honor I am simply trying to state the relation that Ms. Nancy Warrick may have to the victim and Ms. Gunn, therefor her motive." Heather replied.
"Over ruled."
When Andy was up there, Heather basically stated that he had a criminal record, that Nancy was his girlfriend, and that Jonathan and Terri had screwed him over a few times.
The defense had no questions. Next up was Nancy.
"Ms. Warrick, please state your name and occupation for the jury." Heather asked her.
"My name is Nancy Warrick, and I work at Fair Fax Hospital as a nurse." She replied nervously.
"Ms. Warrick, would you be able to get a hold of peoples files?" Heather asked.
"I object, leading the witness."
"Sustained, please rephrase your question." The judge asked Heather, she nodded and spoke.
"Ms. Warrick, do you have access to files on people?" She asked.
"Yes ma'am."
"What is your relation to Mr. Stroh?" Heather asked.
"He's my boyfriend." She replied, her eyes darting around nervously.
"Do you know about his past?" Heather questioned.
"Yes."
"So you know how the victim and Ms. Gunn have relation to him?" Heather asked.
"Yes."
"Did his past with the two make you angry at them?" Heather asked.
"Objection, leading the witness." Smith called out.
"Sustained." The judge agreed.
"How did you feel about the past Mr. Stroh had, in relation to the victim and Ms. Gunn?" Heather asked.
"I was angry, I guess you could say."
"What was the affect of what had happened?"
"We were barely scraping by. Most of my income had to go to paying of drug bills, and Andy couldn't get a job." Nancy replied.
Half an hour later Terri was called up. AJ gave her hand a squeeze before she proceeded up to the stand to be sworn in. She was and then took her seat.
"Ms. Gunn, what was your relation to the victim?" Heather asked.
"He was an ex-boyfriend."
"How long had it been since you had talked to him?" Heather questioned.
"Two years." Terri replied. Three hours later the trial was almost at an end, and the jury was being escorted back into the room.
"Has the jury reached its verdict?" The judge asked.
"Yes, your honor," The foreman began, "We the jury find the defendant, Nancy Warrick guilty on charges of first degree murder and obstruction of justice." The girls and guys nearly jumped out of their seats screaming for joy, but held themselves.
"A sentence hearing will be held three weeks from this Friday on the 6th of February." The judge announced. "Court adjourned."
"Yes!" The group cheered softly, hugging each other, and Heather.
"Heather, you are an angel! You did it!" Becca exclaimed hugging her.
"Nah, you all did it. You found the evidence that we needed." She replied with a smile.
"Well, I still think you were awesome today! Thanks!" Amber exclaimed.
"No problem." She beamed.
Later that week Terri was out with the girls looking at bridesmaids' dresses and wedding dresses.
"Ooh, look at this." Lexi exclaimed, looking at a lilac dress that was a low back, square bust line, and a high waist, but still form fitting.
"Wow! That's be perfect for an afternoon wedding!" Amber agreed.
"Here, let me snap a picture." Terri told them, whipping out her Polaroid camera. She looked around to make sure no one was watching (other than the girls) and flashed the picture immediately putting the camera and picture in her back pack.
"Hey, look over here." Becca announced, only a few feet away. The girls walked over to her, where she was looking at some beautiful wedding dresses.
"Wow." Terri muttered as she looked at them wide-eyed. She was looking through them when she found the perfect one! It was pure white with spaghetti straps, a square bust line, and a low 'v-waist.' About every three and a half inches on the straps there was a little white ribbon rose, and right under the bust there was a band of material, exactly like the strap with the roses. The dress itself was satin and the skirt fell down to the ankle area.
"Oh my God, that is gorgeous!" Amber exclaimed as Terri held it up.
"Try that one on!" Erin told her.
"Ok." Terri agreed. "Help me find a size 6." She told them, and Lexi was the first one to find it, and it was the only one. "Thank you." Terri told her as she took it and walked to the dressing room. A few minutes later Terri came out with the dress on to show the girls.
"Get that one!" Lexi told her as she turned for them to see the back. In the back, which they hadn't noticed before, there were straps of material like the arm straps and the band under the bust that hung down from the seem where the skirt met the torso material.
"You look awesome." Becca told her truthfully.
"Do you think it shows too much cleavage?" Terri asked, biting her lip. It did show a little, but not much, but it definitely wasn't enough to discourage buying it.
"Nah!" The girls told her. She went back in and smiled, knowing that this was the dress she wanted. It was simple, yet elegant. Now all she needed was shoes and a veil.
"Terri, you looked so awesome in that dress!" Amber exclaimed as she came out.
"You really did! How much is it?" Lexi asked her.
"Only $500 dollars." Terri beamed, which was awesome for a wedding dress, especially one that nice. "I love sales."
"What about shoes, a veil, and the bridesmaids dresses?" Becca asked her.
"I'll see if the have what I'm looking for here. I may not even want a real veil. Maybe I'll just get my hair done and put baby's breath and some other small flowers in it." She thought.
"The white flowers would look awesome against your hair." Erin thought aloud.
"Hey, maybe that is what I'll do, and then you all can have flowers that match your dresses in your hair!" Terri exclaimed.
"That would be beautiful." Becca exclaimed, imagining the picture.
"Where is the wedding going to be, did you all decide?" Lexi asked as they headed over to the bridesmaids' dresses again.
"Yeah, it's going to be on the beach at my dad's summer place." Terri exclaimed with a grin, "How beautiful will that be?" Lexi exclaimed, "I want to get married now…" she sighed.
"Don't talk to us, talk to Nick." Amber replied. "Hey, if it is on the beach, what shoes will you wear?" she asked puzzled.
"None. I'm going to take white acrylic paint and paint a cool design on my feet and get rhinestone body jewels and put them on the design in whatever way. The shoes will just be for leaving for the honey moon and the first couple dances, which will be slow." Terri explained.
"I want to get married too." Amber sighed dreamily.
"I think we all do." Becca laughed.
"Hey, look at this dress!" It was a pale sea green and the torso was exactly like Terri's wedding dress, but the bottom never cut off into a skirt, it just kept going, making it look umpire style, and form fitting. "It's gorgeous, and a lot like Terri's." Erin exclaimed.
"Do you all like it?" Terri asked, looking at it excitedly.
"Love it!" the girls replied unanimously.
"This is it then! This is the dress you'll wear!" Terri exasperated. "Find your size and go try it on." The girls did so and all of them came out at about the same time. "You all look so good!" And they did, their curvy figures looked awesome in the dresses.
"Hello?" Terri called into the house. "AJ, you home, hon?"
"Up here!" AJ called back. Terri walked up the stairs and made her way towards the extra bedroom silently, making sure she wasn't noticed. She took her dress and slipped it in the back of the closet and locked it, setting the key in her pocket.
"Hey loser, have you been watching TV all day?" Terri asked as she walked in. AJ was on the bed eating milk duds and watching Pulp Fiction.
"Not all day, and don't call me a loser." AJ replied as Terri climbed under the covers with him.
"Why not?" She asked as he stuffed his mouth full of milk duds again.
"Because-…" He tried to speak, but there were too many milk duds in his mouth. He put his index finger up so that she would wait for him to speak as she laughed at him.
"See, that's why I call you a loser." She replied, nuzzling against his chest.
"You know what? Shush. I don't wanna hear it." He replied sarcastically. Terri laughed again and held him tighter.
"I'm cold." She whispered and pretended to shiver. She wasn't really, but that was a great way to get him to cuddle. He set down the milk duds and pulled her closer, rubbing her arms.
"I'll fix that up." He told her as they both got comfy. "How'd shopping go?" He asked after a moment.
"Pretty good. I got my dress." She beamed.
"And when do I get to see it?" He asked, rubbing her cheek lightly with his thumb.
"On April 24." She replied.
"Why must I wait?" He groaned.
"Don't whine. Cause that is the day of the wedding, and you aren't supposed to see the dress 'til then." Terri replied. "You want to play basketball?" She asked him, looking up at him. He looked down at her laughed.
"You actually think I'm gonna leave my warm bed and milk duds to play basketball?" he asked her with a chuckle.
"Shut up." She replied and rested her head back on his chest, falling asleep.
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