Free Black Rainbow by J.J. McAvoy Page A

wanted to tell me a secret.
    I leaned down and she whispered, “The pretty lady is upstairs with Richie.”
    “Thank you.” I petted her head before rushing up the stairs.
    Damn you Thea. At least I have reason to fire you now.
    “You spoiled, little, rich, brat,” I heard her snap at who could only be Richard.
    “Excuse me? Do you know who you’re talking to?”
    “Yes I do, a spoiled, little, rich, brat,” she repeated, enunciating each word.
    “I can have you fired!” he screamed at her.
    “Go ahead, but before you do, use your brain for just a moment. The only reason you’re sitting up here playing video games is because you said you have nothing to worry about, right? I mean, you have the great and all-powerful Levi Black on your case.”
    “Yeah, so what? He’s never lost case, so why should I be bothered? This will all be over in a week, two weeks, tops.”
    “Levi Black is an amazing defense attorney, but he’s not God. Even he can’t stop the people from loathing your guts. That’s why he brought me here, because I personally believe you should spend a few years behind bars. It would do people like you some good. My job is to see every reason why the state wants to throw you away, and find a counter for it. And so far, your lack of remorse, your inability to comprehend your own situation, and your superiority complex, will be the death of you. I truly hoped that I was wrong about you. I’d hoped that it was all just a stereotype I’d formed in my head, but sadly, you are worse than I imagined. So please, go ahead and have me fired, you’ll only be adding another nail to your coffin kid. And me? I’ll get to go home.”
    “So you’re just going to give up? What type of crack lawyer are you?”
    “What kind of human being are you? Two of your friends died, in your house—”
    “Don’t you think I know that?” he snapped. “Just because I’m not sobbing all over the place, or cutting my wrists, doesn’t mean I don't know. I didn’t even want the stupid pills, but everyone stopped coming to my parties because I wasn’t fun enough . Hector was the one who told me where to get the pills from in the first place!”
    “Richard, why didn’t you say that?” She dashed out of the room, only to run right into me, sending us both sprawling unto the ground.
    Once again, I could feel every curve of her, and I fought the urge to hug her to me. But all too soon, she was gone.
    “Oh my God, I’m so sorry, Mr. Black.”
    “Never mind that,” I sighed, standing back up.
    Turning to Richard, who looked more like his father than his mother, with his pale skin and dark eyes, I addressed him, “You said Hector, the boy that died, was the one who told you where to get the pills?”
    “Don’t use that,” Richard said quickly.
    He was insane.
    “Are you insane?” Thea asked him.
    If it was any other day, and we didn’t have the history we had, I would have laughed.
    “You guys hear what they’re saying in the news, right?” he whispered, taking a seat on his bed. “Hector was my best friend. We played little league together, and he always let me win because he knew my dad hated it when I lost. He was an honor roll student, he was the star basketball player, what do you think would happen, if we say that my black, best friend, told me where to get the drugs from?”
    “That’s why you never said anything?” Thea whispered.
    “I’m not an idiot, Hector was a good person, and I don’t want people to remember him as some drug pimp… and I don’t want his family to hate me anymore than they already do. So please, don’t use that angle.”
    “Is everything alright?” Mrs. Archibald came up behind us, and Richard’s eyes went wide.
    “We were just going over some details. But we’re done now, thank you,” I said turning, making sure that Thea followed as well.
    “Am I fired?” she asked, when got to the end of the hall.
    “You don’t work for me, you're my student.”
    “Then, am