Free Black Rainbow by J.J. McAvoy Page B

I being kicked out of your class?”
    She was too close to me.
    “No.”
    “We were able to get in touch with Mr. Archibald, he’ll be here in a few hours,” Atticus informed me, bursting with pride.
    “Raymond, take our eager young friend to go pick up Mr. Archibald, and babysit him at all times. If he so much as goes near an airport, tackle him.”
    I saw the small grin Atticus shot Thea, and the glare in her eyes as he left. They were already in full out war, which only made things better for me.
    “The rest of you, pack up and go home. I expect to see you all in the morning, looking less zombified, if possible,” I told them.
    They all sighed in relief, packing up their discarded coats and jackets, shoes, books, and papers. The press had gone home for the evening, so our exit was significantly easier than our entry had been.
    I watched as Thea waited at the curb for a taxi, even though my car was already here.
    “Get in,” I called to her, holding the door open.
    “That’s not a good idea.”
    “It’s about the case, now get in,” I said firmly.
    She looked me over like she didn’t believe me, and rightly so. I only partially believed it myself.
    “Is your car at the office?”
    “I took a cab,” she replied.
    Nodding, I turned to my driver and gave him her address. She reluctantly walked over and climbed into the back seat, sitting as far away as she could from me, as though I had some sort of contagious disease.
    “You shouldn’t have spoken to him.”
    She sighed. “I know, I’m sorry, I just saw him sitting there playing video games, and I lost my cool.”
    “It’s fine,” I said, “but only because you got something I can use out of it. If you hadn’t, no apology would have been able to help you.”
    Her head whipped back to me so quickly I was surprised that she didn’t hurt herself.
    “You’re going to use Hector?”
    “Yes. What other choice do I have? Richard’s screwed if I don’t.”
    “He doesn’t want to drag his friend through the mud. If you do this, he will hate you.”
    “Believe me, I will survive just fine. I’m his lawyer, not his friend. His parents are paying me to keep him out of jail, so that’s what I’m going to do. His personal feelings mean nothing to me.”
    “Levi, you know what will happen if you do this—”
    “Yes, he will return to high school, and never touch drugs again.”
    “Not that!” she yelled. “Every black activist in America will use him as the poster boy for injustice in the legal system. Hector’s parents will get on every station claiming that their son, their dead son , was put on trial for one mistake. This will not be the end of it, and I’m sure Richard won’t run from drugs, but run to it, or at the very least, alcohol, to help him block out the fact that he not only betrayed is best friend, twice, but that the world now hates him because of it. He will self-destruct, and when it happens, everyone will point and say that’s what he gets.”
    I fought back a smile. “I thought you wanted him in jail,” I said, “yet here you are; defending him.”
    She sat back, crossing her arms. “Your plan is stupid.”
    “Harvard education right here,” I said. “My plan will give us a win.”
    “What’s the point of winning if you don’t help anyone? What’s the point of it if you only make things worse?” she muttered, opening the door as we pulled up to her house.
    She didn’t even look at me as we exited the car and I walked her to her door.
    “Fine,” I said.
    She stopped, turning back, “Fine?”
    “We won’t throw Hector under the bus.”
    “So what will you do?”
    “I’m going to hold a press conference—well, no, you’re going to hold a press conference, with Richard.”
    Her mouth dropped open, “I’m going to do what now?”
    “Tomorrow afternoon, you will sit by Richard as he apologizes to everyone he has offended , and as he states that he never meant for anyone to get hurt. Then, you will say how