SandScript 2020

was wearing nice jeans and had taken the
diamond stud out of his ear that morning.
“It’s important that you keep the
story straight,” the attorney explained.
“Justin says it wasn’t his and he didn’t sell it.
We can work with that. Don’t change—”
“It was Toby. Of course it was Toby,”
Mom said. “Look at him.”
She was also pretending, Steve
thought. Pretending like she cared about
Justin, about any of them. “Okay. Then I
recommend you make a confession and
we’ll move on from there. You will be tried
as an adult because you are over the age of
eighteen.”
Steve was terrified. His eyes darted
between the attorney’s hands gesturing and
the linoleum covered table.
“I’m gonna be fine. It’s my first
offense. They won’t put me in jail for
something stupid like this,” Toby stated.
“It’s hard to say. If you cooperate
with the police, plead guilty, it will be on
your record and you still might go to prison.
Possession with intent to sell is a felony
here.”
Prison. Steve stopped listening
and let the word roll around his head.
The meeting went on for another fifteen
minutes, but Steve was long gone. He only
realized the conversation was over when
Toby laid a hand on his shoulder.
“Take care of Stevie, Justin. You hear
me?”
*
The courtroom was stuffy.
Connie Nicholson
Youth Mariachis
Painting, Oil on Board, 6 3/4”x11 3/4”
VISUAL ART
101