"Oh, Annie, you're growing up so fast," Mother said proudly, "Now you have even appeared in court!"
That was not something for you to be proud of, Mother!
Gloria was at court, dressed like a diminutive businesswoman in her dark blue jacket, matching skirt and white collared-shirt. The session, the one where she had been called to testify, had just ended. In addition to recounting her version of the events on the night of the fund-raiser, she had been asked about her friends' characters.
She had described Sabine as a friend, someone who had helped her with her studies. Did she trust Sabine? Yes.
Connie had been someone that she had talked to in school. Gloria had not mention what she had heard from Annie about her, that they had not really been friends, that they had been trying to take advantage of each other. She had not been certain if it was true. Did she trust Connie? Not completely.
Then she had been prompted to answer with either yes or no, only. She had given the redhead an apologetic look and indicated the negative. Connie had glared icy daggers at her.
Gloria had gathered from the morning's proceedings that her friends had slipped whiskey into those mixed juices that she had been drinking that night. It had been the cab driver who had kidnapped Gloria, done all those things to her and took photos as souvenir. It had been alleged that her friends knew the cab driver.
Out there in the corridor of the courthouse, Gloria saw Sabine emerge from the courtroom to stand a few paces away, looking in her direction. The plump girl was nervous, torn between wanting to talk and wanting to bolt away. The middle-aged couple that came out after her must be her parents. The father's expression was grim, the mother's was sad.
Hearing a sudden snarl, Gloria looked back over her shoulder.
"That's the girl who hurt my baby!?" Mother growled.
Father firmly gripped her arm while Gloria immediately stepped in her way, holding her back.
"Let me go!" Mother insisted, flailing an arm in the direction of the plump girl.
Father refused. He glanced down at Gloria. "You want to talk to her, right?"
Gloria nodded. "Yeah."
"Go. I'll keep Mum away." Father dragged his wife kicking and screaming down the corridor and round the corner.
When she was sure that her parents were gone, Gloria turned and stepped towards Sabine.
"You're all right," Sabine observed quietly, "When you got hit by that car, I thought..."
"I'm okay." Gloria gave an encouraging smile. "It wasn't a serious accident. What were you doing running down the road, by the way?"
"I was running from Papa." Sabine glanced over her shoulder at her parents. "I was just in court and... Papa was scolding me."
Gloria realized that the courthouse they were in was not very far from Mack and Chee's.
Just then she heard a shout. Gloria turned back to see that Mother had reappeared at the corner, spewing threats. Then Father caught her and took her away again.
Mother... sigh!
When Gloria faced her friend again, she saw that the plump girl was a bit shaken and her eyes were wide.
"Don't worry about Mother," Gloria told her. She led Sabine to a nearby bench where they sat together.
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