Waiting to Die

Electra, who her friends call L, was your typical white 15-year-old freshman. Will was a 17-year-old black guy. He was a senior at Hexon High School; L attended it too, in Boston, Massachusetts. The two had only a couple things in common. One is being that they were both athletes. And the other being that they were in love. NOT LUST, but LOVE. They would die for each other. Will was a gangster. He was a gangster of the cribs. L knew he was in the gang but it didn't matter. She would love him no matter what. He still loved her even though her parents hated him. She would not give him up. So her parents had to live with the fact that she was dating some one out of her own race. One Night would change both of their lives. Something bad was about to happen.

One night L and Will went to chill with the gang. They were all just hanging out and laughing. All of a sudden another gang "the nites" came up in cars shooting at the cribs. Everyone jumped behind something. Will grabbed L, put her behind the dumpster and told her to stay there. L said, "Will, where are you goin?" He replied, "To defend us from then nites. I'll be right back baby. I promise." He kissed her on the lips and ran out shooting. L just had to look. She began to watch and she saw a figure come from behind will with a gun. She shouted, "Will, WATCH OUT!" in her loudest voice possible. He turned around and shot T-Monty, the leader of the nites, right between the eyes. Every one turned around at the shot of the gun. The nites came over and one said, " I can't believe you killed him fool, your gonna die!" Will looked on with shock. L ran out to him and said, "Oh my gosh. He's dead." She started to cry. Will embraced her close and tightly. He stood over the body not saying anything. L knew he was terrified.
All of a sudden that gangster said, "Lets go nites. I'm the new leader. You watch your back Will. You never know what will happen next, fool." The nites went to there cars and pulled away. The cribs ran too. L said, "Will what are we going to do now." "WE'RE not going to do anything L. You’re going to go home and do nothing. I'll take care of this myself." Will replied. She said, "No, I'm going to help you because..." "NO! your going to go home, L" he interrupted, "Your not getting involved in this. Just go home and if anyone asks you anything just say you don't know anything. I don't want you to get hurt L. I would torture myself if anything happened to you." L says, "but I want to help you Will. Ple.." "L, no please just go home." he interrupted again. She said, "Okay, Will if you think it's the best thing. I'll catch a cab." "I love you." they say to each other and then kiss. L gets home safely. Will does too.

The next day at school L and Will are in gym class when the police came in. One of the cops said, "Excuse me we are looking for a person by the name of William Michael Dalton. We were told we could find him here." The gym teacher said pointing to Will, "Well, sir, he is right over there." The police came up to him and said, "William Michael Dalton, you are under arrest for the murder of Tone Monty Carlson (T-Monty). You have the right to remain silent..............................." Will looked right at L and said, "I'll talk to you later baby." L started to cry. Her best friends, Alia and Alli, came to comfort her. The rest of the day L could not concentrate on anything. She couldn't even stay with the moment in her favorite class, Lunch. When the last bell of the day rang she burst out of class down the hall and out the door to catch a cab to the Dalton's house. When she arrived she ran through the door not even knocking. She said, "What happened to Will? Where is he? Tell me! Tell me!" "Calm down L, honey" Said Lori, Will's Mom. "Will is at the Boston Police Department. We can go to see him at 3:30, when he's done in questioning. Well it's 3:20, we should probably leave now. Let's get in the car L" L did what Lori said even though her crying was taking away her breath.
They reached the police station a few minutes later. They walked through the door, L walked up to the secretary, and said, "Where is my Will?" "Excuse me. Who are you looking for?" she replied. Jacob, Will's dad, said, "We are looking for William Michael Dalton. We were told that we could see him at 3:30." The secretary replied, "Yes, this officer will escort you to a booth, but only one can go at a time." "You go first sweetheart." Jacob said to his wife. She went back and came back 30 minutes later and the same with Jacob. Now it was L's turn to go talk to Will. When she got to the booth Will looked like he was in a daze. L said, "Will, are you okay?" He said, "Yeah, baby, I'm just fine. How about you?"
L could tell he was hiding something, but she left it alone.
"Alright I guess. What happened? Why did you get arrested?"
"Remember that nite that said 'watch your back'. Well he came to the police and told them that I shot T-Monty for no good reason."
"And they believed him?"
"I guess they did."
"Well, did you tell them that it was self-defense?"
"I did and they said 'We will see about that'. I don't think they believe me. I have my trial the day after tomorrow."
"I'm coming to it."
"No! You can't come. Just go to school and don't worry about me because..."
"NO! I AM COMING AND I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU SAY THIS TIME!"
"Okay, I'm not going to stop you this time. But don't do anything you will regret baby."
“I promise I won’t, Will.”
They continued to talk for an hour and then the guard said, "I'm sorry you two, but your time is up."
"Thank you ma'am" said L.
"Bye L. I love you."
"Bye Will. I love you too."
They put their hands up to the metal screen then L turned and left.
When she got back into the waiting room Mr. and Mrs. Dalton were crying. L asked, "Why are you guys crying? Is Will going to be all right?" "Oh," Mr. Dalton stuttered, "he's going to be fine." L again knew they were hiding something, but she left it alone too. They left the police station, got in the car, and dropped L off at home.

The next day L had her mom drop her off at school. Will had usually taken her, but he couldn't today. L's day went slow and it was boring with out Will. When she went by Mr. Klien's office, the principal, he called her into his office. Mr. Klien said, "L, I know your going through a hard time now and I can understand that. I know that you like Will very much." "Love." she interrupted. "Excuse me." said Mr. Klien. She replied, "I love Will." "Yes, anyway," he continued. "If you have any problems at all feel free to go talk to the guidance councilor, Mr. Oplan. We just.." The secretary walked in while Mr. Klien was talking and said, "Mr. Klien, so do you want me to tell the Boston Police Department that you will not ask them to repel the death penalty?" He again stuttered saying,"Uh," But L interupted him, "WHAT! They might put Will to the death penalty. They haven't even tried him yet."
"They have convicted him in a trial earlier thins morning. His sentencing is tomorrow. They have decided on the death penalty as an option, but are not sure yet. We thought you already knew Electra."
"NO! I didn't know that. And if they do put him to the death penalty it's your entire fault too. You could save him now, but no. You’re just a stupid-no-good-for-nothing-selfish principal. I don't even want to know why you won't ask them to repel it!" L said with a very angry yet sad tone.
L ran out of his office crying. She did not bother to sign out but just ran out of the school building doors to find a cab to the Police station.
Once she arrived at the police station she ran to the desk and said, "Will Dalton, I have to speak to him." "Just one moment please." the receptionist said. "Yes, I'm sorry his trial got pushed up. So he is in trial now. Recess should just be getting over. If you hurry to courtroom C you might manage to get in the doors before the close. But you must hurry." L ran to the room the receptionist had pointed to. The doors were beginning to close but she managed to stop the guard from closing them so she could get in. Her entrance did not go unnoticed. It was a rather loud entrance actually. Everyone in the room looked at her including Will. She took a seat right behind Will beside Mr. and Mrs. Dalton. Will looked at her and smiled.
The trial lasted for several more hours than she expected, that she had sat nervously though listening to every word being spoken. When it was time for the punishment verdict L, stood up, along with the rest of the people, and stood very nervous. The judge stood and said, "The jury has reached a verdict. Their verdict says, 'We the jury her by sentence William Michael Dalton to the death penalty, which will take place in one week from today at 12 noon'" The audience gasped. L fell down to the ground crying and almost forgetting to breathe. Will looked at her and L knew that he was still looking so she looked at him too. Will had a few tears in his eyes. L could tell he was scared to death and meant that literally. L got up very quick when the police began to take him away. She jumped over the little gate thing and ran right to him. She embraced him tight and he did so back. The guards had to pry the apart. L would still not let go without a fight. Finally after trying for a little while the police got them apart.
L looked with fright in her eyes as they took Will away from her. She was too afraid to move. Too afraid to breathe. And too afraid to think about what would happen next. She was still standing in the court when every had gone. L finally walked out of the courtroom still stunned.
She was walking down the street and stopped at the bridge that Will had taken her to almost every day. She remembered how after a long day in life of a gangster, he would take her there and let his tough guy guard down. They would go there and talk about anything and everything on their minds. They were usually there for about an hour. When they ran out of things to talk about they would sit there and just cuddle up close and look at the stars. L finally flashed back to the present. She got up and looked over her right shoulder, where she usually found Will. Then it set in. Will was not there.

As the next seven days pasted, she did not attend school. She went to the jail every single day for three hours. On the day of his penalty, which happened to be a Sunday, she went to the receptionist and said, "Hi, Amy. Can I see Will?" She said. She had become somewhat of friends over the days Will had been in prison. "Actually you can see and touch him. You see when someone is put to the death penalty, They are entitled to what we call "A Final Good-Bye". What happens is the criminal’s mom, dad, siblings, husband or wife, children, and a person of their choice gets to be in a room with them all at one time for four hours. There are no guards or restrictions on what they do. Oh wait they aren't allowed to kill them. That's all. His mom and dad have been there for only a few minutes. This guard will take you to the room." "Thank you so much Amy!" L replied sounding very excited. The guard took L back to the room.