The Letter

Part 5:

Dear Future, Bring it. Sincerely, Phoenix Wright

"Who did it!" Jilly said.

The class was trickling back in from the playground and most of the kids were standing around in groups. Phoenix found himself standing alone near the cubbies where everyone put their coats and bags during the day when they weren't using them. Jilly's face was red from emotion.

"Who did this!" She repeated and then wailed.

Part of him wanted to laugh. She was nine and kind of old to be crying like that. Part of him ached to comfort her. But he stood alone awkward and scared at the back of the classroom. Miles had gone to wash his hands and Larry had disappeared too.

Phoenix found himself alone again.

"I think it was Phoenix," Simon said.

Phoenix glowered in his direction, not this again.

"Phoenix why?" Jilly screamed at him, "Why would you put gum in my hair?"

Phoenix swallowed, completely at a loss.

Larry stood beside him and smirked.

"How do you know it was Phoenix?" Larry said.

"You weren't here and neither was Miles," Simon said, "You guys are the ones who always do crazy stuff like that."

Phoenix caught Miles scooting away from them at the mention of his name. Miles Edgeworth didn't want to be seen as a troublemaker.

"Jilly," Phoenix said, "I didn't do it! I don't even chew gum!"

He would never put gum in her pretty blonde hair.

"Yeah right!" Simon said.

"Yeah Wright did it!" Larry chimed in suddenly.

Phoenix glanced at him in shock as Larry inched his way toward Simon and the other kids. Phoenix looked at him in shock.

"Larry…?"

Larry shrugged slightly and hid himself among the other kids.

Phoenix looked at Miles. Miles was standing beside him fists clenched and shaking his head.

"Miles," Phoenix pleaded, "Do something!"

"How do you know Phoenix did it!" Miles shouted at Simon and jabbed his index finger in his direction.

"How do we know he didn't? Phoenix is always looking at her!" Simon said.

Miles shook his head and backed into the cubbies. He grabbed Phoenix's arm and dragged him along.

"Nick this is mob justice," Miles said solemnly, "We can't fight this."

"Miles, can't you—"

"This is a crime of passion," Miles said, "How do I know you didn't do it?"

"But I—"

"Nick, there's gum…" Miles paused dramatically and shook his head again, "There's gum in her hair…"

Miss Pickens entered the classroom to find the kids standing about and shouting.

"Quiet!"

The classroom was suddenly silent, and Miss Pickens waved her stern look around the room to see everyone finding their seats.

"Miss Pickens!"

"Jilly? What's the matter dear?"

"Somebody put gum in my hair!" Jilly said and then she started to cry again.

"Gum!" Miss Pickens said, "In your hair! Let's get you to the nurse right away!"

Miss Pickens left with Jilly and the class hovered in several seconds of scared silence.

"Ooooh!" Simon said, "You're going to get into so much trouble!"

Phoenix blanched. Beside him Larry chuckled. Miles had his head in his hands and stared intently at the surface of his desk.

"Phoenix Wright! You should be ashamed of yourself!" Miss Pickens said.

She was standing over him out in the hall with the door to the classroom closed. Miss Pickens had always been nice—but right now she seemed so large and menacing.

"I didn't do it," Phoenix said and righteous angry tears flowed from his eyes as he pleaded his case, "Can't we have a class trial again to prove—"

"This isn't a joke, Phoenix Wright!" Miss Pickens said, "Jilly's going to have to get a hair cut. Do you think she wanted to get her hair cut?"

"But I swear I didn't do it!" Phoenix said.

"Everyone, including Jilly said they saw you do it," Miss Pickens put her hands on her hips, "You're lucky you're not going to be suspended."

"Miss Pickens, I wouldn't do that to Jilly, honest! I swear!" Phoenix said, "I love Jilly!"

Miss Pickens paused and her stance softened and there was a passing twinkle in her eye. Phoenix held his breath.

"You're still going to do some detention, young man!"

Larry made fun of him while the other kids read their letters to the class. Miles was too busy paying attention to the class to give him much notice. But he did mutter once during a pause while Simon sat down and Larry got up to read his letter.

"Mob justice…"

Phoenix pulled his letter out of his notebook and glared at it. He wanted to rewrite everything he'd written down. Everything had been so perfect today, and then they'd all abandoned him in a pinch.

Phoenix was so upset he had to be called up twice. He didn't feel like standing in front of the class at all.

"Phoenix," Miss Pickens said, "Do you want me to read it for you?"

He shook his head and slid out of his desk.

Phoenix marched to the front of the class like a wounded man.

Simon stuck his tongue out at Phoenix.

"Simon, if I catch you pulling faces again, you'll stay for detention as well," Miss Pickens said.

Phoenix perked up a little at that.

Dear Future,

I can't wait to meet you. Because the past is kind of nasty. The past makes my mom cry.

"Oh please!" someone sniggered. Maybe it was Simon. But it sounded like Larry.

Phoenix looked up from his letter and frowned.

"Go on," Miss Pickens said.

"I don't want to," Phoenix said.

"Phoenix Wright," Miss Pickens said, "Just how much detention do you really want?"

But Mom says that the future is always better if we try our best and believe. I know that the future will be awesome because I have the best friends. My friend Miles is the smartest person I know. He defended me in a trial where everyone said I stole his money. He is awesome.

My friend Larry is always there when I want to go to the lake or play outside. Larry and I made our own rocket ship. Someday, we might get it to fly. Larry is my friend even though he gets me in trouble a lot. He is awesome.

Phoenix paused again and looked out at the class.

"I know that Larry wouldn't lie about putting gum in Jilly Baxter's hair and—"

"Phoenix," Miss Pickens said in a warning tone.

Larry had his head on his desk. Miles was frowning. Simon looked like he wanted to laugh.

Phoenix cleared his throat and continued.

Mom told me once that I could be anything that I wanted to be. So I want to be an astronaut. Because I think it would be awesome to live on Mars. I think Mars would be even better if my friends came with me.

If I don't move to Mars, I want to be a lawyer like Miles's dad. Miles talks about his dad all the time. Being a lawyer seems like a cool job.

If I don't become a lawyer or an astronaut, I want to be a fighter pilot. That would be an awesome job.

Mom says I could even be the President of the United States. But that job seems like it sucks.

Whatever happens, it will be awesome. Because I believe in the future and I believe in my friends…

Phoenix stopped reading and went back to his desk. He crossed his arms on his desk and lay his head on them.

"Are you finished?" Miss Pickens said.

"Yes, Miss Pickens," Phoenix said soberly.

"Well, it was a very nice letter," Miss Pickens said.

Phoenix didn't say anything. Miles and another student read their letters afterwards and then Miss Pickens dismissed the class.

The students were a wave of hustle and bustle as they packed up their books and headed out. Noise from the hall outside echoed with eager students departing for the day.

Phoenix stayed at his desk shamelessly wallowing in self pity.

"Nick," Miles said, "I have to go, because I'm grounded. But I hope you feel better."

"It's okay," Phoenix muttered soberly. He didn't bother to look up and see Miles' and Larry's hesitant steps as they left the classroom.

Both of them reluctant to leave a man behind.

"Bye Nick," Larry called before he left.

"Bye Nick," Miles echoed and followed after him.

"You can make this as long or as short as you want to," Miss Pickens said when they were alone in the classroom. She was standing in front of the whiteboard writing something in red marker.

"I will not put gum in other people's hair," Miss Pickens read aloud when she was finished.

Phoenix frowned at the board.

"I want you to copy this fifty times, Phoenix," she said.

He took out a piece of paper and copied the words on the first line. Then he started writing "I" down the page until he'd copied forty-nine "I's". He moved on to the word "will".

Miss Pickens walked up to his desk and held out her hand.

He looked up at her, still slightly angry at the injustice.

"Why didn't you finish your letter?" Miss Pickens said while Phoenix handed er his assignment.

"Because I'm mad at my friends," he said, "Because of…"

He stopped. She'd obviously found him guilty. What was the point of arguing?

Miss Pickens looked down at his letter and smiled.

Whatever happens, it will be awesome. Because I believe in the future and I believe in my friends. Me and Larry and Miles will always be friends, no matter what happens. Even if I move to Mars.

So I don't worry at all. Bring it, future.

Sincerely,

Phoenix Wright

A/N: That's a wrap! I hope you enjoyed this little story.

A boy put gum in my hair when I was a kid—younger than 4th grade. I still remember it…

So I took way too long to update—sorry real life stuff... (You're better off not knowing…)

I really enjoyed writing the trio as kids. If I can think of something cool, maybe I'll do another one.

To anyone reading HONEYMOON, did the gum incident seem familiar? (Yeah, my poor little brains is too small to stretch around all these stories. My secret is, everything I've written is based off of HONEYMOON—usually something that I didn't think would fit, but wanted to write anyway.)