[Flashback] [Scene] Everything I learned about lawyers I learned in fourth grade!
Miles: *Miles Edgeworth, fourth grade, sits with his back braced against a tree in one corner of the schoolyard. He's got a lap desk resting on his crossed knees, and the cursive worksheet that the teacher gave them before recess half-finished. He slowly makes the loops of the f, tip of his tongue protruding out of his mouth.*
Phoenix: *stands a few feet away from the tree Miles is sitting under, looking quite obviously like he wants to approach but isn't quite sure how. He's fidgeting, and has his hands stuffed into the zip up hoodie his mom made him promise to wear outdoors ever since he started coming down with that cold, the one that ended up getting him in trouble in the first place. Finally, he just darts up and over to the boy*
Phoenix: H-hey!
Miles: *seems a little surprised and jumps slightly, but he pulls up the edge of his lap desk away from Phoenix's sight and blinks up at him* Oh hi!
Phoenix: *stares quite intently* Your name's Miles, right?
Miles: Yeah, you're that spiky hair kid.
Phoenix: *rubs his hair self consciously, scowling* It's not THAT spiky!
Phoenix: My name's Phoenix.
Miles: Oh yeah! *nods* That's a weird name, I just remembered it was weird. I don't know everyone's names yet.
Phoenix: *wrinkles his nose a little* Miles is a really weird name too! That's how you measure how fast cars go. I didn't know it was a name until Mrs. Yuen called it at attendance.
Miles: *screws up his face.* Well that's my great grandpa's name! It was probably a name before it was how fast cars go! *frowns thoughtfully, not at all sure about that* I like my name.
Phoenix: It's nice even if it sounds weird. I don't know my great grandpa's name. *scuffs at the ground with the toe of a sneaker, suddenly shy* Umm...
Miles: *hugs the lap desk, pulling his knees up close to him* What?
Phoenix: I... I w-wanted to... yesterday... thanks. *mumbles* For sticking up for me.
Phoenix: It was your lunch money too...
Miles: *looking away* Oh well um. Yeah well it wasn't fair and you were- It doesn't matter whose lunch money it was because you didn't do it. They were just being mean so I got mad. My dad says you shouldn't let stuff like that happen.
Phoenix: *quietly* Everyone else thought I did it. *self correctively* Except Larry. He believed me too. *wipes his nose on the sleeve of his hoodie* My dad just tells me to try to fit in and stay outta trouble. ...It doesn't work.
Miles: *sympathetically* Well you're not in trouble anymore, right? They just wanted you to tell a lie because they were too lazy to find the real bad guy. My dad says the cops do that a lot too. *sets the lap desk aside*
Phoenix: *his eyes get round* Does your dad save people too? People who didn't do it?
Miles: *for a moment he looks a little confused. The other kids just tend to ignore him when he talks about his dad. He leverages himself up on the tree, eyes shining tentatively* Oh, yeah! He's a defense attorney, that's his job!
Phoenix: Defense attorney? You mean... like a lawyer? *looks at Miles curiously*
Miles: Yeah! He's a great lawyer! He says that people need an advo- uh. *he's lost the big word* He says they need a friend to help them when the police think they did something bad. *excitedly* He makes the judge listen to him and helps people who didn't do anything get to go home. One time this lady made us a huge cake because she was so happy. He's like a superhero!
Phoenix: That's... that's really cool! Do you ever get to see him at court and stuff?
Miles: Yeah! If I finish my homework early sometimes he brings me and lets me watch and it's so cool! He gets to yell at the prosecutors and stuff. Then he wins and everybody hugs and we go out for ice cream! That's where I learned all that stuff I said the other day about evidence and stuff and how to yell OBJECTION! *he does so with the signature finger point*
Miles: I'm going to become a defense attorney, just like my Dad! A famous defense attorney!
Phoenix: *looks admiringly at Miles, completely won over* I wanna... *stops short of blurting out "I wanna defend people too," not wanting to sound like a copycat* I wanna come watch when you do!
Miles: *blinks at Phoenix, sort of confused but then a smile spreads across his face* Okay! Oh, some defense attorneys have assistants! Maybe you can be mine!
Phoenix: *thinks for a minute* Uhh... do assistants get to help people too?
Miles: Oh yeah they help a lot too! They're like sidekicks.
Phoenix: Well, okay. But you gotta promise to let me point and yell objection sometimes.
Miles: *considers it* Okay but you gotta practice a lot.
Phoenix: Kay! *gives it a test try, pointing intently with his right finger and yelling as loudly as he can* OBJECTION!
Miles: *shakes his head* You should use your other hand so the witness can see your face better!
Phoenix: Oh, okay. *rubs his nose on his sleeve again, and gives it another shot with his other hand, yelling louder* OBJECTION!
Larry: *hears Phoenix yelling and turns to look, grinning and dropping his soccer ball and then running over to the two* Hey!! What are you yelling about, Nick? And what are you two doing over here? All the girls are on the other side of the playground! *smirks in that direction*
Phoenix: Hey Larry! We're just practicing our objectioning!
Larry: *scratches his chin* Object shunning? What's that? How do you do it? Is it fun? It's not anything lame, is it?
Miles: It's what lawyers do, *tentatively* like my dad.
Larry: Oh yeah, you're always talking about lawyers, aren't you, Edgey? Lawyers or lawnmowers or something. *rubs the back of his head*
Miles: *chews his lip* That's what I want to be when I grow up.
Phoenix: Yeah! We're gonna be lawyers! *after a moment, obviously having nearly forgotten* ...And uh, assistants!
Miles: *he beams at Phoenix*
Phoenix: Wanna join in, Larry?
Larry: Cool! *sits down with his legs crossed, leaning towards them with interest* What can I be??
Miles: *glances at Phoenix* Well we need someone to defend, right?
Phoenix: I guess so! And you're always getting into trouble anyway, Larry. So there'd be a lot of... *makes a face trying to think of the right word* a lot of cases we'll have to do.
Larry: What's that supposed to mean? *eyes them flatly* I don't ALWAYS get into trouble! I'm not in trouble right now! ...At least, I won't be if Mrs. Yuen doesn't look inside her desk.
Miles: *hides a laugh behind his hand* What did you put in there?
Larry: Just a couple lizards. *scratches his neck* They were really hard to catch!
Larry: I'm just keeping them in there until it's time to go home so they don't run away. I'm going to put them in a tank and feed them crickets!
Phoenix: Larrryyyyy! She's gonna find them and then yell at you! And then start crying again!
Larry: So what?? She's just a cranky old bat! And... and... you guys, you just said you'll defend me! Right?
Phoenix: *scrunches his face* We can't defend someone who actually did it, though! *looks to Miles* Defense attorneys don't do that... do they?
Miles: *looks thoughtful* Uh, I don't think so. My dad says that you have to trust your client, so he only takes clients he can trust.
Phoenix: *nods seriously*
Larry: Y-You can trust me, dudes! *thumbs up at them*
Phoenix: *earnestly* If you ever get in trouble for something you didn't do, we'll be here for you, Larry!
Miles: Yeah! I bet that happens at least as much to you since you do a lot of stuff too.
Larry: .........Really? ......You guys mean that? *hunches his shoulders and sniffles, obviously touched by the declaration* You guys........ *rubs his forearm across his eyes quickly* You guys are great!
Phoenix: *grins at Larry, and then at Miles* Come on, let's play a game before recess is over!
Larry: ...O-Okay Nick! Good idea! *stands up, brushing bits of grass off his bare knees, then cracks a grin at the two*
Miles: *glances at the lap desk, biting his lip* Uh... *looks at the other two boys* Um. Okay.
Phoenix: Come on! *grabs Larry's arm and Miles' hand, tugging them towards the soccer ball the former dropped some feet away*
Miles: *allows himself to be tugged, a not completely doubtful smile stealing over his face*
Larry: Geez Nick! I'm coming, you don't have to pull so hard! *also gets willfully yanked along, smiling happily*
Phoenix: *laughs, getting a running kick at the ball before he lets the two of them go--he spends the rest of his recess playing kickball with his new friends*
Phoenix: *stands a few feet away from the tree Miles is sitting under, looking quite obviously like he wants to approach but isn't quite sure how. He's fidgeting, and has his hands stuffed into the zip up hoodie his mom made him promise to wear outdoors ever since he started coming down with that cold, the one that ended up getting him in trouble in the first place. Finally, he just darts up and over to the boy*
Phoenix: H-hey!
Miles: *seems a little surprised and jumps slightly, but he pulls up the edge of his lap desk away from Phoenix's sight and blinks up at him* Oh hi!
Phoenix: *stares quite intently* Your name's Miles, right?
Miles: Yeah, you're that spiky hair kid.
Phoenix: *rubs his hair self consciously, scowling* It's not THAT spiky!
Phoenix: My name's Phoenix.
Miles: Oh yeah! *nods* That's a weird name, I just remembered it was weird. I don't know everyone's names yet.
Phoenix: *wrinkles his nose a little* Miles is a really weird name too! That's how you measure how fast cars go. I didn't know it was a name until Mrs. Yuen called it at attendance.
Miles: *screws up his face.* Well that's my great grandpa's name! It was probably a name before it was how fast cars go! *frowns thoughtfully, not at all sure about that* I like my name.
Phoenix: It's nice even if it sounds weird. I don't know my great grandpa's name. *scuffs at the ground with the toe of a sneaker, suddenly shy* Umm...
Miles: *hugs the lap desk, pulling his knees up close to him* What?
Phoenix: I... I w-wanted to... yesterday... thanks. *mumbles* For sticking up for me.
Phoenix: It was your lunch money too...
Miles: *looking away* Oh well um. Yeah well it wasn't fair and you were- It doesn't matter whose lunch money it was because you didn't do it. They were just being mean so I got mad. My dad says you shouldn't let stuff like that happen.
Phoenix: *quietly* Everyone else thought I did it. *self correctively* Except Larry. He believed me too. *wipes his nose on the sleeve of his hoodie* My dad just tells me to try to fit in and stay outta trouble. ...It doesn't work.
Miles: *sympathetically* Well you're not in trouble anymore, right? They just wanted you to tell a lie because they were too lazy to find the real bad guy. My dad says the cops do that a lot too. *sets the lap desk aside*
Phoenix: *his eyes get round* Does your dad save people too? People who didn't do it?
Miles: *for a moment he looks a little confused. The other kids just tend to ignore him when he talks about his dad. He leverages himself up on the tree, eyes shining tentatively* Oh, yeah! He's a defense attorney, that's his job!
Phoenix: Defense attorney? You mean... like a lawyer? *looks at Miles curiously*
Miles: Yeah! He's a great lawyer! He says that people need an advo- uh. *he's lost the big word* He says they need a friend to help them when the police think they did something bad. *excitedly* He makes the judge listen to him and helps people who didn't do anything get to go home. One time this lady made us a huge cake because she was so happy. He's like a superhero!
Phoenix: That's... that's really cool! Do you ever get to see him at court and stuff?
Miles: Yeah! If I finish my homework early sometimes he brings me and lets me watch and it's so cool! He gets to yell at the prosecutors and stuff. Then he wins and everybody hugs and we go out for ice cream! That's where I learned all that stuff I said the other day about evidence and stuff and how to yell OBJECTION! *he does so with the signature finger point*
Miles: I'm going to become a defense attorney, just like my Dad! A famous defense attorney!
Phoenix: *looks admiringly at Miles, completely won over* I wanna... *stops short of blurting out "I wanna defend people too," not wanting to sound like a copycat* I wanna come watch when you do!
Miles: *blinks at Phoenix, sort of confused but then a smile spreads across his face* Okay! Oh, some defense attorneys have assistants! Maybe you can be mine!
Phoenix: *thinks for a minute* Uhh... do assistants get to help people too?
Miles: Oh yeah they help a lot too! They're like sidekicks.
Phoenix: Well, okay. But you gotta promise to let me point and yell objection sometimes.
Miles: *considers it* Okay but you gotta practice a lot.
Phoenix: Kay! *gives it a test try, pointing intently with his right finger and yelling as loudly as he can* OBJECTION!
Miles: *shakes his head* You should use your other hand so the witness can see your face better!
Phoenix: Oh, okay. *rubs his nose on his sleeve again, and gives it another shot with his other hand, yelling louder* OBJECTION!
Larry: *hears Phoenix yelling and turns to look, grinning and dropping his soccer ball and then running over to the two* Hey!! What are you yelling about, Nick? And what are you two doing over here? All the girls are on the other side of the playground! *smirks in that direction*
Phoenix: Hey Larry! We're just practicing our objectioning!
Larry: *scratches his chin* Object shunning? What's that? How do you do it? Is it fun? It's not anything lame, is it?
Miles: It's what lawyers do, *tentatively* like my dad.
Larry: Oh yeah, you're always talking about lawyers, aren't you, Edgey? Lawyers or lawnmowers or something. *rubs the back of his head*
Miles: *chews his lip* That's what I want to be when I grow up.
Phoenix: Yeah! We're gonna be lawyers! *after a moment, obviously having nearly forgotten* ...And uh, assistants!
Miles: *he beams at Phoenix*
Phoenix: Wanna join in, Larry?
Larry: Cool! *sits down with his legs crossed, leaning towards them with interest* What can I be??
Miles: *glances at Phoenix* Well we need someone to defend, right?
Phoenix: I guess so! And you're always getting into trouble anyway, Larry. So there'd be a lot of... *makes a face trying to think of the right word* a lot of cases we'll have to do.
Larry: What's that supposed to mean? *eyes them flatly* I don't ALWAYS get into trouble! I'm not in trouble right now! ...At least, I won't be if Mrs. Yuen doesn't look inside her desk.
Miles: *hides a laugh behind his hand* What did you put in there?
Larry: Just a couple lizards. *scratches his neck* They were really hard to catch!
Larry: I'm just keeping them in there until it's time to go home so they don't run away. I'm going to put them in a tank and feed them crickets!
Phoenix: Larrryyyyy! She's gonna find them and then yell at you! And then start crying again!
Larry: So what?? She's just a cranky old bat! And... and... you guys, you just said you'll defend me! Right?
Phoenix: *scrunches his face* We can't defend someone who actually did it, though! *looks to Miles* Defense attorneys don't do that... do they?
Miles: *looks thoughtful* Uh, I don't think so. My dad says that you have to trust your client, so he only takes clients he can trust.
Phoenix: *nods seriously*
Larry: Y-You can trust me, dudes! *thumbs up at them*
Phoenix: *earnestly* If you ever get in trouble for something you didn't do, we'll be here for you, Larry!
Miles: Yeah! I bet that happens at least as much to you since you do a lot of stuff too.
Larry: .........Really? ......You guys mean that? *hunches his shoulders and sniffles, obviously touched by the declaration* You guys........ *rubs his forearm across his eyes quickly* You guys are great!
Phoenix: *grins at Larry, and then at Miles* Come on, let's play a game before recess is over!
Larry: ...O-Okay Nick! Good idea! *stands up, brushing bits of grass off his bare knees, then cracks a grin at the two*
Miles: *glances at the lap desk, biting his lip* Uh... *looks at the other two boys* Um. Okay.
Phoenix: Come on! *grabs Larry's arm and Miles' hand, tugging them towards the soccer ball the former dropped some feet away*
Miles: *allows himself to be tugged, a not completely doubtful smile stealing over his face*
Larry: Geez Nick! I'm coming, you don't have to pull so hard! *also gets willfully yanked along, smiling happily*
Phoenix: *laughs, getting a running kick at the ball before he lets the two of them go--he spends the rest of his recess playing kickball with his new friends*