Raven continued to grin like a maniac despite the judge calling him out.

He often had a saying that "even the gravity of the situation couldn't weigh me down" and it translated to this murder case.

As he approached the bench, his client had a worried expression and even more worrisome getup.

Raven hadn't been a teenager for a while, but even he knew there was something strange with his client's wardrobe.

For one, she had brunette hair that seemed to be frizzed badly by a malfunctioning flat iron. Her clothes were 80s day-glo neon in the most obnoxious sense of the world. With go-go boots, garishly striped socks, a jean dress and mismatched dangling star shaped earrings, she was much better welcome as an extra on California Vice.

She grinned nervously at him displaying a large retainer.

Boisterous and dim were words that could be used to describe his client, Mina Hawkins.

And when she spoke, she talked in a spitty lisp.

"Thankth the lord you're hereth!" Mina said clasping her hands together in an awkward swoon.

"Uhhh kid," Raven said, pushing his bushy hair out of his eyes in disbelief. "Did you time travel from the 80s? Dont think you're old enough to drive a Dolorean..."

Fifteen year old Mina looked sheepishly at her boots. "That mean girl, Vicki Electra at my school says I have a disability....Being fashionably challenged."

Raven shrugged his shoulders. "Nah kid. I like it. It makes ya stand out."

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He pushed his bushy black hair back and it sprang up like a spring. "Which is what I do myself. We are what you call peacocks! We just like to strut our stuff"

Mina grinned so hard her retainer nearly fell out of her mouth. "That's how we attract mates! That's how I attracted my soulmate. A Britainian Duke!"

"Uhh...kid..." Raven said, his mouth opened wide. "A what?"

Mina beamed and placed her hands on her hips. "I met him on Pinedr! He's an exchange student from the UK and transferred from the Upper Crust Academy for Well-To-Do Royal Boys. He's such a handsome hunk of man! And he's all mine!"

Raven shook his head. Maybe this kid was a murderer. She was clearly so out-to-lunch so long she was out-for-dinner and dessert too.

"Look kid," he said, in disbelief. "What ya do in your love life is none of my business. My business is more in the realm of legality. I hope you know that murder is the worst thing you can do in this life. Other than catfish dopey young girls on the internet with the old Britainian Duke scam."

"You don't believe me?" Mina said, her eyes growing wide and puppy like. "No one does. I told my mom about my perfect boyfriend and she said I was too old for imaginary friends."

Suddenly, tears welled up in her eyes. "Everyone just laughs at me like I'm some sad clown. And now they're gonna throw me in the slammer too!"

Raven shook his head again. This time with utmost defiance. "Nope kid. Nope nope nope. Your baby face ain't going to prison if I have anything to say about it..."

Mina gasped so loud from mouth breathing it sounded like she was having an asthma attack. My lawdy...really?!! Do you mean that?"

Raven chuckled. He held out a cluster of papers that he had been examining all night in between eating a saucy Greek gyro from Darby's. They were enclosed in a folder that read, "Hawkins case."

"I firmly believe you're innocent, kiddo!" Raven said with a flamboyant raise of his hand. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have taken on this case!"

"Wowie zowie!" Mina exclaimed with a lisp and a snort. "If it weren't for my boyfriend, you'd be my handsome prince!"

Raven chuckled. "Aw jeez. Let's not get too ahead of ourselves. We still have a major trial ahead of ourselves."

He tried to cover the caesar dressing stains on his folder as he sat down. He quickly spread his court papers on the table.

"Now tell me..." he said raising his bushy eyebrows. "Why do you think you're on trial today?"

Mina's bright eyes darkened like a sunset. "Because...they think I killed someone...over my boyfriend."