7 – The Protest (2)

Sebastian stormed towards city hall, fire burning in his chest. All that time, Axel was fawning over Jake. His fists tightened. First Maple, now Axel. What was so great about Jake? He wasn’t even that good-looking. What with his stupid pretty hair, and his stupid sexy chest. Sebastian longed to fight him again. And this time, he wouldn’t lose!

So caught up in his thoughts, Sebastian hadn’t noticed his father walk out of city hall, straight into him.

“Sebastian!” Waylon stopped him. “What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to pick up some snacks from the store,” Sebastian said truthfully. “I saw a crowd over here and came to see what it’s about.”

“I already saw what it was about.” Waylon’s voice filled with contempt. “They’re trying to rally for gay rights. Each one of them outta be blacklisted.”

“They’re allowed to protest.”

“I hope you’re not thinking about joining them!”

“Of course not.” Sebastian raised his chin. “I just told one of them how insane they are for protesting it.”

“At least there’s counter-protesters.” Waylon nodded to a slightly larger group across the street. “More people are against that nonsense. You should join them. Make some new friends. Maybe even... find a potential wife? Lord knows you need one.”

Sebastian didn’t want to join either group. “I just want to buy snacks and go home.”

“I saw a pretty girl your age in the counter-protest group. At least talk to her.”

“But-”

Waylon grabbed Sebastian by the shoulder, leading him across the street, up to the counter-protest group. There were approximately ten people. One man shouted something about gays destroying family values. Everyone around him shouted words of agreement.

“Amen to that,” Waylon said to the man. “Always happy to see people on the right side.”

A few people cheered and applauded at the sight of Waylon. Waylon kept his hand clasped on Sebastian’s shoulder. “Unfortunately, I’m too busy to join in. But Sebastian is eager to join you.”

“You were cured, weren’t you?” another man asked him.

Sebastian nodded, ignoring the doubts clawing inside his chest. That weird dream of Axel was just that. A weird dream. And it was normal for people to find someone of the same gender attractive. It didn’t mean they were in love with them. As for his jealous rage over Axel dating Jake? It was because Jake was coming between their friendship. No, he had absolutely been cured. “Yes. I’m normal now.”

“Amazing.” A woman Sebastian’s age stepped up to him. “And to think, those people want to ban that. It saved you!”

“Uh-huh.” Sebastian let out a forced chuckle.

“I’ll leave you to it then.” Waylon patted Sebastian’s shoulder, and left him alone with the group. Alone with the woman.

“I’m Ellie,” she said.

“Sebastian. But you already know that.”

Ellie giggled. Sebastian stared at her, willing himself to find this girl attractive. Her wavy, shoulder-length hair was a dark brown, almost black. Yes. She definitely had beautiful hair.

It reminded him of Axel’s.

“There was a man with a child there earlier,” Ellie said. “Can you believe that? Pushing that ideology onto a kid? She was only, like, 4.”

An old man next to them overheard her. “That was Luke Lindberg with his daughter. You know his story?”

“Everyone does,” Ellie said. “Getting a girl he didn’t have permission to see pregnant, and then she died giving birth.”

“I can’t believe they gave him custody of the child,” the man said.

“It was because the girlfriend’s parents didn’t want to care for her anymore.” Sebastian knew all about that. Hazel’s parents handed the child over to a cousin and her husband- Barry and Stellaluna Callahan. After a year or two, they didn’t want her either. It made perfect sense to give Luke custody. After all, he was the father.

“I heard that,” the old man said. “But it would’ve been better to adopt her out to an actual couple. That girl needs a mother.”

Right then, the Henderson brothers showed up with Maple. Maple had her eyes focused on the gay rights protesters across the street. Her brothers probably dragged her over to this side.

Before Sebastian knew it, the group began marching along the sidewalk. Sebastian found himself pulled along with them. The group across the street matched their movements. Both groups shouted and chanted, but it was hard to hear the words. Maple slipped out from their group, and crossed the street, sneaking into the other group. Her brothers didn’t notice at first, and continued to march along.

Eventually, Carter and Walker stopped and looked around. Sebastian nearly bumped into them.

“Where’d Maple go?” Carter asked.

“Maple!” Walker called. No response. The group stopped marching as people realized something had gone wrong.

“I saw her walk across the street,” Ellie said.

The brothers, and everyone else, looked towards the other group. There, Maple walked alongside Jake. Sebastian wondered how much of it was her supporting gay rights, and how much of it was her wanting to be near Jake.

“That little bitch!” Carter spat.

“Are they trying to convert your little sister?” a man asked.

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” another man added. “That’s their goal here, isn’t it? Trying to corrupt our brothers and sisters!”

Walker and Carter ignored the indignant cries of the crowd, and stormed over to Maple.

Ellie, and a few others did the same. Sebastian wanted to satisfy his morbid curiosity, so followed along. Upon seeing counter-protesters approaching, the protesters stopped.

Carter grabbed Maple by the arm. “What the hell are you doing over here?”

“I wanted to join this group instead. They’re more fun.”

“Yeah right,” Walker said. “You’re only over here to impress that damned Californian. Now, come back with us.”

Carter tried dragging Maple away, but she pulled away. “No. I’m staying!”

“You are in so much trouble when we get home.”

“Are these people bothering you?” a woman protester asked Maple.

“You’re trying to take our children hostage to convert them to your sick ideology!” a counter-protester shouted.

Sebastian backed away while both groups shouted at each other. Jake pulled Maple to his side. Carter yanked her back. Maple struggled against Carter’s grip, falling to the ground in the process.

Ellie helped Maple up. “Come on. You don’t want to be with these people.”

“Yes I do!”

“They’ve brainwashed her!” a counter-protester cried.

A fight broke out. People pushed and shoved each other. Sebastian caught sight of Axel trying the coax Jake away from the pandemonium.

“We need to stay peaceful!” Axel shouted.

~~~~~

Axel knew nothing good would come from a protest. And he was right. The second the fight broke out, three cop cars pulled up. A total of six officers arrived. Axel recognized one of them as Officer Bradley. Two others he had encountered before, but he couldn’t remember their names. Regardless, this was probably the whole force.

People scattered. Axel pulled Jake’s arm. They needed to do the same.

Before they could, a random passerby shouted, “Fuck cops!” He threw his water bottle at an officer. It bounced off his head. The man ran as the officer chased him down. Jake laughed.

Axel continuing tugging Jake’s arm. “We have to go now!”

An officer spotted them.

“Run!” Axel shouted.

The officer whipped out his gun. “Freeze!”

Axel and Jake obeyed, Axel with his hands up. The officer walked over to Axel, gun still out. His name tag read “Ted Gish.” He grabbed Axel by the back of his shirt collar, and slammed him down against the pavement. It knocked the wind out of him. He had tried using his hands to block the fall. Unfortunately, it only hurt his wrists.

Officer Gish pressed his knee against Axel, making it harder for him to breathe. “Stay still!”

Like Axel could even move. Gish grabbed his hands, holding them behind his back, and cuffed them. Tightly.

It was nothing Axel hadn’t experienced before. This must be his sixth time being detained. Maybe seventh. Eighth? He couldn’t keep track anymore.

“What the hell are you arresting Axel for?!” Sebastian shouted.

Sebastian was still hanging around? Axel figured he would have been the first to run. Gish yanked him to his feet. Axel lifted his head. Sebastian stood a few feet away, scowling.

“He didn’t do anything wrong,” Sebastian said with folded arms. “He wanted to keep it peaceful.”

“Do you want to join him?” Gish asked threateningly.

Officer Bradley, holding Jake in handcuffs, looked over at them. “That’s the mayor’s son, isn’t it? I thought he was cured. Why is he here?”

“He was with us counter-protesters.” A young woman appeared. “There’s no need to arrest him.”

“Whatever. We got the one who started this mess.” Bradley dragged Jake over to one of the cop cars.

“I am placing you under arrest,” Gish stated to Axel. “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do can and will be used against you in a court of law…”

This was the third time a detainment ended in an arrest. At least Axel could still keep track of that. Gish listed off the rest of his rights all the way to the car. The same car Jake sat in the back of. Gish shoved Axel in next to him. Both officers got in the front seat.

“Axel doesn’t need to be here,” Jake said. “He wanted to keep it peaceful.”

“He sure as hell failed,” Gish said, as the car drove off.

“Why him instead of anyone else? Some people were actually fighting. Why didn’t you arrest one of them instead?”

An awkward silence filled the car. Everyone already knew the answer to that question.