One Thousand Words of Pride

Rainbow Crossing

In a small town like this, I knew that rainbow-colored crosswalk was going to ruffle some heads. Even if it's only been there for one day.

I'm meeting Aaron outside the library on my way home from work. He's doing some research for his AP US History classes there, working on his great vision of going to an Ivy League school. Me, I'm too busy putting together scoops of ice cream at Baskin Robbins each Saturday to even worry about that kind of thing.

The rainbow crosswalk is on our town's only four-lane avenue. It connects the library and some fast food place. A group of maybe ten or twelve people are standing outside the latter, and the signs they're holding up pretty much check off all the boxes.

I'll never go to heaven according to them. Because apparently, homosexuality is sin, and their god disapproves of me because of some vaguely referenced bible verses nobody knows about.

I take a deep breath and turn away, climb up the library steps and out of their sight.

When I enter the main foyer, which is nice and cool, Aaron is nowhere to be seen. We were supposed to meet here at four, but I guess he's running a bit late. The librarian at the checkout desk, an elderly lady whose name I've recently learned is Susan, greets me instead.

"Hello, Mark," she says when seeing me, her voice raspy as always. "Happy pride!"

"Thanks," I say, smiling. I didn't expect her to remember or even know about it.

"If you're looking for Aaron, he said he'll be here in a minute," she goes on. "He just had to put some books back and go to the bathroom I think."

"Oh, it's okay," I say. "I'm not in a hurry."

"I may have had to remind him you were coming," she slyly adds, narrowing her voice. "You know how lost he gets in his books. I do so love you young people being passionate about reading, but there's a few things more important than that, don't you think?"

"I suppose so," I tell her, unsure what to say. She gives me a little wink.

"Well, I have to put those back now," she says, nodding towards a nearby cart stacked with thick volumes. "I'd love to see you rent something out one of these days, you know."

"Thanks, but I'm..." I pause for a moment. "Well, I get pretty busy. You know how it is."

"Of course," she says. "Tell me if you need anything."

She starts pushing her cart and moves out of sight, into the main hall and its endless rows of bookshelves. I head to the snack machine by the exit, and buy something just to kill the time. By the time Aaron walks in, I'm about halfway done eating it.

He's carrying some books with him, as always. There's four of them, and they're all about the antebellum south or some other topic I have no clue of. He cheerfully waves at me, then quickly packs them into his bag before coming over.

"Hey, hot stuff," he playfully says with a grin that's making me blush. "You come here often?"

"Oh, shut up," I mumble before I lean in and kiss him. He seems very interested in the traces of chocolate and caramel I probably still have on my lips, but maybe I'm just imagining that.

I'm a little worried as we break the kiss, but in here it's usually okay. There's hardly anyone around, except maybe Susan who more than approves of us, and the security guard at the exit, who I assume has better things to do than complain about us. As we walk out holding hands, I remember the people standing out there, and a shiver runs down my spine.

"Hey, uh..." I say, "did you notice anything unusual coming here?"

"Unusual?" He raises a brow. "Like what?"

"Uh..." I start, but I don't bring anything out while pulling my hand away. "We shouldn't be doing this right now."

He looks at me, irritated.

"Did I say something?"

"No, it's just..." I motion towards the exit. "You'll see."

That's all I can bring myself to say. Why I have to be so damn shy, I'll never understand. Especially since I'd still be single hadn't it been for Aaron. Well, and that rainbow bracelet I brought myself to wear to school a few weeks back. Most people had just ignored it, but not Aaron. He pretty much initiated ninety percent of what led to our relationship, and I couldn't be more thankful for it.

He trusts me. Despite not understanding what I mean, he follows me outside. Once he sees the group of protesters though, his face changes, and I can see him get angry.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me!"

"Calm down!" I say, immediately. "It's not a big deal."

"Not a big deal? Look at them!"

He starts marching down the stairs with a sense of determination that rings every possible alarm bell in my head. I hurry after him and catch up with him right on the sidewalk.

"I know what you're trying to do!" I tell him, noticing how a few of the protesters are already looking our way. "That's exactly what they want, they just want to provoke you! They'll be gone in a few hours anyway, so who cares?"

Aaron stops and glares at them. I can see the gears in his head working. Without any warning, he puts his hands on my waist and kisses me again. This time, it's a lot deeper and more passionate, and it elicits several appalled gasps from across the street.

I feel the blood pounding in my ears. Aaron grins at me, then at the protesters before pounding his fist in the air and giving them the finger. Some of them start hurling obscenities at us, calling us sinners who need salvation and all that.

"You try it," he says. I have to swallow all my fear to obey.

I only flip them off for a few seconds, but Aaron sees my anxiousness. He takes me by the hand and we take off down the street, some insults still being hurled at us behind our backs. And I don't feel sorry about what I just did at all.

A few blocks down the road, we let go of each other and both collapse into laughter.