Skurdulka VS Bystander: A Queer Family Horror Story (Complete!)

Part 25: The Before Meeting

The school board meeting wasn't announced. But it quickly became common knowledge.

Sitting in the living room, frowning down at the laptop screen, the blue glow of a Facebook page bathed Chris's face in shadows. Their brow furrowed as they read a post. " 'If you care at all about our kids'," they read, " 'you'll be at this school board meeting. We cannot allow'--all caps, because of fucking course it is." Chris rolled their eyes. " 'Perversion and sin'--because everybody's a fucking Christian, of course-- 'take over our schools.'"

Chris, Ari, Storm, Heather, Lee and, a welcome visit at an unfortunate time, Ash, all sat in the living room. The TV droned quietly in the background, but no one was watching. Tense quiet held the room.

"Fucking hate these people." Chris gritted their teeth behind their scowl. "What the fuck is their problem? It's a fucking student group. They act like you're trying to burn down churches or something. Unbelievable."

Storm looked around the room. Ari met his gaze for a moment. Their expression was calm but their eyes were worried.

"We need to be at that meeting." Heather gnawed on her pink-glossed lips, but her eyes were steely.

"I don't know if that's a good idea," Ash said. "I've been following this group for a while and, I'm not kidding, they're, they're..." He gave a small shrug. He looked like he wanted to say some other word, any other word, but couldn't. "Violent."

"They talk a lot of shit, but they're cowards." Storm picked at his jeans. "People like that always are." He hoped the rest of them couldn't see his thoughts; his father, who loved to pick on others to make himself feel better, especially Storm. The man was a coward. But his final confrontation almost ended Ari's life. Storm knew, as they all did, that cowardly people could still do terrible damage, probably worse than brave people ever did.

Ari brought steepled fingers up to their lips. "Between this group and that creature--Bystander--I think we all need to be very, very careful. I've said this many times, and you all know my concerns, but there are people--everywhere, and here--that want to hurt us." Ari paused, and swallowed. Their stare turned distant. "I have seen this myself."

Chris gently rubbed Ari's shoulder, saying nothing. Ari took their hand and squeezed it.

"I could not... accept," Ari went on, slowly, "if anything were to happen to any of you. I could not accept it. I don't know what I would do."

Silence hung. The kids exchanged worried looks. Ari looked at the floor, an endless stare.

"Well, last time you turned into a forest monster." Ash looked at Ari with a small smile, trying so hard to defuse a tense situation. "I mean, that was pretty badass."

Ari looked up sharply, eyes narrowed. Seeing Ash's smile, their expression relaxed. "Hah, hah," they said, sardonic, but a crooked grin turned their lip.

"But I think we like rehabilitated Ari better," Ash added. "So, maybe, let's make sure that nothing happens."

"Yes," Ari agreed, "let's do that. That means no one goes anywhere alone. Shopping, gas stations, I don't care how mundane it is--always have someone with you. That means telling me where you are anytime you're not here. That means talking about anything--anything--suspicious that happens. Staying in contact." Ari looked around the room. "Being honest. Staying together. Understood?"

Everyone nodded, giving varying 'uh-uh's' and 'yeah's.'

Ari looked at Chris, then Ash. "I know you both aren't kids anymore. But all of these things apply to you as well. Understood?"

Exchanging looks, Ash and Chris both nodded. "Yeah," they both agreed.

Heather leaned forward. "What about the board meeting?" The steely, determined look hadn't left her strained expression.

Ari hesitated. They took in deep breath.

"We have to go," she insisted. "We have to know what they're saying. We have to defend ourselves."

"I understand how important this is to you. But--"

"We have the right to, to face our accusers! If we don't, they're gonna think they can do whatever they want. No one's going to defend us if we don't. Everything you said about standing up for ourselves, we have to do that now more than ever!"

Ari raised a hand in a calming motion. "Okay. I hear you. I understand how important this is. I really do. I understand what you're saying. And I think we should go. I just want to be very careful. That's all. I want us all to stay together. If there are any signs of confrontation, I want us to leave. I want us all to be clear about that. No arguments. Can we agree to that?"

"There's going to be confrontation," Heather objected. "We can't back down."

"If there is a threat of physical confrontation--if I think there is a physical threat--I want us all to leave. I will not have any argument on that." Ari's voice was calm, but their gaze was hard.

"They're not going to string us up in public." Heather almost rolled her eyes. "They're assholes, but they're not psychotic. It's just gonna be a lot of shitty arguing. We have to defend ourselves."

Ari's eyes flashed. Their voice rose. "Heather, don't tell me what--"

Chris squeezed Ari's hand. "Ari."

Ari took a slow breath. For several moments, they were quiet, collecting their thoughts. "I have seen what crowds of angry, bigoted people are capable of. I watched it happen. I watched a friend..." they swallowed. "Someone I loved very much... murdered. By a group of angry, horrible people." They paused. "I will never see that happen again. Never."

"I'm sorry," Heather said quietly. "I, I forgot."

Ari nodded. "If you all will promise to leave if and when I need us all to leave, then we will all go, together. Can we agree to that?"

Heather, Chris, Storm, Lee and Ash all exchanged looks with each other and with Ari.

"Yeah." Heather said it first. "Yeah, we can agree to that."

"Yeah," the rest of them echoed.

With a tense breath, Ari nodded. "Okay. We'll all go. Together."

Chris leaned on Ari's shoulder. "It's gonna be okay."