The Boy She Illegally Brought To The Lavender Field (bwwm)

Page 52

Annie waited for Diana to leave for work before she got ready to head out with Daniel.
They said their goodbyes and I love yous before Diana left out of the back door and went on her way.
Annie rushed to her room to get dressed.

Today was the day of the protest. She was excited. Not only because she'd convinced Daniel to go with her, but because it was also a march for her brother. She'd be doing it for him.
She pinned up her hair to keep it out of her face then she put on her dress and did the finishing touches to her signs that she'd been hiding in her closet for the past two days.

Daniel was pacing around his bedroom, worried.

He'd previously called his father in to talk and was waiting for Stephen to arrive.

"What's the matter with you?" Stephen asked as he walked in.
"Shut the door." Daniel commanded and Stephen obliged.

Daniel quit pacing and sat on his bed.

"What?" his father asked him.
"I have somewhere to be."
"And?"

"And...I kind of don't want to go...?"
Stephen was confused.
"But I have to go. I have to."
"Why?"

Daniel took a deep breath.

"It's a protest march." he explained.
He looked at his father who just stared at him.
"You know, one of the civil rights ones. For colored people."
Stephen's hand found his hip while the other rubbed his chin.
"What? What?!" Daniel asked and stood up out of worry.

Stephen chuckled.
He stared up at Daniel's ceiling with his hands on his hips and he just took a sigh of relief.

Daniel looked at the ceiling in wonder. "What the hell are you lookin' at?"

Stephen looked back at his boy.
"I'm damn proud of you." he stated.
It caught Daniel off guard. "But...if I get recognized out there, you're probably gonna be in more trouble than I am."
"I don't plan on staying here long after this second term is over with anyway. Those boys can't bother me if I'm up north. Mississippi isn't a place for the intelligent. They don't want change. They don't want equality. I tried. Twice. I couldn't do it, I'm leaving."
Daniel thought about his father's words.
"I'm just proud that what your mother tried to do and what this city has tried to teach you, is backfiring. I'm glad you're doing what's right. And if they see you, I won't give a damn."
Daniel looked at his father.
"Don't you be afraid to go to that march, you'll be alright. That girlfriend of yours, as beautiful and sweet as she is, deserves as much as you do."
Stephen thought about Diana.
"You tell them that. Hell, maybe if they see the mayor's son there, they'll think he's onto something and join, I don't know. But you don't let that girl down."

Daniel nodded.

"I want you to get what I failed to get, boy, you understand?" Stephen asked.
"Yes, sir."
"You be better than me. I mean it. The best thing you can do for her is go to that march with your head held high like you mean it and you do as much as you can to get the change their people have been asking for. She's been putting her life on the line for you all this time, the least you could do is show her it was a good choice."
Daniel stared at his father while he gave his speech.

"STEPHEN!" Nancy shouted.
"God fucking damnit." he sighed and his head hung down. "WHAT?!"
They could hear Nancy storming up the stairs.

"I'm divorcing your mother." Stephen told Daniel.
Daniel just stared at him. "Are you serious?"
"Deadly."
"Like right now?"
"No. But in the foreseeable future. I can't take this anymore. I'm losing my mind. I'm close to killing the woman."
Daniel just shrugged.

Nancy walked in.

She looked at Daniel.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"I'm 23." he answered then went to finish getting ready.

Nancy huffed then looked at her husband. "Stephen."
"Nancy."
"They're going outside and planning to walk the streets AGAIN. You're the mayor. Do something about it!"

Daniel checked his watch and realized he was late.
"Shit!" he exclaimed and hurried.

"What are you talking about, Nancy?"
"You know what the hell I'm talking about. Get them out of the damn street."
"You don't go anywhere. You can't drive. And we don't live near it. If you hate it, stay inside." He walked past her out of Daniel's room.
"YOU'RE JUST GONNA LET THEM DO WHATEVER THE HELL THEY WANT?!" Nancy marched after him.

Daniel grabbed a jacket and ran out of his room.

•~~~•

Annie had been waiting for half an hour and noticed that Daniel was late.
Part of her was scared he wouldn't show. She didn't want Diana to be right about him.
She wondered where he was.

As she stared at the signs she made for the two of them, she hoped he was who she thought he was and maybe there was just traffic.

She flinched when she saw a truck pull up outside of her window on the grass.
She hurried over and lifted the pane.

"What're you doin'?!" she whispered loudly as Daniel rolled his window down.
"I'm sorry I'm late. But I can't park onside the street. They'd see me."
"You don't think they saw you drive along the side of my house?!"
He thought about it.
She rolled her eyes then went back inside and grabbed their signs.

Annie threw the signs into the bed of Daniel's truck and she hopped inside.
The two gave each other a peck on the lips before he drove off quickly.

"You scared me." Annie admitted.
"Scared you how?"
"I thought you weren't comin'."
"I couldn't do that to you." Daniel insisted. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if he didn't show up like he promised.
Annie grabbed onto his free hand and he lifted hers to his lips to bless the back of it with a kiss.

"What if they see you and get mad?"
"Then they'll have to be mad."