The Queer Rebels

Chapter 28: Marching

Standing on the chair, all eyes turned in my direction: it builds something up inside me. My shoulders are broader, my fists more powerful, my chin higher. I feel like I can do anything.

I'm ready to march out of this building and directly to the dorms right this second. To demand equality. Justice.

And to burn down the whole fucking city if I need to.

If I raised my arm into the air and shouted the orders, everyone would listen.

We are a loaded spring, sick of being kicked around. Of running. Hiding.

The sense of urgency is palpable.

Christopher and Sequoia can feel it too. They glance at each other. Wary. Nervous. My anger was a spark, and now the fire's spreading. Threatening to get out of control.

I take a deep breath, scanning the crowd.

As much as I want to scream and break everything, I know that won't work. I saw the chaos the bomb caused. The frenzied panic that the city quickly dissipated.

Instead of rushing in, flying on nothing but pure adrenaline, we need a plan. A way to harness this frantic energy into something productive. Something that will actually leave a mark.

As I remain standing on my chair, I point to Sequoia and Christopher. "When we fled to this meeting point, what happened to the people we have on the inside?"

I haven't seen Amanda since relocating. Was she at the Choosing Day Center doing her job when the city attacked? Where would she be now?

"We have a safe house inside the city," Christopher says, glancing at Sequoia before saying more. "And ways to communicate."

"Harry mentioned people in the dorms?" I prompt, my mind racing. Trying to weave threads of ideas into a rope strong enough to hold it all together.

Christopher nods.

"Could they be our scouts? Let us know of any increased guard presence?"

Christopher and Sequoia look at each other again. She nods at him.

"Yes, that can be arranged," Christopher answers.

"Good," I say, "and maybe they can rally more support from the inside."

He shrugs, bottom lip jutting out.

I look around, my mind racing. "We need to map our route. Those of you who travel to the city often would be the best to help with that."

Someone raises their hand. A woman in her late-twenties with long, light-brown hair and a dimpled chin. "I can help with that."

I smile in appreciation. "Good. And we will need signs. Right? Like in those photos that Sequoia showed us. And maybe chants, or flags, or..."

"We gotta look fabulous," Tyree calls out.

I laugh. "Yes, and our message needs to be clear. We are fighting for our right to exist, but also for everyone's right to exist. A message of love," I say, thinking of what Harry's intentions were before everything went so wrong.

Things can't go wrong again.

"How about an escape route?" Alex asks, next to me.

With our last retreat so recent, of course that's a priority. "Yes, and maybe we need to gather some protection from the inevitable blowback? Maybe even a team of medics?"

I look back to Christopher and Sequoia. To see what details I'm missing. I've never done anything like this before, but they have.

"I think you've covered the most essential things," Christopher says approvingly.