Sneaky

Chapter 82

This whole meeting is gonna be one big guilt wipe from their consciences, and a talk to prepare themselves. Make them feel better about what's about to happen— what they're about to do.

I've seen it before.

Never with something as serious as this, but looking around this room... all I can see is the same expression I saw around the older kids who were fairly new to the system.

New to the idea of being criminals, and had to psyche themselves up before going out to do something.

Except Shane.

He has the same expression as the veteran kids. The ones who were almost 18 and about to be real criminals. Join gangs, getting the system off their backs and about to spend the rest of their lives "taking what they want".

It was foolish to believe we could change everyone's minds in a single day.

There's a surplus of stubborn big headed people in this group, who all think their word is the right one.

It's why there are so many fights. People always clashing, getting into pissing matches.

If that isn't enough, most of them are the ones making decisions. The rest just plain don't wanna be involved. We've got too many people with too much to say, and too many who are willing to just watch them squawk their hearts out.

Preaching the shittiest ideas like their words are gospel.

I'm not blaming them for being scared. I'm not trying to make light of the situation, they all have legitimate concerns. I should know. I've been here, right in the thick of it this whole time.

But Randall's scared too.

Why can nobody else see that?

I stood beside Daryl who leaned against a small shelf drawer thing, behind Rick, who was leaning against the back of the sitting chair on this end of the room.

The others are spaced out evenly throughout the entire circumference of the room. Some standing, some sitting, most leaning against various things such as walls, chairs, or tall furniture, but the atmosphere is so thick and uncomfortable you could choke on it and not so much as a sound would be left of you.

Rick looked back at me and Daryl behind me, and I followed his, Daryl, and Lori's gaze to my left, where Carl was standing just behind me.

He sighed with a bitter expression, and went down the hall, towards Beth's room. Where she and Jimmy should be, as they and Carl are the only ones not participating in this; all of them being under 20.

I don't think they should hear a conversation like this, much less be apart of one, but maybe if they were, people would be more reasonable.

It's like being encased in tar. You know there's no getting out. You know you're not gonna make it, but it's a torturously slow death; squeezing every last drop of hope from you as slow as possible, until you're drained dry. Before finally bursting.

And the worst part is, I don't even have to try. I already know. There's nothing I can do to stop it.

The moment the door down the hall shut, Glenn started off tentatively, "So how do we do this? Just take a vote?"

"Does it have to be unanimous?" Andrea glanced around. I forgot she was a lawyer before this. This probably isn't anything new to her.

"How about majority rules?" Lori offered from the doorway she leaned against, on Daryl's other side. Blocking the door to the porch.