The Society - Grizz's Guard (English Version)

Part 1 - New Ham

I was extremely astonished when I saw Allie and Will handcuffed as I made my way through the screaming crowd. Lexie monkeyed a few propaganda phrases while Harry tried to calm the students of New Ham who, for some strange reason appeared really angry. I couldn't figure out what was going on. Then I saw him; Campbell was leaning against the school door, exactly behind what appeared to be an execution. The first image that my brain was able to process was Sam's face. I looked around, looking for his blue eyes among the swarm of angry teenagers, but I was unable to recognize his reddish hair. I began to worry. What was going on? Why was the girl who until then had managed to keep the peace in our community arrested? How did Campbell get so much power?

I managed, between one push and another, to get up to the foot of the staircase that led to the entrance door, where the Guard and Campbell watched satisfied the scene that was developing right under their eyes. "Harry, what's going on?" I asked half-open; almost simultaneously silence pervaded the square. The seconds seemed to pass more slowly than usual; "You are back!" cried Allie almost moved;

"yes Allie..."  I answered in amazement;

"Have you find anything?"

"Yes.... land, game, streams and lakes full of fish!"

The boys and the girls of West Ham seemed relieved and what started as a slight buzz had now turned into an explosion of joy and hope.

"what's going on Allie?" I repeated;

At that point Luke leapt forward, almost standing between me and those who until then had been those who had guided us:

"things have happened Bro..."

"What things?" I asked nervous;

"Allie and Will are under arrest... we will explain everything, don't worry..." whispered the chief of the Guard, as he were embarrassed;

"It's time to go" Harry ordered.

Under the cold and rigid gaze of the crowd, Luke and the now extinct football team that now composed the City Guard  forced Allie and Will to enter the jeep with which they had probably arrived;

"Go home" cried Lexie "Tonight, dinner at 6:00 as usual in the cafeteria... we'll keep you updated on the next moves we decide to make and the election for the council."

For the first time in 5 months I was afraid. I was completely terrified. My legs seemed to tremble at the crazed beat of my heart. I was disoriented. I tried to ask what had happened, but no one seemed to want to listen to me, as if what was happening was nothing more than a shame for our community, something that should not be said. I began to feel a strange sense of nausea and my head began to turn. It seemed to have been catapulted for the second time in less than a year into another universe. I tried to calm myself. I began to regain control of my breath. inspire. exhale. It was as if I had forgotten how to do it. Slowly the beat began to decrease; I felt the blood in my veins flow more slowly and, after few seconds, I regained control over my body. My thought went back to Sam: I threw my backpack down, desperately looking for my phone. I couldn't find it and the anxiety of losing it in the woods filled my mind, clouding my eyes. I started sweating... where the fuck did I put it! I started looking in the pockets of the jacket that I was wearing: it was Dad's Helly Hansen, a hiking parka that he had bought when he and mom decided to start taking walks at high altitude. He must have been at least 25 years old. Looking for the phone I stopped to think  several moments about all those times when I had failed to tell them the truth... "So boy, what about girlfriends? Do you have one" "Grizz, wasn't Leslie supposed to come over for dinner tonight?" "Honey, what's up with Leslie?" Bullshit! I was scared... I was scared they couldn't accept me; the only son of the Visser, rising star of local football and prominent figure of West Ham High School, filthy faggot? My father would never have accepted the idea that his son, the one he had always invested in, was sleeping with men. For this very reason I decided to leave the city, to leave who I loved, being afraid of the fact that they might not love me anymore... I managed to get a scholarship to New York University, I would have moved.. but just when the last semester was coming to an end, We were all imprisoned here, in the city I wanted to escape from. My sensible reflections were interrupted when I was able to find my phone, which, by chance, had ended up in the small inside pocket of the jacket. By then the crowd had dwindled and only a few second-year boys had stayed on the square, perhaps wondering, just like me, what had happened. I rushed through all the contacts until I found Sam's:

"Where are you?" I asked in panic;

"fuck" I whispered between me and me "Answer me". A few seconds later, a message appeared on the screen of my phone. I started running.

I arrived at the clinic exhausted. I had run for about 3 miles without stopping, the sweat wet my cheeks while the sighs that I emitted condensed almost instantly because of the cold of December. I accumulated the last remaining forces and rushed towards the entrance; in the grip of contrasting emotions, I ran towards the maternity ward. I walked all the way down the ground floor and, when I arrived at the end, I opened the door that separated me from the hall of the ward: Sam was standing there, in front of the door. He looked astonished, almost moved; his big blue eyes stared at me, while the pillow in his hands fell quickly from his arms. He ran towards me. I could only hug him while we both began to cry. I felt his warmth, his contentment, the emotions that were pervading him. He was trembling. We looked at each other for a few moments, seconds that in my head seemed infinitely long. He kissed me by caressing my face, as only he, throughout my life, had been able to do.