"Let's go back"
Angel swallows before speaking,
"So soon? Where to?"
" Was thinking Atlanta." i said confidently.
The pizza fell back onto her plate. She wiped her hands from crumbs and stood up.
"Absoluely not."
After throwing away her crusts, she came back to the table with a glass of tea.
"Come onnnn, why not?" i asked in a whiney tone.
"It's too dangerous, I heard the Guard was begining to be deployed to the big cities."
I slouch back in my chair and sigh. She was right, there was a good chance something could go wrong. Then again the protest yesterday were 100% peaceful. The cops didn't even show up. Nothing was broken or set on fire either....
"Look, I know you want to get out of this house as much as I do. I promise if it starts to get out of hand we can leave immediately."
She was silent for a minute. Fingers massaging her temples. I know she wants this as much as I do.
"Fine. But if the cops show ANY sign of aggression, we're going home, understand?"
We spent the rest of the night planning for the weekend. We needed to be even more calculated than last time. The trip was twice as long so we needed an even better excuses as to why we'd be gone so long.
*
*
*
We get to the city a bit later than expected. Mostly my fault. My anxiety wouldn't let me sleep a wink. Angel drove this time since she is the older of us. Unfortunately she drives the slowest of us too.
"Get out or i'll lock you in the car."
I roll my eyes and follow her up the street. We spot a group of people carrying signs and decide to join them They explain to us what all was supposed to happen today. Apparently, the local officers were supposed to escort us to our destination. We meet up with the actually protestors soon enough. The were people of all ages, races and genders here. It was mostly older Gen Z and younger millinials though. Me and Angel unroll our signs and parted ways.
*
*
"No Justice, No peace, No crooked police!"
We had ended up towards the front of the crowd. People were playing music somewhere in the distance. I felt so happy. The feelings of pure bliss. That was enterupted when a cop walked up beside me. He didn't do or say anything, his face however, was twisted in a scowl. We made eye-contact. The fuck you looking at?
For reasons i cannot explain, he smiled a VERY sinister smile and walked away. Bastard.
We went on for a few more minutes of chanting before Angel caught back up with me.
"I know im not popular with the area, but were we supposed to make a right like 10 minutes ago?"
I looked around at my surroundings. Everyone else around us looked unfazed. Most of them still chanting. Something in the air does feel strange.
"Ehh dont sweat it, they prob had a miscommunication about the route." she said before walking a few steps back to vibe with a guy with a mini speaker.
Just as we turned the next street corner, I began to panic.
"Angel! Those don't look like the other protestors we were supposed to meet up with!"
