Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 128812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 644(@200wpm)___ 515(@250wpm)___ 429(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 644(@200wpm)___ 515(@250wpm)___ 429(@300wpm)
I lift my plastic cup, doing my best not to cringe as the sour beer hits my lips. Nothing like a beer before noon, but this was the only option other than bottled water at the free concession stand, and I know what's expected from these people. A bottle of water and the argument that I'm driving, if asked, would draw too much attention. I'm sure most of the people here think laws don't apply to them because they don't believe in the government.
It's insane to me that the same people who think the government should disappear are the very same ones forming their own types of government. It's not that they don't like control. It's that they want to be the ones in control, and the hypocrisy of it all makes me sick.
The sea of greens and browns walking all around me makes my skin itch. The proof on my skin that I was once a part of the government they hate at one point makes me uneasy. As if they'll ask me to pull my shirt off, and there would be no other explanation of my injuries other than military combat, despite the numerous people I've heard talking about their time in the military.
The difference is I served my country with pride, and they were either discharged without honor, or they served their full time with a hatred for what they were doing growing inside of them with every minute until the ink was dry on their DD-214.
Knowing that any one of these people could decide they hate me on sight makes being here more dangerous than taking on enemy fire in the Middle East. At least there, I knew who hated me and who didn't.
Knowing there's no trust with these people makes me search for Zayne in the crowd. He has my back, even if it's only because we're on the same team right now.
He's not hard to spot. The man has a crowd around him as if he's one of the scheduled speakers for the day. His smile is wide and vibrant, and there's no sign of the pain he had when he spoke of his sister last night.
The man somehow looks like he fits in, as if he were born to be a part of this world. It makes me feel even more out of place, knowing it took years and years for him to build up the kind of confidence he's showing while practically performing in front of a bunch of racists and bigots.
I nod at people who walk by, but the character I'm playing isn't nice at all. "Lyle" is hateful and borderline insane with how much he hates the government. The attitude I'm supposed to present is like taking a trip down memory lane, recalling how I felt growing up in a house where I was an accessory more than anything else. I wasn't supposed to have feelings or expectations. It was always "yes, ma'am." I was never meant to ask questions or do more than exist in a world where I really wasn't welcome, despite the smiles my adoptive parents threw my way when they were out in public, and that's what was expected of them.
Any other time, I was supposed to stay out of the way until they needed to pull me out like a prop in a play. It really fucked with my head. I'd be lying if I said that there aren’t certain situations where all that shit flares up.
Apparently, this is one of them, and pulling on that energy, channeling all the pain associated with my upbringing, is much too easy. I know it has a lot to do with the blast from my past standing across the parking lot.
More people have gathered around "Curtis," each one smiling and nodding as he speaks. The man looks like a king holding court, and everyone listening to him is buying every ounce of what he's selling.
Saying the man is charismatic doesn't give him the justice he deserves. I know I should be glad he's drawing the attention, but part of me wonders where he puts the outrage and anger he must feel in these types of situations.
My skin crawls just being in the vicinity of so many people who are blatantly intolerant of so many things that don't affect their day-to-day lives. These are the type of people who would seek out others who are different from them just to punish them for existing.
As I stand, sipping my now lukewarm beer, I can also acknowledge just how good Zayne is at all of this. The charm he's showcasing is something to watch, and it makes me glad I wasn't selected to do that part of the job. I don't think I could be so happy and carefree in the face of so much injustice, but he does it well.