Keep An Open Mind {Lynn Gunn}

9) Put Your Heart To Your Eyes

"It's a shame, list to flames! It's a shame, burn your fame!" I heard someone repeating this sentence through a megaphone, in the back of the school.

It was distinctly a girl voice. Not being able to shut my curiosity up, I walked to the back of the school silently, and as I turned around the corner, I spotted a girl yelling this anthem into a megaphone. I liked her look, a black leather jacket, leather leggings, and I was able to see her pink hair despite the hood she had on.

But what surprised me the most was what was near her;

A tall fire in the middle of the area was blazing slightly.

There was a bunch of people there, about 15 or 20.

As the pink haired girl kept yelling the same sentence with fierceness, one boy with a crest hairstyle was tossing various Golden Pre-Yearbooks in the fire, stoking it even more. The other people were just giving him their copies of the book and cheering as he burned them down.

Then they started repeating the sentence too.

"It's a shame, list to flames! It's a shame, burn your fame!"

I was watching in awe until the girl noticed me and turned off the megaphone, while the others kept cheering. I felt a bit nervous when she walked towards me, and I even considered leaving quickly, but it was too late.

"Hey, you." She called me out while walking.

"Uh I was about to leave..." I explained awkwardly and she let out a chuckle as she stopped in front of me.

"No, stay. The more we are, the more attention we get." She said, with a smirk. I looked into her big bright blue eyes, they were sparkling in determination.

"Um... what are you guys doing?" I asked, pointing at the fire, and she smirked again.

"A protest. You know, against the stupid pre-yearbook. The populars just use it to get attention and 'keep the losers being losers', so that they don't lose their throne. Being sick of it, we protest against it. The principal will notice, this way." She explained and I nodded.

"You must of have a low grade, right?" I asked, then chewed on the inside of my cheek. Why the hell did I ask it?

She chuckled again.

"Actually no, I'm 'the tough rebellious girl' for them, they didn't write much. Even though they would never admit it, they are afraid of me and the gang over there." She said, pointing with her thumb at the guy who was burning books and the other people.

"We always find something to protest for, it's like the revolution team. Pretty cool, isn't it?" she added, proudly, and I nodded.

"So... why are you doing it? I mean, it doesn't involve you..."

"Girl, that list is bringing down so many people and I'm sick of it. Who do they think they are? They need to lean their heads down and keep their feet off the ground, and start thinking that they're not - and they'll never be - royal." She said. I grinned and gave a slight nod, again.

It was cool that they were fighting for the weaker, possibly getting trouble for their ideals.

"Give me your yearbook?" she asked politely, holding out a hand. I smiled to her and pulled the book out of my bag in some swift movements, and she thanked me

"Ariel, the cops are coming!" the guy yelled to her. So her name was Ariel.

"Okay, Shawn!" she yelled back and smirked, which confused me a bit. She was getting trouble, why was she smirking?

"Why do you look happy? Aren't you afraid of the police...?" I asked and she shook her head.

"In life, you need to take some risks. Risks bring results. I'm willing to get arrested if it'll have an impact on what I'm fighting for. And it's no big deal, I'd be out very soon and now the principal will notice what's going on, and won't be able to pick up any excuse not to stop the witches' army." She stated and crossed her arms.

I stared at her in admiration for a few seconds. If more people were like her, bullying wouldn't even exist. Justice wouldn't just be a fairytale, society wouldn't be corrupted and everything - or almost everything - would work fine.

"I admire you. You're fighting for what's right." I admitted and she smiled, giving a shrug.

"Somebody has to make the first move, at some point, otherwise you won't have the change you're waiting for. We all have our battles to do, and we're just fighting for what we believe in." she replied.

We heard the police's sirens coming closer to the school's area and she turned her head to hear better, then turned back to me.

"What's your name?"

"Lynn."

"Well, Lynn, what do you believe in?"

I hesitated, but replied eventually.

"In something that people would never actually believe." I said and she nodded in understanding.

"Well, prove them wrong." She suggested, and pointed at one banner on the floor.

"Take a banner and a spray can and write on it your message to the world." She said, and before I could even notice their presence, two cops were behind her.

"Nice to see you again, Bloomer. Didn't they tell you that starting fires on public land is illegal?" one of the cops said, as if it was something they grew used to.

How many times had she been arrested? Ariel smiled to them.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. But you tell our principal about it." She replied, and they put the handcuffs on her wrists.

She looked relaxed, it probably wasn't anything new.

"C'mon, you'll be probably out in a few hours. New megaphone?" the cop asked, as the other cop was extinguishing the fire and taking Shawn to the police car. Of course, they were the ones that made the fire.

Ariel let out a laugh and walked to the car, as he opened the door for him. Then she turned to me.

"Focus on your goal and fight for it." She whispered, but I heard it.

"List to flames, burn your fame!" She yelled again and flashed me a small smile. Then the cops took her and Shawn away, and the rest of the people who were there just scattered.

I watched the car leave for the street and glanced at the burnt ground. Such a nice job.

Then I did as I was told and grabbed a spray can and a banner, although I wasn't sure of what to write. I put everything in my bag and walked back home.

What I believe in... Well, I believe that there's always something more if you look closer, always something bigger, something brighter. They told me I'm depressed, but they didn't get my real situation.

There was hope in me, but they couldn't see it... I did try to kill myself, I did try to stop the pain, but now I was too focused on my real goal.

I had to find that place, that unique, addicting image glued to my thoughts.

This is not just all in your head.

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A/N: Any fan of Icon For Hire here?

This chapter was kind of inspired by "Make A Move", the song by IFH. I added the link on this chapter, check it out if you want, they're an awesome band.