Oscar Glyde Won't Heal Your Pride

39: You Won't Take Our Life From Us

Chapter 39: You Won't Take Our Life From Us

MONDAY

[Hallways, Atenamal Regional High, 8:53 AM]

MR GOERING: (in passing) "Morning, Oscar."

OSCAR: "Goering?" (Goering stops; Oscar looks around) "You told Nick that you're gay."

MR GOERING: (sighs) "Sometimes, Oscar, we have to tell little white lies to prove a point."

OSCAR: "And you were proving..." (...) "You were proving that what Nick was saying wasn't because he was concerned for true Americans' dispositions; he was saying it because he was blatantly racist and homophobic." (...) "You know he's going to start that rumour now, right? You might need to defend yourself."

MR GOERING: (he shrugs) "The students can call me gay all they want. Why defend myself against something that's not offensive?"

(Oscar thinks about it for a second, then he smiles)

OSCAR: "I'm going to pass that one on to Fender."

MR GOERING: "He'll be glad to hear it. Go to class, now."

[Enter Elsie]

ELSIE: (she's clearly preoccupied) "Hi Mr Goering." (looks at Oscar) "I'm putting together a counter-protest once the walk-out starts. At least thirty students have said they'll join me - probably more."

MR GOERING: "Count me in. Have you got signs?"

ELSIE: "Not much. Do you think... do you think you guys can make some during lunch?"

OSCAR: "Yeah, Elsie. Where are we meeting?"

ELSIE: "The flagpole. Then we'll go down to the roundabout."

OSCAR: "It's just a couple dozen alt-right students. Everything should be fine."

...

[Flagpole, Atenamal Regional High, 1:03 PM]

(a group of students had gathered under the flagpole; some students are pouring out onto the street, encouraged by Nick McCarthy)

RANDOM WHITE BOY: (yelling; in passing) "'Sup, half-breed fucktard?"

(Oscar gives him the middle finger)

ELSIE: (clearly under pressure) "Okay - is everyone here? Do we have everyone?"

MR GOERING: "There's more coming up."

ELSIE: (addressing the students who are walking over to join them) "HURRY UP! WE'RE GOING NOW!"

MR GOERING: "You know, Elsie, this might not last long. Doesn't look like Nick's gathered many supporters."

ELSIE: (handing signs to people) "You're right, he only has about twenty. Doesn't mean we don't continue fighting."

FENDER: (solemn) "Twenty? Does that count the middle-aged men in muscle shirts marching up the street now?"

ELSIE: (whipping around) "What?"

(a group of white men have arrived; they don't stop coming; all seem to be at least twenty years old - most are in their 50s-60s; they carry confederate flags, Nazi flags, alt-right protest signs; some wear makeshift KKK caps; some wear bandannas over their faces; some carry SWAT riot shields)