Anarchy » The Society

15

Chapter Fifteen —
Protect

"So, you all had a fucking powwow, huh?" Allie's narrowed eyes drifted over each one of the teenagers in turn. "You went through every other option and came up with me."

"Allie–"

"Shut the fuck up, Will, I'm talking," she snapped. His mouth clamped shut. "All of you think that this is the only way. And you're sure?" Her eyes lingered on Rosa for a moment, who shifted uncomfortably. She hated putting this on her. "You've decided?"

"We talked about it," Will spoke up again. "There's essentially no one, Allie. Not me, Kelly, Rosa. Or the Guard. Without someone asking 'why you?', you know?"

Allie slowly scanned the room again, finding nothing else but agreement from the other teenagers. They knew it was unfair to put everything on Allie, but it made sense. It was the only other option that made sense.

"If you're gonna put this on my shoulders, then you had better be there for me every minute, every second of every day, by my side."

Rosa spoke up first. "We will."

"Of course," Sasha agreed, as the others nodded assuringly.

"No, really think about it." Allie started to cross the room. "Don't nod your heads like idiots, don't give me an easy yes."

"Yeah, Allie, we'll protect you," Luke affirmed.

"And if I have to make a decision and I don't know the answer?" She continued. "Which, by the way, I won't." 

"We'll all be with you, every decision, every second, like you said," Will promised.

"Sure. Okay." Her expression hardened. "But fuck all of you, and I mean that."

Later that afternoon, Rosa followed behind Allie into the church. Curious eyes fell on them the moment the doors opened. Allie made her way to the front of the church, whilst Rosa hung back with a few members of the Guard.

Allie approached the podium. "Um, in the name of my sister, I'm taking over the responsibility of keeping us all safe." Rosa caught the girl's nervous eyes and nodded encouragingly. "Um...of reinstating and enforcing the rules that she established. All the things that made this place work." Allie paused for a moment, glancing over the crowd. "Is there anyone who objects?"

Only silenced filled the room.

"Okay," Allie said. "New work lists will be posted this afternoon. Um, starting immediately, I'm going to be confiscating all guns. Every last one." Her eyes darkened with determination. "We're gonna find who killed her."

The Guard and Rosa followed Allie as she headed out of the door, remaining in silence whilst they trailed back to the Pressman household, upholding their promise to watch over her and keep her safe.

"I need to tell you something," Rosa told Grizz as they stopped by the porch.

Luke paused by the door, and Grizz gave him a simple nod, signalling for him to go on.

Once the door was shut and they were alone, Grizz turned to Rosa. "What's up?"

"I've got guns," she admitted. "I mean, my parents have guns– had– them."

"So you're handing them in?" Grizz asked her, as if it were obvious. Rosa looked at him, her lack of response prompting his eyebrows to raise. "Or not?"

"We need to be able to protect ourselves," Rosa said, lowering her voice. "After what happened with Cassandra, and then at the cafeteria. I mean, we just went to school with these people, we have no idea who these really are!"

Grizz ran a hand through his hair. "Rosa..."

"You weren't in the cafeteria," she hissed, sparing a glance around them. "People are turning on each other. If things go wrong–"

"Allie can protect us–"

"Can she?" Rosa challenged. Grizz exhaled heavily, opening and closing his mouth without having a response. "I trust Allie, I really do. But we have to be able to defend ourselves too."

"This is a terrible idea–"

"It's not!" Rosa's voice raised. "We are locked in with these people, okay. Locked in. There is no way out of here, okay? We have a right to be able to protect ourselves!"

"You know what? You're kinda sounding like a republican right now, and I know for a fact that you're not–"

Rosa gave him a pointed look. "This isn't funny."

"I know." Grizz sighed, moving from one foot to the other. "But, look, you don't need guns to protect yourself. I mean, there's a whole reason we have a Guard."

"I know for a fact that I'm a better shot than all of you combined," Rosa said, placing her hands on her hips.

Grizz tilted his head to the side, barely even having to consider it. "Okay, yeah, you're probably right about that."

"Exactly–"

"But still–"

"Nope–"

"Rosa, I really don't know if this is a good idea," Grizz voiced. "I mean, actually, how do you even know how to use them?"

"You remember when me and you went on that road trip last year?" She asked him.

Grizz's eyebrows pulled together. "Yeah? What's that got to do with it?"

"Well, my dad taught me how to shoot," she replied, shrugging. "In case of emergency."

"Emergency being..." he trailed off, his frown deepening.

"Men."

Grizz nodded his head in understanding. "Ah, I see."

"So yeah, I know how to fire a gun," she said confidently. "Pretty good at it too."

"Did your dad, like, not trust me to look out for you or something?" Grizz asked, mildly offended.

Rosa's lips tugged upwards slightly. "Grizz..."

"I mean, I like to think I'm a protector, right?" Rosa's eyebrows raised even further, silently challenging him to consider what he was saying. He sighed in defeat, giving in. "Okay, fine. I know you're more badass than me."

Rosa grinned, patting a hand on his chest. "You are so right."

"So, are you gonna tell Allie?" He questioned her, returning to the issue at hand. "That you're keeping your weapons?"

Rosa shook her head. "No," she answered, a little unsurely at first as she still tried to consider what was best. "No. I don't think so. She doesn't need to find out, okay?"

"I would never say anything," Grizz assured her. "If you really think you need to do this..."

"I do need to do this," Rosa told him, eyes drifting as she began to lose herself in thought. "I'm worried I'll regret it if I don't."

A/N

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