Lights Up

Do You Hear The People Sing?

Dia's POV

It's Friday, aka the day of the protest. It's really freaking cold out, so I'm just hoping that people show up. Katherine's essay is everywhere, and we got a lot of messages on the social media page Jared and Alana set up saying that people were coming, but the weather might discourage them. I've got my Puerto Rican flag hoodie, with a sweater underneath because layers, with my normal jeans and Converse. Last night I "borrowed" some face paint from Uncle Pete, and Dani said she'd do flags on my cheeks. Everyone here knows about the protest, and they've all been really supportive, my mom especially. The only one who was worried was my dad, but he worries about everything. It didn't take long for Dani and Carla to fix my hair and face paint (I tell Carla that I can braid my own hair, but she insists on doing it every day). Soon enough I'm on the subway, headed to school. I'm getting funny looks, what with my face paint and the sign I'm carrying along with my backpack. I stayed up WAY too late last night making it. It's made to look like a piece of old parchment, with black letters that say WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF-EVIDENT THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL, but I crossed out the words ALL MEN ARE and wrote EVERYONE IS in red. My whole setup caught the attention of a female police officer a few seats down, who looked like she was in her twenties.

"Where are you going with all that?"

I might as well tell her. I mean, the worst thing we're doing is skipping school.

"Peaceful protest outside my school. The principal's an old white guy, and he punished me and three of my friends unfairly cause two of us are Latinx and the other two are gay. So we're doing something about it."

Her answer surprised me.

"Good for you. Stick it to the old people. Just keep things peaceful, or I might get called to take you and your friends in. And I would have to, no matter how much I agree with you."

She smiled at me as I got off the train and walked up to street level. Normally it's a ten minute walk from the subway station to the school, but Phillip offered to come pick me up from the station since it was so cold. Sure enough, there he is, waving frantically out the passenger window of a grey suburban driven by his mom. I run over and jump in. Side note: I am aware that I am getting in a car with the boy I have a crush on. I already had my freak out moment. Now, I'm too focused on what we're about to do to think about that.

"Hey Dia. Nice face paint."

Now I take in what Phillip is wearing. Oh my goodness. He's wearing fairly normal clothes, a red hoodie under a black zip-up jacket, jeans, Converse. The only odd thing is the fact that he has a giant flag. That he has tied around his neck. Like a cape. Oh my goodness this boy is a dork. An adorable dork, but a dork.

"Nice...cape?"

My hesitation makes his mom start laughing, and I get a good look at her for the first time. She's really pretty, like REALLY pretty. She looks Asian almost, with laugh lines around her eyes. She's wearing a blue sweater and has her dark hair pulled back in a ponytail. Oh shoot, I should probably introduce myself, or she'll think I'm being rude.

"Oh, sorry. I'm Dia. It's nice to meet you, Ms. Hamilton."

"Please, call me Eliza. I've heard a lot about you."

"Mooooooooooom."

Phillip gave his mom a look, and some sort of communication passed between them. Before I could figure out what it meant, we were at the school. I could see Jack, Crutchie, and Frances already on the steps with signs. And I think Frances has a microphone. Ms. Hamilton (I think I'm physically incapable of calling her Eliza) turns to us before we get out.