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People are clearly upset, but the crowd is much calmer now than before. I wipe at my eyes. I don’t know why I’m crying. I blame the stress of all of the people mixed with my pregnancy hormones.
“Are you okay?” Mark asks.
“I want to go home.”
“I think your dorm is blocked by protestors. We’ll go back to John’s. He should be finished soon.”
I hope so. I feel so overwhelmed right now. Why did I think coming here would be a good idea? I’ve made a terrible mistake.
A cop suddenly pushes through the crowd and jumps on stage. Dr. Dryer has a huge smile on her face.
The cop takes the bullhorn from John and addresses the crowd.
“This rally obtained the proper permits and has not caused harm to any human or any structure. We are going to allow the event to continue, but we will be here to monitor the situation. Please keep in mind that we are here to ensure the safety of all people, which means we will be protecting you from outsiders, as well as from any rowdiness.”
My eyes widen. Is this really happening? They’re not going to close down the rally? I’m happy for Jessica, but a part of me wanted the cops to send everyone home. I didn’t realize how intense a rally would be. I never want to do this again. At least, not while I’m pregnant.
Everyone cheers, careful not to go overboard. It’s amazing how well this group of people is listening. They want this rally to go well, and they’re willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen.
“Please, carry on with your rally, and remain respectful until the permit expires at four p.m. Thank you for your attention, and congratulations on a successful event.”
The cop turns off the bullhorn and steps back. I’ve never seen something like this happen before. I don’t think it’s a common occurrence. On TV, the cops always shut things down. Jessica got really lucky here. She wouldn’t have gotten into any trouble, but having the rally shut down would’ve made it hard for her to host anything else on campus.
Dr. Dryer is the only person who is truly unhappy with this turn of events. She pulls the cop to the side, and I can read her lips enough to know she is saying, “What the hell are you doing?”
I wish I could hear the rest of the conversation. It looks heated. She’s waving her arms around and getting in the cop’s face. He must have threatened to arrest her because she backs off all of sudden but continues to scream. Her face is bright red.
I may not be feeling the rally anymore, but I’m quite pleased with Dr. Dryer’s reaction. She’s showing everyone here just how awful she is. I hope she’s the one who is punished by the university in the end.
John jumps down from the makeshift stage and pushes his way toward us.
As soon as he reaches us, he ushers us away from the crowd. He must’ve read the look on my face. Mark and John know that I want to get out of here, and quickly.
More tears spill from my eyes as we walk away. I’m happy with how John handled everything, but this rally got out of hand so quickly. What if that happens again? My best friend is still there. She could be in danger.
I glance back at the massive crowd. The cops are surrounding them, and they have guns. One misstep, and everything could go to hell. I don’t want that to happen.
“What about Jessica?” I hesitate. “Should we bring her with us?”
Mark shakes his head. “You know she won’t leave. This is her rally.”
“I know, but…what if something bad happens? She could be in danger.”
Mark and John stop to wrap me in a hug.
“Breathe, Mari. Everything is going to be fine. Jessica will be safe, I promise. I don’t think the crowd is going to get out of hand again.”
“How can you be so sure? You saw what happened earlier. The cops showed up!”
“The cops came because Rachel called them. You heard the guy who spoke. They’re going to protect everyone at the rally. They’re not here to cause any trouble.”
“They say that, but can we trust them? I’ve seen enough news on rallies to know that’s not always how it goes.”
“Do you want to go back?” Mark asks me.
I look toward the rally, and then toward the emptiness in front of us. My hand settles on my stomach.
“No. It’s not safe for me there. I’m just really worried about Jessica.”
“Text her and have her call you as soon as the rally is over, okay? That should make you feel better.”
I do as he says. Jessica responds almost immediately: Love you. I’ll see you later. Thank you for coming!
I’m glad she’s not mad I’m leaving. I’m sure she understands, considering she knows I’m pregnant.
