Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
“I’ll stay out here then, but we need to find John. Can you go look for him?”
“I’ll never find him from inside the crowd. I need to get higher up.”
Mark eyes the stairs. That might be his best chance. He’s about to head in that direction when a familiar figure jumps up on the stairs.
My jaw drops. What the hell is John doing? Is he just up there to try and find us?
I figure that’s the case until he asks one of the other protestors for a bullhorn.
Holy shit. John is going to speak!
“Excuse me,” he says. The crowd is so loud that it’s hard to hear, so he gets even louder. “Excuse me, I have something to say!”
An eerie quiet travels over the audience. All eyes are on John, standing up on the stairs with Rachel Dryer behind him.
The secret poster is still rolled up under his arm. He unrolls it and holds it up.
It says “Mari + Mark + John = Love.”
My heart pounds in my chest. John just put our relationship out there for everyone to know about! We won’t be able to hide from it now.
I thought I was okay with it being out in the world, but after the way this rally is going, I’m starting to think that maybe it should stay a secret. The protestors themselves were fine. It was Dr. Dryer and the police who caused everything to get out of hand. There will always be discriminatory people in the world, and I want to avoid them as best I can.
Tears fall from my eyes as John clears his throat. I just want to go home. What is he doing?
Mark is back by my side. His arm slides around my shoulders, and he pulls me against him. Despite my urge to run, I’m cemented in place. We can’t leave John here. We’re in a relationship, which means no one gets left behind. I wouldn’t want them to go if I was up on those stairs.
Then again, I would never be up there in the first place. John is insane!
“You may all be wondering why this rally is happening,” John finally says. “It’s to spread awareness, yes, but do you know what triggered it?”
There’s a rumbling through the crowd. Of course, only a few of us know the answer. Jessica was careful to keep us out of it when she planned the event.
“This location is perfect because NYU’s administration discriminates against MMF relationships.”
At those words, the crowd gets louder, but John quiets them down. He’s not done yet.
“The truth is, I am a professor here. I am currently suspended indefinitely as the administration investigates my relationship with Mari Maple and Mark Kingham.”
“Justice for MMF! Justice for MMF!” the crowd starts to chant. John quiets them again.
“I broke the rules when I started my polyamorous relationship with Mari and Mark. Mari is a student, and Mark is a TA. However, other rule-breaking relationships on campus have been punished with a slap on the wrist. Ours is being taken more seriously because there are three of us. The administration doesn’t approve of MMF relationships, but I don’t care. I am in love with Mark and Mari. We’re starting a family together. That’s what matters to me. I don’t need to be accepted by this university to know my relationship is valid.”
More tears spill, but this time because of how sweet John is being. I’m not thrilled that everyone knows about us, but I’m proud to call John my boyfriend.
The crowd gets rowdy again. They start pushing at each other and lunging toward the cops.
John yells into the bullhorn for them to stop. It takes a few attempts for the crowd to settle again, but the tension is palpable. He doesn’t have much time.
“I don’t want any violence. Violence is not the answer. We can protest peacefully. Prove that the call to the police was wrong. All we’re doing is making a point. This administration can’t discriminate against people like us. We won’t allow it to happen.”
People cheer, but they don’t start to riot again. John has a way of speaking that makes people want to listen. It’s why he’s such a great teacher. He knows how to control a crowd.
Dr. Dryer looks like she’s about to throw up. She obviously hates that they’re listening to John. I’m surprised she hasn’t tried to take the bullhorn away from him.
“He’s incredible,” Mark says.
“I know. Do you think this will change things for us?”
There are news vans to our left. The media has picked up on the rally; there have been cameras rolling on John since he started speaking.
I’m glad my parents know about us now. This would’ve been quite a shock for them if they hadn’t.
I’m also glad I didn’t let them come to the rally. I appreciate their support, but this is no place for them. They’d be more overwhelmed by the crowd than I am.