Page 12 of The Rebel's Guide to Pride

Today at11:23AM

Sawyer

okay everyone get in place we’re about to start

Coco

Is the Zasshole even here yet?

Coco

Oops. Wrong thread.

My brow furrowed, wrinkling even more when I realized what he meant. Then I reread the last message before today. That had been two months ago, and they’d evidently started a new group chat without me.How did I not notice?I questioned, stomping my way to the sidewalk. The divorce proceedings had been hectic at home, Mom’s worry spilling over into mine. So much had been going on, and maybe I had been too distracted to pay attention to our QSA meetings. But that wasn’t an excuse for them to leave me out. They didn’t know all the sordid details. They had only decided to exclude me because…

I’m not a good gay like Sawyer or Cohen or Kennedy.That guilt was back, but I pushed it down. Pushed myself to keep walking so I could prove to them—to myself—that I wasn’t who my father had made me.

My stomps grew more determined, and I kicked at the ground in annoyance. A brightly colored scrap of paper skittered to the side in my pissed-off strides. I slowed to a stop, the line “Beggs High School needs you to join the QSA” barely visible. It was one of the flyers Cohen and I had hung up. Its edgeswere crumpled from being trampled, the corners torn like it’d been ripped down.

There was another a few feet away.

And another.

They were gone from every single lamppost in the square. Posters hung in their place, and I stepped to the closest one to read the violently red ink. “Support Mayor Buchanan’s Family First ordinance and keep our children safe,” I read, voice stumbling as I saw the last line. “Proudly supported by City Attorney J. A. Chapman, Esq., of Chapman Law.”

There was no doubt this was a result of the backlash brewing in town since the petition. The fact that my father supported it sent an icky rage through me.Have the others seen this?Hands shaking, I tore it down. Then I was moving, jogging to the next one. Part of me felt like I should run home, hide the posters in my shoebox, and accept what was happening in town like I was raised to do.

But I wasn’t Anthony Chapman anymore.

I tossed each crumpled ball to the ground, not caring who saw. One after another as I traced the same path from last night. The white paper ripped from the posts as my breath grew ragged—

My rampage skidded to a halt. The roar inside me quieted, my shoes sinking in the pea gravel. Blood rushed to my ears as I gazed across the town square athim.The slicked-back brown hair, the polo tucked into ironed khakis, the same fake-ass smile from the billboard.

James Anthony Chapman. The JACass. My father.

A spark pushed me through the crowd toward him. My tongue pressed to the roof of my mouth as pressure swelledin my chest. I wanted to tear into him. But I stopped abruptly when I saw the short man beside him. White hair cropped and neat, matching beard. A grin as obnoxious as the pristine linen suit he wore.

Mayor Buchanan.

My father leaned over, whispering into the mayor’s ear, and then they turned toward the pavilion. The mayor waved to the crowd while he climbed the steps, like this was planned. A wave of voices crashed against me as I tried to make sense of what was happening. Something wasn’t right. Sawyer was getting ready in the changing tent, and Captain Jaymes Catz was supposed to welcome everyone to Pride Day.

Buchanan grabbed the microphone, his grin growing wider, and I shoved my way to the front. A piercing gaze pinned me in place before I could cause a scene. My father shook his head and held a hand up for me to be quiet. The gesture made my mind trip over all the memories of when he’d done it before as the mayor’s Southern twang rang out.

“Hellooooo, ladies and gentlemen,” he greeted the crowd, his voice reverberating through the speakers. “It’s gonna be a good day today, and I wanted to take a moment to address you fine folks of Beggs with a special announcement.”

He paused as if waiting for applause, but there was another wave of disgruntled tension. I glanced around as everyone nervously mumbled under their breath. Then I caught sight of Sawyer pushing toward me, beard halfway glued on. Kennedy and Cohen were on her heels in a frenzy.

“What. The. Hell?” she asked, out of breath, coming to a stop.

“Why didn’t you tell us your dad would be here with the mayor?” Cohen demanded with an accusatory tone.

“Like I knew this was gonna happen,” I said with too much force. “Ifyou’dbothered to actually pay attention, you’d know I don’t talk to him anymore.”

Cohen opened his mouth, but his voice was lost in the static of the microphone. “I’m proud to officially announce my Family First ordinance today,” Buchanan continued with open arms. “In order to protect the values of Beggs, I’m rolling out new city legislation to prioritize our children. The first step is banning public displays that flaunt unnatural sexualities and adult cabaret performances. As such, I’m here to tell you Pride Day is officially canceled, as it violates this ordinance.”

A beat of silence settled over the square as his words sank in. “What theactualfuck?” Sawyer seethed, ripping her beard completely off. I grabbed her shoulder before she could rush the stage.

My father gave me another sharp look, but this time it didn’t stop me. I inhaled deeply and bellowed, “You can’t do that! We got signatures!”

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