Who: Amy Chen and Jeff Novak What: Avoiding disturbances on the way home. When: Jan 7, evening Where: Streets of Seattle Rating: PG-13 Status: Complete
Her hair curled around the edges of her face like candy canes, except it didn't look half as delicious and no one wanted to take a bite, let alone Amy. Still, it didn't stop strands of hair from bouncing into her face as she walked and obscuring her vision. Worse, they clung to her newly lip-glossed lips, the balm acting like glue instead of moisturizer. She wiped at it with the back of her hand, aware of the stickiness but too annoyed to do anything else.
And besides, she was almost home. Just around the lake and up the street and she would be free to take off her shoes and lounge in peaceful companionship with Captain Picard on her TV. At least that was the theory.
In practice, Amy slowed her steps as she came around the local free clinic, stunned and confused by the sight of so many gathered people. There were no slogans, just shouting, but the camps were easily told apart even without the chanting. The ones with the loudest voices were the ones with the loudest clothes and though she knew not to judge a book by its cover, she couldn't help judge them by their behavior.
"What the hell..." she trailed off, asking no one at all but herself.
Placards in front read "Give women back their rights" and "Never again". There were wire hangers being waved around and spoons bent in different directions, penholders with wire attached and hair curling tongs. She didn't need a dictionary to know what that was all about.
There were no police cars yet that she could see, but she felt a prickle of fear at the thought. What if they showed up and landed her in the same basket as those nutters? Resuming a brisk walk, she turned sharply on her heel, making to go around the block and get home that way.