𝓡𝓸𝔂𝓪𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝓢𝓱𝓮𝓵𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓭 (𝓡𝓸𝔂𝓪𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝓢𝓮𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓼 𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓞𝓷𝓮)

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓕𝓸𝓻𝓽𝔂-𝓣𝔀𝓸

These group meetings were probably the worst idea I ever had.

Nearly everyone is still at odds with each other from last week's meeting. It's making my already tight throat tighter, and my shaky hands shakier.

We're all sitting cross-legged as usual, my pink dress is sprawled over my knees. However, the people who are currently arguing are so spread out that the circle is nearly a quarter larger than it usually is.

I'm in between Arty and Ninny, who are both wearing black suits, but my knee and Arty's knee are touching because Ninny is sitting a few inches away from Walter. Walter for some reason is just being Walter in his green suit sitting a few inches away from Alice in a white nightgown. For some reason, Alice keeps shooting him dark glares that he's returning.

Next to Alice is Fanny who's sitting a comfortable distance close to Jessie. They're both wearing matching purple dresses and holding hands. However, Sophie and Jessie are sitting the furthest from each other. Nearly a foot apart where Sophie has even changed her purple dress to a black one just to stop matching both of them. Sophie occasionally sends dark glares to both Jessie and Fanny. Fanny has been glaring back, but Jessie has been averting her sister's gaze.

The tension in this room is making my stomach churn.

I shake my head and clear my throat, "O-okay guys, I u-understand there's a lot of t-tension in this room," they all turn to face me and my face heats. Well, that was uncomfortable, "B-but we really should get going with t-this meeting so the t-tension can end."

They look between each other, and back to me. They all seem to nod.

"Take it away leader," Sophie whispers in an exasperated voice.

I don't know why she keeps calling me that. I'm not the leader of anything. 

I shake my head, "I-I'm not the l-leader of a-anything."

"You're the leader of this protest are you not?" Fanny goes on.

I just ignore that and sigh, "W-well I- we need to start n-nailing down our main focuses for this... p-protest."

Walter scoffs and crosses his arms against his chest, "We can start by establishing the clear difference between men and women."

Arty shoots him a glare and growls, "Must you always be reprehensive? You are more mentally incapacitated than Nosey is."

Ninny laughs beside me and looks at Arty, "Hey, that was a good one man," he holds out his hand to Arty I guess for a high-five but Arty just stares at him.

Ninny frowns and retracts his hand. He awkwardly stares at the rest of the group, "Maybe we should avoid the social issues for now, and focus on something that we can find common ground."

I look at him and smile, "T-that's a good idea Ninny," he smiles, "H-how about we talk about the way crime is handled in this country."

Sophie looks up, "You mean how you want to get rid of our country's only court system?"

I take a deep breath and raise my eyebrow at her, "I n-never said I wanted to do t-that."

Jessie shoots a glare at her sister, "Yeah, why don't you actually hear people out for once? "

Sophie stares at her and clenches her teeth, "Careful, I can have let a very special group of people hear you out, and put me out of my misery."

My jaw drops. Did she just say she would report her sister to the Gentry?  The Gentry of all people?

Ninny raises his eyebrows at her and scowls, "Why are you talking to your sister like that? You should accept her."

Sophie glares at him and furrows her eyebrows, "Who are you to get into mine and my sister's fights?"