You Should Know (BWWM) ✅

Chapter Six

"Has your dresser always been there?" Kellie walked in confused and suspicious. Elowen turned to see what she was talking about and noticed that her dresser has in fact been moved to the other side of the room. Both girls rushed over to move it back before her mother walked in and complained about moving her furniture around. "Probably Henry or Spencer."

"They know better," Elowen grunted.

"They also are probably upset you've been sneaking around and lying to your mother about who you've been with." Kellie glared down at Elowen with irritation.

She stopped adjusting the dresser to look up at her friend. "My mama's got nothing to do with it. If anything, you're the one who's mad."

"You've been ditching Marcus and me to sneak around with Philip all week. Last you told me, he belittled you in front of your brother on Monday and by Wednesday you two are best friends again."

Elowen placed her hands on her hips in shock. How could she not figure out that the only reason Kellie came over here this Saturday was to scold her? She knew Kellie was holding it in all week and Marcus has been promoting the both of them to stop killing each other with their eyes.

"You either gonna argue with me or go to this protest with me. There is no in between!"

"Why are you girls yelling throughout my house?" Mrs. Walson opened the door to see the two of them standing in the middle of the room with frowns on her face. But what she really noticed was the dresser that was placed in between them. "Elowen Gretta Walson. Now I know I told you about moving your room around. We gotta keep it neat for when you go off to college and Spencer has it."

Elowen whimpered when her mother pulled her out the way to move the furniture back to where she and Kellie removed it from. "But it doesn't go there."

"Quit whining. I moved it to make room for your television. I got a discount from my friend so he's installing new ones around the room. That'll get y'all off my couch." She eyed the room down once more before heading towards the door. "And quit raising your voice."

Elowen and Kellie sat down on her bed now having no energy to keep going back and forth with each other. "I'm going," Kellie spoke quickly. "I'm only going because you're my friend and I don't trust you out there alone by yourself."

"Nothing is gonna happen if you go with me or not. Why do you always make things about being a good friend?"

Kellie gasped. "If it weren't for me you wouldn't even know how to think. So get up and put your walking shoes on." Kellie jogged in place then picked her sign up from the corner of the room. JOHNSON IS A WAR CRIMINAL written boldly on the cardboard.

Elowen cheered up just enough to go over and get her sign too. The two girls put their differences behind them and left their home for downtown. Of course they took the bus along with a few other protesters. Although the crowd on the bus made Elowen's adrenaline pump faster, she couldn't help but think about Philip. He told her he wanted to protest with her and he was a no show.

Elowen sighed when the bus came to a stop and she was forced to get off of it. Kellie walked ahead of her with glee. As they neared the heart of the scene, Elowen felt suffocated. Her sign was hit by fist flying upward and her ears popped when loud chants entered it. Unlike her, Kellie was a natural. Thrusting her poster in the air and flowing effortlessly with the group of people before her. Thousands were against this war yet opposite of them were the hundreds who were for it. Separating the opposing groups were police.

She told Philip that the heat would be doing other things with their lives but here they were feet in front of her. She gulped before raising her sign with the rest of the people. "There ain't no power like the power of the people! 'Cause the power of the people don't stop!"