Droplets of sweat ski down Judith's nose bridge, and looking beside her, she sees that the sun has the same effect on Cyrus and Juniper. Juniper's hood is up, which visibly worsens the heat for her; sweat pools around the creases of her neck and under her arms.
"Fuck Dean O'Connell and fuck this campus," Judith, Juniper, and Cyrus chant in the middle of the front field. They've garnered the attention of fifteen white students, but the smiles on their faces indicate that they find it amusing.
"Cyrus, I don't think we're doing anything other than giving these people a show," Judith loudly tells him.
"Yeah? Well, it doesn't take long for word to spread," he says as Juniper continues without them. "Don't give up just yet."
"What're you doing?" Judith turns her head left, and among the crowd of people is Mary holding her stolen journal. Judy's eyes grow wide as she approaches Mary with her mouth shut, leaving Juniper and Cyrus to shout alone.
"Is that," Judy stops herself and glances into Mary's blue eyes, then down at the smirk across her lips.
"I got it from Davie," she says over the yelling with her arm extended. Judy yanks the black book out of her hand while glaring at her.
"Stop calling him that!" Mary chuckles dryly with her brows drawn together.
"You're still head over heels in love with him?" She waits for a response, but when she's not given one, she shrugs. As her eyes glaze over, she says, "Well, you know the saying: Nigger love is stronger than Whiskey."
Judith slams her journal near her left foot, then mashes her hands into Mary's chest, pushing her to the ground. She knocks the wind out of her lungs, and those around them gasp, including Juniper and Cyrus.
"Oh, my God," one of the female onlookers yells. Judith curls her hands into fists, and Mary holds herself upright with her elbows under her. "I told you they're rioting!"
Five women run away from the scene. Three of them make a beeline for the administration building, and the other two rush to the other end of the campus.
"Judith, what're you doing," Cyrus asks as he cautiously moves toward her. He stands beside her, and she doesn't answer him. She's trembling, her heart is pounding, her face is burning red, and her lips are scrunched. "What happened to peaceful protesting?"
"That went out the window when she called me a - when she used a slur," Judith yells, and he looks down at Mary, who's rapidly shaking her head, her eyes big and full of fear.
"Okay, that happens." Judith darts her head to him, and he raises his hands in submission. Mary glances at the crowd for help. "Listen, I'm not saying it's right, but I've been called worse things by worse people. She's a nobody, okay?"
"No! Not okay," Judith looks at her, and Mary catches her gaze. Cyrus peeks at Juniper, and she's staring with her lips agape and her eyebrows furrowed. "No one's ever called me that before, and I'm not gonna let it become normal. She was supposed to be my friend, but no. She went behind my back and fucked the same guy she told me was no good for me!"
Judith jerks her right leg back, then swings her foot into Mary's left thigh, making her yelp and crash to her back. Cyrus' eyes shoot open wider and he throws his arms around Judith's waist, backing her away from Mary.
"Uh, heads up! The fat man's coming in hot," Junipers alerts them, and everyone looks behind the crowd at Dean O'Connell. He's storming toward the scene with malice in his eyes, sweat beading on his forehead, and the three women in tow.
"What the hell is this about some riot happening on my campus," he yells, and as Mary pushes herself to her feet, Cyrus releases Judith and they step back. He stops behind the crowd, and they form a path wide enough for him to look through at the three activists standing together.
"We're practicing our first amendment right to protest peacefully," Cyrus tells him as calmly as he can. All eyes fall on Cyrus.
"Peacefully," Mary repeats with a scoff. "She shoved me on the ground, then kicked me! If that's peaceful, then I'd hate to see how you people act aggressively!"
Judith takes a step toward her, but Cyrus gently nudges her back with his left hand without looking at her. Those watching from the windows in the student lounge pour through the doors to get a closer look.
"Do something, please," Mary shouts at the Dean, her voice cracking and other women murmur in agreement.
"Law Enforcement is on the way. Everyone calm down and head to your designated areas." Judith and Juniper take Cyrus' hands, and he glances at them, then forward again. They watch the crowd disperse, and Mary crosses through their eyesight with a smirk.
"Nigger," she mouths, and Cyrus quickly clenches Judith's hand to signal her to avoid reacting. When they're left with the Dean and the crowd in front of the student lounge, Dean O'Connell folds his arms and steps closer.
"Never in my forty years of working here have I witnessed an actual riot." He stops in front of Cyrus, looking him up and down with disdain. "I suppose you're the ringleader of this merry band of hooligans."
"No, sir. There's no leader, just the three of us working together to create a safer campus," he answers without breaking eye contact. Judith looks behind him at Jerome, and Juniper stares into the Dean's face.
"A safer campus? How safe do you need things to be? Would you like more officers to walk y'all to and from class like this is the University of New Hampshire," he rhetorically asks and doesn't receive an answer. "I'll never understand you people."
"All we want is to be treated equally." Dean O'Connell rolls his eyes and sits his hands on his hips, but Cyrus continues, "Black women and men are being hazed, sexually assaulted, and harassed on your precious campus, but when we ask for help, we're not taken as seriously as a little blonde-haired, blue-eyed damsel in distress."
"Excuse me?" Everyone outside can hear a police siren in the distance as the cruiser finds its way to the large university. "Implying prejudice is enough to have you expelled. In no way do I favor one race over another. In fact, I've heard many white students complain about there being too many blacks on campus with their spaces unwelcoming anyone not black. If I spent so much time catering to every whim brought to my office, I wouldn't have the time to improve things that actually matter."
"And what exactly are you improving," Judith asks as Cyrus opens his mouth to speak. He and Juniper glance at her. "Because since I first got here, we've only had one sorority house; meanwhile, the guys have two."
"Jesus Christ, add it to the list of demands in the suggestion box," he sarcastically dismisses her then peers behind them. The trio follows his gaze to the two white men in blue walking up the hill. "Good morning, officers!"
"Good morning, Winston," the one with dark brown eyes greets him with a weary groan upon reaching the flat surface of the lawn. He strolls closer with his partner beside him, both wearing their caps to shield the sun from their faces.
"What seems to be the problem," the other with dark blue eyes asks. They stop beside Judith, and her heart pounds so quickly that she can hear it in her ears.
"We've got three hippies here looking for trouble," he answers while scanning them. He meets the attention of the first to speak. "I think they've found it. They're usually straight-laced, but maybe a bit too much Huey Newton and Malcolm X has them feeling rowdy. Please escort them off the premises."
"Wait!" They turn to see Veronica running toward them with Kacey passing her. Ronnie's dark hair sways with the breeze, and her deep brown face glistens with sweat.
"Ronnie, find Jenny," Juniper yells. The officers retract their handcuffs. The dark-eyed man takes Cyrus' wrists, and the other grips Judy's. The metal clicks around their skin, and they stand as still as statues.
Wait, I can't get arrested. My Mom'll kill me.
Judith parts her lips, and her wide eyes show the fear that's finally registered. Veronica and Kacey arrive at the scene, Ronnie huffing and puffing like a dehydrated dog and Kacey staring at her with one brow raised.
"She just - went to - her class," Ronnie informs them, then leans forward and drops her hands on the knees of her jeans capris. "God, it's hot."
"Ladies, head back to where you came from," Dean O'Connell orders them while pointing to Zeta Kappa Delta, but they disobey him.
"Are we arresting them, or," the brown-eyed officer asks, stealing everyone's attention.
"Oh, uh, right." The Dean folds his arms again and takes a deep breath, looking at them one by one. "Inciting violence and disrupting the peace should suffice."
"Inciting violence and disrupting the peace," Cyrus and Judith repeat him with shock in their tones. Judy continues louder, "We weren't rallying people to fight, and we weren't disturbing anything or anyone!"
"Yeah, okay." He rolls his eyes and fans them away with his right hand. Her mouth is wide, and her brows are lowered with sadness staining her face. "Officers, take them away, please."
They pull them toward the lower part of the hill with Juniper close behind. She's staring teary-eyed at Kacey and picking at the hems of her sleeves.
"I'll let Jenny know what happened, okay? Later on, the three of us will come get you from the police station," Kacey assures her, then glances down at Veronica when she hears her wheezing.
The bottoms of Judith's clogs drag dirt and grass from the earth's soil as she too is viciously guided away.
***
Cyrus and Judith are sitting in chairs next to a mahogany door, windows against their backs, and an empty chair between them. He's bouncing his left leg, and his eyes wander around the spacious room at the cluster of desks in their cubicles, officers, and other people in handcuffs.
She's gonna yell. I'll probably get a mile, and a half long lecture with no breaks in-between, and I'm starting to think I might deserve it. God, if you're listening to me right now, please make her relaxed enough not to show her anger.
"Fuck," Cyrus mutters as the air escapes his lungs, and Judith veers her head to him. She follows his gaze past the slew of officers in their sectioned spaces and notices La'Shawna speed walking to them. She's wearing a creme-colored blouse decorated with tiny blue flowers and a long autumn orange skirt.
"What? What's wrong," Judith asks, and he licks his lips, then forces a smile.
"I forgot I gave them my girlfriend's number, so I'm in for an emotional beating," he explains with the feigned grin held on his face. "She's not mean; I've never heard her yell, and we've been dating for three years."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Cyrus looks at Judith with his brows together, and she shrugs. "What?"
"Knowing how disappointed she is is worse than being screamed at. If my head was on right, I would've called my old man to come get me. A punch in the chest is better than her crying." La'Shawna stands over him and folds her arms, her black strapless purse in her left hand. They look up at her, sighing contently when she blocks the fluorescent light.
"Cyrus, we need to talk," she says. He glances at Judy, lifts his brows, gives her a quick awkward grin, then follows his lady to the water cooler.
The door beside Judith opens and the click steals her attention. She watches Juniper step out of the room and stroll to her seat in the middle. She has a blue sucker in hand and her hood down, flaunting her red afro.
"What happened," Judith asks in a low voice. Juniper opens her mouth to answer, shaking her head and shrugging her shoulders, but the lieutenant speaks before her.
"You're the last one," he reminds Judy and they look at him. "Come on."