Page 44 (1/2)

But even sohe feels like ht path It’s not what’s on the surface that matters--not in other people or myself

Chapter 17

Dylan

Maybe we could do a letter-writing caers down at the head of the table and looks at me His accented voice is soft when he replies, "They didn’t listen to the petition, so I doubt they’ll listen to letters"

"So we just do nothing?" I look around at the rest of our student activisroup, and I can tell I’ the subject, and it ry "These are people’s lives at stake If this shelter closes, the one at St Mary’s only has thirty beds a night available What about all the other people who don’t fit? What about the to be kind, but he’s done with this conversation Matt places a hand on

"There are whole families that need help Children who do poorly in school because they didn’t get a good night’s sleep or any food the night before"

"You’re preaching to the choir, kid," Matt iven up"

"We do not give up," Javier answers sharply I forget soer than any of the rest of us He and his parents ientina when he elve after his brother was killed during a political riot He’s a quiet, thoughtful kind of guy, but he can be pretty damn serious when he wants to "We stop, rethink, reevaluate And we face facts Nothing will change if we are the only ones fighting So we find support from more prominent members of the community We wait for classes to start back in teeks and come back at it then"

"But the shelter is closed now What do those people do in the ?"

"I don’t have that answer But we e with sheer force of will"

He’s right I know he is, but that doesn’t make it any easier to hear We could spend every day protesting outside that shelter or City Hall or wherever, and it wouldn’t change a thing

Because the world isn’t fair It just fking isn’t

So I stay silent when Javier asks, "Any other business before we adjourn?"

A senior named Alana passes out stacks of flyers for a lecture at one of the local libraries about religious awareness and tolerance I take a handful and promise to drop them off at a few businesses around my apartment and my parents’ house Javier lets us know that at the next islature elections, and what kind of stuff we can do on ca to a close

While the others say their goodbyes, I take off Matt is hot on my heels

"Hold up there, spicy pickle"

"Don’t start, Matt, not if you want your organs to re out with a certain sexy football player has made you more violent"