It's Important

“If I’m turning to go run a few times a month and have to deal with this shit at school-”

           “Language, Allison!” Lillian Thatcher exclaimed.

           “…I have to deal with this stuff at school,” Allison amended. “And it’s a gigantic part of my life, so why shouldn’t I be allowed to march in the Pride parade? I understood when I was too young to even turn, but I’m thirteen now.” She turned to her mother. “You agree with me, right?”

           “I agree with you,” Benjamin interrupted. He put down his fork, officially sidelining the plate of food in front of him. “That’s not the point. The point is that I want you to make sure you know what you’re going to be up against at Pride.”

           “People have protested at the end of our driveway before,” Allison pointed out. “Our home. I know what they’re like.”

           Benjamin grimaced. “That was…relatively tame compared to what you might see and hear at Pride.” He folded his hands on the table, pausing. “The kind of people that have protested at the edge of our property are foolish and cruel, but counter-protesters have a wider agenda.”

           “He’s right,” Lillian spoke up, drawing Allison’s attention. “They’re more hateful. They think we should be wiped out as a species, that werewolves, vampires, pùcas, we should all stop having children. That makes you an especially prime target, because they feel that you can be converted to their cause.”

           “I’m literally a werewolf,” Allison said, motioning. “How exactly could I convert to be a parasapien?”

           Lillian smiled. “Your mind, not your body. Though there are some out there who actually think prayer can stop the turn, or keep a vampire from needing blood, you know that.” Allison nodded slightly in acknowledgment. “Also, there’s the matter of how many people are there. You need to be able to calm your wolf, because she’s going to want to flee at the first sight of that crowd.”

           “I know,” Allison said with an overly dramatic sigh. “But she knows how important this is. And it is important, you’ve told me that for as long as I can remember, and I want to be a part of it.” Lillian picked up her spoon and lifted her eyebrows slightly at her husband before getting back to her meal.

           “True, I’ve orchestrated my own downfall here. All right.” Benjamin nodded. “All right, you can come to Pride this year.”

           “Yes,” Allison whispered, fist-pumping to herself under the table.

***

           Oooh this was a mistake.

           Allison took a slow, deep breath as she and her parents walked toward the massive crowds in West Hollywood, the area flooded by the extra-large streetlights that had been brought in to light up the night. They were on Santa Monica Boulevard, but still blocks away from the center of the action, and there were swarms of people. She knew that many of the people here, the adults especially, had attended before and came knowing what they were in for, but she didn’t understand how so many of them would subject themselves to something like this.

           Yes you do. It’s for the same reason you’re here. It’s important.

           There were several legislative changes being debated in the House at the moment, and she saw mention of them on some of the signs people had with them. Allison had decided to go with just a wolf flag for herself, though her parents had more intricate, computer-designed signs. Though they weren’t signs just made for this occasion - Benjamin and Lillian were both prominent figures in the fight for wolf civil rights, so they were often at protests, and they had the stockpile of flags and signs to prove it.

           As they reached the corner of Fairfax, Allison took her mother’s hand for what was probably the first time in several years, since she was a child, worried about getting separated and lost. Though now it was primarily for comfort and security. Her mother looked down at her and smiled, giving her daughter’s hand a reassuring squeeze.

           Wolf was usually in the back of her mind, but today she was right there at the front of Allison’s consciousness, eyes wide and ears laid back flat, tense and apprehensive. Just as she’d been told by her parents, wolf wanted to get the hell out of there. But she also knew this was important to Allison. It was as important as running was, if she were being honest with herself. This was just another kind of freedom, after all.

           Gratefully, the march started almost on time, and the three of them only needed to stand among the multitudes of people for about fifteen minutes beforehand. Allison’s parents, she noticed, were so relaxed. At least that’s what it looked like to her, though she was convinced it was a façade. It must have just been practice, having to be among throngs of people over and over, for so many years. Pride had only been happening annually for a few decades, and her mother and father were seventy-nine and eighty-two respectively, but they had to set an example for their kind even in their day-to-day lives, and they couldn’t let their agoraphobia get to them.

           And then finally they were moving. Music was blaring, the people were cheering, and Allison’s wolf was mentally covering her ears and squeezing her eyes shut, but they were moving. Allison forced herself to enjoy being present, looking around at everyone grinning and waving to those watching the parade, and she took a moment to think about where she was.

           I’m at Pride. I’m in the parade. Jasmine is going to be so jealous!

           Allison finally smiled, holding up her flag higher and letting go of her mother’s hand. Lillian smiled also, briefly squeezing her daughter’s shoulder before looking back to those gathered behind the barricades, waving to them.

           After about ten minutes, Allison started to get more overwhelmed, but the walk was only about twenty minutes, since after all, a third of attendees had innate agoraphobia. It was toward the end that things started to get legitimately uncomfortable, because of course her parents had been right. There was a lot of hate there.

           They had a right to voice their opinions like any other citizens, and they were determined to make their voices heard too. There was a crowd of a few dozen people with signs of how Jesus could save the parasapiens in the crowd, if only they’d repent and leave the Devil behind. Though Allison noticed some signs that seemed to determinedly state they were headed straight to Hell. There were even kids there that were Allison’s age, and she cringed at the look in their eyes. Loathing and disgust, the same as their parents.

           And Allison hoped they never got bitten by a rogue wolf or vampire when they were older, because that would spell the end of their lives as they knew them. Hate like that didn’t disappear overnight.

           At the end of the march, everyone dissipated, heading in various directions and Allison took her mother’s hand again. “Thanks,” she said, meeting her gaze. “For bringing me.”

           Lillian nodded and gave her daughter a small smile. “Wasn’t too much for you?”

           “Me, no. My wolf…eh,” she muttered with a dry grin.

           “You did great,” Benjamin said, rubbing his daughter’s back.

           “Thanks, dad.” Allison took in and let out a deep breath. “Can we go home now?”

           He laughed loudly, nodding. “Absolutely. I’ll break out the grill for dinner, how’s that sound?”

           Allison felt her wolf stand at attention at that and she smiled. “Sounds great.”