Page 40 of Protect Me

“Thank you,” I scream into the microphone. “Thank you.” I doubt anyone hears, but I blow a kiss, which is such an unroyal thing to do, but people are laughing and screaming that they love me, so I don’t care. All of this was an unroyal thing to do anyway.

I step down amid deafening applause.

Every single hand is raised with a phone in it, filming my every word. Nothing was rehearsed or written down. My hair is my natural afro, my clothes simple.

I said what I’ve wanted to say for so long, and I said it as myself.

Now,thatwas power.

Let the chips fall where they may.

...

I take one last look at the crowd over my shoulder before getting into my car, my eyes running idly over the faceless faces. And then I stop short.

And the bottom of the world falls out from under me.

/Hector/

{transcript of a phone conversation}

“Hector?”

“Yeah?”

“Holy cow, did you see that on the news? Did you see her? How did she—What the hell did she—Did you see her?”

“I saw.”

“Wait—are you ok? Are you crying, Hector?”

“I am.”

“What a loser.”

“Yeah, right, I’m the loser, because I’m so proud of my sister for having the literal guts to do this right now that I’m crying. And I’m not even ashamed of it.”

“Ok, fine. I just called to tell you.”

“Tell me what?”

“After watching that, after listening to her, I think… I think I found it. Remember, Hector, when you said that I might find it one day? The thing that’s more important than my fear.”

“And what is that?”

“It’s her.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. Are you there? At the airport?”

“I’m waiting for her in one of the cars. I’ve got eyes on her, she’s standing a few yards from me.”

“Cool. I’m in Asteria too, I arrived last night. Sorry for not telling you, it was a last-minute decision… I kept thinking of you both being here, and I got jealous.”

“Who else knows you’re here?”

“No one. You do, now I told you.”

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