Page 63 of Inside Out
I finished off my pizza then battled the urge to kiss Rome goodbye. In the end, I leaned my forehead against his, sharing air with him for a few seconds before I pulled away. “I’ll see you in a few hours.”
“Yes, you will.”
The board had debated whether having the meeting in the school gym on a Friday night before a home football game was wise. They worried the Blissville residents’ main focus would be on the game, and only the POS group would show up for the public meeting. They were wrong. The gym bleachers were already packed with students and parents by the time I arrived. They held up signs supporting the play, the kids who wrote it, and the school board for putting it on. Looking around the gym, it was easy to tell who the POS members were by the scowls they wore on their face. So many people kept filing in that we had to set up rows of folding chairs on the basketball court to accommodate them. They wore shirts or sweatshirts showing off their school spirit. I knew most of them were dressed to attend the game, but it warmed my heart to see so many of them stop by the board meeting first.
Priscilla gave me a friendly wave and an encouraging smile from the front row of the bleachers. I winked at her and gave a thumbs up to Howie who sat beside her. The older man’s face turned pink, but he smiled shyly. I was glad to see the big guy was no longer in the doghouse.
I joined the faculty standing along the wall opposite from where Roy Halifax and his POS posse waited for the meeting to start. They’d huddled together with lowered heads and joined hands, praying for God’s intervention on their behalf. In my head, I imagined the men would all look like Joe Dirt or Dog the Bounty Hunter, and the women would resemble the infamous county clerk from Kentucky who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex applicants. That was my ignorance and own prejudices talking, and I should’ve known better. Hatred didn’t discriminate. It resided in the hearts of people regardless of their race, education, religion, or orientation. Knowing that, I was still surprised to see them look so…ordinary. They didn’t dress or style their hair differently. They hadn’t showed up with an angry mob with protest signs, but I wasn’t fooled. This was a group of deceitful people who threw together a phony petition thinking the board would back down under pressure.
They broke apart when the board members and Rome entered the gym and filled the empty chairs on either side of the podium. Across from the board, a lone table was set up with two chairs and a microphone. One of the men broke away from the group after hugs and handshakes from his supporters and approached the table. He nodded to the board and sat down.
Caitlyn Simpson rose from her chair and approached the podium. She smiled at the crowd and acknowledged Roy Halifax with a nod then turned on the microphone. “Good evening. I want to thank everyone for coming tonight. I would ask that the crowd remain quiet throughout the meeting and that we all show respect to those speaking. Anyone who disrupts the meeting will be escorted out of the building.” She gestured toward the door to my right and we all turned to see a mountain of a man standing just inside the gym. Marcus had football players on his team that would envy the expanse of shoulders on the cop. Of course, maybe the impression of his size had more to do with the fact his perfectly pressed uniform was at least two sizes too small. His eyes locked on mine, and he smiled before swaggering his way toward me. He was sexy for sure with his dark hair, obsidian eyes, and perfectly trimmed mustache and goatee, but not sexier than my silver fox who claimed more and more of my heart each day.
I turned my attention back toward the proceedings without acknowledging him. My gaze clashed with Rome’s and an amused smile curved the right side of his mouth before he returned his attention to Caitlyn.
“Mr. Halifax, the floor is yours. To keep this meeting running smoothly, I’m going to limit you to fifteen minutes, and then we’ll hear a rebuttal from our superintendent, Dr. Romeo Bradley.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Roy said. “Thank you for hearing me out.”
“The floor is yours and the time starts now.”
“Madame President, board, Dr. Bradley,” he said politely. “I’m here today on behalf of Preserve Our Society to ask that you reverse your decision to permit these high school kids from performingInside Outas the school play.” He started in on all the reasons why a play pushing a “liberal agenda” would tear down the foundation of the American family.
I tuned him out and kept my eyes locked on Rome’s face. Roy Halifax wasn’t saying anything I hadn’t heard before, and I had no interest in hearing it again. I just hoped his poison arrows weren’t piercing the hearts of the vulnerable kids in the stands. How many of those kids sitting in the crowd were wrestling with their identities? I didn’t just mean their sexuality, either. I meant their whole being. There was so much damn pressure on these kids to know exactly what they wanted for their futures that they didn’t have time to just…be.
I tuned back in when Halifax said, “That’s all I have to say. Thank you for listening.” I noticed the time on the huge clock hanging on the adjacent wall. I’d just lost twelve minutes of my life I could never get back.
“Thank you, Mr. Halifax. The board will now hear from Dr. Romeo Bradley.”
I watched as my man rose from his seat and strode to the podium with confidence and poise. He stole my breath away. I was beyond proud that he was mine, and I was his. Rome greeted the crowd and the board with fondness and Mr. Halifax with civility before he began his speech.
“I cannot begin to tell you how much I would’ve loved seeing a play likeInside Outwhen I was a teenager. Maybe I wouldn’t have felt so alone and isolated thinking that I was the only kid in the school who felt different from everyone else. For me, I felt like the odd man out because I wasn’t attracted to girls like the other guys were. Other kids in my school probably felt odd because their skin color was different, or they had less money than some of the others, or maybe they practiced a different religion than the majority of the student body. Then there are the physical things we hate about our bodies. We weren’t tall enough, skinny enough, and we weren’t athletic enough. Maybe a student wanted to be a dancer, but her parents said a law degree was the only acceptable path. Haven’t we all felt like we didn’t fit in at some time in our lives?
“Inside Outisn’t about pushing any kind of agenda, Mr. Halifax. The play isn’t about religion or politics; it’s about humanity, sir. I’ve read this play in its entirety twice because I’ve been asked to direct it. There is not one scene in the play that doesn’t depict the kind of humanity we should all strive for. We aren’t telling kids they should be gay, we’re telling them we love them if they are. We’re telling a kid the sum of their value isn’t based on their appearance, socioeconomic status, religion, or orientation, but the kind of human being they are and how they treat others, Mr. Halifax. There are no sexual, political, or violent situations in this play. These are kids navigating the challenges they face while pulling strength from those around them. In my opinion, this play should be performed by every high school in the country. That’s all I have to say, Madame President. Thank you for the opportunity to share my feelings.”
Rome’s eyes sought mine once he returned to his chair, and I let the huge smile on my face speak for me.
Caitlyn rose to her feet and faced the rest of the board members. I couldn’t hear what she said but they all shook their heads in response to whatever she asked. “Once again, I want to thank everyone for coming. I’ve just asked the board if we need to have a discussion before we vote, and they’ve each declined. All of those in favor of upholding the board’s approval ofInside Outas our school play say aye.”
Every member of the board raised their hand and said, “Aye.”
“There you have it. The show must go on,” Cynthia said. Cheers erupted in the gymnasium as the student body celebrated their victory. I saw Clara, Ellie, and Curtis clinging to each other in a group hug.
“Hi,” a deep voice said from beside me. I turned and looked at the cop who’d moved even closer at some point during the meeting. “I’m Joey.” He extended his hand which I accepted with a friendly smile.
“Hi. I’m taken.”
“Figures,” he said with a snort. “It’s good to meet you anyway.”
“Likewise.”
Joey ambled a few feet away and returned his attention to the POS members who huddled together across the gym talking animatedly. Many of the students greeted me or gave me high fives as they left the gymnasium and headed to the football game that was set to kick off in ninety minutes. Rome spoke with the board members for a few more minutes before he sought me out.
“Congratulations, Dr. Fancy Pants.”
“You’ve just been biding your time to use that phrase.”
“Yep,” I admitted.