artwork – the anti-war painting – where two men stood,
chest to chest, shouting at one another. The crowd around them was rapt
with attention, a communal breath held in expectation.
‘That’s Cole and
Kip...’
“… and what I’m saying ,”
Cole growled, his voice rising angrily, “is that your work is blatantly
simplified. It doesn’t tell the whole truth or even part of
it. It gives a commercialized talking point agenda of disobedience .
Nothing else!”
Ava’s feet took
her forward, the blood draining from her face. ‘This is fucking bad,’ her
mind screamed. She could see Chim coming from the other direction, his
nose flared angrily, hands rolled into fists. It was the look he got
right before he started an act of civil disobedience. It scared her to
see the expression here.
“You think you
have a right to judge that?” Kip barked.
He took a
half-step forward, hands rising in fists, but Cole didn’t move back in the
least.
“You bet your
ass, I have a right,” Cole yelled, gesturing at the artwork. “If you’re
putting this… this bullshit out there for public consumption, you’d
better get ready to answer some hard fucking questions about it!”
Ava was almost
near the front. She could see the fury rising like mist off a lake.
For a second she flashed to herself standing between the two of them, her hands
upraised. She stumbled in confusion, another memory – like a radio
station caught between two channels – threatening to overwhelm her.
“She doesn’t
LOVE you!”
“You LIE!”
“Then ask her
yourself! She’s made her choice!”
“Stop it!
BOTH of you! Please!”
Ava gasped,
blinking rapidly to force the after-image away. She had no idea where
this memory was from. ‘Something I dreamed...?’
“You want to ask
me something, then go ahead ask,” Kip snarled. “Everyone’s listening.”
“I want to know
what you’re saying!” Cole barked. “ Without the BS!”
“I’m saying I’m against the war,” Kip said in mock sympathy, “so shoot me.”
He laughed as he
said it, looking to the crowd for support, and Ava saw Cole’s face change like
quicksilver. Expression darkening with outraged fury.
“What the hell
does a punk like you even know about fighting and dying for a cause?”
Cole roared. “Because my sister died in this fucking war just so
you have the RIGHT to put your bullshit artwork up on a wall and say
whatever the hell you want about it.”
The harshness
left Ava gasping.
“It’s no lie,
Thomas. Ava and I are to be married before the ship sails.”
“My god, Ava…
you… you said yes?”
“Thomas, I’m so
sorry...”
Ava
staggered. She felt like she was underwater, the vision of the two men in
the gallery coming to her through a haze of blue, colours muting.
“You dumb
shit...” Kip cursed, his body compressing slightly, ready to fight. Her
hand rose to her mouth. Cole was going to throw a punch, she knew
it.
Chim stepped
directly between the two men, his hands coming up.
“Please know
that I still think of you with the utmost respect and admiration...”
“Relax, guys,”
Marcus ordered. His words were calm though his face was furious. “This is not the time or the place… both of you!”
Chim caught
Ava’s terrified eyes as she made it to the edge of the crowd. He headed
toward Cole, his back turned on Kip, blocking him.
“Time to go,
buddy,” Marcus repeated coldly. “Walk away, Cole. NOW!”
Cole let out a
blast of swearing. He stormed past Ava, kicking open the door with a bang
and heading out onto the street. The gallery exploded into excited
chatter, a number of people rushing up to Kip Chambers, trying to get his side
of the story. This had been entertainment for them, Ava realized in
dismay, but what she’d seen with Cole worried her. The feeling of her
dreams swirled in the room.
“I needed to
make a choice… It wasn’t
chest to chest, shouting at one another. The crowd around them was rapt
with attention, a communal breath held in expectation.
‘That’s Cole and
Kip...’
“… and what I’m saying ,”
Cole growled, his voice rising angrily, “is that your work is blatantly
simplified. It doesn’t tell the whole truth or even part of
it. It gives a commercialized talking point agenda of disobedience .
Nothing else!”
Ava’s feet took
her forward, the blood draining from her face. ‘This is fucking bad,’ her
mind screamed. She could see Chim coming from the other direction, his
nose flared angrily, hands rolled into fists. It was the look he got
right before he started an act of civil disobedience. It scared her to
see the expression here.
“You think you
have a right to judge that?” Kip barked.
He took a
half-step forward, hands rising in fists, but Cole didn’t move back in the
least.
“You bet your
ass, I have a right,” Cole yelled, gesturing at the artwork. “If you’re
putting this… this bullshit out there for public consumption, you’d
better get ready to answer some hard fucking questions about it!”
Ava was almost
near the front. She could see the fury rising like mist off a lake.
For a second she flashed to herself standing between the two of them, her hands
upraised. She stumbled in confusion, another memory – like a radio
station caught between two channels – threatening to overwhelm her.
“She doesn’t
LOVE you!”
“You LIE!”
“Then ask her
yourself! She’s made her choice!”
“Stop it!
BOTH of you! Please!”
Ava gasped,
blinking rapidly to force the after-image away. She had no idea where
this memory was from. ‘Something I dreamed...?’
“You want to ask
me something, then go ahead ask,” Kip snarled. “Everyone’s listening.”
“I want to know
what you’re saying!” Cole barked. “ Without the BS!”
“I’m saying I’m against the war,” Kip said in mock sympathy, “so shoot me.”
He laughed as he
said it, looking to the crowd for support, and Ava saw Cole’s face change like
quicksilver. Expression darkening with outraged fury.
“What the hell
does a punk like you even know about fighting and dying for a cause?”
Cole roared. “Because my sister died in this fucking war just so
you have the RIGHT to put your bullshit artwork up on a wall and say
whatever the hell you want about it.”
The harshness
left Ava gasping.
“It’s no lie,
Thomas. Ava and I are to be married before the ship sails.”
“My god, Ava…
you… you said yes?”
“Thomas, I’m so
sorry...”
Ava
staggered. She felt like she was underwater, the vision of the two men in
the gallery coming to her through a haze of blue, colours muting.
“You dumb
shit...” Kip cursed, his body compressing slightly, ready to fight. Her
hand rose to her mouth. Cole was going to throw a punch, she knew
it.
Chim stepped
directly between the two men, his hands coming up.
“Please know
that I still think of you with the utmost respect and admiration...”
“Relax, guys,”
Marcus ordered. His words were calm though his face was furious. “This is not the time or the place… both of you!”
Chim caught
Ava’s terrified eyes as she made it to the edge of the crowd. He headed
toward Cole, his back turned on Kip, blocking him.
“Time to go,
buddy,” Marcus repeated coldly. “Walk away, Cole. NOW!”
Cole let out a
blast of swearing. He stormed past Ava, kicking open the door with a bang
and heading out onto the street. The gallery exploded into excited
chatter, a number of people rushing up to Kip Chambers, trying to get his side
of the story. This had been entertainment for them, Ava realized in
dismay, but what she’d seen with Cole worried her. The feeling of her
dreams swirled in the room.
“I needed to
make a choice… It wasn’t
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