The Difference Between You and Me by Madeleine George

happen? The world’s in worse shape than ever, man! If they want peace so bad, why don’t they go chain themselves to a nuclear silo in Colorado or picket the White House or blow up the headquarters of Halliburton—like you could even
find
the real headquarters of Halliburton, right?” Arlo chuckles conspiratorially, and Jesse nods because she’s not sure what else to do.
    “‘By any means necessary,’ right? That’s more your style?”
    “I guess?”
    “Yeah, that was me, too. I get you. I was all about direct action. And I wasn’t afraid of violence. I was at the Battle in Seattle in ’99, see?” Arlo drops his sign to the ground and tugs up the sleeve of his army jacket, revealing a crisscrossed network of pale, wormy scars running up and down his bony forearm. “Friendly fire,” he says with unconcealed pride. “Bottle rocket, premature detonation. I was supposed to throw it at the limo carrying the head of the World Trade Organization, but I didn’t time the fuse right. Went off in my hand, man.”
    Jesse looks down at the arm Arlo is thrusting into her face and nods politely. “Nice.”
    “Nice?” Arlo echoes, clearly offended.
“Nice?”
    “I just meant—”
    “Is he showing you his scars?” Esther interrupts, leaning over Jesse now to peer at Arlo. “Arlo, are you forcing Jesse to look at your mangled arm? Put that away, nobody wants to see that.”
    “I’m not forcing anyone to do anything, I’m talking to the new girl about direct political action!”
    “Stop trying to prove how tough you are and leave Jesse alone.”
    “It’s okay, really….” Sandwiched in between the hot intensity of Arlo and the cool intensity of Esther, Jesse starts to feel slightly claustrophobic.
    “For your information, Esther, I was about to tell her that I put all that in the past, thanks to Margaret and Charlie and this group. I was about to tell her that I’m all about pure presence now and just being here in a peaceful way to bring about the new world order.”
    “All right, so now you’ve told her. Put your arm back in your jacket.”
    “You guys, it’s cool, it’s cool.” Jesse just wants them to stop bickering. What is it with people getting into conflicts at peace rallies?
    In a huff, Arlo shrugs his sleeve back down over his arm, then turns away to check his BlackBerry with his back to the group.
    “He’s right, though,” Esther says to Jesse. “The point is just to be. You don’t have to do anything besides be right here.”
    ***
    By 12:55, Jesse has counted about twenty-five people who have honked or waved in support of peace. First Jesse’s right hand, then her left cramped up stiffly around the ruler handle taped to her NO TO WAR sign. Her feet have grown tingly from standing still so long. But she feels a kind of contented calm that she almost never feels. She can’t remember the last time she just stood in one place and watched the world go by. It’s surprising how few people she’s seen that she knows, even in this town that always feels so small to her. A whole hour of standing in front of the Town Hall and she’s recognized only a few people: Ms. Arocho from the library; Dr. Paul Klang, her dentist; Brianna from her dad’s office. Other than that, it’s all been brief flashes of people she doesn’t know. Kids, babies, teenagers, parents. Couples, old ladies, college guys. People walking with shopping bags, people running in short-shorts and earphones, people feeding meters, people holding hands. Dogs, dogs, dogs. The sun is warm on Jesse’s skin; the clouds skid smoothly across the blue overhead.
    A low green hatchback covered in bumper stickers approaches and honks an enthusiastic rat-a-tattoo as it passes. Esther calls out, “Hi, Huckle!” and Huckle waves from the driver’s seat. Margaret and Charlie and Esther wave. Jesse waves. Twenty-six people.
    “Hard to believe this is all headed for the crapper, this beautiful little town,” Arlo says