Boys, Boys, Boys.... [boyxboy]

Chapter Nineteen (Dedicated to jnel2012)

Dedicated to jnel2012, an amazing and totally loyal fan who is always voting and commenting! Love you!

Chapter Nineteen

Aiden-

"The suffering felt during the great depression is more than any one person now-a-days can even begin to imagine. Look at everyone around you, attending school, food on the table when they get home, hell half of you have BMW's for crying out loud. Imagine if everything in your life, all the material things that you take for granted, just disappeared. What would you do then? No Xbox, Ipods, televisions, or cars. Imagine living on the road, looking for work, anything just to get enough food in your stomachs to survive," My English teacher, Ms. Stanton said.

Some students' eyes were glazed over at this point. We all knew about the Great Depression. Hell, weren't we in a recession right now? We had learned everything about it throughout the years in our history classes, so why was it being brought up now, in English Literature?

"Which brings us to our next unit. We will be reading Of Mice and Men. It's a short book about two men trying to achieve the American Dream during the Great Depression. Now, when I say short, I mean short, it's only about a hundred pages. But I would like to make a project out of this. I want you to read the novel, but I also want you to work with a partner to write a paper on some topic of interest that can relate to today and the time period," Ms. Stanton said.

Immediately, everyone's eyes flounced around the room, as it always does when a teacher announces that you can pick a partner.

My eyes didn't so happen to meet, more like a set of eyes were thrown in front of me, as Ashley Blake plopped down into the seat before me.

"Hey, partner!" She said chipperly.

"Uh, hey, what's up?" I asked.

She sighed. "Oh nothing, just wondering why the heck Ms. Tavern would even think to cast that Samantha Pardon as Elph-"

She stopped talking once she saw my look.

"Oh. I'm doing it, aren't I? The whole being a spoiled bitch thing?" She asked, pouting out her lip a little bit.

I nodded. She looked down at her lap. "Sorry," She mumbled.

I shrugged. "Hey, Rome wasn't built in a day," I said.

She smiled. "Yeah, so we have rehearsal tonight," She said, virtually restarting the conversation.

"Yeah, but you guys don't need me or anything, right? I mean, I'm just tech and it's the beginning rehearsals we're doing...."

 Honestly, I just didn't think I could face Simon after all that went down during the rehearsal the day before....

"No! We definitely need you there. I mean, who knows, what if the lights go out or something?" She said, her blue eyes playful.

"Alright, yeah. I guess. Anyway, what do you want to do our paper on?" I asked.

"What paper?" She pondered out loud, a dubious look on her face.

I just laughed.

At the bell, Ashley and I walked together out into the streaming, crowded hallways. She squirmed close to me as a blockade of people shoved past on her side. I grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the crowd, and she looked at me gratefully.

"Thanks, they almost took off a leg back there," She joked.

I laughed.

We were leaning up against a row of lockers now, and I heard one locker slam shut.

"Ash? What the hell?" Lance Rutherford said.

I looked down to where my hand was still on Ashley's wrist, and Ashley herself was standing close to me.

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it stereotypical for the meat head jock to jump to conclusions?

Lance charged up to us and grabbed me by the collar of my t-shirt.

"Lance, don't!" Ashley exclaimed.

"Stay out of this, Ashley," He growled.

Is it just me, or did his eyes just flash red?

"I'm gonna mess you up, Gray," Lance promised me.

A small crowd had gathered. And plenty of people were spectating from down the hallway. I took in my very pathetic situation within a span of a few moments. I realized that I very well may be in deep shit.

"Little shit like you think you can sleaze on my girlfriend?" He hissed.

I wanted to roll my eyes at the absurdness of this whole situation. I mean, really. I was torn between that feeling, and the one of wanting to crap my pants. Lance was huge, after all. Doesn't he bench like two fifty for fun?

Ashley looked troubled. "Come on, Lance. Cut it out."

"Why do you care so much about what happens to him?" Lance demanded.

Ashley bit her lip. "Come on, just let him go. Nothing was going on. He was only helping me."

"Helping? Is that what they call it now? Funny Ashley, cause I'd call it whoring around," Lance said.

One person down the hallway gasped. More than one let out a whistle. Ashley's cheeks were pink, as if she had just been slapped in the face. Her eyes looked almost watery.

Okay, now I'm just pissed. Where do these guys get off?

"Hey, Lance," I said.

Lance turned back to look at me, and I brought my hand up, clenched in a fist. And then, I hurled it at his face. A sense of power washed over me as my fist connected with his jaw, and then accomplishment as his head flipped to the side involuntarily.

I looked over at Ashley, who had a cross of relief, confusion, and amazement written on her face. It was on the faces of fellow classmates as well.

I was pretty damn proud of myself, right then.

I gave Ashley a grin. My victory was short lived, however...

"Hey, Gray."

Everything went black.