Historical Context

Chapter 3

I nearly fell into my mashed potatoes at lunch today. I was tired, no, exhausted. I couldn't sleep at night because I was always worried that George would get hurt during his protests, but something else also kept me up at night. Would I be worried like this if Benjamin was out there? Why am I worried about George specifically? A thought came to mind and I quickly shook it away. No that can't be it, I promised myself this wouldn't happen. I'm not in love with George, I can't be in love with George. I just like him as a friend. I mean sure, he's a total beefcake and he looks like Captain America, but I can think friends are incredibly attractive, right?

Benjamin shakes my shoulder and brings me out of my trance, "Y/N! We gotta go! There's a fight happening outside"

I quickly stood up and began to run towards the courtyard. George.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized George was in the crowd with us, watching. I'd go to him later, but I had bigger things to worry about. Boston and his friends were attacking the British football players sent to keep watch over them.

I stared in horror as I watched the two sides brawl, and then I saw it. One of Boston's friends, Crispus Attucks, laying on the ground. I ran over to George and he grabbed me into a tight hug and turned me away from the fight, I couldn't look.

Five people died.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GBA had removed all acts except for tea, but the Sons of Liberty was as active as ever. Our lunches weren't as happy as they used to be, we mainly just sat in silence, lost in thought. None of us knew what to do and none of us had a solution. It was just waiting in anticipation for the next big thing to go down. We just sat around and watched the chaos. Of course, George was still protesting, and I was still worried sick, but for the most part we were just ... waiting.

The bell rang and we all walked in silence to our next class.

Fifteen minutes in to our math class, we heard shouting come from outside, near the Boston Harbor, we all called it Boston Harbor because that's where Boston and his friends hang out, so we just let him have a win for once. I peeked out the window and saw GBA ships trying to dock in the harbor. The Sons of Liberty were keeping them from docking, but one made it in. They were bringing tea, and we were about to get taxed again.

The whole class ran outside to see what was happening, but the Sons of Liberty were running away to the school gym. We all thought the fight was over until they all came running back out in Native American High uniforms and sprinted on the boat. The whole school cheered as they dumped all the tea into the Boston Harbor. We watched as GBA students scrambled to stop the Sons of Liberty, but it was too late. Forty- five tons of tea had already been wasted in the murky waters of the Boston Harbor.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Despite that great victory, Boston and His friend, Massachusetts, were punished by GBA, but they were too high on victory to care. GBA closed the harbor, replaced part of our school council with their own, reinstated the quartering act for Boston and Massachusetts, and wouldn't allow AH to have a say in the punishment of Great Britain High students.

George and I helped AH write a list of grievances to GBA, still looking for peace, but things were getting more complicated as loyalists to Britain started popping up at our school.

GBA students were angry, and they weren't hiding it. The other night Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Samuel Prescott had to run around warning kids in the AH dorms that GBA students were coming to trash the dorms. They were specifically targeting Lexington and Concord because they were friends with Massachusetts, but we all got out just to be safe.

The final straw was whenever GBA attacked three times after the congress with Philadelphia. We sent out an Olive Branch petition as a final resort. If Principal George denied this, we would be going to war.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He denied the petition. Lunch was tense that day, I knew what George was thinking but I wouldn't allow it. He had told me last night that the school offered to make him captain of the new official football team, but that would mean he was at the head of the fighting, I wouldn't let it happen.

Most students here were excited about war, and they were very vocal about it. Patrick Henry created a sort of motto, "Give me liberty or give me death!" I head that one a lot at school. Another kid, Thomas Payne, wrote something called "Common Sense", it basically demanded independence and attacked Principal George. Some kid on the student council, Thomas Jefferson, write the Declaration of Independence and said it was inspired by John Locke and the enlightenment. The school approved it on July 4th, 1776. Now all that was left was to get George, and I don't care if it's for the school's benefit, I won't let my buff himbo get hurt.

"Y/N..." George started.

"No"

"But Y/N you know this has to happen"

"I don't care, I won't let you go out there!"

"Y/N I promise you; I'll be safe. You always said as long as I was safe, that was enough fo- "

"But this isn't a guarantee! Those nasty little crooked teeth Brits could seriously hurt you"

He took my hands "Y/N, let me do this one thing for my school, for you"

I was shocked. I didn't respond. George looked like he was thinking, he looked a little constipated. He stayed like that for a minute before he seemed to have made up his mind. Before I could react, he grabbed me by my waist and pulled me into a kiss. His kiss tasted like fried chicken and freedom. He pulled away suddenly, breathing heavily. He held my hands as he looked at me, almost sad.

"Goodbye Y/N"

I stood there shocked; his hand fell from my grasp as he walked away. He walked towards his football team, ready to leave. I didn't stop him. I didn't say anything. I just let him leave. I wanted to yell, to scream at him not to leave me, but no words came out. All I could do was watch as the man of my dreams slowly left to his possible demise.