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

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-one

Aiden-

I awoke to the noise of a chair scraping back across the floor. I opened my eyes, or rather, I tried to open my eyes. I could only successfully open one; my right one. My left seemed to be swollen shut as I sat up a little.

Simon was there, in the chair next to me, his head in his hands with his blond hair that was growing a little long, hanging down. He looked up at me and his eyes widened in relief. I heard a girly gasp from behind him and to the right, where Ashley stood, a hand to her mouth. She was always one for theatrics.

And there was Nikki, a smile on her face. She seemed pleased that I was awake. But now that I think about it....

"God, my head feels like it's been hit by a truck," I mumbled, my mouth feeling dry.

Simon shifted in the metal chair before me. "Well, something with the thinking skills of a truck," He said. "How you feeling otherwise?" He asked me.

I turned my head so as to look at him with my good eye. You know, the not swollen shut one. "Like shit." I stated. Absolute shit.

He laughed and rubbed my shoulder with his hand. His touch was warm and comforting. "I'll bet," He said.

I laughed too, just as Ashley ran to my side.

"I'm so so so sorry, Aiden. He never would have hit you if I hadn't been so close to you and talking to you," She said in a rush.

Simon got up then, and took a couple steps back. Our eyes met and I tried to tell him I was sorry about the day before, that I hadn't meant any of it. And that anything he had said too was all forgotten. He seemed to get the message. He smiled a bright smile as he exited the room, leaving just Ashley,

Nikki, and I.

Ashley was still muttering apologies. Her eyes looked red, almost as swollen as mine, I thought jokingly to myself. She must've really felt bad.

"Look, Ashley," I said, taking her hand in mine and using my other hand to wipe at a dried streak of a tear that trailed down her cheek.

She looked up at me with wide blue eyes.

"This is not your fault. And I don't blame you. This is all on Lance, your boyfriend," I said, putting emphasis on the "your boyfriend".

She looked at me. "I should break up with him. For real this time," She said slowly.

I nodded. "Maybe so."

"Uh, more like definitely so if you want to continue being our friend," Nikki said loudly, a hand on her hip.

Ashley's eyes widened in surprise at Nikki. "I'm your friend?" She asked.

Nikki shrugged. "Yeah, yeah but don't get so excited, jeez." She said with a snort.

Ashley gave a small laugh. "I guess he is kind of a jerk."

"Kind of?" I said, incredulously.

"More like the biggest asshole on the planet after maybe Stalin," Nikki said harshly. Ashley and I laughed out loud, and so did Nikki.

"So what are you gonna do about your black eye?" Nikki asked me.

"Um, let it go away on its own?" I said.

"Oh, as if! Come on, let's see if I can get her to let us take you to my place," Ashley said.

"This should be good," Nikki commented as Ashley pranced off to find the nurse.

"So we'll get to finally see the ice castle where the queen bee abodes," Nikki said.

I gave her a look. "She's not all that bad."

She shrugged.

"Plus, she probably has one of those indoor movie theaters, so be nice." I said.

"Are you kidding?" Nikki said putting on a sickly sweet smile as Ashley re-entered, "I'm the epitome of nice."