Ned Gets Stood Up

Chapter Twenty-Five

THE GREGOR

Essentially, this story is about the events that conspire after Ned Flowers, age seventeen, gets stood up on a date by Griffin Thomas, who had made the decision to ditch Ned and to instead go out with Sam Hayes. It's an interesting conversation, debating just who the hero of this story is and if there's a villain. In real life, are there villains? Can people be casted as archetypes in life as they are in the movies?

Griffin is the obvious choice for being the villain, holding all the right attributes: selfish choices, a venomous tongue, and good looks.

Is the hero Sam, who opened this story with a tale about a summer love gone wrong?

Is it Ned, the title character and leader of this group?

Or does it depend on who has done the most heroism? At this moment, I'd say that award goes to Lena for saving my life... or could that be about to change? I mean, who's going to save me now from inside of this ugly gift bag? I was manhandled and stuffed without warning.

I can't even see.

All I can hear is Ned and his friends losing their minds. Hopefully, someone comes to get me soon, I do hate being kept the dark.

#

GRIFFIN

Groaning, Griffin touched his cheek again and winced. That Ned Flowers may have the body mass of a wet noodle, but he sure knew how to throw a punch. Compared to the terrible ache pounding inside his chest, his cheek wasn't all that painful. The guilt sat heavy, like Ned not only punched him, but pressed his foot against Griffin's chest until he was crushed like a bug against the floor.

Once Ned went running, everyone but Indie followed him. Indie glanced around, walking to the bag of frozen veggies that Ned dropped in the bathroom. They picked it up and handed it over to Griffin. "Can't lose your best feature."

"Thanks," Griffin muttered, deciding to take it as a compliment.

"Come down when you're ready."

Indie followed their friends, leaving Griffin alone on the floor. He felt like piece of dirty laundry left on the ground. Not important to pick up. Just there. Causing clutter. Pushing himself up, Griffin sluggishly walked down the stairs, trying to keep his distance from where he wasn't welcomed.

"It's gone," Ned said in horror. Sam and Lena were helping pull him back to his feet and Griffin's chest pinched with jealousy. No one even thought to help him up. Not even Indie, who Griffin thought had actually started to like him. Just a little bit.

"Where did all the gifts go?" Lena asked, but she was finding her own answer as her eyes followed a trail of people making their way into the next room. The dork horde scrambled to see what was going on with Griffin silently trailing and finding himself in the living room with a huge tree by a decked-out fireplace. It was littered with Christmas Cards, five long red stockings, and more tinsel than Griffin cared to see.

There were two couches and tons of cushions for people to sit. Aubrey's family was obviously accustomed to hosting and she stood among the piles of present, shaking a Santa hat at people. "Okay, everyone grab a number and we'll start the game—"

Slipping past the crowd, Ned barged his way to the gifts and started rifling through them. This caused the kind of commotion usually reserved for when people scream "FIRE!" Aubrey gasped and grabbed his arm. "What do you think you're doing?! It's White Elephant, all the presents are supposed to be a surprise."

"I'm—I'm looking for the gift I brought. We didn't wrap it so—"

"Oh!" Melanie, a blonde girl raised her hand. "I wrapped it for you!"