They Say Love Prevails Over All

This story is original. I own it!

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Our Geometry class was rowdy to begin with. There were a lot of seniors in the class, acting up in their last year of school. Today, we had a substitute teacher, and all hell broke loose. I was one of the few people actually sitting down at my desk. I wasn\'t adding to the chaos, but I certainly wasn\'t going to be the one to stop it. That was someone else\'s job. Marietta \"Missy\" Lopez was the class\'s over-acheiver. She was a sophmore. She was standing in the front of the class trying to get the class under control for the sub, who was busy hitting on a few girls in the front row. Spitballs were flying, along with a lot of colorful language. Every once in awhile a, \"Whoo!\" would break out when someone would get up on their neighbor.

I was slouching down in my chair, blowing my short auburn hair out of my face while daydreaming. I started biting my nails, and old habit I picked up from my friend Natalie, thinking how sore my thighes were from all the squats we did in Judo. I was hoping to drop some weight from picking up martial arts again, but so far, all attempts had been futile. I wasn\'t fat, not even close, but I was a little thick for someone who only stands at 5\'2\'\'. Like Natalie, I was teased at a younger age for having a mature looking body, but I would punch them instead of getting self-concious about it like Natalie did. My mom says my mouth will get me in trouble some day.

I stretched out, trying to loosen up my thighes. I tilted my head back, and noticed someone was actually sitting at the desk behind me.

\"Oh! Sorry, Aiden! Didn\'t realize you were sitting here.\" I said as I sat back up and turned around in my chair.

Aiden pressed the pause button on his earphones. \"What?\"

\"Oh, nevermind. May I listen?\"

\"I guess.\" he said reaching out to me and putting the headphones in my ears.

Aiden Arden was a year older than me. He sat behind me in class, usally with his headphones on and staring out the window. Yet he still managed to get better grades than me. He was kind of a loner. I never saw him talk to anybodt unless they were pratically forcing him, or if he felt they needed an insult to bring them back down to earth. He was always so serious. His eyes were always staring deeply into one thing or another from beind his dark blonde hair that fell into his face. His expression never faultered.

\"Teacher! Hollace has electronics out!\" Missy shouted accusingly.

\"Their mine.\" Aiden replied, shoving them back into his backpack.

\"I didn\'t ask you!\"

\"I was answering. You were being a bossy little bitch to Devi.\"

\"Are you trying to protect her!?\"

\"No, I was just shooting you down.\"

\"YOU\'RE A MONSTER, ARDEN!\" Missy shrieked.

Aiden suddenly rose to his feet and slammed his fists down on the table. He didn\'t say a word. He just pushed past Missy and stormed out of the classroom. Of course, the sub didn\'t notice.

I picked up his backpack off the floor and raced after him. Before I got to the door, it swung open and the principal walked in.

\"Tryin to ditch, Hollace?\" he asked. I wasn\'t surprised he knew my name, considering how many times I\'d been sent to his office.

\"No sir. I was coming to get you.\"

He gave a little, \"Mmm-hmm,\" and walked to the middle of the classroom. \"Everyone SIDDOWN AND SHADDUP!!!\"

When the second class was over I ran out of the classroom after Aiden. He did stick up for me after all. I didn\'t see him anywhere near. Maybe he went home. I wonder what he got so upset about...

\"Yo! Dev-ee! Whatcha zonin\' out on?\" my friend Addy asked hovering over me. Addy towered over me, like most of my friends. The only thing that bothered me about my body was my height. I hated being short. Addy once described me as a, \"Tiny ticking bomb.\" I\'ll admit, that\'s true. I\'m height-sensitive.

\"Huh?\" I replied stupidly.

\"Your, like, staring... at nothing, yet everything at once! Whaddya think? My English teacher flunked me on the poetry unit, but I really did just fine. She\'s just a bitch, I mean, uhhh - HEY MS. FOLKSTONE!!!\" Addy shouted and waved at her English teacher, who scowled and stuck her nose in the air.

\"You goin\' to Bio, right?\" Addy asked follwing me and I began to walk towards my next class.

\"Yeah, shouldn\'t you be going to your class?\"

Addy wagged her finger at me, \"You\'re overestimating me, my friend. I only go to the classes I like. Math is not one of them.\"

\"Why don\'t you try to do well for once?\" I snapped

\"What\'s eatin\' you, Dev? Sheesh.\"

\"Sorry.\"

\"You are forgiven. C\'mon darlin\', I\'ll walk you to class.\"

After school, I was still glancing around every corner, looking for Aiden. I gave up after circling the school twice. I hiked my backpack up and glared at a guy hanging out his window to whistle at me. He\'s lucky I did have something to throw at him.

\"FRICKIN BASTARD! KEEP YOUR HORMONES TO YOURSELF!!!\" I shouted at him.

His friends in the car all gave an, \"Ooooh, you got burned!\"

I turned away and continued walking. They pulled their car over behind me, and I noticed a few of them stepping out, shouting, \"Ya wanna ride, baby?\"

I was about to shout, \"NO!\" but decided to just walk faster. I was scared, and my witty comebacks had all escaped me. Suddenly, I felt and arm around my shoulders and turned to punch the bastard.

\"Aiden?\" I breathed out in relief.

The hollers of the other guys stopped. I glanced over my shoulder to see them all get back in the car and drive away.

\"Thanks!\" I said, \"I guess I owe you double now!\"

\"You don\'t have to repay me.\" Aiden said, dropping his arm and walking away. I slowed my pace, planning to follow him.

I stayed at a distance where I could hide if he turned around. He walked down the main road and turned onto sidestreets, walking through neigborhoods and finally up to a house. This was uneventful. I followed him for at least an hour and he went home. What a waste of time! But at least I knew he was alright. I turned to leave, when I heard the front door open again. Aiden stepped out of the house and ran down the street.

I really wanted to go after him again. Things were getting interesting! But it was getting dark, and the November air was blowing right through me. I wrapped my arms around my shoulders and shivered. I owed him. I shivered again, and tucked my hands under my armpits, and ran after him. My breath was showing up in the cold night air and my nose was freezing.

I managed to make out Aiden\'s tall figure leaning against a lampost.

I stopped running and just watched him from a distance, hoping he wouldn\'t be angry with me for following him. If someone had follwed me, I would\'ve pratically killed them by now.

\"Dev, why are you here?\" he asked suddenly.

I was taken aback that he had spoken first, \"I- I\'m not so sure myself.\"

\"Go home.\"

\"But-\"

\"I said go home! LEAVE ME ALONE! I DON\'T NEED YOUR HELP OR YOUR PITY!\"

\"Then just shut up and listen, dammit! I haven\'t gotten to say anything! You need to tell me what\'s going on or I\'ll hit you! It\'s as simple as that.\"

\"I did something stupid a long time ago and it still bothers me. Now go away.\"

\"Why?\"

Aiden started grinding his teeth, \"None of your business.\"

\"IT\'S GONNA BE THE WHOLE SCHOOL\'S BUSINESS UNLESS YOU TELL ME! You seemed really upset about what Missy said. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.\"

\"She called me a monster, and I\'m just afraid that she was right.\"

\"No, you\'re not! She\'s the monster! You\'re a good person, Aiden. I know that. So we\'re cool?\" I asked, extending my hand.

Aiden looked from my hand, then up to my face. He grabbed ahold of my hand, and pulled me in. Slowly, he leaned down and pressed his lips onto mine.