Why him? He doesn't want this role. Never has, never will. Apparently, according to the things he’s heard, it will be a breakthrough. He is a part of something so massive, so extraordinary. He should jump at the chance to be part of humanity's biggest accomplishment. But the thing is: he hates her, and he’s supposed to make kids with her. That’s his role. Apparently they are not even close to Eura, and he is just a link in the chain of couples making kids until eventually, some lucky boy and girl will reach the new planet. Then they’ll colonize it, keep having kids, and boom. Humanity saved. Preserved to destroy another planet. Everybody back home is counting on him, ect, ect. 

Well, he doesn’t want to. It goes against every bone in his body. Every drop of blood screams ‘this is wrong’. No one cares. And Raelynn is there, lurking around every corner. This would be completely unbearable if it weren't for his best friend, Liam. Liam is the only other decent person on the ship, and he’s supposed to ‘continue the chain’ with Bailey. He likes Bailey way more than Raelynn, and he resents the fact that Liam got the better girl. 

“Aiden. C’mon. For the millionth time, focus.”

Aiden wrenches his eyes off of Liam and back to the whiteboard in front of him. “Space-Time” is the title of today’s lesson. He’s spent too much time in space already, Aiden thinks. He huffs and manages to hold his attention on the teacher for a full two minutes (a record) before his eyes drift to the girl beside him. Raelynn, forever haunting his life. She’s innocently taking notes, her strawberry blonde hair flowing over one shoulder, but he can see the malice in her eyes. Eight chain couples on this ship, and he has to be the one who got Raelynn. Even Grant’s girl is better than his, and he’s the most annoying kid on the ship. He would sooner take his sister’s boy than be forced to be with Raelynn.

“Aiden. What’s the problem today? Focus for just an hour more, please.”

Aiden can see the grin around Raelynn’s lips and notices the teacher staring tersely at him, the other teens laughing around him. He drops his eyes to the floor. The teacher sighs and gets back to the lesson. He’s only seventeen. How will Aiden stand to spend the rest of his time on this insufferable spaceship, with these insufferable people? Someone smirks at him from across the room and tries to flip him off. Aiden lobs a ball of paper at the kid’s head. 

And that’s how he ends up sitting in the co-captain’s office while everyone else is on lunch break.

“I swear, I didn’t do anything!” He protests.

“Aiden, I am the co-captain of this ship, I have better things to do than to listen to this.”

“Please let me go. I want to roam free while I still have my childhood.”

“Aiden, quiet.”

“Mom, I only have five more years until I have to have kids, and raise them, with Raelynn, of all people. Let me be happy while I still can.”

“Aiden. My goodness, I pity your teachers.”

“Pleeeeeease?”

“I have work to do, you know this. Shut your mouth and eat your lunch.”

“But-”

His mom stands up and slams her hand on the table. “Enough.”

And that’s how he ends up sitting on the bench outside the co-captain’s office while everyone else is on lunch break. 

For the hundredth time in one day, Aiden sighs. He wants to jump off the ship and into deep space, but he’s not allowed to exit any of the Armada’s protholes, so he’s stuck until he can find another solution. He wishes Liam was here. He always wishes Liam was here. 

“‘Sup AJ,” a voice shouts from down the hall. “Principal's office again? If you gotta keep ending up here, at least make it for something good. Try a spitball next time.”

“Shut up Liam,” Aiden retorts, but he can’t stop a smile from spreading across his face.

“Ay, don’t be raggin’ on your mate, lad,” is Liam’s idea of a nice response.

“Okay, old British man. Why are you even here? Start a food fight in an Anti-Grav chamber again?”

“You know it.” He looks up to meet Aiden’s eyes. “Nah. All those kids are just boring. Lunch sucks without you.”

Aiden’s smile somehow grows even bigger. “Hah.” He offers weakley. “So you admit I’m your only friend, huh?”

Liam shoves him in the shoulder and they both laugh before lapsing into silence, Aiden chewing on a piece of bread. It’s not awkward. This is how their friendship is, taunting each other, laughing, and then just being next to each other. Aiden can’t tell you how many afternoons they’ve wasted, just laying on the floor of his bedroom doing homework, listening to old music. He likes it this way.

“So,” Aiden starts in an attempt at lame conversation. “How’s Bailey?” 

“Oh, she’s good. Just finished another painting. We’re good. It’s all just one big pile of good.” He stops, an unreadable expression fluttering across his face. “How ‘bout Rae?”

“Same as always. I think. I don’t know.” He looks down at his sandwich.

“Dude. C’mon, she’s your girl. At least try to keep up with her life.”

“Zero interest, zero time. She doesn’t even want me either.”

Liam rolls his eyes. “Well, you’re stuck with her. You better come to terms with that.” Liam looks over into Aiden’s scrunched up face and sighs. “Okay, how about this. If you could have any girl on the ship, who would it be?”

Aiden has thought about that question for a long time. Nights perpetually awake in his bed with nothing better to think about had brought him to this conclusion: none. He has a pretty good idea what love is supposed to feel like, and he doesn’t feel it when he thinks about any of  the girls in the chain. He blames it on there just being not enough options, but he knows Liam will never believe him if he says no one, so he settles on the answer he thought he had when he was thirteen.

He pretends to think long and hard before smiling slyly and saying “Mia.”

“Yeah dude. She’s a hottie. Great voice too.” He looks over at Aiden. “Don’t kill me for this dude, but I’d take your sister.”

His twin sister, Sylvie. “Yeah, you and everyone else.” 

“I don’t know, I just have this feeling about her. Maybe ‘cause she’s kinda like you.”

Aiden lets out the same strangled laugh from earlier as Liam checks his watch. “Oh, we better get back to class. Remember, man: spitball.”

Aiden laughs and makes some dry quip while they stand up and walk back down the hall toward the classroom.