Rehearsal the next day was long and boring. The first run through was actually the tec rehearsal. Meaning they just did the cues for lighting and sound. When they weren't on stage, they were being fitted for costumes. They also had to check the program and see that they were credited for everything they did and that their name was spelt right. This was a few weeks earlier than they would have normally done it, but next week was Thanksgiving and the week after was the bazaar at the high school and most of the tec people were involved in any number of aspects of that. The week after that was their dress rehearsal and then they would be opening on the Tuesday after that and running straight through Sunday with a Saturday matinee.
So even though they were 24 days away from opening, quite a few of those days they would not be able to rehearse or have very short rehearsal times due to various school activities and activities in the community.
In other words, when they were able to leave at three in the afternoon (they started at seven in the morning), everyone was exhausted.
Rodney and Carson came back to an empty home, just as Carson had predicted. There was a note saying that they wouldn't be back until late as they were having dinner in the city and that there was money on the counter so they could have something delivered. But they both crashed in bed and took a two-hour nap before having pizza delivered. They decided to let their stomach's settle and watched Wallace and Gromit.
They started making out before the movie ended. After hitting stop and turning off the television, they quickly moved into the bedroom where things quickly escalated. More than once. But when Peg, Mary, and Kayla got back at a little after 8:30, they were both cuddled on the couch, in their pajamas, watching Goldfinger.
"How was Seattle?" asked Carson.
"Lovely. I loved the market. Got some great Christmas gifts," answered Mary as she went to put her purchases away.
"How was your day, boys?" asked Peg as she sat her bags on the counter.
"Rehearsal was long, tedious, and exhausting," answered Rodney.
"Did you guys take a nap when you got back? I know you left early."
"Yes, mum."
"Good. I'm going to go and put these away and change into something a little more comfortable," Peg said as she went into her room.
Kayla sat down on the other couch. "You lads had sex, didn't you?"
"What!" Rodney and Carson exclaimed as the sat up.
"It is fairly obvious." She shrugged. "Well, to me at least. I can tell when me da and Kelly do it all the time."
The boys just stared at her.
"You lads have not to worry. I think its sweet." She then leaned back to watch the movie.
After a few more moments, Rodney and Carson did the same. Both a little wary of the redhead sitting two meters away.
The last two days of school before the holiday break were slow and uneventful, at least in their classes. They had tests in almost all of their classes on Tuesday and would be starting new sections when they got back.
However, after classes got out on Tuesday, the ringleaders of the Wraith came up to Rodney and Carson as they were headed home.
"Well, if it isn't our resident fags," Steve, the leader of the Wraith, said.
Rodney rolled his eyes. He knew deep down that this was coming, but he had hoped that he would be wrong for once. "Look, just leave us alone. We really aren't harming you in any way."
"Your presence is offensive."
"What's going on?" asked John as he came up behind his friends with Elizabeth, Teyla, Ronan, Jon, and Radek behind him.
"Nothing that concerns you," Steve said. "We were just going to teach these fags a lesson."
John raised an eyebrow. "Really? What sort of lesson is that? Because it seems to me that they are a lot smarter than you and all your relatives combined."
Steve narrowed his eyes at John. He looked over his shoulder at his cousins and then jerked his head towards the crowd in front of them. "Seems all of you need to be taught a lesson about what is right and what is wrong."
"And who are you to be teaching us that lesson?" asked Elizabeth. "It seems like that is a topic that is better discussed at home and not beaten into anyone."
Steve started towards Elizabeth but was stopped by John and Ronan. Instead, he reached out and punched Rodney in the stomach. Apparently, that was the sign the rest of the Wraith were looking for since they started towards Rodney and Carson looking for a fight. They only got two punches in before Coach O'Neill and Mr. Jackson came up to them closely followed by Principle Hammond, Ms. Carter, and Murry.
"Just what exactly is going on here?" bellowed Coach O'Neill.
"Nothing, just a few friends having a discussion about morals," Steve innocently said, believing that nothing bad would come upon him from this.
"That's not what I saw," Hammond said with a raised eyebrow. "Are you alright son?" he asked Rodney.
"Fine, just fine," he said as Sam helped him up.
Hammond glared at the Wraith. "My office, now." With that he turned and headed towards his office, trusting that the offenders would follow. And after Murry glared at them, they did, closely followed by the English teacher.
"What happened?" asked Daniel. "I didn't think you were friends with them."
"We're not," said Jon. "Can't stand them."
"They stopped us as we were leaving, Mr. Jackson," said Carson. "They called us fags and said our presence was offensive."
All the teachers stiffened at that and got an angry look in their eyes.
"We came up just after that and had a slight disagreement in what was right and wrong. Then Steve just punched Rodney in the stomach and two of the others got punches into him and Carson before you showed up," added Radek.
"Why don't you all get going home," Jack said. "We'll call you and tell you what was decided. Jon, would you mind staying here for a bit longer?"
"No problem dad. I'll go and hang out in Daniel's classroom."
"Will you be alright getting home Rodney?" asked Sam.
"I'll be fine. I have Carson and John you can carry me if I feel I can't make it," he answered with a smile.
"No, you have Carson to carry you home. I'm just going to be there to make sure nothing else happens to you," John amended.
"I can feel the love," said Rodney as he wrapped an arm around Carson before they started home.
"We'll call you later," Jack shouted after them.
When Peg got home later that night, she saw Carson and Rodney snuggled on the couch. "You boys finally glad to be on break?" she asked.
"Oh yeah," Rodney replied.
"Mum," started Carson before he was interrupted by the telephone ringing.
"Hello?" said Peg as she answered. "Oh hello Mr. O'Neill. What can I do for you?" She was silent as she listened to what he had to say. "I see. What is going to happen to them?" she asked as she stood behind the couch that her son and Rodney were lounging on. "Isn't that a bit harsh? … Well in that case… Of course, Thank you for calling and have a happy holidays." She hung up and looked down. "How are you doing boys?" she asked.
"We're fine. My stomach hurts a bit, but its getting better," Rodney said in a quiet voice.
"That's good. Mr. O'Neill explained all about this fight and how you didn't start it. I'm proud of you boys for not fighting back. But I am a bit upset that you didn't tell me."
"I was about to and them Jack called," protested Carson.
Peg raised an eyebrow and the informal way her son addressed his teacher. She would have to talk to him about that. Seeing the look on his mum's face, Carson quickly explained, "He's the dad of one of our friends. He said it was alright." Peg nodded, content for now.
"Why didn't you call me at work?" she asked.
"We weren't bleeding or in trouble at the time. I knew if I had called that you would have rushed home and there would have been no need," explained Carson.
Peg narrowed her eyes. "Alright."
"So what is going to happen to Steve and his cousins?" asked Rodney.
"Expelled. Mr. O'Neill said that this was the last straw for them. They had been told that if they ever physically hurt a fellow student on school grounds that they would be out."
"Is the mayor going to appeal?" Rodney asked.
Peg got a confused look on her face. "Why would he do that?"
"The mayor is their uncle," explained Carson.
"Oh, I don't know. But it sounded like the teachers would have fought him on it. Mr. O'Neill really sounded like he was feed up with these students. What did they do?"
"They are just bullies to the extreme. They are always degrading everyone who isn't one of them and outside of school they are constantly picking on people and stealing various things. I think their uncle is getting fed up with them as well," answered Rodney. "They are parasites on this city."
"Can we not tell Mary and Kayla?" asked Carson. "I really don't want this to ruin our first Thanksgiving."
"Of course. Where are they by the way?"
"They went out on a tour of Pegasus. Wanted to see the history of the city."
"What history?" asked Rodney. "This city isn't that old."
"Apparently they were reading up about it before they came over and discovered some amazing facts. Did you know the city has been burnt to the ground twice and moved?"
"No. But that would explain all the ruins on the outskirts of the city. We always just thought that the city was once big and then got smaller. Huh."