I wrote a book called "The Popular Depression" when I was 18 years old.

It was inspired by a cigarette pack on a coffee table that I noticed at a house party.

My eyes were drawn to the Health Canada warning on the box of cigarettes.

I think the statistic about tobacco-related deaths was supposed to be the scary one. But, for some reason, I was more alarmed by the fact more people died by killing themselves than by getting into car accidents.

I never did anything with the book I wrote. Looking back, some of the amateurish writing makes me cringe. But, the concept behind The Popular Depression is an important theme for us to think about.

Here is the ninth chapter from The Popular Depression.

Chapter Nine

Two weeks and two days have passed.

Ethan has yet to hear from Liberty; Liberty has yet to hear from Ethan.

Ethan sits in his kitchen shortly before school, eating a bowl of Life cereal.

He can’t stop dwelling over the one girl that has meant so much to him. He misses her and his heart aches. He notices his Life diminishing. He grabs the box and refills the bowl.

Ethan is beginning to think that Liberty has simply given-up on their relationship. Though he has heard that she has been at school, he has yet to run into her. He wonders if she is avoiding him, or if it is pure coincidence. Ethan can’t think of a healthy way to bring up the incident, but he knows he has to. The last two weeks have been the most miserable and depressing of his life. He knows that he is not the same when he doesn’t have Liberty with him–something tells him that will never change.

Liberty gets into her mom’s vehicle and buckles up her seatbelt. Today is the day she will talk to Ethan. Liberty has avoided her boyfriend for the last two weeks. Every time she noticed him in the hallway, she would go the opposite direction. She would purposely not go near his locker; she would deliberately leave the school at lunch hour. Liberty Hollingsworth has done everything in her power to eliminate the chance of conversation with Ethan Tate. But not today. Today she has decided that this charade isn’t working anymore. Her problems aren’t going to get solved by pretending they don’t exist. She has come to realize that she has to resolve this un-mentioned conflict before it’s too late. Her last two weeks have been exhausting and depressing. She wants Ethan to be in her life, and she wants to give him a chance to explain himself.

Ethan walks through the doors at CCH and heads straight in the direction of Liberty’s locker. He waits there until the first bell rings. No sign of Liberty. Ethan waits a few more minutes before dispersing to class.

Liberty gets to school at 8:10 a.m., about 20 minutes before class. She goes straight to Ethan’s locker.

She waits there for half an hour before giving up, then she rushes to her class, which she is now late for.

Ethan can’t stop thinking about how badly he wants to clear things up with Liberty. He wants to have his girlfriend back.

He glances over at Jared, who seems to be writing some kind of note, but Ethan can’t read it from where he is sitting.

“What are you writing?” Ethan whispers.

“None of your business,” Jared snaps back, harsher than expected. “Have you and Liberty had make-up sex yet?”

Ethan glares at Jared.

The teacher continues to give his lecture, and Ethan continues to think of what he will say to Liberty once he is given the opportunity. Ethan checks his watch, only two minutes left in class. He notices that Jared is still writing the note that he has been fixated on for nearly the entire class.

“Seriously dude… who’s the note for?”

“Some chick, you don’t know her,” Jared explains. “I’ll probably end up fucking her this weekend.”

“Ahh, the rough life of Jared Winston: Basketball-try-hard by day; self-proclaimed manwhore by night.”

“Basketball-try-hard?” Jared asks. “Please.”

Liberty’s second class of the morning ends and she runs into Denise.

“Let’s stay in the cafeteria for lunch today,” Liberty requests.

“Sure… but aren’t you and Ethan on bad terms?”

“Yeah, but I’ve decided I’m going to try to change that.”

“So are you ever going to tell me why CCH’s model couple just stopped talking?”

Liberty considers this.

After a slight pause, “CCH model couple?”

“Oh come on,” Denise begins. “The all-star athlete and Miss Congeniality. Both of whom just happen to be very attractive members of a Catholic high-school populous? That has model couple written all over it.”

Liberty rolls her eyes at Denise.

“So what happened with you two,” Denise asks.

“I’m sorry Denise… it’s just that it’s really personal.

"I’d be pretty upset if Ethan told any of his friends about it.”

Denise nods understandingly.

“So Denise and Lib have been going to Taco Bell for lunch the last couple days?”

“Yah man, I talked to Denise yesterday,” TJ explains.

“Awesome… want to come with?”

“Sure.”

Ethan and TJ walk outside of the front doors of CCH. The weather, especially with the wind-chill, is cold enough that a hoodie is necessary.

Liberty sits down in the cafeteria with Denise and two of Denise’s friends whom Liberty didn’t happen to catch the names of. The girls talk but Liberty is not really involved in the conversation. She is scanning the room in hopes of seeing Ethan. Jared Winston walks by.

“Hey Jared, do you know if Ethan was in Math class today?” Liberty asks.

Jared pauses, then answers, "Yeah, he was. Why?"

“No reason. Do you know what his plans were for lunch?”

“We sat near each other in Math class; I didn’t ask the kid for a lunch-date.”

Jared doesn’t wait to see what Liberty’s reaction is before he walks away.

After lunch Liberty makes her way to class. Her afternoon seems to go by pretty fast, and she constantly wonders why she hasn’t been able to locate Ethan. She decides that it’s hopeless, and when her social studies teacher isn’t looking, she passes a note to Denise, which reads, "Can I catch a ride home after school?"

Ethan is sick of trying to find Liberty. He is certain that she must be deliberately going to great extents to try and avoid him. He decides that he is finished with his hunt. He makes plans via text-message to go cruising with Jared and TJ after class.

The last bell rings and school is dismissed. Ethan walks down the hall towards TJ’s locker. Jared, TJ and Ethan meet up, and then walk outside. The plan is to take Jared’s 2006 Nissan Titan. Ethan has his head down as the three walk into the parking lot, but his head suddenly rises when TJ taps him on the shoulder and points.

“Don't forget to work on your homework assignment that is due for next week,” Liberty’s social studies teacher announces before she leaves class.

Denise and Liberty head straight outside after class and walk toward Denise’s Pontiac Sunfire.

The sun has peaked out and the wind has died down. The warmness is an oddity for an October afternoon in Lethbridge.
Denise takes a couple steps and then, “I’ve got a pair of sunglasses in my locker, I just wanna quickly grab them, wait here.”

She runs back into the school and Liberty is left waiting.

Liberty makes her way to the vehicle. Suddenly she hears laughter that sounds familiar. She looks up.

“Liberty?”

“Ethan!” She replies.

Ethan turns to Jared and TJ.

“I don’t think I’m going to come cruising today, I’ll see you boys tomorrow.”

Liberty politely gives TJ and Jared a wave good-bye as well.

Jared and TJ say good-bye to Ethan, acknowledge Liberty with a quick wave, and then take off toward Jared’s truck.

“I’ve been meaning to talk to you for the last two weeks,” says Ethan. “I just haven’t seen you anywhere.”

“I know… and part of that is my fault. I’ve been kind of avoiding you Ethan. I know there’s a lot to discuss, but I just didn’t know where, or even how to start. But I am glad we finally ran into each other. I miss you.”

The words melt Ethan.

“Hey Ethan,” Denise says as she returns with her sunglasses.

“Hey D.”

“Lib, do you still need a ride home?” Denise asks.

Liberty looks over at Ethan.

“I can give you a ride, it’s no problem,” Ethan insists.

“I'm OK, Denise,” Liberty replies.

Ethan and Liberty walk toward Ethan's Tacoma.

Liberty quickly speaks up.

“First off Ethan, I’ve just got to say that sleeping with you was a mistake. I was not ready to have sex, and I still love you, but I just can’t do that anymore if we are to work things out. I mean, I hope we can work things out.”

"A mistake, huh?" Ethan asks.

Although Ethan agrees that sex was a bit rushed, he wouldn't have gone as far as to describe it as a "mistake."

"Ethan, you know what I mean," Liberty says in a soft voice.

The rest of the drive is quiet, and when Ethan drops Liberty off at her house he glances over and meets her eyes with his. Their eyes close and they move in for a kiss; however, Liberty keeps her lips pursed while Ethan tries to use tongue. Both Ethan and Liberty awkwardly jolt their heads back as soon as their lips touch. Then they sit in uncomfortable silence for a few moments.

Liberty finally breaks the silence with, "I'll see you tomorrow," before leaning over and kissing Ethan on the cheek.

Previous Chapters:

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8