The day started weird, and somehow it just kept getting weirder. Ethan was everywhere. I don’t mean the occasional hallway run-in or awkward glance across the room—no, I mean every single class.
First period? He waltzed in right as the bell screamed its final warning, completely unfazed. Mrs. Kline—our drill sergeant of a math teacher—was infamous for slamming the door shut at exactly 8:00, stranding latecomers in the hallway of shame. But Ethan? Somehow, he got in. No apologies, no scolding, not even a raised eyebrow from her.
He just strolled to an empty seat in the back, radiating that smug I-bend-the-rules energy, like the classroom was his personal kingdom and we were just lucky to breathe the same air.
Second period? Science. Ethan wasn’t even in my lab group, yet somehow, ther
