CHAPTER 8 - THE PERFECT BOYFRIEND
1376 Words
Over the next few days, Joshua Reed seemed to become the perfect boyfriend.
At least, that was what everyone at Westbridge High School believed.
He walked Emily to class every morning.
He carried her books when they were heavy.
He bought her snacks during lunch.
He waited for her after lessons.
He remembered the little things she told him and surprised her with them later.
Whenever Emily looked tired, Joshua asked if she was okay.
Whenever she had an assignment, he offered to help.
To everyone watching, Joshua was exactly the kind of boyfriend a girl could dream about.
Even Emily's friends were impressed.
“You're lucky,” Mia told Emily one afternoon.
Emily smiled.
“I know.”
Mia glanced across the courtyard at Joshua.
“He really seems to care about you.”
Emily followed her gaze.
Joshua was standing near the school gate, talking to some of his friends.
He looked up and smiled when he saw Emily.
Emily smiled back.
“I think he does.”
But Ethan Bennett wasn't convinced.
He had been watching Joshua carefully.
Not because he wanted to find fault with him.
At least, that was what Ethan told himself.
He simply wanted to make sure Emily was okay.
But the more he watched Joshua, the more things began to bother him.
It started with his phone.
One morning, Emily and Joshua were sitting together in the classroom before the first lesson.
Joshua's phone vibrated.
He looked at the screen.
His expression changed immediately.
The smile disappeared from his face.
He quickly turned the phone over on the desk.
Emily noticed.
“Who was that?”
“No one.”
Joshua smiled.
“Just a message.”
“From who?”
“A friend.”
He picked up his phone and slipped it into his pocket.
Emily didn't question him.
But Ethan had seen everything.
Later that morning, Ethan approached Ryan.
“Have you noticed anything strange about Joshua?”
Ryan looked at him.
“Strange how?”
“His phone.”
Ryan laughed.
“You're still watching him?”
Ethan frowned.
“I'm serious.”
“So am I.”
“Every time his phone rings, he hides it.”
Ryan shrugged.
“Maybe he has private messages.”
“Maybe.”
“But?”
Ethan looked toward Joshua.
“But something doesn't feel right.”
Ryan studied his friend.
“You know you're beginning to sound like a jealous boyfriend.”
Ethan rolled his eyes.
“I'm not jealous.”
Ryan laughed.
“Right.”
During lunch, Ethan sat beneath the tree while Emily and Joshua joined them.
Joshua smiled.
“Mind if we sit here?”
Ethan shook his head.
“No.”
Emily sat down.
Joshua placed a packet of snacks in front of her.
“I got your favorite.”
Emily's face brightened.
“You remembered.”
“Of course.”
She smiled.
“Thank you.”
Joshua opened the packet for her.
Ethan watched.
Everything looked perfect.
Almost too perfect.
Joshua turned to Emily.
“How was your morning?”
“Fine.”
“Did you eat breakfast?”
“Yes.”
“Are you sure?”
Emily laughed.
“Yes, Joshua.”
He smiled.
“Good.”
Ethan looked away.
Joshua really did seem caring.
Maybe he had been wrong.
Maybe he was simply being protective of Emily because he cared about her.
Then Joshua's phone vibrated again.
This time, he immediately stood.
“I need to take this.”
He walked several metres away.
Emily watched him.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah.”
Joshua turned his back and answered the call.
His voice became too quiet for them to hear.
Ethan watched him carefully.
Joshua glanced back toward Emily.
Then he turned away again.
After a few seconds, he ended the call and returned.
“Everything okay?” Emily asked.
“Yeah. Just a school matter.”
Ethan said nothing.
Joshua sat down.
His phone vibrated again.
He looked at it.
This time, his face became tense.
He stood immediately.
“I'll be back.”
He walked away again.
Ethan looked at Emily.
“Does he always do that?”
“Do what?”
“Leave whenever his phone rings.”
Emily smiled.
“He's probably busy.”
“Maybe.”
She looked at Ethan.
“You don't like him, do you?”
Ethan was caught off guard.
“What?”
“Joshua.”
“Why would you think that?”
“You keep watching him.”
Ethan looked away.
“I'm just making sure you're okay.”
Emily smiled.
“You don't have to worry about me.”
“I know.”
“Joshua is good to me.”
Ethan nodded.
“I hope he is.”
Emily looked at him for a moment.
“Thank you.”
Across the courtyard, Joshua was standing alone.
He was typing quickly on his phone.
Then he looked around to make sure nobody was watching.
Ethan noticed.
Joshua slipped the phone into his pocket when he saw Ethan looking at him.
Their eyes met.
For a moment, neither moved.
Joshua's expression changed.
Then he smiled.
Ethan didn't smile back.
Something about the exchange bothered him.
After school, Emily and Joshua walked toward the gate.
Ethan was leaving with Ryan when he noticed Joshua's behavior again.
Joshua was holding Emily's hand.
He was smiling.
He looked completely devoted.
Then, when Emily turned to greet one of her classmates, Joshua quickly pulled out his phone.
He typed a message.
A few seconds later, another message arrived.
Joshua smiled at the screen.
Then he quickly put the phone away when Emily turned back.
Ethan stopped walking.
Ryan looked at him.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You're staring again.”
Ethan sighed.
“I don't trust him.”
Ryan's expression became serious.
“Do you have proof?”
“No.”
“Then be careful.”
“I know.”
“You could hurt Emily if you're wrong.”
Ethan nodded.
That was exactly what frightened him.
He didn't want to interfere with Emily's relationship simply because he was jealous.
But he also couldn't ignore what he was seeing.
That evening, Ethan sat at home thinking about everything.
He remembered Joshua hiding his phone.
The mysterious calls.
The secret messages.
The way his expression changed whenever Emily wasn't looking.
Yet whenever Emily was around, Joshua transformed into the perfect boyfriend.
Ethan couldn't understand it.
The next morning, something happened that made him even more suspicious.
Emily arrived at school looking excited.
“Ethan!”
He turned.
“What?”
“Joshua surprised me this morning.”
“With what?”
“He bought me breakfast.”
Ethan smiled.
“That's nice.”
“He said he wanted to make my morning special.”
Ethan nodded.
“That sounds thoughtful.”
Emily smiled.
“He really is caring.”
Ethan looked at her.
He wanted to tell her what he had noticed.
But he stopped himself.
Maybe Joshua really was a good boyfriend.
Maybe Ethan was simply seeing things differently because he was jealous.
Then Joshua appeared.
He wrapped an arm around Emily's shoulder.
“Ready for class?”
“Of course.”
Emily smiled at him.
Joshua looked at Ethan.
“Morning.”
“Morning.”
Joshua smiled.
Then he and Emily walked away together.
Ethan watched them.
Ryan appeared beside him.
“You're thinking again.”
Ethan nodded.
“I don't know what he's hiding.”
Ryan looked at Joshua.
“Then don't accuse him without evidence.”
“I won't.”
Ethan took a deep breath.
“But if he's hurting Emily, I'll find out.”
Ryan nodded.
“Just remember, Ethan, you're not doing this because you want Emily for yourself.”
Ethan remained silent.
Ryan raised an eyebrow.
“Right?”
Ethan looked toward Emily.
He couldn't answer.
Because deep inside, he was beginning to realize that there were two reasons he wanted to uncover Joshua's secret.
The first was because Emily was his best friend.
The second was because the thought of another boy hurting the girl he was slowly falling in love with was becoming unbearable.
And Ethan still wasn't ready to admit the second reason.
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