CHAPTER 6 - SOMETHING STRANGE
1162 Words
The next morning, Ethan Bennett arrived at Westbridge High School earlier than usual.
He told himself it was because he wanted to finish his history assignment before the first lesson.
But that wasn't the real reason.
He was waiting for Emily Carter.
Since the previous evening, he had been unable to stop thinking about what he had seen.
Joshua holding Emily's hand.
Joshua walking her home.
Joshua calling her girlfriend.
Ethan had barely slept.
He sat beneath the large tree near the school courtyard, his backpack beside him, staring at the entrance.
Ryan Collins eventually walked over and dropped his bag onto the grass.
“You look terrible.”
Ethan glanced at him.
“Good morning to you too.”
Ryan sat beside him.
“Did you sleep at all?”
“Yes.”
Ryan laughed.
“No, you didn't.”
Ethan frowned.
“Why do you care?”
“Because you've been staring at the school gate like you're waiting for someone.”
“I'm not waiting for anyone.”
“Sure.”
Ryan followed Ethan's gaze.
A few seconds later, Emily walked through the gate.
She looked happy.
She was wearing her neatly pressed school uniform, carrying her backpack over one shoulder.
Joshua was walking beside her.
Ethan's expression immediately changed.
Ryan noticed.
“Oh, this is going to be fun.”
Ethan looked at him.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Joshua said something to Emily, and she laughed.
Ethan looked away.
Ryan smiled.
“You're doing it again.”
“Doing what?”
“Staring.”
“I wasn't staring.”
“You absolutely were.”
Ethan picked up his bag.
“Let's go to class.”
Ryan followed him.
“Why are you in such a hurry?”
“Because we're going to be late.”
“We have twenty minutes.”
Ethan stopped walking.
“Ryan.”
“Yes?”
“Please leave me alone.”
Ryan burst out laughing.
“There it is!”
“There what is?”
“The jealousy.”
Ethan rolled his eyes.
“I'm not jealous.”
Ryan walked backward in front of him.
“You saw Joshua holding Emily's hand yesterday, and you looked like somebody had just stolen your birthday cake.”
“I didn't.”
“You did.”
“I was surprised.”
“Surprised?”
“Yes.”
Ryan laughed.
“Ethan, I've known you since we were twelve. I know what you look like when you're surprised. Yesterday wasn't surprise.”
“What was it?”
Ryan grinned.
“Jealousy.”
Ethan shook his head.
“She's my best friend.”
Ryan stopped.
“Exactly.”
Ethan stared at him.
“Why do you keep saying that?”
“Because you keep using it as an excuse.”
“What excuse?”
Ryan folded his arms.
“You're trying to convince yourself that you don't care because she's your best friend.”
Ethan became quiet.
Ryan continued.
“Think about it. If Emily told you yesterday that she was going home with her parents, would you care?”
“No.”
“If Mia held her hand?”
“No.”
“If another girl told you she had a boyfriend?”
Ethan frowned.
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Everything.”
Ryan stepped closer.
“But Joshua holding Emily's hand bothered you.”
Ethan looked away.
Ryan smiled.
“You're jealous.”
Ethan sighed.
“Maybe a little.”
Ryan's eyes widened dramatically.
“A little?”
“Don't make it a big deal.”
“Oh, I'm definitely making it a big deal.”
Ethan laughed despite himself.
Ryan slapped his shoulder.
“Finally! You admitted it.”
“I said maybe.”
“That's enough.”
They continued toward the classroom.
As they entered, Emily looked up.
Her face immediately brightened.
“Ethan!”
He smiled.
“Hey.”
She walked toward him.
“I wanted to tell you something.”
Ethan's smile faded slightly.
“What?”
Joshua approached from behind her.
Emily looked between them.
“Joshua and I are officially together.”
Ethan forced a smile.
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
Joshua smiled.
“I'm glad you know.”
Ethan nodded.
“Yeah.”
Emily studied his face.
“You're okay with it?”
“Of course.”
She smiled.
“Good.”
The teacher entered the classroom before she could say anything else.
Everyone took their seats.
Ethan sat beside Ryan.
Ryan leaned toward him.
“You're doing the face again.”
Ethan whispered, “What face?”
“The ‘I'm totally happy for them even though I'm dying inside’ face.”
Ethan almost laughed.
“Stop.”
Ryan grinned.
“You need help.”
“I'm fine.”
“Then why haven't you looked at the board once?”
Ethan quickly turned toward the teacher.
“I am now.”
Ryan shook his head.
“Hopeless.”
The lesson began.
But Ethan couldn't concentrate.
Every few minutes, he glanced toward Emily.
She was sitting two rows ahead with Mia.
Joshua occasionally leaned over to whisper something to her.
Each time Emily smiled, Ethan felt that strange tightness in his chest.
He hated it.
He hated that he noticed.
He hated that he cared.
And most of all, he hated that he didn't understand why.
During lunch break, Ethan sat beneath the tree alone.
Ryan joined him.
“You know,” Ryan said, “there's a very simple solution.”
Ethan looked at him.
“To what?”
“Your problem.”
“I don't have a problem.”
“You do.”
Ryan smiled.
“Ask yourself why you don't want Emily with Joshua.”
Ethan stared at the ground.
“Because she's my best friend.”
Ryan sighed.
“That's not the answer.”
Ethan remained silent.
Ryan softened his voice.
“You've been taking Emily for granted for years.”
Ethan looked up.
“What do you mean?”
“She has always been there. So you've never had to wonder what life would be like without her.”
Ethan looked toward the school building.
Ryan continued.
“Now somebody else is giving her attention, and suddenly you're realizing how important she is.”
Ethan swallowed.
“Maybe you're right.”
Ryan smiled.
“Of course I'm right.”
Ethan laughed.
“Don't get too excited.”
Ryan stood up.
“Just don't wait until it's too late.”
He walked away.
Ethan remained beneath the tree.
He thought about everything Ryan had said.
Then he remembered something Emily had told him many times.
I'm always here.
For years, he had believed she always would be.
Now he wasn't so sure.
And for the first time, Ethan began wondering whether losing Emily as his best friend would hurt because he loved her as a friend...
Or because he was slowly falling in love with her. ❤
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