CHAPTER 2:THE GIRL BY THE TREE
1058 Words
Ethan couldn’t get her out of his head. Every detail about her—the way her auburn hair caught the sunlight, the soft blush that crept across her cheeks when she smiled, and the subtle tilt of her head when she laughed—was etched into his memory. Even her name, Lily Carter, seemed to echo in his mind, a melody he couldn’t stop humming.
He had learned her name from Liam, who, upon realizing the object of Ethan’s sudden fascination was none other than his distant cousin, couldn’t stop teasing him about it.
“Lily Carter,” Liam had said with a dramatic flourish, tossing a grape into his mouth during lunch. “The new girl in town and already breaking hearts. You’re doomed, Ethan.”
“Shut up,” Ethan had muttered, his ears burning.
“Hey, I’m just saying,” Liam continued, grinning. “She’s my cousin, so if you need me to put in a good word…”
“I can manage, thanks,” Ethan had said, though deep down, he wasn’t so sure.
For the rest of the week, Ethan found himself looking for opportunities to cross paths with Lily. He planned his routes between classes to pass by her locker. He lingered in the hallways longer than usual, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. But each time he saw her, his nerves got the better of him.
Like on Wednesday morning, when he spotted her in the library. She was sitting at a table by the window, a cascade of sunlight illuminating her hair as she flipped through a thick book. Ethan had taken a deep breath and approached, rehearsing an excuse to talk to her. But the moment she looked up and met his gaze, he froze.
“Hi,” she had said, her voice gentle and curious.
“H-hi,” Ethan had stammered, clutching the nearest book off the shelf as if it were a lifeline. “I—uh—just needed this… uh… book.”
Lily glanced at the title and smiled. “*Advanced Chemistry: Concepts and Applications*? You’re into that?”
Ethan glanced down and nearly groaned. He hated chemistry. “Uh, yeah. Totally.”
The conversation ended as awkwardly as it began, and Ethan left the library kicking himself. Liam’s words rang in his ears: *You’re doomed, Ethan.*
By Friday, he was no closer to having a real conversation with Lily, but his fascination only grew. He spent most of his time daydreaming about her, imagining what it would be like to sit with her under the cherry blossom tree, talking for hours about anything and everything.
That afternoon, as he sat on the bleachers during gym class, his thoughts drifted to her again. She had this way of making the world around her seem brighter, as if she carried her own light wherever she went. Ethan didn’t understand it, but he knew he wanted to be part of it.
“Dude, you’re hopeless,” Liam said, plopping down beside him.
Ethan snapped out of his thoughts, startled. “What are you talking about?”
“Lily,” Liam said, rolling his eyes. “You’ve been staring off into space all week, and I know that look. You’ve got it bad.”
“I’m just…” Ethan hesitated. “I don’t know how to talk to her. Every time I try, I mess it up.”
Liam chuckled. “You’re overthinking it. Just be yourself. She’s not some mythical creature; she’s a person. Besides, she’s new here. She probably wants to make friends.”
“Easy for you to say,” Ethan muttered. “You’re not the one turning into a tongue-tied i***t every time she looks at you.”
“True,” Liam said, smirking. “But seriously, Ethan, she’s my cousin. She’s nice. You don’t have to impress her—just talk to her like you would anyone else.”
Ethan nodded, though his doubts lingered. Could he really just talk to her without making a fool of himself?
As the weekend approached, Ethan resolved to try again. He spent Saturday morning wandering the town, hoping to “accidentally” run into her. Willowbrook wasn’t big, and chances were high he’d find her at one of the local spots.
He checked the library first, then the café on Main Street. No luck. It wasn’t until he reached the park that he spotted her. She was sitting on a bench near the pond, sketching in a notebook.
Ethan’s heart raced as he approached, but this time, he reminded himself of Liam’s advice: *Just be yourself.*
“Hey,” he said, stopping a few feet away.
Lily looked up, her expression softening into a smile. “Hi, Ethan, right?”
He nodded, relieved she remembered his name. “Yeah. Mind if I sit?”
“Not at all,” she said, closing her sketchbook.
Ethan sat down, trying to keep his hands steady. “What are you drawing?”
Lily hesitated for a moment before opening the sketchbook and showing him. It was a detailed pencil drawing of the cherry blossom tree from the school courtyard.
“Wow,” Ethan said, genuinely impressed. “That’s amazing. You’re really talented.”
“Thanks,” Lily said, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. “I like drawing places that feel… peaceful.”
“The cherry blossom tree is definitely peaceful,” Ethan agreed. “I’ve never seen anyone draw it like that, though. You made it look alive.”
Lily glanced at him, her smile growing. “That’s the goal, I guess. To make things come alive on paper.”
They fell into an easy conversation after that, talking about art, school, and the small quirks of life in Willowbrook. For the first time, Ethan didn’t feel nervous. Talking to Lily felt natural, like they had known each other for years instead of days.
By the time they said goodbye, Ethan couldn’t stop smiling. Liam had been right—Lily wasn’t a mythical creature. She was a person, a person Ethan wanted to get to know better.
As he walked home that evening, the sunset painting the sky in shades of pink and gold, Ethan realized something: his world was no longer the same. It had shifted, and at the center of it all was Lily Carter.
- Writer
