In love with the crazy girl

Ethan!!” The voice echoed through the house like a warning siren. Ethan Carter groaned, dragging his pillow over his head like it could block reality itself. “Ethan, I swear—this is the last time I’m calling you!” Yeah. Right. He shot upright instantly. “I’m up!” he shouted, voice still thick with sleep. “You better be!” Ethan stumbled out of bed, nearly tripping over a pile of books. His room looked like a war zone between notebooks and unfinished assignments—organized chaos, the only way he functioned. He grabbed his glasses, shoved them on, and snatched his backpack before rushing downstairs. His mom was already waiting. Arms crossed. Expression sharp. “How do you wake up late on a school day?” she asked immediately. Ethan scratched the back of his neck. “I forgot to set my alarm.” Her stare lingered for a second too long. “Go. Your brother’s waiting.” He turned quickly— “Ethan.” He froze. “You forgot your breakfast.” He grabbed it from her hand. “Thanks, Mom.” In the living room, his dad sat like a statue, flipping through the morning paper. Same routine. Every day. “Morning, Dad.” A hand lifted slightly in response. No eye contact. Nothing else. Ethan stepped outside—and instantly regretted it. The sunlight hit him like a slap. “Man… it’s too early for this,” he muttered. Then he heard it. Music. Loud. Heavy. Shaking-the-car loud. Ethan sighed. “Of course.” He opened the car door and stepped into chaos. Music blasted like a nightclub had exploded inside the vehicle. Jason—his older brother—sat in the driver’s seat, vibing like he was headlining a concert. “Turn it OFF!” Lily shouted from the backseat. “I swear, Jason, I’m going to scream!” she added. Beside her, Ella sat quietly, staring out the window like none of this existed. Ethan slid into the seat, already rubbing his temples. “Dude… please,” he said. “I don’t want a headache before the first period.” Jason ignored him completely. Typical. Lily groaned. “Are you deaf?!” Still nothing. Ethan leaned forward and shut the music off himself. Silence dropped instantly. Jason turned slowly, eyes narrowing. “You got a problem?” Ethan folded his arms. “Yeah. My ears.” For a moment, tension hung thick in the air. Then Jason just smirked and started the car. No argument. No comeback. Which somehow felt worse Jason was everything Ethan wasn’t. Confidence. Reckless. Popular without trying. Girls noticed him. Guys respected him—or stayed out of his way. And rules? Rules didn’t apply to him. “Ethan,” Jason said suddenly. Ethan sighed. “What now?” “I need to talk to you later, kids.” Lily leaned forward instantly. “Who are you calling ‘kids,’ huh?” Jason smirked. “Say one more word—” “Try me,” she shot back. Ella stayed silent. Always silent. Watching everything. After dropping the twins at their elementary school, the car grew quieter. Too quiet. “I’m not going to school today,” Jason said casually. Ethan blinked. “Excuse me?” “I’ve got somewhere to be.” “Nope. I’m not covering for you again.” “Relax. Last time.” “You said that the last time.” Jason grinned. “Okay. Last-last time.” Ethan rolled his eyes. “I’m serious.” Jason sighed, then shrugged. “Fine. I’m going to see someone.” “Chloe?” Jason laughed. “Nah.” Ethan frowned. “Then who?” “…Madison.” Ethan stared at him. “How many girls are you talking to right now?” Jason smirked. “Enough to keep life interesting.” “That’s not something to be proud of.” “What do you know?” Jason shot back. “You barely talk to girls.” Ethan looked away. That hurt him Because it was true. Except for one. Lena. She was… different. Easy to talk to. Didn’t make him feel awkward. Didn’t make him overthink every word. Jason dropped him off. “Don’t forget what we talked about,” he said with a grin. Then sped off. Ethan sighed. “Here we go…” “BOOM!” Ethan jumped so hard his glasses nearly slipped off. “Dude!” he snapped. Marcus laughed, throwing an arm over his shoulder. “Your reaction never gets old.” “One day, I’m actually going to pass out.” “Worth it.” Ethan shook his head. “Sorry about yesterday.” Marcus smirked. “Your brother told me I’d collapse your house if I stepped inside.” Ethan pressed his lips together, trying not to laugh. They sat down, pulling out books. Physics assignment. Group of three. Unfortunately, their third member was Blake. Tall. Intimidating. Always looking like he hadn’t slept—or maybe slept too much for the wrong reasons. Rumors followed him everywhere. None of them are good. Ethan’s phone buzzed. Lena. “Where are you?” “First floor. Usual spot.” “Be there in a minute.” Marcus groaned. “I’m starving.” Ethan froze. “I forgot my breakfast.” Before anything else— BANG. A hand slammed onto the table. Blake. “How’s my favorite group doing?” he said with a crooked smile. Ethan swallowed. “We’re working on it.” Blake leaned closer. “Don’t mess this up.” He tapped Ethan’s head lightly—mocking, almost. Then walked off. Ethan exhaled slowly, dropping his head onto the table. “I hate this school.” “Ethan…” Marcus whispered. Tapping his leg. Harder. “Ethan.” “What?” Marcus didn’t answer. He just stared. Ethan followed his gaze. And then he saw her. Black boots. Black ripped jeans. Black oversized hoodie. Piercings lined her ears, her nose, even her lip. Her eyes? Cold. Unbothered. Like nothing here mattered. Two girls walked beside her. Not identical. But connected. Like they moved as one. Ethan frowned slightly. “Who is that?” M arcus didn’t look away. His voice dropped, almost like the name carried weight. “Raven.” Ethan watched her a second longer than he meant to. And for reasons he couldn’t explain… Something felt different. Like the air had shifted. Like something had just started. And whether he liked it or not— He was already part of it.