THE WARNING
1046 Words
Chapter Five — The Warning
I couldn't stop thinking about the phone call.
By the time I got home, Ethan's words were still replaying in my mind.
They can't find out.
Who were they?
And what exactly was he hiding?
I dropped my bag beside my bed and sat down, staring at the wall.
It shouldn't have mattered to me.
Ethan was my rival.
The boy who had taken my position.
The person standing between me and the scholarship I'd worked so hard for.
I shouldn't care about his secrets.
So why couldn't I stop thinking about them?
My phone buzzed.
Maya: You coming early tomorrow?
I typed a reply.
Me: Of course.
Three dots appeared.
Maya: Ethan will be there too 👀
I rolled my eyes.
Me: Unfortunately.
She sent a laughing emoji.
I put my phone down.
Then another thought crossed my mind.
Maybe I was being unfair to Ethan.
I immediately shook my head.
No.
I wasn't.
He had taken my position.
That was enough.
---
The next morning, I arrived at training earlier than usual.
The field was almost empty.
Almost.
Ethan was already there.
He was standing near the goalpost, staring at his phone.
The moment he noticed me, he locked the screen.
I raised an eyebrow.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah.”
“You always say that.”
“Because everything is okay.”
I studied his face.
He looked tired.
Not physically tired from training.
Something else.
“You know you don't have to tell me,” I said. “But you don't have to lie either.”
His expression changed.
For a second, I thought he might actually tell me.
Instead, he looked away.
“You wouldn't understand.”
“Try me.”
He gave a quiet laugh.
“You already think I'm the villain.”
“You took my position.”
“I didn't choose that.”
“You still accepted it.”
His eyes met mine.
“And what exactly was I supposed to do?”
I didn't have an answer.
He continued.
“I needed the position.”
“So did I.”
“I know.”
The way he said it made me pause.
He wasn't arguing.
He sounded almost... guilty.
Before I could say anything, Coach walked onto the field.
“Enough talking. Warm-up!”
We joined the others.
For the next two hours, training was intense.
Coach pushed us harder than usual.
The championship was getting closer, and everyone knew what was at stake.
Halfway through practice, Coach called me aside.
“Lena.”
“Yes?”
“I've been watching your progress.”
My heart jumped.
“Okay.”
“You're one of our strongest players.”
I smiled.
“Thank you.”
“But you need to work on your teamwork.”
My smile disappeared slightly.
“Teamwork?”
“Yes. You're talented, but sometimes you try to carry the entire team by yourself.”
I looked toward Ethan.
He was talking to one of our teammates.
“I'll work on it.”
“I expect you to.”
Coach walked away.
I returned to practice.
A few minutes later, Ethan approached me.
“What did Coach say?”
“Nothing.”
He smiled.
“You're a terrible liar.”
“So are you.”
He laughed.
“Fair enough.”
The whistle blew.
The ball came toward us.
Ethan passed it to me.
I passed it back.
He passed again.
We moved across the field almost effortlessly.
Then I heard Coach shout.
“That's it! Keep doing that!”
I looked at Ethan.
He grinned.
“Looks like we're getting good at this.”
“Don't let it get to your head.”
“Too late.”
I laughed before I could stop myself.
He stared at me.
“What?”
“You laughed.”
“So?”
“I've never seen you laugh at anything I've said.”
“Maybe you aren't as funny as you think.”
“Maybe.”
For some reason, neither of us looked away.
Then Maya shouted from across the field.
“Are you two planning to play or flirt?”
My face immediately heated.
“We're not flirting!”
Ethan laughed.
Coach blew his whistle.
“Back to work!”
I turned away quickly.
But I could still hear Ethan laughing beside me.
And I hated the fact that I was smiling too.
---
After practice, I stayed behind to collect my things.
Everyone else had already left.
I was about to walk out when I heard voices coming from the hallway.
I stopped.
It was Ethan.
I couldn't hear everything, but I recognized his voice.
“You don't understand.”
A pause.
“No. I'm not giving up.”
Another pause.
His voice became quieter.
“I need this scholarship.”
My heart sank.
I stepped closer without thinking.
“I can't lose this.”
There was silence.
Then Ethan said something that made me freeze.
“If they find out what happened, it's over.”
My hand tightened around my bag.
What happened?
Before I could hear more, the door opened.
Ethan stepped into the hallway.
He stopped when he saw me.
His expression changed instantly.
“How long have you been standing there?”
I swallowed.
“Not long.”
He stared at me.
“Lena.”
“I wasn't listening.”
That was a lie.
He knew it.
I knew it.
His jaw tightened.
“Forget what you heard.”
“That's not exactly easy.”
“Please.”
It was the first time I'd heard Ethan sound genuinely desperate.
I stared at him.
“What's going on?”
He looked away.
“I can't tell you.”
“Why?”
“Because if I do, everything changes.”
I didn't know what to say.
He picked up his bag.
“Just trust me.”
Then he walked away.
I stood there, watching him disappear.
Trust him?
That was impossible.
I barely knew him.
But as I walked home that evening, I couldn't shake one thought.
Maybe Ethan Hayes hadn't come here to steal my position.
Maybe he had come here because he had no other choice.
And whatever he was running from...
It was getting closer.
- Writer
