Chapter 2
203 Words
It started with a simple “Hey” in the hallway. Lily froze, her backpack sliding down one shoulder. Her cheeks warmed instantly. “Hey,” she replied, voice quieter than intended.
Ethan grinned, leaning casually against the lockers. “You’re in my chemistry class, right?”
She nodded, trying not to stare. “Yeah… you’re in mine too, apparently.”
He chuckled, and that sound made her heart skip. “Cool. Maybe we can… help each other out if we get stuck on anything.”
The conversation was short, awkward, and filled with small smiles, but something clicked. They had the same sarcastic sense of humor, the same appreciation for tiny, ridiculous jokes.
By the end of lunch, Ethan was walking her to class, teasing her about her overstuffed backpack. “You know, if that thing gets any heavier, I’m calling it a personal trainer,” he said, laughing.
Lily couldn’t remember the last time someone had made her laugh so easily. Her heart was fluttering, and she realized she was looking forward to seeing him again tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that.
It was innocent, simple, but it was the first thread of something bigger, something unstoppable.
- Writer
