Chapter 9 The School Festival
925 Words
By Friday morning the whole school was noisy because of the winter festival. Students were decorating halls, carrying chairs around and shouting over each other like nobody had lessons anymore. Even teachers looked tired already.
Lily normally hated crowded events like this. Too much noise, too many people, too much attention. But somehow this time felt different.
Maybe because Ethan was there.
“You’re helping whether you like it or not,” Sophie said while dragging Lily toward the school hall.
“I never agreed to this,” Lily complained quietly.
“You didn’t have a choice.”
Inside the hall students were hanging lights and setting up tables for games and performances later that evening. Music played loudly from someone’s speaker at the back.
Lily looked around nervously. “This is too much.”
“You’ll survive,” Sophie replied.
Before Lily could answer, Ethan suddenly appeared beside them carrying boxes.
“There you are,” he said.
Lily looked up at him. “Why does everyone keep saying that to me lately”
Ethan laughed softly. “Because you disappear a lot.”
Sophie smirked quietly and walked away on purpose. Lily noticed immediately.
“Traitor,” she muttered under her breath.
“What” Ethan asked. “Nothing.”
For the next hour they helped decorate the hall together. Most of the work ended up being Ethan climbing chairs badly while Lily kept warning him not to fall.
“You worry too much,” he said while trying to tape decorations above the stage.
“You’re literally standing on one leg.”
“I’m balanced.”
“You’re stupid.”
Ethan laughed loudly at that. “Wow. That was rude.”
“You deserve it.”
A few students nearby looked at them smiling. Even Lily noticed how easy they looked together.
At some point Ethan jumped down from the chair and stood closer to her than usual.
“You know,” he said quietly, “you’ve been talking more lately.”
Lily blinked slightly. “Is that a bad thing”
“No,” he replied softly. “I like it.”
Her heart betrayed her immediately.
Thankfully Daniel suddenly appeared shouting Ethan’s name from across the hall.
“You’re needed over here”
Ethan sighed dramatically. “Duty calls.”
Lily smiled as he walked away.
Unfortunately Sophie appeared immediately after.
“That boy likes you,” she whispered.
Lily shook her head quickly. “No he doesn’t.”
“Lily please open your eyes.”
“He’s just friendly.”
Sophie stared at her for a second. “And you are deeply in denial.”
Lily ignored her and continued arranging decorations even though her face felt warm.
Later that evening the festival officially started. The hall looked completely different now. Lights glowed softly around the room and music filled the air while students moved around laughing and taking pictures.
Lily stood beside Sophie near the drinks table trying not to feel awkward.
“You look nervous,” Sophie said.
“I am nervous.” “Why”. “I don’t know.”
But she actually did know.
The moment Ethan walked into the hall wearing a black hoodie and dark jeans, Lily completely forgot what Sophie had been saying.
“Oh wow,” Sophie whispered beside her.
“Stop.”
“I didn’t even say anything.”
“You were thinking it loudly.”
Sophie laughed.
Ethan eventually spotted them and walked over smiling.
“You two hiding here”
“We’re surviving,” Sophie replied.
Ethan looked at Lily. “Come with me.”
Lily frowned slightly. “Where”
“You’ll see.”
Before she could refuse, he gently grabbed her wrist and pulled her through the crowd.
Her heart was beating so fast it was embarrassing.
He finally stopped near one of the game stands at the far side of the hall.
“You’re playing,” he said.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“I’m terrible at games.”
“That’s exactly why this will be fun.”
Lily rolled her eyes but stayed anyway.
The game ended up being stupidly simple. Throwing small balls into plastic cups. Ethan kept teasing her every time she missed.
“You have terrible aim.”
“I know.”
“That was honestly painful to watch.”
“Then stop watching.”
“I can’t,” he replied casually.
Lily froze slightly after hearing that.
Ethan looked at her for a second before smiling again like he didn’t even realize what he had said.
When it was finally his turn, Lily crossed her arms. “You better not miss after all that talking.”
Ethan smirked confidently. “Watch and learn.”
He missed immediately.
Lily burst out laughing so hard she nearly bent over.
Ethan stared at her in fake offense. “Wow.”
“You were saying”
“Okay maybe I deserved that.”
For the next few minutes they kept laughing and teasing each other like nobody else existed around them.
And for the first time in a long while, Lily stopped overthinking everything.
She just enjoyed being there with him.
But while Ethan was distracted talking to Daniel later that night, Sophie quietly moved closer to Lily.
“You’re falling harder,” she said softly.
Lily looked toward Ethan across the room.
He was laughing at something Daniel said, completely unaware of the way Lily was watching him.
“Yeah,” she admitted quietly.
And that scared her more than anything.
- Writer
