The Brother's Best Friend Rule

--- Fourteen was an awkward age, and Aria was living proof of it. Her high school freshman uniform felt slightly too big, her bangs had a mind of their own, and right now, her freshman algebra homework was actively trying to ruin her life. She groaned, dropping her forehead straight onto the open pages of her textbook. The smell of ink and paper did nothing to soothe the pounding in her temples. x did not want to be found. The front door slammed open, followed by the loud, booming laughter that could only belong to one person. "I'm telling you, man, if Coach makes us run those suicide drills again, I'm faking a medical emergency," Leo’s voice echoed down the hallway. "You wouldn't survive a medical emergency, Leo. You cry when you get a paper cut," a second voice replied. Aria’s forehead lifted off the textbook instantly. Her heart did a weird, traitorous little flutter. That voice was deeper, smoother, and belonged to Ethan Vance—Leo’s best friend since middle school, the star captain of the varsity soccer team, and, unfortunately for Aria’s sanity, the guy who spent seventy percent of his free time at her house. The two eighteen-year-olds burst into the kitchen, smelling like sweat, outdoor air, and body spray. Leo immediately headed for the fridge, leaning over Aria’s shoulder to aggressively ruffle her hair. "Hey, brat. Why the long face? Did someone steal your crayons?" Leo teased, grabbing a carton of milk and drinking straight from it. "It’s algebra, Leo. And don't drink from the carton, Mom will kill you," Aria shot back, swatting his hand away and trying to smooth down her ruined hair. She consciously tried to sit up straighter, suddenly very aware of how messy she probably looked. "Algebra? Hard pass." Leo shuddered, walking away with a bag of chips. "Can't help you. My brain cells died the second the final bell rang." "Let me see." Aria blinked as a shadow fell over her table. Ethan hadn’t followed Leo to the pantry. Instead, he tossed his heavy gym bag into a corner and pulled out the chair right next to her. He was so close she could smell the faint scent of mint gum. He was wearing his school hoodie with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows, looking entirely too mature and effortlessly cool. He pulled her notebook toward him, his dark eyes scanning her messy scribbles. A small, amused smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "You're complicating the formula, Little Ari," Ethan said softly, his voice a calm contrast to Leo's loud crunching of chips in the background. He took the pencil right out of her hand, his fingers briefly brushing against hers. Aria forgot how to breathe for a split second. "See here?" Ethan pointed the eraser at a line of numbers. "You need to isolate the variable first. Don't worry about the rest of the equation yet. Try it now." He handed the pencil back to her, watching her expectantly. Aria’s hand was slightly shaking, but under his steady gaze, she focused on the paper. She tapped out the numbers, followed his steps, and—magically—the answer clicked. "Like this?" she asked, looking up at him. Ethan’s smile widened, and he reached out, gently tapping the tip of her nose with his index finger. "Exactly like that. Look at you, genius." Aria felt a blush creep up her neck, hot and sudden. She looked back down at her paper so he wouldn't see it. To Ethan, she was just Leo's kid sister—the annoying little girl he’d watched grow up, someone to be looked after. But as Aria looked at the neat numbers he’d written in the margin of her notebook, she realized something terrifying. She didn't want to be just his best friend's little sister anymore. ---