Chapter 6
957 Words
The art room was too small. Or at least, that’s how it felt to Ava as she sat at one end of the long worktable, sketching out initial ideas for the mural. Across from her, Ethan lounged in his chair, twirling a paintbrush between his fingers like a drumstick.
He hadn’t said anything in nearly ten minutes, which Ava thought was miraculous. But his silence was louder than his words, grating on her nerves as she worked.
“Do you mind?” she snapped, looking up from her sketchpad.
Ethan paused mid-twirl, his eyebrows lifting in mock innocence. “Do I mind what?”
“That.” She gestured to the paintbrush in his hand. “You’re driving me insane.”
“I thought you’d appreciate the quiet,” he said, leaning back in his chair.
“I would,” Ava said through gritted teeth, “if you didn’t look like you’re plotting something every time you sit still.”
Ethan’s smirk returned, infuriatingly smug. “You think about me a lot, don’t you?”
Ava’s pencil snapped in her hand. “Unbelievable.”
“Relax,” he said, raising his hands in surrender. “I’m just trying to make this...less awkward.”
“It’s not awkward,” Ava said, gathering her broken pencil and brushing away the shards.
Ethan leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “Then why do you look like you’re about to stab me with that pencil?”
Ava glared at him. “Because I might.”
“Noted.”
She returned to her sketching, ignoring the way her pulse quickened under his gaze. But the silence didn’t last long.
“What are you drawing?” he asked, nodding toward her sketchpad.
“Concept ideas for the mural,” Ava said shortly, keeping her eyes on the paper.
“Let me see.”
Ava hesitated, then slid the sketchpad across the table. Ethan studied it, his expression unreadable. The page was filled with rough outlines of abstract shapes and figures, blending together into a cohesive design.
“This is good,” he said after a moment.
“Thanks,” Ava muttered, surprised by the sincerity in his tone.
“You’re better than good,” he added, looking up at her. “You’ve got talent.”
For a split second, Ava felt herself soften. But then she remembered who she was talking to, and her guard snapped back into place.
“Don’t act like you know me,” she said, pulling the sketchpad back.
Ethan leaned back in his chair, his smirk returning. “Fair enough. But I’m not wrong.”
***
By lunchtime, the tension between Ava and Ethan had become the least of her problems. The school hallways were a minefield of whispers and stares, all aimed in Ethan’s direction.
“He’s just sitting there like he owns the place,” a girl whispered as Ava walked past.
“I heard he got expelled for starting a fight at his old school,” another boy said.
“Apparently, his dad sent him here to ‘learn some humility.’”
Ava rolled her eyes, hurrying to the cafeteria. She wasn’t about to let herself get sucked into the whirlwind of gossip. But when she spotted Ethan sitting at a corner table, surrounded by wide-eyed students hanging on his every word, she couldn’t stop herself from glaring.
“Look at him,” Jules said, sliding into the seat across from Ava. “He’s like a real-life soap opera. I bet he’s loving this.”
“Why are you so obsessed with him?” Ava asked, picking at her sandwich.
“I’m not obsessed,” Jules said with a grin. “I’m entertained. There’s a difference.”
“Well, I’m not,” Ava muttered.
“Sure you’re not,” Jules said, smirking. “That’s why you’re staring at him like he personally insulted your entire family.”
Ava’s stomach twisted at the comment, but she didn’t reply. She couldn’t—not without admitting that Jules wasn’t entirely wrong.
***
By the time the final bell rang, Ava was ready to put the day behind her. But fate—or, more likely, bad luck—had other plans.
As she stepped outside, she spotted Ethan leaning against the bike rack, his leather jacket gleaming in the late afternoon sun.
“What now?” she asked, crossing her arms.
Ethan grinned. “Don’t sound so excited to see me.”
“I’m not,” Ava said flatly.
“Good,” he said, pushing off the bike rack. “I wouldn’t want to give you the wrong impression.”
Ava narrowed her eyes. “Do you ever stop talking?”
“Not when I’m having this much fun,” Ethan said, his smirk widening.
Ava turned to unlock her bike, refusing to rise to the bait. But as she swung her leg over the seat, Ethan stepped closer, his expression turning serious.
“Hey,” he said quietly.
Ava paused, surprised by the sudden shift in his tone. “What?”
“I wasn’t lying earlier,” he said. “You’re talented. And you’re different from everyone else here.”
Ava’s chest tightened. She wanted to brush him off, to tell him his opinion didn’t matter. But something in his voice stopped her.
Before she could respond, Ethan stepped back, his smirk returning. “See you tomorrow, partner.”
And with that, he walked away, leaving Ava with more questions than answers.
***
As Ava pedaled home, her mind raced. Ethan Blackwell was trouble—she knew that much. But there was something about him, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on.
Something that made her wonder if she’d been wrong about him all along.
- Writer
