THE LIFE I NEVER EXPECTED

CHAPTER 5 - THE NOTE

I was in a good mood when I got to school the next morning.

Good mood, despite not sleeping much. Okay, I kept thinking about the ice cream, and my friends, and... okay, maybe a little bit about Ethan. Just a little.

I went straight to my locker to grab my Math book. Same hallway, same noisy kids, same smell of floor cleaner.

But when I opened my locker, something was wrong.

There was a small folded piece of white paper inside, right on top of my books. It was not there yesterday. I never leave papers in my locker like that.

I picked it up. It was folded twice.

Inside, in messy blue handwriting, it said:

*You owe me one coffee. - E*

E? Ethan? My heart did a weird little jump. Did Ethan leave a note in my locker?

I smiled before I could stop myself and looked around the hallway to see if he was nearby. He wasn't.

"Oh wow."

I turned around. Two girls were standing behind me, arms crossed, smirking.

Chloe and Tasha. The senior mean girls. Everyone knows them. Perfect hair, perfect makeup, and they have had a crush on Ethan Cross since like, 10th grade. Or at least, they act like they own him even though he never talks to them.

"Did Ethan Cross leave YOU a note?" Chloe said, in that fake-sweet voice. "That's so... interesting."

Tasha leaned in to look at my paper. "You owe me one coffee? Wow, Mia. Moving fast, huh?"

I quickly folded the note and put it in my pocket. "It's not like that. He just... he found my bracelet at the party."

"Oh, we heard," Chloe said, still smiling but her eyes were not smiling at all. "We heard he DROVE you home from the party. And then gave you your bracelet back. And now secret locker notes."

"We've been in the same school with Ethan for three years," Tasha added. "He has never once driven anyone home. He has never once left anyone a note. So, what's so special about you?"

My cheeks were getting hot. Not in the cute blushing way, in the uncomfortable way.

"Nothing is special," I said. "He was just being nice. It was not a big deal."

"Nice?" Chloe laughed a little. "Ethan Cross is not 'nice.' He ignores everyone. So if he's being nice to you, it must mean something, right?"

People in the hallway were starting to look. I hate when people look.

"Can you guys just... not?" I said quietly. "I have to go to class."

Tasha stepped a little closer. "We are just saying, be careful. Don't think you're his girlfriend now or something. You barely know him."

"I don't think that!" I said. My voice was louder than I wanted. "We just talked once! That's it!"

Chloe looked at my pocket where I put the note. "One coffee, huh? Well, enjoy your coffee. Just remember we warned you."

They both walked away, giggling, their ponytails swinging.

I stood there holding my Math book, feeling stupid. Why did they have to ruin my good mood? Why does everything about Ethan have to be so complicated?

I took the note out again. *You owe me one coffee. - E*

Was it really from him? Ethan doesn't seem like the "leave a cute note" type. He seems more like the "say it straight to your face and walk away" type.

And his handwriting? I don't know his handwriting.

The first bell rang. I slammed my locker shut.

If this is from Ethan, why coffee? I never promised him coffee.

Unless... unless I promised him something at the party that I don't remember?

Oh no. What if I DID promise him coffee when I was dizzy and drunk and dramatic like Sandra said?

I put the note back in my pocket and walked to class, my good mood now mixed with something else — confusion, and a little bit of embarrassment.

I didn't see Ethan in the hallway that morning. But at lunch, Janea ran up to me with wide eyes.

"Mia! Did you hear? Chloe is telling everyone you and Ethan are dating!"

I almost choked on my water.

"What?! We are NOT dating!"

"I know! But she is jealous! She liked him forever and he never looked at her, and now he talked to you!"

Great. Just great. Now the whole school thinks I am dating Ethan Cross because of a bracelet and a silly note.

I looked across the cafeteria. Ethan was sitting alone at his usual table in the corner, headphones on, eating, not looking at anyone.

Should I go talk to him? Ask him if he left the note? And about the coffee?

But if I go now, Chloe and Tasha will see and make it worse.

I sighed and sat back down.

One coffee. How hard can it be to buy someone a coffee?

But what if it's not from Ethan at all? What if someone else left it as a joke?

I had to find out after school.

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