THE LIFE I NEVER EXPECTED

ChAPTER 3 - AFTER SCHOOL

I could not focus the whole day.

Not because of my headache — that was actually gone after my coffee — but because of Ethan Cross.

"Hard to forget."

His voice kept playing in my head during Math, during History, even during lunch. Janea was shouting my name all night? Of course she was. That is so Janea.

When the last bell finally rang at 3:00 PM, I practically ran to our spot in the parking lot.

Janea and Sandra were already there with Mike and Jace. They were leaning on Mike's car, eating chips like they didn't have a care in the world.

I walked up, trying to act normal, but my backpack felt heavy and my bracelet kept catching the sun. The bracelet Ethan returned.

Janea spotted it immediately.

"Oh my God — Mia! Your bracelet!" She grabbed my wrist. "You found it! I thought you lost it at the party! Where was it?"

Sandra leaned in too. "Wait, you left without it? You were so obsessed with that bracelet last night, you kept checking it."

"Yeah, about last night..." I started. I wanted to sound serious, like a confrontation, but my voice came out more nervous than serious.

Mike and Jace exchanged a look. The classic boy-look that says "we should leave."

"You guys left me!" I said, pointing at Janea and Sandra. "I woke up this morning and I have zero memory of how I got home. I thought you were supposed to be my best friends!"

Janea immediately put her hands up. "Okay, okay, guilty! But in our defense, you were fine! More than fine!"

"What do you mean I was fine? I was so drunk I don't remember anything!"

Sandra tried not to laugh. She failed. "Mia, you were not _that_ drunk. You were just... dizzy. And dramatic. You kept saying 'the room is spinning and I want my bed!' So we called Ethan."

My heart stopped. "You called Ethan? You know Ethan?"

"We don't KNOW him know him," Sandra said quickly. "But Jace knows his cousin. And his car was right there, and he lives like three streets from you, so we were like 'please can you drop our princess home?' And he said yes."

Janea giggled. "He was actually nice about it. He was like 'yeah, whatever' but in a nice way."

I stared at them. "You put me in a stranger's car?"

"He's not a stranger!" Janea said. "He goes to our school! And look, he brought your bracelet back! That's gentleman behavior!"

"Wait, wait, wait," Mike interrupted, looking at me. "Ethan brought your bracelet back? Today? Did you talk to him?"

All four of them stared at me now.

My cheeks turned red instantly. "Yes! I bumped into him in the hallway this morning. Literally bumped into him. And he gave me my bracelet back."

Silence for two seconds. Then —

"NO WAY!" Janea screamed so loud a group of juniors turned around. "MIA AND ETHAN CROSS! You guys talked!"

"We didn't — it wasn't like that! He just gave me my bracelet and told me not to run in parking lots!"

"Oh my God, he told you not to run? That's so... husband material!" Sandra said, fanning herself dramatically.

"Guys, stop!" I said, but I was laughing now too. I couldn't help it. "It was not a big deal. He just said Janea was shouting my name all night."

Janea gasped. "I did shout your name! You disappeared to get fresh air and I got worried!"

"See? So it's not romantic, it's just —"

"It's totally romantic," Jace said deadpan. "Ethan Cross does not talk to anyone. Literally anyone. And he talked to you. And drove you home. And kept your bracelet safe."

I looked down at my bracelet and smiled without meaning to.

Maybe the party wasn't a total disaster after all.

"Okay, okay, new topic!" I said, trying to change the subject because my face was burning. "Are we still getting ice cream? You promised after last week."

"Yes! Ice cream!" Sandra linked her arm with mine. "And you can tell us EVERY detail about Ethan on the way. Every word, every look, every —"

"There are no details!" I laughed.

"There are definitely details," Janea whispered to Sandra, loud enough for me to hear. "Look at her face. She's blushing!"

We all started walking to the ice cream shop across the school, laughing and pushing each other. Mike and Jace followed behind us, complaining about how girls take everything too seriously.

For the first time since I woke up this morning with a pounding head, I felt normal again. Like me.

But in the back of my mind, one small thought wouldn't go away.

If I was only a little dizzy, why can't I remember the ride home at all? And why did Ethan look at me this morning like he wanted to say something else, but didn't?

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