Let's Get Ethan ✔

Chapter 1

Ethan pressed the cold compress to his head while simultaneously bending open boxes, putting shirts into drawers. Today was his first day of independence, his first kiss with freedom, his moment to shine, and he had spent the first precious moments on his dorm floor hitting his forehead against a pipe. What was that sadistic construction worker thinking putting a pipe there?

A dorm building was a catalyst for dumb, drunk guys to get into trouble. And most of those guys had no clue how to get around with their large limbs. He would know, as he was considered "lanky" as someone who was over six feet. 

That pipe could kill somebody.

Though Ethan was not familiar with the drunk part, he had never gotten drunk before; however, according to his mother there were far too many boys freshman year that would succumb to the desires of drinking and not thinking.

His mother was the one who got him the ice pack while his father stifled his laughter, thinking it all too funny his son was in pain. His siblings, Monica and Rose, stayed home. As far as his sisters were concerned, this move-in day trip was an elaborate scheme to get them to go on a campus tour with their parents. To be fair, though, they were only just beginning high school and their parents were already eager to ship them off to a prestigious university. Monica wasn't even a Junior yet.

"Honey, look over here, honey!" Ethan looked back at his dear mother standing in the corner of his dorm room, her dark blue eyes soft and happy. She had long black hair and a round face that made her appear more youthful. Like her, he had the curse of "baby face."

His father stood next to her, his hand resting on the doorknob. His father's head was completely grey. He had dark brown eyes like Ethan's and wore a wide grin on his face, as he was happy to see his son go on to higher education.

"One picture before we go. Now, take that silly ice pack off your head," his mother commanded, he did as he was told and smiled blankly as his picture was taken. His mother smiled proudly; his father's hand still resting on the doorknob, eager to abandon his son. "Oh, I love you, Ethan, gimme a hug!"

His mother wrapped her arms around him like he was a tiny child, he felt warmed and comforted though. He returned the bear hug. She kissed him on the cheek, Ethan responded with a "blah" noise, wiping away the imaginary smear. She continued jovially, "Now don't forget school comes first, then friends, but make lots of them anyway, but school first."

Was him having a friend possible in college?

"Love you too, Mom and Dad," Ethan said. His father looked at him apprehensively, eyes squinting in accusation.

"Keep us updated, Ethan," his father warned, he was clearly talking about the grades his son would get in his classes.

"I will," Ethan assured them.

"Bye for now," his mother said, waving. His father opened the dorm room door, letting his mother through, he waved too, and then shut the door leaving Ethan alone in his new space. And, with that slam of one door, Ethan would open another.

"When is my roommate going to get here?" he wondered aloud. He took out his orange backpack with his shoes in it and unzipped it revealing a pair of chunky dress shoes, as well as his ugly black sneakers.

He must've had some bold dreams of being invited out to a fancy black-tie event, he thought, as he inspected the nice shoes. He sat on the ground and began to rifle through the rest of his backpack. It had an unbalanced bag of random pens, a calculator, and a pack of gum.

"Sweet!" he exclaimed smiling. Just then, he heard the door open, he turned his head, to see a short college guy. His dirty blonde hair in a discombobulated and sticky mess on top of his head. His large mouth smiling at Ethan. His bright blue eyes like lasers.