unconditional | e.d.

chapter 1

Ethan Dolan

If you could have one wish, and it could be for anything at all, what would you wish for?

I think I would wish for contentment. Not that I'm not happy with myself and my life right now, but there's are always something that could be better. Right?

My family all lives together, and we are happy that way. We are wealthy and healthy, so I don't have much to complain about. I'm very grateful for the life I've been given. But sometimes, it just feels like something's...missing?

Whatever.

I'm a junior in high school, so everything is a bit stressful. Many people say it's great time to spend making memories with your friends and stuff, which I guess is true, but I feel so disconnected from my friend group lately. I almost don't want any memories from these years.

I have my brother Grayson, and my two best friends, Aaron and Alex. We're all pretty close, but they're such stereotypical jocks. We're all on the lacrosse team, and sometimes I think that that's the only reason I'm close to them anymore. Besides Grayson, obviously.

I do pretty well in school. Unlike a lot of the jocks around here, I work really hard and get good grades. I plan on getting an academic scholarship as well as one possibly for sports.

But who knows what's gonna happen? Not me. I don't really have any sort of plan, but I'm not worried about it.

It was a new semester in the school year, and I wasn't feeling grateful for it. I only had one or two classes with any of my friends, and lunch.

"Lemme see your schedule again." I turn towards Grayson in homeroom, wanting to be absolutely sure we only had fourth period and lunch together. "No. You literally checked five times already."

The first bell rang, signifying homeroom was over. "I'll see you in fourth period." Grayson stood up and I nodded in agreement, walking out with him, and parting ways in the hallway.

I met up with Aaron in the hallway. We had first period chemistry together. "It's too early for this shit." Aaron grumbles as we pass by other students trying to get to their classes as well. "Yeah yeah. You say that like, every day." I laugh and turn the corner, going into room 237 in the science department. "And every day it gets more true. Let's sit in the back, I wanna sleep." He goes ahead of me and drops his bag next to the desk all the way in the back corner of the room. "Fine." I sigh.

"I hate sitting in the back. You can't even see the board, and everybody just fucks around." I complain. "Exactly, E. That's the beauty of it." He smiles and puts his head in his arms, falling asleep.

I take out my textbook and wait for the bell to ring. It's gonna be a long day.

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Second period was my study hall, so there wasn't much to do. I scrolled through my Instagram, liking all different kinds of posts from my friends. I was never one to post too often, but when I did I made sure it wasn't some stupid thirst trap type of picture. But I can't say the same for most of my friends; or even my brother.

I'm walking through the hallway trying to get to third period. 'Spanish 1, room 102 in the language department.'  I repeated to myself in my head, trying not to get forget. Of course nobody I was close to was with me in this class. Yay me.