unconditional | e.d.

chapter 5

Ethan

Three days. Sol has been avoiding me for three days. I've texted her a bunch of times, and got zero answers. She gave me her number after the party, and I'm not even getting any read receipts. We finished that Spanish project, so maybe she feels no obligation to talk to me anymore? Which kinda sucks, but if that were the case at least I'd know.

I don't know if it's something I said or did, either. The last time we talked was at the party. She spent the night at my house but left too early in the morning for me to say goodbye. I don't think I said anything about my stupid crush on her...god this is eating me alive. I just wish I knew she was okay.

It's Tuesday now, and I'm eating lunch with Grayson, Aaron and Alex. My eyes continuously scanning over the room in case I spot Sol. There's no sign of her anywhere. I sigh.

"-right Ethan?" I hear Aaron say. "Huh?" I ask, my eyebrows raised. "There's nothing going on between you and Sol, right? You guys were just partners for a project and since it's over you're not talking to her anymore?" Aaron rests his elbows on the table, looking straight into my eyes, like he was dying to know. Alex looks almost the same way. Grayson on the other hand has a sour look on his face, continuing to eat his lunch and not taking part in the conversation.

"I guess," I slouch in my seat. "She hasn't texted me since the party. So I guess she doesn't care to be friends or anything anyways." Aaron chuckled, "Wow, you almost sounded disappointed for a second there, E." I shake my head.

"Don't be. She's not a good person. You've heard exactly what she's done to guys in the past, whether you were just friends or not. She's not good news." Grayson chimed in. "Yeah, I guess. She was cool though. After all, those rumors are from like last year. Maybe she changed her ways." I defend Sol, not like she'd care. She doesn't even wanna be my friend anymore, why am I defending her?

"Whatever, man. It's better this way. Trust us." Alex closed the discussion with that. Soon after, the bell rung, and lunch was over.

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School was let out, and I decided to try Sol one more time. I called her and waited, listening to the trill; hoping that by some chance she'd pick up.

"Your call has been forwarded to an automated voice messaging system-"

Fuck. She's still avoiding me.

I walked to the park, hoping by any chance that I would find her. to my luck, she was there. She turned her head and looked at me, starting to get up and leave.

"Wait, wait! Sol please! Just give me one second okay?" I run after her, catching her and grabbing her arm. She yanks it back and look at me with a stern expression.

"I'm sorry, okay? I don't know what I did, or-or said but whatever it was I'm sorry." Her eyes soften. "You're a good friend. Or, were, I guess. Anyways that's all I wanted to say." I sigh, and start walking away. I hope this is worth it.

"Wait, Ethan." I stopped walking. "You didn't say or do anything. I've just...been overthinking lately. I'm sorry I made you think did something." She exhales, and I'm hit with a wave of relief. "Do you still wanna be friends? Cause y'know I think that'd be cool. But it's cool if you don't want to...y'know...whatever." I babble.

She laughs and nods her head, "Yeah sure. Whatever. Wanna go get fast food and come back here?" I smile brightly at her. "I was thinking the same thing."

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The entire car ride back to the park I had contemplated just telling Sol that I had a crush on her. Just say it. Sol, I have a crush on you. I sigh to myself. What would she say? She obviously doesn't like me back. I would probably just ruin everything. I park the car and get out, walking to one of the picnic tables. I take the food out of the bags and begin to unwrap my meal.

"So.." I start to speak, but I don't even know where I'm going with this. "So..?" Sol raising her eyebrows, wanting me to go on.

"So...why have you been avoiding me all week?" I put down my head, avoiding eye contact as I took a bite of my burger. "Well, I uh, I made a realization the night of the party." She takes one of my fries. "That's why I left so early in the morning. And didn't talk to you after that." She looked to the side, squinting. She eats the fry and looks back to me.

I furrow my eyebrows. What does that even mean? "What do you mean?" I lean in. "I realized that I'm scared of this friendship, Ethan. Because I'm starting to see you as more than a friend." Sol says quietly, fumbling with the wrapper on her sandwich. "Y'know what? This is stupid. What I said was stupid. I'm sorry. I'm gonna go." Sol stands and starts to walk away from the park.

Oh my god. She likes me? Woah. "Woah. Wait! Sol! Where are you going?" I run after her, stopping and standing in front of her. "You like me?" I can't help the smile that spreads across my face. "Ugh shut up, don't say it like that." She rolls her eyes and a smile of her own appears on her face. Wow. She does like me.

"Well, I like you too. If that makes you feel better" I add. It makes me feel better. "It scares me more, actually." I can't tell if she's being sarcastic or not. "Do you wanna be something...like more than friends?" I try lightly.

"We don't know how this could end, Ethan." She whispers. I take her hand into mine, and lock my fingers with hers. "It doesn't matter. We can focus on right now. And right now, I'm happy when I'm here with you." I whisper back to her. "You're such a dork, oh my god." She laughs and drops our hands, checking the time on her phone. "It's getting late, I better get going. I'll see you tomorrow?" She smiles and begins walking away, still facing me.

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow Sol." I respond shyly. She turns around and leaves me in the park by myself. "Haha! She likes me back! Holy fuck." I say to myself.

I don't know that her and I will even become anything, but for the first time in a while, I feel contentment.