Back Flip Boy [ Ethan Nestor ]

28.

November came and went, and Ethan and I were still going strong. Everything was going surprisingly very great, with my channel steadily climbing as well as Ethan's. That one account had been pretty quiet about the whole Mika and Ethan thing, so I hadn't needed to look at it for a while. Maddie, Emma, Mika and I made another girls trip out to Seals Beach, this time without Ethan, so we didn't have to deal with that drama. Thanksgiving was great, and I got to spend it back in Ohio with family- the first Thanksgiving we've had together in a hot second. Mark was still the King of Five Nights at Freddy's, and somehow he roped me into playing it too. Still not sure how he managed that one. Maybe it was the Chinese food he bribed me with, or the threats to ban eggs from the house that he didn't own but got Kathryn to agree to it as well. Either way, I was waiting for the hiccup to come, and I was surprised it hadn't come yet.

Let me explain- my life has been a series of hiccups. Kyle was the biggest one, which you already knew. There was no way that my life could be going so perfectly and not have a hiccup. At least, I didn't believe so. Everyone around me said differently, but it was one of those times where I would have to agree to disagree. I knew it was bound to happen, but the question was when it was going to happen.

Mark and I had finally finished decorating his apartment for Christmas, since we had gotten back from Ohio about a week ago. This year we had gone for a simpler theme, even including a stocking for Amy, since she was going to be spending the afternoon with us. We decided to do family gifts in the morning, and then our gift exchange with Amy afterwards when she got to the apartment. Kathryn had gone home to her family, which meant that our place would be empty, and I'd rather spend it with Mark and Amy than be alone on Christmas. I was sitting on the couch listening to Mother Mother and coloring in the coloring book I had bought at the airport. I had recently found Mother Mother, and had fallen in love with them. It had been all I listened to for the past two months, and I was starting to think that I might be falling in love with their music.

I was about halfway through the playlist of their songs I had made when Mark poked his head around the corner, saying he was gonna go pick up some last minute Christmas gifts for everyone. I waved him off and went back to coloring, not thinking much of it. He tended to do stuff like that a lot, so I didn't question it. About two hours later I realized he was still gone, taking my earbuds out and looking around as if he were going to come out of his office. I grabbed my phone and paused my music, opening up messages and shooting him a text. Five minutes passed with no response, and I started to get worried. I texted Amy, to which she replied she had no idea where he was. Great, I lost my older brother. I decided to call him, thinking that he didn't respond since he was driving. The phone rang three times before he picked up.

"Oh thank god, I thought you died."

"Why would I be dead?"

"You didn't answer my text. And you've been gone for two hours."

"So? I had to go into the city to get something for Amy. I told you that."

"You did?"

"You had your earbuds in."

"Oh."

"I'll be home in like twenty minutes. I'm in the In-and-Out line."

"Okay. Can you get my normal?"

"Already ordered."

"Thanks."

I hung up, trying to figure out what he would need to go into the city for. It wasn't as if he was getting Amy a ring or anything, neither of them had talked about it. And I knew they hadn't talked about it, since Amy and I had gone out to lunch the other day and the topic came up. I shook my head, curling back into the couch and scrolling through twitter, trying to pass the time. Now that I thought about it, I was kinda hungry, so it was good that Mark was bringing food home. I didn't feel like cooking anyway. I heard the door open and I looked up, my jaw dropping.