If We Were Heroes | ONC2022

chapter eleven

chapter eleven: Miles eats Melted Shrek ice cream

Sebastian would not stop texting me.

The term back at school hadn't started yet, so he was one of the few year founders that stayed during the holidays. And clearly, without me, he was very, very bored.

O: Missing me?
S: yes. come back please. with ethan.
O: No
S: i stalked his Instagram ;)
S: what kind of arrogance is putting your profile on public?
S: sent a photo

If I was drinking water, I would've spat it out all over my phone screen.

Ethan.

In a swimsuit.

S: you're blushing
O: Am not
S: are too
O: Go bother mr Fieldings
S: this is way more fun

There was a long silence as I waited for Sebastian to elaborate, but there was none. I began to worry about whatever he had done.

My phone buzzed.

S: i followed him
O: ...okay
S: you grandpa
S: imma make you an account and Ethan will be the first person you follow
S: and me second, of course
O: Why are we friends
S: you're useless without me
O: I hate you
S: i love you too Ol

I sighed, lying back down on my bed. I wondered what Sebatian would be like if I had stayed here. What Ethan would be like.

I could kid myself he would never have changed, but he would've. He had already ignored me at his birthday party. The only thing that would matter was that his betrayal would have hurt more.

Perhaps in another perfect universe, Ethan and I could've dated. And I wouldn't have to kid myself that I wasn't a complete bisexual disaster around him. And that he was attracted to guys, which in this universe, was nearly pretty much impossible.

But he still no excuse to hurt Mia. How could he have changed so much to become so cruel, yet normal with me?

I shook my head. I needed to get Mia a present. And for that I would need to go out. Shopping. People. Ugh.

'Miles!' I called. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if he was there. Maybe he could protect me from whatever dangers that may arise in a shopping mall.

My little brother came slinking in, looking up with a half-glare, holding what seemed to be a half built Lego F1 car.

'Do you want to shopping with me?'

His glare vanished so quickly, it was actually scary. 'Will you buy me ice cream?'

'Yes,' I promised. 'We're going now.'

Miles ran off to goodness knows where, while I forced myself to get out of bed, telling myself it would be fine.

Perhaps this would turn out for good.

/

Miles was happily licking a pistachio ice cream cone after two hours of non-stop shopping. Seriously, I was today years old when I found out that there actually people who like unironically like pistachio ice cream.

I was holding his paper bag for him, in which he had happily filled with weird clothes and nick-nacks he had managed to find. Somehow, he had even managed to convince me to buy myself clothes that weren't completely black.

'It's not a funeral,' he had said, stuffing piles of dark greens and browns in my arms. 'Try these on.'

Wanting to please him, I reluctantly tried on shirt after shirt, wondering how people managed to survive prom with so many clothes to try on.

I would honestly give up by the sixth outfit. However, after a few tries, Miles seemed relatively pleased with the clothes, took my wallet, and paid for it.

Well, I did promise I would buy it. Though I'd have to make a mental note not to buy anything else this year.

My present to Mia was expensive for such a lacklustre gift but I had to be careful to make it seem like I cared. Too much, and you were a show off, too little and you had no heart. However, Miles assured me that everyone was reading it, and that she'd be happy with it.

I looked up at Miles, who was somehow still eating that green gunk, pulling a face when he caught me staring.

His eyes flicked behind me, and I had just enough time to mentally prepare myself before I heard the quiet 'boo' whispered in my ear.

I whipped my head around to catch a quick smirk from Ethan as it slowly shifted into a genuine smile. Once again, I was glad that my blushes didn't show up that well.

'Hey,' he said.

'Hi.'

Miles' gaze kept flickering between Ethan and me, clearly trying to signal something to me.

'What are you doing here?' I asked, prompting Miles to bury his head in his  sticky pistachio hands.

Ethan laughed. It was a sunny, bright sound, starkly different from Sebastian's low grumble, or Miles' slightly sinister cackle. It scared me how much I liked hearing it.

'I felt like a treat. And Frankie's does the best ice cream in town, despite their dodgy venue.'

'I told you!' Miles exclaimed. 'Olive didn't believe me.'

Ethan cracked a smile at me. 'You still don't like ice cream?'

'No,' I said. I was surprised he still remembered.

Miles shot me a pitiful smile. 'Your taste sucks.'

I gestured to the green soup he was licking. 'Sure.'

'It's Melted Shrek flavor!' he protested, as if that made anything better.

'So. What are you doing here?' Ethan asked, clearly trying to suppress a laugh.

I shrugged. 'Just looking around.'

'Olive's looking for a present for Mia,' Miles interjected. 'They're throwing a birthday party on Saturday.'

Sometimes, I wished I could strangle Miles. And I had only been back for less than a week.

'Oh?' Ethan looked back at me. 'I thought you hated birthday parties.'

'It's more of the people there. And it'll just be Mia and me.'

'Am I not invited?'

'No.'

Ethan held a hand to his chest in mock agony. 'Ouch.'

I gave him a tight smile. 'Mia's not exactly your biggest fan.'

Ethan's face darkened. 'About that—'

I held up a hand to silence him.

'I don't want to know,' I said. 'It's Mia you should be talking to.'

Sighing, Ethan nodded, slowly at first, then more definite, determined. 'Yeah. Yeah, I will.'

'You need to.'

'Is your party at Mia's house?'

'What?'

'Is the party at Mia's house?' he repeated, his eyes seeming to stare right into my soul. They seemed greener, without his glasses, like the little shoots of grass after a long winter.

'You can't come to Mia's party. You're not invited,' I managed to say.

'Yes I can.'

I shook my head. 'Mia'll only hate you more. Do it at school.'

'No, not at school. After school, maybe. Your place?'

'No,' I said.

'Yes!' Miles interrupted. 'Come to ours please.'

Ethan grinned, a look that should be made illegal for the amount of heartbreaks it must have caused.

'Deal. I'm coming over to yours next week.'

word count: 1139
total words: 13, 678
date: 15th April