If We Were Heroes | ONC2022

chapter fifteen

chapter fifteen: our two-o's up to three

It wasn't until Tuesday that I saw Ethan again. Not that I was looking out for him or whatever.

He was studying Mia and I at lunch, unblinking with those huge green eyes. If Ethan was an animal, he would definitely be a cat. A giant blond cat.

For a moment, he looked like he would stand up and talk to us, but he didn't. He just looked back at his friends and resumed their conversation. So much for trying to be better.

Their table was laughing too loud, like they needed the whole world to know how happy they were. How happy they were if their life of lies.

I'd rather be happy with myself then be like them. But I knew that would probably never happen. Not with the curse anyway.

Mia was pouring over a Physics textbook, looking all too much like Sebastian, though she didn't have the enthralled look Sebastian always had, always eager to learn more.

Mia was doing it because of expectations. Her mother expected her to go into medicine. She said she didn't know what to do anyway, and really didn't mind it. She said the only 'hobbies' she liked doing was sitting at home and watching anime.

To be fair, I wasn't much better. I knew plenty of people who knew exactly what they wanted to be, their future all set out for them.

That wasn't me. My grades were average in pretty much all my subjects, and I didn't love any subjects so much as to have a clear passion. All I knew was that I did not want to take Math.

Woah, I know. Narrows it down a lot, huh?

Sometimes I envied those with lower grades. They always seemed to know exactly what they wanted to do.

'Oliver.'

I looked up into Ethan's eyes. Blinked in surprise.

'Hi,' I said, trying my hardest not to frown—and failing terribly.

He slid into the seat opposite me. 'May I sit here?'

I glanced at Mia, who shrugged. 'Sure.'

'So. Do you play any sports?'

'Nope,' I replied, shaking my head. 'I don't mind running though.'

'You should consider joining the football team,' Ethan said.

I actually snorted. Several people turned to look at us.

'Dude, no,' I said. 'I suck at sports. I would hate the football team.'

'You wouldn't.'

'I would too. Why would I ever want to voluntarily sweat and get injured?'

Ethan laughed. 'Why ever not?'

I turned to Mia for help, who hid a small grin and looked away.

'I mean I play violin, which should count as a sport considering the amount of hand exercises I have to do,' she said.

'Violin is a skill though. You actually get something out of it.'

'You get something out of football!'

'Yeah, shouted at for not putting your sweaty, smelly clothes in the laundry.'

'They aren't that smelly,' Ethan protested.

'I beg to differ,' Mia said.

I raised an eyebrow at him triumphantly.

'Oh, by the way Olive,' Ethan added. 'A Sebastian Mwangi followed me? I thought you may know him.'