Watch Me

Chapter Fourteen

I know it's been a long time, but I finally posted a chapter. So me and my cousin, Abby(A.K.A. 6thdean), were talking, and we're gonna put our books together! Her book, Having To Breathe, is already published and has six chapters. She asked me if we could have our characters go to the same school and whatever, and now we're basically going to write together! I hope you like that idea.

But enjoy!

_________________________________________

Chapter Fourteen

Ethan's POV

I knock on the front door and wait until it gets answered. The doorknob turns and clicks, then the door is opened. "Hello, Ethan. How are you?" Jack's mom asks, smiling at me.

"I'm good. Is Jack home?" I ask, peering over her shoulder to get a look inside.

"Oh, yes, of course. Come on in. He's up in his room." She steps aside and I walk passed her and up the stairs to Jack's bedroom.

I knock quietly, then push the door open to see him playing video games on his bed. He has a headset hanging on his head with a small, black microphone close to his mouth.

He's playing Call of Duty again against people in other states, cities, or even other countries. He tends to do this with his free time. "What's up, Ethan?" he says, concentrating on the game on his curved flat screen.

"Can we talk now?" I ask, standing awkwardly at the door with my fingers fumbling at my waist.

He presses pause and takes off the headset, setting it and the controller down and scooting on the edge of his bed and pointing to a beanbag chair for me to sit in.

I plop down in it and look up at him. "So, you wanted to talk earlier?" I ask, still fumbling with my fingers.

"Yes. I'm, uh, I'm sorry for everything. Dissing Haley, your parents. Everything," he says, looking down at the floor instead of me.

"Why are you sorry exactly? You know about Haley and what she's done to me. So why are you sorry?"

"Because, Ethan. Don't make this harder than it already is. I can see that you love her, and that's great. That's partially why."

I pause my fumbling and look at him. "Yes, I do love her. But you know, she doesn't feel the same way. She doesn't forgive herself either."

"I don't know if you know this, but Tara is trying with everything in her power to win you back."

"Of course I know—"

"She even hits her to get Haley to stay away from you," he interrupts me, muttering what was said.

My eyes widen with anger and my fists clench. "What?" I say as more of an answer than a question.

"You never noticed anything? Tara drags her into the girl's locker room to hit her, or something."

"Well, there was this one day when Tara and Rachel walked out of the locker room with their heads held high, then Haley walked out and she looked like a mess," I tell him.

"I had my ways of having Rachel tell me."

"How did you even know?"

He sighs, then rubs his face. "I was having my usual thing with her, and she seemed really guilty. She didn't seem as into it as she usually is, so I asked her what was wrong. She wouldn't tell me, so I threatened to never touch her again, so she told me. Everything."

I look at him and my face starts to hurt from it being in a hard scowl. "That bitch," I say out of anger.

She's hurting the girl I love. How could she? But then again, it doesn't surprise me much. Tara is the jealous type. She always gets what she wants when it comes to us poor guys at our high school. And to think I was one of them.

*~*~*~*

Today is the dance. I stand in front of the mirror in the bathroom and spike up my hair. The dance is semi-formal, which means that I'm wearing a black dress shirt, dark dress pants, and nice shoes.

I really hope Haley goes to the dance. She really needs at least a few hours away from that bastard she calls a father. "Ethan, hurry up!" I hear my mom yell.

I unbutton the top two buttons of my shirt, then make my way out of the bathroom, and down to the living room. "What's your rush?" I ask.

"You're really going in all black?" she asks, cocking an eyebrow at me.

"Yes. Now I have to go. I love you."

"Wait, don't you have a date?"

"Yeah. I'm meeting Haley there." She tenses up, but forces a smile at her name.

"Okay. I'll see you when you get home."

I roll my eyes when my back is fully turned to her. She can't help but hate the girl that broke her son's heart. Sometimes, I swear I want to say something to her, but she would probably flip out on me.

I open the front door and feel the cool breeze hit my face. I quickly slam the door shut and make it out to my truck. I have to pick up Jack on my way there. So I make it over to his house and he gets in.

*~*~*~*

I'm on my second cup of punch, which is most likely spiked by Eric Rounds and his friends. Haley still hasn't shown up, and it's been a half hour.

Maybe she had a hard time getting out of the house. Or maybe she decided to hang out with Carly?

Jack bumps me with his elbow and gives me a hopeful smile. "Dude, she'll be here, don't worry," he says, taking another sip of his punch.

I face him and give him sad eyes. "I just hope she gets around her dad, you know?" I ask, tracing the rim of my cup with my fingers as a distraction.

After about another half hour, I find Carly on the dance floor and I pull her aside. "Hey, Ethan. Amazing dance, right?" she asks, her voice slurred, probably due to the spiked punch.

"Where's Haley? Have you seen her?" I ask, my face starting to get hopeful.

"No, I thought she came with you."

My eyes widen and I push her slightly aside, rushing passed her and the many sweaty bodies. Tara pulls on my arm and I face her. "Ethan! How are you?" she yells over the music.

"Leave me alone, Tara," I growl and rip my arm away, rushing even faster. The more people I see, the more I want to get to Haley.

I finally get passed all the people, and Jack hangs with a few girls, who are most likely drunk as well. I've only had one and a half glasses of punch, so I think I'm good.

I run as fast as I can out to my truck and I shove my key in the ignition. I stomp on the gas pedal and speed down the street.

Haley's POV

I finish curling my hair and I walk over to my closet to put on my black dress and red heels. Carly bought them for me. I don't know why she would, but she did.

Ethan told me to be at the dance so I can get away from my dad for one night. So now I'm getting ready and trying to sneak out so I can finally have a good night.

I open my door ajar and look through the crack to see if he's anywhere in sight.

When I don't see any sign of him, I open the door more and I step out of my room. The floor creaks loudly and I cringe.

The house seems calm, like even a single blow of the wind would be too loud. Happy, I start to confidentially walk down the hallway, my heels clicking along the wooden flooring.

I lightly press my shoes on the stairs and walk down. I'm only walking slow because I really don't want to fall down the stairs and break a bone.

The second stair creaks, but I just shrug it off. I finally make it down the stairs and over to the front door. I take one last look around the house, then back at the door.

I rest my hand on the doorknob, then I turn it ever so slightly and open the door. A cool breeze hits my skin and pushes my hair back. It feels good to finally have a night to myself.

But that's where I went wrong. Because as soon as I take a step forward, I get pulled by the back of my dress and I fall to the floor.

Everything goes black.