Rainy Nights

Rainy Nights: part 8

 "O-Oh, Ethan...hi, I wasn't, um, I wasn't expecting you to be here" Elaine stuttered, averting her gaze.

Ethan cleared his throat. It had been a week since they'd spoken. At least he knew why she hadn't come to school now.

"I um, didn't know you were moving" he said.

He could feel his face getting warmer. Now what? His mother would be furious if he didn't invite them to dinner. Elaine, in his house. He thought about that for a moment before shaking his head and looking back at Elaine.

"My mom invited you guys to dinner," he said quietly "Oh- and, she made cookies"

He held out the box to her. It was still warm.

Elaine quickly took it. She couldn't look at him, so she focused on one of her hoodie strings instead.

"Thanks... we'll be there" she said.

Ethan nodded awkwardly. He didn't know what else to say. He kept thinking about Elaine in his house, eating his mother's cooking.

"I think I should get going..." Elaine suddenly said "You know, unpacking and stuff"

"Oh yeah, definitely" he said, backing away from the door.

Then a thought popped into his mind. He remembered what she had told him about her parents, and suddenly felt a little worried.

"One more thing-" he added "I hope you're...um, okay, I hope you're okay"
Elaine stared at him for a moment. Why had he said that out of nowhere?

"Thank you"

She finally shut the door. She let out a sigh, holding the box of cookies tight to her chest. Ethan was her neighbor? She knew he lived on this street, but right next door? She was doomed.

"Who was it?" her father asked, walking out of the kitchen.

Elaine stood up straight "Just the neighbors" she said, pressing a hand to her cheek in an effort to cool herself down "They brought cookies, and invited us to dinner"

Her father's face lit up "That's nice of them"

Elaine nodded. Ethan's expression wouldn't leave her mind. He looked so... uncomfortable. Had she done something else to upset him?

"Elaine? Are you okay?"

She snapped out of it and saw her father looking at her suspiciously.

"Who exactly was at the door?" he asked.

Elaine shook her head "Oh- it was just- someone from one of my classes" she wasn't technically lying "I didn't expect them to live here"

Her father didn't seem convinced, but he didn't push it.

"Okay then" he simply said "You should start getting ready then"

She nodded and headed upstairs, trying to wrap her head around the idea of being in Ethan's house, and failing.

She stepped into her bedroom and saw the room in the house across from her. That must have been Ethan's room. What would it be like to be in that room? She shook her head and stopped her mind from wandering any further. All she had to do now was get ready for dinner. Dinner with Ethan...

"How did it go?" Ethan's mother asked as he came in the house.

He slowly closed the door behind him and walked into the kitchen. That interaction still hadn't quite sunk in.

"So?" his mother asked again.

Suddenly he remembered where he was "Oh right- good" he said "It went good"