Swipe of Fate

Chapter 10

It's crazy that I've made it to chapter 10 in this novel and you readers have made it this far as well... I'm so grateful for all the early traction the story got in its beginning chapters, but I'd love more feedback on the later ones as well. 

Ring. Ring. Ring. I stood pacing in my dorm's hallway, away from Liv's eyes and ears in our room. Waiting for the world to change. Waiting for Ethan to pick up. Waiting for me to announce my own defeat. Finally, he answered.

"Hello, Ava." Nothing in his voice's tone implied we had such a toxic conversation the other night.

"Hi, Ethan." My own voice could not maintain such neutrality; there was defeat, sadness, and hope all present. "What are you up to?" 

Hopefully not doing God knows what with another girl while on the phone with me at the same time. The idea of Ethan inside two sorority girls kept flashing in my brain, making me nearly gag.

"I've been doing physics homework. Stupid shit." I knew nothing about the subject so had nothing to add. 

I always noticed that Ethan didn't ask about me anymore, almost as if he assumed I was never doing anything that interesting. 

"Are you busy?" he finally inquired. "I could come over. I'm at the library right now. Although with the amount of money I'm making I should just drop out."

"I don't think you should drop out," I said. 

Previous to calling him, I thought I had the mission of announcing my own defeat but now I was becoming distracted. 

"Imagine how proud you will feel when you get that diploma. You're only two years away." 

I imagined how proud I would be watching him cross the stage, decked in school colors, a sweet but mischievous smile on his lips that I was beginning to both love and hate.

"Anyways, Liv is here, so I don't know if you still want to come over." I could only picture the face Liv would give Ethan upon meeting him, a face that says I-hate-you-for-consistently-hurting-my-best-friend-and-don't-think-you-should-exist. 

Also, I knew what Ethan likely wanted to do. It was what he always wanted to do.

"Oh, well," he drew the word out, thinking on the spot. "You could come to the library. It's very quiet around here. I had sex with Becca one time in the elevator at 3 am." 

I cringed. Did I want to reenact the Becca love scene when I knew he thought she was better? Before I could mutter a response, he continued, "Anyways, did you think about what I said?"

Here it was.

"Yes, I did. I've accepted it. It's okay if we don't become anything more than we are." 

It was like I was reading lines from a script, one that made me nauseous to even glance at, but I said it anyway. 

"I mean, I'd still be open to something else someday, but it's okay if that's not what's in the cards for us. I still think you're a wonderful person, and I want you as a friend or whatever we are."

"Good." Ethan seemed pleased. "Because, Ava, you got to get over your oneitis."

"My oneitis?" I questioned.

"Yes, that's me. I'm the one you're stuck on. You need to get out there, have sex with tons of men. Go crazy," Ethan advised. I felt sick.

"How do you know I haven't?" I felt indignant he assumed I would immediately tell him if I liked someone else. I was so polite I only told him of bad first dates I went on, not the somewhat okay ones (of which there were only a few).