Dear Ethan: A Second Chance Romance

Chapter 11: Rupture

*Jodie*

The day after I waited for Ethan to say something. Anything.

After the third period I saw him in the hallway talking to one of his teammates and he smiled and waved hello but didn't stop to talk. My stomach dropped.

That's it? I looked back at him but he was already heading into his class.

Sam came up behind me when I closed my locker. "What did he say?" Her eyes were bright with excitement. I shook my head. "Nothing yet."

"Maybe he's waiting until after school." She reasoned as we linked arms and made our way to class.

It was the longest day of my life. 

The anticipation was killing me. Classes droned on until it was finally lunch. 

Sam and I exchanged sandwich halves. Mine with the remaining strawberry jam we had at home and hers with smoked turkey, lettuce, tomato and mayo. I bit into it ravenously before Macy joined our table.

"Hey Macy," We all had drama class together. 

"Has Mattie said anything to you guys?" She looked really nervous. Sam shook her head. A lot of her older artist friends were close with Mattie. Disappointment rippled across her glum face.

We offered her some fries. Mattie didn't seem like the type to get excited about prom but there was no doubt in my mind he would ask her.

But at least we were all in prom purgatory together. I decided then that waiting was hell.

-

On my way to swim practice, Stacey strutted up to me holding a clipboard and a gel pen. Her eyes were wide and innocent.

"Who are you going with Jodie?" asked Stacey. 

I was probably one of the last few people who were still a question mark in her detailed doc. I shrugged. She furrowed her eyebrow and scribbled something on her notepad.

"You better act fast and put some feelers out there. Almost every boy in our grade is getting snatched up." I nodded, turning the corner. I couldn't care less.

I smiled, looking down. It felt like I had this whole secret I couldn't tell anyone.

"By the way, you want to know what I saw over winter break?" Her eyes were gleaming. I just wanted to get to practice on time before Coach yelled at us but there was something about the way that she said that made me slow down. 

My curiosity got the best of me. "What?"

She leaned over, cupping her hands in my ear, ready to share all the hot gossip.

And then the light feeling in my stomach turned to disbelief, panic, and dread. 

I wanted to throw up.

*Ethan*

I waited around for Jodie to finish her swim practice. We usually finished around the same time but they had a meeting today right after practice.

"Hey, man!" Kenny walked out the back door and gave me a high five. He sat down next to me on the bike rack. "Did you do your guidance session yet?" He said, slinging his backpack off his shoulder.

All the seniors had a mandatory talk set up with the school counselor about our school selections for next year.

"Mine's next week. Did you do yours yet?"

"Ya just now," He said grimacing and running a hand through his buzz cut. "My parents want me to go to university but I just want to go to trade school."

I nodded. "My dad set up calls with Michigan, Pittsburgh, and California. They all might give me a football scholarship if I go there."

Kenny looked impressed. "Man, that would be sick. A full ride." 

It would be. If I got it. But my chances were slim. My GPA was pretty solid but I wasn't the best at writing personal essays.

"Hey," he said before getting on his bike. "When you become a big football star, make sure you still remember me OK?" I grinned back at him. 

I liked the way he said that. When. And not if. As if he had all the confidence in me.

"Thanks, man. See you tomorrow," I replied. We waved and then I sat back down waiting for Jodie to come out.

When she finally came through the double doors, the sun was already setting and she looked pissed off, her ponytail swishing behind her.

I rose and jogged up to her smiling as she walked briskly ahead.

"How was swim practice?" I said. Her face looked stormy like she just argued with someone.

"Fine," she said curtly, looking straight ahead.

We fell into step with one another. Even when she speed walked it was easy to catch up with her. I just wasn't sure if she wanted me around right now.

I told her about what happened during football practice but all she did was say 'mmmhmm' over and over again.

"Everything okay with you?" I said finally, feeling confused. Did I do something? Or did she just have a really bad day?

She spun on her heel so fast that we almost collided. I reached out to grab her arm but she steadied herself and pushed me away, balancing her backpack behind her before looking up at me.

"Did you ask Amber to prom?" She said, glaring daggers at my chest.

I looked down at her confused. Where did that come from? I thought back to the party over the holidays. I was a little drunk when Amber was talking to me. Did we talk about prom? I couldn't remember. But I did remember saying yes to something.

"She asked me something a few months ago," I said, scratching my head. "I can't remember if it was about prom or not though. I was kind of out of it."

Guilt and panic washed over me. I couldn't remember because I was wasted out of my mind. But I couldn't tell Jodie that. Not after she told me everything that happened with her mom. So I kept my answers vague.

Her eyes met mine. She gave me an incredulous look. "You don't remember if you asked Amber to prom?"

I shrugged helplessly. "She might have asked me but I really don't remember. We were at a party and the music was loud."

"She said you did."

Jodie looked beyond hurt. 

"I'm guessing she might have asked me and I might have agreed," I said hastily. I wasn't used to getting the third degree from a girl. And Jodie out of any girl I've met made me nervous as hell.

"So, you're going with her," she said, her voice sounding hollow.

"I guess so," I said shrugging. There wasn't any other girl in my grade that I've really talked to so if Amber had asked and I had agreed then I would uphold that promise. I didn't like breaking promises. And I was under the impression it was seniors only. Cody made it pretty clear that the juniors had their own prom.

"Stop following me," she said suddenly.

"What?" I replied confused. Where was this coming from? I felt like I was getting whiplash from all these moods Jodie was showing me all of a sudden.

"I want to walk home alone. Don't follow me anymore." She said before storming away, her ponytail flashing behind her. 

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When your crush doesn't end up asking you to prom :( 

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