THE OTHER ME

Episode 𝑶𝒏𝒆 : 𝑨 𝑵𝒆𝒘 𝑩𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈

ETHAN WALKER

The bell rang faintly in the background, but I was already at my desk, my notebook open, pretending to focus on Mr. Harris' explanation of organic chemistry. The topic was aldehydes, I think, or was it ketones? Either way, it wasn't sticking. My mind wandered, drifting between the muffled sounds of pens scratching paper and the low hum of the classroom fans. River Heights High School had just started a new session, and while everyone else seemed thrilled to be back, I was indifferent-same school, same people, same everything.

Until she walked in.

There was a knock on the door, snapping me out of my half-asleep state. Our class teacher, Mrs. Smith, stepped in, her eyes scanning the room. I slouched a little lower in my seat, trying to remain invisible. But it wasn't her that caught my attention. It was the girl next to her.

"Sorry to interrupt, Mr. Harris," Mrs. Smith said, gesturing towards the girl. "Class, this is Jenna Rodriguez, a new student who's transferred here from Los Angeles. Make her feel welcome."

I could feel the air change in the room, the sudden shift in energy. Jenna had this aura about her, something magnetic. She stood there, brown hair cascading down her shoulders, her skin a perfect shade of caramel. There was something about her presence that made the entire class stop and stare.

Everyone's eyes were on her, including mine. I mean, how could they not be?

Jenna smiled-a friendly, open expression that somehow managed to seem genuine. She glanced around, looking for a seat. I panicked. The seat next to me was free, but there was my bag on the chair. I wanted to move it, to say something, but my throat was dry. My heart raced, and every muscle in my body froze.

Just say something, Ethan. Offer her the seat.

I didn't.

Jenna's eyes lingered on the empty chair for a second longer, then drifted away when she saw my bag resting on it. She shrugged slightly and moved to the seat behind me instead. I cursed myself under my breath for being too shy to offer the seat. It would've been perfect-an easy introduction, a conversation starter. Now I'd blown it.

As she sat down, I caught a whiff of her perfume-something sweet, almost floral. I turned my head slightly, just enough to glance back without being obvious. She was adjusting her books, her focus entirely on the teacher.

I took a deep breath. Come on, just say something. I turned around, heart pounding.

"Hey," I muttered, barely above a whisper.

Jenna looked up, her brown eyes locking onto mine. "Hey," she replied with a smile, her voice warm and soft.

I blinked, momentarily stunned. I hadn't expected her to be so friendly, and I certainly hadn't expected that smile. For a second, I forgot how to speak.

She laughed lightly. "You okay?"

I nodded, probably looking like a complete idiot. "Yeah, yeah. Welcome to River Heights," I managed to say, my voice still shaky.

"Thanks," she said. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Jenna."

"Ethan," I replied quickly, then regretted it because she already knew my name. Mrs. Smith had introduced the whole class. She smiled again, and I felt my face heat up.

Before I could embarrass myself any further, Mr. Harris cleared his throat, reminding me-and probably the entire class-that we were still in the middle of an organic chemistry lesson.

"Ethan," Mr. Harris said, making me jump. "What functional group is found in aldehydes?"

Oh, crap. I had no idea. My mind was blank, completely wiped clean the moment Jenna had walked in. I stood up slowly, scratching the back of my head. The room was too quiet, and every eye in the class seemed to be on me.