When The World Turns

Chapter 13 (Official)

School finally ended. I made a quick stop by my locker before heading out the front doors. I lingered near the entrance, waiting, hoping to see Ethan.

"Waiting for someone?" he asked as he walked out.

"So what if I am?" I replied, smiling a little too wide.

He chuckled. "Where to?"

I scoffed, shrugging. "Far from here."

Ethan and I chuckled as we made our way toward the front gates, the air finally feeling light. Just as we reached the exit, Adrianna stepped right in front of us, right in front of me, blocking the path as if she owned the place. She held her phone to her ear, though the screen was black. Not a single sound came from it, but she still acted like she was mid conversation.

“Oh my God, yeah,” she said, voice a little too loud. “Did you hear about that girl from class. Max, was it? The one who was all over that guy last week? What’s was his name? Jacob? Jayden? Doesn’t matter, he probably didn’t stick around either way.”

A lump formed in my throat.

She glanced at her nails, completely ignoring us.

“She’s just too easy,” Adrianna continued. “Can’t really blame the guy, though. If someone’s offering themselves up like a free sample, why not take a bite?”

Ethan shifted beside me, uncomfortable. I stayed quiet.

After a pause, she finally turned her head like she was just noticing us. “Oh… were you trying to get by?” Her voice dripped with fake surprise, her body still blocking the gate.

I felt the heat rising in my cheeks, but I forced myself to keep my expression blank. That’s what she wanted, some kind of reaction.

I shifted my weight and glanced at Ethan, silently hoping he’d just push past her. “Can you move?” His voice calm and firm as usual.

Adrianna tilted her head with a mocking smile. “What’s the matter? Tired of charity cases already?” Her eyes flicked toward me like I was gum on the sidewalk.

I roll my eyes. “Didn’t realize gatekeeping was a hobby of yours. You bored or just obsessed?”

That wiped the smirk right off her face. She gave a slow, deliberate suck of her teeth, eyes narrowing like she was ready to pounce

Ethan steps forward just slightly, enough for his presence to be felt. He doesn't say a word, but I caught the faintest trace of pride in his eyes. That tiny, quiet support, it was all I needed.

I tilted my head at Adrianna, mirroring her smug little pose from earlier. “Like he said, move.”

Her jaw clenched. She was practically steaming, but after soaking in the moment with a bitter pause, she rolled her eyes and stepped aside.

“Fine,” she muttered under her breath, her voice laced with venom. “Go on. Have fun with your little project. I'll give it a week.”

We walked off without giving her another glance. I could still feel Adrianna’s glare boring holes in the back of my head, but I didn’t feel like caring this time.

Once we were far enough, Ethan glanced over at me with that casual tilt of his head. “So,” he said, his voice light, “what if I walked you home? And, I don’t know… to class every day too.”

My grip tightened on the strap of my bag as my heart did a small backflip. I looked down, suddenly way too interested in the ground beneath us. “You don’t have to do that.”

“I want to,” he replied, no hesitation.

I shook my head, still trying to hide the smile tugging at my lips. “I’d feel bad. You probably have a girlfriend or something to worry about already… I wouldn’t want to get in the way.”