Dear No One | Ethan Dolan Fan Fiction

Chapter 16- Lost Boy

A/N- I know I don't normally do these at the beginning of a chapter, but I really wanted to thank you guys for ONE THOUSAND READS YOU GUYS!! You guys are the best, and thank you so much for reading this story; it means so much to me. In fact, I just hit 1K this week, and we're already at 1.31K!! That is insane! I just started this story about 2 months ago! I am so sorry I haven't updated in nearly a week but I have been super busy with Christmas stuff and I hope you will forgive me. I decided to write a longer chapter since I haven't written in awhile and plus you all deserve it for getting me to 1K reads. So grab some hot chocolate and cookies and enjoy the long chapter!!

~ Ethan's POV ~

Relief washes over me when I hear her voice on the phone; I don't know what I would do if something happened to her. I would never forgive myself. She means more to me than she will ever realize. I tell her mom that I have an idea where she might be, and then persuade her not to come. I grab my skateboard and helmet and ride down the road. The rock pile she is on holds so many memories for me. I use to bike here with Grayson every week after school. We would have races to see who could climb it faster, pretend to be agents surviving an impossible mission, and wrestle on it. That was before popularity changed Grayson. I haven't been here for awhile, and I feel nostalgic riding here. I hop off my board and turn into the woods by the road, following Britt's path of cracked brush and branches. Then, I begin to climb up the pile.

When I reach the top, my heart sinks. My lungs feel like they're lodged in my throat because suddenly breathing takes great effort. Brittany looks so small and delicate sitting there. Her knees are tucked up to her chin, head buried in her black sweater. Tears have plastered her wild dark hair to her face, and soft sobs escape her chapped lips. I have no idea how she feels; my problems pale in comparison to hers. My parents are together, I am not horrendously bullied everyday, and I have pretty loyal friends. She had none of things, and what little she does have is coming crashing in around her. I kneel down next to her and wrap my arms around her. The first thing that strikes me is her ice cold body. I pull off my jacket and wrap it around her. I know I can't say anything that will comfort her, so I just sit with her in silence.

I can see why she came up here. Up here, everything seems clearer. Less pollution is visible, and the air smells cleaner. And the wind, I have always loved wind. There is something about the way it rips your hair from your face and plasters your clothes to your body that is liberating. It's hard to put into words my emotions. I am not a very literary person to be honest. I turn my attention back to her, and her red swollen eyes meet mine. I feel the urge to lean down and kiss her, but I keep myself from doing it. I am afraid, afraid of rejection, afraid of ruining our friendship, afraid of losing her even though I don't really know if I have her.

~ Britt's POV ~

I don't even notice Ethan coming until he is sitting next to me. He wraps his coat around my freezing cold body and just sits with me. I sneak glances at him through my blurry vision, yet his beauty is still crystal clear. I hate hiding things from him; I need to trust him, and I think it is time that he knows. I tap gently on his shoulders, and our eyes meet. I know it's time to tell him.
"Ethan," I whisper.
"Yes?"
"If we are going to be this close, I need to be able to trust you, and I need you to trust me. I have so much to tell you, if you will listen. This won't be easy because I have never told anyone what I am about to tell you. Will you listen? Will you stay with me even after I show you all my flaws?"
A smile crosses Ethan's face, lighting up the gray sky.
"Of course."

"When I was 7, my dad cheated on my mom..."
I choke back tears and continue, forcing the words from my mouth.
"But she stayed with him. She refused to believe it. She loved him so much, and she hoped he would confess and change. And then the picture. The woman he was with posted a picture with him on Facebook. A picture that I try desperately to forget, but it is embedded into my memory and my very character. Maybe thats the reason I can't trust people. My mom gave up on him. She told him she was done and forced him out. He married the woman, and moved to California. He left my mom shattered, and 7 year old me to pick up the pieces. He landed a great job with Apple and had kids, but my mom couldn't move on. She fell into depression, and we both suffered. She could hardly work, so we downsized out house, skipped meals, wore worn out, too small cloths, and played with cardboard boxes. We were poor. Without money and nice clothes, I became less and less popular at school since the rich kids were the popular ones. I became clingy, mainly because I was lonely. I just wanted someone to understand. I wanted to be loved and accepted more than anything else. The more clingy I became, the more they pulled away. I couldn't help it Ethan. There was nothing I could do."
Tears begin to slide down my cheeks, but I force myself to continue.