Stay /// Ethan Dolan /// EDITING

Chapter 2 - Staring

"Zabella!" mum calls from down stairs. "Zabella! I swear, if you don't wake up, i'm gonna come up there and beat your ass!" she shouts.

It's Tuesday morning, and i'm still in bed. "5 more minutes..." i growl.

"Zabella!" she shouts again.

"Alright i'm coming" i say pulling my body out of bed. I haven't told anyone about my break up with Josh and to be honest i can't be bothered explaining it to anyone. So i'm just going to keep it to myself and stay as far away from Josh as possible.

I slowly walk down stairs into the kitchen, sliding in a piece of bread in the toaster.

"I can't believe you slept in again." mum says shaking her head while she feeds Isaac, my baby brother.

"Anyway, you gonna have to look after the kids to night, dad and I are going out" she says, wiping Isaac's small mouth.

"What!?" i say.

"We need a little alone time. It's only a small break from all of you." she says. She means 4 other children under the age of 6, but one who's 12, that I have to look after.

"Good morning hunny" mum smiles, looking behind me.

"Good morning" my step dad says, kissing my mum's forehead.

I absolutely hate my step dad. No one will ever replace my real dad, not even him. My mum and my step dad had another 3 children which all look completely different to me and my brother, Gale. 

I really miss my real dad, he died of a heart attack. But it's like i'm the only one who misses him, my mum has moved on and my brother was too young to remember him. I want him back. 

I roll my eyes, getting up off the table. "Bye mum" i say opening the front door.

Before she could say goodbye i shut the door behind me, i don't want anything to do with my family at the moment.

I walk off down the street, headed for school. I pass Ethan's house, i wait there a little, cause we usually walk to school together.

I wait 5 minutes. That's weird. He should be out by now. I think to myself. "Whatever, i'm not waiting for his slow ass" i muttered walking off.

As i'm walking up the stairs, towards the entrance, i see a guy on a motorbike. He takes his helmet off and i instantly recognize him, it's Josh. A girl is on the back of his motorbike, that must be his 'one true love'.

He see's me and puts his helmet down. "Bela!" he shouts.

My eyes widen and i push the doors open, running inside, before he could catch up.

How convenient. I have to stop and stare until he notices me. I think to myself, slapping my forehead.

I quickly run to my locker, grabbing all my things. As i shut my locker, out pops Zendaya. "Hi"

"AH" I shout.

"Guess what!" Zendaya says, she sounds like she really wants to tell me.

"What?" i ask, trying to recover from the scare.

"Prom is a month away" she squeals. "And guess who asked me out" she says. before i could answer 'who?', she chants, "Jasoooon"

"No way" i smile. Jason is one of the most popular guys in this school, well, after Joshua. "Omg i'm so jelly" i say slapping her shoulder. I wasn't really.

"What are you talking about, you have Josh. He's gonna ask you for sure" she says.

"Oh yeah" i smile, for a moment i forget that we aren't together anymore. My smile fades. I clear my throat. "Yeah.."

"He better ask soon, or you ain't going" she says punching my shoulder.

That makes me even more sad. No one will ask me, that means i can't go, and i've been waiting 98372309 years for prom. "Mhm" i say sadly.

The bell rings and everyone rushes to class. Maths is the only lesson where everyone chooses their spot, so Zendaya and I can sit together.

The door open quickly and the teacher walks in, but it's not our normal teacher. "Okay students stand up with your books and wait at the front please." he says.

The class groans, he's going to put us in alphabetical order. I'm going to have to sit next to Ethan again.

"Katline, Dennis, Marcus and Olivia these four tables here" says the teacher. "Mayer, Cemila, Zebella and..." he's cut off by Ethan rushing through the door.

"Here!" he shouts, huffing and puffing.

"...Ethan. Over here" the teacher says pointing to the tables behind the first 4.

I lay my books on my desk, as Ethan puts his on the table glued to mine.

We don't talk, we say nothing. I don't feel like talking to another boy right now, i just feel like i'll be played again.

Ethan doesn't speak either. He looks a little down today, but i don't ask why.

<  >

I run out of class and quickly grabbing my stuff from my locker.

I arrive at my groups table. I'm early, so i'm on my own for a while.

I start to daydream again, something i always seem to do. I don't notice the people around me, until my eyes fall on a table, Josh's table. He's sitting with some of his teammates from the football team, including some cheerleaders. I never really liked his friends, and now i hate them all.

I stare at Josh, as a girl from the cheerleading team comes over and sits on his lap. They googly eye each other. That must be her. She has brown hair with blonde streaks, brown eyes and fair skin. I just want to face plant her head into the ground, Josh must have been seeing her behind my back, typical.

I still stare, with my head resting in one hand. My eyes don't turn away from them, i just glare. I can't believe Josh chose some stuck up prissy cheerleader girl as his girlfriend. I mean come on, at least choose someone else...

I bit my lip, maybe he made the right choice...

I relax my face. I should just move on...

My eyes slowly trail off them, making my eyes fall on something else, and that something is... Ethan?

Ethan sits on the other side of the massive hall. He stares straight at what looks like Josh and that girl. He notices me staring at him. His eyebrows narrow and his head tilts to the side. He looks back at Josh quickly, then at me.

I narrow my eyebrows, lifting my head out of my hand. Could he be staring at them as well?

Ethan's mouth opens, but then realises i can't possibly hear him from all the way over there. He pushes his arms against the table, making him stand. He puts his hands in his pockets, walking slowly to my table. I watch him.

He sits on the bench opposite mine. There's silents, we stare at each other, confused.

Ethan opens his mouth. "So" he says. "You know them?" he asks.

I nod slowly, still looking straight at him. My eyebrows are still narrowed. "And you?" i ask.

"Yeah..." he says.

No, it can't be...