Just Friends

December 24th

     Today is the day I make my appearance on Patrick Miller's show. A moment I have dreamt of my whole life. Ethan is taking me to the demolition site of the hotel, romantic I know. However, I want a million reassurances that everything will be fine and Ethan will return unharmed. After my talk with Eleanor yesterday, I haven't been able to stop thinking about what she said. Was it true? Ethan came home late, and we didn't really speak this morning because he had arranged for us to head straight over to the site once we were ready. He insisted we went in his car, but I insisted we went in my car. I won of course.
The site was overflowing with men and women wearing yellow and orange high visibility jackets, and white safety helmets. Ethan forced me to wear the same outfit due to safety reasons.
     "Aw, you look so adorable." Ethan said.
     "I hate you." I replied with a frown.
     He took a step back, pulling out his phone. "Say cheese."
     "No." I said, folding my arms and increasing my frown.
     He smiled down at his phone after taking the picture.
     "That's my new screen saver right there. I might even get it framed and put on the wall, you're so cute in your helmet."
     I gazed upon him straight faced and uninterested. "I'm not five years old."
     He passed his phone to a workman and asked him to take a photo of us.
     "Stop being so stubborn!" He said before kissing my cheek for the photo. He patted my helmet after. "Right, let's go inside then, shall we?"
     I rolled my eyes and rearranged my helmet, "Lets." I felt so stupid having to walk around in that ridiculous outfit. My helmet didn't even fit my head right, and the jacket was three times too big for me. I looked like the child of a builder who they had brought to work for the day. I don't know what Ethan was excited to show me, all that remained inside was concrete and a few chairs for the workers to sit on. It's so weird seeing the inside of the building, everything has been stripped from it. Lifeless. It's completely lifeless. I expected all the carpets and the furnishings to remain, but no, nothing, nothing to represent that this was once a hotel. Just cold, miserable and dusty.
     As we entered there were two young men sat on a ruined sofa on their laptops, shouting at one another. Their argument faded as we approached them.
     "These are two of the computer chaps who helped edit my show." Ethan slumped beside them on the sofa and put his arms around them. Strangely, they didn't say a word. They were just staring at me. I smiled, unsure how to react to such odd behaviour.
     "Guys!" Ethan said clipping the back of their heads with his hands.
     They jump and stood up extending their hands. "Yeah, we're his team who make everything happen. Hi, I'm Bryan." One said, rubbing the back of his head with a huge smile on his face. I shook his hand while keeping weary eye contact with him. These guys only looked the same age as me, maybe older, but they looked so young, it was tempting to ask them why they weren't in school.
     The first was a tanned, chubby guy with glasses and long brown hair and wore a T-shirt with a picture of a slice of pizza on the front.
     "Can I get your number?" The other snapped, extending his hand. He was the opposite of the first. Small, skinny and as pale as a ghost, and had short spikey hair. I raised my eyebrow at him, avoiding the handshake.
     "Toby you're not having her phone number, sorry." Ethan said, standing and put his hand on Toby's shoulder. "There are many reasons why, but I won't hurt your feelings by telling you them all."
     "Sure." Toby replied.
     "But the main reason is that she's too good for you, and she's my girl chaps." He added. What did he mean she's my girl? Can you be more specific?
     As I thought it over I started to sing, I got sunshine on a cloudy day. When it's cold outside I've got the month of May.
     Ethan shouldn't have said that, now I looked like a lunatic randomly singing My Girl infront of two guys who helped run his show.
     Ethan turned and gave me a puzzled frown, but a smirk replaced his frown. Our eyes instinctively knew what we'd have to do next.
"I guess you'd say, what can make me feel this way?" We sang in unison.
      I sang the first, my girl, while Ethan carried on the next two that repeated."
     "Talkin' bout my girl." We sang in unison again.
     We both pointed to Bryan to sing the final, my girl, and he backed us up perfectly.
Ethan and I high fived and laughed at one another for a good minute before we eventually calmed down. I apologise if we now have My Girl stuck in your head and you're singing it for the rest of the week.
     "You're sleeping with that?" Toby then asked inappropriately, unimpressed by our excellent, synchronised, harmonised vocals.
     It hurt a little because I thought Ethan would be lucky to be sleeping with someone as funny and hilarious as me. Not to mention a great spontaneous singer, too. Ethan's brightened mood dampened as quickly as it had been created. "Toby I'm this close to firing you, you're in the presence of the most beautiful woman on the planet and you refer to her as that? Sit back down, please, before I get mad." He held his fingers no further than an inch apart in front of his face.
Toby turned red and slouched onto the sofa, sulking and tapping away at the keyboard.
"Sorry about that. He's a constant pain in the ass." Ethan said. "I need to check on a few things, are you ok to wait here for two minutes?"
I smiled, "Sure, I'm not going anywhere."
He stepped forward, stopping toe to toe with me, tucked my hair behind my ears and then pulled a small section forward. "Elfie, think of a card and I bet you five bucks it's in your shoe."
"Ok," I said as he jogged away.
It was tempting to turn and ask Bryan, You heard him call me the most beautiful woman on the planet, right? And you saw the spark between us there?
Instead, I sighed, ruffled my hair and sat down on the sofa, as far away from Toby as possible. I untied my white Converse shoelaces. My card was the King of Clubs. Nothing. Bryan held the first shoe as I untied the second. It didn't surprise me to find a card facing down in the sole of my shoe. He'd become too good at it for me to doubt his ability. I reached in, and there it was. The king of clubs. I grinned.
"Is that the card you were thinking of?" Bryan asked.
"It is." I replied, placing my shoes back onto my feet.
"So, where's this tunnel?" I asked.
"Oh it's underneath there." He said, turning and pointing to a big white X painted in the centre of the floor of the dusty lobby.
I rose from the ruined sofa and observed the marking on the floor from what I thought was a safe distance. I couldn't see a door, but I guess that's the idea, otherwise people would know it's there.
"What tunnel?" Toby asked.
I swiveled around and scowled at him.
"The one we were supposed to tell her about in which he escapes in, that one, remember?" Bryan replied.
"Oh shit, right, yeah, it's under the big white thing over there, yeah." Toby said, waving his hand at it.
I flicked my eyes between them, Bryan's expression dropped.
"There isn't a tunnel is there?" I asked, lowering my head.
"Duh." Toby snapped.
I dropped my head further and stared at the floor.
"Ok Toby, you're done. Pick up your stuff and go. You're lucky other people are around you." Ethan snarled from over my shoulder.
My eyes filled up and my bottom lip trembled. How could I have been this naïve? Toby smacked down his computer screen and took off towards the exit. Bryan remained silent.
"August." Ethan said.
I took off my helmet and examined it before furiously throwing it to the ground as well as my stupid jacket and walked away.
"August, please wait." I wiped my eyes as I paced to my car.
"August!" Ethan shouted again. He jogged behind me. "Where are you going?" He stopped in front of me, putting his hands on my shoulders.
     "I'm not standing around and watching you kill yourself, Ethan!" I yelled, pushing his arms away and walking past him.
     "August, please don't go." He groaned and walked beside me.
     "You lied, Ethan! How do you expect me to react to this? I want no involvement in this, I'm going home."
     The car was still another couple minutes walk away, but I persevered at my fast pace.
     "Why don't you trust me?" He asked, putting his arm around my shoulder.
     I flung it off. "No! None of your stupid cuddling or kissing, it's either me or your stupid fucking trick. I'm sure Natasha will approve of it. See what she thinks about it!"
     "What are you talking about? Is that what this is about? Natasha?"
     I remained quiet and kept walking. I suddenly noticed he was no longer walking beside me. I glanced over my shoulder. He'd stopped and had his hands held in front of him. They were shaking. I stopped and watched him for a moment. He looked up at me and then walked back towards the hotel. Instead of making things worse, I returned to my car.
     As it burst into life I punched the steering wheel, setting off the horn, startling myself. I needed to be at Patrick's studio in a few hours, and now I felt so bad I didn't want to go. This isn't an evening I can just avoid or postpone. The dust from the site made me feel unhygienic and clammy. So I told myself to take it a step at a time and just return home to freshen up. I ran my hands through my hair and fastened my seat belt, jolting it twice before it clicked into the buckle.
     I drove home, upset and angry. I slammed my car door shut as I pulled up outside our apartment block and rudely threw the key at the man who parks the cars for us.
     Ethan was already leaning against the sofa, waiting for me as I stepped inside. I rubbed my face, slamming the door behind me in frustration to him being home before me. Nevertheless, I walked straight past him.
     "Are we going to talk about this?" He asked, following me.
     "I have nothing to say." I replied, maintaining my course.
     "August, don't make me leave like this." He said, still following me.
     "I'm taking a shower and then heading over to the studio. You do what you need to do." I closed my bedroom door behind me, and sat on my bed with my head in my hands.
     The moment the shower water struck me I started to cry. The bathroom door creaked open not long after.
     "August, there's something I need to say."
     I sighed and wiped my eyes. "Ethan what is it? Can't I have two minutes in the shower, please?"
     Silence. The falling shower water echoed.
     "I've been waiting twelve years to tell you. I think I've waited long enough." He then said, his voice sounded clearer than before. He must have stepped further into the bathroom.
     "I'm naked, this isn't the best time, Ethan. Just go."
     The flow of the shower water suddenly slowed to a stop. The soft touch of his finger rose from the bottom of my spine, gently moving my hair off my back and placing it over my shoulder. A kiss pressed against my neck and another behind my ear. I closed my eyes as he rested his head on my shoulder. We deeply exhaled in unison.
     "I love you... I've loved you from the moment I first laid eyes on you, and I will do until my dying day. I will always, always, always... love you. So badly, it hurts." He whispered into my ear, kissing it afterwards.
     A smile developed into a grin as I opened my eyes. Ethan kissed my neck once more before the flow of water restarted. I glanced over my shoulder, but he was already gone.
     The nerves inside me amplified as each second passed as I stood behind the set of Patrick Miller's show. Max and Eleanor were already sat on the sofa waiting for me, after having a gossip with Patrick about their newfound love for one another. Despite Ethan telling me he loved me, I'm still furious with him for lying about the tunnel. I just don't want anything to happen to him. Especially with the whole world watching. I'm wearing a black shift dress with a collar according to my stylist lady. It's a very pretty dress, but it doesn't come close to my premiere dress. That's like the Queen of dresses.
     Time is edging closer to the moment I've always wished would happen. The churning butterflies in my stomach are making me feel like throwing up.
You'll be fine once you're out there. I told myself. Focus on yourself for a moment, Ethan can take care of himself.
     "He'll announce you on any second." The assistant said beside me.
     The moment has arrived. I'm sweating furiously. I looked up at the screen showing the live broadcast. Patrick rose from behind his desk.
     "Ladies and Gentlemen. It's the moment you've all been waiting for, the moment I've been waiting for. She's ruling the world right now guys. AUGUST BISHOP!"
     The lady with the headset on behind me placed her hand on my back and gave me a slight nudge forwards, breaking me from my trance. I forced myself forward, down the small tunnel towards the applauding audience. The studio lights blinded me as I took my first steps on to the stage I had heavily dreamt of stepping on. Remember to smile... good. Now curtsy and wave to audience, perfect. Now walk over to Patrick and then sit down and relax. My conscience helpfully instructed.
     Patrick stood, opened armed. I walked over and embraced him. He smelt terrific, although the smell of hairspray was quite prominent.
     "I can't believe I'm finally here!" I said into his ear.
     "Please, please take a seat, August." He said, guiding his hand to the sofa occupied by my friends. Max and Eleanor smiled at me as I sat alongside them. They look so cute. Max is wearing a smart suit and Eleanor is wearing a beautiful cream dress. I wish I could tell Max about my encounter with Ethan earlier, although it's not the time or place. No matter how quiet I whisper it to him. The microphone clipped to my dress would surely pick up what I was saying.
     "It's great to have you on the show, August!" Patrick said.
     I smiled at him and then the audience, allowing myself to soak in the atmosphere. "I can't tell you how long I've wanted to come on this show."
     "Well, we've been dying to have you on here, haven't we guys?" Patrick shouted to the audience, in which they replied with huge screams and cheers. It was so humbling to receive such a reception.
"It's a wonderful Christmas present having you on the show, August. So, first things first, we'll definitely be seeing you in another movie soon, won't we?"
I nodded. "Yes, for sure. People seem to like me, which I hoped for, and the parts have come flooding in for new films. So, you'll be seeing a lot more of me over the next year or two."
Patrick looked overjoyed, it was like he'd had horrible plastic surgery and it'd left him with a permanent grin.
Suddenly, a male shouted from the audience, "I love you, August!"
The audience burst into laughter. I gazed at Patrick and laughed at them.
"Thanks, Dad!" I replied.
My Dad wasn't in the audience I was just trying to be humorous. I'm sure he was snuggled up on the sofa with my Mum, watching me right now. The audience and Patrick laughed as well as Max and Eleanor.
"On a serious note, tonight, yourself, Eleanor and Max are here to support your good friend, Mr. Ethan Knight, who is performing something that is going to shake the world, literally. This guy is risking his life, doesn't that scare you?"
This was the question I was hoping to avoid, now I had to make up something to show everyone I had complete and utter faith in Ethan and everything is going to be fine, and we'll all live happily ever after.
Max answered first, "The guy is insane. He's taking magic to a whole new level. Personally, I've seen him produce the impossible many times, so each time he comes up with a new idea I don't doubt him for a second."
Patrick replied, "I understand, but for the world at home and for myself, we've only seen his series, performing cool, quirky card tricks and hand magic. This is a massively defining stage in his career, don't you think?"
Eleanor answered now. I couldn't produce a sensible sentence in my head. I should have thought of this before coming on. I've had weeks to prepare.
"Absolutely. I'm still getting use to his tricks, so I'm on the same page as everyone else. This is a gigantic moment. Max is so laid back about it. He hasn't shown a seconds doubt, which has helped settle my nerves."
Patrick nodded. "What are your thoughts about this, August? I know you and Ethan are close and have been for over a decade now."
I tucked my hair behind my ears and looked down. "Umm, he's my bestfriend and I don't want to see him get hurt. I've always supported Ethan and I always will. But this is a little out of my comfort zone. In all honesty, I didn't approve of this trick and it has caused arguments, but he's my bestfriend and this is something he has to do, so I will show him my full support."
Patrick gave me a reassuring smile. "I would be the same if I was in your position, August. Dropping a building on top of yourself isn't the news any best friend wants to hear."
I raised my head and smiled in attempt to show that it wasn't playing on my mind.
"So your first film, August, your first role with Eleanor. Any gossip to expose? What were your thoughts on your first part as the leading actress?"
I put my arm around Eleanor, "We clicked right from the word go. We had so much fun filming together. I didn't want it to end!"
Eleanor rested her head on my shoulder. "I feel like she's my momma goose, even though she's younger than me."
We giggled at each other. I guess it was kind of true.
"You appear like sisters! Which is great to see... because most people would assume there is a lot intimidation between you. Did you guys not feel any of that at the beginning?"
I turned to Eleanor and we winced at one another.
"Naaah." We said, and giggled at each other once more.
"I mean... I was star struck when we first met, but I soon settled down afterwards." I added.
"I thought you were a little nervous when you first spoke to me!" Eleanor replied and squeezed my arm.
All of a sudden a huge screen descended from the ceiling behind us.
"Right everyone, I've been made aware we will be heading over to Ethan now so we can see how he is doing. We're approaching the seven-minute countdown." Patrick announced, walking towards the screen.
It flickered for a brief second before a view of the towering hotel was shown from a helicopter. It then switched onto Ethan who was standing on the X in the middle of the once hotel lobby. I smiled at the screen when I caught sight of which tie he was wearing. My AB maroon and blue school tie. The first tie I ever gave him. His favourite tie.
"Hello Ethan, can you hear me?" Patrick yelled to the screen.
"Hello, Pat, is that you?" Ethan replied, fiddling with his earpiece.
The audience laughed again at Ethan calling him Pat. Patrick shrugged at the audience. "Yes Ethan, it's Pat. How is everything going?"
Ethan rotated in search of the camera positioned on the inside of the hotel.
"To your left." Patrick assisted, recognising what he was searching for.
Ethan looked up, spotted the camera and pointed with his cuffed hands. "Oh thanks, I got you. Hi everyone, everything's going well, I suppose. Not much to do... for a few minutes anyway. The explosives are set and I'm in the middle of them all. It's absolutely freezing here, though. I wish I wore a jacket."
Patrick laughed along with the audience this time. Our sofa remained silent. The throbbing in my ears was gradually building.
"Are my friends ok?" Ethan asked.
"Yeah, we're fine, bud." Max shouted at the screen.
"Good. August, are you ok?" He asked, readjusting his tie.
I grinned as I blushed at him. "I'm fine, Ethan. Nice tie."
He smiled and stopped fiddling with his tie. Patrick glanced at me, and then at the screen. From the expression on his face, I think he recognised the spark between us. I twisted back on the sofa to look at Max and Eleanor, who were already studying me. Max raised his eyebrow at me and I smirked, tucking my hair behind my ears. Max had definitely figured out what was going on. I'd completely forgot where I was for a second and realised everyone in the audience and at home could probably see my feelings towards my friend. I raised my head and acted as if everything was fine.
"Ethan, we'll leave you to it, buddy. Make sure you come back in one piece." Patrick said. The camera returned to the helicopters view of the hotel. Suddenly I felt sick, the size and weight that will be dropping on top of him worried me. How many seconds would he have to escape?
"Only four minutes and twenty-seven seconds to go Ladies and Gentlemen," Patrick announced, reclaiming his seat.
I flicked my eyes back to the screen, thousands had gathered around the safe zone to stand and watch. A certain section was boxed off. I assumed that was the explosive controls area.
"Where do you think he will reappear after?" Eleanor asked.
We all pondered, none of us had stopped to think about that.
"I think the dust will settle and he'll be stood on the rubble once it clears, acting all casual." Max answered.
"I like that, standing like he's set foot on the moon!" Patrick added.
"Yeah, I didn't know if he would just appear from somewhere random and be like, I'm here guys!" Eleanor said.
All three heads moved towards me in search of my thoughts on his reappearance.
"Max's idea sounds good." I answered.
We all nodded and glanced up at the clock. Two minutes and forty-six seconds to go. The churning inside my stomach had rejoined the throbbing in my ears. Eleanor grabbed Max's hand and rested it on her lap. The camera had now moved back onto Ethan, who was sitting on a chair on the X, biting his nails.
"We're taking a short break now guys. Rejoin us with a minute to go!" Patrick circulated to the audience and to the cameras, broadcasting to the world. The lights dimmed and the make up staff rushed onto the stage, dabbing the sweat off Mr. Miller's forehead. A few rushed over to us also, although now wasn't the time to be bombarded by make up staff.
"Sorry, but now isn't a good time." I politely said to one lady dapping at my forehead. She bowed her head and stood aside.
"Relax, August. You'll give yourself a heart attack." Eleanor whispered.
I smirked and gripped the sofa tightly with my hands. I shut my eyes in one desperate last attempt to calm myself.
"We're back in twenty!" Someone shouted.
I sharply twisted around to see what was happening on the screen. Ethan waved at the camera, it was almost as if he knew I was watching him at that moment. I felt like waving back, then I realised how pathetically stupid that would be. The studio lights ignited again. Patrick focused upon the rolling cameras. "Welcome back, everyone. One minute to go now on Christmas Eve, before we head on over to the demolition site, what emotions are you feeling right now guys?" Patrick asked.
"Excited." Max replied.
"Yeah me, too." Eleanor added.
I paused, "Nervously excited."
Patrick rubbed his chin, "Yeah me, too. I'm dying to see where he will appear! Right! Without further delay, we're going back over to Ethan now with thirty-three seconds to go!"
Everyone's attention now focused on the screen and the studio lights dimmed to almost darkness. A great way to amplify my concern. I could feel my eyes welling up. Patrick sat on the armrest of the sofa, placing his hand on my shoulder. "He will "be fine." He whispered.
The clock reached fifteen seconds. The chair Ethan was sitting on had vanished, and he was now planted in the middle of the X, alone. My hand started to shake. Don't throw up. The clock reached nine seconds. Don't throw up. The camera zoomed in on Ethan. He kept his sight fixed on the floor. Ethan's head rose with two seconds to go, and he winked into the camera. Then zero, the camera snapped to the helicopters view and the top floor of the hotel exploded. Within a few seconds the last floor blew and the once grand hotel, plummeted into a massive pile of dust and rubble. I closed my eyes, forcing a tear down my cheek. The crowd behind gasped. A huge cloud of dust still covered where the hotel had once been, blocking our view. Silence echoed throughout the studio as we waited for the dust to settle. I wandered my sight around the studio, all eyes remained on the screen. The dust had now settled, and the high visibility staff rushed towards the rubble. More tears rolled down my face as I watched the screen, waiting for him to reappear. The studio lights reignited. I squinted to allow my pupils to readjust to the light. I glanced over at Max. I could the see the worry spread across his face as each second passed.
Patrick crouched down infront of me. "August, dear, don't worry he's fine."
Eleanor placed her hand on my shoulder, squeezing it. A tear revealed itself and flowed down her cheek. Patrick clapped his hand three times, and span round towards the audience on the ball of his shiny black shoes.
"Do you want to know how I know Ethan Knight is ok, Ladies and Gentlemen?" He shouted.
Now most definitely wasn't the best time for him to be a chat show host, right now he needed to be a considerate man and respect his guests. I felt like charging at him. Patrick rotated towards me, staring into my eyes, pausing for a moment. I poop stared right back at him. Patrick raised his hand high above his head randomly. The whole world was watching, my best friend and the love of my life was probably dead and this was the pathetic distraction he had created.
"The reason I know Ethan Knight is ok, Ladies and Gentlemen, is because..." Patrick started to say, clearly running out of ideas to draw the attention away from Ethan. He unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt. Great. He's stripping on global television on Christmas Eve. Exactly what we need. My opinion of Patrick lowered. I thought he was the third greatest person on the planet, behind Ethan and Dad of course. Patrick reached into his shirt and pulled his skin up. My face winced at whatever weird stunt he was trying to perform. But as he pulled on his skin more, I realised, it wasn't skin, it was a mask. The mask slowly rose above his neckline. Suddenly everything appeared to pass by in slow motion. My heartbeat was pulsating, blocking out everything around me. The identity of the person hidden under the mask was revealed before it came off when Madeline's bracelet slipped down onto his wrist as he went to take it off. The mask flew off, and there he was. Covered in sweat, and dust. He looked as if he'd been stuck up a chimney.
"The reason I know Ethan is ok Ladies and Gentlemen is because, I am, Ethan Knight." He winked at me before pivoting around to the audience, opening his arms to accept their reaction. The floor below us started to shake, everyone jolted to their feet and erupted as if their favourite team had just scored. I casually smiled out of pure happiness and placed my head into my hands, wiping my eyes. The deafening roars and screams continued, and continued.
As I lifted my head Ethan crouched down in front of me.
"Hey you." He said, wiping my cheeks with his thumb.
"Hey, don't you scare me like that again!" I replied.
He placed his finger and thumb on my chin, elevating it. My hair flicked forward from behind my ear. He smirked and combed it back behind my ear. My feelings couldn't be withheld any longer. I lunged forward, swinging my arms around his neck and kissed him. It wasn't the most glamorous first kiss since his lips were dry and gritty and covered in dust, but it was still perfect.
"I love you so much." I whispered as we rested our foreheads together.
"Well it's about time." He laughed.
While we were protected by our own little bubble, I hadn't noticed the crowd's uproar during our kiss. The real Patrick Miller then ran onto the stage. "How about that, Ladies and Gentlemen! Let's hear it one more time for Ethan Knight, absolutely phenomenal, absolutely phenomenal!" He shouted, jumping into the crowd and celebrating with them.
"Hey guys." Ethan said to Max and Eleanor.
"Hey bud. You had us worried for a moment there." Max replied.
A woman jogged onto the stage and handed Ethan a towel. He rubbed his face as he slotted himself beside me on the sofa, letting out a huge sigh of relief. He put his arm around me and kissed the top of my head once he was clean.
"Wasn't it just the greatest magic trick you'd ever seen in your entire life, though?" Ethan asked like an excited school child.
"The best!" Max replied.
Ethan rubbed my chin and nose with the towel. "You gotta little dirt on your face... that's better." He joked.
"Thanks." I murmured underneath it, unamused.
Patrick jogged up to Ethan, shook his hand and applauded him as he returned to his desk. I found Patrick's reaction weird because he must have had a certain involvement in Ethan's trick. How much of an influence he had is another story. Maybe Ethan asked him to leave the stage during a certain point. However they did it, it would play on my mind for the rest of my life. Even if Ethan agrees to tell me how he did it, I don't think I would want him to. The secret to the greatest trick ever should remain a secret.
"Whoa!" Patrick shouted, slamming his hands on his desk. "How? How did you do that?"
Ethan grinned, "A magician never reveals his tricks, Patrick. You of all people should know that."
Patrick took a moment and looked at the audience with an open mouth. "I'm speechless. What is next for you? Surely topping that is impossible?"
"I've got to see what this one says first." Ethan squeezed my shoulder.
"Oh, so you two are like a thing now?" Patrick asked, eyebrows raised.
Ethan squeezed my cheeks together and kissed me.
"Just friends." He replied with a grin.