just call [e.d.]

three: party pt 2

greta tied her hair back quickly and re-fastened her apron, missing the methodical way her mother had tied the knot. 

she rushed back to jack with her tray and began loading more grapes onto it. 

"mija, en qué estabas pensando," he chided as she loaded her tray. greta squeezed her eyes shut in embarrassment. in all honesty, she had no idea what she was thinking. 

"i'm sorry," she answered in english. 

"you can flirt with boys on your off time," he continued, flipping hamburgers on the grill. 

"i wasn't flirting," she said under her breath. 

                                                                                     --

meanwhile, ethan was leaning against the wall, contemplating leaving the party altogether. one good conversation, on a yacht full of people. 

"you straight?" harrison asked as he popped a cigarette out of his pocket and quickly lit it. 

"i'm good," ethan responded. "just tired."

harrison sighed and took the cigarette out of his mouth, gently tapping it over the edge of the boat. "mate, you've been just tired for like a month." 

ethan watched harrison's thumb move the tip of the cigarette and didn't answer.

"i'm leaving tomorrow yeah, maybe you could just help me out here." he put the cigarette back in his mouth and flicked his eyes to a blonde girl that was talking to a guy. "i want her," he said through his half closed lips. "but she's said she's got no place to go back to, her parents are home." 

ethan chuckled without emotion. "what are you trying to say?"

harrison removed the cigarette again and blew smoke. "i'll buy you a fuckin porsche, i'll edit your videos, i'll fuckin do whatever you want if you let me bring her back."

ethan chuckled for real this time, rubbing a tired hand over his face. "bro."

"i know," harrison said. "i know. i can call jc if it's a problem."

"call grayson," ethan said. "he's the light sleeper."

"do you even know if she's old enough?" ethan asked, crossing his arms over his torso.

"of course man, c'mon," he replied, "i know her from before. she's from london." 

"i'm just going to sit in the car," ethan said, defeated. "you let me know when you want to go." 

harrison flicked his cigarette into the ocean. "oh mate, c'mon."

ethan flipped him off as he began exiting the boat.

he wanted to keep looking for the girl, but he didn't even have her name. good going, ethan. 

he dialed grayson's number quickly as he settled into the silence of the car. 

"sup?"

"harrison wants to bring someone home, warning you now."

silence, and then a slow, "okaaay." 

"he may call you in a sec."

"then why are you calling me now."

"because i wanted to warn you."

"isn't there somewhere else he can go."

"i asked. he said jc's."

another silence. "it's fine, just come back here."

"okay. cool. be home soon i'm guessing."

"k."

call ended. things were tense right now. they had only moved to LA what felt like days ago (it had been nine months) and they were peaking on Youtube. ethan didn't realize what that meant -- giving up normalcy, going out and always having to take photos. you can never look bad. you can never kiss anyone in public without it becoming a news story. paparazzi follow you home. everyone acts like you now owe them something. he missed jersey. he missed his house. he missed feeling bonded to his twin brother, and not slowly drifting further and further away as followers grew and fame skyrocketed. their relationship felt like a business deal, their name was trademarked. they sold merch with their faces on it, catchphrases they had coined. meeting fans was nice, but they all have that look in their eyes, like you're so much, you're everything, and you feel ridiculous. you know what you are, deep down. you're just a person. and every day you wake up and you feel like you're living in the body of someone else, a fake, and you worry every second for the moment when everyone else realizes it. and the money goes away. and life goes back to normal. but didn't he want that? 

a knock on the window snapped ethan out of his thoughts and slammed him back down to reality. 

"you good mate?" harrison's accent somehow sounded thicker through the window glass. ethan paused, still trying to ground himself. harrison had landed the girl he wanted, and quickly. that was another thing -- nothing was a challenge anymore. 

"the door's locked," harrison said louder through the window, as if he thought somehow ethan couldn't hear. 

ethan unlocked it and harrison climbed in the back with the girl. 

"hi, are you grayson?" the girl extended her hand once she got settled in her seat. ethan almost had to laugh, but he kept it in. 

"ethan, actually," he clarified, shaking her hand awkwardly from the front seat. 

"oh! sorry," she said sheepishly, taking her hand back. "not what you say to a twin, i'm an idiot," she laughed sweetly. 

ethan didn't respond, he just started the car. 

"i saw you talking to someone, what happ-"

"don't harrison," ethan warned, turning out of the parking lot. "just don't."

tension hung in the air and harrison laughed awkwardly in an attempt to diffuse it. "touuuchy," he said, and ethan could almost hear the way he leaned in close to the girl.

"i'm sorry," ethan quickly apologized. he really didn't mean to get so annoyed. lately, everything seemed to bother him. he breathed out a big sigh, not realizing he was even holding one in. 

"its fine, mate," harrison promised. "and thanks for driving."

"yeah, thank you so much," the girl chimed in. ethan wondered if he should ask her name, but decided against it. in 12 hours, it wouldn't matter. harrison had been going through girls since he arrived in LA a week ago.

"it's fine," ethan said. "just remember this kindness in a hour or so when i'm trying to sleep."

he glanced in the rearview mirror just in time to see the girl blush, and he watched as harrison kissed her neck quietly and whispered something into her ear. she giggled and blushed even more. 

"will do mate." he finally responded, barely paying attention. he could be driving them into the sea and they'd have no clue until the car was full of water. 

ethan thought briefly of the girl he had met. he thought about whispering in her ear like that. he imagined her blushing, smiling, her nose crinkling and her eyes becoming little half moon circles of glee. 

it was rare he met anyone in LA that didn't make him want to shoot himself. he would think about her more. as much as he could until he forgot her face. if he could.