Lost and Found

Chapter Twenty-five

Some people get lost for so long they forget what it was like to be themselves. Find yourself again -Lewis Howes

***

After the movie, Paige went home mumbling something about us being annoying. The clock read 9:15. I decided that it would be best if I left. I could tell by the dirty looks I was receiving from Paige that she didn't want me and Ethan alone together. So I grabbed my car keys.

"Um, I'm gonna go," I told Ethan.

He was in the kitchen making himself a sandwich. He turned to me with a piece of turkey in his mouth.

"No," he whined, causing the turkey to fall to the ground. I giggled, "please don't go. You can spend the night. You don't have school tomorrow, right?"

I sighed. He was right, tomorrow was Presidents' Day. Neither of us had school.

"I don't think Paige would appreciate me staying over."

"I don't care what she wants. You're staying over even if I have to kidnap you."

I laughed, but it was a nervous laugh. Ethan and I used to sleep over at each other's houses when we were little but now it was different. I liked him and he liked me. Not to mention that he had a girlfriend. I looked around the room quickly to give me some time to think.

"Fine."

Two hours later Ethan and I were laying next to each other on his floor in two separate sleeping bags since he had a twin bed. He put his arm under his head and I bunched my sleeping bag so that I could cuddle it in my sleep.

Ethan's eyes shined in the darkness and the light from the streetlights hit his face just right, making him look like someone from a black and white movie. As if he was reading my mind he said, "You look like an actress from one of those old movies."

"So do you," I whispered. I looked away from him. He was beautiful, inside and out. I didn't like him because he was cute or popular. I liked him because he loved kids and because when he became passionate about something his eyes lit up, or how he'd never give up on something or someone he really cared about. And how before I was sixteen, he never gave up on me. The girl who was broken and hopeless. He stood by me.

"Jul," he whispered, causing me to look at him. His eyes shined with a fierce intensity.

"We should get some sleep," I said.

I was scared. Even though he made me feel like...myself I couldn't lose him. Not again and the best way to keep yourself from losing somebody is to walk away first. Cause even though we're going to the same college, I knew that his interest would never last. Soon I would be just another girl. I'd blend into the crowd. I knew that I couldn't get too attached.

***

The next morning when I woke up Ethan was dead asleep. Why do all my friends have to sleep so late? I asked myself. I kicked off my sleeping bag and then tapped on Ethan's shoulder.

"Go away," he mumbled as he swatted air, thinking it was my hand. I giggled.

"Ethan," I responded, "I don't have any clothes."

"Second drawer," was all he said in response.

Wondering what he meant, I walked over to his dresser and opened the second drawer. To my surprise, all the clothes I left here two years ago because I'd stay over so often were still here. I thought he would have thrown them out. I mean he did want to get rid of all the memories we had, right? What surprised me even more was that when I looked at his wall he had one frame of pictures. It held eight photos and one of them was of me. It was one...no, my favorite photo of us. We were both about thirteen and I was on his back. My head, which was on his shoulder, had a smile on it. So did his. They weren't fake smiles like when your mother makes you take a picture on your first day of school. Nope, we were as happy as we could be.