In Progress - Untitled (As of Now)

Chapter 4 - Unintentional Encounters

(⚠ Warning: Mature language, some clichés, and of course PDA ⚠)

Ethan's POV (Age 17)

As the crack of dawn broke over the horizon, casting golden orange rays into my face, I woke up to a familiar setting - the car. The purr of the engine was keeping my sister asleep beside me on the leather upholstery. It was too early for the sun to be waking me up, it had been an exhausting day yesterday involving a late night of attending a typical high school party... one I got busted at. Turning over onto my other side, I was attempting to drift back to sleep when suddenly every hair stood on end as though jolted with a wave of electricity.

I was being watched. I could sense it.

Gazing in my direction, observing my every motion under the scrutiny of a pair of icy blue eyes was my so-called mother, Amelia Mayer. As always, her medium brown hair was pulled tightly back into a bun, and was wearing a black and blue business suit to compliment her "grouchy businesswoman" complexion. She even had a pair of reading glasses on a little metal chain loosely wrapped around her neck.

The woman seemed to always be ready for the next customer or the next business deal to come skippering her way, no matter what time of day. It's as if her world revolved around her entrepreneur career more than anything else. This woman clearly needs a thing we call "hobbies," and be able to display maternal affection while at it.

    Yet, you could tell that at one point she was a sight for sore eyes. Hell, it was easy to see where I got my charming looks from - we even share a very faint dotting of freckles across the bridge of our noses. I can thank her at least for that characteristic, it's something the lady folk seem to find irresistible. I want to imagine we would share my award-winning smile too that make teenage girls swoon... if Amelia was even capable of mustering a smile anymore.

"Ethan Dean Mayer, you could afford to actually listen to me when I speak," my mother said sternly.

"Ha, sorry Amelia... what's up?"

Amelia scoffed and did an eye roll, probably due to my "slang" usage.

"Wake your sister, we will be arriving to your new school in approximately 15 minutes. Don't disappoint me again either while we are here."

Great, still upset about the other evening.... just my luck. I simply nodded before turning to lightly slap Emi across the back of her arm. She opened her eyes slowly, reaching over to rub the stinging flesh of where she had been smacked. Once the pain fully registered, she proceeded to not-so-lightly punch me in the forearm as a response. I muttered a curse under my breath, now too trying to ease the pain in my arm while Emi sat up to stretch away the sleep.

It was a few minutes later when the sleek black limo pulled up to the curb of yet another prestigious public school. The white columns lining the entrance greeted us to a new realm of knowledge. No wonder this was where Amelia felt like tossing us into next, the place had "rich white kid" written all over it and gloated its taxpayer dollars easily to the public eye. That and I imagine this place was known for high expectations and standardized test scores beyond compare. This definitely fit Amelia's string of schools she had a habit of making us stay at as if they were being payed to babysit us two.

The three of us made it inside the grand halls, with the sound of our footsteps falling against the polished granite tiles. Eventually, we arrived to the attendance office where Amelia went behind a large oak door to discuss enrollment. That only left Emi and I to sit slumped in two flimsy plastic chairs and wait. Boring as hell.