𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐀𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆

;naked

(A/N executively decided to just publish the whole completed book without editing it. Is that risky? Very. Do I care? No)

Emma Chamberlain

I didn't go to work that night, didn't even call in sick I just didn't turn up. I knew it would only panic Dorothy more but I couldn't bring myself to speak to anyone.

I decide not to go to school the day after too, just so I had time to process everything that had happened.

I didn't want to face anyone after what had happened and the girls left me to it, knowing they'd never be able to convince me to do anything different.

Around 9 o'clock there's a knock at the door, I knew everyone would be in school and so whoever it was wasn't important enough to open the door for.

The bangs carry on, sending my heart thumping much faster than before.

Ethan Dolan
Open the door, it's cold.

Ethan's text read and I look at it in realisation.

I didn't know whether I wanted to speak to him, hell, whether I ever wanted to see him again but he'd most likely skipped school for me.

And it had started to rain very heavily and I couldn't bare to leave him to drown no matter how bad of a person he was.

"What're you doing here?" I ask opening the door and allowing him to step inside to drip all over the hallway. I lead him to the living room and hand him a blanket.

"I tried to find you last night, I went to your work and the weird woman said you hadn't turned up or even given a reason to why you weren't coming. She looked a little hampered so I called Gray and he came down and helped me help her. We did all your jobs and more, just so you didn't fall behind" Ethan explains.

My mouth hangs open in absolute disbelief.

They did that? For me?

Before I can even start to thank him he carries on,

"So after Gray had gone home I stayed to look through your Stephen King books. The weird woman told me there was one missing and the only shop she could find it in didn't deliver it.-

-I never thanked you for the police incident and it was my fault you weren't safe at the party and i feel as though it's my fault back yesterday too. So I stole Addison's motorbike and drove down to Windsor Way to collect the book"

I try and see past the fact that he mentions he illegally drove under the age limit after stealing it from his brother.

"Ethan-" I barely say before he presents me with 'The Bazzar of bad dreams' with its white glossy cover and splurge of rainbow across the carefully printed and perfectly fonted title. "-you shouldn't have" I coo looking across at Ethan still in shock, but with gratitude.

"I can take it back" he teases pulling it away from me.

"No no no" I giggle lunging for the book and crashing into Ethan's body.

Ethan's hand catches me before I topple dramatically off the sofa. He hands me the book with a laugh,

"There you go, little nerd" he says genuinely with a smile instead of with venom.

"So that's the last of me being a good person. We're even now" Ethan states and I nod.

I didn't need anything else from him technically but my stomach drops just at the thought of us going back to how we used to be.

What did I expect? This wasn't some romance novel I read in the library on my breaks.

Was that it now? Was Ethan Dolan just going to get up and leave me. Possibly go to school and be late like usual.

Maybe that's why he was always late, visiting all the other girls he had wrapped round his little finger.

"Are you going now? Now that we're equal?" I kind of whisper. It sounds a little pathetic now I've said it out loud but I couldn't help it.

I think it might be because of the choking and not because I'm actually upset that he's leaving.

Surely.

Ethan looks like he's thinking for a bit and then he shrugs,

"I skipped school so I may as well stay. Do you have a shower?" He asks, keeping eye contact as he freely and confidently takes off his shirt in my front room.

"Of course I have a shower?" I quiz.

What type of question was that? I knit my eyebrows together trying to keep eye contact instead of letting my sight wander down his bare chest.

"Okay, smart ass, can I use it?" He steps forward and I feel my bottom lip trembles with both fear and lack of control.

"Oh, right, yeah, course, this way" I say quickly pushing past him feeling the brush of my skin against his.

Ethan stays a few steps behind as he watches me climb the stairs with a purposeful sway of the hips.

I show him into my ensuite, it used to belong to my parents before they left.

"You're supposed to leave" Ethan smirks as I realise I'm stood awkwardly in the bathroom. My cheeks flush red and I scamper out the room in embarrassment while Ethan laughs, "unless you wanna stay?"

"In your dreams, Dolan" I holler back with a smirk.

Ethan takes an actual age in the shower, at some point I'm certain he's fallen down the plug.

"Emma!" calls Ethan from the top of the stairs, I was making hot chocolates to soothe my throbbing throat.

Rushing to the bottom of the stairs shouting,

"what" repeatedly, Ethan doesn't reply so I stormily drag myself up the stairs.

"I said what, you deaf-"

I spin round the corner and face plant straight into Ethan's bare chest where he smirks and whispers,

"Don't. Look. Down"

I can't help but smirk, realisation hitting me, I had forgotten to give him a towel.

He snatches the white towel from my hands as I start to laugh covering my eyes as I move away from him.

"You did that on purpose" Ethan shouts as I gallop down the stairs to top my hot chocolates with marshmallows "don't try tell me you didn't babe" he finishes.