Let Yourself Fall // sequel to My Ethan Karpathy

Chapter 2.

PAISLEYS POV:

Unknown number: hey, slut.

Unknown number: how is someone as hot as Ethan dating an ugly fuck like you?

Unknown number: I bet he doesn't even love you and is just feeling bad for you.

Unknown number: I mean, who would actually want to date a fucking ugly, faggy slut?

I sigh and delete the messages, just like I do every other day. I'm glad It wasn't bad today, I don't know who it is, I don't know what I've done, but they really don't like me. I've asked pretty much everyone if they knew the number, but no one seems to have heard it before. They just don't go away. The teachers always tells us that if you didn't react, they would just go away. Well, maybe not. I have to be honest, it's starting to get me down. I used to be so happy about myself, just full of self confidence, but now my self esteem has gone way down. I don't want to worry Ethan, there's nothing he can do about it anyway. I sigh as I realise we have school today and drag myself into the shower. The hot water runs over my body, washing all of the negative vibes away. I try my best not to let them get me, but it's starting to get harder every day. I get out, dry myself off and get dressed in my school skirt and top. I liked the Saint Ignatuis uniform better, but this is alright. The school colours are navy and white, which is in an improvement, I guess.

Schools alright, it usually consists of girls trying to get close with Chris and Ethan with Meghan and I just trying to stick with them without getting pushed aside. The girls have sort of died down since they realised that Ethan and Chris notice them more if they don't bother them. Some aren't that smart. I walk back to my room, looking into Ethan's room as I walk past. I think I got my timing wrong because he was literally just about to pull his school shirt over his head. He catches my gaze quickly and smirks at me.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer." he smirks.

I just turn my gaze away and walk back into my room. I brush my hair in long strokes and bobby pin my fringe back. Then I apply some foundation and mascara, the school doesn't really like people wearing heaps, but some people do.

I look at my phone and see the time: 8:30- shit, Chris will be waiting for us any second. I slide on my school shoes, without bothering to check to see if they were tied. Big mistake. I run to the stairs but trip at the top. The result of that was me tumbling headfirst down and landing in a big heap at the bottom.

"Are you okay!?" Ethan asks, running from his room. His immediate reaction was a tiny smile. He noticed that I wasn't actually okay and stopped immediately.

I sit up, laughing off the pain. I wipe my nose and a thick layer of blood covers my fingers. Oh shit. Ethan runs and grabs me a box of tissues, picks me up and carries me to the bottom floor bathroom. He cleans up my nose when it finally stops bleeding and kisses it.

"Thanks." I say.

"Next time, tie your shoes." he laughs as we walk out to the front door. Chris is leaning up against the fence, looking as bored as hell.

"Sorry, Paisley had a fall." Ethan apologises.

"I was starting to think you left without me. Let's go." Chris replies as we begin the short journey to school.

I was walking to my maths class with Chris when the school bitches, Chelsea and Rhianna walk past. They death stare me as per usual and keep on walking.

"What was that?" Chris asks.

"Nothing. What was what?" I lie. There's no way I'm telling anyone what's happening.

"Mm, alright. Didn't look like nothing to me."

I turn into my maths class and Chris turns into the next room for his English class. Maths flies by in a breeze, I am just walking out when I am shoved into the lockers. I drop all of my books and just as I am reaching down to pick them up, I look up to see Chris had seen the whole thing.

"Please don't tell Ethan, it was nothing." I say.Chris just nods and gets on his knees to help me pick up my books. This day isn't going so well.

"What else are they doing to you?" Chris asks.

"What? Who's they? Nothing's happening." I lie. I lie too much now days.

"I hope you know I don't believe that for a second, but I'm going to let it go..." He trails off, but I'm glad he isn't going to press the matter.

***

Chris and I walk out to where Meghan and Ethan are already waiting for us. We walk to the gates but have to split apart since Meghan lives down the other direction from school. Chris, Ethan and I are walking down the road when Ethan notices a bruise on my shoulder from when I was shoved against the locker.

"What happened to your shoulder?" Ethan asks. I can feel Chris' eyes burning into me, but I avoid his gaze and find an excuse. I've gotten really good at that.

"Probably from when I fell down the stairs this morning."

We finish the short walk back to our house and walk up to my room. We turn on some music and lay on the floor. Ethan is in the middle with me one side of him and Chris the other. We are just talking about random things when 'stay with me' comes on the radio. When it came to the chorus, Ethan and Chris just randomly burst out singing.

"Oh won't you, stay with me, coz you're, all I need." they sing so loud that I feel sorry for the neighbours.

"This ain't love, it's clear to see, so darlin, stay with me." they continue.

Ethan's phone was sitting on the dock so the music stopped when he received a call. He walks over and answers it, then walks out the room. Chris and I lay there for a few minutes, talking about grace until Ethan comes back into the room. What he says next kind of gets me a little worried.

"Chris, can I talk to you for a sec? In private."