Shut Up and Kiss Me || Ethan Dolan

24: Come to Terms

As Ethan explains what Trent told him, Grayson comes back inside and says that about half the members home are missing their phones too. Every phone Beta could find was taken--the only people who have them are people who kept them in their pockets all night and stayed up after everyone left the party.

Ethan's, rightfully, panicking. Sure, everyone else is missing their phones, but they figured out his password and have free reign to his dozens of pictures of Blake. Most of which are indecent.

She's gonna kill him. Should he even tell her about this? His gut reaction is no, not unless Trent does something with the pictures. It will only upset her, and they already stand on rocky ground.

"E, why are you panicking so much?" Grayson asks, seeing his brother sweating and fidgeting in his seat. He left out a few details. "We'll figure out a plan and go over to Beta as soon as we can and get our shit back."

"Yeah... yeah, I know. Just pissed, I guess."

Ethan thinks it best that he keeps this information to himself, until he has to tell someone. What are they going to do, laugh about it, tease him, maybe yell a little? He definitely needs a better pass-code.

The E-board, Lara, Ryan, and minus Tyler (who has a Saturday class) all gather upstairs in Seth's room--where the sheets are stripped--to come up with some sort of plan. Obviously, Beta won't just hand over the phones. This prank is crossing a line, but they aren't going to snitch. The first plan on the table is just to walk in there and see what they want, because it sounded like they were planning to bargain, but they figure they might be able to come up with something better.

"Ethan," Seth says, garnering his attention. "Have you been paying attention?"

"I... not really," he admits, crossing his arms. "Sorry, my heads kinda full thinking about other shit right now. I'm listening."

"Why don't we take a break? Our phones aren't going anywhere, and you look like you could use one." Seth isn't having it when he promises he's listening now, because he knows Ethan's too busy thinking about Blake this morning. "Meet back in here in like half an hour. I'm gonna go grab a coffee."

So Ethan, Grayson, Lara, and Ryan all end up in the twins room, sitting on the floor with heavy sighs. "Alright, E, what's on your mind?"

"Do you think Blake and I are good together?"

It's something he's been thinking about for a while. Sure, he loves her, but if they're too different, is trying really worth it? He needs an outside opinion... or three.

His friends are quiet for a moment, contemplating his question. It's a hard one to answer, but ultimately, Ryan nods first.

"I think you guys are weird together for sure, but weird can be good," he says, shrugging his shoulders. "I know that you're the opposite of her type, but she still put up with you when most girls would've slapped you. And I know that she's the first girl you've cared about since I met you when we were pledges together. That says something."

"For what it's worth, I've never seen her like this over someone. Not even that girl she dated freshman year," Lara tells him. Ethan likes hearing that, but it doesn't quite make him feel better.

Grayson nods too, lying his head on his girlfriends lap. "I think you guys are like... really equal, y'know? You balance each other out well even though you're different. Maybe because you're so different. For everything you have in common, you have something else so opposite about you guys, but it really meshes together well. It's kinda the perfect balance, and honestly, I think you really need that. And I think she does too--you really help her get out of her head, from what I've seen."