TUTORS ; E.D.

SEVEN: DEFENSE

Aphrodite: it's Aph. where are you
Ethan: how did you get my number
Aphrodite: i stole it from Grayson
Aphrodite: now where are you
Ethan: ...why
Aphrodite: you're still awkward over text omfg. I just wanna grab lunch together
Ethan: i'll meet you in the lot?
Aphrodite: see u in 5 baby

She pockets her phone and walks toward her locker, where she gets held up by Carla and Joey for an extra few minutes. They were trying to rope her into smoking together during lunch, but she just made plans she won't ditch.

Last week was a little busy, and she hasn't had the opportunity to see him much, so she figured she'd steal him at lunch. It wasn't a long period, but he usually didn't eat in the cafeteria anyway so Aphrodite knew it would be easy to get him to agree.

When she was finally getting to her car, Ethan was leaning against it, his lip tucked between his teeth with Rachel, Colton, and Elijah all messing with him. Aphrodite frowned, rushing to get there sooner.

"Just because you're tutoring her doesn't mean you're friends," Elijah sneers, crossing his arms over his chest. "It's fucking creepy for you to wait at her car like this, man."

"Aw, he probably things he can finally lose his virginity," Rachel coos. The three of them laugh, Ethan fiddling with his fingers, cheeks a bright red. What was he supposed to say to them? He didn't know if Aphrodite was okay that people knew they were friends, so he just stayed quiet and annoyed.

Colton shakes his head with another laugh, "Dude, she's never gonna fuck you. No one will."

"I-it's not--"

"I-it's not--shut up, Dolan," Elijah mocks him before shoving him by the chest. "You're such a freak."

"Hey! What's going on?" Aphrodite approaches with a hand on her hip. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Getting this weirdo away from your car," Colton says, a smirk growing on his face as he pulls her close. "What do you say we skip the rest of the classes for today, you come back to my place?"

She pushes him off, walking over to Ethan's side. He's staring at his feet, furrowed brows the only signs of frustration. The rest of him shows his nerves instead.

All he was doing was waiting for her at her car, and people still felt the need to be rude to him. It was ridiculous.

"No fucking way, Colton. I'm getting lunch with Ethan," she spits, unlocking the doors. "Leave him the hell alone, alright? He might be quiet, but I'm not."

"You're seriously hanging out with him now?" Elijah asks slowly, shocked that she's not laughing with all of them.

Rachel raises an eyebrow, looking them both up and down. "I don't get it. Why would you hangout with him?" She challenges, now mimicking Aphrodite's stance with a hand on her own hip. "What, does he have a huge dick or something?"

"We're friends! He's nice, something you guys wouldn't understand," Aphrodite shouts back and climbs into her car. With Ethan in the passenger seat, she starts it, rolling down her window. "And if you're that curious... yeah."

The three gape at them as she drives off, Ethan with wide eyes is completely silent next to her.

"Are you okay, E?" She asks after a minute. She was less angry now, more guilty that she took so long getting to him.

"Yeah, uh, thanks. You didn't have to say any of that." She did though. Ethan didn't deserve to be treated like that, and Aphrodite was tired of seeing it. He decides not to mention her last comment to Rachel, thinking it would be too awkward. It did give him the slightest confidence boost however. "So... where are we going for lunch?"