Ethan Adams

Chapter 17

Ethan's in a strangely good mood when he gets back. It makes me suspicious but I try to talk to him as little as possible. The way I see it, the more I distance myself from him the easier it will be for this small teeny tiny crush I think I have developed (please no) to go away. My life will be easier when it goes away. And it will go away.

However, he doesn't know the meaning of personal space. The first day back at school, Ethan's sitting with me at the drama table because 'he missed me too much' and 'has too much to tell me'. He then proceeds to tease me for the full lunch period. Sarah's giving me pointed looks all lunch but my situation's too miserable for me to even try to deny it.

"Sarah, how can you tell you like someone?" I ask during drama club. She stops watching the actors onstage to gape at me.

"You like someone? Who?"

My defences go up almost immediately. "I don't like anyone. Why would you think I like someone?"

She stares me down. My defences weaken and my shoulders slacken. "Who is it?"

"You know who it is." I mumble, defeated.

"Savannah – where is that girl?!" She marches past the tech people who are trying to work out the lighting situation and drags Savannah from the costumes over to me. "You owe me ten bucks."

It takes a while for Savannah to realise what's going on but when she does, she snatches her glasses off her face. "Alisa you fool. Couldn't you wait until after the Christmas break?"

"Did you guys bet on – what did you even bet on?"

"You realising your feelings before or after Christmas." Savannah admits nervously. "Don't be mad, we just wanted to make it a fun game –"

I wave her off. "It's not a big deal but Sav, you owe her ten bucks."

Sarah cheers.

After receiving absolutely no help from the two of them, I walk home. Ethan offered to drive me but I didn't want to make him wait and figured that I needed time alone anyway. However, he's in my house, talking to my mom. The two of them greet me happily when I enter the kitchen, feeling quite miserable.

"How was the prop creation?" He asks me in passing.

"Why are you in my house?"

He grins. "Your house?"

I wait for him to answer but he goes back to talking to my mom. He never answers me so I just listen to him tell my mom about all his adventures in Portland the past week. Mostly he seems happy to have seen his own mother but he does brush on the Nicole topic a little bit. I try not to let my irritation show.

Ethan stays for dinner. And watches Maury with my mom while I perch myself in the armchair, pretending to do my homework. I give up and start watching with them, sitting next to him and trying to act natural when he puts his arm behind my head. I think it works because he notices nothing.

"Maury or Jerry Springer?" My mom asks.

"Hm, that's a tough one. I'd say Jerry for it's creativity and Maury for the dance moves." Ethan replies. "What do you think Alisa?"

"Jerry Springer's a classic."

"But Maury's also a classic."

"Not in the same way."

"But-"

"Ethan, do you want my opinion or do you want to fight me?"

He mimes zipping up his lips. My mom laughs.