The boy who sneaks into my bedroom window-ETHMA

-29-

Ethan

Growing up is scary. It's scary because we start to realise the hardships of life. That people can leave you, and sorry is just a word. That hugs can't last forever, and parents get stricter. That the highest point in the world isn't the top of the swing, and that scraping your knee isn't the end of it ether. That there's more bad words then calling people stupid and a whole lot more that we use on a day to day basis. 

As we grow up, we realise it becomes less important to have more friends and more important to have real ones. We see through the never ending lies our parents told us about the real world, and it's scary. 

When I was little, all I wanted to do was grow up. I wanted to be like my dad and drive a cool car, I wanted to be like my mom and go shopping with all the money in the world. I wanted to be taken seriously by people. I just-wanted to grow up.

But now, Man I wish I could go back. Wake up in the middle of the night and sneak into my parents room for a hug, or pretend to be asleep just to get carried in. I wish I was still riding my bike, not overthinking life, not always wondering how people see me, or of they like me, or if they hate me. I wish I was still young so I could piggy back Emma on the way to middle school again. I wish I could still hold her hand when it was thundering outside, and pretend to be in so much pain that she would have no other option but kiss me better. 

But were all grown up now. She no longer needs me to carry her to school or hold her hand when she's scared. She doesn't believe my stupid lies to get her to kiss me, or hug me, or hold my hand. She does it anyway now. And that's the only good part about growing up. I get to do it with her by my side. 

Sure it's hard being older then Emma. I'll be leaving for college soon, and I don't know what's going to happen. I'll be moving my life on when she's just starting hers and I didn't know how to feel about it. 

But as of right now, windows down, music blasting and Emma screaming along to the lyrics, everything's just fine. Perfect actually.

She ran her thumb gently over my hand that was placed on her thigh, and smiled across at me. I smiled back and picked up her hand to kiss the back of it making her blush. 

We were on the way to the arcades, because that's where the photobooth was.

Emma turned the music down as I pulled into the parking lot, probably to avoid the judgy looks of parents when we came in, who all seem to forget they were our age once as well.

It was getting late, but it was summer so the sun was just setting casting a orange glow over the sky, and the bright neon lights reflected down onto us as we walked up to the doors. 

-

"Hey, I can open it myself"  Emma moaned as I held the door open for her. I rolled my eyes playfully as she walked past me. 

Her eyes immeadietly lit up at the sight of all the different games and I couldn't help look at her. She was really pretty. 

"Look guys, it's a photobooth" Emma's mum said with a smile pointing towards it. She guided us both other and I almost tripped over the stairs because they were really big. 

"what is it" Emma asked sweetly and  I nodded along, also curious. "You take pictures, do you want to take pictures?" Emmas mum replied and Emma squealed yes, dragging me intot he booth with her. Her mum laughed and I heard the coins roll into the booth as we sat down on the red puffy stool, which was shiny and new. 

It started counting  down and I stuck my tonuge out showing emma to do the same, which she did, lookign funny. A bright light went off and it started counting down again. "Say cheese" Emma said with a lisp making me laugh. She turned to look at me and started laughing aswell, resting her herad agsint mine. I heard the flash of and we both looked at the camera which had started ciounting down again. We were both still laughing as it took the other one, as I rested my hand on Emma's. For the next one, I picked her hand up and kissed it while she posed at the camera. The final flash went off and  we both ran out eargerly to look at them. 

-

We walked into the arcade, My hand clinging to Emma's as children ran past, flustered looking parents chasing after them. I spotted the booth in the corner and tugged Emma's hand gently with me in the direction of it. 

"Wow, this place really hasn't changed" Emma said and I laughed nodding my head at her, and pulling her behind the red and white striped cutain after paying for our photos. 

The once shiny stool, was not a dusty matt colour and the fabric was coming of the seems. "Old now though" Emma said noticing its worn down appearance as well. 

"Yeah, well were older" I replied with a smile and she nodded, beaming one back. 

The camera started counting down and I quickly stuck my tongue out, Emma following, trying to make it as close as possible to the original. Emma started laughing as I looked at her with my tongue out, making me laugh along. She rested her head against mine to recreate the next picture and then we looked at the camera still smiling and laughing, but in the final one as I kissed Emma's hand she held up the original pictures as well so you can see the difference.

We got out of the booth and Emma eagerly grabbed the photos after they dropped down from the machine. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders hesitantly, but she leaned into my arms to show me the pictures, aweing at them. I laughed and then agreed that they were 'adorable' as said in Emma's words. 

"I was so cute" Emma said cooing over her younger self. I smiled down at her as she looked at the picture. 

"Yeah, now your adorable" I stated and She looked at me quickly, before adverting her eyes to the ground to hide her slight blush. I laughed and kissed the top of her head.

"Was I not cute?" I questioned Emma and she laughed shoving my shoulder playfully. I looked at her seriously and she smiled. 

"You were adorable"

-

"Oh look, you guys are alive" Grayson said sarcastically as we walked through Emma's front door. 

"Hey baby" Emma's mom said greeting her with a hug, while I bro hugged Grayson, leaning against the counter near him. 

"hey Ethan" Sophia greeted me with a pat on my cheek. I smiled at her, kissing her cheek and saying hello back. 

"Well, where we you" Grayson said slightly irritated and I rolled my eyes playfully. Emma walked around the counter with her mom talking about how she's home, and out of hearing distance. 

"You know, just fucking behind your shed" I said with a smirk and he smacked my head. 

"Not even funny bro" He said and I sat next to him. "Yeah, I know, I know, sorry man" I said as I took his water.

"Where were you actually" He asked with a tiny smile. I shrugged, "Just at the arcades" I replied and he nodded, raising his eyebrows. "As a date Orr" He dragged out and I looked at him quickly "no" I said hesitantly. It wasn't a date, Emma deserves better then just some old arcades. 

He gave me the 'really' look and I pretended not to notice.

"Anyway, what's up" I asked him and he started blabbing about some girls at school or something, tbh I wasn't listening, I was to be focused on Emma behind him. 

She was laughing with her mom. I'm in far to deep now, I might as well say how beautiful her laugh is. A soft giggle at times, a loud cackle at others, but none the less it was beautiful like her.  

"Ethan!" Grayson snapped me out of my mini trance and I quickly gathered myself, clearing my throat. "Yeah, sorry" I replied and he shook his head. 

"£980 man, that's how big the bet is" He told me and I felt my eyes pop out of my head. "Yeah" Grayson said "You got a lot of girls after you bro" He said again and I shook my head. 

"Well shit"

(A/N Hey guys, I was thinking of starting a new book, and I had a few ideas since this book is almost finished! But don't worry there will be sequels! I thought of making a book called 'hate fuck' where Ethan and Emma meet at a bar and don't get on well, but end up hooking up. After they become rough fuck buddies they start to fall for each other, I don't know something like that, please tell me what you think!)