His Sunflower

Chapter 7

I was up all night again, freaking out about grandma, Max, and Clara. Wondering if they'd be fine, playing out hundreds of scenarios where they weren't fine. And that's why I'm now sitting in my Western Civ classroom, five minutes before class starts, with my head on my desk just trying to get control of myself.

They'll be home when school lets out, they have to be, because uncle Noah promised me they would be. And uncle Noah never ever breaks his promises.

"Hi my acquaintance! Again, I'd ask if you are ok, but we aren't friends, so I'll just ask if you want to hear a joke?" A familiar voice asks.

"No. No, I don't want to hear a joke." I grumble.

"Well too bad. We aren't friends, so I don't have to listen to you. What do you call an alligator in a vest?"

I say nothing, because I don't care.

"I don't know, what?" Ethan says in a mock girl voice.

"An investigator!" Ethan then says in his normal voice, followed by him laughing at his own joke.

"Oh my gosh! Ethan, that was such a good joke! Can I hear more?" Ethan says in his girl voice.

"Of course Zoey, anything for an acquaintance! What type of underwear do clouds wear?"

When I don't say a word, Ethan asks what in  his girl voice again. I'm guessing he's pretending to be me, which is stupid because I don't sound like that at all.

"Thunderwear!" Ethan says laughing at his own joke again.

"Wow! So funny Ethan! Please! Please, one more joke!" He says in his girl voice once again.

"Alright alright, one more joke. What do you call an owl that does magic tricks?"

"I have no idea Ethan, what?" Girl Ethan asks.

"Hoodini!" Boy Ethan says, laughing yet again. "Oh geez, I really crack myself up!"

I finally pick my head up, trying to glare at Ethan, but failing. His jokes were pretty good.

"Hey look at that! I made you smile! Ha, I'm a great acquaintance!" Ethan says grinning.

"Oh my gosh, get over yourself." I roll my eyes and look out the window.

"Impossible, I'm too awesome to get over. By the way, I'll have you know it hurt a little getting no reaction from my jokes. Those were my best ones yet!"

"Really? Because I thought I loved them." I say, reminding him how he mocked my voice for me.

"Psh, not the same. Though, I think I like that version of you better. That Zoey's a better acquaintance. Wanna know why?"

"No-"

"Because that Zoey laughs at my jokes!"

I shake my head, a smile making its way onto my face. "Your jokes are terrible."

"Yeah, terribly amazing! I think you're just jealous of my skillz. And yes, that was skillz with a Z."

"Do you ever shut up?"

"Do you ever have a good sense of humor?"

"Your face is a good sense of humor."

"Oh yeah, well your mom is a good sense of humor."

"Well... well your dad is a good sense of humor."

"Your child is a good sense of humor."

"I don't have a child."

"My point exactly."

"Shut up."

"You shut up."

"No you shut up."

"I said shut up first."

"Well I said it second."

"Oh my goodness, the sexual tension between the two of them if so gross." A random voice says, bringing me and Ethan out of our epic burn battle.

Ethan's cheeks slowly turn red, and I laugh at him. "Aw, is someone blushing!"

"No, I'm just sunburnt. Obviously dork."

"Psh, whatever jerk."

...

By lunch time I'm feeling a bit better by lunch time, since the annoying kid in a few of my classes kept making really lame jokes, which I've kinda grown on. I'm still really tired and worried about my family, but it's no longer the only thing on my mind.

"Heyo!" Ethan says walking over to my lunch table and sitting down. "I know we're just acquaintances, but I got you a Red Bull, since you literally fell asleep in Western Civ and could probably use the energy." Ethan sets down the Red Bull can in front of me. "Oh, but the mother side of me has to say that energy drinks are bad for you and can cause you to have a heart attack. They aren't good, try to limit the amount of drinks you drink please, I can't have my only acquaintance getting a heart attack."

"Don't worry, I haven't drank that many energy drinks. It's only became a habit since sophomore year. And trust me, I know how bad they are." I say opening the can. Yeah, they're bad. But Ethan's right. I need the energy.

"Sophomore year! That's been a whole year! Zoey that really isn't good, like I'm not even joking that's really really bad."

I take a sip, sighing. "I know, but I do need the energy."

"Then drink tea, or coffee. That'll give you energy, you have other options than the energy drink crap."

"Yeah yeah." I say waving my hand. Maybe I should switch to coffee or something.

Ethan and I eat in silence, until Ethan speaks up again. "So, I take it you don't sleep much then? Are you those types of kids that think it's cool not sleeping?"

I roll my eyes. "No. I value my sleep. I just have trouble sleeping sometimes." I have had too much on my mind recently. The past two years have been a lot for me.

"Well try to get better sleep. It's not good for your brain development.... Sorry, that was my motherly side talking again. And before you ask, yeah, I'm a cis male, but gender roles are overrated."

I nod in agreement. "Definitely. Screw gender roles."

Ethan grins and shakes his head, "You're my favorite acquaintance I've ever had."

I roll my eyes, but in all truth he's my favorite acquaintance I've ever had too. And I mean come on, even though I've known him for like three days, I already slightly consider him a friend. But I'd die before admitting that to him.

*****
Be honest tic tacs,

Are the jokes good?