Until Death Do Us Part? (Completed)

Chapter Twenty Two: Fire Alarm

In the end, there were a lot of reasons why I started going out with Ethan McCarthy.

One of them was that we were like long-lost twins. Ethan got into almost as much trouble as I did with teachers, and he had a sharp tongue that matched my own. Within a week of his arrival, girls started whispering in the hallways as he walked past, and he seemed to be always surrounded by one person or another. News about his latest pranks spread like wildfire, and Ethan sort of became Angel Fall High's personal court jester.

I found my opinion of him slowly changing from immediate dislike to grudging admiration. Even I had to admit that his pranks he did had some class. Even though everyone, including the teachers, knew that he was the one behind the prank, no one seemed to be able to gather any evidence against him, which, of course, lead to no punishment.

Another reason was that no matter how many girls tried to throw themselves at him, Ethan had eyes for me, and only me. He was in almost all of my classes, and in every single one of them that I didn't have with Tris, the seat next to mine somehow managed to be the only vacant one when he walked into the classroom, which would then be occupied by His Royal Highness.

He found excuses to brush up against me in the hallways, and on his first day of high-school, tried to continuously learn my name, while I continued brushing him off. He eventually learned my name, though I hadn't been the one to tell him. Perhaps he'd heard one of the teachers mention it to another, perhaps he'd learned it from one of the boys, or maybe he'd known it all along, but was just playing to get me to say it; because after all, Angel Falls was a small community, and almost all of the people here knew one another.

I continued on ignoring him, he continued on badgering me, and so the game continued.

"I don't know what your problem is," Tris said to me one day, as we stood in the long line for lunch.

My attention was focused on a certain black haired boy standing at the very back of the line, the one with whom I was currently engaged in a stare-off, so it took a moment for me to register that Tris had spoken. "I'm sorry, what?"

Tris sighed. "I was asking that what is your problem, Tara? Why are you behaving like this?"

There was something about his tone that made my attention snap toward him, even though my eyes were still fixed on the boy. There was no way in hell I was going to lose this. "What do you mean, Tris?" I asked. "I think my behavior is just fine. Better than six months ago, you know. I attended Church with you yesterday, and I actually listened to Suri talking about all that spiritual shit. Heck, I even ate the vegetables mom made this morning."

"I'm not talking about that behavior, Tara." Tris clicked his tongue. "I'm talking about the way you're behaving with Ethan McCarthy."

"I'm behaving just fine with him," I replied, only half paying attention. Most of my mind was focused on the black haired boy.

"No, you're not, Tara." Tris sighed. "You're even glaring at him right now. In the middle of the lunch room."