Unexpected [Ethan Karpathy]

Chapter 25: A Trip Back To Paradise

Chapter 25

After four very long days had passed, the weekend eventually came. Before you ask - no I didn't tell Luke about how I only liked him as a friend and nothing more. I had promised to Tayla that I would tell him soon, but how soon was soon?

I had talked to him occasionally but neither of us really said much. I didn't know whether Luke was actually beginning to get the hint that I didn't like him or that he just genuinely had nothing to say. I still wanted to see him one day eventually end up with Tayla, but I knew that would be long into the future if I didn't say something soon.

How well would he take it though? Would we still be friends? Would he hate my guts for the rest of eternity and never speak to me again?

These were the questions running in my mind for the past few days which kept me from avoiding the task of telling Luke the truth.

Tayla had called me weak for not telling him, but at the moment I was just trying to save myself from not hurting him or making things weird between the two of us.

On a completely different note, today the weather was quite humid which was kind of rare for Geelong since it was pretty much cold all the time.

I had just finished washing the last plate at the cafe. Ethan and I worked on both Saturday and Sunday afternoons and occasionally on weekdays if we were asked to. I actually enjoyed being a waiter, not necessarily because of the amount of money that we got paid (I guess that was a bonus though,) but because that I actually had a chance to interact with people and actually see them smile.

I've never met someone who doesn't see food as pleasure. And if I ever did, I'd probably never speak to them again.

We had just closed as the last customers left making the place feel empty and deserted.

Ethan was mopping the floors ensuring that there wasn't a speck of dirt to be seen. He was kind of a perfectionist when it came to cleaning which was strange because I'd never pick him out to be one of those kind of people or maybe he was just trying to distract himself about what had happened on Friday...

"Wow, the place is looking pretty clean." He beamed, wiping his hands.

He was looking a little 'too proud of himself, so I decided to ruin the mood. "You missed a spot."

The smile instantly disappeared from Ethan's face. "What, where?"

"Just kidding." I chuckled at how gullible Ethan had been. He rolled his eyes at me clearly unimpressed with my little joke.

Once we were done, Bonnie let us off early since we had each done a pretty decent job. "So will you guys be able to work tomorrow afternoon maybe?" She asked leaning over the counter whilst Ethan and I took our aprons off.

"Sorry we can't, we're going on camp for school tomorrow." Ethan answered before I even had time for my brain to register the question.

"That's alright, Sunday afternoon again then?"

"Yep." Ethan jumped in once again.

We pushed our way out of the doors of the cafe in to the warm, still air.

"I completely forgot that we had camp tomorrow." I told Ethan earnestly was we made the short trip home. He didn't laugh or humiliate me in any way which I sort of expected him to, instead he had said nothing.

I think both of us were sort of down. I was still dealing with Luke and yesterday Ethan had attempted to ask Maddi out but she had declined his offer and wanted to stick to 'just being friends.' I felt bad for Ethan but at least he had tried to make an effort instead of doing nothing at all. I was pretty sure that he was thinking about her right now because he kept turning his head backwards towards the cafe as though he magically expected to see her there.