Shut Up and Kiss Me || Ethan Dolan

1: It's Not Easy

"Watch me."

He's been drinking, but he started a little later. Ethan is buzzed at best. Most of the alcohol Blake consumed hasn't really hit her just yet, so she's in her right mind for the moment. Normally, she wouldn't do something like this because frankly she didn't care enough, but she can't say no to a friendly challenge. Especially one she knows she'll win.

She grabs the knife, flipping it in her hands before pressing it into the side of the can. Ethan watches carefully, still not really believing she beat him. It wasn't because she was a girl, it was because his ego didn't want to accept it.

Bringing the can to her lips and flipping the tab, she downs it as fast as she can. Blake will definitely regret this later, or in the morning, but she's living off of adrenaline right now.

4.5 seconds.

"No fuckin' way," he mutters, watching her smirk and toss the empty can toward the pile they're gathering for recycling. She's not surprised--senior year of high school was an odd time for her, where she got some practice in. "Damn. Alright, chérie, you're good."

"You do know my names Blake, right? We have a few classes together," she snorts, handing the knife to Chad, who Trent immediately takes it from considering the former is too drunk to be trusted with it. Him, and Ryan, and the other frat bro's who were watching, disperse when their attention spans give up. Ethan nods, a few drunk people bumping into him from behind. "Alright. Just wanted to check since you keep calling me chérie."

"I think it's fitting."

Blake laughs, feeling her phone buzz in her pocket. She picks it up to see texts from her friends checking in, let's them know she's okay, and looks back up at Ethan with something he can't read in her eyes. "Sorry about your record. Guess you'll just have to practice."

With that, Blake skips away, light on her feet and still emulating the energetic vibe of the party.

Ethan watches her leave, a curious glint in his own eyes. She's prancing around like she's the damn president of Kappa Sigma, without a care in the world or even paying much attention to him at all. He, too, likes the idea of a challenge.

Let's face it: Ethan is attractive. He knows it. He gets what he wants easily, and often that's hot girls falling into his bed at parties, or just their attention he's vying for. But Blake didn't even really flirt back when he tried.

He stays out back for a little while, demolishing a couple of frat brothers in a game of beer pong. His mind leaves her for the most part while he hangs out with them, drinks, and flirts mindlessly with sorority girls lingering around. It's when he's talking to Grayson later that he sees Blake again. She's laughing with some of her friends, making themselves drinks at the 'tiki-bar' set up.

"What do you know about Blake?" He asks, nodding toward her in the crowd. She looks less sober now. Not shitfaced, not completely out of it, but definitely tipsy. There's something odd about seeing her this way he can't quite put his finger on.

"She's fun. She's only got a couple close friends I think--Lara and Ava--and I see her hangout with Ryan sometimes. She gets along with everyone though," he shrugs, watching her climb atop the outdoor bar with her friend Ava. He chuckles as they start to dance on it with some other girls. "Don't actually know too much about her though. I guess she's private, kinda mysterious because of that? Why?"

"She's... interesting," Ethan shrugs, "and hot as hell."

"Gonna hookup with her tonight?"

"Absolutely. Wish me luck," he laughs, grabbing two cans of beer from the cooler and waltzing over to the bar. "Chérie!"