Emma Pov.
Ethan stared at me with a hard expression, his jaw was clenched as he waited for my answer to his demanding question. He demanded who hit me. 'Jack Dail' would be the obvious & easy answer but with Ethan, if I told him who it was then Jack might not ever see the light of day again. Or, Ethan wouldn't care at all if I told him who it was since Jack is his friend.
"Emma. Who. Did. It." Ethan demanded again, breaking me out of my thoughts. My mind raced, trying to find an excuse of why not to tell him the truth. "Nobody, I-uh I tripped and fell against the lockers on my way to Social Studies." I responded, lying through my teeth & chuckling nervously. Ethan's eyes lowered at me. "Bullshit I'm not fucking retarded, who did it?!" He said, raising his voice & making a few passing students stare at us. I raised my eyebrows as Ethan only turned his head for a second to shoot glares at a few curious students, causing them to immediately avert their eyes & keep walking. "Eth. Calm down, okay?" I suggested, placing my hand on the side of his tense fade & turning his gaze back to me. Ethan shook his head & looked down with his jaw clenching & unclenching, as if he was having a debate in his mind. "Just tell me who it was." I heard him grit out & I bit my lip, staying silent. Jack would most definitely kill me if somebody confronted him about pushing me around.
"Emma." Ethan said sternly, pleading as he lifted his head back up to look at me. I was about to deny his request again but to my shock, his grip on my arms tightened slightly. I knew he was agitated that I wouldn't tell him who it was that hurt me, but I didn't know that he wanted to know so badly that he was practically squeezing it out of me. "Etha-" I started but his grip only got tighter. I made a small involuntary noise of pain & his eyes softened, but his hold didn't waver. I could tell that he didn't want to hurt me, but this was the only way he knew how to get something from somebody. Pain.
I felt Ethan's already strong grip get tighter & I tried to ignore the growing pain in my upper arms. Ethan let out a huff of frustration & was about to tighten his hold even more but I couldn't take it. "Jack okay?! It..it was Jack." I blurted out & he immediately loosened his hands by a lot at my response, eyes widening. "Dail?" He asked slowly, voice sounding dangerously low. I gulped, nodding hesitantly. He said nothing; just stiffened his posture, let go of me, turned around & began storming down the hall to I assume whatever class Jack had.
"Ethan no, stop." I said & jogged forwards, catching up with him. I got no response from him as he pushed past students, me trailing closely behind. I grabbed onto his shoulder. "Ethan no. You could get expelled and it's not even really that big of a deal okay?" I pleased & he just shook my hand off from his shoulder as he continued to walk. I groaned & latched onto his left arm that didn't have any injuries under his sleeves, trying to pull him back as he practically dragged me with him down the hallway. "Ethan!" I yelled, trying to get a response from him. I let go of his arm, standing up & walking quickly so that I was in front of him. I stopped so I was blocking his path & he halted to a stop, staring down at me. You could practically see the steam shooting out of his ears. Anger issues much?
Ethan went to step aside & walk around me but I moved with him, not letting him get anywhere. "Ethan, listen to me." I pleaded & he looked anywhere but at me, still trying to get around me. I lowered my eyes at him. Trying to talk him out of something was like trying to teach a fish to breathe air. Just like the two times he broke down, not listening to a word I said until I gave him a hug or showed him affection-oh. He only listened to affection because it was something he didn't get that often & closed himself off from....well, besides the sexual affection of all those times he hooked up with random girls. I shook my head, clearing my thoughts as I still moved in front of Ethan's attempts at escaping.
Without further thought or hesitation, I stepped forward & wrapped my arms around Ethan's muscular torso. I felt him tense up underneath my arms & I only hugged him tighter, trying to get some sort of...calm...reaction out of him. My stomach ached from the sudden interaction & I bit the inside of my cheek until the pain subsided slightly. "Ethan, stop. Calm down. I don't want you getting expelled or suspended from starting a fight with Jack when it's not even that big of a deal." I explained, my cheek moving against the thick fabric of his hoodie as I spoke. His chest was heaving with anger & I sighed, rubbing his lower back softly. "E, please." I said & I felt as he relaxed ever slightly under my touch. I still got no vocal response as we stood there though & it made me uncomfortable when people didn't talk.
I pulled away from Ethan after thinking it was safe & that he wouldn't go attack Jack. "Ethannnn. Say something, please?" I added, feeling like he was mad at me or something because of his silence. I stared up into his dark green pools that he had for eyes & found that he was only looking anywhere but at me. My shoulders slumped in defeat, knowing that I wouldn't get a response from him & that he probably hated me for preventing him from beating up Jack.
I swallowed air & clenched my jaw tightly, preventing the tears that were threatening to fall from my eyes. Why could I never do anything right? That's probably why Ethan, Jack, Nash, Logan, Jake & the rest of their friend group started to push me around in the first place. And then whenever I try to fix anything, I just make it worse. Why was I put in this position? And why the hell was I so emotional?! I guess all of this month's stressful events are finally catching up to me.
I nodding my head slowly, acknowledging that I knew he was mad at me & then walked away towards my third period. The last glance I saw of Ethan, was his eyebrows furrowing together as he glanced at me. I grabbed my notebook full of penciled-in information & trudged into Mr. Rowell's English class, taking my seat clumsily.
I tried my best to pay attention to what Mr. Rowell was saying & focus on taking notes instead of becoming an emotional sack of sadness & thinking about what just happened with Ethan. My taking of notes & thinking was suddenly interrupted by the led-tip of my mechanical pencil breaking & I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath to stay calm & clicking the top of the eraser to make more led appear before returning to writing shakily.
Ethan Pov.
Logan laughed loudly as he was pushed up against me by Nash after making a comment about the girl he had hooked up with the night before. I sat in silence as I ate the glossy red apple that sat in my bandaged hand, only watching as the guys who I called friends messed around. I glanced at Grayson who also sat in silence, eating a ham sandwich across from me. Odd. He seemed fine this morning when we ran into each other. I noticed how he kept gazing across the lunchroom at that gay fuck 'James' & whenever he made accidental eye contact with that faggot his eyebrows would furrow & then he would look away. Maybe that gay bitch was why Grayson was upset for some reason. I don't know why Grayson even associates himself with him.
I sighed, taking the last bite of my apple & tossing it into the huge trash can near our circular table. I looked down at my covered arms & tugged at the sleeves of my hoodie, making them cover more of my wrist area. I double layered my clothes today just in case anybody decided to mess with me or something not knowing. I didn't know how I felt about Emma being the one that found me in my weakest place. I didn't know any of my feelings, I'm not good at shit like that. I don't like to...feel. It just makes you weak. That's exactly why I don't know why I reacted the way I did when I found out Jack-fucking-Dail hit Emma. It made my skin boil when she stuttered out his name. He had no right in hell to touch her, but then again, neither did I & I was the one who started it all.
I'm just so confused on how I feel. Like earlier, nothing Emma said to me was clear or had me caring to stop until she...hugged me. Nobody ever hugs me. I'm Ethan Dolan for fucks sakes. The night that I broke down in the hallway with Emma, was the first time I had affection in years. All because of my dad, telling everybody I didn't need it or that I was "a guy who needed to learn to suck it up and deal with it, that nobody cares how you feel and nobody wants to see it". My father only ever said that to me though, never Grayson or my sister Cameron.
The bell rung signaling that lunch was over & I pushed myself up from where I was seated, heading out of the lunchroom & trudging down the hallway to my next class.
As I looked up to watch where I was walking, I noticed the gay faggot about to walk by me. I shrugged mentally, deciding to take the anger about my unknown feelings today out on him. "Hey Gaymes, Skittles was just on the phone with me and they wanted me to tell you that they want their rainbow back." I blurted out. A few people around us in the thin hallway laughed & whispered while James stopped for only a second to look at me with a blank expression, only to keep walking on his way. Weird. The faggot usually always has a snarky comeback or something to say. Instead, he also seemed in a down mood.
I let out a huff of frustration as I walked into Math class, how come everybody was in such a gloomy mood today. First Grayson, then Emma sort of & now James? Did something happen that I didn't know about?
I shook off the thought as I took my seat in the back of the classroom, figuring that I'll find out sooner or later if there is something going on.
Hopefully.
Emma Pov.
It was after school now & I was cursing at myself as I reluctantly drove to the Dolan's house. To get my dumbass glasses.
I had originally just gone home after school like normal & then I sat down on my bed to do my homework. About two minutes passed of me attempting to read the passage I was assigned for World History, before I gave up. I then searched my whole house for my missing glasses & was about to give up & just accept the bad grade, but then I remembered I had left them in Grayson's room on his desk a few days ago. I mentally slapped myself for not remembering to take them home & grumbled as I got into my car.
I sighed, remembering my previous actions as I turned into the Dolan's driveway & parked where I usually did. I grabbed my keys out of the ignition & stepped out of my warm car, into the cold air as I shut the car door behind me & trotted up the few steps on their porch.
I knocked a few timed & waited, shivering as another gust of wind blew by. The front door then opened, revealing a confused & tired looking Grayson. He was only in a pair of sweatpants & wrapped his arms around his bare torso, shivering when exposed to the cold outside air.
"Emma? Why are you here?" Grayson questioned as he stepped aside to let me inside. "Hey Gray," I said, greeting him, "I was just gonna do my homework and then I remembered I left my glasses here. Mind if I go get them? They're in your room." I explained & Grayson just shrugged, nodding at my request before going back into the living room & flopping into a comfortable sleeping position on the leather couch. I tilted my head at his actions. He never naps or sleeps on the couch. He seemed off.
I decided I would talk to Grayson after I got what I came here for as I headed up the stairs to his room.
I walked inside the dark room, flicking the light switch on & grabbing my glasses off of Grayson's cluttered desk. I stuffed them clumsily into the pocket of my hoodie & walked back out into the hallway.
As I passed Ethan's room, I paused my steps for a moment. Maybe I should say hi? Ask if he was still mad at me from earlier when I stopped him from doing what he wanted?
I shrugged mentally & didn't bother to knock on his already slightly opened door as I pushed it the whole way open & walked in.
Ethan was seated at his desk in the corner of his room, his back facing me. Once he heard the creak of the door though, he began to turn around slowly as he finished writing something. Homework I'm guessing. "Grayson, what do you want? I don't feel like being bothered right now." Ethan said, before he spun completely around in his chair. I gasped once I saw his face. Ethan's eyes widened & he scrambled, yanking the item off his face & throwing it behind him. "Emma?!" He choked out.
Ethan has glasses?!
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Author's Note: *sister shook* lmao. this bitch is on a roll, uploading 2 chapters in one day hehe. also guess what? my best friend whom i also have a huge crush on....just told me he's like 90% gay & likes this one dude. fuck. my heart is on the floor. ly all. :/