ETHAN'S POV
my eyes travel around the hallways as i walk over to the locker room, already a little late for practice.
quickly i change into my lacrosse clothes, rushing out of the door and onto the field. the coach his eyes land on me which causes the rest of my team to turn around too.
"sorry for being late, my locker wasn't having it today." my hand runs through my hair, pushing it out of my face. that wasn't true, i was on the phone with grayson who is no longer suspended but still decided not to go to school. i get that stuff has been tough for him lately but it hasn't been easy for me either yet I'm still taking responsibility for the things i have to do.
i receive a nod and an annoyed look. "be on time next practice." is all he says before he continues to tell us that we have to run three rounds around the field, which we all quickly follow up on.
"sup dolan." i hear from behind me before he catches up with me, jaden appearing into my sight. i nod my head at him as a greeting. "so you have been hanging out with rylan, any intentions behind that?" his voice is stern and direct. both of them are known for being best friend and there are hundreds of rumours going around about them being more than that. whatever the case is between them, he is very protective over her that is for sure.
"she's a great girl and fun to be around, but no intentions like that man." i said truthfully. i felt a connection between us ever since she came over to my house for the project. i wasn't great in being just friends with a girl but i think that could really be the case between rylan and i which was a really good feeling.
i get no reply and the rest of the practice i get some glares send my way. him and i were friends, not close or anything but we could get along well. however i know he would put her over anything and i don't take it personal. i don't remember knowing jaden without rylan by his side because he has never been without her.
quickly i change in the locker room, not wanting to be late and have rylan waiting at my house or bump into grayson again. i tried asking him what the weird act was all about but he never gave an answer to that question. wouldn't be surprised if he just has a small crush, can't deny that she's insanely hot.
the drive home was short and my eyes land on the unfamiliar car, which must be hers. i hope she hasn't been waiting for too long.
RYLANS POV.
only around 15 minutes after school ended i already pulled up to ethan his house, wondering if he was home himself yet. if he wasn't grayson may be.
i hop out and walk over to the door, ringing the bell and waiting patiently. just like last time the door opens slowly, revealing grayson. only now he doesn't seem as shocked.
"he isn't home yet, come in." his hair is a bit messy and his voice raspy, which was an extremely attractive look on him. honestly i doubt if he can ever look bad, he seems like one of those people who looks good at all times.
i send him a smile as i walk into the house, my eyes traveling over the pictures hanging on the wall. a picture of two little boys, which were obviously them, together with who I'm guessing is their dad. another picture that seems rather recently with a girl in the middle of them who looks a lot like them.
a soft cough behind me snaps me out of my thoughts, my head turning to face him. "want anything to drink?" he breaks our eye contact as he walks into the living room, a place i hadn't been before. they had a nice house.
"just a glass of water please." i take a seat at the table, my hand running through my hair.
he sits down next to me, placing the glass in front of me. "thanks." i take a sip and look at him. now that i see him from close up i see a small cut on his jaw which seems to be slowly healing. everytime i notice something new about this boy my curiosity grows. he was so mysterious to me, a mystery i wanted to know more about.
"so rylan, you're here to work on the spanish project?" his head is slightly tilted, speaking as if he doesnt actually believe that.
"you're not suggesting I'm here for another reason are you?" i place my hand on my chest, dropping my jaw slightly.
he laughs and shrugs. "well am i wrong?" he asks more seriously now.
"you are, and why do you care?" a small smirk forms on my face, clearly catching him off guard with this question.
his mouth opens but before any words can come out the front door opens. "is she here yet?" the deep voice asks out of the hallway.
"yes she is here!" i reply, getting up and walking over to him. i quickly look back and send grayson a smile before walking upstairs with ethan to his room.
my feet carry me over to the bed, sitting down on it and leaning against the soft pillows.
"your best friend is really protective over you huh?" he sits down next to me, raising my eyebrow at his question.
"jaden, today at practice he asked me what my intentions were with you blah blah." he shakes his head, clearly seeing some annoyance in his face.
"he really thinks its his job to protect me." i giggle slightly, secretly admiring the fact that he cares about me so much. "i can see it annoys you."
"well yes it does, not that he protects you but the fact that everyone pictures me as a guy with bad intentions behind everything." he shrugs as if it doesn't get to him much, but i can see that it does. "i have to admit i don't have the best reputation when it comes to girls but i don't mean to do any harm, plus i think you and i could actually become good friends, nothing behind it." he admits.
the first impression you get when you look at him is that he is the tough guy who doesn't let anything get to him, a guy that doesn't really do feelings you know. i have to admit that that was what i thought at first too. but when you get closer to him you can see that that definitely isn't the person he is and i appreciated that he showed the real ethan dolan to me, even though i barely know him.
my hand places on his arm, his head to shoot up at the sudden contact. "id say prove them wrong. show people who you really are."
he sends me a smile. "thank you." i nod at him and we get to work.
after around an hour were finally done and laying on his bed, talking about random things. "hold up you're saying you have never even hold a lacrosse stick before?" he shakes his head in disappointment.
"no i haven't!" i laugh and push his shoulder playfully.
"imma learn you how to play." he sits up and looks at me. "deal." i say as i stick out my hand which he shakes.
"im gonna go to the toilet ill be right back." i stand up and walk out of his room. "at the end of the hallway!" he says to which i reply that he already told me that last time.
i walk to the bathroom past a door with the letter G on it. downstairs i can hear music and his deep voice singing along with the song. slowly i take another step towards the bathroom however curiosity manages to get the best of me, again.
my hand slowly grabs onto the doorknob, turning it and stepping into his room. the darkness surrounds me. he doesn't seem to like colour, black curtains, grey walls and all black furniture. after a few seconds guilt flows into my body, knowing i shouldn't be here. just as I'm about to walk out i see something black with a golden butterfly pin sticking out of a drawer thats standing besides his desk. quickly i make my way over and grab onto it, not believing that it could be what i thought it was. however I'm proven wrong when i pull it out, my eyes landing on the purse that was stolen from me only a few days ago.
i hear footsteps coming up from behind me yet i can't get myself to turn around. "what are you doing in my room?" he sounds angry but i couldn't care less about the fact that I sneaked into his room. finally i turn around and his eyes immediately snap down to the purse in my hand, fear and shock seen in his expression.
it all makes sense now. how shocked he was when he saw me for the first time, how distant and awkward he had been acting around me. he stole my purse and he knew it was me from the second he saw me.
"so this is why you looked at me like that huh? you're not just acting weird you're a fucking thief!" i don't realise how loud I'm talking until ethan his head appears in the doorway. "whats going on?"
"how about you ask him, I'm out of here." my shoulder pushes against grayson when i walk past him, storming off of the stairs.
"what the fuck is going on?" i can hear ethan ask his brother before i walk out of the house and get into my car, driving off as fast as i can.