I knocked on Ethan's room door and waited for him to open the door. My heart had already started beating fast. I don't even know how I'm gonna survive the next one or two hours.
The next moment the door opened and Ethan grabbed my wrist. But instead of pulling me inside, he stepped forward, hurriedly closed the door behind and then he was running dragging me along with him.
" H..Hey..what's happening?", I asked in shock and surprise as he ran dragging me with him through the corridor.
" Shh..just come with me.", he said.
" Leave me ! Where the hell are you d..dragging me ?", I asked squirming and pulling my hand backward.
" Oh C'mon..", he sighed, stopping. " We are going to watch the volleyball match. Come fast. Match might have already started."
" V..Volleyball match ? But you told me to come for d..drawing my eyes.", I said yanking my hands away from his grip.
" Yeah I just came to know evening that today there's a volleyball match. Don't worry, we will come back soon after the match and then draw your eyes."
" No ! Draw my eyes now or I'm g..going back.", I declared.
He chuckled. " Why ? Are you so eager to stare into my eyes ?".
" N..no ! I d..didn't even want to come. And Ethan, I'm not c..coming with you to watch any match. ", I said.
" Why ? ", he asked.
" I don't want to.", I said.
" It's gonna be fun. Have you watched volleyball match before ?", he asked.
" No..b..but I don't want to watch it with you.", I said sternly.
" It's just one hour Nate. We'll come back by 7.", he said. " Just think this as part of your challenge of proving me that you don't have any feelings for me."
" I've works. I need to g..go and do it after you finish with my s..stupid eyes.", I said.
He scrunched his eyebrows and suddenly glared at me. I felt so nervous at his glare. " What did you say ? Stupid eyes ??", he asked inching forward to me.
" E..Ethan ! Stop ! ", I said holding my hands in front of me in defence.
" Call those gorgeous baby blue eyes stupid again and I'll kiss your pretty mouth shut.", he glared looking at my lips. Tingles erupted in my tummy along with my heart thudding wild. I couldn't get a word to respond him with. Ethan then swiftly grabbed my hands and started running down the steps with me.
" Why are you blushing ?", Ethan asked me tilting his head as we reached down the stairs.
" I'm not b..blushing ! ", I scoffed.
" Are you sure ? Shall I get you a mirror ?", he asked raising an eyebrow whilst chuckling. " Look, the tip of your ear is so red ?", he said and reached his free hands to touch my ear. I quickly yanked away his hands.
He shook his head and chuckled again. " Okay let's better go to the court and watch the match instead of arguing. Do you even know where is the volleyball court ?"
" I- I know the basketball court.", I said.
" Not basketball court. Volleyball court.", He chuckled.
" I haven't seen it y..yet. There was no need for me to g..go there.", I said.
He laughed. " Grace said you didn't know our school had a pool. Let's go and swim there on Saturday. This week I'm not going home."
" What ! Wh..why aren't you g..going home ?", I asked.
" I go home every week. So this week I'm not going.", he shrugged.
" I'm not s..swimming with you in the pool ! N..no way ! ", I scoffed. He again started laughing.
" Why are you laughing ?", I asked furiously. He only laughed hard, shaking his head.
" Has anyone told you how cute you are ?", he asked.
" E..Ethan..s..stop ! Just that I agreed to p..prove I don't have any f..feelings for you doesn't mean you can tell s..such things to me.", I said.
" I just told the truth. And Nate, I need to try my best to make you fall for me since I have a huge crush on you.", He said.
" I'm not f..falling for you. I'm not gay ! S..so you better not waste your time on me.", I said.
" It isn't a wastage of time.", he said, this time his tone serious. He stopped and turned completely to me. " I can't leave you so fast. You are the first person to whom I'm feeling this strange crazy things. I won't leave you Michael.", he said staring deep into my eyes.
I felt goose bumps litter on my arms. And I was again feeling that weird thing in my stomach. Why am I feeling like this ? Am I imagining Alex telling me that he won't leave me ?
My lips trembled at the memory of my brother. He told me he will be always with me and he would protect me but he left me. Tears pooled in my eyes.
" Lier ! ", I scoffed at Ethan. I freed my hands from him. Don't know why, this time he himself loosened his grip.
" Hey...are you crying ?", he asked me in a whisper. The next moment he was hugging me and I didn't pull him away. I whimpered in his hold. " Hey..what happened? Am I hurting you ?", he asked me in concern.
It's then the realization hit me that he was hugging me, standing in the middle of the school. Although there was no one there, I quickly pulled away from him. " I- I just thought about A- Alex..s..sorry.", I told him, quickly wiping away my tears.
Ethan shifted his weight uncomfortably on his legs and brushed his hands through his hair as if in frustration. He then let out a sigh. " Okay, if you can only see me like your brother, it's okay. Just...just see me as a brother. I just want to be close with you and get to know you more. Just let me spend some time with you and let me be close to you. I like you so so much like crazy.", he again pulled on his hair.
I stared at him not knowing what to say. He sounded genuine but I couldn't believe his words. Why would he like me like crazy ?
" I won't try anything on you Mi..Nate. You can trust me. Can you just let me be close to you ? ", he asked. My heart was pounding hard. I would have been more than happy to say ' Yes ' if he didn't have such feelings for me.
But still I want to say ' Yes '. I trust him. Why can't I just let him be close to me ? If I don't have such feelings for him, then why should I fear ? He would eventually get tired and stop that attitude towards me.
But what if he loses control and do something to me ? He was about to kiss me in the theatre. But he stopped when I called his name. So I can stop him, right ?
" Ethan..o.okay. Let's be friends. Yeah..we..we are friends. But will you s..stop this and move on if I prove I- I don't have such feelings for you ?", I asked.
He nodded. " Yeah..can you give me two weeks time ?", he asked looking at me hopefully.
I thought about that, biting down on my lips. Two weeks ?? It's a bit too long. But uhm...it's okay. I'm definitely not going to fall for him, right ?
" Okay..", I nodded. " T..Two weeks. Promise me you would m..move on if I don't fall for you in two weeks."
" Promise ! " , he immediately said smiling widely. I felt sad. Am I going to beak his heart by agreeing to this ? Does he like me that much ?
I suddenly flinched as I heard a loud clapping and cheering from afar.
" Oh ! Our team might have entered the court. C'mon..fast ! ", he said and grabbed my hands. Again he was running and I was running along with him, staring at his side profile.
What did this boy found special about me ?