- 16.
L
After dinner, everyone, hyped up on freedom
and adulthood, decided to hit a karaoke bar.
Mr. Henderson, bless his heart, came along as
our chaperone.
After a few rounds of off–key singing,
someone suggested Truth or Dare.
The bottle spun, stopping on Ethan.
He chose Truth and picked a card.
The guy next to him read the question out
loud.
“Do you have a crush? Are they here?”
Ethan glanced at me.
I felt a sudden pang of nervousness.
I mimicked the other students, feigning
innocent curiosity and staring expectantly at
Ethan.
Inside, I was freaking out.
With Mr. Henderson there, it felt way too
awkward to have our relationship revealed so
publicly.
く
Seeing my discomfort, Ethan’s smile widened.
“Yes.”
Without missing a beat, he confirmed it.
Everyone gasped.
Even Mr. Henderson was shocked.
He stared at Ethan, his eyes wide.
“Who? Who gave you permission to have a
secret crush right under my nose, Ethan? You
know I can call your parents, right?”
Everyone started groaning.
“Mr. Henderson, we’re adults now.”
“And the SATs are over. Thank you very
much.”
“Seriously, if you can’t deal, just leave.”
Mr. Henderson, naturally, refused to go.
He kept staring at Ethan, waiting for an
answer.
Ethan looked at me, taking a sip of his drink.
“It’s not a secret crush.”
“It’s a very public display of affection.”
く
Me: …
I made a move to escape to the restroom.
Ethan’s voice stopped me.
“Babe, isn’t that right?”
I could feel every eye in the room on me.
My hand reached the doorknob. I was almost
free.
I hadn’t turned around, so technically, he
could be calling anyone “babe.”
I stubbornly opened the door.
The next second, a hand reached around me,
covering mine on the doorknob.
“Going to the bathroom?”
“I’ll join you.”
The room went silent.
Then exploded in cheers and whoops.
“Class Prez was playing it cool!”
“I knew there was something going on
between those two.”
“Sarah! How could you not tell me? I’m your
<
deskmate! I can’t believe I didn’t know!”
That last one was Maddie.
My ears burned.
I mentally cursed Ethan’s thick skin.
A chuckle vibrated against my ear, and Ethan
pulled my hand, opening the door wider and
stepping out into the hall with me.
He closed the door behind us, the sounds of
celebration muffled slightly.
- 17.
I dawdled in the restroom, splashing cold
water on my face to cool down the blush that
stubbornly refused to fade.
When I came out, Ethan was leaning against
the wall, the harsh fluorescent light
emphasizing his sharp features, even the dark
strands of hair that fell across his forehead
seemed to have a rebellious edge.
It was warm, and he was wearing a plain
white T–shirt that stretched across his broad
<
chest, hinting at the toned muscles
underneath.
A simple silver chain glinted at his throat. As I stepped out, he casually pulled a tissue
from his pocket and gently dried my still-
damp hands.
“Where is everyone?”
The karaoke room was suspiciously quiet.
Ethan looked down at my hands, his Adam’s
apple bobbing, his voice a low rumble.
“It’s getting late, I sent them home.”
“Let’s go. Time to head back.”
“I already took care of the bill.”
I nodded.
“Why did you send them home?”
He glanced at me.
“Wouldn’t want someone to be too
embarrassed, now would we?”
He straightened up, raising a challenging
eyebrow.
“Sarah Miller, am I that much of a secret?”
“I think I deserve a title, don’t you think?”
A flicker of mock hurt flashed in his eyes.
I knew it.
The real “hard to get” game had begun.
I tugged at his shirt.
He didn’t budge.
I glanced around, making sure the hallway
was empty.
Standing on my tiptoes, I quickly kissed his
cheek.
His lips curved into a smile.
He pushed his luck.
“I still need an official announcement.”
Resigned, I posted a picture of us together on
my Instagram.
My phone immediately started buzzing with
notifications.
Ethan looked smug.
<
“Let’s go. I’ll take you home.”
- 18.
Jake heard about Sarah getting into Harvard
from his mom.
He remembered seventeen–year–old Sarah,
studying late into the night, her weight
dwindling with the workload. He’d made her
promise to stop studying by 10 pm.
Sarah’s eyes would light up when she talked
about her dream of going to an Ivy League
school.
He’d casually said, “Sure, I’ll throw you a
party when you get in.”
He knew, even without him saying it, that
Sarah would excitedly tell him first if she got
accepted.
But now, he was hearing it from his mom.
It hit him then. Since Sarah transferred to
Northwood, she hadn’t contacted him once.
Not even when he’d asked if she was being
bullied.
If she’d just hinted that things were rough, he
would have brought her back in a heartbeat.
He was so used to Sarah always being there,
a constant presence in his life.
But then she’d blocked him.
She wasn’t dependent on him anymore. It
seemed… she didn’t need him.
Panic twisted in his gut.
