Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Back to School

When Amelia arrived at school on Thursday morning, she told herself she wasn't looking for Ethan.

Not at all.

The fact that her eyes automatically drifted toward the back of the classroom the moment she walked in meant absolutely nothing.

Unfortunately, the empty seat was no longer empty.

Ethan Hayes was back.

He was sitting lazily in his chair, talking with his friends as if he had never been sick. The moment he noticed Amelia entering the classroom, a familiar grin appeared on his face.

Amelia immediately regretted feeling relieved.

There it was.

The annoying smile.

The irritating confidence.

The Ethan Hayes she knew.

For a brief second, she wondered whether the thoughtful person she had been texting over the past two days had only existed inside her phone.

Ethan raised a hand.

"Morning, partner."

Several students nearby looked between them in surprise.

Amelia nearly stopped walking.

Partner?

Since when did he call her that in public?

Ignoring him completely, she headed toward her seat.

A few seconds later, someone dropped into the chair beside her.

She didn't need to look up.

"What do you want?"

"I'm hurt."

"You're always hurt."

"You didn't even ask how I was feeling."

Amelia finally glanced at him.

"You seem alive."

"Such kindness."

Despite herself, she noticed that he still looked slightly tired. There were faint shadows beneath his eyes, and his voice wasn't as energetic as usual.

For some reason, that made her feel guilty.

A little.

Only a little.

"You should've stayed home another day."

The words left her mouth before she could stop them.

For a moment, Ethan simply stared at her.

Then a slow smile appeared.

"Oh."

Amelia instantly realized her mistake.

"Oh, what?"

"You care."

"I don't."

"You absolutely do."

"I don't."

"You told me to rest."

"Because I don't want my project partner dying."

Ethan placed a hand dramatically over his chest.

"Wow. You were worried."

Amelia grabbed her notebook.

She seriously considered throwing it at him.

Luckily for Ethan, the teacher entered before she could make a decision.

The morning passed surprisingly quickly. During class, Amelia found herself working with Ethan several times on their project. To her annoyance, he was actually helpful.

Whenever they discussed ideas, he listened carefully.

Whenever she pointed out problems, he adjusted his plans without arguing.

And whenever she became too focused on tiny details, he somehow managed to simplify everything.

By lunchtime, Amelia was forced to admit something she didn't want to admit.

They worked well together.

Very well.

The realization made her uncomfortable.

Because if Ethan was responsible, intelligent, and easy to work with, then her list of reasons for disliking him was becoming dangerously short.

After school, they stayed behind to continue preparing their presentation.

The library was quieter than usual. Most students had already gone home, leaving only a few scattered among the bookshelves.

Amelia sat across from Ethan, reviewing notes while he worked on slides for the presentation.

For nearly thirty minutes, neither of them spoke much.

The silence wasn't awkward.

It was simply peaceful.

At one point, Amelia looked up from her notebook and noticed Ethan concentrating on his laptop.

Without his usual grin, he seemed different.

Calmer.

More mature.

A strand of dark hair had fallen over his forehead as he focused on adjusting the presentation.

For some reason, Amelia found herself staring for a second too long.

Then Ethan suddenly looked up.

Their eyes met.

Caught.

Immediately, Amelia lowered her gaze.

Heat rushed to her face.

Thankfully, Ethan didn't say anything.

Or so she thought.

A few moments later, his voice broke the silence.

"You know, that's the longest you've ever looked at me without wanting to punch me."

Amelia nearly dropped her pen.

"Ethan."

"Just saying."

"Please focus."

"I am focused."

"No, you're not."

His laughter filled the quiet library.

The sound made several students glance toward them.

Amelia shook her head and returned to her work, pretending not to notice the smile lingering on her lips.

As evening approached, they finally finished for the day.

Both of them packed their things and left the library together.

The sky outside had turned orange as the sun slowly disappeared behind the buildings. A cool breeze moved through the nearly empty campus.

For a while, they walked in silence.

It felt surprisingly natural.

Then Ethan suddenly spoke.

"Can I ask you something?"

Amelia looked at him.

"What?"

"Why did you hate me so much?"

The question caught her completely off guard.

She opened her mouth, then closed it again.

The answer seemed obvious.

Didn't it?

Because he annoyed her.

Because he teased her.

Because he never took anything seriously.

Yet standing there now, none of those reasons sounded as convincing as they once had.

Ethan waited patiently.

Finally, Amelia sighed.

"You were always bothering me."

A laugh escaped him.

"That's it?"

"What do you mean, that's it?"

"I thought I did something terrible."

"You are terrible."

"See? That's exactly what I'm talking about."

Amelia couldn't help smiling.

Just a little.

Ethan noticed immediately.

His eyes widened dramatically.

"Wait."

"What?"

"You smiled."

"I did not."

"You did."

"I didn't."

"You smiled at me."

Amelia turned around and started walking faster.

Behind her, Ethan's laughter echoed through the quiet campus.

For the first time in years, however, hearing that laughter didn't make her want to walk away.

Instead, a small warmth settled somewhere inside her chest.

And though Amelia refused to admit it, the boy she had spent years calling annoying was slowly becoming someone she didn't mind being around.

Maybe even someone she wanted to know better.

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