THE DOORBELL RINGS, shaking me out of my thoughts. I didn't tell my mom or dad about what happened earlier today, so I know they're going to be pissed of at me. I open the blinds, heart thumping. A shiny Volvo sits there, taunting me. I know that Volvo. It must be Ethan. Crap. Maybe he's coming over with his mom to whine at mine.

I sprint down the stairs, telling Mom that I'll get the door and she should just stay and relax and watch her TV while I get it for her. Yeah, I know that's a super sus move right there, but it's what I gotta do.

I open the door and I'm not surprised to see Ethan there. "Um. Hi?" I say, but it comes out more like a question than a statement.

"Everlee, can we talk?" Ethan's green eyes stare deep into my boring brown ones.

I open my mouth, but I can't think of something to say, so I just nod.

I can tell that Ethan isn't someone who wastes time (unless it's school). "I think we can both agree that we said some pretty shitty stuff," he says simply.

I smile. "Yeah. And about the locker incident-I'm not friends with them. Um. I told them yesterday."

"It's all right. I didn't mean what I said, Everlee." He doesn't ask for me to apologize to him, he just walks out of my house calmly. Just as he reaches his car (His car not his mom's) he turns around and smiles at me.

…

ETHAN COMES TO my house, smiling. He's in his traditional all-black outfit and I'm wearing a white tank top with black jeans.

I'm pretty sure the last time I saw him smile at me or even at all was in elementary school.

"Hi," I say as I fling open the front door.

He smiles at me. "I heard Caleb and Briana broke up yesterday."

I laugh. "Never knew you liked drama, Ethan."

"I don't," he says, grinning ever so slightly. "Asher just texted me that like twenty minutes ago. I didn't ask for it."

My eyes widen. "Asher? He texted you."

"Yeah. Even invited me to a movie too."

"Oh." I guess this is when he tells me we can't be friends and that he found other people that are more interesting.

He punches my arm playfully. "I thought you would get the hint."

"What?"

"He told me to bring a friend." Then he kisses me on the lips, smiling still. It wasn't super long and gross, it was just an easy light one.

"What are we watching?"

"It's called Double Date."

I stare at him. "That's a joke."

Ethan laughs, and to me it's the most beautiful thing in the world. "It's not."

"While we wait for the movie, want to hang out in my room?"

He gives me a sly look. "In your room?"

"Yeah," I reply with the same expression. But I won't go into detail what happened that day.