Page 1 of Unfolding Ethan

Part One

“Kiara? I just took a fart on the heart.”

One

Eiffel Needs to Cool Off

Ethan

It was all happening so fast that my only focus was the Skittles in the fishbowl, tempting me to steal the whole bowl away and cry while binge eating them.

“Well, he started pushing me and saying all the words. What was I supposed to do?”

“Not punch my dick.”

“You deserved it.”

“You are such a bitch.”

“Suck my cunt, you asshole.”

Knowing Liam, he would have accepted her crude remark and fantasized about it.

I closed my eyes. This wasnothappening on the first day of senior year.But it is. My two best friends—no, my best friend and myex-best friend were fighting like teenagers who just learned to use cuss words.

“Ms. Sharma and Mr. James, please refrain from using swear words in my office,” our principal, Mrs. Inez Cooper, said, giving both of them a stern look.

They shut up, glaring at each other while I slouched in the seat, rubbing my forehead. This all started after our morning swim practice when I had showered and got a text message from my girlfriend—whoopsie, now ex-girlfriend—to meet her on the fourth floor of our high school.

To be called on the fourth floor’s abandoned chemistry lab was every guy’s wet dream.

It was well-known for getting a quickie, hooking up, smoking, and even smuggling drugs. And I was excited because my girlfriend of three months was finally asking me to meet her there. We started dating when she asked me out on my swim meet while she was wearing her cheerleading outfit. I remember replying ‘Yeah, sure’ because I had seen her play with my six-month-old sister. Needless to say, whoever is in good terms with Eveline, is in good terms with me.

My silent footsteps filled the creepy hallway, the only sound of bugs crawling through gaps of the old door. I was thankful for the light coming from the window, sunlight streaming down on the dusty floor and dry leaves.

I shivered.Whatever happens, I amnotlosing my virginity in a creepy chemistry lab and getting herpes by touching something in here.

Determined, I quickly made my way to the lab, furrowing my brows when I heard grunts and gasps from inside.Maybe some couple is already occupied with the lab. Curiosity getting the best of me, I creaked open the door without touching the doorknob.

I stepped inside the grayish lab. The floor was grim and dirty, covered with dead insects, littering rats and cockroaches. Not to mention too many weird spots of white liquid that I was sure I could get AIDS from. The ceiling was worse. Covered in huge spiders and webs. I held back a shudder and the urge to gag at the smell of a dying corpse. I coughed loudly, waving my hand in front of me as every piece of furniture was covered with dust and whatnot other liquids.

But that wasn’t the most shocking part.

The most traumatizing part was that my girlfriend, Ariana, was sucking faces with my best friend, Liam, who was too busy groping her breasts to notice me.

“What the hell?” I muttered to myself, looking at their disheveled clothes and hair. Not to mention, Liam’s shirt was half-buttoned, his pants—oh, shit!He has a fucking boner.

Ariana’s blue eyes met my mismatched green and blue, her eyes widening with shock, and pushed Liam away as if she wasn’t leaning on him against the old desk. I remembered why I loved her eyes so much. They reminded me of water, and I wished to drown in them.But now?I wanted someone to pull me out and give me CPR.

She patted down her black hair and glared at Liam. “I specifically told you to meet me later. Look what you’ve done!”

Liam rolled his gray eyes at her and buttoned his shirt, nodding at me, “Hey, man!”

Hey, man?!

“What the . . .” I trailed off, not knowing what to say.

My lungs squeezed in and I couldn’t remember how respiration worked. Ironic how I could hold my breath for two minutes underwater. But looking at them, I didn’t want to breathe in their direction. Ever again.

---