- 14.
After the practice exam.
Ethan cornered me in the equipment room.
“Average score.”
I saw.
<
“But you still have to wait till after the SATs.”
“No dating before then.”
The SATS were just around the corner.
He nodded reluctantly.
The next couple of weeks were a blur of
studying.
Ethan didn’t bother me directly.
But every morning, there was a carton of milk.
on my desk.
And every evening, I felt his presence behind
me as I walked home, a silent guardian.
The day the countdown on the chalkboard
was erased.
SAT day had finally arrived.
When I got home, I checked my answers one
last time.
Feeling pretty good about it, I promptly.
crashed and slept for three days straight.
Except for meals and showers, I was out cold.
Mom and Dad, busy launching their new
く
business, left me to it, just leaving a stack of
cash for food.
When I finally went downstairs to the grocery
store.
Ethan was waiting.
He looked up as I approached, his eyes
burning into mine.
“What are you doing here?”
He stepped closer, the sunlight catching his
hair, making him look almost angelic. Almost.
“Came to take my girlfriend on a date.”
“It’s not ‘before the SATs‘ anymore.”
I blinked.
“What are you talking about?”
He grinned, his fingers finding the spot
behind my ear with uncanny accuracy.
Even through my hair, he touched my hearing
aid.
“I know about your hearing aid.”
“You weren’t planning on backing out on me,
<
His jaw clenched, like he’d bite me if I dared
to agree.
I mumbled, “No.”
He straightened, clearing his throat.
“Good.”
“Let’s go. Date time.”
His smile was cocky and bright.
