In Fate's Hands

“Bathroom, huh, Riley.” Ian said, smiling, handing me my notebook and pencil.

I blushed. “You knew where I was going.”

The rest of my classes before lunch flew by. At lunch, Ian and Nick said that they had to go talk to some teacher about one of their assignments, leaving Ethan and I to ourselves at lunch. We sat and talked the whole time, and I was barely able to finish my lunch. Before we left, Ethan started tickling me because I wouldn’t agree with him that I should get a lip piercing. He thinks it would look sexy and it would suit me well, but I highly disagree. Piercings on me are a no, but they work amazingly on him.
We walked out of the lunch room, my eyes still watering, my sides sore from laughing so hard.

“Hey, you can go ahead and not be late for class, but I need to have a smoke before next hour. I’ll kill someone if I don’t.” Ethan said as we stopped at his locker so he could grab his stuff.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and say that he didn’t need it, that he wanted it so bad it felt like a necessity, but I passed and sighed. “Alright, I don’t doubt you. I’ll see you in next hour then.” I pressed my lips against his before leaving him to go to class.

On the way there, I caught up to Ian and Nick. They looked preoccupied, nervous.

“Hey, why do you guys look so worried?” I asked as they followed me to my class.

They looked around, and right as they were going to say something, the twins walked past, giving us glares and sneers, like usual, stopping to talk to someone a couple feet away from us.

“Do you want to hang out tonight?” Ian asked, kind of rushed and sounding forced.

I looked between him and Nick, confused. Why tonight? “Not necessarily, it’s your anniversary night, I’m not intruding on that.”

“It’d only be for like, two hours.” Nick said, really sounding like he didn’t want to do this. I was going to ask why they were acting so weird, but when their attention kept shooting from me to the twins to me again, I knew something was up, and they weren’t going to tell me with Keegan and Kaedyn right there.

I acted like I suspected nothing and rejected them again. “Two hours too long. Sorry guys, but tonight is just you two.”

They looked slightly relieved when I turned down their offer for the second time. I really wanted to know what’s going on.

“Alright, fair enough. You and Ethan doing something after school?” Ian asked, starting to sound more like himself.

“I was thinking about it, yeah, but I didn’t have time to ask him yet.” I answered, glancing at the clock, seeing that they only had two minutes to get to class. “You guys should probably get to class.”

They smiled and nodded, waving me goodbye, heading to their class hand in hand. I saw some jock guy shove Ian a little as they were talking. Nick almost went after him, but Ian didn’t let him. Thank god.
The rest of the day, all I could worry about is what Keegan and Kaedyn had up their sleeves. I had a feeling that Ethan was going to be involved in a bad way, and I wasn’t going to allow that. He doesn’t deserve the shit he gets from them and Chase about getting into a relationship.

I finally calmed down for the most part when school was over and Ethan came over while Nick went over to Ian’s. God knows what they’re going to do on their anniversary.

I didn’t bring up anything about Nick and Ian to Ethan, because I didn’t want to start anything. This whole thing could be blown out of proportion and over exaggerated in my mind because I care too much. I kept it to myself and focused on Ethan.

“So when are you telling your parents about me or being gay or any of that?” Ethan asked, holding my hand, playing with my hair with his other as I laid on top of him on my couch.

“Tonight, when you’re still here.” I smiled, telling them for more reasons than he knew.

“Awesome.” He said, smiling back, kissing me.

I looked down at the slight rip in my jeans and started picking at it, feeling nervous for what I was about to do. It was only really the second day we’ve been dating, and I feel like it’s way too soon, but the feelings are there, and I need to tell Ethan, whether he wants to hear it or not. I felt like he was trustworthy and loyal enough for me to say this to and actually mean it. I’ve had my heart broken many times before, and I’ve learned not to fall for hoaxes so easily.

This isn’t a hoax, this is real. I feel it. Everything about it feels right.

“Hey Ethan.” I said quietly.

“Hmm? I heard him say behind me.

I sat up, wanting to see his face when I tell him. He got a confused expression on his face.

“I’ve been wanting to tell you something.” I said, my nervousness coming out in my tone.

He looked down, shyly. “Actually, I’ve been meaning to tell you something as well.”

I smiled, thinking that we were on the same track. “Oh really?”

He nodded, still smiling, looking really cute. “At the count of three, say what we want to say, sound good?”

I felt my cheeks get red as I was thinking about what I was about to do, how big of a step this is. “Sounds good.”

Ethan waited a few seconds, then sighed. “Alright, one, two, three-”

“I love you.”

We both flew into each other’s arms, both beaming.

I squeezed Ethan tightly, never wanting to let go. “Do you really mean that?”

I felt him nod into my shoulder. “Absolutely. I would never bullshit about that.”

My smile got bigger, if that was possible.

“Do you?” He asked.

“I couldn’t love anyone more right now.” I said.

We pulled away from our hug just enough so our lips could connect.

“That’s so sick.” I heard both the twins say behind us.

I pulled away from Ethan’s lips and gave them my meanest glare. “Then don’t watch. You’re only saying that because you don’t know what it’s like.”

Keegan scoffed, not saying anything else, having a movie in hand, starting to leave the room with Kaedyn, who had the slightest bit of a smile on his face when he looked at us.

“Hey.” I yelled to them.

They turned around and looked at me.

“Whatever it is that you two are planning with Ian and Nick needs to stop. They don’t deserve to be dragged into a problem that isn’t theirs. Just leave them alone.”

“What did they tell you?” Kaedyn asked.

“Nothing, but their facial expressions were pretty clear that something’s up. What are you trying to pull?” Ethan asked.

They just smirked and started walking away again. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

With that, they left the room and went into their room, slamming the door shut.

“Stupid fuckers.” Ethan said under his breath.
“You know about this, too?” I asked Ethan.

“Yeah.” He said, messing around with one of his lip rings, sitting forward on the couch.

“Why would they want me away from you?” I asked, more to myself than to him.

“Keegan obviously wants me again and can’t get around the concept that I’m not doing it.” He explained.

“Keegan normally doesn’t take no for an answer. He gets what he wants.” I said, rolling my eyes. “My proposition, besides tonight, of course, is that the four of us try not to separate too much willingly.”

“Well that’s easier done than said.” Ethan said, wrapping his arm around my waist, pulling me down on top of him, smiling.

I laughed and pressed my lips against his passionately. I brushed my fingertips lightly along his collar bone, and he let out a small moan as his fingers started creeping up under my shirt, going slowly up my torso, bringing my shirt off of me.

We sat up and I worked on getting Ethan’s shirt off as well. His bare chest was pressed against mine, and Ethan’s hands found my belt.

I pulled away from Ethan’s lustrous lips, giving him puppy eyes and a sideways smile.

Ethan planted a small kiss on my lips. “Too early?”

I nodded, blushing, putting my face into his chest. “Sorry.”

He brought my face up to look at him. He smiled sweetly. “Don’t be.”

I smiled and kissed him before looking at the clock.

“Hey, we should probably get dressed. My parents are going to be walking through that door within five minutes.” I said.

We looked at each other and laughed. I got off of him and grabbed my shirt off the ground, throwing it on while Ethan did the same. It would be awkward if my parents came into the house and saw Ethan and I practically going at it on the couch, and awkward is an extreme understatement. Tonight is one of the nights that I wished my parents were working later shifts. Though I didn’t want to go all the way with Ethan yet, that could’ve lasted so much longer.