Chapter 2

Ethan’s birthday was two days away.

His present was already wrapped. I had bought it before prom and tucked a birthday card under the wrapping.

The next morning, I took it to his house. I wanted him to have it, even if I was no longer sure where our friendship stood.

His mother, Melissa, opened the door and smiled.

“Avery, come inside. The sun is too strong for you to be walking around alone.”

“I wore my sunglasses and took the shaded route.”

“You still shouldn’t stay outside too long.”

She glanced upstairs.

“Ethan has been gaming since breakfast. The state merit scholarship exam is only a few weeks away, and your school still gives you a day off.”

She set some fruit on the kitchen island.

“Go keep him company. Tell me what you want for dinner.”

After Melissa left, I knocked on Ethan’s bedroom door.

He was wearing a headset, his eyes fixed on the computer screen and a controller in his hands. When he noticed me, he waved me inside.

I sat on the couch behind him. The images changed too quickly, so I lowered my eyes before they could trigger another headache.

Voices drifted through his headset. Ethan answered easily and laughed several times. I had not heard him sound that relaxed around me in months.

When the match ended, he pulled one side of the headset away.

“The sunlight is brutal today. Why did you come over?”

I handed him the box I had brought.

“Happy early birthday, Ethan.”

“Thanks.”

He placed it beside his computer without opening it.

A girl’s voice came through his headset.

“Ethan, come back. We’ve been losing all morning.”

It was Chloe.

“If you join us, we might finally have a chance.”

“I’m coming.”

He replaced the headset, then glanced back at me.

“There are some new books on the shelf. Take whatever you want.”

He turned to the screen again.

I recognized a collection of short stories we had once argued about for an entire afternoon. We used to trade books and disagree over which endings worked. Today, he hadn’t even asked what I was reading.

The screen was starting to hurt my eyes.

At home, a half-finished story waited in my notebook. I had been stuck on the ending for weeks, but I wanted to try again.

I reached for my bag.

“I’m going home.”

He called my name as I picked up my bag.

“You’re still going to Westbridge, right?”

“I’m not—”

“Go left, Chloe. I’ll cover you.”

I turned toward the door. Ethan frowned and set his controller on the desk.

“You’re leaving because I interrupted you? Okay, I’ve stopped. What were you saying?”

“Nothing. Finish your game.”

He started to rise as I walked out.

“Ethan!” Chloe called through his headset. “We need you.”

He hesitated, then sat back down.

“I’ll call you later,” he said.

Ethan watched the doorway for another moment before returning to the screen. Avery had never minded waiting for him before. He would finish the match and make it up to her tomorrow.

My gaze fell on the unopened gift.

Inside was a limited-edition controller, midnight blue with silver buttons. Ethan had shown me a picture of it months ago. He already had a working controller, but he had kept going back to look at that one.

I remembered. It took two weeks of checking store listings before I found one still in stock.

Now it sat beside his computer, unopened.

As I put on my shoes downstairs, I heard his voice from the bedroom.

Someone must have asked about Westbridge.

“Westbridge? I don’t really want to go. The town is too quiet, and it’s nowhere near the ocean.”

Someone replied, and Ethan laughed.

“I’ll decide after the acceptance letters arrive.”

My hand tightened around the doorknob.

If he did not want Westbridge, why had he asked whether I was still going?

Did he want to know where I would be so he could choose somewhere else?

The front door opened.

Melissa entered carrying grocery bags.

“Avery, are you leaving already? Stay for dinner.”

I forced a smile.

“No, thank you. I should go home and study.”

She did not insist. Instead, she called upstairs.

“Ethan! Stop playing for one minute and come say goodbye to Avery.”

I stepped outside into the bright sunlight. Warmth spread across my skin, but something inside me felt hollow.

Our promise about Westbridge could end here.

Ethan no longer cared about it. I did not need to keep holding on alone.

The night before the state merit scholarship exam, he sent me a message.

I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning.

I stared at it before replying.

No need. My mom will take me.

The next morning, Mom dropped me at the entrance.

“Call me when you’re finished,” she said.

“I will.”

Inside, I checked the notice board for my assigned room. I had spent weeks working through practice papers, studying in shorter sessions when my head hurt.

I wanted the scholarship. It would give me more choice about where to study, and I had started looking at colleges with writing programs that interested me.

I checked that my identification and exam pass were in my pouch, memorized the room number, and turned around.

Someone slammed into me from behind.