Love letter
I transferred schools, and Ethan had already
dated every pretty girl there. He joked with his
buddies, “I’d date a dog before I’d go out with
Sarah.”
Sarah? That’s me.
A month later, his best friend cornered me and
confessed his feelings. Seeing the hickey on my
neck, Ethan went ballistic. “Who the hell said
you could touch her?”
- 1.
“Um… could you pass this to Ethan?”
I took the pale pink love letter. It was the
eleventh one this month. Everyone knew I was
Ethan’s childhood friend, and everyone knew
he’d like anyone before me. So, they felt
comfortable asking me to deliver these notes.
Ethan’s childhood friend, and everyone knew
he’d like anyone before me. So, they felt
comfortable asking me to deliver these notes.
As usual, Ethan raised an eyebrow, trying to
remember who the girl was, then scoffed, “My
standards are a little higher than that.” He
tossed the letter back into my arms. “Someone
on your level? I can’t afford that kind of
downgrade.”
His friends roared with laughter. Ethan’s eyes
held a glint of mockery.
Why? Because the first love letter he tore up
was mine.
- 2.
Ethan and I grew up together. Our parents were
close, so they naturally assumed we were too.
At first, we were. Until… that incident.
It was a game of truth or dare. Ethan got dared
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9:18
to kiss me. We were young, naive, and fiercely competitive. He asked, “Do you mind?”
Before I could react, his lips were on mine.
Then he pulled back. “Meh. Overrated.”
From that moment on, I wasn’t the untouchable class president, the straight–A student. I was just another one of Ethan’s possessions.
- 3.
Ethan’s grades weren’t great. His parents hoped
I could tutor him. We agreed to meet at the library, but I stood at the bus stop for almost an hour. Finally, I saw his Instagram post: ten- game winning streak at the arcade.
I took a cab to the dingy arcade. The air was
thick with smoke. A girl was practically sitting
on Ethan’s lap. They were cheering him on. He
turned, our eyes met. He gave me a wicked
grin.
- 4.
“Sarah, are you freakin‘ insane?” Ethan yelled.
His parents had grounded him and taken away
his allowance after I told them about the
arcade.
“You shouldn’t go to places like that,” I said
firmly. Back then, hiding my feelings for him, I
stubbornly, self–righteously tried to be good to
him. It only fueled his growing dislike.
Ethan grabbed my chin. “Who the hell are you
to tell me what to do? You think one little kiss
makes you my girlfriend? What a joke!”
- 5.
Ethan was good–looking. That, combined with
his rebellious attitude, made him popular at
school. Girls flocked to him. He welcomed the
attention, carefree and uncommitted. He’d
casually shoot hoops, his skill drawing cheers
from the crowd. Then, without warning, he’d
slam the basketball at me.
Г
“Sorry.” He sounded nonchalant, watching me cradle my stinging arm. “You’re not going to
hold a grudge, are you? My little Sarah?”
Everyone knew then. He hated me.
- 6.
I slowly accepted it. I tucked away the love
letter I’d carefully written, filled with teenage
longing, and tried to ignore him. But we still had
to pretend to be close in front of our parents.
“Ethan’s grades are improving! Must be Sarah’s
influence. I cut up some fruit; have some, you
two.” Ethan’s mom beamed.
Ethan seemed to be in a good mood too. He
subtly shot me a warning look. His improved
grades weren’t my doing. He was dating the
head cheerleader, Jessica, also the class
valedictorian. They often had “study sessions”
after school. I wouldn’t have known, except I
walked in on them kissing in an empty
<
- 7.
I’d finally managed to remove Ethan from my
world. But we were in the same school,
unavoidable. I’d just won a city–wide academic
award and had to give a speech the next day. I
stayed after school to rehearse with my
teacher.
I passed the empty classroom. The sounds
inside were soft, intimate. I glanced inside
through the gap in the curtains and locked eyes
with Ethan. He had Jessica pinned against a
desk. In that fleeting moment, he caught me
watching. I knew then, I’d earned another mark
against me in his book.
- 8.
Jessica, Ethan’s girlfriend, was always second
in our class, right behind me. After she started
dating Ethan, her grades plummeted. The
teachers noticed. They called me in. “Has she
been acting differently lately? Hanging out with
a bad crowd?”
<
I shook my head. “I don’t know.”
But secrets have a way of getting out.
Somehow, the teachers talking to me became
public knowledge. Ethan and Jessica’s
relationship was exposed. His parents found.
out. His father, a man with a fiery temper,
dragged him home and gave him a beating.
My family was out that night. Ethan barged into
my room.
“I underestimated you.”
He shoved me. I lost my balance and hit the
desk. The drawer flew open, spilling its
contents. Ethan’s grip on my wrist tightened.
We both saw it. The pale pink love letter on the
floor. My name and Ethan’s. He knew my
handwriting instantly.
