Neighbors (Ethan X Reader)

New Friends

 The next school day went by strangely fast for 6 hours of makeup work. Packing up in science, you noticed Aidan get up from her seat and quickly make her way over to you as you were exiting the class.

"You don't mind if I invite a few friends to hang out with us?" She asked you; you were cool with it.

"I don't mind." You replied. You walked Ethan to the bus, kissing him before he walked into the bus.

"You both are cute." She nudges her face on your shoulder as you watch him walk to his seat. You look back at her, raising an eyebrow.

"Thanks?" You question. You instantly brushed it off.

Walking down the sidewalk, Aidan point to an unusual park. The park had looked like it was just built not to long ago around beautiful trees with their leaves fading from dark green to bright yellow with tinted orange.

"It's pretty in the fall." You mumble to yourself, watching as the kids run up to the small park and play around in the dark colored mulch that surrounds the playground.

"It is. It was just built a few months ago actually, around the time you moved here- from what I'm told." Aidan breathed the chill fall air through her nose, exhaling through her mouth.

"It's relaxing when kids aren't screaming." You slightly laughed at her comment. You made your way to a swing about your size. Aidan rested her back on the pole next to you while you slowly pushed yourself backwards, thrusting your legs forwards for momentum.

"I forgot what it felt like to play at a park." You speak up over the echo of children, "I never could go to a playground because I was always too busy looking after my mom. She was on heavy drugs even back then, and taking care of her for most of my life was a heavy responsibility. I never had a childhood because I had to always watch my mother or my younger sister because she was born with diseases, and later had cancer. So I never got to enjoy small things kids do now like swinging on a swing or playing with dolls. My only relaxing time was when my father would come home and he would read me story books that he bought from a small bookstore across his workplace. He read to me every night, tucking me into bed and kissing my forehead; he reminded me what it felt like to have a caring parent, since I felt like I never truly had one." You up to the bright sky, watching the clouds clump together in the sky while you would swing higher.

"I'm sorry Y/n, that's heartbreaking." Forgetting Aidan was beside you, you implant a smile on your face.

"Don't be sorry. Nothing you could do to help, or anyone. I just learned to not make those bad experiences make up who I am. I'm better than my mother and I'll always know that." You stop the swing, letting your smile cover your eyes and face.

"What happened to her?" Aidan asked, "Well she passed a while after moving in." You reply, making Aidan frown.

"That's sad, you didn't deserve all that as a kid." You watched the leaves slowly fall from the tree branches; focusing on the small creatures like squirrels climb swiftly up and down the tree.

"Not really. To be honest, I don't think about it much anymore. When I first moved here, all I had was Ethan at the time since he lives next door. I dealt with a divorce of my parents, my mom passing, my sister going to the hospital for medical reasons, and my personal hell with school- but the best part is I have Ethan. All those bad things don't get me down because whenever they do, Ethan always reminds me to keep my head up. He keeps me sane most of the time, and I love him for that. He always tells me you'll never not matter and it sticks with me. He's done so much for me, that I wish that I could repay him back." You look over from the tree to Aidan with a big smile on her face and tears in her eyes.