when in rome | ethan

two

"come on guys! we don't got all day!" isabelle was always the one in our group of friends that was always up to do anything. so you could imagine how excited she was for this trip.

"how does she have this much energy at four in the morning?" aria asks, groaning in her own comfy hoodie.

i sigh, "well this just means she'll be out during the flight."

"heh, that's a relief." mia adds.

once our class goes through the security and bag checks, we're waiting for some time before our flight departures. my friends and i decided to grab some coffee and maybe a bite to eat because this nine hour flight was something we were all not looking forward to.

"dunken donuts?" mia suggest.

"eh why not," we search for a Dunkin' Donuts in the airport, following signs and eventually finding one.

"why don't you just go order for all of us since you have the most energy, isabelle," i say. she gives me a weird look,

"fine, but pay me back." mia, aria and i sit at a table in silence since we're all too tired to talk to one another.

meanwhile, isabelle takes way too long ordering our four iced coffees and maybe four donuts depending on how much isabelle is willing to spend.

i hear laughter from behind me, and me being curious, I turn around to see isabelle talking to alex, one of ethans friends.

"since when are isabelle and alex so friendly to one another?" i ask, turning back around to aria and mia. they look at the two giggling, just as confused as i am.

while we're looking i see ethan and his friends behind the two, sitting at a table also.

i groan, "out of all the coffee spots at this airport, they come to the one we're going to."

"exactly." i sigh. looking back, isabelle comes walking back, a huge grin on her face and all of the guys staring at us.

"here's four iced coffees for four wonderful ladies." Isabelle sets down the cups and sits back down.

"what was that about?" asks Mia asks.

"what do you mean?" Isabelle had this look on her face as if she wasn't guilty of anything but you know she was.

i chuckle, "you guys have been talking?"

she shrugs, "i mean i guess. i don't know where we stand. as far as i know, we're just really close friends who flirt occasionally."

"hm," aria says, "last time i checked, friends don't flirt occasionally."

"okay aria i get it, but it's confusing me and I'll bet it's confusing him too."

we finished our coffee when mrs. bruno calls us over to board the plane.

once we boarded the plane, where I'm seating next to aria, she's already fast asleep. I figured that this flight would be really long and I wasn't really feeling the tiredness.

I pulled out one of my favorite books and was about to begin reading when I received a text from Isabelle saying Ethan was talking about me and asking if she can beat his ass.

I tell her to just ignore it and she has way to much energy in her right now.

I'm not quite sure why Ethan acts like he hates me so much. I didn't change for anybody and he acts like I'm the one at fault when it's him.

I guess it's only cause I'm the one who ended things, but I wouldn't have done any of that if he hadn't changed for the worse.

I saw this guy in him trying to be someone else. He looked scared to show who he really was in front of these people who expected something different.

I knew deep down Ethan will always have this soft and sensitive spot. I just couldn't wait for it to come out any longer, so I left him.

Maybe it's selfish, maybe it isn't. I couldn't take watching him pretend to be this different person just to impress his friends.

The time we spent together was special and he chose to forget it all for some guys. I was hurt, but it was what he wanted, and I let him have it for the sake of myself.

I needed to be independent, I didn't want to be some object being shown off to his friends. I wanted to matter. How could I matter if I stayed?

The flight finally took off for what felt like forever. I was really excited for Rome because I had all my friends and all these opportunities.

Because Ethan and I broke up only a month ago, all I could think about was us since Isabelle brought him up. I didn't want thinking of him to become a distraction from the trip but I loved this dude so much, and fuck I miss him.

All of my friends hate him for how he acted, but I don't know how to feel. I try to see his point of view as much as possible because I really hate holding grudges and this grudge wants to end so badly.

I just want things to go back to the way they were.

——————
END OF CHAPTER TWO

hey guys it's been a real real real long time. it's partially because of homework (sophomore year is kicking my ass) but also because of laziness and ALSO cause of the lack of motivation. I barely open this app anymore but I still love writing, I just never find myself doing it so I apologize for that.