I push the door open when I hear Ethan ask, "Wait, Red, can we talk?"
"I like you," I murmur quietly and quickly.
"What?" He asks, confused.
"That's all, bye!..." I say, bolting out of the cafe.
Before the door closes, I hear him shout, "Scarlett...
Do you have instructions? Maybe I'm stuck on what I see on tv I grew up on Disney But this don't feel like Disney
AJR, Turning Out
♡ ────── ♡ ────── ♡
Scarlett's POV
Last night I texted Ethan that I didn't need a ride to school and that we could talk after work. I'm not sure if I'll follow through, but I can at least avoid him at school. I'm not ready to face him yet.
Outfit:
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I take my time driving and then park in the school's parking lot. I have ten minutes before the first bell rings, so I chill in my car.
You can't avoid him forever. I mean, ignoring his texts is so stupid! Just fucking talk to him. I'm scared! Okay. Why are you so sure it's rejection? I care about him, but if he doesn't care about me the same way, I made things weird. Regardless of what he says, we can never return to how we were. What if you could be more?
I look at the time and sigh. I make sure to put in my earbuds and slowly head to class. I slip into my first class, and I'm thankful it's the one without Ethan.
*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*
Ethan's POV
It's finally lunch, and this time I know Red can't avoid me. I don't want to wait until after work. I just want to be with her and eliminate this weird tension. Even if she doesn't feel the same, I have to get this off my chest.
Hunter meets me at my locker and says, "Dude, we need to talk." Oh shit, what did you do now?
"About what?" I ask, confused.
We sit at a random lunch table, and I ask, "Where's Red and the rest of the girls?"
"What happened between Scarlett and you?" He asks.
"Nothing," I say defensively.
"Layla and Harper decided to have some girl time with Scarlett. Meaning they're not eating with us today. Did you do something?" He asks.
"Red kissed me," I say quietly. Best kiss of your life.
"Was it that bad?" He asks, raising an eyebrow.
"No!" I say seriously. "The complete opposite. We've been, or I've been at least, wanting to tell her about my feelings. But I kept chickening out. I didn't want to ruin our friendship, and she made the first move."
He smiles and says, "Congratulations! That means she has feelings for you, too, right?"
"I thought so. I don't know. She won't answer my texts. But she said we'll talk after work. I know she's been dodging me cause in class, she wouldn't look in my direction at all." I say.
"I've been friends with her since middle school, and even I don't get her sometimes. I know she can be sarcastic, but sometimes I feel like she's serious with her insults." Hunter says.
"Oh, I don't mind that. I actually enjoy her slightly offensive remarks. It means she's comfortable enough in my presence to be herself." I say.
"Harper did tell me if Scarlett makes fun of someone, it means she cares. Or she doesn't feel like hiding her hate for someone. It's 50/50 in my eyes." He says with a shrug.
"So, in my case?" I ask with a frown.
"I think she's interested in you. I think I once overheard her say you were cute when she was on FaceTime with Harper. But I wasn't really paying attention, and they could have been discussing a different topic." He says, thinking to himself.
"That's helpful, thanks," I say sarcastically.
"Well, whenever she sees you, I notice her face lights up. Or, in her case, she gets more energetic. Not too much of a change, but she's usually in a better mood." He says with a shrug.
"Once you guys sort it out, I'm sure everything will be resolved." He says, finishing his lunch.
"That's turning out to be a lot easier said than done. I've had enough rejection in high school as is." I say.
"I highly doubt you're getting rejected. Like 40%." He says. My eyes widen, and he raises his hands in surrender. "I don't know these things. Layla and Harper probably know more."
*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*
I park my car and see Red's already inside working. Now is your chance to talk to her! I walk inside the cafe, and she glances at me. I hold my breath and continue to walk toward the counter.
I exhale since I see she has her earbuds in. So? That's the universal sign of don't talk to me. In her case, it probably means, "Ethan, I hate you and never want to talk to you again."
A few customers come in, and we start to work on their orders. I hand Red one of the orders hoping she won't ignore it. She turns to me but doesn't look at my face. Taking the order from me, I see her expression is blank. This is going to be a long shift.
*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*
Grandma Linda sends Scarlett home since it's extra slow, and she shakily packs up her belongings. I hope I don't make her nervous.
"Red," I say softly.
She freezes and looks me in the eye. "Tomorrow?" I ask, giving her time to collect her thoughts.
She curtly nods and exits the cafe. I can wait. She's worth the wait.
