Chapter 52: Chapter 52

"Finished ! ", Ethan finally says looking up at me whilst smiling.

For the last two and a half hours he was drawing my eyes. Can you believe, he took TWO AND A HALF  hours to finish the stupid drawing of my eyes !

Anyway I'm glad he at least finished now. Cause he was redrawing and redrawing. He was using the eraser more than the pencil. And after drawing for almost half an hour, he crumpled the paper and threw it away, making me baffled. Then he again started drawing. Then tore away the paper within the next five minutes.

I instantly stood up from the chair saying, I'm going. But he grabbed my hands and promised me he will draw properly the next time. When I said I don't believe him, he gave me a drawing sheet and his pencils to draw his nose and lips for the next week's assignment, so that I can finish it by the time he finishes with my eyes.

I at last sat down taking the sheet and pencils. Cause that way it won't become a waste of time even if he doesn't draw my eyes. I can complete my next week's assignment too. And also I can distract myself from simply staring at him. I mean I still have to stare at his nose and lips. But that is for a purpose.

I finished with the outline of his nose and lips within less than ten minutes and started colouring it with his poster colour which he had placed on the desk to colour my eyes. I finished the drawing within the next half an hour. Ethan had only started colouring my eyes then. I got another sheet of paper from him and started with the outline of his whole face for my third week's assignment.

And now, I have almost finished with the drawing of his face. I just need to do the last touch up.

In the last two and a half hours, Ethan didn't try anything on me. He didn't touch me like he promised. But I noticed he paused drawing ever too often and sat staring at me for long. Of course I told him a few times to stop staring at me and concentrate on drawing.

But then I was too tired telling him. And I found my heart has stopped beating like crazy and is functioning almost normally now. He has stared at me for so long that I don't feel nervous anymore. Or maybe it's because I'm starting to totally trust him. I believe he won't take advantage over my Physically weak self or do anything to me without my consent. I'm quite comfortable with him now.

But still my heart races when he suddenly compliments me. He told a lot of times that my eyes are beautiful and I'm beautiful. Every time he says that, I feel tingles in my tummy. I don't know whether that's normal. Do we feel tingles when someone compliment us ?

Maybe it's because I'm getting compliments for the first time. No body actually compliments me or tells me I'm beautiful. Or maybe it's because he looks like my Alex. Maybe both the reasons. I don't want to think further deep and come at the weird conclusion that I actually like Ethan a bit romantically and maybe we can date.

" What ! No way that's h..happening ! "

Oh ! Did I say that out loud ??

" What ? You don't believe I finished ? I really finished.", Ethan says and turns the sheet of paper towards me. Instantly my mouth drop open.

" Is it good ? ", He asks a bit nervously.

" It's...Ethan...it's too g..good.", I say. His lips bunch into wide smile after a second.

" Really ?", he asks with shining eyes.

I couldn't get any words to reply him. Cause I was overwhelmed seeing the drawing. I didn't expect him to draw my eyes this beautifully. He has drawn the pupils so carefully. Perfect light blue irises with dark blue flakes and sapphire rings surrounding it, glowing in the light. The dark long eyelashes are traced perfectly and the curve of the eyes is magnificent. It looks original. It's so perfect.

I'm not self praising my eyes. I honestly don't think my eyes are this beautiful. But I didn't expect he would bring out such a brilliant drawing and make me awestruck in place.

Ethan looks at me expectantly, wanting me to say a bit more about his drawing. " It's really Amazz..Ahh..it's really g..good. Marvelous ! I can't g..get words.", I say.

His smile widens even more and the tip of his ears starts turning red. " Thanks..", he says blushing. Woah..! He can blush.

" You did g..great. I didn't expect you to d..draw my eyes this b..beautifully. It's perfect ! ", I say wanting to make him smile even more. And he laughs a bit shaking his head in joy. It's then the realization hit me that I'm gonna break this boy's heart at last. He genuinely likes me a lot.

" It's not as beautiful as your eyes. ", he says. " And you drew my eyes more beautifully."

I doesn't reply. I only partially hear him. I was thinking what I should do about this situation. I shouldn't have agreed to the whole two week thing. I should have sternly told him that I don't like him.

" Hey ! What are you thinking ?", he asks loudly, snapping me out of my thoughts.

" Oh..ahmm..no your d..drawing itself is better than mine. ", I say.

He laughs. " No way. And you drew in less than one hour. I took two and a half hours. And wait ! Did you already finish my face ?", he asks.

" Uhmm..I'll f..finish it in ten minutes. Can you s..sit there for ten more minutes, so that I can finish it ?", I ask.

" Sure..", he smiles. " I can sit staring at you whole night."

I again feel those tingles. But I doesn't say anything and start with the finishing work of Ethan's face. And no use in saying anything. He won't stop. He is really shameless. See how he is shamelessly  flirting with me even after I told him I don't like him.

I look up at him and he is smiling at me, widely. The tingles increase in my tummy. It's like wild butterflies flapping their wings inside my stomach. Is this really that thing ? To feel butterflies in your stomach is like this ? Or is it like something else ? Ahh..am I talking sense or nonsense? I don't even know.  So uhmm.., Ethan gives me butterflies ??

" Hey ! What are you thinking so deeply ? And why are you blushing so much? ", He asks.

Am I blushing !?

" S..stop ! I'm not b..blushing. Ethan, can you  j..just put your l..lips normally ? I didn't draw a s..smiling you.", I scoff.

" Sorry. I couldn't stop smiling seeing you all red. So I actually have some effect on you.", he says.

" Shut up ! ", I grit my teeth, glaring at him. And he instantly stops smiling realizing I'm clearly angry. Yes I'm so mad and frustrated right now. I don't know why he is affecting me like this. Maybe I was really blushing.

Anyway I go back to drawing and quickly finish it in less than ten minutes. " Finished drawing your s..stupid face..", I say and turn the sheet of paper around, so that he can see the drawing.

" Woah ! ", he says making his mouth a surprised 'o' and his eyes bulging out. I look away and don't look at him again. He then starts with a trail of beautiful words, endlessly praising my drawing and drawing skills and I just virtually close my ears for sometime, not wanting to feel those tingles again and blush.

" Finished ?", I ask once he stops speaking. He looks at me confused. " Thanks if you f..finished.", I say whilst picking the other drawing of his nose and lips from the table and standing up from the chair. I don't even look what his reaction is. I just walk towards the door.

" Wait ! Are you going ? Not finished yet. You said stupid face. So do you think your brother's face looked stupid ?", he asks. I'm taken aback at that.

I turn around. " My brother didn't look s..stupid. Cause he n..never smiled like an idiot at anyone. And he didn't f..force anyone to like him back like the s..stupid you ! "

" I'm not forcing you to like me back.", he says.

" Then what are you doing ? What will h..happen when I again reject you after t..two weeks?  Won't you feel more s..sad, Ethan ? Won't you regret w..wasting your time and efforts on me ?"

He is silent for sometime. Then he speaks. "You are so innocent Michael. Like your name, you are a precious angel.", he says. " And you can mindlessly reject me. You don't need to worry about that or stress yourself thinking about that. I'm gonna be alright. I don't want you to accept me, if you actually don't want to. You can tell me honestly, what you think after two weeks. And I'm not gonna regret anything. I'll cherish every moment spend with you."

I bite down on my bottom lip, already feeling like crying. He is just lying. I know he is gonna be heart broken.

I quickly turn around not wanting him to catch my pained looks. I'll better go to my room and cry now, instead of making a scene here.

I grab the door knob and twist it, opening the door. Instantly, my mouth falls open.

Complete darkness and silence !

There is not a single light in the corridor. And no one's outside. And there is no light in the opposite A block too. So it's past 10 PM. They turn out the lights in the corridors after 10.

Am I gonna walk back to my dorm in this darkness and silence ? Is there any guarantee I reach my dorm ? Or will some ghost catch me on the way and leave me on the steps after drinking my blood ? Or worse, what if security or warden catch me ?

" What happened ? Aren't you going ?", Ethan asks from behind me. I turn around, closing the door and looks at the black clock on the walls. It shows 10 : 05 PM. Shit ! I should have left just five minutes ago.

Wait ! Why isn't Gavin back yet ? Is he sleeping in my dorm today ?

" Uhmm..what happened ? Afraid to go back alone in the dark ?", Ethan asks.

" Ahmm...C..can you walk me back to my d..dorm ?", I ask.

" Oh ! I'm afraid. I'm really scared of darkness, Nate.", he says. He is clearly mocking my fear of darkness. I know he isn't afraid of dark. Guys like him who are in the football team aren't supposed to be afraid of dark.

" I know y..you are lying. You are taking a..advantage of me n..now ! ", I whimper.

" Hey ! Are you gonna cry ? Don't start that now. Just sleep here today. You know, If we walk to your dorm now, security will surely catch us. And if he catch us, we both will surely get a suspension. Do you want that ?", he asks.

" S..security won't c..catch us.", I say.

" Nate, see, we will have to use mobile flash to walk and security will 99 % catch us. Suspension is 100 % sure after that. ", he says further frightening me. " It isn't safe. That is why Gavin hasn't arrived. They both got so immersed in their video editing that they lost track of time. Gavin is sleeping in your dorm today. He texted me."

" Wh..what if warden comes for checking and f..finds me here ?", I ask.

" He won't come after this late. And he won't come for checking at morning. No need to worry.", Ethan says. " I'll walk you back early morning before I go for football practice. Is that okay ?", he asks.

" Uhm...okay.", I nod after a moment. There is no other way.

" Then C'mon. Let's sleep now. I need to wake up early.", he says.