Chapter 71: Chapter 71

Sunday passed by quickly as we only woke up when the mess bell for lunch rang. After having lunch I sat and wrote the notes which I had pending from the days I was absent. There was lots and lots to write. After sitting and writing continuously for four hours, I was completely exhausted. I still had more notes and home works to finish.

Gavin suggested we go and play basketball for sometime and I agreed. We went to the court and played for an hour. After coming back, I again sat down to write.

Between Gavin didn't go to Grace's dorm today. While we were playing, I asked him whether there's any problem between him and Grace. He didn't say anything clearly. But I understood there occurred some kind of word fight between them at the Amusement park.

I didn't see Michael the whole day. At night I texted Grace asking whether Michael is alright or he is still upset because of yesterday's incident. Grace said he was moody and upset the whole day and didn't talk to her.

I asked her what is the problem between Gavin and her and she said they had a fight about rides at the Amusement park. Gavin wasn't listening to her and he was dragging her to the rides which Gabriel and her friends wanted to go. So she couldn't go to a lot of rides she wished to go and at last she got mad at him.

So, it isn't any big problem. It will be solved soon I guess.

Monday morning while I was walking to the canteen after football practice, girls were crowding around me on the corridors. A few of them were actually those girls whom I had hooked up with earlier. I got a bit tensed not knowing what is the reason. Some of them were like. ' Ethan, please ask me.'

I had no clue what was happening.

A few girls were also staring at me while I was in the canteen having breakfast. Again when I reached my first hour Geography, some girls were flashing their smiles at me. Some girls were smiling at other guys. And I noticed a lot of guys in the class staring at different girls one after another as if trying to make a decision about which girl to choose for a date.

I went to the back and sat down in my usual seat. My football teammate Jake was sitting on the desk in front of me, grinning at Caroline, who is in the cheerleading team. I tapped on his back and he turned around.

" Hey..what's happening today ? What is this frenzy all about ?", I asked.

" You don't know?", he asked. I shook my head clueless.

" Oh..you were absent last week. The thing is this Wednesday afternoon, our school is hosting a ball dance like it does every year. Last week, they had already announced that ball will be conducted soon. And today the date and venue is put on the notice board. It's happening at our three auditoriums, volleyball court and basketball court. And I already asked out Caroline. I can't wait to be there with her.", he replied smiling.

" Oh..I see.", I nodded to him. I had completely forgotten about the annual ball dance. Last year I went with Amelia. Oh ! Speaking about her, she said she will come back to school from this week. So maybe she is already here?

" So, whom are you going with ?", Jake asked me.

" I haven't decided yet. ", I said.

" Heard Amelia is back. Maybe she will approach you.", he said.

So she is back !

I felt uneasiness sitting in the class. Amelia might come in front of me at any time. I don't want to deal with her.

And to my greatest dismay, I met her after the first hour itself. She blocked me on the corridor and flashed her smile at me.

" What the hell do you want ?", I snarled at her.

" Just wanted to see you.", She said.

I left a sigh." Okay, enough seeing. Now move.", I said. But she didn't move an inch. I tried to walk away through her side but she grabbed my wrist. I instantly yanked my hands free.

" Why so much hatred towards me, Ethan ? Weren't we best friends ?", she asked making a hurt look.

"Best friends ?", I chuckled. " I never saw you even as a friend. I always wanted to somehow get rid of your gang. If I saw you as a friend, I wouldn't have betrayed you like that. So get it into your head, I don't like you. And I don't want to deal with you. Just do me the favour of leaving me alone.", I scoffed.

" I still like you although you betrayed me.", She said. I left a long frustrated sigh.

"Okay..I'll leave you alone Ethan. Just tell me this. Are you going to the ball day after tomorrow ?", she asked. I knew where she was going with this.

" I might or might not go. And if I'm going, it surely won't be with you.", I said.

She chuckled bitterly. "I've never missed the ball. But I'm not going this year. Cause I only want to go with you. And you sure won't ask me out.", She said.

" You know that, right ? Then why you came in front of me now ?", I asked.

" Ethan, I already said I just wanted to see you. You may go now.", She said and moved from the way. I briskly walked away from her and headed in direction of Calculus class.

I hoped to see Michael in his usual seat as I entered the classroom. But he wasn't there. I again went and sat in the back, ignoring stares from a few girls.

Michael walked into the class just before the bell rang. He kept his gaze on the floor as he walked to an empty seat in the second row and sat down. After that hour when the bell rang, he hurried out of the class before anyone.

During lunch he again kept his gaze fixed on his plate and never looked up. I understood he was embarrassed to face me after last day's incident. Especially because I asked him why I purposefully pushed Gabriel. He doesn't want to give me it's answer. That is why he is avoiding my eyes.

" Ethan, did you ask Gabriel out for the ball ?", Gavin asked me, munching on his sandwich.

" Not yet. I'll ask her evening.", I replied eying Nate. He bit on his lip but didn't look up." You guys are going for the ball together, right ?", I then asked eying Gavin and Grace.

" What ? We both ??", Grace laughed. " No way !"

Oh ? So their problem isn't solved yet ?

" Then whom are you guys going with ?", I asked.

" I'm not going. First of all I'm least interested.", Grace said and shrugged.

" I'm very much interested. I'm thinking to ask Caroline Anne.", Gavin said.

" You mean that studious girl with glasses ?", I asked.

" Yeah..", he nodded.

" Why don't you ask Tessa Brown, Gavin ?", Grace asked in a fake sweet tone. Wait ! Tessa Brown is Gabriel's friend, right ? Why did she ask Gavin to ask her ? Okay, what actually happened at the Amusement park? Did Gavin went flirting with that girl or something?

" Someone might have asked her already.", Gavin replied.

" Oh..or else you would have asked her ?", Grace asked.

" Yeah..", Gavin shrugged and went back to munching on his sandwich. Grace looked away and continued eating like she don't care. So their problem isn't something small. Will I have to interfere ?

" What about you Nate ? Did you ask Andrea to go with you ?", Gavin then asked.

" No..", he shook his head without looking up.

" Why ?", he asked.

" I'm not going to the b..ball.", he said.

" Why ?", Grace asked.

" Not interested. Like y..you.", he replied.

" Yeah.. let's both go for a movie on Wednesday then.", Grace said and stretched her hands for a high five. She had to shake Michael to get him to look up and see her palm. He quickly sealed it and looked back, down at his plates.

" But you were dancing with Andrea at the party. And you seemed good at dancing? Why aren't you interested in going to the ball ?", Gavin asked. " Is Andrea going with someone else ?"

" I don't know.", he replied. " I didn't actually s..see her after I came back from home. She was absent during last k..chemistry class."

" Oh..I see. What happened to her ? Between do you like her ?", Gavin asked.

" N..no..! ", Michael immediately stuttered out, looking up.

" C'mon..you like her.", I said taking the chance to stare into his eyes. "She is a nice girl. Why don't you ask her out, Nate ?" I saw pain in his eyes before he averted his gaze. And he again involuntarily bit down on his bottom lip.

On the day after my match, while I was at my home, Grace had called me and told me about a conversation that happened between Andrea and her friend Noah at the stadium during match. Also she said Andrea confessed to Nate that she has a crush on Noah. Actually that was what Nate and Andrea were talking at that time. I'm sure I would have scored a lot of goals instead of getting hit by the ball, If I heard their conversation.

So after that, things kind of turned awkward between Andrea and Michael and she started avoiding him to the maximum. Cause she was just using him to make her crush bestfriend jealous. It was Grace and Gavin who told me all these things. But anyway Noah is still dating Rose.

" I need to go to the l..library.", Michael said and stood up with his unfinished plate.

" But you didn't finish.."

"I'm full.", he cut down Grace and hastily walked away.

I met Gabriel while I was walking to my next class. She came and talked to me but didn't mention anything about the ball. But her face said she was expecting me to ask her. But I didn’t want to turn things more complicated. Like Gavin said, I didn’t want to give her hope and then break her heart. So I told her I have some works to do and quickly walked to my class.

" I and Gabriel are going to the ball as a couple. I decided I will officially ask her out tomorrow after the ball.", I said next day during lunch. Michael looked up almost shocked from his plate.

" Oh..woah ! That's a good news man ! ", Gavin squealed. " How are you going to confess to her ?"

" Wait and see tomorrow.", I grinned whilst watching Michael visibly tense.

" Ahh..", Gavin groaned. " I probably won't be there to witness it. "

" Why ? You aren't going ? You didn't ask Caroline to go with you ?", Grace instantly asked.

" Yeah. I asked. But she said she isn't interested in going.", he replied nonchalantly. Grace broke out laughing at that.

" What is there to laugh so much ?", Gavin snarled at her.

" She..she really said she don't want to go out with you ??", Grace said in between fits of laughter. " Oh..that's so sad. Why didn't you ask someone else, Gavy ? Got disappointed when a girl rejected you ?"

" No ! I'll ask someone today. I'll be there, Ethan.", he said averting his attention to me after rolling his eyes at Grace.

I had yesterday thoroughly questioned Gavin about the issue going on between he and Grace. He said he don't think things would work out between he and Grace and they are better off friends. And to my utter surprise he confessed to me that he has a little crush on Gabriel.

I didn't think things would turn complicated like this. I thought Gavin liked Grace. It's sure Grace likes him. I can understand that from her behaviour. But I can't understand this Gavin. He is being so tough.

" Anyway I and Nate won't be there. So all the best for your confession, Ethan. ", Grace said before averting her eyes back to Gavin. "And Gavin, good luck in finding a nice date for the ball."

" Thanks ! That means a lot.", he said sarcastically and went to sip on his juice.

After the lunch, I blocked Michael in the washroom as he was about to walk out after washing his hands. He looked up nervously at my eyes as I pinned him against the wall between my arms.

" Wh..what?", he asked.

" You didn't wish me luck.", I said.

" All the best.", he said in a hoarse voice.

" So, are you happy that I'm finally going to date a girl ?"

" Y..yeah..", he nodded.

I was getting really angry. " Okay then.", I clicked my tongue on my cheeks and took my hands away. He immediately started to walk away but I again harshly pinned him against the wall feeling exasperated. " Wait ! I need to tell you something.”, I stared into his eyes coldly. “ You ! You better stay away from me and Gabriel. If you try to hurt her again like last day, then Nate, you will see my real angry face. Understood?"

His face turned red and his lips trembled in fear. " Y..yes. I- I won't. ", he whimpered. He was really scared and upset. I withdrew my hands and turned around walking away in exasperation.