bad boy•ethan morales✓

Thirty-One

Despite Paxton telling me he was a teacher again, I didn't see him at all the next few days in school. Graduation was nearing, and I was both excited and nervous. This would be the last summer before I went off to college in New Jersey. I would be so far from both my family and friends. And Ethan.

I hadn't talked to Ethan about college. I wasn't even sure if he was going to college. 

I was desperately praying that Devi got in to Princeton somehow. Not just because it was her dream, but also because I wanted to be able to spend time with her. We could room together, and I wouldn't be lonely. If she didn't go, I would have absolutely have no one.

I decided that today was the day I would talk to Ethan about our plans after graduation.

Hopefully, I stood at his doorstep, and with a gentle knock, he answered.

"Sweetheart, what a surprise. Come in."

I entered Ethan's house, taking in the familar surroundings. We headed up to his room once again. But this time for more serious matters.

"I need to talk to you. About college."

Ethan's face and posture suddenly became stiff.

"What are we going to do? I'm going to Princeton... where are you going?"

Ethan looked dissapointed. His expression alone told me that he didn't really have any important plans for his future.

"y/n, you know what my grades are like. I've done nothing but get in trouble the whole school year. I didn't get accepted into anything," Ethan confessed.

I wondered how this whole system worked. I loved Ethan, but he didn't really have any standouts that would get him into a good college. But Devi had some of the best grades out of anyone I knew, and she did so much for the school; yet she didn't get accepted into anything either.

"I didn't mean to-"

Ethan's hand lightly stroked my flushed face. "You didn't offend me."

I sighed in relief. I didn't want to make Ethan feel stupid at all. That's not what I came here to do. I came here to make sure our relationship would last forever, even throughout college with the long distance issue.

"But what are we going to do? We're going to be across the country from each other." I held back my tears as best as I could. It was just hitting me that going to Princeton meant being so far away from the people I love.

"Have a long distance relationship, duh."

He seemed so unbothered and careless. I wish I could be like that. But in my thinking, long-distance relationships always end up being broken off after a few months. Because if you can't see the person you love, the feelings fade.

"But what if we don't last? What if we never get to see each other?"

"y/n, sweetheart, we'll make it work. We have to. I'll go crazy without you."

Ethan planted a kiss on my lips and embraced me. I felt my worries slowly fading. The way that he made me feel was undescribeable. We would be alright. And we had this whole summer to spend together.