The Forever of Ella and Micha - By Jessica Sorensen Page 0,76

text message.

Blake: Whatcha doin?

I hesitate then text back.

Me: Trying to break into my house.

Blake: Sounds fun.

Me: Not really.

Blake: I’m just kidding. So what else are you doing? Anything fun? I was thinking of bailing out on my dad a few days early and going back to the campus. When are you going back? Maybe we cold meet up and get some coffee or something.

“Who is it?” Lila peers over my shoulder at the screen and her nose scrunches. “Oh my God, is he seriously texting you?”

I sigh, locking the screen so it shuts off. “I told him he could.”

Lila tsks me with a wave of her finger. “El, I’m warning you now to back off this supposed friendship with that guy. You’re only going to end up in a mess.”

“It is just a friendship.” I move away from the window and toward the car. “And besides, you encouraged it once so you could get a ride from him.”

“And I regret it.” She follows after me, slipping on the ice a few times. “I saw him talking to you at the gas station and there was nothing but lust in his eyes… and now he doesn’t even have a girlfriend so there’s nothing stopping him.”

“You know, I’m regretting telling you that,” I say. “And it doesn’t matter anyway. Even if he did like me I would never do anything with him.”

She grabs my arm and forces me to look at her. “Walk away from this right now. Blake is hot and you two have that whole art thing going on. You may not think anything could happen, but sometimes stuff just does. Trust me.”

“Are you speaking from experience?” I ask as my phone beeps with another text message.

Blake: I didn’t scare u off, did I… look, I know you have a boyfriend, so I’m not proposing a date. Just going to get coffee as two fellow artists who love coffee.

“I’ve had plenty of experiences with this crap,” Lila continues, letting go of my arm. “I’ve had many guys accidently get caught up in the moment and slip up. And I know plenty of girls who have done it too. And you’re so lucky, Ella. You really are. Please, for the sake of all women, just get away from Blake and focus on the beautiful relationship you have in front of you.”

“After what happened yesterday, you still think it’s beautiful?” I ask doubtfully.

“You two fighting makes it more beautiful.” She sighs and her breath fogs out. “I also know that right now you’re mad and the last thing you want to be doing is texting some guy who has a crush on you. You might do something stupid.”

“I’m not mad at Micha. Just upset with… stuff.”

“Same difference.”

Sighing, I text Blake back.

Me: I’m going to be here until the end of winter break. Maybe I’ll c u when I get back.

He doesn’t respond and Lila and I get into the car with the heater blasting at our faces. I don’t really care whether Blake texts me back or not. He was a nice friend, but that was it. My thoughts revolve around a much bigger issue: when I face Micha and tell him it’s over.

Micha

Something wet hits me in the face and I jump up with my fist raised in front of me.

“Settle the fuck down.” Ethan stands over me with a cup in his hand. “It’s just water.”

I wipe my face with the sleeve of my shirt. “What the fuck are you doing?”

He sets the cup down on top of my dresser. “Well, you’ve been asleep for about fourteen hours and so I thought I’d make sure you were still alive.”

Clutching my throbbing head, I check the time on the clock mounted on my wall beside the window. It’s early morning and snow flutters outside.

“What happened?” I swing my legs over the side of the bed, preparing to get up, but a bitter taste in my throat forces me to lie back down.

“Well, you drank practically all the alcohol in the house,” Ethan says, crossing his arms. “And then you ruined your relationship with almost everyone you know, besides me, but that’s because I don’t give a shit.”

I rake my hand through my hair and roll to my side. “What about Ella?”

“That one is probably the worst.” He messes with an alarm clock on my nightstand, rotating the nob on the back.

I turn back around. “Why? What’d I say?”

He makes air quotes and says, “ ‘I’m sick of your fucking mind games