"So, how do you feel after coming back from the dead?" May blurted out abruptly. 

May and I were sat across from each other at a table in the canteen and were waiting for the rest of our cabin to make their way down to breakfast. As we were both early birds, we had decided to just leave the others in bed and come down early.

 "I didn't die, you idiot," I said as I rolled my eyes. She was so dramatic.

 "Well, you sure came close, it was lucky your boyfriend was there to save the day," May teased, as she took another bite from her apple. 

"He's not my boyfriend." I snapped. "Don't you remember I fucked up all chances of us being together when I went bat-shit crazy on him," I muttered as I stabbed my spoon aggressively into my cereal.

 May snorted. "Trust me, you haven't ruined anything. That boy is still crushing on you as hard as ever," she stated matter-of-factly.

"Who's crushing on you?" A voice said from behind me. I turned to my side and saw April pull out a chair beside me. 

"Duh, Ethan, obviously," Chloe said as she pulled out the other seat next to me.

 "Oh right," April said, her voice sounding oddly tight.

 "Don't listen to them April, they're just making fun of me," I mumbled dismissively.

 As I gave a glance around the room, I noticed Ethan and Lucas making their way over to our table, with their breakfast trays in hand. Ethan's eyes immediately locked on mine, and I instantly remembered his words from last night, 'I need you.' 

They were such simple words, but they had done some strange things to my heart. 

Feeling that I had been staring at him for a little too long, I broke eye contact.

 "Hey girlfriend," Lucas said chirpily, as he approached the table. He kissed the top of May's head and took a seat next to her. 

Ethan paused upon reaching the table and eyeing the chairs for a weirdly long length of time, before finally setting his tray down next to Chloe. However, he didn't sit down. I watched in confusion as he walked closer to me and stood behind my chair.

 I twisted around. "Why the hell are you standing behind me?"

 Ethan didn't say anything in response and just grabbed the back of my chair and started to pull it backward. 

The actual fuck? 

He continued to pull my chair across the floor and finally stopped once I was in the space beside his lunch tray.

With a sigh, he quickly grabbed my cereal and plonked it down before me. Finally, without a word, he pulled out his chair and sat down next to me. He started happily tucking into his food as though he hadn't just hauled my ass across the canteen for absolutely no reason.

 Everyone at our table stared at Ethan, looking equally as confused as I was.

"What?" he said looking up at everyone, with innocent confused eyes. 

"I think we're all confused why you decided to drag me across the canteen," I chuckled, as I arched an eyebrow up at him in amusement. 

"Oh right, I wanted to sit next to you," he shrugged, as he went back to eating his food. 

"Okay then..." I said slowly. 

"I just want you near me, okay," he snapped, with a slight edge to his tone. I recoiled back in surprise and his eyes softened. 

"Look, I just...I had a bad dream about what happened last night, and let's just say it had a different outcome. It would just me feel a lot better to have you near me, okay," he said softly.

 I gave him a warm smile and put my hand over his on the table and intertwined our fingers. The corners of his mouth lifted into a smile, and he seemed to visibly relax. 

Glancing up at the rest of the table, I saw May shoot me a knowing look from across the table. She had a look in her eyes which I just knew meant, doesn't like you my ass." I just rolled my eyes and went back to eating.

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"I can't believe we have to go on this stupid bloody hike, I'm already exhausted," I complained bitterly to Ethan as I kicked a pebble on the path in frustration. 

The teachers had split us up into groups, and I had luckily ended up in a group with Ethan. I kind of felt bad for him because he was now stuck listening to my incessant whining for the rest of the afternoon. We were only around ten minutes into the hike, and I was already complaining. 

Ethan looked at me in amusement. "Maybe if you hadn't eaten all three of those muffins this morning, you might not be feeling as sluggish," he said in his annoyingly condescending voice.

 I shot him a dirty look. "Are you trying to fat shame me now?" I scoffed. "Sorry, we weren't all blessed with the body of a greek god Ethan."

"Did you seriously just say you think I look like a greek god?" he said as the corners of his lips twisted up into an excited smile.

 I closed my eyes in embarrassment and internally kicked myself for my stupid slip up. 

He laughed. "Also, I never said the muffins made you fat. Trust me, I have absolutely no complaints about your body," he said flirtatiously as his eyes did a quick rake over my body.

 My jaw dropped, and I gave him a sharp slap on the shoulder. "You're honestly the most perverted person I've ever met," I spat as I shook my head at him.

 "Only for you," he winked. 

And of course, that's all he had to say for my heart to do a backflip. I broke eye contact with him immediately, paranoid that he would somehow be able to read my feelings through my eyes.

We walked in silence for a couple of minutes, my mind consumed with a hundred different thoughts and worries.

 I couldn't get rid of the nagging voice inside my head, who persisted in reminding me that Ethan would eventually start dating, and as a good friend, I would have to pretend I was okay with it.

 I was thinking so deeply that I didn't notice the elevated tree root on the ground. 

I let out a scream as I tripped on it and landing harshly on to the ground. I cried in pain as I landed on my already bruised side.

 Ethan immediately threw himself onto the ground beside me. "Mia, shit, are you alright?" he asked as worry clouded his features. 

"Yeah, I'm fine, I'm just a clumsy idiot," I laughed as I quickly climbed up to my feet. 

Ethan hastily got up after me and blocked my way. "No, we're stopping for a rest," he stated firmly. 

"But we'll lose the group," I explained, as I gestured ahead of us. 

"I don't give a shit if we lose the group. We're having a rest," he snapped with a finality in his tone. 

I crossed my arms. "And I'm just supposed to do everything you say, am I?" I said as I lifted an eyebrow in challenge.

 "Mia, can you just stop being difficult. I'm just trying to help you," he yelled.

 "Maybe you should help me a little less. You've been acting crazy protective ever since you pulled my out the fucking lake. I'm not a china doll Ethan, I'm not going to break," I yelled in frustration.

He let out a harsh chuckle and took a step towards me. "Mia, I had to drag your limp, unconscious body out of the lake last night. It was the most traumatizing shit I've ever done in my life. I thought you were dead!" he yelled as his voice cracked in pain.

I felt my anger diminish as I realized, I was being a little too harsh on him. He had been through a lot. 

"But it's over now, Ethan, you saved me. I'm fine. Why can't you just let it go like everyone else?" I stammered out in confusion. 

He swallowed. "Because...Because...." he stuttered as he struggled to find the right words. 

"Just spit it out, Ethan," I snapped in frustration.

 "BECAUSE.... I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU MIA, OKAY!" he yelled out at the top of his lungs.

I felt completely robbed of my ability to speak, and I just stared at him in stupefied shock. My heart was pounding so fast and so hard, it physically hurt. 

This has to be a fucking dream or something. He couldn't have just said that. There's no way.

"What did you just say?" I asked slowly, my eyes not leaving his once. 

A look of immense fear washed over his face, and he turned ghostly white as all the blood drained from his face.

"Shit, I can't believe I just said that," he cried as he ran a hand through his hair in a panic. 

He laughed. "You know what, fuck it!"

 His eyes locked back on mine. "I'm fed up with hiding my feelings for you, Mia. I meant exactly what I said, and I'm not the tiniest bit sorry. I love you, Mia, and I always will. That's just something you're just going to have to accept," he stated confidently. 

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