**

We were currently sitting in the cemetery with our backs leaning up against a granite headstone. The night sky was starless and blind, nevertheless, there was a full moon that cast its mellow light over the surroundings to help us see despite being hidden behind those fleecy clouds.

"I can't believe I'm doing this again." I chuckled and took a drag before passing the joint to him.

"Chilling out here after midnight?" Ethan asked then pressed the joint to his lips.

Ethan took a long drag and held it in as long as he could. Shortly afterward he blew the smoke out, letting the wind carry the smoke in beautiful swirls.

"Nope. It's just I made a promise to my sophomore self to quit smoking," I clarified.

I grabbed the joint from his fingers to have another hit. As I inhaled, the smoke filled my lungs and my mind began to swirl in thought. Despite my best efforts not to, I coughed a little making Ethan grin.

"I'm a bad influence on you, aren't I?" he asked with a laugh.

I handed the joint back to Ethan before resting my head on his shoulder, too relaxed to even open my eyes and move. Mm, comfy.

"You're much important to me than a silly vow. Keeping you company is the best form of emotional support I can offer," I told him seriously.

Ethan gave my cheek a gentle pinch. "Aw, I knew you have a soft spot for me. Team Ethan all the way!"

That got a chuckle out of me as I quickly swatted his hand away. "You're ridiculous."

We stayed like that for a moment, quietly passing the joint back and forth until it was burnt to the bottom.

"It's been a while since I felt this calm. It's serene here. I missed this," Ethan eventually broke the silence, blowing out one last smoke ring.

I hummed softly, agreeing.

The cemetery had been our hang-out spot since we were in eighth grade. It was peaceful and safe to be here yet it still baffled me how some people found graveyards scary when being amongst people who were a lot scarier alive.

"Didn't you just come here with Kaden and Kaleb the other day?" I asked, looking over at him briefly.

"It's not the same without my little Andy," Ethan replied with a childish whine.

This wasn't the first time he teased me with the name. Ethan is 6'5″ in height, the tallest among his group of friends, and all of them are 6 footers. Compared to their physiques, I look like a 5'6" microbe they could squash under their feet.

"You and your sweet mouth." I couldn't help but shove his shoulder with mine.

Ethan chuckled lightly. "It's sweeter than honey but you already know that."

My stomach tied in knots every time I thought about it. I couldn't block out the memory of his mouth on me; the shape of it, his lips texture, the warmth of his breath also the light nibble he'd made on mine.

"Speaking of which, I still haven't told Elle you're with me," I stammered nervously.

I saw his Adam's apple bob in his throat before he responded. "I don't have the capacity to care about her now."

"I feel bad."

"It's 2 am, she'd be asleep by now," he claimed.

"How could you be so damn sure?" I asked exasperatedly.

"Last time I checked, I'm her boyfriend, so maybe chill," he replied in an icy tone.

I stood up and started to pace back and forth in front of him making Ethan glance up at me in confusion and shake his head.

"I'm guessing someone's guilty conscience is eating them up," he muttered quietly.

Ethan picked up a stick in his grabbable distance and began drawing something in the dirt while humming a song. His callous attitude was becoming more and more obvious every minute, and it was driving me to the brink of insanity.

"Stop it." I snatched the stick from his hand and threw it away into the darkness.

"Oi," he exclaimed, eyes wide and glaring at me.

"I've had enough of this unemotional mode of you!" I chastised.

His brows pinched together in a deep frown. "Why are you being so pissy?"

"You treat my girl friend like crap that's why," I told him.

"Look at you, playing Mother Teresa," Ethan said sarcastically.

I glared at him, puzzled. "Excuse me?"

"You're mad at me for avoiding Elle yet you're the one that ignored her texts. You had the whole night to tell her where I was and you chose not to so, tell me again, am I the only bad guy here?" he asked, taunting.

"I did it for you. Considering how big the fight is, I thought you needed space to think," I reasoned.

"It's nothing serious," was all he mumbled.

I scoffed in disbelief. "This morning you were like 'I'm going to dump her', and now you're telling me this bullshit?"

I couldn't understand why I was so overwhelmed with anger all of a sudden. Could it be because of the weed?

"I hate to say it, but you're being a dick. If you're not happy with Elle anymore then sort it out or just leave her. If there's a problem, speak up. Silent treatment isn't going to solve - " I couldn't finish my scolding when he abruptly stood up and walked to me.

"I'm tired," Ethan started. "I'm so tired of trying to fit in and mold to someone else's expectations."

"What are you trying to say?" My tone became softer as I saw his face transitioning to a grim expression.

"You know, a healthy relationship should be a synergetic learning experience, not a toxic accountability trip," he said more.

"Is that what are you going through now?" I dared to ask, though I already got the hint.

"Elle doesn't actually like me. She only likes to romanticize the idea of having a relationship with a perfect guy and that's crazy 'cause I'm far from being one," he confessed, looking me in the eye.

I couldn't hide the shock in my voice when I speak next. "Ethan, tell me that's not true."

After a pause, he went on, "What really sucks is that she tries to change me into someone who is better suited for her rather than accepting my flaws. To her, I'm just a puppet to be controlled or a plus one for her to drag around to every party."

"I'm sorry for lashing out without letting you explain," I apologized, feeling guilty for some reason.

"None of this is your fault," he said with a smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Your talk helped me realize I should man up and say the things in my head more."

"Just so you know, this man in front of me is the perfect boyfriend material and Elle is blind for not seeing it. He's awesome, good-looking, a good son, a supportive friend, and a fantastic team captain which makes him deserve all the good things in the entire world," I said to him.

"I'm sorry this happened but trust me, Ethan, you're going to find someone that's going to appreciate you and love you," I added.

"I know I don't tell you often but thank you for being in my life," he told me, grinning.

My heart warmed hearing that. His now lifted expression brought a smile to my face. "So, what happens now?"

"From now on, I'm going to do what makes me happy, not what anyone else wants me to do," he said with a confident face.

"Well, that's good to hear, buddy," I cheered for him happily.

I held out a fist to bump at the same time he spun to sit back down on the headstone. Ethan unintendedly left me hanging, which gave me no choice but to fist bump myself.

"Andy, I have something to tell you." he pulled back my attention to him.

Ethan had a serious look on his face and he gestured me to sit beside him. Taking a deep breath in, I took the spot next to him and pulled my knees up to my chest to conceal my nervousness.

Ethan inhaled a quiet breath, his gaze dropping to the ground. I cluelessly waited for him to continue and after what felt like forever, he lifted his face and met my eyes.

"I think I have a thing for you," those soul-shattering words flew out of his mouth.

I gulped hard as I tried to convince myself what I heard now was true — was this a prank or was this some weird altered reality fueled by the weed? Apart from being dumbstruck, I felt happy as if I was swimming in the sweet smell of luck and delight. Ethan Cushing just shared his feelings for me which had answered all the confusion I was having about my feelings towards him before; I did like Ethan and it didn't seem one-sided.

"You're not saying anything," he said, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I shook my head, nervous from his comment. "No, it's just that, um, you're high and you're going through a lot right now. I think you're confused."

"No, I'm not confused," he responded, wetting his lips as he eyed mine.

"I like you too, Ethan," I whispered, hoping he would hear me. "I like you."

My eyes widened in complete shock when Ethan grabbed the front of my sweater and then pulled me to him. Before I could barrage him with questions, his lips were pressed to mine, prompting a sudden spurt of sheer joy to take over me. In my defense, his soft lips were too addictive, and I couldn't pull away.

I caved in and returned the kiss.