Ella’s POV
The day of the exams came, but I was barely present. My head felt like it was full of static, my thoughts wandering every which way, except where they were supposed to be. It was like I was sitting in class, but a thousand miles away at the same time. The teachers would call out instructions, but all I heard was muffled sounds, like I was underwater. 
My friends tried to check on me in the morning. Sophie poked my cheek with her pencil, giving me a look like she was testing if I was still alive. "Ella, Earth to Ella. You with us?"
I nodded, giving her a weak smile, but I could tell they weren’t convinced. Honestly, neither was I. My mind kept drifting to Ethan, to the conversation we had, and to the words he said that still clung to me like a heavy fog. It was hard to shake off. 
The exam papers were passed out, and I stared at the questions, my brain refusing to cooperate. I was zoning out, not even seeing the words on the page. The room was quiet except for the sound of pencils scratching on paper, but I couldn’t focus. Every time I tried, my mind brought me back to Ethan, his voice, the way he left me standing there like nothing mattered.
I looked down at the next question and my stomach dropped. The name "Ethan" was in one of the word problems for the math exam.
Are you kidding me?
I blinked, staring at the paper in disbelief. Of all the names in the world, the question had to use 'his' name? It was like the universe was playing some cruel joke on me. Without even thinking, I muttered under my breath, "Of course, Ethan. Why not right? Bullshit."
The guy in front of me turned around and shot me a weird look. I could hear Sophie snickering from two seats over. I rolled my eyes, trying not to laugh myself. This was ridiculous. I couldn’t even escape him during exams?
“Ethan, you haunt me even in algebra,” I whispered, shaking my head.
Sophie leaned over, whispering, “That’s the universe trying to mess with you, girl.” She grinned, clearly trying to lighten the mood.
I gave her a playful shove, but the distraction worked for a second. At least I wasn’t stuck in my head for those few moments. I forced myself to focus again and get through the rest of the exam. But as the minutes dragged on, my mind wandered back to Ethan, Katherine, and everything in between.
---
The day had already been long and tiring, but nothing prepared me for what came next. I was still recovering from the Ethan-filled math exam, seriously, why his name of all names? And now, the universe decided to mess with me in the worst way possible.
We were walking out of school after the last exam, trying to shake off the stress. Sophie was rambling about how she'd probably flunked history, and Lily was giving her a look that said, 'You always say that, and you always pass'. I was barely paying attention, my mind still drifting to Ethan, to the way his words had cut deeper than I wanted to admit.
After the last bell rang, we all poured out of the school, and I felt a slight relief knowing the exams were over. But that feeling didn’t last long. As we walked through the courtyard, heading towards the front gates, my eyes caught something that made my heart stop.
Ethan. And Katherine. 
They were by one of the benches near the trees, and Ethan had his arms around her. My stomach twisted painfully as I watched them. He leaned in, and in a moment that felt like slow motion, he kissed her. Right there. In front of everyone.
It was like someone had ripped my chest open, and all the air got sucked out of me. My legs froze on the spot, my body refusing to move. All I could do was watch, feeling my heart shatter into pieces.
Sophie gasped beside me, her hand flying to her mouth. “Oh my God…” she whispered.
Lily quickly stepped in front of me, trying to block my view, her eyes wide with concern. “Ella, don’t look. Just... don’t.”
But it was too late. The image was burned into my brain. Ethan kissing Katherine. The guy who claimed he needed space, who told me he didn’t know what he wanted, was standing there acting like none of it mattered.
I felt tears welling up in my eyes, but I blinked them back, refusing to cry right there. Not in front of everyone. Not in front of 'him'.
Khian was next to me, his expression darkening. I could see the anger building in him, his fists clenching by his sides. He started to move forward, but Lily grabbed his arm, pulling him back. “Khian, don’t. Please. Not here.”
His jaw was tight, his eyes burning with fury. “He’s not getting away with this,” Khian muttered, his voice low and dangerous.
Lily stepped in front of him, keeping her hand firmly on his arm. “This isn’t the place. Let it go, Khian. For Ella.”
I stood there, my body numb. The pain was unbearable, like someone had stabbed me right through the heart. And yet, I couldn’t look away. My brother was seething, but I didn’t have the strength to stop him if he decided to go after Ethan.
Just then, Ethan looked up and saw us. His eyes locked with mine, and I could see the panic flash across his face. He pulled away from Katherine, starting to walk towards me, but before he could get far, Khian stormed over and met him halfway.
Khian didn’t say anything at first. He just stood there, glaring at Ethan, his shoulders tense. Then, without warning, Khian punched him square in the jaw.
Ethan staggered back, his hand flying to his face, shock written all over him. “Khian, what the—”
Khian didn’t let him finish. “You don't get to talk to her. Not after this!” he growled, his voice low and furious. “You stay the hell way from my sister, I won't hesitate to cut your throat. You’re done hurting my sister. You got that?”
The entire courtyard seemed to stop and stare. It was like every person within a hundred yards turned to watch the scene unfold. But I didn’t care about them. All I could focus on was the hollow, aching feeling inside me the realization that this was it. There was no going back.
I couldn’t hear what Ethan said after that, but I didn’t need to. I felt broken, hollow, like the ground had been ripped out from under me. I turned and walked away, not wanting to hear any more. I couldn’t take it.
Behind me, I heard Lily calling after me, but her voice felt distant, like it was coming from far away. Everything around me was a blur, the sound of my footsteps blending with the pounding of my heart.
I couldn’t. I couldn’t stay there, watching everything fall apart. I felt like I was drowning in pain, like the weight of everything was pulling me under.
I barely made it to the street before my legs gave out. I collapsed on the sidewalk, gasping for breath, my chest heaving with sobs that I couldn’t hold back anymore. The tears came, hot and fast, streaming down my face as the reality of what had just happened hit me all at once
Sophie and Lily were beside me in seconds, their hands on my shoulders, their voices trying to comfort me, but nothing could fix the emptiness I felt inside. Nothing could fix what Ethan had broken.
“I’m done....” I whispered through my tears, my voice barely audible. “I’m so tired… I can’t do this anymore.”
And for the first time in years, I let myself fall apart, right there in front of my friends. They held me, whispering words I couldn’t even register, but all I felt was the weight of everything crushing down on me.
Sophie was frantically pulling out her phone, trying to call Khian again, her hands shaking with panic. “I don’t know what to do! Khian, pick up your stupid phone!” she cried.
But even in the chaos, one thing was clear. This was the end of whatever Ethan and I had.
I don’t remember how long I sat there, the sobs wracking through my chest like waves that wouldn’t stop.
Sophie’s voice sounded like it was far away, muffled through my haze. “Ella, stay with us, okay? Just breathe. You need to calm down.”
But I couldn’t. The pain was too much, and the reality of it all, Ethan, Katherine, the kiss, it was like a knife twisting deeper with every thought. I felt my body weakening with each passing second, like I was slipping away.
Sophie and Lily were both crouched next to me, their voices blending together, but I could hardly focus on them. I was so drained, emotionally and physically, that my vision started to blur.
Sophie, her hands shaking, was still fumbling with her phone, trying Khian’s number again. “Please, Khian! Pick up!” she kept saying under her breath, almost like shouting now.
“Ella, come on,” Lily’s voice was soft but urgent, her hand rubbing my back. “You can’t just give up, not like this. We’re here, okay? We’ve got you, please hang on.... ”
But I felt like I was slipping further away, my mind going numb. I just wanted the pain to stop. I didn’t want to think about Ethan, or the way his lips were on Katherine’s like everything we had meant nothing.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, though I wasn’t sure who I was apologizing to. Sophie? Lily? Khian? Myself? Ethan?
Suddenly, everything went black. I felt my body slump forward, and the last thing I heard was Sophie screaming my name.
---
I don’t know how long I was out, but when I woke up, I was lying on something soft, and there were muffled voices around me. Slowly, I opened my eyes and blinked, trying to adjust to the light.
I was in my room. The familiar sight of my ceiling was above me, but everything still felt fuzzy, like I was in a dream.
Sophie and Lily were standing at the edge of my bed, whispering urgently, their faces full of worry. I groaned softly, trying to sit up, but my body felt like it weighed a ton.
“Ella!” Sophie gasped, rushing to my side the second she realized I was awake. “Oh my God, you scared the crap out of us!”
Lily was right behind her, her eyes wide. “You passed out, Ella. We didn’t know what to do. We tried calling Khian like a million times, but he didn’t answer.”
I tried to speak, but my throat was dry, and my voice came out in a rasp. “I… I fainted?”
Sophie nodded, her hands shaking slightly as she brushed some hair out of my face. “Yeah. You just collapsed. We were so scared. We thought…” She trailed off, her voice thick with emotion.
Lily looked like she was about to cry, but she held it together. “You’re okay now, though. That’s what matters.”
I closed my eyes again, trying to process everything. The memories of Ethan and Katherine came rushing back, and my chest ached all over again. I wanted to crawl under the covers and never come out.
Suddenly, the door to my room burst open, and Khian stormed in, his face a mix of anger and panic. He rushed over to me, his eyes scanning me from head to toe, like he was making sure I was still in one piece.
“Ella, what the hell happened?” His voice was low, but I could hear the edge of panic in it.
Sophie stepped back, giving Khian space to kneel by my bed. “We tried calling you, but you didn’t pick up. She passed out, Khian. We didn’t know what to do.”
Khian’s jaw tightened as he turned to me, his eyes filled with worry. “Ella… you scared me.”
I blinked up at him, feeling guilty for making him worry, but I was too tired to explain everything. “I’m sorry,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “I didn’t mean to… I just… I couldn’t take it.”
Khian let out a shaky breath, sitting down on the edge of the bed. He took my hand gently in his, his thumb brushing over my knuckles. “You don’t have to apologize. I’m just glad you’re okay.”
Sophie and Lily exchanged glances, clearly relieved that Khian was here now. But the weight of everything that had happened still hung in the air, heavy and suffocating.
“I just lost Ethan.... my... ” I whispered, the words barely leaving my lips. “Ethan and Katherine. They... ”
I couldn't finished my words as Khian’s hand tightened around mine, and I could see the flash of anger in his eyes again. “Ella, enough... please. He’s not worth it.”
“Khian... ” I choked on my words, the tears threatening to fall again. “It hurts so much... ”
Khian pulled me into a gentle hug, his hand resting on the back of my head. “I know. I'll take care of everything, okay?”
I buried my face in his shoulder, letting the tears fall again. Sophie and Lily stood quietly by the door, giving us some space, but I could feel their concern. They didn’t have to say anything. I knew they were just as worried as Khian was.
After a few minutes, Khian pulled back, looking me in the eyes. “You’re going to get through this. You're a Evince, it's in our blood.”
I nodded weakly, though I wasn’t sure if I believed him. The pain was still there, and it felt like it wasn’t going to leave anytime soon. But at least I wasn’t alone. I had my brother, my friends. That was something.
The evening wore on, Khian stayed with me, refusing to leave my side. Sophie and Lily kept checking in, making sure I had everything I needed, but eventually, they gave me space to rest.
The weight of the day still hung over me, but for now, I let myself breathe. Just breathe. I didn’t know what was going to happen next, or how I was going to face Ethan at school again. But to be honest, I don't have the courage to face him again, even Katherine.