Ethan’s POV
I spent the rest of the day trying to find the right moment to talk to Ella. After everything, I knew I couldn’t keep avoiding her. I needed to make things right, no matter how difficult it would be. But every time I saw her, Sophie and Lily were right there with her. I should’ve known it wasn’t going to be easy.
The first time I tried to approach her was after class. Ella was walking down the hallway with her tray of books, looking lost in thought. I was about to make my move when, out of nowhere, Sophie appeared like a whirlwind.
“Oh, no, no, no,” Sophie laughed loudly as she grabbed Ella’s arm. “You’re not going anywhere near ‘that’ direction.”
Ella looked confused as Sophie dragged her away, and Lily followed, giving me a look that said, Not today, Ethan.
I sighed, frustration already building up inside me. It was like they had some radar for knowing when I was about to get close to Ella, and they were determined to block every attempt. They weren’t going to make it easy on me.
The second time, I waited until lunch. I saw Ella sitting at a table in the courtyard, her back to me. My heart pounded as I walked over, determined to finally say what I had to say. But before I even got halfway there, Sophie’s voice rang out again.
“Ella! We need to move! There’s a ‘serious emergency’ in the other building. Something about a surprise quiz!”
Ella didn’t even have time to react before Sophie and Lily grabbed her and whisked her away again. It was like they were playing some kind of game, and I was stuck on the losing end.
By the third time, I was losing my patience. I waited near the lockers after school, hoping for a moment when Ella was alone. She finally walked out of class, and I stepped forward, ready to speak, but Sophie and Lily were already there. They saw me before Ella did and immediately started laughing and joking as they walked her in the opposite direction, as if I didn’t exist.
I clenched my fists, feeling the anger rising in my chest. It wasn’t just that they were stopping me. It was the way they kept pretending it was all some kind of game, like they didn’t understand how much I needed to fix things.
When the fourth attempt failed, I’d had enough. I couldn’t keep doing this. I needed to talk to Ella, and if Sophie and Lily weren’t going to let me, then I’d have to go through them.
I waited until Ella was out of sight, probably already heading home, before I approached the two of them. Sophie and Lily were sitting on the grass near the entrance, still laughing about something, when they saw me coming.
“What do you want, Ethan?” Sophie asked, crossing her arms with a smirk on her face.
I took a deep breath, trying to keep my voice steady. “I need to talk to Ella, and you two keep stopping me.”
“Maybe because she doesn’t want to talk to you,” Sophie shot back, leaning forward, telling me to say something.
Lily, on the other hand, stayed quiet, looking between Sophie and me like she wasn’t sure where this was going.
“She deserves to know the truth,” I said firmly. “And Khian gave me permission to talk to her.”
At the mention of Khian’s name, I saw Lily’s eyes widen. Sophie, on the other hand, didn’t look so convinced.
“Khian gave you permission?” Lily asked, her voice quiet but full of curiosity.
“Yes,” I nodded. “I talked to him today, and he said I could explain everything to Ella.”
Lily looked at Sophie, her face suddenly serious. “If Khian said it’s okay, then maybe we should let him.”
Sophie, clearly taken aback, looked between us. “Wait, wait, wait,” she said, raising her hands. “Lily, are you ‘seriously’ going to let him talk to her because Khian said so?”
Lily gave her a small shrug. “Khian knows what’s best for her sister. If he trusts Ethan to talk to her, then maybe we should too.”
Sophie’s mouth dropped open. “I cannot ‘believe’ this. My best friend is betraying me because of Khian.” She placed her hand over her heart dramatically. “I knew you liked him, Lily, but this is just—wow.”
Lily’s cheeks turned bright red as she glared at Sophie. “I do not like him! I’m just saying if Khian thinks it’s okay, then it’s probably the right thing to do.”
Sophie rolled her eyes and laughed. “Oh, please, Lily. Everyone knows you like Khian. You don’t have to pretend.”
Lily stood up, her face burning. “The flowers were for Ella!” she exclaimed, clearly flustered.
Sophie just grinned wider. “Sure they were.”
Despite the tension in the air, I couldn’t help but feel a small wave of relief. At least Lily was on my side now. I wasn’t sure if it was because of Khian or because of some crush she had on him, but either way, it didn’t matter. I finally had a chance to talk to Ella.
Sophie let out a sigh, standing up next to Lily. “Fine, fine. You win this round, Ethan. But don’t think we’re going to just forget everything that happened.”
I nodded, feeling the weight of everything pressing down on me. “I know. I just want to make things right.”
----
After finally talking things through with Sophie and Lily, I felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. I couldn’t help but grin as I thanked them both. Just as I was about to leave, something popped into my mind. 
“Oh, by the way, Lily,” I started, turning back toward her with a mischievous smile. “I saw something interesting in Khian’s committee office.”
Lily blinked, her face suddenly looking confused. “What do you mean?”
I took a step closer, lowering my voice as if I was about to reveal a big secret. “There’s a picture of you on his side desk. It’s kinda facing him, too. Looks like it’s been there for a long time.”
Lily’s eyes widened. “What?!”
Sophie, who had been casually leaning against the wall, nearly choked on her laughter. “No way! Are you serious?”
I nodded, trying my best to keep a straight face. “Yup, it’s an old picture too. You were both kids. You were wearing this... this big, floppy hat and smiling right at the camera.”
Lily’s face turned bright red, her eyes darting between me and Sophie, who was now howling with laughter.
“Oh. My. God.” Sophie managed to say between fits of giggles. “Lily! Khian’s been secretly keeping your picture all this time! I knew it! You’ve got him wrapped around your little finger!”
Lily, looking absolutely mortified, turned toward me, her hands clenched into fists. “Ethan! That’s not funny!”
I quickly backed away, raising my hands in defense. “Hey, I’m just telling you what I saw! Maybe Khian’s more into you than you think.”
Before she could say anything else, Sophie let out a scream of pure delight. “I knew it! I knew something was going on between you two!”
“Nothing is going on!” Lily shouted, her face as red as a tomato.
I decided that was my cue to leave before I ended up getting smacked. “Anyway, gotta go!” I yelled over my shoulder as I ran, dodging an angry Lily who looked ready to chase after me.
“You better run, Ethan!” she shouted after me, but I was already out of sight, laughing to myself.
I rushed through the school hallways, weaving between students and staff, my heart racing with excitement. I needed to find Ella before the day was over. I had to talk to her, to explain everything, to make sure she understood that I never wanted to hurt her.
But when I finally made it back to the courtyard, she was nowhere to be found. Panic started to bubble up inside me. Had she already left for the day?
I didn’t waste another second. Sprinting toward the parking lot, I fumbled for my car keys and jumped into the driver’s seat, my mind racing as fast as my heart. There was only one place Ella could be now: home.
I gripped the steering wheel tight, starting the engine. “Please still be there, Ella,” I muttered under my breath as I drove toward her house.
As I sped down the road, I couldn’t help but laugh a little, remembering the look on Lily’s face when I told her about that picture. Maybe Khian was onto something after all. 
And I'm glad to have my best friend back. Yes you heard that clear. Back then, Khian and I were so close when we once kids. It's good to have my partner returning me a favor.