Ethan's POV
It felt weird being back. Like, really weird. The moment I walked into the school, everything felt familiar, but also different. The walls, the classrooms, they were all the same, but somehow, I didn’t feel like I belonged. It wasn’t home anymore, even though I thought it would be.
And then I saw her.
Ella. 
I almost didn’t believe it was her at first. She looked different, more grown up, I guess. But her eyes were the same. When she looked at me, it was like time hadn’t moved at all. Like we were still those kids who used to hang out every day after school. But six years is a long time, and I wasn’t sure if she even wanted to talk to me.
Mrs. Carter had introduced me to the class, and I saw Ella sitting there, staring at me. I tried to keep it cool, but my heart was pounding in my chest. I gave a little wave and sat down. I didn’t know what to say to her, or how to start a conversation after all that time.
The day felt like it dragged on forever. I couldn’t stop thinking about Ella, wondering what she was thinking. Did she hate me for leaving without saying goodbye? Did she even care that I was back?
By lunch, I couldn’t take it anymore. I spotted her sitting outside, alone by the garden, and decided to go for it. What’s the worst that could happen, right?
“Ella?”
She looked up at me, and for a second, I thought she might run away or something. But then she smiled, just a little and said my name. That smile hit me like a ton of bricks. I hadn’t seen it in so long, but I’d thought about it a lot. Probably too much.
“I thought it was you,” I said, sitting next to her. “I wasn’t sure if you’d remember me.”
“Of course I remember you,” she said, her voice soft but a little shaky.
I could tell she was nervous, and honestly, so was I. I didn’t expect it to be this hard, but seeing her again brought back everything. All the memories, all the times we had together before I left, it all came rushing back, and I didn’t know how to deal with it.
We talked for a bit, mostly about nothing. Small talk. But the whole time, I could feel there was more she wanted to say. And more that I wanted to say too. I wanted to apologize for leaving, for not keeping in touch. But I didn’t. I wasn’t ready to open that can of worms yet.
When the bell rang, I felt like I’d barely scratched the surface of everything I wanted to say to her. But there was time, right? I was back, and we had time.
---
After school, I walked home alone. My parents were still unpacking, and the house was a mess. Boxes everywhere, half the furniture not even set up yet. It didn’t feel like home. Not really. I missed our old house, but we couldn’t afford to live there anymore. My dad’s business had gone under, and things got... tough for a while. That’s why we moved back here.
I threw my bag on the floor and collapsed on the couch, staring at the ceiling. I kept thinking about Ella, about how everything felt so different between us now. I mean, of course it did. We weren’t kids anymore. But still... it was weird. It was like this invisible wall between us that wasn’t there before.
I wondered if she still played piano. We used to mess around with her old keyboard after school, trying to teach each other songs. I hadn’t touched a piano in years, not since we moved away. I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to play anymore.
“Ethan, are you okay?” my mom’s voice broke through my thoughts. She stood in the doorway, looking at me with that concerned mom face.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I said, not really meaning it.
“You know, it’s okay to feel a little... strange being back,” she said, sitting down beside me. “You’ve been through a lot.”
I shrugged. “I guess.”
She didn’t push it, just gave me one of those soft smiles and patted my knee before heading back to the kitchen. I appreciated that she didn’t force me to talk about it. I didn’t even know what I would’ve said. How was I supposed to explain that seeing Ella again messed me up in ways I didn’t expect?
---
The next day at school, I felt a little more settled in. I mean, not completely, but enough that I didn’t feel like a total outsider. I caught a few people staring at me, probably trying to figure out who the new guy was. It didn’t bother me too much.
But I kept thinking about Ella. I wanted to talk to her again, to figure out where we stood now. So after class, I went looking for her, hoping we could have a real conversation this time.
I found her by the lockers, talking to some tall guy. He looked serious, kind of cold. I didn’t recognize him, but I guessed he was probably her brother. He had the same dark hair, same intense eyes. I felt my stomach twist when I saw them together. 
I took a breath and walked over, trying not to feel awkward. As I got closer, I heard him talking to her, his voice low but firm. I didn’t catch all of it, but it sounded like he was warning her about something. And then I realized. He was talking about me.
“You don’t know why he’s back,” her brother was saying. “Just be careful, Ella.”
Ella glanced over her shoulder, and her eyes landed on me. Her expression changed, like she wasn’t sure how to feel about me standing there. Her brother noticed me too, and his face hardened.
“Is this him?” he asked, his voice cold.
Ella opened her mouth to respond, but I jumped in. “Yeah. I’m Ethan.”
Her brother stared at me for a long moment, sizing me up. “Khian,” he finally said, not offering a handshake or anything. “Ella’s brother.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said, trying to keep things cool, but I could feel the tension between us. But the truth is, I still remembered Khian. Back then, we were so close, he was my best friend when we were kids.
Khian didn’t respond. He just gave me this look like he didn’t trust me. Not one bit. It was the kind of look that said, 'Don’t mess with my sister.' I got the message loud and clear.
Ella seemed uncomfortable, and I hated that. I didn’t want to make things harder for her, but I didn’t know how to fix it either. Khian wasn’t going to make this easy, that much was clear.
“I’ll see you later, Ella,” Khian finally said, turning to leave. “Think about what I said.” 
As soon as he was gone, Ella let out a long breath. “Sorry about that. He’s... overprotective.”
“No kidding,” I muttered, watching Khian walk away.
Ella laughed, but it was a nervous kind of laugh. “He’s always been like that.”
I nodded, not sure what to say. I wanted to ask her if she was okay, but I didn’t want to push her. There was already so much unspoken between us.
“So... what’s next for you?” I asked, trying to change the subject.
Ella shrugged. “Just trying to figure things out, I guess. It’s weird, having you back.”
“Yeah. It’s weird for me too,” I admitted.
She looked at me then, her eyes soft, like she was remembering something. “I never thought I’d see you again.”
“Me neither.”
For a moment, it felt like we were back to being those kids again. Just for a second. But then reality hit, and I realized how much had changed between us.
“We’ll figure it out,” I said, even though I wasn’t sure if that was true.
Ella smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Yeah. We will.”
As I watched her walk away, I couldn’t shake the feeling that things were about to get a lot more complicated than either of us realized.