Khian’s POV
I never liked change. It messes things up. Throws everything off balance. So when I found out Ethan was back in town, I knew things were about to get complicated.
Ella hadn’t told me right away, of course. She’s like that, keeps things to herself until she can’t anymore. I could see it on her face, though, that something was bothering her. She was quiet during dinner the night before, picking at her food and barely looking at me. I didn’t push her then. She would talk when she was ready.
But today at school, when I saw her talking to that guy by the lockers, him, I knew. I didn’t even have to ask. It was Ethan, her old friend. The one she used to talk about all the time when we were younger. I’d hear about him every single day until he left. Then it was like a switch flipped. She just stopped talking about him. I figured she’d moved on. Guess I was wrong.
I caught up to them after class, just to see for myself. When I walked over, I could feel the tension in the air, thick enough to cut through. Ella looked nervous, and Ethan… well, he didn’t look like the kid I remembered. Taller, sure. But there was something different in his eyes. 
I didn’t trust him. Not for a second.
“Is this him?” I asked Ella, already knowing the answer.
She looked at me, eyes wide, and before she could respond, he stepped in. “Yeah. I’m Ethan.”
I didn’t like his tone. Too casual, like nothing had happened back then. Like he hadn’t just walked back into Ella’s life after years of silence. I sized him up, staring him down. He wasn’t much, really, but I knew his type. Guys like him only brought trouble.
“Khian,” I said, not bothering to offer a handshake. “Ella’s brother.”
He nodded, trying to act calm, but I could see through it. He wasn’t as relaxed as he wanted to seem. 
I didn’t have time for games. “Be careful, Ella,” I said, giving her a look. I needed her to understand. She couldn’t just let this guy waltz back into her life like nothing had changed. “You don’t know why he’s back.”
Ethan tensed up, but I didn’t care. This wasn’t about him. This was about my sister.
“I’ll see you later, Ella,” I said, turning to walk away. I didn’t need to explain myself further. She knew what I meant.
---
Back in the student council room, I tried to focus on work, but my mind kept wandering. I shouldn’t have been so rattled by some kid coming back to town, but it wasn’t just that. It was Ella. She always had this soft spot for Ethan, and I didn’t want her getting hurt. Not again. 
Lily was talking, something about the festival decorations, but I wasn’t really listening. I could see Ella sitting in the back, lost in thought. I knew what was on her mind, and I didn’t like it. 
“Khian, are you even paying attention?” Lily asked, snapping her fingers in front of my face.
I blinked and looked at her, realizing I hadn’t heard a word she’d said. “Yeah, sorry. What were you saying?”
Lily rolled her eyes but didn’t push it. She was used to me zoning out. “I said we need to finalize the budget for the event. You’re the president, focus.”
I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. “Right, right. I’ll look it over.”
Lily gave me a look, but she didn’t press the issue. I appreciated that. She knew when to back off.
---
Later, after everyone had left, Ella stayed behind to help me clean up. She was quiet, and I could tell she had something on her mind. I glanced over at her, waiting for her to say something.
“Khian?” she finally spoke, her voice small.
“Yeah?”
She hesitated, and I could feel her nerves even before she opened her mouth. “About Ethan...”
I didn’t look at her, just kept stacking the papers on the desk. “What about him?”
“He’s not the same,” she said softly, almost like she was trying to convince herself. “But neither am I.”
I stopped what I was doing and turned to face her. “Ella, people change. You can’t just expect everything to go back to the way it was.”
She sighed, dropping her eyes to the floor. “I know. But... he’s still Ethan. And I can’t just pretend like he never existed.”
I hated how hopeful she sounded. It wasn’t going to be that easy. “Just be careful,” I said again, my voice firmer this time. “You don’t know why he’s back, or what he’s after.”
Ella frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. “He’s not ‘after’ anything. He’s just… back.”
I could hear the frustration in her voice, but I didn’t back down. “People don’t just come back after six years without a reason.”
She didn’t answer that, just stood there looking at me like she wanted to argue but didn’t have the energy for it. Finally, she grabbed her bag and headed for the door. 
“I’ll see you at home,” she muttered before leaving the room.
I watched her go, feeling the weight of the conversation settle in. I didn’t want to fight with her, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right. Ethan showing up like this, out of nowhere, it didn’t sit well with me. And I wasn’t about to let my little sister get hurt because of him.
---
At home that night, I found myself pacing in my room, restless. My mind kept going over the same thing: what was Ethan really doing here? What was his plan? I knew he had one. Guys like him always did.
I heard a knock on my door and turned to see Ella standing there, looking tired.
“Khian, can we just... not talk about Ethan for a while?” she asked, her voice almost pleading. “I just want things to feel normal again.”
I sighed, rubbing my face. I didn’t want to stress her out, but I couldn’t shake the worry. “Fine,” I said, forcing myself to let it go, for now. “We won’t talk about him.”
She smiled weakly, and I could see how relieved she was. “Thanks.”
As she walked back to her room, I knew this wasn’t over. Not by a long shot. Ethan had come back, and whether Ella wanted to admit it or not, things were already changing.