Maya's P.O.V.I woke up somewhere between four or five in the morning, feeling heavy in my body. My legs felt weak, and I didn't have any motivation to get out of bed. Waking up is no longer the pleasure it was since I knew that Ethan wasn't going to be a part of my day.Closing my eyes, I think about all the reasons why I want to go to school, such as maintaining my perfect attendance and keeping up my G.P.A.Slowly but surely, I managed to pull myself out of bed, letting my feet hit the cool floor. Just like every other day, I headed to the toilet to start my morning routine of brushing my teeth and hair. After I managed to make myself somewhat presentable, I headed down for breakfast."Morning sunshine," my mom greeted from the kitchen.My dad pulled out his earphones and turned to greet me with the same excitement as my mom. "You're up early today, and your mom hasn't even finished cooking breakfast.""Actually, I have to go to school early today. Got a lot of work to catch up on,
Maya's P.O.VToday was the day of the start of the season football party, and everyone in school was invited. It's all everyone has been talking about for the past few weeks, and for the past few weeks, I've debated on whether to go or not.It wasn't that I didn't like going to parties or anything, but it was the fact that Ethan was going to be there.Although I was miserable on the inside, I've spent most of my time burying myself in studying since finals were coming up soon.My phone lights up in my hand, and I stop to take a quick look at who it was. I stare at my phone to see Leah's text appear on my screen.Leah: Girl, are you coming tonight?Maya: Yeah. What time does it start?Leah: Eight!Maya: Can you pick me up?Leah: Is that even a question? I'll be there at 7:50. Look hot.I tossed my phone onto the side of my bed and lay there, still contemplating whether it was a good idea to go or not. Leah wasn't going to take no for an answer.To be honest, I didn't plan on going to t
Ethan's P.O.VAs my third class came to an end, I couldn't wait to come to Maya's class. I packed my things into my bag before the bell rang so I could leave immediately and make it before Maya leaves her class.Staring through the small window on the door, I drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. I couldn't help but notice how angelic she looked when she was focused. In fact, she was so focused that she didn't even look up when I stepped into the room and closed the door behind me.Walking to her table, I see Maya looking all beautiful with a broad smile plastered on her face."Hi, baby," I greeted."Hello," she said with a smile."Have I ever told you that I find your brain so sexy?" I smirked.Maya shrugs. "Only a few hundred times.""Ready to head to lunch, Einstein?""Definitely, I'm starving."The walk to the cafeteria was short, all we had to do was walk to the end of the hallway. As Maya put her bags on the bench, the guys seemed shocked to see her here since, for the pa
Maya's P.O.V.Over the next week, you could say I suffered a minor breakdown, involving a lot of tears and a few chocolates to help ease the nerves. I tried not to over obsess about reviewing every single aspect of my exam, but I couldn't help it. No matter how much I studied, I always felt like I could do more.So on Tuesday morning, I went to my math teacher and asked him for some extra work to do so I could practice the formulas.On Wednesday, I spent after school in Ms. Wilson's office hours. She was one of the rare teachers that actually offered extra hours after school, and she loves it when students attended. She says that it shows they're committed. So for the hour and a half that I usually spend hanging out with my friends, I sat and analyzed A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway for the nth time.In a metaphoric extension, the term a movable feast was used to represent a place that one has experienced and continues to hold with them for the rest of life. In a way, you could s
Ethan's P.O.VAlthough most people wanted to go home at the end of the day, I was actually the complete opposite. I was someone who dreaded coming home. It's sad but true. When I come back home, I get reminded of the issues I have and my dysfunctional life.However, when I was home, apart from staying in my bedroom and avoiding my dad, there was nothing much to do. I spent most of my days, either outside or locked in my room, so I didn't have to see his face.I tried to walk as slow as I could to delay time, but I eventually still made it home. Once I got inside, a strong smell of beer and cigarettes hit my nostrils. My dad was sitting on the couch with a beer in his hand. Typical.Who even drinks this early?His finger comes off the remote, and his head turns toward me. "There's something I want to talk to you about later.""Whatever," I muttered.I could tell he was about to yell at my rudeness but decided against it before shifting his attention back to the television.Walking to t
Maya's P.O.VWarning: There's explicit sexual content in this chapter.After studying for the remainder of the night, I decided to call it a day and head to bed. Just like every other day, I finished my night with the same routine consisting of showering, brushing my teeth, and putting on warm socks.I couldn't help but feel excited as I grabbed In Search Of Lost Time by Marcel Proust. Nothing gets me as excited as starting a new book. There was something about reading that was so addictive to me. It was like an escape from reality.Whenever I pick up a book and start reading, I get so sucked into it that it's like I forget any of my surroundings or problems. My mind and imagination take over and I'm free to think about whatever I want without worrying about any judgments.It's actually crazy how such a casual thing as reading can create a huge impact on someone.Not long after, I was completely hooked by the book. One page after another and I couldn't seem to stop myself from continu
Maya's P.O.VIs it weird that I never actually believed in falling in love? However, the longer I am in a relationship, the more I fall in love with the idea of being in love.Did that even make sense?I didn't know if it was creepy that I knew the exact shade of his eyes. They weren't just a regular light blue, but they had some dark blue in them. And the shape of his lips. Ugh, those lips. I still remember how they'd felt pressed against mine not so long ago.I could feel the heat growing in my cheeks just thinking about last night.It was currently half-past five in the morning, which was frankly a bit early in my mind — but I knew we were going to need extra time knowing how he always wanted to cuddle in the morning."Wakey, wakey," I whispered into Ethan's ear.I felt bad for waking him up, but I hated being late for school."It's too early," he mumbles, turning over and grabs me from behind. His arm wraps around my waist, and he pulls me in for a tight hug, head buried in my sho
Ethan's P.O.V.Before I knew it, the playing field was starting to fill up with eager fans on both sides. There's an air of excitement as the clock ticks. You can easily tell that our supporters were seated on the left side, given that most of them were wearing red, our team color.We had about fifteen minutes to shower and get changed before meeting in the locker room for some prior pep talk before the game. Since it's our first game this season, we had to be extra tough and ruthless to show the other teams what they're heading up against."I don't know about you, but I'm ready to have some bulldogs for dinner tonight," one of the guys hollered in the changing room.Swallowing a laugh, I head over to my locker.We were playing against the Eastern Bulldogs Today, which I doubt would be hard to beat. I mean, we've beaten them in every single game for the past five seasons.Usually, when it was the first game of the season, there was nothing else on my mind except winning. I would memor
Ethan's P.O.VIf someone told me years ago that I'd find the love of my life and get married on the beach, I'd think you were crazy. But now that it was becoming a reality, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck lift in excitement as the limo pulls up to the resort where our wedding is being held.Maya has always dreamed of having her wedding on the beach and who was I to protest against it?The driver walks around and opens the door for me. "I wish you all the best on your special day."I sent him a nervous smile and tipped him. "Thank you. Have a great day!"The warm glow of sunlight rested upon my shoulders. Today, Maya was going to become my wife. God, I don't think I'll ever get tired of thinking her that way.Upon entering the room, the atmosphere was buzzing with excited chatter as children ran around between the tables. Since our wedding was on the beach, there was a pleasant breeze that rustled in the surrounding trees. Sweet strains of classical music drifted through the cr
Dear Ethan,I suppose that since you're reading this letter, it means that I've decided to come to the airport to send you off. If I'm going to be completely honest, I didn't think I was going to go. Not because I hate you, but because I didn't know how I'd react seeing you leave. I have so many mixed feelings that I can hardly wonder where to start when it comes to saying goodbye.Being a hopeless romantic, I believe that everyone deserves a chance at love. It might sound silly, but after the countless romance novels and movies that I've watched, how can I not?My whole life, I believed the definition of love was two people being romantically attracted to each other and living happily ever after.Oh, how wrong I was.Ever since I could remember, I was known as the girl with very good grades, and I can't deny the fact that it was in fact true. I absorbed every material teacher taught with ease and excelled in tests. I know how to describe the process of protein synthesis in detail and
Ethan's P.O.VI gaze at my reflection in the mirror, taking in that this was going to be one of the very last times I get to do this. Was it weird to say that I'm going to miss this mirror?Or this bedroom.Or my everyday routine.My friends.My life here.My shoulders tighten when I hear a knock on my door, yet I felt relieved as the knock probably spared me from what would have been hours of overthinking.Hurrying over, I opened the door to see my dad standing in front of me. I was sủprised, to say the least. The last time he knocked on my door was when mom was still alive, which was years ago. And for the first time, he doesn't reek of alcohol and cigarettes."So, your flight to London is today?" he asked, still standing outside.I nodded. "At one.""You packed everything?"He sounded like he actually cared, which worries me."Yeah, I'm done packing.""That's good."A heavy silence fell and we stood there facing each other for what seemed like an eternity.His voice came out in a h
Maya's P.O.VThe exam week passed in a blur.My face was so deeply buried in textbooks that I had no recognition of what was going on around me. My friends would ask me to hang out, but I'd always end up declining. Time was precious, especially when exams were so close, which meant I couldn't let myself waste it.I could slightly recall the tingle I felt when I walked into the exam room. I hated being in exam conditions. It was suffocating.But I got over it anyways.Couldn't say the same about my break up with Ethan though.A few days later, we received our end of year school reports, which included the final exam grades that I studied so hard for. I let the happiness soak into my bones as I savored in my perfect final exam grades. All A's — except for that one A-minus — but I wasn't going to beat myself over it. For the first time in weeks, I finally felt relaxed. No more vigorous studying, no more deadlines, no more schedules to meet.Also no more relationship.After our exams, sen
Maya's P.O.VThe loneliness I felt was beyond anything I have ever felt. Before I knew it, my life changed significantly in very little ways, and in such a short period of time that it affected me more than I thought it would. Nobody brought up the conversation about Ethan again, nor dared to mention his name when I was around.Instead of spending all-day around people, I've become more introverted every since our breakup. I spend most of my days flipping through textbooks and rewriting my notes. One week prior to our exams, our teachers usually gave us free time in class to study, but everyone just procrastinated or talked amongst themselves. Nobody actually studied — except me.Being someone that couldn't study in a loud environment, I've asked the teachers to let me go to the library to study, so it's become a routine now. Just like every other day, I've headed to class for attendance before making my way to the library aka my second home."Look who's here," Jason said, approachi
Ethan's P.O.VI woke up the same way I had fallen asleep, tired, and emotionless. Rolling over to my nightstand, I removed the charging wire before checking my phone.Gabe: Wanna head to the gym today?It's not like I was going to do anything at home, so might as well.Ethan: Sounds good. Meet you there in an hour.Setting my phone to the side, I close my eyes. The moment I do, the image of Maya crawls into my head.It's been a week. One cold, lonely, and meaningless week of me avoiding her. I haven't replied to any of her texts, calls, and would head to the gym instead of eating lunch together at the cafeteria.This is what you have to do.As much as I don't want to, I have to.Grabbing whatever was closest to me, I buried my face deep into my pillow, screaming in the process. All this thinking was going to drive me crazy.I'm going to the gym. I'm going to gym out all my problems.Walking to my closet, I picked and changed into the first tank top and pair of shorts that I see. As I
Maya's P.O.VIt's been almost a week and not one single text from him.Even after a few days, I was still in a great deal of shock after my conversation with Ethan. In fact, it's eating me up so much that I couldn't even remember what I learned in class today. As much as I tried not to obsess over what he said, it seemed almost impossible considering I've sat on my table for thirty minutes and haven't started on any work yet."Honey, dinner's almost ready," my mom hollered from downstairs. Sucking up all the air in my lungs, I yelled back just as loud, if not louder. "Coming!"If I was going to be honest, I had no appetite whatsoever, but it would look suspicious if I didn't come down for dinner. My dad didn't even wait for my mom before stuffing his mouth with the cheese-filled lasagna. It was his all-time favorite so she would make them every Monday. Usually, families had their unhealthy cheat meals on Friday night, but not in this household. My mom believes that since Monday wa
Ethan's P.O.VI glanced around to see where they were sitting before easing my way towards them. From far away, I could already hear the guys talking about which girls they thought were hot, and what they did after prom (which I'd prefer not to say).Scanning the table, the moment I laid eyes on Maya, a part of me couldn't believe that this gorgeous girl was my girlfriend. She was wearing a light-colored floral top that complemented her figure well. My gaze slowly traveled down and I take in her tight skinny jeans. My god."I love your outfit today," I said, giving her a quick peck on the lips. Her cheeks flamed as she tried to hide her smile. "Hey."Maya stared up at me as I slide into the seat net to her. She shifted her eyes to me, and the worry plastered on her face didn't go unnoticed.She shoved a fry in her mouth. Why was she worried? "You okay?" I asked.Once I settled down, I squeezed her thigh for reassurance, but she didn't muster up a reply. I tried to let it go until th
Maya's P.O.VLeah and Connor dropped us off before heading to the back to park the car. Right away, I noticed that everyone was super dressed up As I stepped out of the door, I felt a rush of cool air hit my body. God, I should have brought a coat with me or something. While we waited for Leah and Connor, I tried hard not to shift around and I was pretty sure he noticed considering he put his arm around my shoulder. "You okay?" Ethan asked, "you look nervous.""Just a bit," I smiled, "I've never actually worn anything like this before, especially in front of so many people."His brow wrinkled as he shook his head. "That's crazy, there's nothing to worry about. You're the most beautiful girl here."I frown. "That's a lie.""Well, my eyes are only going to be on you tonight so technically, it's not a lie," he shrugs casually. I guess it makes sense..."Are you ready?" he asked.I smiled and nodded as he intertwined our hands together. The moment our hand makes contact, a wave of ha