First Time Visit

As the group continued walking, Ryan reached a crossroad and stopped. "Alright, guys, this is my stop," he said with a grin, pointing down the street. "Catch you tomorrow!"

"Bye, Ryan!" Emma called, waving after him. The girls gave him a quick goodbye as well, but their attention quickly shifted back to Ethan, who was now walking silently with his hands shoved deep into his pockets.

With Ryan gone, Rika, Maya, and Claire seemed to take it as an opportunity to ramp up their teasing. Rika, always the boldest, sidled up next to Ethan, her playful grin firmly in place.

"So, Ethan," Rika began, her tone sweet and teasing, "are you, like, *always* this quiet, or is it just because we make you nervous?"

Ethan didn't respond, his eyes focused straight ahead. His stoic expression and refusal to engage only seemed to encourage her.

"Come on, you can tell us," Maya chimed in, walking on his other side. "We're not *that* intimidating, are we?"

"Speak for yourself," Claire said softly but with a teasing glint in her eye. "Maybe Ethan just doesn't know how to handle all this attention."

Emma, trailing slightly behind, burst out laughing. "Oh, he's definitely trying to stay in his 'cool loner' mode, but you guys are making it sooo hard for him. This is hilarious."

Rika turned to Emma with a smirk. "Is he always like this? You must have sooo many stories."

"Oh, tons," Emma replied, her grin widening. "But don't expect him to tell you anything himself. He's been like this forever… well, since last year, anyway." Her voice softened slightly as she added, "Ever since… you know."

The mood shifted briefly as the girls exchanged glances. Rika's teasing smile faltered for a moment before she quickly recovered.

"Well, that just makes it even more important to get him to open up," Rika said, her tone brightening again. "Like, how can he keep all that to himself? That's gotta be soooo unhealthy."

"Exactly," Maya added, her voice warm but teasing. "We're just trying to help, Ethan. You can't stay a mystery forever."

"Yeah, we're not going anywhere," Claire said with a kind smile. "So, you might as well get used to us."

Emma nodded, her laughter returning. "They're right, you know. You're stuck with us now. Honestly, it's about time. You've been hiding for too long, and you know Mom wouldn't want that for you."

Ethan's ears turned slightly red, but he kept his gaze firmly ahead, refusing to rise to the bait. The girls noticed, of course, and exchanged amused glances.

"I think it's cute," Rika said, flipping her hair. "He's like, sooo hard to read. It just makes me want to figure him out even more."

"Same," Maya agreed with a laugh. "It's, like, a challenge now. We have to make him crack."

"Good luck with that," Emma said, crossing her arms as she walked. "You'll probably get bored before he even flinches. He's stubborn as a rock."

Claire tilted her head thoughtfully. "I don't know. He smiled earlier, didn't he? That's something."

"Totally," Rika said, leaning slightly closer to Ethan. "Maybe we can get him to smile again. What do you think, Ethan? Want to give us a hint?"

Ethan stayed silent, his expression unchanging, but the faint blush on his cheeks didn't escape their notice. The girls burst out laughing, delighted by his quiet reaction.

"Oh my gosh, this is so much fun," Rika said, clutching her sides. "I'm never gonna get tired of this."

"Me neither," Maya added, her laughter trailing off into a grin. "He's such a mystery. It's kinda addictive."

The conversation shifted, and the four girls began talking amongst themselves, their voices lively and full of energy. They chatted about school, their plans for the evening, and, of course, Ethan's continued silence.

Ethan, for his part, kept his focus on the road ahead, doing his best to tune them out. But despite his efforts, he couldn't completely ignore the warmth of their laughter or the teasing smiles they occasionally shot his way. Emma, walking alongside him, gave him a knowing look.

"You know, you could at least *try* to say something," she said, nudging him playfully. "They're not gonna bite. Well, probably not."

Ethan glanced at her briefly, then turned back to the road, his silence unbroken. Emma just shook her head, laughing softly as the group continued their journey home.

Ethan and the four girls walked up the path leading to the house, the girls chatting amongst themselves about various topics. The sound of their laughter and conversation filled the air as they approached the front door.

"This place is so cozy," Rika said, glancing at the neatly kept yard. "You can totally tell it has that family vibe."

"Yeah," Maya added. "I always loved coming here. It's been way too long."

As they stepped inside, the girls' chatter didn't stop. They looked around the house, admiring the homey atmosphere.

"It hasn't changed much," Claire remarked softly, her eyes wandering over familiar details.

Before they could say more, a warm voice came from the living room. "I see we have company. Welcome in!"

The group turned to see Emma and Ethan's father standing there, a kind smile on his face. The girls immediately straightened up, their attention shifting to him.

"Hello, Mr. Vale," Claire said politely, her tone soft.

"Hi, sir," Maya added, giving him a small wave.

Rika, always full of energy, grinned. "Hi! Thanks for having us over."

Ethan, meanwhile, had already begun walking toward the stairs, his hands in his pockets. His father noticed and called out, "Hey, son, how was your day?"

Without stopping or turning around, Ethan raised a thumbs-up before continuing up to his room. The gesture earned a few chuckles from the girls, but his father sighed softly, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry about Ethan," he said, turning back to the group. "He's been… well, he's been going through a lot this past year."

"It's okay," Claire said gently, her voice filled with understanding. "We know. He just needs time."

"Yeah, that's just how he is now," Maya added. "But we're trying to help him come out of his shell, little by little."

Rika nodded enthusiastically. "Totally! Don't worry, Mr. Vale. We've got this." Her confident tone earned a small chuckle from him.

His father's eyes shifted to Claire and Maya, his smile softening. "Claire, Maya, it's been a long time. I haven't seen you girls in over a year. How have you been?"

Claire hesitated for a moment before answering, her voice quiet. "It's been… okay. We've missed coming here, though. It's not the same without Ethan talking to us like he used to."

Maya nodded. "Yeah. Things really changed after… well, you know. But we're here now, and we're not going anywhere."

Her words carried a determination that brought a warm smile to Mr. Vale's face. "I'm glad to hear that. Ethan needs friends like you now more than ever."

Rika stepped forward, her usual gal energy tempered with a touch of politeness. "Oh, um, I'm Rika. I just met Ethan and Emma today, but they're, like, super cool. Thank you so much for letting me hang out here."

Mr. Vale's smile widened as he extended a hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Rika. I'm glad my kids have someone like you around."

She shook his hand, her enthusiasm shining through. "Totally! And, like, don't worry about Ethan. I'm gonna do my best to make him smile again. You can count on me!"

Her confident declaration made everyone laugh, and the warm atmosphere in the room grew even brighter. Despite Ethan's absence, the group settled in, ready to make the most of their time together.