A Crack in the Wall

Ethan walked into his room, leaving the door slightly ajar. He collapsed onto his bed, letting out a soft sigh. Closing his eyes, he welcomed the peace and quiet that his room provided. For a few minutes, he lay there in silence, letting the events of the day drift away.

But the quiet didn't last long. He opened his eyes, hearing muffled voices from the room next door. The girls were talking loudly, their laughter spilling through the thin walls.

"I still can't believe Ethan actually saved you this morning," Maya's voice said, tinged with amusement. "That's, like, totally out of character for him."

"Right?" Rika replied, her tone playful. "He's sooo mysterious, though. It's kinda hot."

"Rika!" Claire exclaimed, laughing. "You barely know him."

"Yeah, but come on," Rika defended herself. "He's all quiet and broody. It's, like, straight out of a romance novel or something."

Emma's voice cut through the laughter. "He's not broody, he's just… well, he's been through a lot. That's why he's like this."

There was a brief pause before Maya spoke again. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Still, it's nice to see him actually doing something heroic for once."

"I'm just saying," Rika added, "if he ever opens up, he's gonna have, like, a ton of girls after him. Guaranteed."

The others burst out laughing at her dramatic tone.

"Good luck with that," Emma said, her voice laced with amusement. "It'll probably take a miracle to get him to open up."

Ethan groaned softly, burying his face in his pillow. *Why can't they talk about something else?* he thought, though a faint blush crept onto his cheeks. He turned his head slightly, his gaze falling on the photo of his family on his bedside table. The girls' voices continued in the background, but he tuned them out as his focus shifted entirely to the picture.

Ethan picked up the photo, his eyes lingering on his mother's face. A small, sad smile tugged at his lips. Sitting up, he rested the frame on his lap and began to speak softly.

"Hey, Mom," he started, his voice low but filled with emotion. "It's been a while since I've talked to you like this. You'd probably laugh at how weird today was. I mean, it started with me saving some girl from these jerks, and now she's hanging out with Emma and my friends like it's totally normal."

He chuckled lightly, though it quickly faded into a sigh. "They're all trying so hard to get me to open up, you know? Emma, Rika, Maya, Claire—they just won't stop. You'd love them, Mom. They're… they're good people. But it's hard. It's hard to… be normal again."

His grip on the photo tightened slightly, his voice trembling. "You know what hurts the most, though? They made me laugh today. They made me smile. And for a moment, it felt good. But then I remembered… you're not here. You're not here to see it. It's like… every happy moment reminds me of what's missing."

Ethan's voice cracked as he continued, tears welling in his eyes. "I keep thinking about you. How you'd handle all this. You always knew what to say, how to make things better. I… I don't know if I can do it without you."

In the hallway, Rika stood frozen just outside the door. She had been about to knock but stopped when she heard Ethan's voice. Peeking through the slightly open door, she watched as he clutched the photo tightly, his words raw and filled with pain.

"Mom," Ethan continued, his tears now silently falling. "If you were here, I'd tell you everything. I'd tell you how scared I am that I'll never be the same. I'd tell you how much I miss hearing your laugh and how much I wish you could meet Rika and the others. You'd like them. They'd make you laugh, too."

Rika bit her lip, her usual playful demeanor replaced with a quiet understanding. *He's really hurting,* she thought, her chest tightening. *But he's trying. Even if he doesn't realize it, he's trying.*

Ethan's voice dropped even lower, almost a whisper. "I just… I wish you could tell me it's okay to move on. That it's okay to be happy again. Because right now, it feels like I'm betraying you every time I smile."

Rika felt tears prick at her own eyes as she listened. *He's carrying so much,* she thought. *No one should have to go through that alone.*

Ethan let out a shaky breath, wiping at his eyes. "I'm trying, Mom. I really am. I just… I hope I can make you proud. Even if I don't know how yet."

Rika stayed there for a moment longer, listening to him pour to his mother photo.

Ethan sat on his bed, his face buried in his hands as he continued to cry softly. The weight of his emotions, his grief, and the memories of his mother overwhelmed him. His shoulders shook with each quiet sob, and he didn't notice the faint creak of the door opening further.

When he finally looked up, wiping his face with his sleeve, he saw Rika standing there. Her usual playful demeanor was gone, replaced by a look of deep concern. Ethan quickly tried to compose himself, sitting up straighter and attempting to put on his usual cold, distant facade.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice hoarse as he avoided her gaze.

Rika didn't answer right away. Instead, she walked into the room, shutting the door behind her. Without hesitation, she came over to him and gently placed her hands on his face, making him look at her. Her touch was soft but firm, her eyes filled with sincerity.

"Ethan," she began, her voice steady but warm, though a bit of her typical confidence slipped through, "you, like, totally don't have to do this alone, okay? You don't have to cry by yourself or hold all of this inside. If you need someone to talk to, I'm here for you. For real."

Ethan's eyes widened as she spoke. Her words pierced through the wall he had tried so hard to build around himself. Tears continued to stream down his face as he stared at her, unable to form a response.

Without another word, Rika pulled him into a hug. It was a big, warm embrace—one Ethan hadn't felt in a long time. For a moment, he froze, unsure of how to react. But as the comfort of her presence washed over him, he slowly raised his arms and hugged her back tightly. His voice trembled as he whispered, "I miss her… I miss her so much."

"I know," Rika said softly, her voice filled with understanding. "And, like, it's okay to miss her. You're allowed to feel this way, Ethan. You don't have to be some kind of, I dunno, emotionless robot or whatever. It's okay to let it out."

Ethan cried harder, his emotions pouring out in waves as he clung to her. "It just hurts so much," he said through his sobs. "I don't know how to deal with it. Every time I try to move on, it feels like I'm forgetting her. Like I'm letting her go."

"Oh my gosh, no," Rika said, pulling back slightly to look into his eyes, though she still kept her arms around him. "You're not letting her go. She's, like, always gonna be with you, you know? In your heart and stuff. Moving forward doesn't mean forgetting her. It means living in a way that would make her proud. She'd totally want you to be happy, Ethan."

Ethan shook his head. "I don't know if I can do that. I'm not… I'm not strong like everyone thinks I am. It's easier to just… be alone."

Rika frowned but kept her tone gentle, though her usual boldness peeked through. "Ethan, being alone isn't strength. It's hiding. And, like, I get it. Sometimes you feel like crawling into a hole and staying there forever. But you can't, okay? You're way stronger than you think you are. And you've got people who care about you, even if you try to ignore us."

He looked at her, his walls cracking slightly under her words. "But what if I mess it up? What if I let everyone down?"

Rika smiled softly, brushing a tear from his cheek. "You won't. And even if you do stumble, like, we'll be here to catch you. That's what friends are for. That's what I'm here for. You don't have to carry all this by yourself, you know? That's, like, totally exhausting."

Ethan stared at her, his mind racing. Her words planted seeds of doubt in his self-imposed isolation, but his loner instincts still lingered. Yet, in that moment, he felt a warmth he hadn't known in so long.

"Why do you even care?" he asked quietly, his voice cracking. "You barely know me."

Rika let out a soft laugh, her eyes glistening. "Because I know what it's like to feel lost. And I know how much it means when someone reaches out. Besides," she added with a teasing smile, "you're not as hard to read as you think you are. You're like, such a softie deep down."

Ethan let out a shaky breath, a mix of a laugh and a sob. "I don't think I've smiled like that in forever," he said quietly.

Rika gave him a big smile. "Well, like, get used to it. Because I'm not going anywhere. And neither are Emma, Maya, or Claire. We're all sticking around whether you like it or not, so, like, deal with it, okay?"

They stayed like that, talking softly for a while, Ethan opening up more than he had in a long time. Though his walls weren't completely gone, they had started to crumble, bit by bit. Eventually, the words faded, and they sat there in silence, the room filled with an unspoken understanding and quiet comfort.

Ethan and Rika held each other for a long moment, the silence between them filled with unspoken emotions. Eventually, they broke apart slightly, just enough to look at each other. Their eyes locked, and for a few seconds, neither of them said a word. Then, as if on cue, they both looked away, embarrassed.

Rika smiled softly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "You know," she began, her usual gal energy slipping through, "it's kinda nice seeing you open up, even if it's just a little. Like, you don't have to be all broody all the time, you know?"

Ethan nodded, a small smirk tugging at his lips. "Guess it's only fair," he said quietly. "I saved you earlier today, but now you… kind of saved me."

Rika's smile widened, and she let out a light laugh. "Oh my gosh, did you just make a joke? Who are you, and what did you do with Loner Ethan?"

Ethan rolled his eyes but couldn't hide the faint blush creeping up his cheeks. "Idiot," he muttered, which only made Rika laugh harder.

"Hey, don't get all shy on me now," she teased, poking his arm. "You know, you're kinda cute when you're flustered."

Ethan looked away, his face now fully red. "Stop saying stuff like that," he mumbled, but Rika just grinned mischievously.

"Aww, come on. It's fun messing with you," she said, before her tone softened. "But seriously, how about we join the others? Have a little fun. You deserve it after today."

Ethan hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Okay," he said simply.

Rika stood up and extended her hand. Ethan took it, his blush returning as she led him toward the door. As they walked through the hallway, her hand still holding his, they heard familiar voices coming from Emma's room. The three girls were talking and laughing loudly.

"Oh my gosh, did you see his face earlier?" Maya's voice said between bursts of laughter. "He was, like, soooo embarrassed."

"I know!" Claire added. "And he totally thought we didn't notice."

"He's such a dork sometimes," Emma chimed in, her tone playful. "But that's my brother for you."

Ethan and Rika stopped in their tracks, listening to the conversation. Then they heard a voice say, "It's the three stooges."

The girls froze, their laughter cutting off abruptly. Slowly, they turned toward the doorway to see Ethan and Rika standing there, Ethan's smirk matching the teasing tone of his earlier remark.

"No way," Maya said, her eyes wide. "Did you seriously just call us that?"

Claire crossed her arms, though she couldn't hide her grin. "Wow, Ethan. I haven't heard that in forever. Are you finally coming out of your shell?"

Emma just burst out laughing. "Oh my gosh, he actually said it! The three stooges are back, baby!"

Rika looked between them, amused but confused. "Okay, wait. What's the deal with the three stooges thing? Is this, like, some kind of inside joke?"

"Totally," Maya explained. "Ethan used to call us that all the time back in middle school. But he stopped after… well, you know." Her voice trailed off slightly, the mood softening.

Ethan's expression flickered for a moment, but he quickly recovered, shrugging. "Felt like it was time to bring it back," he said quietly.

The girls exchanged looks, their smiles returning. "Well, we're here for it," Claire said. "Now come on, we were just talking about how to raid the kitchen. You in?"

Rika glanced at Ethan with a playful smile. "What do you say? Ready for some chaos?"

Ethan shook his head lightly but couldn't suppress a small grin. "Sure. Why not."

As they all headed toward the kitchen, the group's laughter filled the hallway, a lightness in the air that hadn't been there in a long time. Ethan, though still holding onto his loner persona, couldn't deny that a part of his old self had begun to resurface.