Breaking the Silence

The next morning arrived, sunlight filtering through Ethan's curtains as his alarm buzzed incessantly. He groaned, reaching out lazily to silence it, then rolled over, pulling the blanket over his head.

"Why is it morning already?" he muttered dramatically to himself. "Who decided mornings should exist?"

After a few more moments of reluctant groaning, Ethan finally sat up, rubbing his tired eyes. His gaze landed on the family photo on his nightstand, the one with his mom's bright smile beaming back at him. He stared at it for a moment, then softly said, "Good morning, Mom."

With a sigh, Ethan got out of bed and stretched, dragging himself to his dresser. He pulled on a simple outfit, tied his long hair back into his usual manbun style, and stepped out of his room, yawning as he descended the stairs.

The smell of breakfast greeted him, and as he walked into the kitchen, he saw his dad by the stove flipping pancakes while Emma sat at the table scrolling through her phone. Both of them looked up as Ethan entered.

"Well, look who finally decided to join us," Emma teased, putting her phone down with a smirk. "Morning, mystery guy."

Ethan rolled his eyes but couldn't help the faint smirk that tugged at his lips. "Morning," he muttered, his voice still groggy.

His dad turned from the stove, a spatula in hand. "Morning, son. You sleep okay?"

Ethan shrugged, sitting down at the table. "Could've been better. That alarm clock hates me."

Emma chuckled. "You hate the alarm clock, you mean."

Ethan raised an eyebrow at her. "Same difference."

Their dad chuckled, shaking his head as he placed a plate of pancakes on the table. "Eat up. You'll need your energy for school."

Ethan grabbed a fork, poking at his food. "You say that like school's some kind of battlefield."

"With you, it kind of is," Emma quipped, grinning. "How was yesterday, by the way? Walking Rika home and everything?"

Ethan paused, glancing at her. "Fine."

Emma rolled her eyes. "That's it? Just 'fine'?"

"What do you want me to say?" Ethan replied, his tone dry but not unfriendly. "She's loud, she's annoying, and she's… nice."

His dad raised an eyebrow. "Nice?"

Ethan shrugged, focusing on his pancakes. "Yeah, she's alright."

Emma leaned forward, grinning mischievously. "Alright, huh? I think someone's starting to crack. You know, you already told me about walking her home last night."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "So why are you bringing it up again?"

"Because it's fun to mess with you," Emma replied, her grin widening. "And because you can't seem to stop thinking about it."

Ethan shot her a look but didn't respond, instead taking a bite of his food.

Their dad chuckled again, sitting down with his own plate. "It's good to see you talking more, Ethan. Yesterday was the first time in a while I've heard you really say something."

Ethan glanced at his dad, his expression softening slightly. "Yeah, well… I'm working on it."

Emma's grin widened. "Good. Maybe you'll even smile one of these days."

"Don't push your luck," Ethan muttered, though there was a faint smirk on his face as he focused on his breakfast.

The kitchen filled with the sound of clinking forks and light conversation, a warmth settling over the room that hadn't been there in a long time. Ethan's loner persona still lingered, but for the first time in what felt like forever, there were cracks in the walls he had built, letting a little light through.

After finishing their breakfast, Ethan and Emma grabbed their bags and headed for the door.

"Bye, Dad," Emma called out, slinging her backpack over her shoulder.

"Have a good day, kids," their dad said with a warm smile. "Ethan, keep up the good work, okay?"

Ethan paused briefly, nodding slightly. "Yeah. See you later."

"And Emma," their dad added with a grin, "keep an eye on your brother. Don't let him scare anyone off."

Emma laughed. "I'll try, but no promises."

Stepping out of the house, they began their walk to school. The morning air was crisp, and the streets were bustling with other students heading to class. Emma, naturally, broke the silence first.

"So, mystery guy, what's the plan today? Gonna stick to your usual quiet routine, or actually talk to people?"

Ethan gave her a sideways glance. "Haven't decided yet."

"Figures," Emma said with a smirk. "You know, being social isn't that bad. People might even like you."

Ethan rolled his eyes but didn't reply, letting the silence stretch out for a few moments before a cheerful voice broke through.

"Ethan! Emma!"

They turned their heads to see Rika on the other side of the street, waving enthusiastically. Her bright smile and energetic wave were impossible to miss.

"Hey, Rika," Emma called back, waving.

Ethan nodded slightly. "Morning."

Rika crossed the street confidently, her stride as energetic as her greeting. "You guys heading to school? Mind if I join you?"

"Of course," Emma replied. "The more, the merrier."

Rika joined them, launching straight into conversation. "So, how's my favorite sibling duo this morning?"

"I'm great," Emma said with a grin. "Ethan… well, he's still Ethan."

Rika laughed, flipping her hair dramatically. "Still the strong, silent type, huh? I kinda love that vibe. So mysterious."

Ethan sighed, his usual stoic expression unchanging.

"Don't mind him," Emma added. "He's just pretending he doesn't like the attention."

Rika giggled, leaning closer to Ethan with a playful grin. "Oh, I know. He walked me home yesterday and didn't even complain. That's major progress, right?"

Ethan glanced at her, his faint blush barely noticeable. "You're overthinking it."

"Am I?" Rika teased, tilting her head. "C'mon, admit it. You secretly enjoy my company."

"Sure," Ethan replied dryly. "Keep telling yourself that."

Rika clutched her chest dramatically. "Wow, the audacity! And here I thought we were bonding."

Emma chuckled. "Looks like someone's not letting you off the hook, Ethan."

As they continued walking, another familiar voice called out. "Hey, wait up!"

Turning, they saw Ryan jogging toward them, with Maya and Claire following close behind.

"Good morning, guys!" Ryan said cheerfully.

"Morning!" Maya and Claire chimed in.

"What took you so long?" Emma asked, smiling.

"Blame him," Claire said, pointing at Ryan. "He couldn't stop talking."

Ryan laughed. "Hey, I just like to keep the energy up! Anyway, Ethan, how've you been? Still keeping quiet?"

Ryan didn't wait for an answer, launching into nonstop chatter. "I mean, yesterday you were barely saying anything. And now you're here, walking with all these girls—"

"Ryan," Ethan interrupted, his tone calm.

Ryan froze. "What?"

"Breathe," Ethan said dryly. "You're gonna pass out if you keep going like that."

Ryan's eyes widened. "Wait… you're talking? Like, full sentences?"

"That's what it looks like," Ethan replied, raising an eyebrow.

Ryan stared at him, stunned. "But yesterday you were practically mute! Now you're just… you're actually talking! What gives?"

Ethan shrugged. "Got tired of nodding all the time."

The girls burst into laughter, Maya holding her sides. "Ryan, you should see your face right now!"

Claire smirked. "It's like he just told you he's an alien."

Emma grinned, nudging Ethan. "You're really throwing him off, you know that?"

Ethan rolled his eyes. "Oh, great, the Three Stooges are here."

Ryan immediately burst out laughing. "Oh man, I forgot about that nickname. The Three Stooges. Classic!"

Emma crossed her arms, glaring at Ryan. "What's so funny, huh? You think you're better than us, Ryan?"

Maya pouted, tilting her head. "Yeah, like, seriously. Stop laughing like an idiot."

Claire narrowed her eyes, her tone sharp. "Exactly. Laugh all you want, Motor Mouth, but you're just as ridiculous as the rest of us."

Ryan raised his hands defensively, still chuckling. "Alright, alright, chill out. I'm just appreciating the nostalgia."

Ethan glanced at Ryan, a faint smirk forming. "How's it going, Chatterbox?"

Ryan froze, his face turning red. "What did you just call me?"

"You heard me," Ethan replied.

The girls burst into another round of laughter.

"Chatterbox?" Maya said, barely able to breathe. "That's perfect!"

Claire grinned. "Totally fitting."

Rika giggled. "I'm using that from now on."

Ryan groaned. "Come on, you're not seriously bringing that back, are you?"

Ethan shrugged. "Seemed appropriate."

The group continued walking, their laughter echoing as they made their way to school.

They made it to the school, still talking to each other as they walked through the bustling hallways. The conversation flowed naturally, filled with jokes, laughter, and playful teasing.

"So, what's the plan for today?" Ryan asked, grinning. "Gonna blow everyone's minds by actually answering questions in class, Ethan?"

Maya chuckled. "Oh please, like he'll do anything other than stare out the window."

Claire smirked. "Window-staring is an art, you know."

Emma shook her head, smiling. "You guys are ridiculous. He's probably planning to shock us all again."

As their voices filled the hallway, they suddenly spotted the student council president, Kaede, standing by the lockers. Her posture was rigid, and her gaze was sharp as it landed on their group. The five of them slowed down, their chatter quieting as they exchanged glances.

"What's she doing here?" Claire asked, raising an eyebrow.

Maya shrugged. "Probably waiting to lecture someone. She always has something to say."

Ryan leaned in, whispering, "Ten bucks says she's here to interrogate Ethan."

Emma snorted. "I'm not betting against that."

As they approached, Ethan seemed uninterested, his focus already elsewhere. He moved to walk past Kaede without a word, but she suddenly reached out, grabbing his wrist.

"Wait!" she said, her voice sharp but her expression uncharacteristically nervous.

The group froze, their eyes widening in surprise. "Did she just… grab him?" Ryan muttered.

"And is she nervous?" Maya added, her tone incredulous.

Kaede cleared her throat, her grip tightening slightly. "Stop. I wanted to apologize for yesterday." She hesitated, her confident facade cracking for a moment. "But more importantly, don't ignore people when they're talking to you. Understand?"

The deadpan expressions on Ethan's friends were immediate. Emma crossed her arms. "Wow. That was almost an apology," she said dryly. "But then she made it all about herself."

Rika giggled, flipping her hair. "I mean, seriously, what's with the whole 'don't ignore me' vibe? Like, chill a little, Miss President."

"Classic Kaede," Claire added, rolling her eyes.

Kaede's gaze snapped to the group, her usual arrogance flaring up. "Excuse me?" she said, her tone sharper now. "Do you all have something to say?"

Ethan's calm demeanor didn't waver. He simply looked at her, his expression unreadable. Kaede noticed and huffed, her frustration growing. "What? Nothing to say? Or is it just going to be one word again?"

Ethan's friends collectively held their breath, waiting to see what he'd do. To their surprise, he finally spoke, his voice steady. "I heard you the first time. Thanks for the apology."

Kaede's eyes widened slightly, and she let go of his wrist as if burned. "You… you're talking?" she stammered, her usual composure slipping further.

Ethan nodded, stepping past her. "Yeah. See you around," he said, waving casually.

Kaede, still rooted in place, frowned and called after him. "Wait. Why are you suddenly talking so much? You ignored me yesterday and barely said a word."

Ethan stopped, turning slightly to glance at her. "Guess I felt like talking today."

Her frown deepened as she crossed her arms. "That's not an answer. Why now? And why me? You've been ignoring everyone."

He shrugged. "Didn't think there was much to say before. Maybe you caught me on a good day."

Kaede stared at him, her confusion evident. "You're impossible," she muttered, her tone a mix of frustration and curiosity. "Fine. But don't think I won't figure out what's going on with you."

Ethan smirked faintly, tilting his head. "Good luck with that," he said before continuing down the hall.

The group followed, leaving Kaede standing there, her confusion and shock evident. She blinked, her mind racing as she muttered to herself. "He… said sentences. Actual sentences."

"Yep, she's spiraling," Ryan whispered as they walked away, earning a laugh from the others.

Kaede crossed her arms, trying to regain her composure. "Unbelievable," she muttered, glaring at Ethan's retreating figure. "He's still infuriating."

As they disappeared down the hall, her usual arrogance began to mask her lingering confusion. "Who does he think he is?" she said under her breath, the faintest trace of curiosity in her voice.