7. The Childhood Connection

-- ♡ - Narrated by Halena - ♡ --

You ever have one of those moments where something so obvious smacks you in the face, and you wonder how you've been so blind this whole time?

Yeah.

That was me.

And the worst part?

The person I had been blind to...

Was Ethan.

-- The Great Escape Plan --

After the basketball disaster, I did what any reasonable person would do.

Avoid Ethan at all costs.

It should have been easy.

College was big.

We had different classes.

I had mastered the art of dodging people.

Unfortunately, the universe hates me.

Because somehow, no matter where I went...

Ethan was there.

Library? There.

Cafeteria? There.

Random hallway where I thought I'd be safe? Oh look, there's Ethan, leaning against the wall like he's in a dramatic movie scene.

I was losing my mind.

-- The "Aha!" Moment --

It happened by accident.

I was sitting with my roommates when Anna randomly brought up childhood friends.

> "Did any of you ever have one?" she asked, eating a cookie.

I shrugged. "I did, but it was so long ago. I don't even remember much."

Anna gasped. "Wait! What was his name?"

I frowned, trying to dig through my memory.

> "It was something weird... like..." I tapped my chin. "Eli? Evan? Ethan?"

Silence.

My brain froze.

Wait.

Ethan?

No.

There was no way.

Right?

Right?!

-- Denial is a Beautiful Thing --

I refused to believe it.

There was NO way Ethan was my childhood friend.

Sure, I had spent an entire summer with a boy in my mom's village.

Sure, we had made a dumb promise to meet again one day.

Sure, his name had been suspiciously close to Ethan's.

But Ethan was not that boy.

Nope. Impossible. I refused.

Until I accidentally proved myself wrong.

-- The Notebook Incident --

That same evening, I went to the library to clear my chaotic thoughts.

I found an empty seat, sat down, and opened my notebook.

And there it was.

An old, faded piece of paper tucked inside.

I pulled it out, unfolding it carefully.

The writing was messy, but the words?

I remembered them.

> "No matter what happens, we'll meet again. And when we do, we'll still be friends."

It was our promise.

And at the bottom?

The name of the boy who wrote it.

Ethan.

I dropped the paper.

No. Way.

-- The Confrontation --

I found Ethan in the library.

Because of course I did.

I slammed my hands on his table, startling him.

> "YOU!" I accused.

Ethan blinked up at me. "...Me?"

I shoved the paper in his face. "Explain this."

He took one look at it and smirked.

> "Oh. You finally remembered."

I gasped. "YOU KNEW?!"

Ethan shrugged. "I was waiting for you to figure it out."

Oh. My. God.

I collapsed into the chair across from him.

> "You mean to tell me," I said, voice shaking, "that you've known this whole time and didn't say a WORD?"

Ethan leaned back. "It was fun watching you struggle."

I stared at him.

Then, without thinking.....

I threw my notebook at him.

> "OW... Halena!"

> "YOU LET ME LOOK LIKE AN IDIOT FOR WEEKS!"

Ethan laughed.

LAUGHED.

I wanted to scream.

But instead, I slumped over the table, groaning into my arms.

My childhood best friend had been right in front of me this entire time.

And I hadn't even noticed.

-- The Past, Revisited --

Once I stopped threatening violence, Ethan actually... talked.

He told me he had recognized me immediately.

That he had waited to see if I'd remember.

That he had even kept the other half of our childhood promise note.

I was speechless.

> "I can't believe you," I muttered. "You could've just said something!"

Ethan smirked. "But this was more fun."

I threw a pen at him.

-----

To be continued...