Ariana
After my last lecture, I hurried over to meet Ethan. My mind was swirling with all the things I needed to talk to him about, the pressure from my parents and the mess with Ryder. When I spotted him sitting under one of the big oak trees on campus, I felt a wave of relief. He was someone I could trust, someone who understood me without judgment.
“Hey,” I said as I walked up to him. He looked up from his phone and smiled, his easy-going demeanor instantly calming my nerves.
“Hey, you,” he replied, standing up and pulling me into a brief hug. “You okay?”
I shook my head. “Not really. We need to talk.”
We walked over to a quieter spot by the benches, and I let out a heavy sigh, gathering my thoughts. “So, last night, my parents… they basically cornered me about Ryder again. They’re
