I couldn’t sleep, I kept thinking of Ethan, I seemed to be doing that a lot lately. My dreams were completely full of him, some frightening, others nice, some even romantic, but I didn’t like being so… Addicted to another. Then again, maybe I was just being a typical girl, I mean he was really nice, or at least appeared to be, he was muscular, which is actually an understatement, and he and I were pretty similar, I was just being a typical girl. I’ll say this though, despite how frightened of him I was at times I was really looking forward to Friday night.

After I told Larissa that Ethan would be joining us she completely flipped, she and her friends were ecstatic. Honestly I would hope a guy like Ethan would know better than to go getting AIDS from a girl like Larissa, and if not then I guess there’s less to be interested in than I thought. I bugged him everyday until the day of just so her wouldn’t bail, I know guys around here tended to do that, to my surprise he didn’t and he ever offered to drive, what a gentleman. Just to be a pest I bothered him one last time after Swim practice about it, he rolled his eyes and said “Yes” I’ll admit though, I almost think I bothered him just to get another look at his muscles.

I didn’t waste anytime when I got home, I put on my best outfit and got any and all things I may need, some money, ID, pepper spray, the typical American girl’s purse load basically. Larissa was, to nobody’s surprise, wearing a very revealing dress but everyone else was pretty decent. Larissa kept asking me if Ethan was really coming, I now felt pretty bad for giving him that same treatment, it really was annoying. Finally after asking me for the twenty-seventh time we heard a car pull up, I checked and recognized Ethan’s car, I quickly rushed out to greet him. Of course every single one of us stopped dead when we saw him, he was wearing a tight sleeveless shirt and his usual black jeans, but it was the top that had us captivated.

“Aren’t you going to get in? I’m only getting older here.” He smiled cryptically as if there was some hidden joke. I was the first one to snap out of it so I got to ride in front with him, this didn’t please the other girls who were stuck in back. None of them really complained though, they were instantly preoccupied with attempting to flirt with Ethan and hoping he would flirt back, it didn’t work. I just remained quiet, anything I would have wanted to discuss with him was not for Larissa or frankly any of my friends’ ears. I did however enjoy the view from the front, the wind gently blowing his hair around, he looked like a modern day Greek God.

“So, Mychaela, how’d that research on the Great Fire go?” I was shocked by his sudden question, not because it was a startling subject, just because he’d spoken to me, who was being the quietest one in the car. I just looked down sheepishly and said “It gave me nightmares.” He laughed and asked “Why? The fire that bad?” he continued to laugh as I whispered “No, I just saw something disturbing in the ‘people involved’ section.” Somehow I felt like he heard me, because after I said that he became silent and his upbeat aura seemed to become very solemn. I continued looking at him hoping he’d start up another conversation, but he never did.

We finally arrived, it was almost like a miniature Las Vegas to be honest. There were lights everywhere and also the faint scent of alcohol and cheap cologne. Larissa really knew how to pick a good place didn’t she? Oh well, we had Ethan who was probably tougher than any guy here so I felt very safe. “Hey, I’m going to go get myself some coffee”, he gestured to a small little stand across the street, “I’ll be right back, ok?” We all just said “Ok.” and watched him walk away. Immediately Larissa dragged us all into a nearby club, the source of the alcohol smell.

I will admit I was very uncomfortable, and Larissa’s excitement only made matters worse. I was able to deal with it until this clearly drunk guy started flirting with me, I looked for Larissa hoping she’d bail me out but there she was, dancing with some guy, or maybe more than one, I wasn’t sure. The other girls were just sitting at one of the tables. This guy here really reminded me of Raven, thinking he could touch me wherever he wanted, but he aimed a little higher than my thigh so by reflex I hit him. I believe that was the worst mistake I could have made.

“You little b****! I’ll show you!” The man grabbed me by the arm and dragged me outside, slamming me against the wall. It took Larissa and my other friends long enough to show up, but they were afraid to do anything. The man was cursing at me, some words I couldn’t understand because he kept tripping over them, but that only frightened me more. Suddenly two other guys came out and joined him, “Well now, Rob, looks like we got ourselves a cute one.” The guy who had a hold of me, Rob turned to the two guys and said “Which of us gets to do her first?” I was now very afraid.

Just as the other two began to close in, out of the corner of my eye I saw Ethan’s head snap toward me, he looked infuriated. Immediately his powerful legs were propelling him toward us and just as one of the guys turned to see who was coming his face met Ethan’s clenched fist. Alarmed, the other guy turned around and pulled out a pocket knife, Ethan didn’t even flinch though even when the man stabbed into his shoulder, he just grabbed him and tossed him into the nearby garbage cans. Ethan pulled the knife out of his shoulder and tossed it aside glaring at Rob.

“What, you got a problem, girlie boy? Take your long a** hair and get your own broad I found this girl, see?” Ethan closed in on the man who was too drunk to realize what he was up against. “I found her first, buddy, now get your hands off of her or I’ll kill you.” He used another word before “hands” that I pretended not to hear. The man was still refusing to let go, I hadn’t thought he was serious but a few seconds later Rob was the one against the wall with Ethan’s fist clenched around his throat. Rob tried to fight but he was no match, Ethan then grabbed Rob’s face and I swear I heard cracking, as if he was breaking his skull in, his muscles were bulging as he tightened his grip and Rob shrieked in agony.

Now, most people would assume that Ethan’s superior strength was what had me dumbfounded, however it wasn’t, what did have me dumbfounded was that I began to smell something burning as the cracking grew louder. Suddenly as if breaking a trance Ethan released him and staggered back. This worried me, I had thought Rob had maybe stabbed him fatally, but upon close inspection I realized he was fine, but I couldn’t say the same for Rob, his face had burns all over them, blisters, none of those had been there before. I looked from one man to the other trying to figure out what had just happened, as the sound of sirens began to echo Ethan ordered us to go back to the car, and we, not wishing to anger him, obeyed.

I turned once to look back and I saw him place his hand on Rob again, he was muttering something, but I couldn’t hear what. When he removed his hand Rob’s face no longer had any burns or blisters, like they’d never been there, now I really thought I was going insane! A few minute later Ethan jumped into his seat and sped off. I immediately asked him what had happened and he said “I let the guy off easy, understand, Mychaela? We’re not discussing this right now, just trust me.” Larissa and the other girls seemed completely uninterested in whatever he may have meant by that, it never ceased to amaze me how ignorant they could be.

The ride back was very quiet, I guess when someone in the group almost gets raped nothing seems like a good topic. Ethan dropped the other girls off at Larissa’s place and jut sat there, I looked at him and noticed to my surprise he was staring right at me. He opened his mouth to speak but slowly closed it, I guess he was at a loss for words as well. Finally after another few minutes he tried again, this time successfully. “Mychaela, what happened tonight never happened, understand? I took you downtown and we had a blast, that’s it.” I looked at him in shock, “Never happened?! I almost get raped and you claim it never happened?!” He remained calm, “I mean after I arrived.”

I was beginning to understand now, “So I’m not crazy? You really…” I claimed I wasn’t crazy but now that I finally had some reassurance I couldn’t even conceive of what I thought I’d seen. He smiled warmly, “I forgave him and spared him, and I now wish to forget it.” He was a clever one, using morals, which I was a very firm believer in morals, to persuade me. “Ethan, something did happen though! His face was covered in-” before I could finish his lips were on mine and he was kissing me. My eyes went wide and my mouth dropped open when he stopped, “Will that convince you nothing happened?” I stared at him now completely dazed, but I would not give in, or maybe I wanted him to try and persuade me again.

“You… You…” I attempted to accuse him but all that came out was “You… Are a great kisser.” He smiled at me and said “Good girl, now that the awkward part is over what say you I get you home?” I couldn’t think, I couldn’t argue, I couldn’t agree, only nod. We drove off and I continued to stare at him, now with yearning rather than base curiosity. Ethan had just taken my pitiful little High School crush and turned it into something more, he’d really made a mess of things with that kiss. That sweet, fiery kiss, come to think of it, my lips had felt a burning sensation as he kissed me, that only convinced me more of what I had seen. We finally arrived at my home, my mother still hadn’t gotten back from work, late shift I suppose.

I couldn’t bring myself to move, I just kept staring and he stared back, he slowly smiled. “Mychaela…” his soft voice was so beautiful when it spoke my name, “Don’t fall for me.” I wasn’t listening, in fact I think I was inching closer to him, I felt a lot like Larissa doing that. He sighed and frowned at me, but I still came closer, until finally I was just inches away from his lips, I didn’t hear him complaining or see him backing up, maybe it was ok? He whispered in a voice that made my skin crawl “I could do a lot worse than just kiss you Mychaela.” To my surprise I was smiling as I replied “Are you going to burn the rest of me?”

Now his eyes had gone wide, startled. “I burnt your lips?” obviously he had not been aware of this. I inched in closer and said “Want to find out?” now he was afraid, and to be honest I should have been too. I wasn’t afraid though, I loved the sensation of his lips, it was addicting. Even the burning, it was almost… Pleasurable. He backed up as far as he could and when he did I stopped, realizing what I was doing. I immediately went back to my seat and sank down ashamed of myself. “I… Have to go!” I opened the door and dashed inside my heart still pounding from this realization. I wasn’t like the other girls! I was innocent, I had morals! I didn’t go trying to get a kiss from a guy in such a manner! I couldn’t believe myself! I quickly rushed upstairs and dipped my head in cold water, tomorrow I had a lot of apologizing to do.