Ava stared at the text message on her phone, her heart pounding as she reread it for the tenth time.
Ethan Blake: Hey, can we meet up at the coffee shop by school? Need to go over some ideas for the project. My treat.
She didn't want to admit it, but the message had thrown her off. They'd already agreed to meet at the library later in the week. Why was he suddenly so eager to work on the project now?
"Don't overthink it," Chloe said, popping a chip into her mouth as she sprawled across Ava's bed. "It's just a school project. He's probably trying to be a good partner."
"Yeah, but… Ethan Blake?" Ava shook her head. "He's not exactly known for being serious about school."
"Maybe he's serious about you," Chloe teased, wiggling her eyebrows.
Ava rolled her eyes, but her cheeks flushed. "You're impossible."
"And you're overanalyzing. Just go. It's not like you have anything better to do."
Chloe wasn't wrong, which was why, an hour later, Ava found herself standing outside the cozy coffee shop on the corner of Maple Street. The warm glow of fairy lights strung across the windows beckoned her inside, where the smell of fresh coffee and baked goods instantly calmed her nerves.
She spotted Ethan sitting in a booth near the back, his face partially obscured by a menu. He waved when he saw her, flashing that easy grin that seemed to come so naturally to him.
"Hey," he said as she slid into the seat across from him. "Thanks for coming."
"Sure," Ava replied, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She glanced around nervously. "So, what's the big idea?"
Ethan chuckled. "Straight to business, huh? I like that."
Ava waited, her pencil poised over her sketchbook.
"Well," he said, leaning back in his chair, "I was thinking… you're the art expert here, and I don't want to mess up your vision. But I've been doing some brainstorming, and I thought maybe we could add more movement to the project. Like, instead of just a static scene, what if we show the same moment from different angles, kind of like a story unfolding?"
Ava blinked. She hadn't expected such a thoughtful suggestion. "That's actually… a good idea."
"Don't sound so surprised," he teased, resting his chin on his hand. "I have my moments."
Ava couldn't help but smile. "Okay, so how do we make it work?"
For the next hour, they sketched out rough concepts on napkins and notebook paper. Ethan's enthusiasm was contagious, and Ava found herself relaxing, even laughing at his occasional jokes.
"Wow," he said at one point, watching her sketch with wide eyes. "You're crazy talented."
"Thanks," Ava mumbled, her cheeks heating.
"I mean it," Ethan insisted. "You should have more confidence in yourself."
Ava glanced at him, surprised by the sincerity in his voice. She wasn't used to people noticing her, let alone complimenting her.
"Thanks," she said again, this time with a small smile.
By the time they finished, the sun had dipped below the horizon, casting the coffee shop in a warm golden glow. Ava closed her sketchbook and leaned back, feeling more at ease than she had in weeks.
"Do you want a ride home?" Ethan asked as they stood outside.
"I'm good," Ava said, waving him off. "It's not far."
"You sure? It's getting dark."
"I'll be fine," she insisted.
Ethan hesitated, then nodded. "All right. See you tomorrow?"
"Yeah."
As he walked away, Ava couldn't shake the strange warmth that had settled in her chest. Maybe working with Ethan wasn't going to be as bad as she'd thought.
The next day at school, Ava found herself glancing toward Ethan's usual spot in the cafeteria. She wasn't sure why, but part of her hoped he'd acknowledge her.
"Ava!" Chloe's voice snapped her back to reality.
"What?"
"You were totally staring at him," Chloe said, smirking.
"I was not."
"Sure you weren't."
Ava groaned, burying her face in her hands. "You're the worst."
"I'm your best friend," Chloe corrected. "Which means I get to call you out when you're being weird."
"I'm not being weird," Ava muttered, but even she wasn't convinced.
Their next meeting was at Ava's house, much to her dismay. She wasn't thrilled about letting Ethan into her world, but he'd insisted it would be more productive than the library.
"You have an amazing setup," Ethan said as he stepped into her room, his eyes widening at the sight of her art supplies and canvases.
"Thanks," Ava said, shifting uncomfortably.
"This is awesome," he added, picking up a small sculpture she'd been working on. "Why don't you show this stuff off more?"
"It's not a big deal," Ava said, crossing her arms.
"It is," Ethan said firmly, setting the sculpture down. "You're seriously talented, Ava. People should see this."
She didn't know how to respond, so she changed the subject. "Let's get started."
Ethan didn't press, and they spent the next two hours refining their project. To Ava's surprise, he was focused and genuinely invested, offering ideas that complemented her own.
"You're not what I expected," she blurted out as they took a break.
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"I just… I didn't think you'd care this much about a school project."
He shrugged. "I like surprising people."
Ava smiled. "Well, you're doing a good job."
By the time Ethan left, Ava felt a strange mix of exhaustion and exhilaration. For the first time, she felt like they might actually make a good team.
As she lay in bed that night, staring at the sketches taped to her wall, she couldn't help but wonder if there was more to Ethan Blake than met the eye.