Ethan walked through the front door, still unable to get the interaction with Hamilton and Coach Langdon out of his head.

"Emmerson, you came," laughed Fraser, downing his cup of beer as he approached him. "I almost thought you wouldn't."

In truth, Ethan thought he wouldn't and started to walk home after the whole locker room thing, but decided against it as he knew that his parents would ask him about the game and he would have to tell them that he lost. They would be all condescending toward him, and he definitely didn't want that.

So, he decided to go to the party, where people would be nice to him and congratulate him even though his gameplay was the worst they'd seen in ages. "Yeah, just needed to do something before coming here."

Fraser didn't ask what it was, but if Ethan was correct, he probably didn't care either.

Ethan continued his way to the kitchen where he would hopefully find a few bottles that weren't empty yet.

He found one in a matter of seconds since the party wasn't in its prime yet and poured himself a shot, quickly downing it.

"You're thirsty," pointed out someone behind him and Ethan's blood immediately boiled.

It didn't take a genius to know that the person behind him was Ava, and it didn't take a genius to know that Ethan didn't want to deal with her.

"What do you want?" he muttered, already fed up with her before she even spoke.

"I just wanted to talk to you. We haven't done that in a while."

Ava smiled as she said that, and Ethan couldn't help but get a little upset. She obviously had other intentions, and Ethan didn't want to fall prey to her again.

"I don't want to talk to you, Ava. We've talked way too much as it is."

The words hurt a little to say, but Ethan really meant them. He didn't want to talk to her, because whatever her plan was, he would probably get hurt at the end.

She smiled knowingly. "Come on, I know you want to talk to me, Ethan. We always have so much fun when we talk."

It was true. They had a lot of fun together, but she made the decision to ruin it all. And whatever was done was done.

"Ava, I told you. I don't want to deal with your bullshit. We're done."

She turned around and the words that left her mouth were something along the lines of "For now," but Ethan was too busy turning back to the alcohol and pouring himself another drink.

"Dude, I just saw Ava leave and she seemed a little upset," said Fraser as he entered the kitchen.

Ethan wanted to be alone, but Fraser was better than anyone else there. "Let her be upset. I mean, she made me more than upset a lot of times and I don't think she has plans of apologizing to me."

"Emmerson, I doubt that she hurt you on purpose."

Ethan laughed. "Really? You think she slept with him by accident? Because I think that's very unlikely."

"I don't know why you're blaming just her. He slept with her, too."

"Yeah, I'm blaming them both. They slept together while she was together with me. And that doesn't happen by accident."

Fraser went silent for a few seconds before adding, "Well, I'm sorry that happened. But still, she seems sorry about it. At least to me."

"She hasn't apologized to me, so until then I'm assuming she isn't sorry. And if she wants to chase after me so badly, then she can. I'm just not getting back together with her."

"You say that, but I doubt it'll be the same after you have a few drinks."

Ethan shook his head. "I have no plans of getting that drunk. And if I do, then let's hope she's not crazy enough to try to sleep with me."

Ethan looked down at the drink in his hand and suddenly realized that he started too aggressively for just the first few minutes of the party. And already, he was more upset than he was when he walked in.

"Whatever you say," muttered Fraser. "Just make sure that we don't have to call an ambulance on you. I doubt your parents would appreciate that."

Ethan nodded. They wouldn't, and he wouldn't. He would just make sure not to drink too much.

"Like I said, go easy on the alcohol but don't forget to have fun."

"Yeah, you too," he replied, and turned back. He turned to the bowl of chips and took out some of it, slowly enjoying it as he listened to the loud music that came from elsewhere in the house.

Just a month or two ago, he would've been there, having fun with everyone else and partying until early hours in the morning, but he had no intentions of doing so that day.

Things were changing in Ethan Emmerson's life, changing at a pace that made it impossible for him to see that anything was different.

"Ethan, you look depressed. Did she make you upset again?"

Ethan smiled and turned around to face Joshua. "What are you doing at a highschool party? I thought you didn't like these?"

Joshua just laughed. "I only like some of them. And Fraser made sure to invite me specifically a bunch of times while I was tutoring him, so I decided to come. I'm not drinking though, so you can know I'm still the same me."

"Already seeing you come to a party that isn't mine is nice. And don't worry, I'm trying not to drink either."

Joshua frowned and said, "What caused that?"

"Just thought about it and decided not to drink. Is that so hard to believe?"

"Actually, yes it is," replied Joshua, a small smirk on his face. "You usually drink more than would be good for you."

"I know that, which is why I'm not drinking today."

There was a short pause after that when Joshua stared at Ethan intently, looking as if he was trying to figure something out. 

"It's because of Ava, isn't it? Or something in connection with her?"

Ethan laughed. "Why would me not drinking be about Ava?"

"Because too many things about you acting out of character end up being about Ava. So I'm guessing this one is too."

Ethan had to admit that Joshua was pretty much correct. Any time he was worried it was either because Ava tried to invade his life again or because of a football match, and more often than not it ended up being about Ava again.

Even when she wasn't involved in the situation directly, she somehow managed to make herself the subject of all conversations without even trying. The football team, Ethan's parents, Joshua, everything else.

All people seemed to talk and think about was Ava, and Ethan had to admit that he was getting more than a little tired of it over time, especially after he broke up with her.

"I think she wants to get back together with me," said Ethan and Joshua rolled his eyes in disappointment.

"Again? I thought you made it clear to her that you didn't want to get together with her, or something. Why is she so insistent on bothering you all the time?"

"Because she doesn't know what no means, I think. And I think she just wants someone to be with because she's feeling lonely."

Joshua sat down on one of the chairs, crossing his arms on his chest. "Yes, but when she starts to date someone, she doesn't stay with them. I mean, the whole situation with Hamilton while she was with you."

"You can just say that she cheated on me with him, it's not like I don't know by now. Everyone tries to avoid the subject, when that just makes it worse. She cheated on me with him and now she expects me to want to get back together with her."

"Well, in her defense, you got back together with her every time she asked you to, no matter what she did, so I'm guessing she thinks the same thing is going to happen now."

Ethan huffed in anger. "Well, it's not going to happen. I can promise you that."

"It better not, because I'm fed up with having to cheer you up when she makes you sad all over again."

Ethan Emmerson laughed. However, his laugh didn't seem happy, it seemed bittersweet.

He was finally done with Ava, and he told himself that it was over between them once and for all - hell, he even told her that - but he knew that she wouldn't stop until he got back together with her.

He wanted to say that he had a choice, but sometimes it felt as if he didn't.

"What do I do?"

"What do you mean, 'what do I do'? I thought you just told me what you were planning on doing."

Ethan shook his head. "No, I know that I don't want to get back together with her, but I don't know how to make it clear to her. I don't know how to really say no to her when the time comes."

Joshua just raised his shoulder, a sign that he didn't know any better. "I'd say just tell her that you don't want to get together with her when the time comes. Or, you can start dating someone new and then she might calm down."

"I don't want to date anyone just to get back at her," replied Emmerson. "And I doubt that she would calm down if I dated someone, I think she would only get angrier and try to mess with her, too."

"Then I have no idea what to tell you. I'd say file a restraining order if it's that serious, but I know that you won't do that."

They started to laugh, the way they had not laughed together in a long while. "Are you sure you don't want anything to drink?"

"I told you," answered Joshua, "I don't drink, but you can go ahead and pour yourself one."

Ethan shook his head and instead walked over to the fridge, taking out a can of coke. He popped it open and took a sip from it. "You can take one, if you want. Fraser actually has these just for the team whenever we come over, but since you guys seem to be close, he won't mind you taking it."

Joshua smiled a little at Ethan's mention of them being close and walked up to the fridge and took out his own can, in turn popping it open himself.

"I think I'm prepared to deal with Ava when the time comes. I mean, how hard can it be to just say no to her, right?"

Joshua nodded and smiled at his friend. "I believe in you, you can do this. She's scary and intimidating and would probably step on me if I said anything against her, but you can deal with her."

Ethan laughed at the mention of Ava stepping on Joshua because he couldn't help imagining it.

He took another sip from the can and thought about what Joshua had said.

It wouldn't feel right using someone to get back at Ava, but it wouldn't be using someone if he actually liked her, right?