They ran. Through the open night, through the breeze that kissed their skin, through streets still humming with faint echoes of post-show energy. Sydney's laughter floated like music in the cool air, bubbling and bright, as she held tightly onto Ethan's hand. Their fingers laced, refusing to let go.
Ethan glanced back at her every few seconds, grinning like a maniac. She was laughing—really laughing—the kind of laugh that made her tilt her head back and forget about everything else. Her silver mask had slipped halfway off, clinging by the tiniest bit of elastic, her hair now a glorious mess flying in every direction. And still, she kept running, the two of them like kids escaping curfew.
They skidded to a halt near the tour bus lot, breathless, panting and flushed, their joined hands refusing to part.
"Wait, wait—" Sydney gasped, doubling over slightly, her hands on her knees.
Ethan slowed immediately, turning with concern. "Sorry! Sorry, I didn't mean to sprint like that. I just— I didn't want them to catch up to us." He fussed over her, stepping close, brushing a strand of wild hair from her face, eyes flicking over her like he was checking for injuries.
But instead of a reply, he was met with a full-blown, doubled-over howl of laughter.
He froze.
Sydney was laughing so hard, her face had gone bright red—whether from the run or the hilarity, he wasn't sure. Her mask had fully given up at this point, hanging around her neck like a defeated necklace. Her hair whipped into her face with every gust of wind, adding to the chaotic comedy of the moment.
Ethan stood rooted, something in his chest doing a small somersault as he stared. There was something about that laugh, her wild, uninhibited joy. It drew him in completely. His gaze softened, his lips parting slightly as he drank in her glow.
Then—thud.
"OOF!" he groaned as her hand playfully smacked his chest, pulling him out of his daze. He blinked, slightly dazed, to find Sydney half-glaring, half-laughing.
"What was that?!" she asked, mock-scolding as she hit him again, this time even gentler.
"What? You didn't like it?" Ethan said, grinning wickedly, flashing all his teeth like he just won something.
Sydney narrowed her eyes. "It's not that—it's—"
He cut her off, eyebrows wiggling. "Ohhh, so you did like it. What, can't get enough of me singing to you, huh?"
She gasped dramatically. "Of course I love your singing! And I love when you sing to me—it's just—"
"AH-HA!" he said triumphantly, pointing a finger at her. "She said it! She loves it, people! And she loves me singing to her. You heard it here first."
Sydney rolled her eyes so hard they almost left orbit. "Oh, you," she groaned, giving him a light shove as they both broke into laughter again, the tension between them melting into something sweet and electric.
Then—
"Are you loverbirds not tired?"
They froze.
Both their heads snapped around like kids caught sneaking cookies. Standing a few feet away was Rebecca, arms folded, expression caught somewhere between amused and skeptical. She leaned casually against the door of one of the tour buses, giving them that all-knowing, sharp-eyed look only Rebecca could pull off. Her gaze dropped to their hands—still locked together—and then to the grins still on their faces.
Ethan, instantly nervous, said, "What?"
Rebecca didn't move. "I don't know… I just feel like you did something again."
Sydney immediately looked away, biting her lip, while Ethan threw his hands up in mock innocence.
"What?! How could you even say that?" he said, adopting a deeply offended tone. "After everything we've been through? After the trust we've built? You wound me, Rebecca. Deeply." He clutched his chest dramatically, taking a step back like she'd stabbed him in the heart.
She gave him a flat, deadpan stare. "Yes. I don't trust you."
Ethan gasped. "So cold. So cruel. And after I saved your Starbucks order from being messed up that one time. This is how you repay me?"
"Oh please," she replied, not moving an inch. "You forgot my whipped cream and gave me almond milk instead of oat milk. I almost died."
"Details, details," he said, waving a hand like an over-the-top villain. "I am still a victim here!"
She looked at him like he was a confused squirrel. "I don't have time for this."
Her tone shifted as she turned slightly serious. "I was actually coming to call you two. If we want to get to the next state before sunrise, we need to leave. Now."
Sydney straightened, nodding. "Oh! I'm coming." She looked over at Ethan, smile softening. "Thanks for tonight. I had a great time." Then she leaned in and gave him a warm hug, whispering into his ear, "Also… you are a terrible actor."
Ethan smirked against her hair. "Then I guess I need me a teacher, huh?"
She pulled away, eyes shining, both of them lingering for a second longer than necessary. Sydney began to walk toward the bus, glancing back every few steps. Ethan waved lazily, grinning like a boy with a crush for the first time. Their eyes met again, one last silent smile exchanged before she stepped inside.
Ethan sighed, his whole body melting like butter under the moonlight. But the moment his head tilted even slightly to the side—
"YEAAAHHH!"
He jumped.
Standing inches away—still there—was Rebecca, arms crossed, eyebrows raised, expression unreadable. Ethan had completely forgotten she was still watching.
"JESUS!" he yelped, stumbling back a bit, hand on his chest. "Could you not lurk like a ghost in a horror movie?!"
Rebecca didn't flinch. She just blinked slowly. "Mhm."
Then, in her usual calm, slightly threatening voice, she added, "Lord help me, Ethan, if you did anything even remotely stupid tonight, I swear that wing interview disaster will look like a bedtime story compared to what I'll do to you."
A chill ran down Ethan's spine. He gave her his most charming, innocent smile. "Nothing happened! You are so paranoid. Honestly, you should relax more. Do some yoga. Meditate."
She just stared.
No blink.
No smile.
Nothing.
He swallowed. Hard.
Finally turning away, he muttered, "Why is she so scary?" to no one in particular as he slowly made his way to his own bus. He could still feel her eyes on the back of his neck like two lasers boring holes into his skull.
He shivered again.
"A whole guardian angel with a knife," he whispered as he climbed the steps and disappeared inside.
Ethan Jones might have said it was nothing but the world didn't think so
The world didn't wake up quietly the next morning.
It exploded.
Phone screens lit up with buzzing notifications, social media feeds jammed with replayed videos, and every gossip outlet had something to say. Ethan Jones hadn't just performed a show in Kansas last night—he had dropped a nuclear bomb of mystery, romance, and chaos into pop culture.
Headlines bloomed like fireworks across the internet:
🎤 Billboard.com:
WHO IS THAT? Mystery girl spotted fleeing Ethan Jones' surprise Kansas performance.
📸 People Magazine:
ETHAN JONES' LEADING LADY DISCOVERED?! Fans want answers. Now.
🧁 Cosmo:
Are you a beautiful girl with a thing for pop stars? Ethan Jones might just have a type 👀
📰 Teen Vogue:
SURPRISE CONCERT?! Ethan Jones shocks Kansas fans with an impromptu post-show performance... and a mysterious escape.
💄 Elle:
Forget the vocals, WHO'S THE GIRL? A breakdown of the 12 seconds that broke the internet.
👀 Buzzfeed:
Let's overanalyze Ethan Jones' body language in this blurry fan video for clues he might be in love.
The headlines of the magazines and bloggers and all were in full view a potential love story of Ethan jones circulating out was not something they would leave lying down .
And then came the big guns: TMZ On TV.
The studio lights beamed down on the familiar faces of Harvey Levin, Charles Latibeaudiere, Van Lathan, and Raquel Harper as the segment began.
A grainy, shaky video played on the massive screen behind them. It was fan-shot footage, probably from an iPhone, judging by the vertical frame and frantic screaming in the background. The scene? Outside the Kansas concert venue, post-show. The stage lights had dimmed, but the vibe was still electric.
A guy—was seen dancing with fans, laughing, then launching into an unexpected performance in the alley. He hit a vocal run so breathtaking that even through low-quality audio, it gave goosebumps. Then came the moment: someone shouted "ETHAN JONES!" from off-camera. A figure, dressed in black hoodie over his face, grabbed the hand of a blond-haired girl beside him. Together, they bolted down the alley and disappeared into the night.
The clip ended.
Harvey sat forward, smiling knowingly. "Okay, people. That's the viral video blowing up the internet. This happened just twenty minutes after Ethan Jones' official concert in Kansas last night. That clip? Already at 3 million views by this morning. But the question everyone's asking is: was that Ethan Jones—"
"Was that Ethan Jones?!" Charles interrupted with disbelief, waving his hands. "Are we joking? What—are we all new here?! Look, if you have to ask, you're not even a fan of music. You might be a hater. That voice? That range? That signature run at the end?"
Van leaned in with a laugh. "Yeah, man, nobody sings like that! Ethan's vocals are like... silk covered in fire."
"And if that's Ethan Jones," Raquel added, fanning herself dramatically, "then the real question is... WHO IS THAT GIRL? And how can we be her?!"
Charles gasped with mock betrayal. "Oooh, I just know some hearts shattered last night."
"Shattered?!" Van echoed. "Twitter is already a graveyard of heart emojis. That man had his arms around her like—like she was the chorus to his next hit."
Harvey smirked then faced the cameras. "Before y'all jump to conclusions—this is not Billie Eilish. Billie was in New Orleans last night, rehearsing for her festival show today."
Raquel tilted her head dramatically. "So what you're saying is... Ethan Jones is playing UNO with someone else?"
The room burst into laughter.
"Alright, folks," Harvey said, recovering, "back to the top—who do you think that mystery lady is? And more importantly—what did she do to capture the heart of the biggest rising pop star in the world right now?"
The segment ended with dramatic music and the TMZ logo spinning across the screen.
But it didn't stop there.
Over at E! News – Nightly Pop, things were getting just as juicy.
Justin Sylvester practically leaped into frame as the next segment opened.
"Ohhhh LORD, finally!" he shouted. "I've been dying to get to this topic. Like, how long do we have? Ten minutes? Twenty? This is not enough."
"Our next segment is titled: IS THAT ETHAN JONES?" Morgan Stewart said with a smirk.
"More like, Who's that girl?" Hunter March chimed in. "But go off."
The same video played on their screen, this time with E! production magic—slow motion, dramatic zoom-ins, sparkles, even a red circle around the couple as they dashed offscreen.
Justin pointed. "First of all—look at that crowd. This man turned a back alley into Coachella. The stage was the sidewalk, and the man still gave vocals like it was the Grammys!"
"The exit?" Morgan added, clutching her chest. "He dips out like Batman but make it romantic. Like, sir. Please. My heart can't take this."
"The way she holds his hand, y'all," Hunter said. "It's not even the 'I just met him' grip. That's the 'we've been secretly dating for five months' handhold."
Justin fake-sobbed. "Ethan, I also have blonde hair. I can hold your hand too. Just saying."
"How did this happen?" Morgan said. "When did Ethan Jones become a stealthy Romeo? WHO IS SHE?"
Hunter rubbed his chin dramatically. "Plot twist—it is Billie. She booked the jet, the disguise, the whole thing."
"Okay, now you're spiraling," Morgan laughed.
"All I know is," Justin said, eyes twinkling, "if that is his girlfriend, I need her skincare routine, her closet tour, and also her address. For science."
They all sighed, heads tilted like heartbroken teens.
"To be loved by a singer," Morgan whispered.
"Amen," Hunter said.
And with that, the internet erupted.
Online Comments:
@SarahLovesEthan: Ethan whyyyy 😭😭😭 I thought we had a connection.
@Lexi_M: Who was that girl that got with Ethan?! I thought we ALL agreed he was for everyone???
@TiaUnoQueen_: I ALSO love playing Uno, Ethan. Come play with me. My DMs are open.
@Lila.G._musicfan: I still think it's Billie. She dyed her hair not long ago. She has jets. I'm not crossing her off.
@JulesMartinez.xo: Ethan I also have blonde hair, blue eyes, and two working legs. Let me love you!
@k.m.addison: Who knows who that bitch is. I need her account now. Please. For closure.
Somewhere far away, inside a moving bus speeding down the highway…
A hand gripped a phone so tightly the screen's brightness dimmed from pressure. Rebecca's eyes were wide, glassy, locked on the countless videos, articles, memes, and... heartbreak.
"Rebecca…" Bella said gently from the passenger seat. "Please calm down. It's just a video. Just rumors."
Rebecca didn't respond.
She stared at a tweet.
Ethan Jones might be taken, ladies.
Her chest rose and fell in sharp, uneven breaths.
Then she snapped.
"ETHAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!"