Ethan was called away sometime later by his mother, by the time Annie was finished with the cookies, she cleaned up the counter and told herself she would do the dishes later.
She put the cookies neatly on a plate, each cookie having a chocolate flower drawn on it with a piping bag. Then she stalked up the stairs to go change.
Hearing the possibility of the pool being open still, Annie pulled her bikini on underneath her new yellow, long sleeved dress. She wasn't sure if she was going to go into the pool, but she figured it best be safe then sorry.
Annie swiftly walked down the stairs, grabbed the plate of cookies and headed next door for the party. She was technically early but she figured she would stop in for help with last-minute touches.
Annie stepped into the backyard of the Hawthorne's lawn, fairy lights were hung from one side of the fence to the other. A large table sat on their back porch holding what looked like an 8 course meal.
Annie set the cookies down on the table as Kia came walking out the back door with a platter in her hand, "Oh Annie! You're here! Thank you for making the cookies. I'm sorry if Ethan wasn't much help," she chuckled.
"He helped me enough," Annie giggled.
"Could you go get that boy for me? He's in his room getting ready, I need him to do one last thing for me," Kia asked with a hopeful look in her eye.
Annie nodded and smiled, "sure thing Kia."
Annie walked inside the house, taking two steps at a time up the stairs before she landed at Ethan's door. Annie gave the door a light knock, about to knock again thinking he hadn't heard it, she lifted her hand as the door swung open.
There stood Ethan without a shirt on, only in swim shorts.
Annie gulped at the sight before her, his bare chest had ridges and rivets between each muscle. For a fleeting moment her brain short-circuited, loosing all thought on why she was there in the first place.
"Hmm, not used to seeing you at my door, but I don't hate it," he broke the silence between them, Annie shook away her lustfilled thoughts.
"You're mom asked for one last favor," Annie said biting her lip, turning her gaze down the hallway as to not look at the God-looking man in front of her.
"I'll be down in a minute, come in," he said as he left the doorway, Annie took a slow step forward, taking in his room.
Dark moody, blue walls with several posters of football players, a clean dark blue matching carpet under her feet, so plush she bounced as she stepped.
Annie turned her gaze towards the window, "so that's what my room looks like from here. You can see directly onto my bed!" Annie gasped.
"Yeah, so you can't bring any special friends over," replied Ethan as he pulled on a shirt. Ethan felt happy, almost to happy that Annie was in his room.
The last time she had been in there they were 10 years old. But this time- to him, it felt different.
Annie snorted, "well I couldalways close my curtains," she shrugged before turning around go face Ethan.
Ethans face contorted, "no, don't do that either, because I'll know what your doing," he shook his head at the thought.
Annie let out a laugh, "how would you know? I could be changing?"
"Changing for an hour?" He asked her, quirking an eyebrow.
Annie gulped, 'an hour? Is that how long that usually lasts? Good God!' She thought to herself. Annie shook the thoughts from her head, "maybe I'm doing a fashion show by myself? I could be doing anything behind those curtains."
Ethan shook his head, a smirk on his lips, "doubtful, you don't close those things because you like looking at my face and being a peepingTom."
Annie felt the heat climb from her chest all the way to her hairline. "I-I donot!" she sputtered, her voice pitching an octave higher than usual. She looked for anything else to stare at- a football trophy, a loose thread on the rug- anything, anywhere but his smirking face. "You just... you never close yours! It's basic safety, Ethan. I'm practically a neighborhood watch volunteer."
Ethan chuckled, the sound low and grounded. He leaned back against his desk, crossing his arms. The playful glint stayed in his eyes, but his expression softened into something more sincere. "Alright, Officer Annie," he said softly, his voice losing its teasing edge. "But you don't have to make up excuses for looking. I've always been right here." He said before he pushed off the desk, "come on. Let's go take care of whatever favor my mom is badgering you about before you turn red permanently."
Annie gasped as she smacked Ethans arm and stalked out of his bedroom, him in tow behind her.
As soon as they made it to the backyard, Ethan and Kyson's friends had arrived. Ethan had stopped to help his mother as Annie continued to walk outside. The bright summer sun on her warmed her skin as she let out a light sigh.
By the pool, Kyson and a few of his friends were fighting eachother in the water. While on the lawn chairs sat four girls in bikinis and as Annie turned her attention to the food table she saw a girl standing in the corner, watching the boys fight in the pool.
Annie walked over to the lone girl, her hair a deep brown, matching her deep brown eyes. As the girl spotted movement to her left, she turned her gaze towards Annie.
"Hi, I'm Annie," said Annie with an outstretched hand.
"Ellie," the girl replied shyly, she wore a spaghetti strapped light green summer dress, her brown hair pulled up into a ponytail, black glasses perched on her nose.