Can't Get You Out of My Head (please get out of my head I'm begging) (bxb)

17 | the start of a series of unfortunate events

My palms are sweating on the handles of my bike. I hold it steady outside Ethan's house. If I were riding it, my fingers would've slid right off.

I can hear him in the backyard, searching for his bike in the shed. He sees me as he wheels it out.

"Heyy, Lukas!"

"Hey Ethan. You all ready to go?"

"Yeah! I've been looking forward to seeing the lake." He nods at the basket strapped onto my bike. "What's in the box?"

"I brought some um, sandwiches and stuff? In case we get hungry."

I had packed a picnic but shit that's so romantic and I'm nervous about the moment he realizes that this is actually supposed to be a date. Maybe I should have specified when I asked earlier? I keep forgetting he can't read my mind.

When I asked if he wanted to go see the lake today I thought it was implied. But Ethan had just thought 'Lake! Pretty!' and completely missed out on the bit where I was trying to ask him out.

"Oh! Good idea." He throws his leg over the seat of his bike. I wonder if Lukas made the sandwiches himself. He would look so cute buttering little slices of bread.

I get on my bike too, pushing down on the pedals. The wheels roll over cobblestones as we ride down the street. I grip the handles tight, not knowing what to talk about. Ethan has a million thoughts on his mind but I can't converse about any of them.

"It's always so sunny here," he remarks as we draw near the forest.

"Not usually...but yeah, it hasn't rained since you got here," I say, just realizing it.

We pass the pretzel stand and wave to Christine. She grins at me as she realizes what's going on. Have fun on your date!

Soon, a thick overhead of tree branches makes the sunlight dapple. Rustling leaves sound like the trees are trying to sing. Ethan is in a violent green shirt, like he's part of the forest itself.

We turn right when we come to the fork in the path, and before too long we enter the clearing.

"Woahh," Ethan says, half falling off his bike in his attempt to get off.

The lake is a deep, intense blue, it's surface rippling and glittering like sapphires. There's a picturesque bridge over the thinnest part of it, and small boats tied up at a makeshift dock.

I lean my bike against a sturdy tree trunk. Ethan is already crouching at the edge of the water, staring into its depths. It looks like a portal into another world. Or like...Lukey's pretty blue eyes.

I smile at his imagination as I load the picnic basket into a boat. The nickname which should have irritated me sends a flutter through my chest instead. Lukey. Maybe we could take it out into the water and share a meal at sunset.

Ethan rips himself from the edge of the lake, bounding towards the tied up boats. "This is so exciting! I've never been on a boat before."

"Really?" I hold it steady for him to get in.

"Maybe those ones at Disneyland? You know, for the rides. But those are like automated boats, I don't think they count."

Ethan jumps into the boat and it nearly tips over. He stumbles and falls into the seat.

"Hey! Be careful." I tighten my grip on it.

"Sorry!" He thumps the seat opposite him hard enough to rock the little boat. "You can get in."

I gingerly step inside and untie the rope, pushing the picnic basket under the seat. Picking up an oar, I give a hard push to get us off the bank. The light current works in our favour, pulling us gently to the middle of the lake without needing to row.

"Oooh let's try to get to the other side," Ethan says excitedly.

"Sure." I dip my oar in the water. "Where's the other oar?"

He looks under the seat between his legs and then feels around on the seat.

"Oh, I'm sitting on it." I was wondering what that thing poking my butt was. I just jumped on it a little till it moved away.

He shifts to his feet fast and the boat sways, making him crash into me. His arm hits my thigh and he falls to his knees, right between my legs. Ethan peeks up at me through a curtain of dark caramel curls. He blinks and long lashes flutter over big, brown eyes, a picture of sweet innocence—all while thinking the dirtiest thoughts imaginable.

I never thought I'd get so red. I bite the inside of my cheek so hard I'm sure I draw blood. Averting my eyes, I will my heartbeat to return to normal. I remind myself that I'm trying to date him long-term, and with that thought in mind I practically shove him back into his seat. Once Ethan is steady, I reach for the second oar. It is neatly snapped in the middle.

"Oh Ethan," I say in disappointment. Disappointed at him, but more disappointed at myself for not checking earlier.

"Oh no! I must've broke it when I sat on it." He brings the two pieces together as if he can magically repair it. "I think we can still use the bottom half."

"I think it's too short to be much use," I say as he frantically dips in it the water and tries to paddle.

Both his fists grip the short oar, and he thrusts it into the water like he's trying to churn butter. His breath comes out in breathy little pants and his cheeks flush pink with the exertion...and now it's my mind that's in the gutter. The boat spins in a slow circle.

"Lukas," he gasps. "We're stuck out here. No one will find us. We're going to starve to death...and the birds will feed on our carcasses. And soon we'll be just a pile of entangled bones." OH NO I said entangled like my bones are going to be on his bones and both our bones will just be TOUCHING and—

"We're like ten metres from the shore." And I did pack a picnic....

"Is that a lot? Is that a little? I don't know!" How many feet is that?!

"It's about this distance." I gesture at the space between us and the river bank. "Approximately thirty feet?"

"Oh, thirty feet's not that bad."

"You can see it."

He glares at me. "I just have really bad depth perception."

Ethan swings his arm in a dramatic gesture, accidentally smacking me with the wet side of the oar.

"Hey!"

"Sorry!"

"You're dripping it everywhere." I wrest it from his grasp and toss it into the lake.

"No! We need that!" he yelps, hurling himself off the side of the boat.

I grab his waist. "You can't use it for anything."

"You must have HOPE, Lukas!" Ethan struggles and the boat rocks dangerously on its side. How will we row back to shore?!

He lunges again for the broken piece of oar. It bobs along merrily, floating just out of reach. My hold on him tightens, trying to pull us both to safety. Ethan tries to use his arms as paddles to steer us closer to the useless piece of wood.

And he sends us both over the edge.