Chapter 7: "The Weight of Silence"

After Ethan finished washing himself in the small lake, he sat on the edge, letting the cold water clear his thoughts as he took deep breaths. Now calmer, he looked at Jason, who remained beside him, distracted by his phone. Suddenly, a memory crossed his mind.

—Hey… —Ethan said, frowning—. When I froze back there, in front of the crowd, and you pulled me out… —he paused, trying to gather his thoughts—. Please tell me you grabbed my guitar case.

Jason looked up, a little surprised by the question.

—Oh, yeah —he responded, nodding toward the grass behind them—. I left it right there.

Ethan let out a sigh of relief.

—Thanks… I didn't realize it at the time —he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck nervously—. I was too caught up in my head.

—Yeah, I noticed —Jason said, smiling—. You were like a statue out there. If I hadn't pulled you away, you'd probably still be standing there.

Ethan chuckled lightly, though the tension of the memory still lingered in his body as he recalled how his nerves had trapped him in front of the crowd.

—Well, at least you're thinking more clearly now —Jason added, giving Ethan a friendly pat on the shoulder—. And hey, if it's any consolation, you really impressed everyone. Even with the bird thing… you know.

Ethan laughed with Jason, though the situation still felt surreal. As he stood up and walked toward his guitar, a familiar sound interrupted his thoughts: his phone. It was an old flip phone that he had received as a gift before moving to Los Angeles. Its dark blue color and worn edges gave it a nostalgic look. The hinge creaked slightly as he opened it, revealing the classic keypad under a slightly larger screen.

Quickly, he picked it up, and what he saw on the screen made him freeze again, just like he had on stage. His phone displayed six missed calls from someone saved as "Mom."

Seeing his friend frozen once more, Jason frowned and asked, confused:

—Ethan? Don't tell me… again?

Ethan, still in shock, turned the phone toward Jason, showing him the screen where an incoming call from his mother was ringing. Jason saw the name "Mom" in the center of the notification and immediately understood the situation.

—Answer her! —he shouted, snapping Ethan out of his daze.

Ethan, finally reacting, pressed the button to accept the call, holding the phone a little further from his ear, fully aware of what was about to happen.

Immediately, his mother's voice flooded the air, almost like a storm.

—How could you do this to me?! You know how worried I was! I called you six times, and you didn't even bother to answer!

His mother's voice was a bit distorted due to poor reception, but it was loud enough for Jason, who was standing at a respectful distance, to catch bits and pieces of the scolding. He leaned closer, whispering with concern:

—I think you should take it off speaker, man.

Ethan looked at him, embarrassed and anxious.

—It's not on speaker… —he whispered back.

Jason's eyes widened, and he let out a small squeak, swallowing hard.

—I'm sorry —Jason mouthed silently, but in a way that Ethan could easily understand the message.

Ethan could only nod, bracing himself for the lecture that was far from over. Jason watched his friend with a mix of sympathy and slight amusement. Even though he couldn't hear every word his mother was shouting over the phone, he caught enough fragments to understand the tone.

—… worried all afternoon! I can't believe… irresponsible… never again!

Ethan kept the phone a safe distance from his ear, trying to mask the panic on his face, but Jason could see how the lecture was crashing down on him like an unstoppable storm.

—Come on, man… —Jason muttered under his breath, wishing it would end soon.

—… and besides, without a word! Not even a single… six calls, Ethan, six!

Jason swallowed again, feeling a pang of secondhand embarrassment for his friend. The uncomfortable silence between them, broken only by his mother's outbursts, was almost comical to Jason, though he didn't dare smile. Ethan barely nodded, as if he had resigned himself to his fate.

Ethan waited for his mother to calm down, knowing that interrupting her during these types of rants would only make things worse. After a few seconds of silence, he realized it was his turn to speak.

—Mom, I'm really sorry. I decided to hang out with a new friend, and we lost track of time.

There was a murmur, much calmer now. Jason had no idea what they were talking about when Ethan replied:

—What? But why would you want…? —he paused—. Well, yes, but… —another longer pause—. I understand.

At that moment, he offered the phone to Jason.

—My mom wants to talk to you —Ethan said, and he saw the playful glint in his friend's eyes darken instantly.

Jason took the phone, trying to put on a more composed voice.

—Hello, Mrs. G, how are you?… —he nodded, listening to her speak—. Yes, he's with me… —he paused, glancing at Ethan with a conspiratorial look—. I understand… —he whispered, his tone soft as he glanced at Ethan again—. Yes, it won't happen again; I'll take care of him. —He ended, handing the phone back to Ethan.

Jason, with a big smile on his face, added:

—She seems like a nice person…

Ethan just smiled back, feeling a bit of relief amidst his internal storm.

—Well, I think I have to go back home now. My mom will probably take everything away from me, so I'll be cut off, but we'll talk at school. And Jason, thanks for everything today, really.

Jason nodded, giving a modest shrug.

—I'm the one who should thank you for helping me with the video. Who knows, maybe it'll turn into something big… though I'm not counting on it going viral or anything. But hey, at least it was fun, right?

Ethan smiled, feeling that Jason's support always made things a bit better, no matter what was going on.

As he walked home, his mind drifted back to the feelings he had during his performance. He remembered the adrenaline rushing through his veins as he prepared to sing, the thrill of the applause, and the fleeting connection with the crowd, only for it all to crumble in confusion and surprise when the bird startled him. He pondered the possibility of the video going viral, and though he tried not to think too much about it, the idea filled him with cautious optimism. However, the reality of his home, with its possible scolding, loomed over him like a dark cloud.

When he arrived home, Ethan felt like he was walking into a battlefield. The door creaked as it opened, and his mother greeted him with a look that said it all.

—Ethan —she said, crossing her arms—. We need to talk.

Ethan felt small under her gaze.

—I know, Mom. I'm really sorry for being late. I shouldn't have…

—No, it's not just that —his mother interrupted—. I've been calling you because I was worried. I promised you there wouldn't be consequences this time, but this can't happen again.

Ethan's heart sank as his mother continued.

—So, until further notice, you're grounded. No going out, no phone, and no music for a week.

—But why? You can't punish me for something that happened… —he tried to argue, his voice trembling slightly.

—It's not just for that! —his mother raised her voice, her frustration palpable—. It's for the disrespect and irresponsibility you've shown. You need to learn from this.

Ethan felt even smaller under the weight of her words, as if he were trapped in a storm of emotions. The reality of his punishment hit him hard, and in that moment, he knew he would have to endure not just his mother's disappointment, but also the loneliness that awaited him in the coming days.

With nothing to do, he locked himself in his room. At that moment, a memory flashed in his mind, like a light bulb turning on: the money. He said it aloud, trying to break the silence that enveloped him. Quickly, he asked his mother to let him see his guitar case, arguing that he had left something in there. But his mother refused.

—A punishment is a punishment. You won't be able to see what's in the case until next week —she replied firmly. Clara could see the pain on Ethan's face; it hurt her to scold and punish him this way, but she didn't want to show weakness, so she stood her ground.

Ethan simply sighed, feeling like he would ruin the surprise. He didn't want to give them such a small amount of money; he had planned to use it to buy a microphone and improve his street performances, saving until he had enough to help at home.

Not wanting to argue, knowing it would be a losing battle, he nodded and returned to his room. It was already 5 p.m., and with little to do, he decided to exercise, a habit he had picked up from his father after watching him train when he was younger. His father used to work out to release the frustration that came with running a company.

He rolled out a mat on the floor and began doing a series of push-ups, followed by sit-ups. Each repetition allowed him to release the tension accumulated throughout the day. When he finished, he sat on the floor, breathing heavily, reflecting on the adrenaline he had felt during his performance.

By 7 p.m., his mother called him for dinner. The meal was silent and tense, and Ethan felt trapped in a void. With few options, he opted to grab a notebook and a pen. He sat on his bed and began to write, but his thoughts flowed in the form of words that didn't quite convince him. With his songbook in hand—a brown, hardcover notebook—and a pencil on the bed, he kept writing and erasing, growing more frustrated with each attempt.

By 11 p.m., he finally gave up, setting the notebook aside on his nightstand. He turned off the light and collapsed into bed, wishing that this week would end soon. Without a doubt, this week was anything but quick.

Meanwhile, in another house, Jason was frustrated. His video wasn't doing as well as he had hoped, but a new video had surfaced based on the original. It was an edit someone had made, showing Ethan finishing his song, leaving everyone stunned. However, just at that moment, the video slowed down, and something splashed onto his hair, transforming his smile into a look of horror, as if his soul had left his body. The faces of the people around him shifted from amazement to uncontrollable laughter. Jason couldn't help but laugh at the video, though he knew it wasn't right.

He checked the views and comments, and he froze: 2 million views in less than 5 hours. How was this possible? Even his original video hadn't reached 1,000 views. He tried to contact Ethan, but received no message or call.

—Ahh, where are you, Ethan? —he muttered, feeling frustrated. He knew Ethan had told him he would be unreachable, but he really needed to talk to him and prepare him for what was going to happen at school tomorrow. Jason didn't know what to do; he knew better than anyone how cruel his school could be. —Damn it —he told himself, trying to figure out a solution as he rested, unsure of what to do. Well, future Jason would know how to handle it when he saw him at school tomorrow...

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"In the quiet moments before the storm, even the smallest decisions can echo louder than we ever imagined."

— Unknown