Chapter Text
It had all started around ten years ago when Ethan was nine and Chad and Mindy were ten. A new family had moved into the home beside The Meeks-Martins, though at the time they were just The Martins.
The Baileys! Mindy recites, having heard her mothers discuss it.
Currently she and Chad were sent on a task, a mission, a spy situation, code: deliver brownies to the neighbors. Which really just meant knock on the door, sit the brownies on the porch, and RUN.
Their Ma was very old school, she liked to hand out snacks to welcome people into the neighborhood. This was the third time she had sent the twins out to do it, though this was the first time they were sent without one of their Mothers. Just the door, Chad, Mindy, and as far as their little legs could take them.
Chad volunteered to be the door knocker, as last time they practiced this, he sent all the brownies to the floor in his rush to greet the new people on his block.
Chad places his fist in front of the door as Mindy slowly lowers the brownie tin, and right when his knuckles are about to meet the wood, the door slams open right into his hand.
In a attempt to act natural, he straightens like he had not just been mid-knock, and instead just standing straight up right infront of the door.
Way less creepy, way to go Chad. He is certain Mindy is about to say just those words when suddenly the sound of metal clanging against concrete makes both Chad and the mystery boy at the door jump back.
Chad was only just registering the boy, he looked like he jumped back FAR like it was a bomb or something. He doesn't have time to dwell on it as he turns around and sees brownies all over the neighbors porch and dark red shoes stomping on them, further solidifying their state in the cement. He locks eyes with Mindy, both prepare for sprint back home, when the mystery boy clears his throat.
"Uhm, hi?" The twins both shoot their heads over to look at him. Chad has time to realize how pretty the boy infront of him is. He's like really pretty for a guy. Chad finds all words stuck in his throat as he faces the other kid.
Luckily Mindy saves the day. "Hi!" She greets, all too chipper for a child that just accidentally stomped brownies into a strangers porch. She keeps going in the same tone, "I'm Mindy, this is Chad." He waves awkwardly. "Our Ma sent us to give you brownies, but, uhhh." She just looks down at the mess of chocolate.
The boy looks down with her, head turning sideways to signal confusion, the same way a dog would. Adorable.
After a couple seconds of considering, the boy lets out a loud giggle contagious enough that it makes Chad grin like an idiot.
"I'm Ethan." He hold his hand out to Chad after containing himself. Chad hesitates for a moment, brain short-circuiting, before taking the hand in his and shaking it. The feeling is foreign, as Chad doesn't believe he's ever actually done that in real life.
Ethan releases Chad and holds his hand out to Mindy, who shakes it with a smile like a smug business woman who's just won a case. "It's nice to meet you, Ethan."
"Nice to meet you guys too." Ethan smiles at them and then looks down, remembering the brownies. "I'm sure they were great brownies, but I gotta go get my sister Quinn to see if she can help clean it up."
Chad is happy Ethan seems to come to a conclusion on cleaning, because frankly, how the hell does one remove brownie from concrete? He doesn't know, and he's glad he won't have to find out.
The three kids stand there for a second, not really knowing the next move. Chad takes initiative this time, his extroverted side of him finally coming out. "Okay well," he claps his hands together, Ethan's eyes shoot towards him. "We'll see you later Ethan, we have a story not-to tell our moms." Ethan smiles at that and nods, turning back inside to find his sister.
Chad and Mindy turn to go home, once out of earshot, Mindy nudges her brother. "You like him..." The teasing tone obnoxious. He shoves her back, cheeks heating up.
"Shut up."
Mindy practically squeals the entire rest of the walk home.
They see Ethan outside sometimes, and spend that whole first month of summer together. Eventually Ethan gets to try a fresh batch of the Martins Infamous Brownies and looks like he's never eaten food before in his life, the way he eats the whole container before his sister can even eat one. Chad counts it as a win. It becomes their thing.
They hang out at the park one time and then don't see Ethan again until the following week at school. The last month and a half of summer, he had been in Michigan for a break through in a case his mother had been working on. As he reluctantly shared with them on the swing set that day.
He's in neither Chad, nor Mindy's class, much to both of their dismays. Ethan gives them each small smiles each time they pass one another in the hall, but never actually greets them in any sort of fashion, it's as though he's not sure where exactly the boundaries lie.
Luckily, for Ethan, he befriended the most obnoxious kids in all of Woodsboro. The first day of 5th grade, Mindy greets him at his locker before lunch. "Hey, Ethan!" He turns around confused, but smiles when his eyes land on the familiar girl.
He finishes putting his binders away, closes his locker, and turns to look at her. "Mindy, hey! What's up?"
She grins. "So, Chad was wondering if you'd like to sit with us at lunch today? If you dont have plans with other people, of course." She totally threw Chad under the bus, but the way Ethan's smile grew up on hearing his name definitely made it worth it.
"Yeah, sure!" He agrees, so they collect Chad, and the three of them walk to the lunch room together. They introduce Ethan to the rest of their table, to their friends. Wes, Liv, and Amber are the three other members of their little group of 5. Ethan thinks he remembers them being brought up briefly in conversation over the summer. They get along great with one another. Cracking jokes and messing around like they've been friends for years, rather than a measly 20 minute lunch period.
They all become quite close friends over the course of the school year, and become an inseparable friend group through the rest of Middle school.
Ethan gets himself nicely aquainted with Amber. She is definently one of his closest friends in the group. Besides Chad, ofcourse.
He and Amber get asked if they're dating quite often. It doesn't bother them, though. They both know where Ethans feelings really lie. With a certain dark skinned male 2 minutes younger than his nerdy twin sister.
In seventh grade, they befriend a girl named Tara as a seventh member of their crew after her older sister befriends Ethan's and becomes Chad and Mindy's designated babysitter.