The Other Side

Ethan's Shift

Chapter 7

Earlier that same morning, as the sun cast its first light over the city, Ethan's alarm buzzed with an unrelenting insistence. He groaned, silencing it with a heavy slap before rolling over to grab his phone. His thumb moved instinctively, opening his favorite news app. The glow of the screen illuminated his frown as headlines blurred past—a familiar mix of politics, local stories, and viral videos. Yet, something about the rhythm of the morning felt... off, like a melody played just slightly out of tune.

"Morning," Rachel murmured, her voice muffled as she curled deeper into the blankets.

"Morning," Ethan replied absently, his eyes glued to the screen. He stopped on an article titled "Bright Future: Local Business Owners Mentor High Schoolers to Success." The accompanying photo showed a white boy, no older than sixteen, smiling in a crisp suit, flanked by two Black men in polished business attire. The caption read: 'Fostering a New Generation of Entrepreneurs.'

Rachel sat up and stretched, her hair tousled from sleep. "Oh, I saw that one earlier. That mentorship program's been getting a lot of buzz lately. It's great to see business leaders giving back like that."

Ethan frowned slightly, his thumb hovering over the image. "I guess. It's just... I don't know. Feels different."

Rachel turned to face him, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "Different how?" She reached for her tablet on the nightstand.

He hesitated, struggling to put the unease into words. "I mean, mentoring's great, but wouldn't it make more sense for them to mentor... I don't know, kids who share their background?"

Rachel arched an eyebrow, pausing mid-swipe on her screen. "Why? The whole point is to expand horizons, right? Besides, isn't this exactly what those diversity programs you like to gripe about are supposed to achieve?"

Ethan chuckled, a touch defensively. "Touché. But still, don't you think it's a little... odd? Like, if the roles were reversed, people would have a field day with it."

Rachel's expression softened, but her tone carried a note of genuine confusion. "You mean if white mentors helped Black kids?" She tilted her head, thinking for a moment before shaking it off. "That wouldn't make sense. Why would it? Black leaders have always been the ones making the difference."

Ethan blinked, her words settling over him like a mist he couldn't quite see through. "Always? That's... I don't know. It just sounds... different."

Rachel gave him a bemused look, her tone light. "Different how?"

He hesitated, searching for the right words but finding none. "I don't know. Maybe I just haven't had enough coffee yet."

Rachel chuckled, brushing his response off with a playful wave. "Well, fix that, would you? The world waits for no one."

Ethan forced a faint smile as he headed to the bathroom, the unease lingering in his chest like a splinter.

He shuffled to the bathroom, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. As he turned on the faucet, the faint scent of lavender filled the room, carried by the steam. He reached for his shaving cream, but his hand froze mid-air when he noticed the label.

The familiar brand had a tagline printed on it: "For a World That Works for Everyone: Supporting Black Innovation Since 1980." Ethan frowned, holding the can closer. He was sure this was the same brand he'd used for years, but he didn't remember it ever having a tagline like this.

"Huh," he muttered under his breath. "New marketing gimmick, I guess."

Shrugging, he placed the can back on the counter and reached for his razor. As he lathered his face, the thought lingered in the back of his mind, a faint itch he couldn't quite scratch. By the time he stepped into the shower, the steam enveloping him, he had dismissed it as just another example of the world's changing landscape—one he wasn't sure he fit into anymore.