James still had Ethan’s collar twisted in his fist, their faces so close that a single breath could close the gap. From the side, it looked intimate—almost like they were about to kiss. Ethan’s eyes were wide, lips parted in shock; James’s jaw was clenched, breathing uneven.
The hallway went quiet.
Then Nelson’s voice cut through like a knife.
“What’s happening here, James?”
He stepped forward, the rest of the crew trailing behind—Jake, Silver, Silas—all of them staring. Nelson tilted his head, eyes flicking between James and Ethan.
James glanced at Ethan—long, unreadable—then at his friends. His grip tightened for half a second before he shoved Ethan away hard enough to make him stumble back into the lockers with a metallic clang.
“Did this loser look for your trouble?” Nelson asked
