Chapter 13
843 Words
Tangled Strings Part 3
The dorm was quiet except for the faint scratching of Ethan’s pen. He sat hunched over his desk, chewing his lip as he tried to finish his essay. Across the room, Adrian leaned back in his chair, reading with that infuriating calm that made Ethan self-conscious.
On the top bunk, Mark, one of their roommates, snored loudly into his pillow. The other, Jamie, now awake was sprawled on the lower bunk with earphones in, mouthing along to a song only he could hear.
It felt like a normal night.
Until the knock came.
Sharp. Loud.
Ethan jumped. His pen rolled off the desk and clattered to the floor.
Adrian looked up, one brow arched. “Expecting someone?”
“N-no,” Ethan stammered, getting to his feet. He crossed the room, hesitated, then pulled the door open—
Leo stood there, grinning, a steaming bowl of noodles in hand.
“Delivery for one hungry college boy.”
Ethan blinked. “Leo?”
“Bro, this is a dorm, not a restaurant,” Jamie muttered, tugging an earbud out.
But Leo walked in anyway, flashing a peace sign. “Relax. Just came to feed him. He barely touched his dinner.”
Mark stirred, squinting blearily. “It’s midnight, man…”
Before Ethan could stop him, Leo set the bowl on Ethan’s desk. “Eat before it gets cold.”
Adrian closed his book with a snap. “You shouldn’t be here this late.”
Leo smirked. “And yet, here I am.”
Before the tension could break, another knock rattled the door.
“Oh, for—” Ethan opened it again.
This time, it was Kai.
He leaned against the doorframe, casual smirk in place. “What is this? A party and no one invited me?”
Jamie sat up, suddenly interested. “Ohhh, things just got good.”
Kai strode in, ignoring Adrian’s glare and Leo’s groan. He dropped lazily onto Mark’s chair, spinning it once before propping his feet on the desk.
“Man, Ethan, you’re popular. Two suitors in one night? Bold.”
“They’re not—!” Ethan’s face went scarlet.
“Can you guys keep it down?” Mark grumbled from his bunk. “Some of us like sleep, you know.”
“Sleep later,” Jamie said, grinning like he’d just tuned into a TV drama. “This is better.”
---
Leo shoved the noodles closer to Ethan. “Eat. Or I’ll feed you myself.”
Adrian frowned, standing. “He doesn’t need your unhealthy food.” He placed a book on Ethan’s desk. “What he needs is this—sources for his essay.”
Kai leaned back, smirking. “Please. He needs someone fun, not a babysitter or a nag. Come on, Ethan, let’s sneak out for ice cream.”
“Ice cream?” Ethan squeaked.
Jamie clapped. “This is amazing. We should sell tickets.”
Mark groaned, burying his head under his blanket. “Wake me when it’s over.”
The room buzzed with arguments—Leo and Adrian bickering, Kai throwing in sarcastic jabs, Jamie egging them on. Ethan wanted to disappear.
And then—
A faint rustle at the window.
---
Ethan froze, his ears straining. The laughter and arguing blurred as he glanced at the curtain. Did he just… hear something?
His eyes darted to his bed. The note he’d hidden earlier still lay under his pillow. If anyone grabbed it—
“Hey, pass me that pillow,” Leo said suddenly, reaching across Ethan’s bed.
Ethan’s heart lurched. “No—!”
But Adrian was quicker. He caught Leo’s wrist, voice low. “Don’t mess with his things.” His eyes flicked briefly to Ethan’s panicked face, sharp, suspicious.
Leo huffed. “Chill, man. Just playing.”
Kai smirked, noticing Ethan’s flushed expression. “What’s wrong, sunshine? Got secrets in that pillow?”
Jamie let out a dramatic gasp. “Scandal!”
“There’s nothing—!” Ethan stammered, clutching the pillow to his chest. His hands trembled.
The rustle outside came again, louder this time.
Mark sat up, irritated. “Did anyone else hear that?”
Jamie whipped his head toward the window. “Wait… you heard it too?”
The room fell silent.
Leo frowned. “Probably just the wind.”
Adrian didn’t look convinced. He moved closer to the window, pulling the curtain back just a fraction. Darkness. Nothing.
Still, Ethan couldn’t shake the feeling—someone was out there. Watching.
---
The roommates eventually settled, though Jamie kept sneaking glances at Ethan like he knew something. Adrian sat back down, but his eyes lingered on Ethan far too long.
Later, when everyone else drifted into sleep, Ethan lay awake, clutching the pillow tight. He pulled the note out one last time, reading the words in the dim glow of his desk lamp.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
A shiver ran down his spine.
And outside the dorm, hidden by shadows, a figure shifted closer—listening.
- Writer
