Chapter 3
293 Words
Whispers
By the second week, Ethan had gotten used to the campus routine: early lectures, crowded cafeterias, late-night study sessions. He’d also gotten mostly used to Adrian’s teasing.
Mostly.
“Ethan, you’re hopeless,” Adrian teased one morning as Ethan nearly spilled his coffee.
Ethan scowled. “I don’t need your commentary.”
But there was something comfortable about it now, as if Adrian’s presence had already become a part of his days.His two other roommates would always tease him that he should try and behave like a good wife.
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It wasn’t long before Ethan noticed the whispers. In the library, in the cafeteria — whenever Adrian passed, people leaned close, voices dropping.
“Is it true?”
“They say it happened last year.”
“Better not get too close to him.”
Ethan frowned. He wanted to ask, but didn’t dare. Instead, curiosity gnawed at him.
That night, as Adrian slept, Ethan sat at his desk pretending to study. His eyes kept drifting to Adrian’s sleeping form, wondering what secrets could possibly make people look at him that way.
A sudden thunk against the window made him jump. He turned quickly — nothing there. Just darkness beyond the glass.
Ethan’s skin prickled. He didn’t see the shadow moving away from the dorm, slipping quietly into the night.
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The next day, Ethan finally gathered the courage to ask.
“Adrian… why do people keep whispering when you walk by?”
Adrian’s smile faltered for the first time since they met. For a brief second, something sharp and cold flickered in his eyes.
Then he leaned back, smirk returning. “Careful, puppy. Curiosity can get you into trouble.”
Ethan swallowed hard, the words echoing in his mind long after.
- Writer
