Chapter 4
311 Words
A New Face
Ethan sat at the back of his literature class, nervously tapping his pen against the desk. The professor had just announced the semester’s group project, and as fate would have it, he was paired with a stranger.
“Ethan, right?”
Ethan turned to see a boy with warm eyes and a gentle smile settling into the seat beside him. His hair was neatly styled, his presence calm.
“I’m Leo. Guess we’re partners.”
Ethan nodded quickly, relieved that Leo seemed approachable. “Yeah, looks like it.”
Leo chuckled. “Don’t look so tense. I’ll make sure we survive this project together.”
There was something easy about Leo — his kindness, the way he leaned in attentively when Ethan spoke. Unlike Adrian’s teasing energy, Leo’s calm steadiness felt… safe.
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Later that afternoon, Ethan returned to his dorm to find Adrian lounging on his bed, scrolling through his phone.
“Where’ve you been, puppy?” Adrian asked lazily.
“Class,” Ethan muttered, pulling out his notebook.
Adrian’s eyes narrowed as he noticed the extra set of notes tucked inside Ethan’s folder. “Whose handwriting is that?”
Ethan blinked. “Oh, that’s Leo’s. He copied some points for me. He’s my project partner.”
Adrian sat up, expression sharpening though his smile remained. “Leo, huh?”
Ethan nodded innocently. “Yeah, he’s really nice. Super helpful.”
Adrian’s smirk faltered for just a fraction of a second. He leaned back again, muttering under his breath, “Helpful, sure.”
Ethan didn’t hear him. But Adrian’s thoughts churned.
---
That night, as Ethan slept soundly, Adrian stared out the dorm window. Across the courtyard, he spotted someone in a dark hoodie standing under a lamppost, watching their building again.
Adrian’s jaw clenched. Whoever it was — they weren’t watching Ethan. They were watching him.
- Writer
