Across The Hall

Lena Carter hated asking for help. That was probably why she stood alone in the middle of Blackridge University’s crowded dorm hallway, dragging two heavy suitcases by herself while students passed her without a second glance. The hallway smelled like expensive perfume, coffee, and freshly polished floors. Everything about the university screamed money. The marble walls. The giant chandeliers hanging from the ceiling downstairs. Even the students looked like they walked out of magazine covers. Lena adjusted the strap of her bag and exhaled slowly. This place was nothing like home. Back in Brooklyn, she had shared a tiny apartment with her mother and worked evening shifts at a diner just to survive. Here, people casually wore shoes that probably cost more than her monthly rent. She already felt out of place. A group of girls walked past her, laughing loudly. “Did you hear Ethan almost got suspended last semester?” “He should’ve been expelled.” “He owns this school. The rules don’t apply to him.” Lena frowned slightly. Ethan? She ignored the conversation and searched for the room numbers instead. Finally. Her room. She reached for the handle, but before she could unlock the door, a loud crash echoed from somewhere nearby. The hallway suddenly went quiet. One by one, students moved aside. Almost like they were trying to avoid someone. Lena looked up. A tall guy walked down the hallway with his hands inside the pockets of his black hoodie. His dark hair fell carelessly over his forehead, and his expression was unreadable. But it was the silence around him that caught her attention the most. Nobody spoke. Nobody even looked directly at him. The air felt… tense. His sharp eyes briefly lifted and landed on her. Lena froze for half a second. There was something unsettling about him. Not because he looked dangerous exactly—but because he looked completely emotionless. Like he had built walls around himself long ago. He stopped in front of the room directly across from hers. Without saying a word, he unlocked the door. One of the girls behind Lena whispered quietly. “That’s Ethan Blackwood.” Another girl immediately replied, “Lower your voice.” The guy—Ethan—didn’t react. He stepped inside his room and shut the door behind him. The hallway slowly came back to life. Lena blinked. What the hell was that? “You’re new, right?” Lena turned to see a blonde girl standing nearby holding a phone. “Yeah.” The girl glanced nervously toward Ethan’s closed door before moving closer. “Just some advice,” she whispered. “Stay away from him.” Lena raised an eyebrow. “Why?” The girl looked surprised by the question. “Because he’s Ethan Blackwood.” That explained absolutely nothing. Before Lena could ask another question, the girl hurried away. Weird. Lena unlocked her room and stepped inside. Thankfully, it was bigger than she expected. There were two beds, large windows, and shelves already filled with books left behind by former students. At least something about this place felt normal. Her roommate hadn’t arrived yet, which honestly felt like a blessing. After unpacking some clothes, Lena checked her phone. Three missed calls from her mother. Her chest tightened instantly. She called back immediately. “Mom?” “Lena, sweetheart.” Her mother sounded exhausted. “Did you get there safely?” “Yeah. I’m fine.” “You ate something?” Lena smiled weakly. “You ask me that every five minutes.” “Because you forget.” That was true. Lena sat on the edge of the bed while her mother coughed softly on the other side of the phone. The sound made her stomach twist. “You should be resting,” Lena said quietly. “I’m okay.” Another lie. Medical bills were the entire reason Lena had fought so hard for this scholarship. Blackridge wasn’t just a dream school for her anymore. It was survival. “If things get difficult there,” her mother continued gently, “you can always come home.” “No.” Lena answered too quickly. “I’ll make this work.” She had to. After ending the call, Lena leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes briefly. Then— A loud thud came from outside. Followed by shouting. Lena frowned and walked toward the door. The hallway was crowded again. Two guys were arguing near room 315. Ethan’s room. “You think you can just threaten people?” one of them snapped angrily. Ethan stood there calmly, his face unreadable. “I’m not threatening you,” he said quietly. The calmness in his voice somehow sounded worse. “I’m warning you.” The guy swallowed hard but tried to act brave. Lena noticed it immediately—the fear in his eyes. Interesting. Ethan suddenly looked past him. Straight at her. Again. For a second, neither of them moved. His gaze was intense enough to make her uncomfortable. Like he was trying to figure her out. Lena crossed her arms. “What?” she asked flatly. A few students nearby stared at her in shock. Apparently nobody talked to Ethan Blackwood like that. One corner of Ethan’s mouth lifted slightly. Not a smile. Something colder. Then he looked away. “Leave,” he told the other guy. And just like that, the argument ended. The two boys disappeared down the hallway almost immediately. Cowards. Ethan opened his door. Before stepping inside, he glanced at Lena one last time. “You should stop staring,” he said calmly. Lena scoffed. “You should stop causing scenes.” A dangerous silence followed. For a moment, she thought he might actually get angry. Instead, he looked amused. “You’re different from the others.” “Congratulations,” Lena replied. “You figured that out in one day.” This time, he actually smirked a little. Then he disappeared into his room. The door closed quietly behind him. Lena stared at it for a few seconds before shaking her head. Arrogant. Definitely arrogant. But something about him felt strange. Not spoiled-rich-kid strange. Lonely strange. And somehow, that felt worse. Later that night, Lena couldn’t sleep. Rain tapped softly against the dorm windows while the campus outside glowed under dim streetlights. She grabbed a bottle of water and stepped into the hallway. Empty. Silent. Until she noticed something. Room 315 was slightly open. A faint light spilled into the hallway. Lena hesitated. Then she heard it. Music. Soft piano music. She frowned slightly. That didn’t match the image everyone painted of Ethan Blackwood. Curiosity pulled her closer before she could stop herself. Just as she reached the door, a voice spoke from inside. “You really don’t know how to mind your business.” Lena nearly jumped. Ethan sat by the window inside the dark room, barely visible under the dim light. His eyes met hers calmly. Embarrassment flashed across her face. “I wasn’t spying.” “You were standing outside my door.” “…Okay, maybe a little.” To her surprise, he let out a quiet laugh. A real one this time. It changed his entire face. For the first time since meeting him, he actually looked human. Then the expression disappeared completely. “Go back to sleep, Lena.” Her brows furrowed. “I never told you my name.” Ethan looked at her silently for a moment. Then he slowly closed the door. Leaving her standing alone in the hallway with one terrifying realization echoing inside her head. How much did Ethan Blackwood know about her already?