The lecture hall we used in the morning was just a few rooms down, and I sat myself at the desk at the front of the room to organize the handouts the students would need. An extra course syllabus was at the bottom of the stack. Somebody must have transferred into the course last second, just barely within the deadline to change classes for the term.

I paused, staring at the name printed at the top of the syllabus. ‘Ethan Lennox’; a name that didn’t sound familiar at all; it was strange, if he was taking this class our majors should have put us in the same circles, especially on such a small campus. I wondered what had caused him to make the transfer, but the reasons didn’t matter as much as the work it gave me. It would likely be left up to me to catch him up if he needed help, so I hoped he was a quick learner. 

I highlighted the professor’s office hours on the syllabus, just in case, writing my own next to them; Professor Douglas had asked me to be available when he wasn’t, but we hadn’t added it to the forms in time. I made a mental note to print out the rest of the paperwork we had already given to the other students, so I could be fully prepared to help him.

Glancing at the clock, I realized how long it had taken me to finish the paperwork, and hurried to head the board with the professor’s name and the lecture topic, arranging markers and pointers so they would be ready to use. I knew I had done my job well when the professor strode into the room, glancing at the preparations before smiling at me.

“Would you like to lead the lecture today?” he offered, leaning casually against the desk as students began to filter into the classroom; I was jealous of the ones who looked like they had just rolled out of bed, with bleary eyes and travel mugs likely full of coffee. 

I was a little hesitant after our conversation, and the whispers and strange looks that had followed me all morning, but it sounded like the perfect distraction. “Really?” I asked, just to be sure he meant it. When he nodded, I cleared my throat, remaining professional as I answered, “Yes, thank you, sir.”

Professor Douglas situated himself behind the desk with a folder full of paperwork; he’d be there if I needed help, but it was comforting to know he trusted me enough to handle a simple lecture; even at the beginning of the year. I surveyed his lecture notes as the lecture hall filled up, watching for the flow of students to slow to a trickle before I went to close the door. 

The class was small enough not to bother with attendance; Professor Douglas included a participation grade in his final marks, and that was enough to keep students filling their seats. I didn’t see a new face, though- just the same students who had been stumbling into our early morning lecture since the beginning of term. I frowned at the door, hoping he didn’t mind risking his grade on his first day, before I handed out the reading materials and started the lecture.

Just as I was referring to a section of the text for students to follow along with, the door opened with a surprisingly loud moan. Whatever I had been expecting, it wasn't the man standing before me. His streaked blond, messy curls hung around his broad muscular shoulders. He wore a tailored blazer and a dress shirt underneath; well dressed though his frame made the fabric bulge slightly at his biceps. 

I shouldn’t have been staring, especially when I was leading the class, but I was too taken aback by his sudden entrance to mask my interest. He had to be the new student, and as I noted dusky sun tanned skin, I wondered if he had transferred from somewhere farther than a different class across campus. He didn’t seem the type that should be trapped here, surrounded by nothing but forests and dark rumors; my mind conjured images of bright sunlight and beaches, along with a clearer view of the muscular body I had to drag my eyes away from.

Something about him, though, stirred more than just daydreams. I frowned slightly as I tried to figure out where I had seen that face before. Struggling with hazy memories, I finally placed him; he’d been at the bar, staring with the others. Silently watching my confrontation with Collin, when the meathead got in the way of my simple desire for a peaceful night. I could vaguely recall watching him leave the bar, and nerves wound my stomach tight as I fretted over what he remembered, what they had told him… what he might think I had done. 

I met his eyes, just as he had met mine the other night. They were a light hazel, bright against his dark skin. "My apologies," he said awkwardly, still standing by the door. 

I could hear the girls in the room giggling and whispering. A few moments ago I would have understood their excitement; new students were rare enough, but there was an almost exotic appeal to him which would make him the subject of female attention for weeks. I knew I should say something, that control of the lecture was slipping out of my hands, but I couldn’t drag my eyes away from his; my mind swallowed by worry, fed by the morning’s headlines.

Professor Douglas cleared his throat behind me, setting his papers down on the desk; the sharp noise startled me out of my daze, and I winced at the wrinkles my tense hands had left on the lecture notes I had been holding. “You’re the new student, yes? Ethan Lennox. Come up to the desk, please.” 

His aura seemed agitated and uncomfortable as he looked away from me, striding over to Professor Douglas' desk. "Yes, sir. And again, I apologize for the intrusion." 

“Just try not to be late again, Mr. Lennox,” Professor Douglas sighed. “Carry on, please, Mr. Weir- the lecture has seen enough interruption for the day.”

“Yes, professor,” I muttered in reply, tension still in my voice. The new student had to suspect something- why else would he act like that? I shook my head, bringing my attention back to the lecture at hand. It would do me no good to overthink it when I was supposed to be teaching; I’d already fought for my position once in the morning, I didn’t want to give the professor another reason to question how I was handling things.

I set myself back to the lecture with almost single minded attention; I faltered for a moment when Ethan took a seat toward the back of the class, feeling his gaze on me and hoping it was just as a student watching a teacher. I glanced at the professor a couple of times, his inattention assuring me I was doing as well as expected. 

I was passing, at least for the moment- but I couldn’t help feeling my control over the situation was only a temporary hold, and it was going to slip past my fingers the moment I let my guard down.