The way people on campus treated me had never bothered me- at least, not as much as it did when weeks passed and Ethan refused to so much as meet my gaze in class, much less talk to me. 

It was what I had said I wanted, for him to stay out of my way. He’d been enough trouble that I should have been grateful to have nothing to do with him. And yet, remembering his earnest apology and his sad look as he left my mom’s shop… I found it hard to ignore him.

I’d caught myself watching him more than once, or taking an absentminded step toward him as he was leaving class. The few times we almost crossed paths on campus, I had been halfway to him when he was called away by other students; he probably didn’t even notice me. And I wasn’t sure if I was relieved or annoyed that he found it so easy to avoid me.

By the third week, it was too much- I couldn’t take it anymore. The raging conflict in my mind had to come to an end. After my mother’s sorrowful words about how she thought I had been given a chance to finally make a friend, to no longer be alone, I couldn’t ignore that slim chance. I needed to talk to Ethan, to quiet the guilt and doubt chewing away at the back of my mind

That was how I found myself leaning against the wall of his dorm building- information found in his student file, thanks to my status as his TA. I hadn’t been able to think of any other way to confront him; whether intentional or not, he seemed skilled at avoiding any direct interactions with me. I was beginning to doubt my method as I got terrified looks from the other students who lived in the dorm, watching as they scurried past me in such a hurry that some of them tripped over their feet.

Wincing as a girl almost took the dorm’s front door to her face, I turned my gaze away before I could see her whispering to her friends that it was my fault. A glimpse of brown hair streaked with blonde swamped me with relief. I pushed away from the wall, making myself more conspicuous as I hovered by the sidewalk, hoping he wouldn’t walk right past me again. 

            My throat tightened as Ethan froze, spotting me. He looked like he might walk on and ignore me but with a brisk and obvious sigh, he started walking towards me. His hair was disheveled and windswept. I couldn't help wondering if it was because of his bike or if it naturally looked that way; it always seemed ruggedly unkept. 

             He looked at his feet as he stood in front of me. "So," he said with a heavy breath, "are you the stalker now?" 

His words surprised a laugh out of me, and I released my anxious death grip on the strap of my bag. “If I said yes, would that make us even?” I asked, hoping it would get him to look at me. I wanted to see the hazel eyes that had girls swooning over him, the ones which had been avoiding me since he left the shop that day.

            I saw the corners of his mouth twitch up in a smile as he nodded. "I'd say we're even. What are you doing here? I thought you’d have classes at this time."

“I was hoping we could talk. We… haven’t really had an opportunity,” I said carefully, not wanting to sound like I blamed him. After all, I was the one who had chased him off so thoroughly, and I was the one who had come to regret it. My conflicted feelings were settling now that he was in front of me; Ethan hadn’t done anything wrong, and I’d treated him poorly based on loose assumptions. “There’s something I want to tell you, if you have a minute.”

           Ethan looked at the front door of the building, gesturing to it. "Want to come up? I just have a small room, but it's private. I don’t have a roommate that you’d need to worry about insulting you or anything. We can talk." He smirked a little saying, "Though, I think I should leave the tea to you." 

I smiled at him, pleased to have breached the awkward wall between us. “Thank you, Ethan. I’ll be happy to make tea, as long as you don’t drown the refined elements in so much… sugar…” My last words trailed off as the door to the dorm opened ahead of us, and I stepped back as students spilled out of the hall.

It had been a long time since I’d faced an angry group of students- mobs weren’t as common as the media made them out to be, and staff was quick to shut down any brewing chaos. But there were no teachers in sight as our path was blocked by a group of students that included the girl who’d almost bruised her face with the door. A familiar face was at the head of them, Oliver glowering at me with his arms crossed over his chest.

I held my hands up immediately, and the innocent gesture of surrender made a couple of them flinch. “I’m not here for trouble-”

“As if I’d believe that. I don’t know how anyone lets you teach at this school!” Oliver spat the words, the heat of his glare making my face pale. “You said you didn’t want trouble last time, and Collin disappeared. Are you taking Ethan next?” 

            I was about to say something surly, when Ethan moved in front of me, blocking the raging eyes of Oliver. His broad shoulders were tense, my only view of him was bristling. "What do you want, Oliver?" Ethan snapped defensively. “To get expelled? He’s a TA. Save yourself the probation.”

Though I was taken aback by the way he protected me, too used to the way people took every opportunity to turn events against me, there was a warmth in my chest as I reached forward to let him know it was okay.

Oliver’s grunt of disbelief was like cold water over me. “He’s not my TA. Didn’t I warn you about him? The creepy bastard is probably working his magic on you already. Next we know, it’ll be your name splashed all over the papers.” 

“What, you really think Lyn could drag me off? Look at the size of me, mate,” Ethan smirked, gesturing to his muscular physique. While normally I might have taken offense, I didn’t mind him making the argument.

There was a murmur of agreement from the students who had followed him, and I gritted my teeth. “I came down because he was scaring students, standing out here looking like he was hunting. I can take care of him- just go inside. There’s no need for you to be involved in this…unless you’re a witch, too…. Maybe that’s it, why else would you hang out with the likes of him?” 

            "The students must have very weak nerves, then," Ethan said loudly so the crowd would hear, scoffing as he added, "And if someone wants to put my name in the town paper and accuse me of being a witch and cursing the land, well then you all ought to really be afraid." 

“Is that a threat?” Oliver stepped forward, and I could feel the tension in the air, the buzzing anticipation from the other students.

“Hey,” I spoke up, relieved when my voice sounded calm and even– the farthest thing from what I was feeling. “Why don’t we all take a step back and-”

“Shut up!” The shouted words made me jump, staring at Oliver. “You’ve done enough harm already. Couldn’t stop at taking Collin, you had to corrupt the new student, too.” Oliver shook his head, and the look on his face reminded me of Collin- the fearless anger that reduced reason to dust. “Move out of my way, Ethan. Getting him out of your life is the best thing I could do for you. And if you don’t move… then he can take the blame for the collateral damage.”

I pulled in a sharp breath, worried as I glanced around the circle of leering faces. Most of the watching students seemed to be looking forward to the violence Oliver promised; the only solemn face was a girl standing toward the back of the crowd, her dark eyes focused on Oliver. When I met her gaze, she shook her head, and my heart dropped. Nobody else would stop this, and I didn’t know how to end this without somebody getting hurt.