Alexander heaved a sigh, setting the heavy shopping bags down at his feet. His messenger bag, too, was stuffed to the seams with things. Next to him, Van and Nana also set down a couple of bags. “Are you sure you don’t want us to help you take it all up?” Nana asked. The three of them stood outside the entrance gate to the dormitories, around them, streetlights were already flickering on as the sun dipped below the cove cliffs.
“I’ll be fine,” Alexander said with a weak smile, “I really appreciate all the help you’ve given me already.”
Van smirked, “Ever think that Princess might not want a girl in his bedroom,” he said waggling his eyebrows at Nana as he used her shoulder as a leaning post.
She elbowed him in the ribs with little remorse, “He probably just doesn’t want to bother us,” she said through gritted teeth. “Honestly, Van, you’re too much.”
“A-Actually,” Alexander started, “The sun is going down, and I don’t know how long it takes you to get home… So I wanted to make sure you got a good head start.”
“Aww, Princess is so thoughtful,” Van cooed.
Alexander flushed a little, “I-it’s dangerous at night, no matter who you are,” he mumbled. “But make sure Nana gets home safely.”
“Not worried about me?” Van said, once again feigning offense.
“I’m sure you’ll be fine,” Alexander replied flatly.
“Well, I never!” Van scoffed.
Nana was giggling. “Well, I never indeed,” she laughed, “I never thought I’d see the day when someone left Van speechless like that. Good job, Princess,” she winked at Alexander. “Well then,” she turned to Van, “I guess I’ll have the King escort me home, so that Alex feels better,” she linked her arm around Van’s and started steering him away.
“W-wait!” Van protested. “Princess, just… Just make sure that you contact me if anything comes up, alright? We’re friends. You can talk to me.”
Alexander hunched up uncertainly, eyes darting left and right before settling on the pavement, his cheeks tinging pink. “I—I uh, I guess. Thank you,” he said, flustered.
“Mm! Good, yes,” Van nodded firmly, “School is closed tomorrow for repairs, so we won’t see each other probably. But you can always chat with anyone in the class using the school’s app.”
“Van,” Nana glared up at him. “We have to go otherwise neither of us will make curfew.”
“Right, right,” Van waved pointlessly. “We’ll see ya, Princess,” he said, adding another wave over his shoulder as he and Nana headed back towards town with their own shopping in hand.
Alexander watched them both leave, his good hand clutching his upper arm above the markings he knew were there. His arm had started prickling again as they had made their way back to the school, and the longer he stood there, the more intense the feeling got. He gathered up his things, glancing around furtively before making his way to the dorm building. He fussed with the doors, finally letting himself in through the security lock. He nodded politely to the guard as he passed, the man behind the window scrutinizing him with a glare.
The main lobby was, as usual, populated by a few students, most of whom stared at him as he made his way to the elevator. He stood there awkwardly for a minute, listening as they whispered amongst themselves, their eyes on his back. Alexander was relieved when the door finally opened and he could scoot in, quickly hitting the button for the fifth floor before pressing and holding the close door button, hoping it would make it shut faster.
When the doors finally closed, he sighed, leaning against the wall. The burning in his arm had subsided significantly as he entered the building, but it was still there. He was sure it meant that the witch was still in the vicinity. Alexander sighed again, more heavily this time. The elevator stopped and the doors opened, letting him out onto his floor. He stopped next to the stairs and set his bags down on a bench to shake out his hands. Here, across from the stairs, was another open common area with a small kitchenette that only contained a sink, kettle, and microwave—a vending machine was also in one corner. There was no one there, so he didn’t mind stopping to explore it. The entrance to the boys’ showers were closer to his end of the hall on one side of the common area, the girls’ was on the other side.
“Oh, did you see that creepy guy by the entrance today?” a girl’s voice floated up from the stairs.
“No, why?” a boy responded. Alexander didn’t recognize them as anyone in his class.
“A lot of the other girls are super creeped out. He’s some homeless dude—really dirty and whatever,” the girl continued.
“Have you told security?”
“I think a few of the others have,” she said thoughtfully. “Do you think it’s the witch?” she asked.
Alexander froze, listening intently.
“What would he be doing here?” the voices were getting closer, but the girl evidently whispered something because the boy responded only after a pause. “Princess? That new kid?” he said incredulously.
“I heard he was burned, but he hasn’t died yet.”
“Some miracle,” the boy replied.
Alexander realized they were coming up to his floor and scrambled to pick up his bags, but he wasn’t fast enough. They rounded the staircase and locked eyes with him—Alexander frozen like a deer in headlights. The boy scowled, placing himself between Alexander and the girl, despite there being a flight of stairs and at least ten feet between them.
“You eavesdropping?” the boy growled. He was tall and muscular, with dark brown hair swept back in lazy spikes.
Alexander stammered, his eyes moving to the identifiers on their uniforms—fourth year, class C and D. They were in his grade, but different groups. “I—I uh…” he flushed a little guiltily and looked away from them. “I was just taking a break and I overheard,” he said sheepishly. “I’m sorry,” he added, scooping up his bags.
“Jerk,” the boy hissed, “You can’t just go around spying on people!”
“I—I was just standing here,” Alexander stammered, freezing as the other came up the stairs, glaring.
He shoved Alexander roughly, knocking him and his bags to the floor. “You stay away from us!” the other boy hissed, his friend coming up the stairs after him.
“Ty!” she squeaked, grappling his arm as he brought it back with the intention of pummeling Alexander. “Ty, he’s not worth it!”
“What the hell!?” Alexander scrambled backwards until his back was against the wall. “It’s not my fault you talk so loud, holy shit!”
“Shut up,” Ty sneered, pulling his arm away from the girl, though he didn’t pursue Alexander any further. “You don’t belong here, you piece of shit murderer.”
Alexander balked. “I—I—what brought that on? I’ve never killed anyone,” he stammered, pushing himself to a standing position against the wall, his bags scattered everywhere.
“You wanna be a witch hunter,” Ty replied, his expression like ice. “That’s close enough in my eyes.”
Alexander looked away to the floor, his mouth setting into a hard line. “Where did you hear something like that?” he asked.
Ty scoffed and coolly ran his hand through his hair, sweeping it back into position. “I have it on good authority,” he replied.
“Whose authority?” Alexander asked again, glaring at Ty.
Ty stepped forward, drawing his phone out of his pocket with one hand, the other coming up to plant against the wall next to Alexander’s head, “Why, yours, of course,” he said with a malicious smirk. He swiped to a file, opening up in his media player. The file played with a fair amount of static, but it was clearly Alexander’s own voice that started.
“Do you think he would hate me if I became a witch hunter?”
“That’s a pretty dangerous career path—why not become a police officer instead?”
“You know why…”
The file cut there in a hiss of more static. Alexander was pale, his mouth slightly open. That had been a deeply private conversation. “H—how di—?”
“How did I get it?” Ty interrupted, his vicious smirk now turning to a grin a little too wide for his features. He leaned in closer, “It was sent to me, as well as the rest of the students—the ones who matter anyways,” he whispered the last part softly into Alexander’s ear, his lips almost brushing against him. “If I were you, I’d just off myself now, you little shit.”
“Ty!” the girl behind him exclaimed, “You’re going to far! He could have you expelled for that!”
Ty scoffed and pushed away from the wall, “No one’s gonna believe him if he runs crying to Solister,” he laughed. He wrapped his arm around her waist, brushing a lock of her long, wheat-coloured hair behind her ear, “It’s not like you’re gonna tell on me, right babe?”
She glanced at Alexander as Ty nuzzled her neck, him glaring at Alexander as he did so, daring him to be jealous, mad, anything. “N-no, of course not,” she said finally, pulling away from Ty and taking his hand. She kicked one of Alexander’s bags out of her way, sending sliding towards him. “Come on, Princess is ruining my mood,” she said, pulling him towards the stairs leading to the sixth floor.
Before setting foot on the stairs up, Ty turned back, “Oh, and Witch Hunter Princess, do anything I don’t like, and this might find it’s way into Guillory’s inbox.” He laughed again and set off up the stairs, his girlfriend firing an apologetic glance at Alexander over her shoulder.
Alexander stood there, leaning against the wall for support as his whole body trembled. He fought back an urge he hadn’t quite felt before. Rage. He felt violated and embarrassed. He heard more laughter on the lower stairs and quickly scooped up his belongings. He hurried down the hall to his room, his trembling hands fumbling with this student card. After a moment, he was able to open his door. He stepped into his dorm, pushing his door shut with his back. There was a satisfying click as it locked behind him.
Alexander reached for his light switch but stopped. The prickling in his arm hadn’t subsided yet, which meant the witch could be waiting for a dorm light to turn on after he entered the building. He held his hand there, thinking hard, shaking, biting his lip. If he waited, maybe Ty’s light would turn on first—or someone else’s, confusing the witch—but then he would be putting someone else in danger. “But what does it matter if it’s him?” Alexander muttered to himself. He dropped his hands, his packages scattering around his feet before he sunk down, crouched against his door. He stared at his hands in horror before burying his face in them. He couldn’t hold it any longer. Alexander choked on a sob and drew his knees up to chest, crying into them.