Zarek POV
The walk back to my dorm felt longer than usual. Not because the halls had stretched or because my legs suddenly decided to weigh a ton, but because of the whispers that hadn’t died down since class.
I didn’t give them the satisfaction of a reaction. If anything, I tossed them smiles, lazy winks, a tilt of the head that made them choke on their own gossip. Let them stare. Let them stew. If my face haunted their thoughts at night, that was their problem, not mine.
By the time I stepped into the quieter corridor that led toward the dorm wing, I was already rehearsing what excuse I’d give the dorm keeper for skipping dinner. Maybe I’d say the food smelled suspiciously like rat poison tonight. Maybe I’d just say I had better things to do than sit elbow-to-elbow with idiots who tho
