Noah and Arlo walked side by side through campus, ignoring the stares and whispers.
It seemed the stories had moved faster than them. Again. It had to be their classmates who changed early.
But they both ignored the increased attention. They had something to do.
Before long, they arrived at their dorm building. The dormitory was emptier than usual, with most students still in the cafeteria or outside enjoying the light of midday.
"Do you know where Ben's room is?" Noah asked, turning to Arlo.
"Third floor," Arlo said without hesitation. "End of the hall, near the corner window."
Noah nodded. They reached the lift, the metal doors sliding open with a soft chime.
The moment they stepped inside, Noah felt a faint unease settle over him. His instincts told him something was about to go wrong, and he wasn't in the habit of ignoring them.
When the lift doors opened again, both of them stepped out, and stopped.
