Hearing footsteps of someone entering the stacks, Ethan squatted down into a tight ball. He wasn’t doing anything wrong here, but he still felt the need to hide. He peeked through a shelf to see who was there, but all he saw was books.
The footsteps were getting louder, more determined. Ethan heard them clopping against the carpet, circling the perimeter.
“Are you hiding?”
Greg.
Ethan un-crouched himself. He couldn’t say anything. His face immediately dropped two shades of color. Greg had a serious, pissed-off look on his face and was heaving for air.This is it. I’m a dead man.
‘“I was yelling after you,” Greg said. “Didn’t you hear me?”
Ethan shook his head no.
Greg didn’t say anything after that. His lips were just there, letting his eyes direct the conversation.
“I’m sorry,” Ethan said. His teeth chattered against each other. Maybe Greg would have mercy.
“For molesting me?”
“I’m really sorry.” Ethan’s entire body trembled with fear. “I’ll drop the class. We’ll never have to see each other again. Please don’t beat me up.”
“You think I came here to beat you up?”
“I don’t know.”
“I was not expecting that back in class, Ethan.” Greg took a step closer. Even in this unforgiving fluorescent light, his skin still glowed with the last gasp of a summer tan. “I didn’t think you would actually do that.”
Ethan noticed the slightest hint of a smile crack his face. “You kept egging me on, but I’m sorry. It was wrong.”
“Yes. It was very wrong. You are a sex fiend.”
“No, I’m not,” Ethan said. “If you didn’t like it, you should’ve stopped me.”
“Who said I didn’t like it?”
Ethan froze. He remained nervous, but now for a completely different reason. “You liked it?”
“It was actually…” Greg itched the back of his head, and his shirt hiked up, revealing an inch of tight flesh. “It was kinda hot.”
“It was?”
“You didn’t think so? I saw you getting into it.”
“That’s only because…” Ethan didn’t know how to finish that sentence. “I was in shock, and I only did it to shut you up.”
“Oh, you shut me up alright,” Greg said, flushing with color.
“It won’t happen again. Especially not in the middle of class.”
“That was the hottest part, though.”
“No, it wasn’t. We could’ve been caught any moment!” Ethan realized his whisper was well above acceptable library levels.
“I know.” Greg raised his eyebrows. “I was so hard. I haven’t been that turned on in a long time.”
Ethan peered down at Greg’s crotch, and he still seemed turn on. Ethan didn’t understand it. He and Greg seemed to be on different wavelengths about this. Maybe it was because, if they had gotten caught, Ethan would’ve been the one to receive all the scolding. Greg could’ve claimed innocent victim.
“You enjoyed it? Doing that in public?” Ethan asked. “Isn’t that illegal?”
