Evan arrived at Lakewood today. It was like hell, but without the flames.

Even though he's a year older than me, he's still a freshman, due to his six month European tour last year. He's in my math and chemistry class. Allow me to recount our dealings with each other today.

I always listen to classical music in the morning, when my math classroom is empty and quiet. It does something to relax me, lets me start out on a good foot, but, when I was navigating my way on my iPod to my favorite Bach concerto, a hand whipped it out of my grasp.

"Do you have any of my stuff?" Evan asked, looking way to good in his school uniform. He went through my songs (I could hear it clicking in my earbuds) and looked shocked when he couldn't find a thing by Amethyst Drive.

"I thought you were like my biggest fan." Evan sighed and sunk into the desk next to me. "I mean, you do still love me, don't you, Ethan."

"Leave me alone." I said, turning my back to him. "And give me back my iPod."

"I don't think so." Evan said in a sing-song voice. I could tell that he was smiling. "How about you tell me why you are pretending to hate me."

"Pretending?" I asked, incredulously. "Are you an idiot?"

"For the sake of the argument, let us assume that I am."

"No." I stood up, pulling my earbuds out simultaneously. "I'm never going to speak with you again." I started to walk to the door.

"Nathi." He called after me.

I spun on my heel. "Never again." I hissed. "Never call me that again. I am known as Ethan now. I am not the girl you grew up with. And, to answer your question from before, I think you're a total bastard. There is no way that I can't hate you. I despise, loathe, dete--" But my list of synonyms for hate was cut off abruptly when Evan enveloped me in one of those backward hugs.

"What the hell are you doing?" I demanded, trying to break free, but it seemed that even superstars worked out, and Evan had acquired considerable upper body strength.

"Shhh." He whispered in my ear. "Just hold still."

"I think you should unhand the lady." A sweet voice came from the door. I looked up to see Adam, leaning against the door frame, looking like a Twilight-esque vampire and displaying some very Edward like qualities.

Evan let go of me instantly. I guess even idiots understood the Alpha Male thing.

"Adam?" I asked, not really believing my eyes.

He flashed me that winning grin, standing up straight and coming over. He put a hand on Evan's shoulder, almost like the way good guy friends do, but he squeezed just a little too hard to be companionable. Evan grimaced in pain. "Just to let you know." Adam said quietly to him. "Ethan is the Four Lords's dog. If you do anything to disrupt that relationship..." He trailed off, letting Evan's lackluster imagination fill in the rest.

Evan glared at him. "One day--" He began.

"One day, I'm you're not careful, a friend of mine will knock upon your door in the middle of the night, and the last thing you'll ever see will be tattooed red eyes." He turned to me. "Let's go, Ethan." Adam steered me out of the room.

He wouldn't let me return to classes, after he learned that Evan was in two of them. Instead, he drove me to the nearest bookstore and we spent the school day drinking tea and hot chocolate.

Was it just me, or did his personality change overnight?

I guess not, though, because, when we arrived back at school, he told me that the club room needed to be cleaned and handed me a toothbrush.

At least I got to listen to my classical scrubbing down that marble floor.