Neil looked furious.  You could practically see the flames of anger emanating from him, like some sort of bad cartoon.  

Hans set down the shoe he was still holding aloft.  A mother rushed her young children out of the store.  I tried to disappear, but found once again that the ability eluded me.  

"Hey." I said nervously.  "What's up?"

Neil's glare had me whimpering in the corner.  "I'm sorry.  I'm sorry."

"Let's go."  Neil said, gruffly.

"You don't hate me?" I asked.  

"Of course not."  Neil said, but his eyes looked just as angry.  He wiped lipstick off his cheek, glaring at the others, and we left.

"So....um...."I began in the taxi.  "What exactly happened?"

"I woke up half naked in the girls bathroom with half a dozen girls trying to force their affections onto me."

No wonder he's pissed. I thought.  

The rest of the drive passed in silence, and then, when we got off a Lakewood, Neil just handed the driver a hundred dollar bill and told him to keep the change.  

So went Saturday.  Sunday began like this.

The time: seven thirty

The place: dorm dining hall

Jake (he's a freshman too, in some of my classes.  Very sporty): I heard you're going out with Caroline, Ethan.

Me (after choking on my milk): What?! Who told you that?

Matt (Jake's friend): Some guys have all the luck.  Did you know that she's an heiress?

Me:  I suspected that she was rich, but we're not going out.

Taki (overhearing wrongly): What?! Ethan has a girlfriend?

Me: No!

Jake and Matt: Yes.

Neil (arriving at table with food): How come you didn't tell me, Ethan?  I'm you're roommate, after all.

Me: I had no idea until just now.  Does anyone have her number?  I need to break up with her.

Jake: Why?

Matt: She's hot.

Me: I don't care.  I didn't even have a say in this decision.  

Taki:  Let him do what he wants, guys.

Me: Thanks.

Taki (blushing):  No problem.

And then I called Caroline and broke up the relationship before it even began.  It seems that she had just declared herself my girlfriend after Xoi and I "broke up."

I hung up the phone, glad it was sorted out.

"Dude, do you have no weakness to tears?" Matt asked.  

"Those were fake sobs."  I told him knowledgeably.  "Anyway, why should I go out with someone I don't like?"

"'Cause she's hot."

"Unless Ethan likes somebody else..." Neil said mischievously.  

"Tell us who it is." Taki demanded.  

I ignored them.  "I'm going back to bed."  I said, stuffing a waffle into my mouth.  But as soon as I was in my room, I grabbed my violin and left again, going to the rooftop and playing, waiting to talk to the Second Violin.  He always made me feel a little bit better.   

"What's up?" He asked after the Beethoven we'd been playing.

"I don't think I can do this anymore." I told him.  "How can I get rid of Caroline?  How do I keep from exposing my secret in the costume gala?  What happens when they find out?"

"Be a jerk, act the same, and expulsion.  In that order."  He replied.  "That's the answer to your questions.  "Call on me anytime. I'd love to help."  And he left the roof in a total of about three seconds. 

I hung out on the roof until Taki found me and challenged me to a tennis match.  I lost.