Chapter 63: [63] Famous For All The Wrong Reasons
Xavier’s temples throbbed in rhythm with his footsteps as he walked down the hallway. The buzz of whispers followed him like an annoying fly that wouldn’t die no matter how many times you swatted at it.
"That’s him," someone muttered.
"Can’t believe he talked to Thalia like that."
"Who does he think he is?"
Two days. It had taken exactly two days since the gate for his name to spread across campus after what people were calling "the Sinclair Incident." All because Beppo couldn’t keep his damn mouth shut about what happened in the GSC. The social media addict had posted a thirty-second clip of Xavier’s exchange with Thalia, and now half the school thought he’d insulted her while the other half thought he was hitting on her.
Neither was true. Well, not entirely.
A trio of second-years watched him pass, their glares intense enough to burn holes through his uniform. Xavier recognized them from the hallways—members of Thalia’s unofficial fan club. One of them, a broad-shouldered kid with a shaved head, even had the nerve to crack his knuckles as Xavier walked by.
Xavier almost hoped they’d try something. His head hurt, his mood was shit, and punching someone felt like exactly the release he needed right now.
"You’re smiling," Calypso said beside him. "That’s usually bad news for someone."
He glanced at her. She’d been quiet since they left for the weekend, her normally expressive face pulled into neutral lines that gave nothing away. The space between them felt wrong—too formal despite walking side by side.
"Just thinking about how many teeth that guy would lose if he actually tried anything," Xavier said.