CHAPTER 325: THE NORRIS CURSE

Micah didn’t have time to go back to the dorm. He dashed across the campus and slipped through the classroom door just a second before Georgina arrived.

Micah’s lungs burned from running. He collapsed into the nearest empty seat, bending over and resting his hands on his knees for a second before dragging in a gulp of air. Sweat clung to his forehead, sliding down his temples. He pulled his water bottle from his bag and gulped down a mouthful like a man dying of thirst.

"Hey." A whisper came from beside him.

Micah turned his head, blinking as Russell dropped into the seat next to him. He leaned closer, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Dude, where were you? Why didn’t you answer my texts?"

Micah wiped his face with his sleeves, voice flat. "I was out of town. Poor signal." A lie, smooth and easy.

Russell frowned but didn’t press further right away. Micah could feel his stare burning into him. But he ignored it, pretending to be absorbed in screwing the cap back onto his bottle. Truth was, he hadn’t had the energy to care about anyone’s messages for the past few days. His phone was a graveyard of unopened texts and missed calls. The only people who had managed to break through were his family and Darcy. Everyone else had been pushed aside. "So what was so urgent it couldn’t wait until today?" Micah asked.

"Why did you bail last Friday? We won the tournament. I called you to come celebrate, but you never picked up," Russell whispered.

"Yeah. Heard about it, congrats." Micah mumbled, unimpressed.

Russell’s mouth opened, hesitation flickering across his face. He wanted to say more, that his older brother, Archie, hadn’t shown up to the celebration either, that he suspected Micah might have known why. The words lingered on the edge of his tongue. But before he could bring them out, Georgina’s heels clicked against the floor at the front of the classroom. The room hushed instantly.

Georgina began roll call, her clear voice echoing in the room.

From the moment she walked in, her sharp eyes had been on Micah. The corner of her lips stretched slightly upwards. Gossip practically radiated off her. After Micah and Clyde had left the condo, the guys had eagerly filled her in on everything she had missed while drunk, the tension, the arguments, the way Clyde had been banished to the living room. She regretted every moment she hadn’t been sober enough to witness it first-hand. Now, she was dying for details.

When she reached his name on the list, she called it out with a little too much enthusiasm, her tone just slightly higher than before.

"Micah Ramsy."

Micah stiffened. His hand shot up in automatic response, but his gaze stayed firmly on the desk, refusing to meet hers. His ears tinged red.

Georgina’s lips twitched as she tried hard not to smile. Oh, that embarrassment said enough. Things between him and Clyde were progressing, weren’t they?

Satisfied for now, she continued down the list.

The class carried on without much drama. Micah scribbled notes absentmindedly, his mind muddled the entire time.

By the time the lecture ended, he was ready to escape.

The instant Georgina dismissed them, Micah jolted upright and dashed toward the door. He nearly tripped over the leg of his chair as he made for the door, fearing Georgina would call him over.

Russell blinked at the sudden escape, scrambling to gather his own things. "What the hell?" he muttered under his breath as he chased after him. "What’s wrong?"

Micah had already ducked around the corner of the hallway, pressing his back against the wall like a fugitive hiding from pursuit. His bag hung half off his shoulder, eyes darting toward the classroom. "Huh? Nothing." He waved dismissively. "Why are you following me?"

Russell stopped in front of him, exasperation written all over his face. His hand twisted as if he might smack him over the head. "You are really...ugh." He cut himself off with a groan. Then, with a huff, he shoved a box into Micah’s hands. "Here. Before you disappear again."

Micah was stunned. He stared down at the unexpected box now resting in his palms. "What... is this?"

"Your birthday gift." Russell crossed his arms. "You didn’t even tell us that day. Tsk. I didn’t know you were such a stingy guy. I heard you had a party and didn’t invite us! Anyway. This is from me. I’m not as heartless as you."

Micah scratched his cheek, ashamed. His voice softened. "Thanks... you didn’t have to.., wait," His eyes narrowed suddenly. "How did you even know I had a party?"

"Friday night, your roommates told me," Russell said.

Micah gritted his teeth. Emile! That bastard.

The thought of returning to the dorm made him want to crawl under a rock. Nick and Eddie would be waiting, ready to skin him alive for keeping them in the dark.

Pushing the dread aside, Micah carefully lifted the lid of the box. Inside, cushioned by tissue paper, lay a sleek gaming headset. The sight startled him. His lips parted, and then curved upward into an unguarded smile.

"Thanks, man," he said, clapping Russell’s shoulder. "Seriously."

Russell shrugged it off, though his own expression softened. He always felt lucky to have met Micah. Without him, he’d never have found the courage to stand up to Ashley. He wanted to say that for a long time, but the words stuck. It would sound too much like making a big deal out of it. When he saw the WeChat moment and knew it was Micah’s birthday, he decided to give him a gift at least. "Right, you haven’t checked the forum, have you?"

"Hmm? No. Why?"

"You’re famous, dude. Everyone’s talking about you. They want to know who FrostbiteAshe is, and why he didn’t play in the final."

Micah didn’t pay attention to it, thinking it was just shallow curiosity. "Oh? I bet they were trash-talking me."

Russell stopped short, baffled. That wasn’t the case at all, if anything, people were buzzing with admiration and curiosity. But before he could explain, Micah’s eyes darted past him.

Darcy.

Micah’s face brightened instantly. He shoved the headset box into his bag, snapping the zipper shut. "I’ll see you later," Micah said and ran toward Darcy.

Russell stood rooted in place, watching in disbelief as Micah jogged down the hall, practically glowing as he called out to Darcy. His heart felt heavy as he followed Micah’s line of sight.

There it was. The undeniable truth.

Elly had been right all along.

He felt his brother was really unfortunate. Micah had never once asked about him or shown any interest in his matter.

But when it came to Darcy... Micah became someone else entirely.

Russell clenched his fists at his sides, frustrated and helpless. When Elly had mentioned her assumption that Archie might have feelings for Micah, Russell thought it was absurd. His older brother and Micah? But seeing how Archie acted at the tournament, his absence during the celebration, and his sulking for the past two days... The explanation was starting to make awfully perfect sense.

Russell let out a long, weary sigh. The Norris boys were really miserable. Neither of them could capture the attention of the person they wanted the most.