Daisy flew back on Sunday and life went back to normal.

The tension between Jimmy and Ren had been sorted out. They were friends and that was it. Daisy had been shown around town and all of the guys had pulled their weight to show her—and Ren—as much of the city as possible in a short amount of time.

Not that there was a lot to see after the first couple of days. Daisy had been to Greece before, but according to her experience, wherever she’d been before, there were more English tourists than locals, something which horrified the group.

On Tuesday, Ren took the bus to the centre and went to class in time for the lecture. Walking into the class, however, made him want to storm straight back out. For the first time since he’d hastily moved out of his first house, the neighbours had turned up for class. And Jimmy hadn’t. Which didn’t irritate him so much on any other day, but that day, he needed him. They stared him down the minute he walked into class. He fished inside his pocket and sent Jimmy a message, while he found a seat in the very front.

Where are you? The wankers are in class.

The professor walked into the room in stilettos and put her handbag on the desk, greeting everyone in English. Ren hid his phone under the desk and waited for Jimmy’s response.

‘How is everyone today? Spring is really here, isn’t it?’ the professor looked out the window at the sizzling sunlight. ‘Has everyone gone through Haegeman’s Guide to Argumentation and Analysis?’ A few students nodded. ‘Did you have any questions?’

Something hit Ren on the shoulder and rolled onto his front. A little paper ball. He unfolded it and read the note.

You are never getting your money back, faggot. If you say one more thing to anyone, you’ll regret it.

Ren shuddered. He read it a few times, taking deep breaths. What had he done to them to treat him like that? And Jimmy wasn’t even there to turn to him for advice.

His phone buzzed and a text from Jimmy appeared on the screen. He was there in spirit.

Hey, sorry, I had to work. What are they saying? Just report them to the teacher.

They just sent me this, Ren typed and attached a picture of their note in the message before sending it to Jimmy.

Those fucking assholes. Go to the dean. And then we can call the police.

Ren was too scared to look behind him or make any sort of movement. Those people were possessed, xenophobic, and homophobic.

How can I? They might follow me.

Ren watched the professor going through her slides, too far into her world to notice anything else.

Go now! Leave class and go to administration.

It was one thing saying it and another doing it. Had there been alcohol in his system, he would have run out naked if he needed to. But he wasn’t drunk and there was a low chance he could convince his brain it was before the class finished.

Ren, stop thinking about it and do it.

Did they have cameras in there, or did Jimmy know him so well, already? Ren looked around searching for Jimmy when his eyes crossed paths with the wankers. One of them slid his fingers across his neck and the other two competed for the deepest furrow.

Right! There was another way to get him to act. He mentally thanked them for pissing him off and stormed out of the class. Threatening his life on paper was okay, sort of, but being a dick in front of him was another animal. He marched across campus to administration.

I walked out. On my way to admin now.

Woohoo! Go get ’em, tiger.

Ren nearly walked into a pole reading and rereading Jimmy’s text. Tiger?

He gave himself a mental slap and knocked on the secretary’s office door. She invited him in and he shook hands with her.

‘I’m an Erasmus student. I wanted to speak with the student exchange office about an issue I’m having.’ Going to the dean was never an easy task anywhere in the world, but he hoped the exchange office would be able to help him. If not, the police would do.

He sat down and was asked to wait until Ms. Papa was back in her office. He only waited for half an hour, texting with Jimmy and browsing the internet in the meantime. She invited him to her office straight away.

‘Tell me, Mr. Thomas, how is your semester going so far?’ she asked as soon as he sat.

Her desk was stacked with papers and full of scattered pens.

‘Frankly, I’m not having the best time. I—’

‘Has your Erasmus buddy reached out to you, yet? He was supposed to be your first point of support during your stay here.’

Boy, had he been supportive. But his power was not infinite. ‘He has. He’s been amazing. But I’m not having issues with him. My issue is with the landlord you put me in touch with.’

‘Oh?’ Papa sat back in her chair.

‘He has been horrible. He doesn’t speak any English, which is not an issue, as Jimmy, I mean Dimitris, has been my translator with him. But you see, his nephews lived right next door and were partying all night long, twenty-four seven—’ Ren started.

‘Are they students? I’m sure you know students like parties,’ she said, but her words only made Ren angrier, which wasn’t her fault whatsoever. There was no sarcasm or patronising tone in her voice. Only kindness.

‘They are, actually. They are also studying English literature. And when I complained to them about their behaviour, they turned nasty. Then I complained to the landlord, and he blamed it on me as if I was the one blasting the music every night. To cut things short, my first week here was horrendous and I hadn’t slept at all, so then one of Jimmy’s friends offered his place for me. But the landlord refused to give me my deposit back, saying it was my fault I didn’t like it there, and to make matters worse, his nephews and their friends are threatening to hurt me if I don’t stop asking for my money back.’ He handed her the note he’d been thrown in class and she read it.

Her lips pursed and her eyebrows pressed on her eyes.

‘That is—unacceptable. To say the least. Can you—can you give me their names? I will make sure this goes to the dean and the police. We don’t tolerate bullying on or off our campus, and I sincerely apologise you have been experiencing this. I really hope it doesn’t cloud your judgement of Greek people. We’re not all like that.’ Her tone was calm but shaky. Her fingers were clasping at her desk and her veins were showing.

‘Thank you. And don’t worry. I’m loving Greece. I know not everyone is a bully.’

She grinned. ‘I will make sure those kids pay for their actions. Leave it to me.’

Ren felt lighter when he came out of the office.

They’re in trouble, he messaged Jimmy.

His response was instant.

About fucking time!