rumor has it ((Joshua))

Joshua's eyes narrowed in intense distaste when Ethan spoke again. He just doesn't know when to shut his damned mouth, does he? A violent part of Joshua knew a desire to either break the boy's jaw or else wire it shut, but that particularly vehement desire passed quickly. Joshua was not the type that usually overkilled with his violence. He was angry enough to physically attack Ethan, sure, but he didn't want to break any bones or leave any lasting damage. Scars didn't go away, after all, and a broken bone could land a guy like Joshua in jail. Thank goodness elemental wounds couldn't be reported to police for fear of strange questions. "There's a difference between denying them and spreading them," he hissed pointedly. He didn't give a damn if people chose to believe these stupid rumours but it didn't mean he would forgive the assholes (like Ethan) that went around spreading them.

How unfortunate that Ethan and Joshua had to meet and get to know one another on such terrible circumstances. Both had been victims in the past and both had moved on from being victimised, though in drastically different ways. Whilst Ethan seemed to have graduated from being bullied to spreading lies about others, Joshua had went from being a victim to an aggressor. He didn't go out of his way to shove others around or pick on them for no reason, but nor would he stand for other people spreading lies about him, slandering him--no, gone were the days when he'd hide behind a book and hope that they stopped. He might not have been able to get into sports like his father had wanted... instead, Joshua had gotten mixed up with a gang. Bad for him as this gang had been, they'd taught him to stand up for himself. Take shit from no one. And so he wouldn't. He felt almost no pity for Ethan as he watched the other boy sink to his knees. In Joshua's mind, the Water elemental had deserved this. Did his violence make him any better or more justified than Ethan in this situation? No, not really. Both of them were wrong and neither of them were going to admit it, it seemed. It was rather hypocritical.

He also didn't plan to get all kind and sympathetic now that the fight was won. "Don't spread shit about me again," he said, simple and threatening, and then he walked away. Joshua was not stupid--he knew the old adage about a leopard never changing its spots. Ethan would probably talk about Joshua behind his back as much as it took his fancy, but there was a difference now: Joshua would be listening for it. If he caught wind that this little brat had talked shit about him behind his back, well, he would find him. He wouldn't be afraid to attack him again. The water had daunted him at first but he was a college student, an aggressive one at that. I can handle him. He didn't bother looking over his shoulder to see if Ethan was alright. It was lucky Nell wasn't here--he could practically hear her worrying about the well-being of others. She'd worried about Altair when the Fire girl had very clearly wanted to hurt her. Snorting at the thought, Josh pushed open the double doors to the Academy and resolved that he would go and get something in the mess hall to replenish some of his lost stamina.