"Hey—leave her alone!"
Gabriel's voice cut across the alley before his feet did. He stepped in, shoulder forward, and the circle of boys tightened around Elena like they could squeeze the air out of her.
"Who are you?" the leader sneered. "Campus do-gooder?"
"Walk away," Gabriel said. His tone had no joke in it. The leader laughed and shoved Elena's bag with the toe of his shoe.
"Don't touch her stuff."
The leader stumbled back as Gabriel shoved him, hard and clean. The shove was enough. The leader hit the brick wall and landed on his ass. His cronies went quiet.
"What's your problem?" one of them hissed, getting up slow.
"None of yours," Gabriel said. He kept his hands visible. He didn't raise his voice. The look on his face made one of the cronies think twice.
Camila's voice broke the silence like a bell.
"Elena!" she ran in, hair wild, hands on her hips. "What did you do this time?"
"Nothing," Elena said without looking up. Her voice was small and flat. She hugged her bag to her chest.
"You doing okay?" Camila demanded. She scanned the boys. "And you—who are you?" she pointed at Gabriel.
"Gabriel," he said. "Student. Leave them be."
Camila pressed her phone between them like a shield. "That's my friend. Back off."
The leader scrambled to his feet, spit at the alley floor, and mouthed threats that dissolved when three students from a
