The frown that was covering most of Ethan's face gradually faded in response to Steph's remark. He sighed in relief, before slightly turning his head at her. "I'm glad.", a smirk formed in his face, followed by a sudden quiver, almost as if he realized something important. "Oh, and thanks for standing up for me. Nobody's done that since..", the boy paused, his tone getting darker as he did, before finally putting an end to his statement "..sixth grade." Ethan could experience an inward shiver at that moment, embarrassed at how bad he was at steering away from all the personal issues that have been plaguing his psyche. Not to say he had trust issues. Actually, his inability to avoid awkward situations had nothing to do with Stephanie - it was all about him. He had no doubts that she was the same sweet, kind-hearted girl when she wasn't being observed by the school students. He just didn't want to come off as one of those desperate people who spill their guts right when they find a new companion, in spite of feeling the urge to do so. However, he was rather interested to know her views on the Disconnected people, since, after all, he was one of them.

Right after making their way to the locker hall, Ethan briefly split up with Steph, approaching his locker, unlocking it and then grabbing some tools needed for the upcoming Art class. If his memory served right, Steph's locker wasn't far from his, although she would probably just skip it, considering she had almost everything needed in her portofolio. 

"So, you've heard about these people, right? You know, these who can disconnect from reality? I was interested to know what you think on them?", Ethan uttered, looking at the locker in order to avoid eye contact with the girl. He immediately regretted his decision to make the question, upon seeing how badly the transition was made. He was just hoping she wouldn't discover his secret.