Starbuck glanced up at her, somewhat caught off guard by her question. "Twenty-two," he answered in a soft voice. She would know that, which meant that likely wasn't the answer she wanted, so he elaborated, "Too old to be picking fights," he added in an even softer voice.
His chest felt tight, he'd gone from feeling enraged to being filled with dread. He didn't want to get kicked out of school. Yeah, he missed his mom, and maybe returning home was what he needed, but he'd be letting his father down if he left before realizing his full potential where his magic was concerned. Hadn't that been his reason for coming? He wasn't here to fall in love, he was here to do something significant with his life... he was here to make sure his father's death hadn't been wasted.
"I don't wanna be expelled," he said with a slight shake in his voice.