I recently started my educational program. My female cousin's friend "S" began at the same time as I did. She vouched for him and his character—told me many examples of how "S" was a helpful and supportive classmate who shared quizzes and homework (and let friends copy off him during tests). She said he was really smart with a 4.0 and that he would be a good point person I could depend on. Their friend group in undergrad was mixed 50/50 men and women.

Two months into the program (a week ago), she introduced us and told me to be friendly since I am normally reserved and unfriendly with men. His current friend group is around 5 men; I do not speak to them or make eye contact when passing his friends on campus. To be honest, I didn't even make eye contact with "S" for the first two months either, even though he went out of his way to introduce himself to me during the first week of the semester asking if I was cousins with his friend. I said yes, acknowledged how he was friends with my cousin before letting the convo die and went back to talking to the group I was talking to. I am pretty standoffish lol. A friend of "S" is assigned to sit next to me for a certain class and I straight up ignore this dude sometimes. He has gotten the hint and doesn't chit-chat with me anymore. Just a reference of how I normally act.

For the past week, I have texted "S" and been friendly. All regarding school, but once I sent a joke during class when the professor was being weird. I also usually reply promptly to his texts and went out of my way to share multiple study guides and quizzes with him. He shared (1) notes and (2) a quiz in response to me sharing my material. He has never sent me anything out of the blue on his own.

Yesterday, we had a quiz and I mentioned to him previously that he could sit next to me and "glance" if needed (I said this with the idea that he might help me in another class coming up that I have difficulty with. He told me that that class was his favorite and that he would help. I know, I know. We shouldn't be doing this, buuut yeah. It is what it is). Anyway, he texted me and asked if I was still serious about letting him "see" my computer screen and I said sure. He texted that I could sit next to his friend "X". I replied that I didn't know who that was.

After this exchange, I came to the lecture hall and we said hey to each other and I sat down next to his friend "X" but then got up because I was still getting situated and trying to figure out where "S" was sitting so I could sit next to him. He asked me to sit in the row in front of him. I did *cringe*. So it was me, in a row, alone. And him and two friends in the row behind me. I felt really uncomfortable with this set-up, but couldn't do anything since the quiz was starting. Afterwards, he texted me thank you and that it really helped. The conversation went on but it felt like I was carrying it.

I'm trying to be as truthful as possible.

After this whole snafu, I was feeling... uncomfortable that his friends knew about me allowing him to cheat. I do not want that reputation. I don't know them so they have zero reason to protect my image. I also don't know if they also cheated off me since I couldn't see behind me. Feeling down, I felt like I needed something back from him so I asked him to do my sister's language unit homework for school since he is a native speaker of the language. He said "yes, of course". I gave it to him today and will get it from him the next time we see each other (Monday).

I decided I am not reaching out to him anymore. Not for help and not to help. I will not be as friendly as I have been thus far. I feel like that was a HUGE mistake and I trusted my cousin (who is also shocked btw at how he is acting). She thinks it's because his current friend group is all male and that she had a different experience because she was in a mixed gender friend group with him OR because he is just not doing as well as I am so he feels like he has nothing to offer me (which could be true, since I aced this last class and he got a B even though he cheated off his friends).

What do I do? When I get the language packet next time I see him, should I:

(A) confront the situation head-on and ask why he needed my help if he already was cheating off his 2 friends on either side of him? Make it clear that I am not interested in whatever group they are in. That I am not cool with the way things went down. Ask why he had me sit in front of him instead of next to him?

Or

(B) do I just leave it and move on without confronting him about this situation. And just be temperamentally cool but polite with him from now on (not straight up ignoring him like before, but not being friendly as I was this past week). He will definitely notice a change in my temperament, but will not know why I switched up, since I acted normally after the exam when we texted. Not that I fucking care at this point. I only cared to help him out since I wanted a quid pro quo relationship for the next quiz coming up in 2 weeks.

We have 4 more years together. Give it to me straight. I know I messed up, but how do get back up?