DAISY

I tap my fingers against the wooden armrest of the bench as I stare at the Dean’s door like it might suddenly disappear. The silence in the hallway feels heavy, and even though Iris is right next to me, I feel this weight in my chest.

Adrian’s been in there for almost twenty minutes now.

“I mean… he’s a McAllister,” I say, turning slightly toward Iris. “It shouldn’t be that big of a deal, right?”

Iris sighs, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. “I hope not,” she says, but her voice is far from confident.

We fall into silence again, but it’s broken a few seconds later when...