Davin
I was halfway through grading the final assignment in a particularly disappointing stack when my phone pinged beside my laptop.
I reached for it without much thought, expecting a reminder from Jessie or another email from a student requesting an extension after the deadline had already passed.
Instead, Dean Whitmore’s name appeared on the screen.
Professor Jackson, come to my office immediately. It’s urgent.
My pen stilled between my fingers.
Dean Whitmore rarely used the word urgent, and she never summoned faculty members without offering some indication of the reason.
For several seconds, I stared at the message while the quiet unease that had settled in my chest since Jasmine told me about Jason grew heavier.
I left the pen where it was, squared the papers into a neat stac
