Cadence didn't look him in the eye. She dropped her head so low her chin practically touched her collar, her shoulders caving inward in that exact, submissive bow I had seen in the courtyard. "No, Mr. Vance. We were... we were just leaving. We were just helping the new student find the recycling bins."
"Is that right?" Julian stepped closer, his boots making a heavy, deliberate sound against the marble tile. He didn't even look at Cadence or the boys; his eyes locked directly onto me, his smirk widening as he noticed my half-eaten turkey sandwich. "Because it looked like you guys were getting a little loud, and the chancellor hates noise in the refectory. It disrupts the digestion of people who actually pay tuition."
"We are leaving. Right now. Sorry, Mr. Vance," the boy who had just thr
