Dean Hill sits behind her desk.
The three of us stand. Liam on one side. Me and Ethan on the other.
She doesn't invite us to sit.
"I'll make this brief," she says. "I've been receiving reports. Students claiming they've seen concerning behavior between you two." She gestures at me and Ethan. "I called you in to ask directly: are you maintaining the distance I instructed?"
Silence.
I look at Ethan. He looks at me.
We both know the truth. We spent last night together. We're not maintaining any distance.
But the photo isn't mentioned. She doesn't know about that yet.
Which means we can still lie.
"Yes," Ethan says. "We're maintaining appropriate distance."
"Miss Lane?" Dean Hill looks at me.
"Yes. Professional boundaries only."
It's a lie. A complete lie.
But what else can we say? Admit we spent the night together and get expelled immediately?
"And you, Mr. Parker?" She turns to Liam. "You requested this meeting. What concerns do you have?"
