I turned to Emily. “Skipping school doesn’t make them stop, sweetheart. It just hands them more power.”
Her shoulders slumped.
Mark looked at both of us. “Let’s handle this together. All three of us. Right now.”
I blinked, surprised. He was usually the one who wanted to “sleep on it” or “wait for the right vibe.”
Emily blinked, eyes widening. “Now? Like, in the middle of second period?”
“Yes,” I said firmly. “Before you have time to talk yourself out of it. We’re going to walk into that office and hand them that legal pad.”
Entering the school felt different with both of us at her side.
