32 — Hi, dad.

“Hi, Dad.” I say, walking out of the room, with the phone stuck to my ear, “Can you hold on a second, I'm in the kitchen…”

“Did something happen?” He asks, worried. It's unbelievable how he knows the timbre of my voice, how he's able to recognize my emotions by the way I pronounce words. It brings a warmth to my heart, to know that I'm loved in this way.

“I just want to talk…” I say, walking past the group that was probably the one talking about me. I cast a gaze over them, and they flinched, realizing they had talked too loudly… but just snort and walk to Julian's office, which I know is still empty — it's the only place I can talk openly with my dad right now.

Sitting down on the couch, I take a deep breath, “Okay… I'm in Julian's office.”

“Is Julian there?” My father asks almost disinterestedly.

“He's not here yet.” I stare at the floor, my cheeks taking on a rosy hue because my face is definitely burning. “He must be on his way.”

“Got it…” He mutters, still sounding disinterested