Chapter 61 I Wouldn’t Miss It for Anything
"I went with the 'inevitable discovery' exception," Lily replied.
Maggie gave a sharp nod of confirmation, a teasing smile tugging at her lips. “Same. Looks like we’re on the same page, Lil. And if we’re wrong, at least we’ll fail together.”
“Not me and you,” Lily retorted with a grin, rolling her eyes— making them both laugh softly.
Meanwhile, at the far end of the same hallway, the atmosphere was considerably more somber. Andrew leaned against a row of lockers, his 6-foot-7 frame making the ceiling seem uncomfortably low. He wore a baggy white shirt that draped over his broad shoulders and ash-gray joggers, looking more like a star athlete who had wandered into a bar exam by mistake.
His roommate, Josh, was currently acting as the grim reaper of grades, holding the exam sheet like a verdict.
"Alright, big man," Josh said, peering up at Andrew. "Question eight. The exclusionary rule application to knock-and-announce violations. What'd you put?"
Andrew rubbed the back of his neck, his dark-brown hair messy from hours of nervous running-through-fingers. "I... I think I put B? That the evidence is suppressed?"
Josh winced, making a clicking sound with his tongue. "Oof. No, man. Hudson v. Michigan. The Court said the exclusionary rule doesn't apply to knock-and-announce. It was A."
Andrew’s shoulders slumped an inch. "Dammit. I knew that. I overthought it."
"It happens," Josh said, moving down the list. "Question fifteen. The right to counsel during a post-indictment lineup?"
"A," Andrew said tentatively. "It's a critical stage, so the lawyer has to be there."
"There we go!" Josh grinned, slapping him on the arm. "See? You’re not a total lost cause. That’s a point in the bag."
"Okay, okay. Give me the last one on page four," Andrew muttered, his stomach doing a slow roll.
Josh looked down. "Question thirty. The 'Good Faith' exception to the warrant requirement."
Andrew sighed. "I went with D. That it only applies if the police acted with 'malice'."
Josh shook his head slowly. "Nah, man. It’s about whether the warrant was facially valid and the officers relied on it reasonably. You missed that one too."
Andrew put his head back against the cold metal of the locker, closing his eyes. “I’m scared, bro. I don’t want to retake this stupid course. And worse, the impact it’s gonna have on my GPA.”
Josh stepped forward, his voice dropping the teasing edge. "Hey, listen to me. It was fifty questions, Andrew. You missed a couple of the tricky ones, but you nailed the core concepts. Even if the worse comes to worst, you’re still looking at a C or a C-plus. You aren't failing."
Andrew took a deep breath, trying to let the tension go. "A 'C' feels like a 'F' right now, Josh."
"A 'C' is still a grade, man. Chill out."
Back at the other end of the hall, Maggie had stopped listening to Lily’s breakdown of question forty-nine. Her gaze was fixed on the towering figure in the white shirt twenty yards away.
"Lily," Maggie said softly, interrupting her friend. "I’m going to excuse myself for a second. I want to go and see Andrew."
Lily stopped mid-sentence, her eyes darting between Maggie and the back of Andrew’s head. A slow, knowing smile spread across her face— the kind of look only a best friend can give. "Oh, is that so?"
Warmth rushed to Maggie’s cheeks, but she didn’t look away. “Yes. And I don’t know why you’re making it weird.”
“Oh, you do,” Lily teased, waving her off with the exam paper. “Go on. Don’t keep the giant waiting.”
Maggie’s sneakers made soft rhythmic sounds on the linoleum as she approached. As she drew closer, Andrew looked up. The stress lines in his forehead seemed to vanish the moment he spotted the denim-clad girl walking toward him.
"Hey," Maggie said as she reached them. She looked up— way up— at Andrew, offering a bright, genuine smile. "What's up?"
"Hey," Andrew responded, his voice instantly dropping an octave into something softer. "I'm good. You?"
“I’m fantastic,” she said easily.
He gestured to Josh. “This is Josh— my roommate.”
Maggie turned, extending her hand. “Hi. I’m Maggie.”
“I know,” Josh said with a grin, shaking her hand firmly. “Pleasure to finally meet you. I’ve heard a lot.”
Maggie arched a dark eyebrow, a playful glint in her eyes. "Hopefully good things?"
Josh chuckled, glancing at Andrew who was suddenly very interested in the ceiling tiles. "Only good things, Maggie. All of them." He checked his watch, then hitched his backpack higher on his shoulder. “Actually, I feel hungry all of a sudden. I think it’s best I head back to the room.”
He turned to leave.
“Chill— let’s go together,” Andrew said.
“No need,” Josh replied instantly.
"Alright I'll catch up with you in a bit," Andrew said, his eyes never leaving Maggie.
Josh gave Andrew a subtle, heavy-handed wink. "You don’t need to rush, man. Stay as long as you want. Take the whole evening if you need to." With a wave to Maggie, Josh turned and disappeared into the crowd of students.
"So," Maggie said, stepping into the space Josh had vacated. "How was the exam?"
Andrew managed a small, slightly sheepish smile. "It was... really good. Actually. You? I know you killed it."
"Well," Maggie said. "Let us just say that. Honestly, I wasn't expecting the questions to be as cheap as that. I’m expecting nothing less than an A."
Andrew laughed, the sound deep and resonant in the hallway. "I don't doubt it for a second."
"Are you still down to come over to my place later?" Maggie asked, her tone shifting to something more personal.
"I wouldn't miss it for anything," Andrew confirmed, his expression earnest.