“I remember when you used to at least pretend to be civil,” Julius remarks as he lifts the coffee cup in his hand to his lips. “You would offer me a terribly fake smile first, then come up with a long-winded way to remind me of the time, like: Is it just me, or has the school bought new clocks? The minute hand looks really different. Now you seem to have no problem criticizing me to my face. Real progress.”
