At 3:17, the gates of Hartwell Academy opened and students began pouring out. Iris straightened, pretzel forgotten as she scanned the crowd for wine-red hair and purple eyes. Isaiah's descriptions had been oddly specific about their appearance, making them sound like anime characters.
Then she saw them.
Four identical girls walked together down the steps, their matching features immediately apparent even from across the street. They moved as a unit, yet each sister carried herself differently. One with a perfect posture and severe ponytail walked slightly ahead, checking something on her phone. Another slouched with her hands in her pockets, scowling at nothing in particular. The third bounced along beside them, talking animatedly with her hands. The fourth trailed behind, nose buried in a book even as she navigated the stairs.
Iris inhaled sharply. The Valentine quadruplets were real, and they were somehow even more striking than Isaiah had described.
