Caroline walked ahead, gently freeing her hand from Marcus's as they stepped out of Sprout Well, then turned to face them.
"How about ice cream at Tracey's on the way to clubs?" she asked, already sounding lighter.
All three nodded without hesitation.
Caroline immediately turned and headed toward Tracey's, her pace almost skipping, the earlier tension slipping off her shoulders like it had never been there. She looked genuinely happy—like a kid promised dessert after a long day.
"What are you gonna choose?" Caroline asked as they reached the counter, eyes scanning the menu.
"Butterscotch for me," Daisy added without thinking twice.
"I'll take choco dip," Kevin said.
"Mint choco," Marcus said after a pause.
Caroline turned to the counter. "One cup each—butterscotch, choco dip, mint choco, and choco chip. Can you bill these, please?"
They collected their ice creams and moved to an open bench nearby, the campus lights just beginning to glow as evening crept in.
Marcus took one bite of his mint choco and frowned slightly. "It tastes like mint toothpaste," he said, then added grudgingly, "but the chocolate makes it better."
Before anyone could comment, he casually handed his mint choco to Caroline with one hand and took her choco dip with the other.
Caroline paused, then took a bite of the mint choco. "It's not bad," she admitted. "But chocolate still tastes better.." She glanced at the others. "You guys wanna try?"
Daisy shook her head immediately. Kevin leaned over and took a quick spoonful, squinting as the mint hit him. He quickly followed it with a spoonful of his own choco dip, as if trying to erase the taste.
The others watched him, grinning.
Caroline finished nearly half the mint choco before exchanging it back with Marcus. "Marko, Kevin—try finishing your club applications as soon as possible," she said casually. "Let's meet again at the gym."
"We'll head out now," she added, standing. Caroline glanced at Daisy; when Daisy nodded, she waved at Marcus and Kevin. "See you."
"Ok, see ya," Marcus replied. Kevin lifted a hand in return as they split toward their respective clubs.
About an hour later, Caroline and Daisy reached their dorm room.
"I'm tired," Daisy said, dropping onto her bed the moment she stepped in.
"Why don't you rest here?" Caroline said, hesitating only briefly. "I'll go to the gym and be back in a while. We might have a long night today."
Daisy sat up at once. "Oh—right. I completely forgot about that. What's the plan for tonight?"
Caroline paused while picking out gym clothes. "Do you like night-outs? Watching movies, playing games, hanging out together?"
"I do," Daisy said, then stopped herself mid-sentence. "Wait… are you saying Marcus and Kevin will be spending the night here?" She stood up immediately.
"I'm sorry I didn't explain earlier," Caroline said. "It's just for today. Seniors won't suspect them staying in the girls' dorm. This is the safest temporary solution I could think of."
"And you decided that by yourself?" Daisy asked, hurt flickering across her face. "When we're sharing this room?"
Caroline stepped closer and took Daisy's hands, her voice softer. "I'm sorry. I was afraid you—or the others—might reject the idea. When I said we'd have company tonight and no one complained, I thought you'd understand once I explained."
"When were you planning to tell me?" Daisy asked.
Caroline glanced down. "I needed to check something outside first," she said quietly, then looked up again. "I was going to explain everything in the group chat after that."
"What check?" Daisy asked, brows raised.
"Daisy," Caroline said gently, "you said you trust me. Can you wait for me? We don't have much time. I'll be back soon."
Without waiting for an answer, Caroline rushed into the bathroom.
She returned within two minutes wearing black joggers and a white T-shirt, phone in hand. "Lock the door," she said, taking a quick drink of water. "Don't open it unless they say their name first. I'll ping you."
Then she was gone.
Marcus and Kevin were just about to leave their dorm when Caroline's message popped up in the group chat:
Cheez:Marko, Kevin—hide your valuables in your room. If they fit, pack them together with gym clothes and leave them in our room. Then you can return to the gym.
We'll have dinner in our room. I'll send the menu and bring food later.
Kevin typed back almost immediately.
Kevin:Are we the company you were talking about earlier?
Marcus stared at the screen when no reply came; He called her. The call went straight to voicemail. A message followed a second later.
Cheez:I'll talk later.
Marcus frowned and immediately called Daisy.
"Hello," Daisy answered in a single ring.
"Are you with Cheez?" Marcus asked.
"No," Daisy said. "She went out about ten minutes ago to check something. Is something wrong?"
"No," Marcus said quickly. "Are you in the room right now?"
"Yes. She said we'd have a night-out together. I thought she was meeting you guys."
"Ok," Marcus said. He glanced at Kevin, who nodded. "We'll drop the bag and go check on her."
"Alright," Daisy said. "Room C25, third floor. Call my name when you knock."
"Ok," Marcus said, and the call ended.
They packed a pair of clothes and essentials quickly and left their room.
Caroline, leaving the Bat, put on her Bluetooth and entered the gym they'd been using the past few days. She stood off to the side, pretending to stretch while her eyes scanned the room.
There are fewer people today compared to the last two days, Caroline thought. Not avoidance—just exhaustion setting in.
She checked her watch, typed a message on her phone, then left the gym with a quiet sigh—like someone who had waited long enough.
She crossed into a different dorm building and stopped at the canteen.
"Excuse me," Caroline asked the cashier politely. "Is the menu fixed for the week, or does it change?"
"It's fixed for the week," the cashier replied, pointing to the board.
"Can I take a picture?" she asked.
He nodded, smiling at her politeness.
Caroline snapped a photo.
"At Cat and Elephant, the menu changes more often," the cashier added. "But if you want something that feels more homemade, you'll only get that here—at Dolls Den."
"That's thoughtful," Caroline said. "I'd love to eat here tomorrow. Thank you."
She stepped away, phone in hand, already moving again.
The night wasn't over yet.