"Why did you leave alone?" Marcus asked Caroline in an even tone once they had passed the Elephant Ear. The night air felt heavier here, the lights dimmer, the chatter behind them fading into something distant and uneven.
"I just wanted to check the surroundings," Caroline said casually, eyes fixed ahead. After a brief pause, she added, "And it's the better option to avoid attention."
"Cheez."
Marcus stopped walking abruptly and turned to face her, stepping directly into her path. "Why are you avoiding me?"
Caroline sighed, the sound slow and controlled, and looked at him. "Girls are safer than boys when it comes to ragging," she said lightly. "Didn't you hear?"
Marcus didn't smile. His eyes searched her face instead. "What about at Nova? You think I didn't notice?"
Caroline met his gaze. "I wasn't avoiding you. Do you really think I'd be walking here with you if I wanted to avoid you?" she asked, clarifying calmly.
Lying to him.
She shifted her weight slightly, as if the topic itself was tiresome. "Now, can we go? Daisy and Kevin must be hungry." She placed both hands on his shoulders and gently turned him around, nudging him forward playfully.
"Cheez," Marcus said while walking, turning his head halfway back toward her, "you should tell me if something is bothering you."
"There's nothing," Caroline replied quickly. "I'll tell you if there is something." Her voice was steady, almost reassuring.
Marcus knew he couldn't probe further—not now. He let the silence stretch for a few steps before switching topics. "How did you meet Chester?"
Caroline adjusted her pace to walk beside him.
"I heard takeouts are available only at Fountain Frog and Ginger," she said. "But you saw what it was like at Fountain Frog—two small gangs were already there, hanging around and blocking half the entrance. It was crowded in the wrong way."
She kept her eyes forward as she continued, "Since the college has just begun, very few students were at Ginger. Most of them were working on their laptops, and the canteen was closed. Chester saw me there, and I asked him to accompany me to Fountain Frog."
Marcus glanced at her. "He agreed just like that?"
"He couldn't refuse my cute face," Caroline said with a shrug, as if it were common knowledge that people gave in to her without much resistance.
"More like your pestering," Marcus said flatly, walking forward without looking at her.
"With a cute face," Caroline added proudly.
Marcus shook his head and continued walking, choosing silence.
Dorm Room C25
Daisy paced the room with her phone clutched tightly in her hand, stopping every few seconds to look out the window. The darkness outside seemed thicker than before, swallowing whatever lay beyond the glass.
"Why don't you sit and wait for them?" Kevin said, stretched out on Daisy's bed, eyes glued to his phone as he played a game.
"How can you play games now?" Daisy snapped, her voice tight. "Derik followed them to the canteen in the afternoon. What if he sees them again?"
Kevin didn't look up. "Caroline sent the menu like she said she would. That means she's safe. And Marcus might've found her already after that message. I don't think they'll meet Derik again. That guy might be preparing for the night."
Daisy turned sharply toward him. "Do you think they'll come here if they know?" she asked, fear creeping into her tone.
Kevin stopped playing and sat up, facing her. "Have you ever heard of Linus?"
"Linus?" Daisy thought for a moment. "You mean the anti-bullying squad? I heard their speech at school."
"Marcus and Caroline are part of it," Kevin said. "Key members. You can see them in campaign photos and news articles too."
Daisy stared at him, stunned, her expression frozen.
"So they're more experienced dealing with someone like Derik than any of us," Kevin continued. "You don't need to worry so much. They'll return safely."
Daisy slowly picked up her phone and searched online for Linus and its members.
"Wow," she murmured, scrolling. "They even gave speeches in schools and colleges."
She sat down on the bed beside Kevin, keeping a small but noticeable distance between them, eyes fixed on the screen. Kevin leaned slightly closer, curiosity replacing concern as he peeked at the articles and videos.
Daisy placed the phone between them. Together, they watched clips and read headlines where Caroline and Marcus appeared—confident, composed, fearless.
Ten minutes passed quietly.
A knock broke the silence.
"It's me, Caroline."
Daisy dropped the phone instantly and rushed to the door.
Caroline raised one hand as soon as the door opened. "Dinner is here."
Daisy exhaled slowly and hugged her tightly, the tension she'd been holding onto giving way to quiet acceptance. "I'm sorry. I should've joined you, but I got upset and—"
"It's okay," Caroline said gently, returning the hug. "You have the right to be." She smiled faintly. "Why don't we talk inside?"
Caroline and Marcus stepped into the room, and Marcus locked the door behind them.
"We'll set up the dinner," Marcus said, taking the bag from Caroline. "You girls continue your talk."
Caroline guided Daisy toward her bed, and they sat down side by side.
"Daisy," Caroline began slowly, "I've never shared a room with a girl before. Marcus was the only roommate I had when we were kids." She paused, choosing her words carefully. "I had a very bad experience with my girlfriends in the past, and it became hard for me to make friends again."
She looked at Daisy. "Yesterday, I was scared about getting a new roommate. But after meeting you and talking to you, my fears went away. I felt like we could be good friends."
Daisy listened silently.
"Marko and I initially planned to find a place to hide temporarily," Caroline continued. "Just for a short time. Then return quietly. We underestimated the ragging here. Since it's only been a day since the college officially started, even if we find a hideout, we won't know if someone else is using it. And if Derik decides to sleep in their room, it becomes impossible to hide."
She took a breath. "So for today, I thought of a sleepover in our room. But when I saw you getting tense at the mention of seniors, I didn't want to risk involving you if we could avoid it. I also didn't want you guys to feel uncomfortable with a sudden plan."
Caroline glanced briefly toward Kevin and Marcus. "I wanted to check other options first. Even then, I knew this was the safest choice, at least for tonight. I was worried you might reject the idea immediately, so I planned to tell you later—after I'd checked other places and made sure there really weren't any better options."
Daisy looked at Caroline. "Caroline, first—thank you for telling me this, even if it wasn't easy. I really appreciate it."
She hesitated, then smiled faintly. "Second, I don't actually have a problem with the sleepover, or even seniors crashing into our room. I'm scared, yes—but as long as I'm with you, it doesn't really matter."
Her smile turned shy. Daisy lowered her head, eyes closing for a moment. "I was upset because I misunderstood. I thought you didn't trust me enough to share things, or see me as a friend or roommate." She paused, then let out a small, embarrassed breath. "Now I know that's not true, and I feel pretty silly about it. So please don't apologize—and maybe forget the earlier argument."
She opened her eyes.
Caroline laughed softly, and Daisy joined her, the tension between them finally breaking.