Marcus brought out a huge carpet from Caroline's closet, dragging it across the floor until it lay flat in the center of the room. The carpet looked almost new, thick enough to dull sound, as if it had been kept aside for moments exactly like this. From the same closet, he pulled out a neatly folded tablecloth and spread it carefully over the carpet, smoothing the corners with his hands until it sat evenly.
One by one, he opened the takeout containers and placed them neatly on the tablecloth. The smell of roasted salmon, pizza, and warm spices slowly filled the room, cutting through the lingering tension. He took glasses from the drawer near the study table and placed them beside the cola bottles, aligning everything with quiet precision.
Kevin thought about lending him a hand, even shifted slightly on Daisy's bed as if to get up, but ended up watching Marcus do everything instead. There was something oddly reassuring about the way Marcus moved—methodical, practiced, as if setting up meals like this was second nature to him.
Both Marcus and Kevin could hear the girls talking behind them. Their voices were low but steady, carrying warmth now instead of strain. To give them space, neither of the boys turned around. They kept their attention forward, pretending to be busy with the setup, until Caroline mentioned their names in passing.
Kevin already understood why Caroline had asked for a sleepover. At first, he had seen it as a practical decision—safe, strategic, necessary. But listening to her talk, hearing the care in her voice, the way she considered Daisy's feelings even while planning ahead, something shifted inside him. He felt quietly thankful—not just to Caroline, but to Daisy as well—for trusting them enough to share the space and the night.
Marcus listened too. When Caroline spoke about options and safety, he reached into his bag and pulled out a towel he had packed earlier. Without looking at anyone, without commenting, he walked into the washroom and closed the door behind him.
Kevin noticed. For a moment, he wanted to say something, but he didn't want to interrupt the girls' conversation or break the fragile calm that had settled over the room. So he chose silence, sitting back on Daisy's bed, listening to Daisy speak now, her voice steadier than before.
As the girls laughed softly, the mood in the room lightened. Kevin noticed the change immediately. When Daisy spoke, her tone wasn't tense or sad—it was shy, almost self-mocking, as if she were trying to hide her embarrassment. She even called herself silly and asked Caroline to forget it. He glanced, caught the embarrassed way she smiled, and gave a small, amused laugh before turning back.
"Smells good," Daisy said, leaning forward slightly. She inhaled deeply and moved toward the dishes, curiosity replacing the earlier tension.
"How about a movie while we eat?" Caroline asked, sitting down on her bed and looking at Daisy and Kevin.
"Does it have decent sound?" Kevin asked, seeking agreement.
Caroline stood and walked toward her study table. She opened a drawer and took out a small Bluetooth speaker, then turned to Kevin, holding it up. "I have this."
"Perfect," Kevin said, standing up. "Where's the system?"
Caroline unlocked another drawer with a small key, took out her laptop, and walked back to the carpet. She sat down beside Daisy, placing the laptop between them. Kevin leaned over from behind, still half on the bed, trying to see the screen.
Marcus returned from the washroom, drying his hands. "Searching for a movie?"
"Yes," Caroline replied. "How about a horror film?"
"Boring," Kevin and Marcus said at the same time.
"Okay," Daisy said just as quickly.
Kevin blinked and looked at her over his shoulder. "You watch horror films?"
"I like them," Daisy replied. "I've watched most of the latest ones."
Kevin looked genuinely surprised. Noticing his expression, she added, "I'm scared of people, not ghosts."
"People can get really scary and disgusting compared to ghosts," Caroline added, scrolling through the movie list on her laptop.
"Let's watch a night talk show while eating," Marcus said, sitting down beside Caroline. "I'm sleepy."
Kevin finally turned fully toward him. "Bro, don't you think you're getting a bit too comfortable? Like you're in your own room?"
"Let's start eating first," Marcus replied calmly. He poured cola into a glass and picked up a slice of pizza without further comment.
Kevin sighed and climbed down from the bed, sitting on the carpet beside Marcus. Daisy and Caroline began eating too, occasionally glancing at the laptop screen while scrolling through options.
After a few bites, Marcus spoke again. "I came here to see Cheez's dorm and to put some of my luggage and safety tools here, in case of emergencies like yesterday."
"What luggage?" Kevin asked, chewing on a piece of roasted salmon.
"A new spare set of clothes," Marcus said casually. "Recording devices, hidden cams, gums, some chemicals, pepper spray, an electro razor and few other things."
He spoke as if it were normal to carry all of that.
"You guys are really prepared," Daisy said, half amazed.
"We can't use them immediately though," Caroline added, taking another bite of pizza.
"Why?" Daisy asked.
Kevin also shifted his focus fully now, pausing mid-bite. Marcus continued eating, unfazed.
"The seniors need to let their guard down," Caroline explained. "Or we need to enter their ragging ground. Either way, we need proof—but not right now. For now, they are waiting for their time to be used."
She moved her laptop aside and looked at Daisy and Kevin. "Since we're on the topic, I want to hear your thoughts. About the situation we're in. If you have any ideas to make it better."
Daisy and Kevin fell silent.
After a moment, Daisy spoke. "I can pull some connections through my family. If I tell them I was bullied in college, they'd definitely take action."
"No," Caroline said immediately. "That would put you in the spotlight. You said you fought hard to join this college. Your parents might pull you out, seeing this as a reason."
Daisy nodded slowly. "That's true. I don't really have much power right now."
"Kevin?" Caroline asked.
"I wouldn't be sitting here if I had better ideas," Kevin replied honestly, taking another bite.
"Marko?" Caroline turned to Marcus.
"Same old," Marcus said. "Strike first. Deal later."
Caroline shook her head. "I have two ideas. Before that—Kevin, are you good at running and hiding?"
"I'm a football player," Kevin said. "Not great at hiding, but I can run."
"That's good enough," Caroline said. "Marko can handle hiding."
She took a sip of cola and continued. "First option—we keep hiding this entire week. Avoid them as much as possible. During this time, we find victims, make allies, and look for a hideout seniors can't guess. Derik will lose patience. That's when we start using devices and collecting evidence. But we don't share it unless we trust them."
She paused, letting it sink in.
"Second option—you follow the seniors when they call you. Learn their locations and how many people are involved. This has to be done tomorrow, in one attempt. It's risky without allies, but if you enter their space and disrupt it, their control weakens. The fear breaks. Others will start to stand up. We provoke them, collect evidence, get out—and repeat until what we have is solid."
She looked at both of them. "It's your choice. We'll improvise either way based on what we learn. But no matter what—your first priority is protecting yourselves."
The room went quiet again, but this time it wasn't heavy. It was thoughtful.