“Unlock the door and come out so no one gets hurt.”
“A little late for that, isn’t it?” I hiss, even as I comply. He’s right. No need to break any bones by making them kick open our door. We all know how this ends. I send one last look to Daniel as I slide open the lock, but he’s completely tucked into himself. A guard grabs me as soon as I emerge and shoves me against the wall, while others drag Daniel from the stall. I struggle against the man’s hold, livid at their treatment, and he lets me go once we’re alone. As soon as I’m free, I rush out of the bathroom to find Daniel.
I stop cold at the eerie scene. Clausen stands at the head of the room, calmly issuing instructions for the morning activity like every other day. The entire student body watches in stunned silence as the guards drag Daniel past them and practically drop him against the wall behind Clausen. He crumbles to the floor and buries his head in his arms while the Director continues talking like nothing happened.
My face must mirror those around me—shock, confusion. We don’t hear a word Clausen says as we watch Daniel hunch over, the guards hovering nearby awaiting further instructions.
No one moves when Clausen finishes his speech and signals the beginning of the activity. It takes two more stern commandsbefore a low murmur ripples through the crowd and the students begin to disperse.
“What do you think is wrong with him?” someone asks behind me.
“I don’t know. Bad trip, I guess? I’m just glad they’re finally making him come to class.”
“Yeah but… look at him.”
I’m amazed my internal screams haven’t been detected. My insides rip apart as I study him, slumped against the wall, barely moving. When he teeters toward the floor, the game is over. Only one option remains.
Charging toward Clausen, I surprise him by grabbing his arm. The director allows me to lead him away from the group, and I don’t even try to hide my desperation.
“I’ll do it. Whatever you want. Just get him out of here.”
He studies me, and I despise his thoughtful expression. There shouldn’t be anything to think about. “Are you being sincere? Because if you’re playing games, you’re inviting much worse.”
I draw in a breath. “I’ll do it. Whatever you want. Just… he’s falling apart.”
The director follows my gaze. “That he is.” After another pause, he clears his throat and motions to the guards. “We’ll find you when we’re ready.”
Chapter 9: Accomplice
“What do you think the activity session was all about?” Ben asks while we pass the lunch bowls. “He’s such a freak. Did you see the way they pretty much had to carry him away?”
I concentrate on the vegetables to hide my glare.
“He looked really sick. I hope he’s alright,” Lucy says.
“You were with him, Rebecca. What happened?”
I force a shrug. “Like Lucy said, he didn’t look well. I saw him go in the wrong bathroom and wanted to make sure he was okay. Security came in and took over shortly afterwards.”
Ben shakes his head. “I don’t get you. How can you even care at this point? I mean, you’ve seen what he’s like.”
“He’s still a person and I wasn’t going to let him die on a bathroom floor if he was in trouble.”
“Whatever. He would’ve let you.”
I can’t look at them and study my plate again. “Yeah, well, maybe we’re all too hard on each other.”
“What did he say? Did you talk to him?” Lucy’s tone is more sincere than the others, and I soften a bit.
“Not really. I wasn’t in there for long before the guards came in. He seemed to have a headache or something.”
“Maybe it was a migraine. I get migraines. They wipe me out.”
“Probably.”
My tablemates move on to other subjects, but I know the “gym incident” is the main topic throughout the dining hall. I can only guess what rumors and misinformation is flowing from table to table, but I no longer care about the gossip. He doesn’t, and there’s no time for that anyway.
I just pledged to turn on him. I have no idea what that means.
