Chapter 2: (Ab)Normal Days

Aris gave Jaden a slight smile, shrugging. "Maybe he expected a fight. And with our track record I wouldn't blame him."

"Anyways, ever did yoga? It ain't lifting weights but I like it."

Claire let out an exasperated sigh. "I mean, yeah we can just wait for Monobear to do something, but where is that going to get us?" She grabbed the clear polish that Ruby had been using and began to use it. "I mean, other than the same place those other four are..."

He laughed the second Martin started groaning.

"You shouldn't have!" He poked at the spot that Martin put his badge on. "I'm honored, thank you."

He stopped in front of the Fitness center. "Here we are!"

Lisa stopped near Jason.

"Have fun being active!"

Josh sat down on the couch and examined the map again.

"Nothing else stands out..."

Ruby blinked back tears as a bullet flashed through her mind.

"We'll figure somethin' out," she said, pursing her lips. "I won't let Rachel or any of the others die for no reason." She painted Jordan's last nail, then fanned them a bit.

"Dun scratch your nose or anythin'," she told her, standing up. Then she rolled her head around, stretching out her neck. "Whaddaya think we should do, Claire?"

"Thanks for dropping me off," Martin joked, "Don't go messing up the whole school." Martin thought back to the billiards ball shelf, which still hadn't quite left his mind. He gave a small wave, smiling before going straight into the fitness center.

He was slightly unnerved to find it already inhabited, but continued nonetheless.
Martin considered changing first, but thinking back to his last experience with the school's clothes supplies.
He would never don a monobear brand monospeedo alive again.

The scout approached the treadmill.

"See you, Martin! And no promises."

Jason turned to Lisa, hands on his hips.

"Alright, you said you don't care where we go, but I picked the billiards room. So...you pick where to go this time!"

Lisa puffed her cheeks.

"That's not fare, I really don't care at all. You-" she poked his belly, "-pick."

As Miranda's voice softened, Caleb actually felt brave enough to look at her. Somehow, she seemed different. Different from the bubbly girl he met on the first day. Different from the harsh woman who investigated Dakota and Dark's murders.

"Miranda...what is your Super High School Level?" Caleb asked slowly, blue eyes meeting black.

"Yoga?" Jaden looked incredulous. "I did gymnastics for a while to help with my flexibility, but it's not really the same," he said. "I know some of my costars would do it to relax sometimes, but I never tried it."
He noticed Martin come in. "Hey, what's up? Plannin' to work out?"

Claire thought for a bit. "Looking around aimlessly hasn't gotten us anywhere. We need a plan, to see where it takes us." She furrowed her brow, trying to come up with something. "What if we, like, captured Monobear?"

Miranda stiffened. "Well, I suppose to gain friends I'll have to start being... truthful."

She took a few steps over, leaning to whisper in Caleb's ear.

Jordan nodded quietly, not really moving after Ruby finished; just sorta sitting there.

"Yeah, we'll figure something out." Jordan agreed, "It won't be for nothing..." Remembering the paint, Jordan stopped her hands from getting too fidgety, and all of a sudden she came back to life, shaking her nails to dry them.

"I don't think that'll work," Jordan added quickly, "Have YOU ever tried catching a bear?"

"Ya think Mar'in's tried catchin' a bear?" Ruby suggested.

He pouted. "Fine, fine!" He looked at his map and shrugged. "The media room sounds kind of interesting. Wanna head there?"

"I suddenly care immensely. We will not go there."

She began to wheel forward.

"Kidding, let's go!"

Aris shrugged again. "It is relaxing. I complained a lot at first but then, eh, it makes me sleepy." She laughed a little, before noticing Martin came in.

"Oh hey, Mr. Boy Scout! You probably know like... boy scout exercises! Think you can show us?"

Jason stayed in the hallway, contemplating his next move. After some deliberation and false starts to the other rooms, he decided to head back to his room. He had new clothes, anyways.

Caleb didn't show any visible reaction. He simply nodded in understanding.

"I cannot say I am surprised," he replied. "I shall be sworn to secrecy."

Caleb looked around the room. He hadn't really taken the time to observe the flowers. They were lovely, even in a place like this.

Claire pondered the thought. "Well, it couldn't hurt to ask him, could it? Maybe he knows how to make a bear trap." She stopped painting her nails and looked around. "Where is everyone else, anyway? I feel like I haven't seen anyone in forever. Not that I'm complaining about that..."

"Oh, uhh," Martin began, suddenly confronted by Jaden, 'Yeah what's up, I'm, yeah." His head turned back and forth from the treadmill to Jaden.
The treadmill controls looked like they belonged to an alien spaceship.

"I'm just burning off some steam...-" He then noticed Aris. "Boy Scout exercises? I don't know what you two were doing, but if you want I can teach you..." Martin thought it couldn't go that badly, he always led the exercises in his troop.

He trailed after Lisa until they got to the media room, at which point the skirted in front of her and opened the door for her.

"I really, really hope they have movies here, and specifically I hope they have Titanic."

Lisa entered.

"Uh..."

Jaden raised an eyebrow at Martin. "There are boy scout exercises? I always imagined y'all spend ten years learning how to make fire." He smirked. "I never got into the wild life of camping, so I dunno."