Day 2: (Ab)normal days

"maybe we just enrolled in this school and this shit's just starting? Maybe we'll get rescued tomorrow." Aris said, her voice completely serious. Her sandwitch dropped from her limp hand. "He won't.... He... promised...."

"Nothing's impossible." he muttered quietly. "I wouldn't say its true, but I wouldn't take it being one of usout of the question." He looked out of the room. "But none of us seem like that type. I-I guess you'd hide it, but...you know."

Claire listened intently to their conversation. "I... I think it goes both ways. It's logical for whoever put this all together to try and participate, because it's easier to oversee something when you're actively involved in it. But..." Claire stared at her lap and clenched her fists.

"I really don't see how a stupid teenager could pull off an exhibit like this."

"G-guys..." Jason said, not really able to eat his food. "C-can we just... leave this discussion until after b-breakfast?" he said, keeping his head down.

"I... don't w-want to t--think someone... here is behind all this..." he trailed off, crossing his arms at his shoulders.

Martin tensed up, picking the muffin he was eating into smaller and smaller pieces.

"O-one of us?" He furrowed his brow, "What gives you that impression?"
He sat up straight, as if his spine became an iron rod, "What I want to know is," His hands balled into fists, "What's the hell's with the bear? Who's controlling that?"

"T'was merely a suggestion," Caleb replied calmly before picking up his pen and resuming to scratch notes.

"Wouldn't it go without saying that the one controlling the bear is the one behind this all?"

She picked at her muffin.

"That or it's automated, I guess."

Cobalt glanced over to the cluster and then turned back to Jaden.

"What is your opinion... on what they are discussing?" He was hesitant, picking at the edge of his glove.

Jaden grunted in disagreement. "I dunno kid. That thing was pretty quick to off Antoine who hadn't even done anything."

"If you ask me, I'd say that even when it seems like we're at each others throats to the point of murder, it'll still be the bear pulling the strings." He paused. "I mean, if we're still stuck here for long enough. I hope not."

Jaden hadn't been paying close attention to the other group, but he picked up bits. "It probably isn't one of us. We're monitoring each other 24/7."

"Still..."Ruby trailed off before spooning more cereal into her mouth. "Tha's one fancy bear they built. What kinda person can do that?"

"Someone with serious money and power." She said thoughtfully. "Not many people can buy a place like this, let alone develop a possibly sentient AI. And they're most likely spending a ton on covering it up..." She looked up. "Look. It's Bill Gates. Let's just accept that Bill Gates probably hates one - or all - of us."

She nodded knowingly.

"That is a very good point," Cobalt stated as he straightened his posture.

"And you are right! Of course the ideal is we are rescued before this becomes an issue, and there is no way we are not being sought! So long as Monobear does not attempt anything, I am sure we can hold out!"

Aris slammed her fist on the table suddenly.

He clutched her head with the other hand, gritting her teeth. "I'm out! All of you idiots are gonna make me switch if this carries on!" She yelled, promptly getting up and walking out the door.

"One of us...behind it?" Dakota seemed to be half listening to the conversation, half busy twirling her hair.

"Well outta all of us, who can fit in a dumb bear costume like that?" She turned to the shortest kids in the room and then grinning in amusement. Dakota was kidding.
"Well it's not me." She concluded, thinking that was enough to end the conversation for her. She headed back towards the kitchen.

Ruby sighed, not having the strength to argue with Aris at this point. She bit her tongue and stood up wordlessly, bringing her half empty bowl into the kitchen.

Lisa crumpled up her muffin wrapper, placed it on the table, and looked around to everyone.

"Isn't there something better for us to do than sit around here moping? Sure, we didn't see any ways out, but that can't be our only option!"

Dark did his best to regain his composure, but he was still visibly excited and speaking very fast. "أنا فقط أكره حقا اللغة الإنجليزية! وتستمر الآخرين يقولون أشياء لا أفهم!"

"ليست هذه المجموعات الشاي الجميلة؟ بعض منهم يذكرني ما أمي ستبقي في جميع أنحاء المنزل"

"Ms. Field has a point," Caleb spoke up. "Speculation can only bring us so far without textual evidence to support it. I move that we either spend more time socializing or perhaps share our findings of the rooms we visited yesterday."

Jason peered over at Aris and blinked a few times before standing up.

"Uh, I'll, uh, I'll be back. I'll be back when I'm back."

He stumbled a bit before dashing off in her direction.

"Aris, Aris, hey, hey! Slow down! I wanna talk to you!"

Jason eagerly went straight after Aris after he saw her leave, hesitating for a second before downing his milk and running to the kitchen to put the glass in the sink. He noticed Jason going in the same direction. Jason grabbed his muffin tray as well, staying a little bit behind everyone else, sighing in relief.

Lisa frowned as Jason ran off, then returned her attention to the conversation.

"Well, Martin, Jason, and I found that all the rooms in that other wing thing upstairs are locked.  It was the, uh... Study and Master Bedroom, right Martin?"

Jordan frowned, "Look, let's not jump to conclusions," She nodded towards Lisa, "Exactly my point! We'll need evidence if we want to make any claims." She seemed to wince slightly as she said this, but her face returned fairly quickly.

She noticed Aris and hesitated. She turned to Claire for a second but then watched quietly as Jason left.

"I second that," she gestured to Caleb, "What did we find? Did anyone find computers or phones?" She tapped her nails on her coffee mug.

Claire twiddled her thumbs while thinking of something to say. "Well... The living room has a few DVDs for us to watch if we get bored. And a rather impressive stereo and tv setup."

"But we can't all live between two floors of a mansion for long. There's not enough exhibition space for all of us."

"I'm less worried about space and more worried about food. They locked 16 teens in a building that must have limited food resources. 16 teenagers." The look on her face was dire. "We're going to have to run out at some point, aren't we?"

Caleb shook his head, his blonde hair tickling his forehead.

"I saw no such communication devices. The windows all seem to be bolted as well," he explained.

"I do find it curious that the upstairs rooms are locked. I wonder if those belong to the proctor behind all of this," he added.