But that doesn’t mean there isn’t one.

Maybe someone could play dead, and when Owen, Caleb, and their other friend come to investigate, we could jump them.

Theo kneels on the floor beside us. “Come and sit. We’ll get you some water. Then you can change, and we’ll answer all those questions I can see in your eyes.”

“Change?” I ask. Ah, the bag on my back.

He smiles weakly, almost in apology. “They require it.”

That’s when I notice they’re all wearing the same plain, dark-gray sweatshirt and sweatpants.

I close my eyes. Caleb and his friends are trying to strip us of our identity. Like in prison.

They’ve chosen the wrong girl. I’ve never been into fashion. I always wear jeans and T-shirts. I don’t care what I’m wearing, so they can do their worst. They are not going to break me by making me wear some uniform.

I look at the camera square on as I stand and drop the bag from my shoulder. Bring it on.

Hazel rises to her feet as well, her body visibly trembling. She’s scared. I am, too. But I won’t be used as some sick form of entertainment. My life…our lives are worth more than that. She doesn’t want me to anger them, but I’m not about to give in.

“Let’s get changed, Hazel.” I turn to Theo. “Is there somewhere private we can do that?”

He shakes his head. “There’s a bathroom through there, but it has a camera, too.”

Closing my eyes, I nod because my voice isn’t working. There is nowhere we won’t be seen. Caleb and his friends will see me in the bathroom. I know in the grand scheme of things, with us being trapped here, someone seeing me pee isn’t the biggest issue. But it’s still twisted.

“Come on, Haze.” I tug her toward the door Theo pointed to, and she reluctantly follows. I literally have to drag her. She’s not helping this situation at all. “Hazel, snap out of it. I need you,” I whisper in her ear, hoping that no one else can hear. I don’t know how sensitive the intercoms are, if they can pick up our voices when we whisper.

Which makes me wonder if anyone has checked to see if there are intercoms we can reach and rip down. We could stand on something or boost each other, but I would have thought there are more than what we can see mounted to the ceiling, for that exact reason.

Theo, Kevin, Lucie, and Priya watch us as we go into the bathroom. Their gazes burn into the back of my head.

I close the door behind us and drop my bag to the floor.

“They can see us in here,” she whispers. Her eyes fill with tears.