While both were in class, Scott was still terrified of the camera on the corner of the ceiling looking at him. Meanwhile, Ashley was still ruminating about what happened to Lopez as his room was straight up taken from him. Many students who were around them were acting unusually as if Lopez's room had never existed, and they remember it as the room for the Sunshine Daily. Whether it was about racism against Hispanics or not, Ashley is still suspicious of what is going on in this school.
Scott tried to learn what was on the board, but the camera got to him to the point of telling Mr. Cheung.
"Um, Mr. Cheung, why do we need a camera in our room even though it wasn't there on the second day of school?" Scott is pointing at the camera.
"What are you blind? The camera has always been there, and it's there to ensure our students' safety. If you don't like the cameras, then you are free to leave this classroom, Mr. Smith." Mr. Cheung was annoyed by Scott interrupting his class.
Scott didn't want to cause a scene, so instead he tried to focus in class and not let the camera distract him. However, it wasn't the camera in his precalculus class, but the other cameras that had been bothering him. From the long hallways to the gymnasium, Scott was always stalked by the cameras watching him, slowly adjusting their angle to view him. Not even he is safe in the men's room as there's also a camera in there.
Feeling insecure, Scott tried to report to the principal's office about the many cameras that suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Although Scott was fine about cameras being in a school building, it wasn't normal to have that many on each floor. What's worse is that those cameras are usually watching him instead of the different students in the building, which contradicts what Mr. Cheung was telling him.
Scott came to the principal's office to report that the cameras were watching him.
"Principal Dover, can I talk with you?" Scott opened the door without Dover being surprised.
"Of course, what do you need? I do love to hear from one of my students," Principal Dover put down his pen while writing some documents.
"Um, yeah. My name is Scott Smith, and I want to report a complaint about the cameras that are constantly watching me." Scott is pointing at the camera outside.
"Every class and area that I go to, even when using the bathroom, the cameras will always be watching me, and I'm very uncomfortable with it. It's risking my privacy."
"Is there a way where the cameras shouldn't be focused on me and instead on the safety of other students?"
"I don't know what to say to you, Scott, but the cameras will always be there." Principal Dover is talking politely to Scott.
"You see, John and I had been discussing the safety of our students as we had witnessed someone missing from our school last week. Since then, we doubled our security cameras to help protect the students from any future threats to their safety."
"Maybe the reason the camera's been watching you often is because this school cares for you, Scott. But then again, the school equally cares for each of the students here."
Scott didn't trust Dover as it felt like it was stalking him more than protecting him.
"But how can I focus in class if something like that keeps bothering me? Can we at least remove the camera in the bathroom because of how inappropriate it is to put it in there?" Scott is getting desperate to have the cameras removed.
"I'm sorry, Scott, but like I said many times. This is for our good and the school's safety." Dover picked up his pen to go back to his documents.
"Now, if you mind leaving this office. I have to finish these papers."
Scott left the room feeling frustrated that there isn't anything was done with the cameras. He felt like it was safer for him to have fewer cameras watching him than more installed in the school.
Nowhere to go, Scott never felt safe to do his task. Now, at lunch, Scott instead went outside to eat, as there weren't any cameras watching him. Lunch was the only time when he could feel free instead of being inside a place where he felt insecure rather than secure.
A week has passed, and the cameras are still there, monitoring Scott in every corner of the school. Meanwhile, Ashley was still thinking about Lopez as his disappearance was still unjustified, and wanted to find out what happened to him. The only thing Scott was excited about was his lunch period, when he could finally head outside and eat his lunch there.
"Finally, some time for myself." Scott is opening his lunch
Meanwhile, Ashley was in her study hall at the library studying for her political science test. But with all the things going on with test anxiety and Lopez's disappearance, she needed to get air for herself. Ashley left the library, letting the librarian know, which she didn't care honestly.
Now outside, Ashley felt she needed a breather after the many things going on, before she decided to head to the library again, she noticed Scott.
"Scott, is that you?" Ashley waved at him from the entrance.
"Ashley, Hey!" Scott waved back at her.
"What are you doing outside?"
"Oh, you know, just want some fresh air after being in school too long." Ashley put her hands on the back of her neck.
"Can I join you?"
"Yeah sure, I have an extra turkey sandwich if you're hungry." Scott pulled another sandwich from his bag.
Ashley smiled seeing Scott again after their first period ended. Walking towards Scott, she sat down with him and took the sandwich from Scott, letting her relax.
"Scott, I didn't know you were outside. What are you doing out here and not in the cafeteria?" Ashley is eating the sandwich.
"I mean, I don't see anyone besides both of us being outside."
"Well, it's just that I'm not feeling safe there. I feel like I'm being watched," Scott looked at his sandwich.
"You see, ever since last week when more cameras were installed, I just felt they were only focusing on me and not on the other students. Although they say it's for our safety, I don't believe I'm safe there."
"Scott. I'm sorry to hear that." Ashley is showing her empathy towards him.
"Well, if we want to help understand each other, I guess we have to hang out somewhere else besides my locker. How does that sound?"
Scott shook his head up and down as he felt it was better to talk somewhere else.
"Yeah, that sounds very nice, but can we hang out somewhere far from here? Besides the cameras, I still don't feel safe being in an area with John after what happened this summer and the party."
"Of course. I feel the same after Lopez's disappearance." Ashley felt the shivers down her spine.
"After meeting Lopez, I just felt I wanted to make a connection with him as we're both Hispanic, and he was honestly a nice person to be with. But since I care for others whom I meet, I'm concerned for him as he isn't the type of person to retire that early in the school year."
"So I guess we're both in the same boat here." Scott is talking quietly.
"I'm scared about being stalked while you're scared of Lopez's safety."
"Yeah, Sunshine High feels more like a cult than an average school." Ashley is joking around about the school.
"So, how about this, let's meet at this place where I know. It's a shop that my bus usually passes by, and I think you might like it. They usually serve the best ice cream and milkshakes there, so I want to head there."
Scott had never been to an ice cream shop in a long time and had never had ice cream since he was four. He even forgot what his favorite flavor was, as his taste buds had changed when he became a young adult. With nostalgia, Scott said yes, not only for the ice cream but also for hanging out with Ashley since they both never hung out before.
"Yeah, I would love to have some ice cream. It's nice to eat something sweet." Scott is packing his lunch as he is almost done.
"I'm tired of eating granola bars that my mom considers sweet."
"Great, then that's settled. But when do you want to meet?" Ashley threw the sandwich wrapper into the garbage can like a basketball.
"How about this Saturday? Besides homework, I usually spend my Saturdays biking around and playing video games." sounding excited.
"Yeah, Saturday seems good. After finishing my political science test, I can finally have something good to eat." Ashley was then startled by the bell ringing.
The school bell rang as Scott's lunch period and Ashley's study hall was now over. With Scott's and Ashley's next class, they both hurried to finish what they were doing and started heading to their next class.
"Oh crap class is starting soon and my bag is still at the library." Ashley noticed after the bell rang.
"So, how should we meet each other?"
"Oh yeah, um, we can meet at my house. I'll text you my address later today." Scott pulled his phone out. "Here's my address."
Scott texted Ashley her address later, giving her a notification on her phone. Ashley sees her phone. "Oh, you live near here. I didn't notice that. But still cool nonetheless."
"Then this Saturday, then right, Scott."
"Yeah, Saturday it is." Scott put away his phone.
"Alright, see ya Saturday, Scott." Ashley ran back to the building as her stuff was still in the library.
"See ya." Scott put on his backpack and headed back to the entrance.
"Having ice cream, huh?" Andrew is peeking behind the school wall.
"I have to warn John about this."