House Bound

Chapter 2 - The Twenty

       Again, all answers were in the negative. I shook my head slightly when Kota's attention briefly turned to me, pressing a finger to my lip as I did so.

       Kota paused, nudging his glasses up his nose while seeming to think things over, murmuring under his breath. "I suggest we each go to the floor we woke up on, and in those groups, inspect every inch of every room to ensure we haven't missed a way out. Does anyone have their phone?"

       There was a flurry of movement as people starting patting their pockets and swearing, coming up with nothing. It seemed that we had all been shocked mostly into silence as Kota spoke, though this development broke the dam, spilling out all the emotions and fear.

       "What the fuck, are you saying someone roofied us and stole our shit?" Danielle screeched.

       "This happened at your party, man, you plan this as some kind of messed up stunt to brag about around school?" Jer growled at Rocky.

       "Hey, you really think he's enough of a dipshit to trap himself as well?" Jay shot back.

       Jer threw his hands up in the air, "You said it, not me."

       "Alright!" Kota called, "Okay, settle down. We need to keep calm and find out what we can. Let's go back, check everything over again, and regroup in fifteen. Hopefully something will turn up that was overlooked. Let's explore all our options before we start to panic."

       There was a lot of grumbling from the upstairs group in particular, but eventually they all filed back up the staircase. The boys started to move towards the stairs to head down, and I felt my stomach clench with unease as the red-head and the giant disappeared downstairs. As the others followed closely on their heels I knew I had to speak quickly, or I'd lose my chance.

       "Kota?" I whispered.

       Kota turned back immediately, looking surprised that he'd been called on. "Yes, Sang?"

       I glanced back at Wil, whose gaze hadn't seemed to waver from me, and Karen who was peering at me through dazed, half-lidded eyes. Mike and Jer had already turned back to their room, so I felt safe enough to speak.

       "I know you're new, so you might not know these people yet. If we're trapped here, you and your friends need to be careful. Some of them," I looked pointedly towards the ceiling, "will not tolerate you trying to take charge and will lash out. The only reason they're listening is because they're in shock, and they're scared. Please don't mistake that for acceptance. I saw the bars on my window, but I hope you're wrong about there being no way out, because things will get bad in here."

       He looked startled, and the boys beside him - the blonde, and Dark and Broody - each looked concerned by my words.

       "Get bad how?" The blonde asked. His tired brown eyes and the dark shadows beneath them were almost startling against his light hair and features.

       "Greg and Eric are basically thugs," Wil answered for me. "They'll beat you half to death just for looking at them wrong."

       Dark and Broody let out a laugh that managed to sound menacing, "Those junkie fuckers in the back? I'll tear them apart if they lay a finger on anyone here."

       "And those girls are evil," Karen blurted, "they all bully Sang."

       I winced, shooting Karen a look she entirely missed or simply ignored. Of all the times for them to try to jump in. "It's not that bad-"

       "And Rocky's obsessed with her," Wil added.

       I frowned at him, before looking at the boys with an apologetic smile that I hope conveyed that my friends were exaggerating. When did this conversation become about me? They were all missing the point-