At 4:59, the principal logs back in. “You’re free to go.”
– joins early, notes already organized. The Athlete (Jordan, 17) – camera off, breathing heavy from morning practice. The Basket Case (Luna, 15) – tie-dye hoodie, cat on her lap, muted but eyes darting. The Princess (Chloe, 16) – perfect lighting, pearl earrings, clearly texting on her phone. The Criminal (Marco, 17) – last to join, black hood up, eating cereal loudly.
The vice principal’s avatar appears briefly: “You’re here for 8 hours. No leaving the room. I’ll check the chat history. Don’t make me come back.”