Ashley was brushing her teeth when she noticed it.
At first, it looked like a tiny screw in the upper corner of the bathroom mirror. Then her eyes narrowed. That was not a screw. It had a lens. A blinking red one.
She spat, wiped her mouth, and glared at it.
"Cleo!" she yelled, storming out of the bathroom, toothbrush still in hand.
Cleo was halfway through bedazzling her laptop when she looked up with wide eyes. "Yes, Fire Queen of Rage and Dental Hygiene?"
Ashley pointed at the hallway like it personally insulted her. "There's a camera in the bathroom."
Cleo blinked. "Oh. Yeah. There's one in the kitchen too. And the living room. And maybe your—"
Ashley held up a finger. "My room?"
Cleo winced. "...Maybe just one. It's for 'safety,' they said."
Ashley's eye twitched. "Who the hell is they?"
"The school! They monitor high-risk dorms. Y'know, in case we explode. Again."
Sera looked up from her pile of wires and dead drones. "You did set the sink on fire last week."
"I was experimenting!" Ashley growled.
"With flaming shampoo?" Sera asked.
Ashley ignored her and turned back to Cleo. "Can you turn them off?"
Cleo tapped her chin. "Hmmm. Technically, no. But hacker-clever-clever-girl Cleo? Absolutely. Gimme an hour and a soda."
Ava strolled into the room in sweatpants and a smirk. "Aw, come on. Let the cameras roll. Give the government something spicy to watch."
Ashley glared at her. "You knew?"
"Please. I waved to one during a shower. They flashed back. We're in a toxic relationship."
Ashley looked physically ill.
Sera muttered, "Honestly, the cams probably shut down automatically just to avoid her."
Cleo was already typing furiously, wires trailing from her laptop. "Alright. Operation 'Big Brother Can Suck It' is a go."
Ava leaned over her shoulder. "Put a filter on mine. Something flattering. Maybe sparkle overlay."
Ashley grabbed a blanket and shoved Ava backward. "Stop leaning over people like you're posing for a teen drama poster."
"But I am the drama," Ava whispered, still smirking.
Cleo grinned. "Done! Cameras are now feeding looped footage of us doing normal, boring stuff. Y'know. Laundry. Homework. Not fighting, kissing, or summoning lightning inside."
Sera sipped her tea. "So you lied to the school surveillance system."
"Technically," Cleo said, shrugging. "I just gave it a very filtered truth."
Ashley exhaled and crossed her arms. "Good. I like knowing I'm not being watched in my sleep."
Ava grinned and leaned against the doorframe. "Don't worry. If anyone watches you sleep, it'll be me."
Ashley grabbed a pillow and threw it at her face.