Chapter11
Even though thenight before had been a later night, when Grady nudged her at quarter to six on Wednesday morning—and then set a steaming coffee on the bedside table—Priya got up and went on themorninghike.
With her…boyfriend.
The pause before that wordin her mind was getting shorter and shorter. It started to rain as they headed back toward camp, just a drizzle, and he pulled off his shirt so she could hold it overherhead.
As a summer storm rolled in, the planned Nature Olympics were moved inside. Half of the events were in the main lodge, the other half in the Arts and Craftsbuilding.
Teams were picked by random straw-draw,so Priya and Grady ended up competing against each other. She was on Team Waterfall, he was on TeamMountainTop.
So was Wyatt. Everyone howled in protest, but Tegan promised she hadn’t designed the games for strength to give anyadvantage.
By the halfway point, when they paused for lunch, nobody believed her. Team Mountain Top had perfect scores in all but three games they’d attempted,and they were in second or third place in thoseevents,too.
Priya had to take a principled stand and sit with her team at lunch, but she gave Grady a quick congratulatory kiss beforeshunninghim.
The afternoon flew by, and while the leaderboard didn’t change by the end of the day-long competition, Team Mountain Top lost most of their lead, and it came down to the finalevent.
Happy SlappyHighJump.
Each team had a different color tray of paint. Tegan unfurled a long banner of craft paper and stuck it on the wall. Then each camper took turns pressing their hand in their paint tray, then jumping as high as they possibly could and slapping their hand againstthewall.
Team Waterfall had light blue paint, and nobody on the team was over five foot eightinches. They all took a single turn before retreating tothebar.
Team Mountain Top had dark greenpaint.
Team Kayak, in a close second place, had brownpaint.
And Team Bonfire had bright red paint. They’d been in the middle of the pack all day, but three of their team members soared over six feet tall, and after the first round, red handprints scattered the top of the paperright beside dark green andbrown.
Everyone else immediately took up Team Bonfire’s cause, catcalling and heckling the other teams as they took theirturns.
Priya held her breath as Grady set up for his last jump. His first two had been excellent. But she’d seen him play basketball. She knew how powerful histhighswere.
She blushed. She knew that for otherreasons,too.
He coiled up, then burst into the air, his hand landing half a finger above any other printsofar.
Three more players and the Games wouldbeover.
It came down to the last person, the tallest member of Team Bonfire, who had the best jump ofroundtwo.
He paced backward, doing a reverse lap of the open space hemmed in by his brand-new fans. Then he stopped, and joggedforward, planting his foot beside the wall and powering up like a high jumper in the real track and fieldworld.
Which it was entirely possiblehewas.
His hand slapped right beside Grady’s, and Tegan had to get out a ladder and a level to determine thewinner.
Everyone held their breath until she turned around and pointed at Grady. “Team Mountain Top has it by a hair,” sheannounced to a chorus offriendlyboos.
He shook hands with his worth competitor, then dodged out of the way as everyone else lifted the Bonfire guy onto their shoulders and carried him tothebar.
Priya fought against the tide and flew intoGrady’sarm.
He was laughing. “We should gowithhim.”
She waved that off. “Nah. He’s got enough fans. I’m all yours. Besides,you won the leaderboard, if not the moral victory! How shall wecelebrate?”
