Will snort laughs, and it’s not a particularly attractive sound, but somehow it does me in because I remember how fun we are together. It’s all I can do this whole time to remind myself that what we had only works when we’re alone.
Dylan walks back out onto the stage, but this time she brings Veronica Platt with her. The lights come back on brightly, and Veronica glances over at us. “You two are doing great. Really great stuff.”
Dylan turns to the camera and says, “Welcome back to thePrincess in The Wild After-show! We’ve only got about ten minutes to wrap things up and to make our special announcement and it’s such big news, we’ve brought out ABN’s head news anchor, Veronica Platt!”
Veronica smiles and waves at the crowd while they applaud. “As you know,Princess in the Wildhas been a massive hit, and because of that, ABN is launching a brand-new channel dedicated to both classic and new nature documentaries, adventure movies, and physical challenge reality TV shows!”
More applause, then she continues. “This is a wonderful opportunity for Avonians to participate for the first time in shows likeSurvivor,The Amazing Race, andAvonian Ninja Warrior.”
The crowd explodes with excitement, even though likely no one in this room other than Will is ever going to be featured on that channel.
When they quiet down, Veronica says, “And I have another huge and more personal announcement which no one knows about, not even anyone over at the news desk. I will be leaving ABN News to become one of the executive producers at the Avonian Nature Network. As much as I’ve enjoyed my time as head anchor, I felt it was the right moment in my life to start a new chapter and challenge myself in interesting and exciting ways. Starting with…” she pauses dramatically, and on the screens the logo forThe World’s Best Survivor Challengeappears in bright yellow letters.
“We at ANN are thrilled to be bringing you a challenge show so harrowing, only a few people on the planet are considered capable of participating – it’s calledThe World’s Best Survivor Challenge. We start filming next month in a secret location which we’ll reveal to you at the very end of this episode. Eight contestants from around the globe—each of them paired with one of the world’s foremost experts in survival—will compete for a prize of one million dollars!”
More applause.
“And obviously our very own Will Banks is one of them.”
I sit, wishing they’d let me go now since my bit is over. As happy as I am for Will, having just watched us fall in love on-screen, my heart can’t take the thought of him competing with someone else. And I knowI’mthe one who ended it, and I stand by that decision, no matter how gut-wrenchingly awful it seems at the moment, but that doesn’t mean I want to think about him falling in love with someone else. Not that he’ll necessarily fall for his partner. It could be a man or a woman who he won’t fancy at all, really. Or it might be the perfect woman for him, and I’ll just have to wish I were mature enough to be happy for him if he finds love again soon.
“Now, I know what you’re thinking,” Veronica says. “You’re wondering why I didn’t say Princess Arabella’s name since she clearly has proven herself to be capable. But I’m going leave that to her to explain.”
Oh crap. Me again? “As much as I wish I were able to join in all of the excitement, I have recently taken on an important role as the Avonian ambassador to the United Nations Equal Everywhere Campaign. Therefore, I will be extremely busy with that work, fighting for equality of girls and women all over the globe.”
Veronica looks around the audience and says, “I don’t know, audience, what do you say? Are we disappointed?”
The audience doesn’t seem to know what to do, so some of them clap, some shout “yes,” and several boo.
Oh, how lovely.
“That’s okay,” she says, gesturing for them to calm down. “That’s okay because I’m about to bring out the surprise competitor who is going to be joining as Will’s partner. Even Will doesn’t know who she is so he’s going to find out at the same time as you! Let’s meet her, shall we? Roll the clip.”
No, let’s not.
A video starts, featuring a young brunette woman running at a vault. She does some spectacular flippy thing and sticks the landing. The scene cuts to her now wearing anAmerican Ninja Warriortank top that quite frankly is rather tight and a pair of barely-there black booty shorts as she flings herself at an enormous swinging ball, Miley Cyrus-style, then leaps off it onto a moving suspension bridge. The voiceover starts up while we watch her do death-defying feat after death-defying feat. “Gymnast, three-time Parkour World Champion, stunt woman for Bree Larson in theCaptain Marvelmovies, Sports Illustrated swimsuit model, and certified life coach. Please welcome the beautiful, the strong, the brave Amanda Jenkins!”
The gorgeous brunette steps out onto the stage, dressed in a black minidress with spaghetti straps and heels I’d never get away with. She waves at the audience with not even the tiniest bit of a bingo wing flapping under either arm. She’s so incredibly fit that her stomach isn’t just flat, it’sconcave. Well, isn’t this a kick in the box?
Will and I stand to greet her while she walks over with a huge grin on her beautiful face. She and I do air kisses and I tell her it’s lovely to meet her, which is clearly is a big, fat lie.
Then she turns to Will and gives him a massive, boobsy hug and says, “Oh my God! It is amazing to meet you. I am such a fan. You have no idea.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” Will says. “I’ve been following your most impressive career. I can’t believe you’ve accomplished so much at such a young age.”
Has he? Has he really been following her career? Because if so, he sure as shit didn’t mention it to me.
“I’m not that young, I’m twenty-six,” she says with a giggle. “Anyway, we are going to havethe best timein Greenland.”
Veronica clears her throat. “Okay, you two will have loads of time to get to know each other over the next few weeks, but we are trying to film a live show. I’m going to need you to have a seat.”
A stagehand brings out an extra chair, and I start toward the loveseat, but Amanda scoots in front of me and steals my spot.Seriously?I manage to maintain my smile as I go sit in the third-wheel chair. Not wheelchair, sorry. It’s just a regular chair. I mean,I’mthe third wheel sitting in this dumb chair. Whatever, this sucks.
Veronica is positively bursting with excitement as she addresses me. “Princess Arabella, are you jealous that Will is going to be competing with another woman—especially one so beautiful and talented—given how the two of you met and fell in love?”
“I’ll be extremely jealous,” I say with a phoney smile. “But only because I’ll be missing all the fun.”
“So, you trust him?”
