What was this carnivorous tube doing to me?
Ten
Mylo
I was goingto have a heart attack and die. That was the only explanation for the relentless, violent pounding in my chest. Or I was going to burn to death, since my cheeks were so hot they could toast marshmallows.
I took a few stabilizing breaths. Finally, my head stopped spinning and I could breathe again.
Aurum was here. In my room.
Comforting me.
Holdingme.
I couldn’t even think about it without my mind going haywire. How did this happen? Tome, of all people?
I splashed my face with cold water. When I was a normal temperature again, I stared at my reflection. As the droplets streamed down my pink chubby cheeks, I grimaced. Now that I was alone, I was too aware of my appearance. The mean comments I’d heard earlier rang in my head. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping to look different when I opened them.
It didn’t happen. It never did.
But then, as if sliced by a blade, the bad feelings were cut short.
Because Aurum stood up for me.
My heart skipped with joy. Aurum punished those who were cruel to me not once, but twice.
Why? He could’ve acted like everyone else. It was easy to dogpile someone who was inferior, and unworthy...
Unless he didn’t think I was either of those things.
I scoffed out loud. Of course he did. Aurum was so handsome. There was no way somebody who looked like me was on his level.
I sank against the counter with a heavy sigh. Oh, why had my parents signed me up for this stupid TV show? Didn’t they realize how difficult this was for me? I hated being the center of attention because any attention I’d ever received had been negative. Being constantly filmed while surrounded by conventionally attractive bodies put my every insecurity on blast.
But there was no running now. I’d already won a challenge, and the dinner date approached fast. I had to put on my big boy pants and deal with it.
Not that spending time with Aurum was hard. Actually, I looked forward to it—provided I didn’t pass out from nerves first.
The sky was a dyingorange that faded into streaks of purple and pink. Silver twilight stars sparkled overhead, complemented by the warm yellow string lights from the stage set up on the beach. In front of me was the world’s fanciest dinner setup. There was a table draped in a crisp white tablecloth. On top of it were golden plates and cutlery, and golden candles lit up with flickering flames.
For a guy who only regularly ate out at burger joints, this was a lot.
I wiped my clammy palms on my pants. I made a conscious effortnotto wear sweatpants tonight. If my mom saw me wearing a pair of old sweats to an elegant televised dinner, her spirit might leave her body.
Instead, I wore a baggy pair of jeans and a button-up shirt that was too long for me. I rolled up the sleeves, but there was so much excess fabric that they kept unrolling, so I gave up trying to fix it.
I was terrified. But my one solace was the lack of onlookers, thank gods. Tonight it was only the alpha dragons, me, and whoever else won the challenge. I’d forgotten their names when Gaius listed them, but there were only a few. Hopefully I wasn’t too dumpy-looking in comparison.
Gaius greeted me as I approached the stage. His usual neon shirt was replaced by a waiter’s outfit. “Good evening, Mylo! You’re right on time. Come this way.”
I followed him up the steps like a clueless baby duck. Everyone else was already at the table, so I died of embarrassment as they watched me awkwardly shuffle towards my seat. Ugh, this was just like high school again.
Then Aurum caught my eye and his face lit up. He nodded at the open chair next to him. I was relieved to sit there, since he was the person I knew best, but it also made my heart race.
“Hey,” Aurum whispered, not even trying to hide his grin.
“Hi,” I said.
