“Okay…” I shrugged, still confused.
“Max?” Weston asked and held up an open palm. “Blindfold.”
Max pulled out a heavy, black cloth and tossed it to Weston. I watched Weston wrap the fabric around his knuckles and he began explaining.
“Teams of two work through the obstacle course. If you completely ruin a minefield, you’re out,” Weston explained. “And since there aren’t any coaches here, your unanimously voted captain will divide everyone up. First place gets my recommendation for the coaches’ table at finals.”
David snorted, but sat up straighter with undeniable interest. “Did Daddy get you a seat you’re dying to give up?”
Weston ignored the taunt. “Dakota, you’re with Grayson. I need you two to get to know each other better if you’re going to be in sync on the field.”
Dakota glanced at Grayson to make sure the guy wasn’t too torn up about the pairing. Grayson gave him a friendly wink.
“Max is with one of our new guys, Arthur. I think you have a lot to learn from him, Art,” Weston said. Arthur, the twin with a nose ring, nodded. He looked younger than I originally suspected. Potentially a freshman.
“Travis with our lovely guest,” Weston said. Taylor’s friend made a face, but quickly rearranged her expression when Travis nudged his brother out of the way so he could sit next to her.
“Name’s Elena,” she informed in a bored tone.
Travis looked excited and responded, “Cute.”
She scoffed. “Don’t even think about it, kid.”
“David.” Weston wore a smile, reveling in power. “And Kevin.”
“Where does that leave me?” Taylor pouted. Kevin looked equally pissed but didn’t voice his protest. His jaw was tight as he exchanged a glare with David.
“We need a timer for the round.” Weston reached in his back pocket to pull out a stopwatch. He tossed it up. Taylor didn’t have an athletic bone in her body. She didn’t even try to reach for the airborne watch. When it clashed between a bench, she turned to Kevin to complain as if she was ready to whine. Max and Grayson were careful to hide their laughs by leaning against each other. Dakota met my gaze with raised eyebrows.
“You know her?” he asked in a low voice.
“My roommate,” I mumbled.
He whistled under his breath. “Sorry.”
“It’s not so bad.” I tried my best to sound genuine. The corner of Dakota’s mouth quirked up at my response. We shared a knowing smile.
“I’ve had a lot of experience with not so bad,” he said in a comforting voice. “It helps to have a countdown. Helps put things into perspective. Got about six on my phone.”
I laughed. “That’s good advice. I’ll try that.”
“Alright gentlemen, ladies. Let the games begin,” Weston ordered in a loud voice. He didn’t pause to see if his teammates were following him. As he passed me, he held out a hand. I didn’t hesitate to take it.
Weston led us to the furthest end of the field. He swung the blindfold in his hand as he walked. His teammates quickly filed down the stairs. Max and Arthur broke out in a sprint to one station, laughing loudly when they beat out Grayson and Dakota. I studied the field. Briefly, I could make out five different lanes outlined by thick white rope. The minefield before us comprised of nearly identical bootleg boobie traps ranging from a tight web of red string, multitude of water balloons, and delicately balanced wooden boards to step over. Weston noticed my widening eyes and stopped at the last lane.
“This one?” I frowned, noticing it was the only one with a ladder. “Are you sure?”
“I could kick another team out of a lane,” he offered. I watched him stretch out the blindfold between his hands.
I glanced over my shoulder to see everyone settling in front of their chosen obstacle. “No, it’s okay. Just…are you potentially ready to give up your seat at the whatever table?”
Weston chuckled. “More than ready. You have no idea.”
“You got this, babe!” I heard Taylor yell to Kevin from the stands. Something must have changed because she wore a smile and held onto the stopwatch.
“Yeah, babe.” David said with a mocking smile. “You got this.”
Kevin didn’t respond to neither but trained his eyes on the field. His game face was on. I glanced around at the other players and they also appeared serious while discussing strategies. I don’t know why I expected anything less from athletes. This was more than a trust-building exercise for them. This was a competition.
