“No, idiot,” Siddharth punctuates with a flick to Adin’s forehead. “Haven’t you seenAlivers?Or any of the earlier seasons ofForest Feud? They always pick off the weak ones first, duh. It’s easier.”
“Oh, you aregood, man.Realgood.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“No, really, like, you’re the smartest person I’ve met, bro.”
Alright, it looks like they’re devolving into another one of their brotherhood moments, so I take the opportunity to slip away before they catch me, or before I barf.
“There you are,” Seyoon says when I’m back. “What took so long?”
“I’ll tell you later,” I say, eyeing the lingering camera crew and contestants. Not the time or place.
Soon, all us campers and the crew are trekking down to the buses. Seyoon and I awkwardly hold the tarp and all our foraged items in it between us, even more awkwardly not saying a word and avoiding eye contact. My chest is still warm from where she was sleeping on it. But my heart sinks when I repeat Siddharth’s and Adin’s words in my head.
They thinkI’mthe weak one. At least, if I were on my own.
Maybe it’s not so bad if everyone thinks Seyoon and I are together.
17
THE WORST PERSON I KNOW JUST MADE A GREAT POINT
DEAN
Back at camp, we’re ordered to shower and get presentable while the crew stage the bonfire pit to film the point distribution and elimination scene. An assistant ushers me to the hair and makeup tent afterward. I grin and bear it until the makeup artist tries dabbing my cheeks with a pink powder.
“Why blush?” I ask, leaning away.
“Director’s request. She wants you to look flushed from this morning.”
My cheeks heat. The artist cries in delight, “Oh, perfect, you’re doing my job for me.”
When I’m done, I go to wait with the others by the bonfire. There’s one empty seat left at the end next to Aeneas, but when I try to sit, Garrett’s assistant, Luke, steps in.
“Actually, let’s move things around. Ms. McLaughlin, let’s have you here next to Ms. Tengku. Then Mr. Parker can sit next to Ms. Shin.”
Begrudgingly, I sit on the log next to Seyoon, who looks just as stiff and uncomfortable as I feel. I do my best not to think abouthow awkward this is, but it’s hard when everyone around us is glancing over and snickering.
Vendredi leans over and wags her finger between us. “So… you two.”
“It’s not what it—”
“No, there was a—”
She laughs at us tripping over our words. “Okay, this is clearly new, I won’t pry. For now.” She bumps Seyoon’s shoulder with a teasing smile, who pushes her away in a surprisingly familiar fashion. I ignore the sting of jealousy in my chest. Of course Seyoon would befriend someone after a single conversation around a campfire. She could charm a snail out of its shell.
Finally, Garrett’s done getting his nose powdered. He strolls back to us, rubbing his hands together like a delighted raccoon. Blake gets into position next to the camera operator. She signals a countdown on her hands, then a nearby assistant slaps the clapboard. The fill lights surrounding the firepit ignite. Garrett steps forward.
Campers, glad to see you all survived the elements. After a long night of putting your wilderness abilities to the test, we’re about to find out who among you is the Skillest of Them All.
We have before us the fruits of your labor. Literally. From foraging, making tools with the resources available to you, demonstrating your handy knot-tying skills and more, the number of tasks you completed—and completed well—will determine how many points you’ll receive. Me and a team of unbiased wilderness experts have tallied up the numbers. Here they are.
Garrett presents his open, waiting palm to the air, and an intern runs up and hands him a folded note. He opens it, clears his throat, and reads the results.
Our first contestant, Aeneas. Buddy, what happened? No fire, your tent barely stayed up, and you foraged poisonous mushrooms. Did you eat those? No? Okay, thank God. We can’t handle another lawsuit.
Aeneas pales.
