THE CONVERSATION PIT OF HELL
DEAN
I thought the time I barfed my guts out at Applebee’s would be the most humiliating moment of my life. This afternoon, however, is proving that new and worse levels of public shame are always within my reach.
Siddharth and Adin make obnoxious smooching noises whenever I walk past. Beck and Vendredi coo if me and Seyoon so much aslookat each other. I’m sure my face is going to stay red like a beet forever. But our plan worked. It’sworking.
Blake orders all of us to film at a few more locations around camp. The cafeteria, around the campfire with fake marshmallows to roast (so they don’t burn during all the reshoots), and through the woods on one of the nature trails for a totally leisurely, not at all scripted walk. The long day of filming, cameras in our faces, and producer puppeteering is starting to wear on everyone’s patience. Mine included.
We’re finally at our last set of the day: the rec room in the Communal Cabin. It’s a large common area with windows that stretch from the oak floors to the vaulted ceiling, showcasing the trees swaying in the evening breeze outside. Branches occasionally sweep by and graze the glass, like long fingers reaching out for us. There’s a foosball and pool table in one corner, a kitchen in the other, and in the middle, comfy sofas form a conversation pit. Noticeably, there’s notelevision in the room. They’re strict about not giving us access to the outside world. Even now, out of habit, I find my fingers twitching for the phone that isn’t in my back pocket.
Seyoon plops on the couch, and I sit next to her. I misjudge the distance and accidentally brush our thighs together. Her skin is warm, just like it was when I grabbed her hip on the paddleboard. The sensation of her breath tickling my lips, her fingers at the nape of my neck, and the memory of how her brown eyes looked like molten gold in the sunshine flood my mind all over again. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it all day. She shifts on the sofa, and I jolt.
Seyoon whispers in my ear, “Can you act normal, please?”
I glance around, then subtly cover my mic. “I’m trying. This is awkward. Don’tyoufeel awkward?”
Seyoon tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear with a smirk. “Nah. Nothing gets to me. I’m too good at everything I do.” She muffles her own mic now. “Even pretending to be in love with President Nerd.”
God, she’s annoying. I’m about to let her know as much when my attention is drawn to her cheek puckering as she chews on it from the inside. I narrow my eyes at the action. She does that a lot. I used to have that habit, too, until I switched to picking at the skin around my nails when I felt anxious.
Huh.
“You have a bad poker face,” I say.
Seyoon frowns and tucks another strand of hair behind her other ear. “No, I don’t.”
“You totally do. You don’t know what you’re doing, either. I knew it.”
A pretty shade of pink crawls up her throat. She closes her fist over her mic tighter and leans in close. “Okay,fine,it’s a little weirdthat everyone thinks we’re sucking face, but if it’s what will get us closer to that grand prize, nothing else matters.” Seyoon sits back, an easy confidence sliding over her features. “No one can throw me off my game. Not what the others think, not a million cameras everywhere, and not even you.”
That makes something burn in my gut. Jealousy. I don’t have even a fraction of the self-assurance Seyoon has. I wear my doubts as a second skin, my insecurities as an oversized coat.
Well. If she can pretend like none of this affects her, maybe I can too.
Blake and Garrett corral everyone onto the sofas. The cameras start rolling again, each stationed at different corners of the room to capture every angle.
“I know you kids are tired from a long day of filming,” Garrett says, “and probably sick of each other’s company, which is perfect.” Blake kicks him in the heel nonchalantly, and he winces. “I mean,notideal for our purposes at all. But don’t worry, all you have to do here is have a conversation. Easy peasy, right? You’ll just—”
Carter groans. “We’ve been doing this for hours already. You don’t have enough footage of us talking by now?”
“Shut up, dude,” Vendredi snaps. “You complaining only slows us all down.”
My eyebrows raise. Her uncharacteristic sharpness pulls some of us out of our heat-stricken, hungry, exhausted dazes. Vendredi leans heavily on the arm of the adjacent sofa, kneading the bridge of her nose. She mentioned a headache earlier, but it wasn’t enough to get her out of filming. It must be getting to her. Blood rushes to Carter’s puckered face.
Blake clears her throat and shoos Garrett away. She turns to us with a more genuine smile. “Thank you all for hanging in there. I promise, we’re almost done. I even have a little incentive to motivate you.”
Siddharth perks up. “Money?”
Adin leans over him. “Food?”
“Sleep?” Beck asks pathetically.
TSW Studios would like to assure viewers at home thatForest Feudprovides adequate meals and breaks to its contestants.
“No. Better,” Blake says with a sparkle in her eye. “Whoever gives the most entertaining and convincing performance will receive a hint that will help them in tomorrow’s challenge.”
Nowthatwakes us up. Seyoon and I exchange a look.
