It’s what he said to Vendredi yesterday. I snort, unable to stop myself. Carter directs the full force of his hatred on me now.
“I can’t wait until you two tear yourselves apart,” he spits. Then he turns and stomps out of the cabin. It’d be more intimidating if it weren’t for the moistTHWOP THWOP THWOPsounds his wet socks make on the floorboards.
Siddharth climbs down from his bunk. “You guys pranked Carter? That’ssosick.”
“Thank—”
I cover Seyoon’s face with my hand, muffling her. “We can neither confirm nor deny,” I say, laughing nervously. Pranking Carter in the secrecy of night with no cameras around is one thing. Admitting it to a cabin full of competitors we’re not sure we can trust? Entirely—
“Ugh!” I yank my hand back. Seyoon’s saliva coats my palm. Why do I keep doing that? She’s going to lick every time, I know this.
We get ready, have a quick breakfast while ignoring Carter fuming in the corner of the cafeteria, and get on the bus to the filming location for today’s challenge.
Once we’re in the forest, they set us up near the starting point for Mountain Marathon and get to work powdering our noses, adjusting our mic packs, and preparing us for the challenge. The cameras film from every side. I’m losing hope that I’ll ever get used to it.
“Hey, lovebirds,” Blake says, approaching us with a crew in tow. “Can we grab a quick shot of you two? Don’t shy away from PDA. How about a little hand-holding? A romantic gaze into each other’s eyes?”
I turn to Seyoon, managing to mostly avoid an uncomfortable grimace. She blinks, then holds her hand out to me. I slide my palm against hers—rough and calloused, like a gymnast’s—and entwine our fingers together. The camera pans down to our hands.
“Adorable, darlings, love it.” Blake checks something off her clipboard before heading down the line to harass another contestant.
I glance down at where my hand connects stiffly with Seyoon’s. How long am I supposed to hold on? Probably for a while. Couples like to hold hands, and we want people to think we’re dating. Yeah, I’ll keep holding on then. It’s not like it’s unpleasant. Our fingers slot together surprisingly well. I’m vividly aware of the way her knucklesfeel against the pads of my fingertips. Soft, in case you were wondering. My heart is racing. I’ve never held anyone’s hand.
Seyoon squeezes mine and hums. “You’re really clammy.”
Okay. Moment’s over.
Not long after, Garrett gives us the spiel for today’s challenge. Or at least, the first take of the spiel.
Who’s ready for the third challenge of the season? Edit in some applause there, Blake.
Last time, you put your survival skills to the test. Today, we’ll be sending you back out into the woods, so let’s hope you remember a thing or two to help you out there. The name of today’s game? Trailside Treasure Hunt.
Hidden somewhere in these woods are the most precious valuables money can buy: limited-edition Garrett Moxley Funko Pops. That’s right. These treasures are hidden in locations that are significant to your respective relatives’ seasons ofForest Feud. Your job is to brave the forest, find your Funko Pop, and bring it back before time runs out.
Adin raises his hand. “What if more than one person has a relative in the same season? My uncle and Sidd’s sister played together.”
And here I thought you were all brawn, no brains. Great question. There is one Funko Pop per relative to find, each for ten points. They’re grouped by seasons. So, say there are three players with parents from the same season…
The camera slowly pans to me, Seyoon, and Carter, in case there are any viewers at home who don’t quite make the connection. Overkill.
… Those three Funko Pops will all be hidden in the same location. Got it?
Carter doesn’t even bother raising his hand. “Do we get extra points for bringing back more than one doll?”
They’re notdolls.Ugh. Yes, you can earn extra points, but only for collecting Funko Pops fromdifferentseasons. No bonus points for snagging all the treasures from one location. We’re trying to make this fun for the audience, which means difficult for you, the contestants.
I see some confused faces. “But, Garrett, this challenge sounds so easy.” You might not think that when you find out there will be adoubleelimination this round. That means two of you will be waving bye-bye to that sweet, sweet cash prize.
Is everyone rightfully nervous now? Perfect! You have ninety minutes on the clock. Starting… now!
“A double elimination?” Seyoon says. She glances around and frowns. “I’d hate to see anyone here go home. Except Carter, who can go to hell.”
“I can hear you, Fourth Place,” Carter quips.
Before they cut us loose, an assistant hands each of us a map of the forest. There’s a red line marking the perimeter we can explore, about a mile in radius, with several landmarks on the map: the Nisqually River, a campsite, a hiking trail, and more. Garrett sidles up to me and Seyoon as we pore over the paper.
“I have something for you two that I think you’ll like,” he says.
