The Leftover

by Brooke Williams

  At the front of the van, Talons folded her long, beautiful nails around a designer bag and stepped delicately out of the vehicle. Spunky Brewster threw herself from her seat. Megan followed as soon as it was her turn. She held her bag behind her so Skyscraper wouldn’t get too much of her rear in his face. Her feet landed on cement, but the wind blew sand from the nearby beach around her legs. She noticed the Wedge jumping from the other van, her auburn hair half pulled back so it didn’t look asymmetrical anymore. She joined the others, who were gathering in a semicircle around Mike, a pretty woman, and a row of cameras.

  The vans drove away and Mike cleared his throat. “Welcome to The Leftover beach. We’ve already started taping, but I want to introduce you to your host. She will be present at competitions and eliminations. Wendy?” Mike took a step away from center stage as all eyes turned to Wendy.

  Wendy Weathersby. Megan always wondered if she changed her name to suit her profession. She was the weekend weather girl on KETO and while she was gorgeous, she didn’t come off as all that intelligent.

  “Hey, everyone!” Wendy waved her hand at the contestants. “You might recognize me as Wendy Weathersby, an important part of the KETO weather team. But for the next week and a half, I’m Wendy Weathersby, host of The Leftover. And let me tell you, Wendy Weathersby is excited about this journey.”

  Could you say your name another time, please?

  “As Wendy Weathersby . . .”

  There you go.

  “. . . I will be here through thick and thin, helping you through this experience. I’ll watch every challenge, help you talk about elimination decisions, and trek through the sand with you.”

  Megan glanced at Wendy’s shoes. Trekking through the sand in those high heels was not likely.

  “I want to personally welcome each and every one of you to the show. We’ll have time to get to know one another later, but first, your beach.” Wendy waved her hand behind her and the contestants directed their gaze at the sandy area.

  The beach featured two tents. A large tent toward the parking lot held crew members and equipment. The smaller tent in the distance was closed off. Between those two tents, it was all sand. A block behind the beach, the trees started and the small wooded area stretched over to the road.

  “Take the morning to figure out shelter and do a little strategizing. We’ll have our first challenge this afternoon and we’ll say good-bye to one contestant later tonight. Good luck, everyone. And remember, Wendy Weathersby will be watching!”

  For some reason, that thought scared Megan.

  Mike stepped back into view and cast an annoyed glance at Wendy. “If anyone has any injuries throughout the taping, that’s the medic tent on the other end of the beach. The no-talking ban is officially lifted.” He extended his hand toward the beach, inviting the contestants to start the game.

  Megan took a step forward and was suddenly hit from behind. It felt like a Mack truck and she went down hard on both knees. Without so much as a sorry, Skyscraper rushed by, anxious to see what the sand looked like a few feet ahead of them.

  Megan stood, brushed off her knees, and adjusted the bag on her shoulder. The blinking camera light nearby told her the fall had indeed been recorded.

  “Let the fun begin,” she muttered as she focused on placing one foot in front of the other.

  Chapter Nine

  Megan caught up to the other contestants who had formed a circle in the sand. The Banker was talking animatedly as Megan took a spot next to Spunky Brewster.

  “Why don’t we just go around and share our names and professions. Then we can get to work on the shelter and chat more later. Everyone good with that?”

  Megan wondered how long it would be until he got too hot and took off his jacket. The sun wasn’t scorching yet, but she could feel the humidity rising. Several heads around the circle nodded at the Banker’s idea, but all she could do was focus on his horrendously ugly tie. Why was he wearing a suit?

  “Okay, I’ll go first,” he said. “My name is Andrew and I work in insurance sales.”

  Insurance, not banking. Megan had already spent enough time thinking of him as the Banker that it was going to be hard to make the adjustment.

  “I’m Kat and I’m a beauty consultant.”

  So Talons was actually Kat. Her face wasn’t as heavily made up now as it had been at the first meeting, but it certainly wasn’t make-up free either. And her form-fitting sundress looked more like something you would wear to an afternoon tea party than a roughing-it adventure on the beach.

  “Hey, everyone. I’m Grace and I’m in the Army.”

  Megan stared at the small woman beside her. She had pegged Spunky Brewster wrong too. She had thought perhaps she was a hairdresser because of her stylish short hair. She was adorable and petite and Megan couldn’t picture her in fatigues next to a bunch of much larger men.

  Grace smiled at Megan.

  “I guess it’s my turn.” Megan’s eyes darted around the circle. The camera over her shoulder was invading her personal space. Her eyes dropped to her feet. “I’m, um, Megan, and I, uh, I talk for a living.”

  Skyscraper chuckled and Megan scowled at him.

  He held up his hands. “Sorry. Hey, my name is Hunter, but my friends call me Tank and I’m a personal trainer.” He flexed his arm and nearly knocked Megan over.

  “And I’m Danae,” said the Wedge. Megan was glad to know Danae’s name since her nickname didn’t suit her with half her hair pulled back. “I’m a high school counselor.” Interesting. Megan would never have guessed her profession. She almost looked young enough to be a high school student herself. Or perhaps a college attendee.

  Megan listened as Leo, Carson, Nathan, and Juan introduced themselves. Carson was roughly her age and Leo was much older. Nathan and Juan were both tall, lanky, tanned, and dark-haired. Juan wore a ragged Cardinals baseball hat and Nathan flaunted a large, shiny belt buckle. The other women were Lucy and Sabrina. Lucy was young and fresh-faced and Sabrina reminded Megan of a grown-up Melissa Joan Hart. Twelve people on the beach, including Megan. The names, faces, and professions would take a little time to learn, but Megan already knew there were a few people she wanted to work with and some she might want to avoid.

  Megan figured Tank would be hard to beat in any challenge that took strength, but she didn’t like his obvious love affair with his muscles. Andrew the Banker—or insurance salesman, as it turned out—had a take-charge attitude, but Megan wondered if he could be a team player.

  Leo, on the other hand, was very intriguing. He was older than the rest of the group, but his wiry muscles told her he wasn’t afraid of hard work. He’d worked in construction for thirty years, so he had both determination and skill. She knew she liked Grace’s attitude; her enthusiasm was almost contagious. And Carson had the boy-next-door look going. The fact that he was a PE teacher and Little League coach told her he was good with kids, which added to his charm. It was hard to make snap judgments, but the other contestants were likely doing the same about her. She hoped the ones she was eyeing would approach her. She didn’t know if she had the courage to go to them just yet.

  “Okay!” Andrew, the insurance salesman, clapped his hands together. “Let’s get started on the shelter.” He turned to Skyscraper. “Is it okay if I call you Tank?”

  “Sure.” Tank shrugged.

  “Great. Tank and I will walk around and find a good spot for the shelter. The rest of you guys, start finding wood that might be useful for building something. Ladies, grab as many big leaves as you can. Everyone good?”

  Megan nodded slowly, suppressing the urge to roll her eyes as people began splitting off. Who made him queen of the beach?

  Grace spoke up beside her. “Wow, he’s bold. But hey, let him think he’s the leader. Then, when things go wrong, he’s to blame, not us.”

  Megan smiled. Molly had told her to try to blend in on the first day. If she came on too strong, she might stand out as an early target. Coming on strong was
not in Megan’s repertoire, so she figured following her sister’s advice would be easy enough.

  As Megan fell into step beside Grace, she remembered her surprise at hearing Grace’s profession. Since Grace had already initiated talking to her, Megan thought that she could continue the conversation.

  “I can’t believe you’re in the Army.”

  “I get that a lot,” Grace answered.

  “When did you know you wanted to do that?”

  “It’s all I’ve ever known. My dad was an Army man and he always wanted his son to follow in his place.”

  “Did your brother go into the Army too?”

  “I don’t have one.”

  “Wait, so . . .”

  Grace giggled. “Since I’m the only child in our family, I had to be the son my father always wanted, you know? I didn’t want to let him down.”

  “By being a girl?”

  “I can’t help that, but I can make him proud of what I do.”

  “I bet he’s very proud.” They reached the wooded area and Megan bent over and gathered a pile of large leaves. “I’m impressed. I, for one, could never do it.”

  Grace shrugged. “When it comes to the daily tasks in the service, you do what you have to do.”

  Megan stopped her leaf gathering. “Just put one foot in front of the other.”

  “Exactly.”

  Megan turned her head as Lucy and Sabrina joined them. So far, so good. Molly told her to make good connections on the first day and keep her head down. She was obeying her orders and blending in with the group. She pushed the glasses up on her nose. If only the first challenge would be something easy. Maybe they would have to read a script or do a puzzle.

  Megan followed the group of women back to the beach where the men were dragging tree limbs and sticks and Andrew was waving his arms and giving directions. She couldn’t pretend to be someone she wasn’t, but maybe she could fit in for once. Grace didn’t seem to mind her company. With any luck, she could hold back her awkwardness. Time would tell.

  Cane had the best view on the beach. From one side of his tent, he was able to observe the contestants. On the other side, the studio crew members were busily setting up the first competition. He wasn’t sure what to watch so he moved back and forth, trying to take it all in.

  The contestants on the beach seemed to be trying to fashion a shelter for the night. It looked like there was already a rift. The well-dressed man, Andrew, wanted to build something in the middle of the open beach. A few dissenters were setting up a different shelter back in the trees. Cane was surprised that most of the group went along with Andrew’s idea. The open beach didn’t provide any natural shelter from the sun, wind, or other elements that might arise. He smiled when he spotted Megan among those in the trees. She may be shy, but at least she wasn’t a pushover.

  Cane walked to the other side of his tent. The beach was getting a makeover. There were logs being fashioned into balance beams all over the sand. Whatever the crew was doing, he was glad he didn’t have to participate as a contestant. The contestants were most likely to get hurt during the competitions. The studio wanted him close by and on hand at all times, but especially during the injury-inducing portions of the game.

  “Everything set in here?” Mike approached from the contestant side of the beach.

  “I think I have all the supplies to tend to emergencies.” Cane opened the side of his tent and glanced in at his stocked shelves. “What’s going on over there?” He tilted his chin at the contestants on the beach.

  “It’s great stuff,” Mike answered. “Andrew took charge and gave everyone a task to set up the shelter, but apparently not everyone agreed with his location. Grace suggested a different area under the trees and a few others went with her. It seems we have alliances forming already.”

  Cane squinted into the mid-morning sun as he counted silently. The group on the beach was in the majority with eight people. Those under the trees numbered only four. “It will be interesting to see how that works out.”

  “Just wait till they get hungry.” Mike’s eyes lit up at the possibility of contestants suffering, which would heighten emotions and drama. “We’ll do the competition at one, okay? Until then, keep an eye on them.”

  Cane nodded as Mike shuffled back across the beach to remain behind the cameras, observing the activity.

  The two shelters were coming along nicely. They both appeared to be well-formed. He shook his head. “You’re on the wrong side of the numbers, Megan,” he whispered. He was rooting for her and though he thought a shelter along the tree line was much smarter than one on the beach, he didn’t want to see her go home early because of a numbers game. But whatever happened, happened. The only aspect he had any control over was how well any injured parties were treated.

  Chapter Ten

  Megan heaved a large branch onto her shoulder. Since Grace suggested the second shelter location, her job had changed from leaf-gatherer to wood-dragger. When Grace came up with her idea, Megan had immediately recognized that a shelter under the trees made much more sense. When Leo jumped ship to go with Grace, that sealed the deal. He would know exactly what to do to build something that would work well as a shelter. Carson was the last to join their shelter group.

  Megan had hoped more contestants would sway away from the beach, but the fact of the matter was that she had landed on the wrong side of the numbers. That concerned her, but she was excited to work with Grace and Leo, two people she was interested in right away. The shelter was their first order of business, the competition their second. She would worry about the votes later.

  The morning sun was starting to beat down and Megan wondered what the temperature was out on the sand. Andrew had to be feeling it by now. She glanced at the second group on the beach. They had collected enough to get started on their shelter and it was coming along quickly. Andrew’s horrendous tie was no longer around his neck, but tied about his head like a bandana instead.

  Megan giggled as she approached the others in the tree-line shelter area. “I wonder what his insurance buddies will think of that look.”

  Grace stopped leveling the ground and shaded her eyes from the sun. “It’s a good look for him.” She shrugged. “Maybe they’ll all start doing it.”

  “How’s it coming, Leo?” Megan asked. Leo had offered an overall plan for the shelter and then volunteered to tie branches together with the long reed grasses they found on the lake’s edge.

  “Good,” Leo answered without looking up. His tongue stuck out between his lips and there was a look of great concentration on his face. “These Boy Scout knots are a lot harder than I remember.”

  “That’s because you haven’t been in a troop in, what, twenty years?” Carson ribbed as he dumped his latest pile of large branches on top of what Megan had brought back.

  “Hey,” Leo answered. “I resent that remark.”

  All four contestants laughed as Megan sat in the dirt under a nearby tree to catch her breath. They were a motley crew, but she liked them already. Grace was by far the smallest person on the beach, but she had already proven her quick, sensible thinking, and she was obviously physically capable by the way she picked up large branches and heaved them around like they were a fraction of the size. Leo was tall and wiry with a good skill set with his construction resume and survival background from the Boy Scouts, even if he had graduated high school decades ago. His age might seem like a disadvantage to some, but Megan thought it gave him more experience and determination to succeed. She felt unexpectedly comfortable around Grace and Leo.

  Carson was the one who surprised Megan the most. He was handsome, athletic, and looked much more like he fit in with the beach crew than their bunch. Since Megan found him attractive, she had a hard time making eye contact with him. She mostly just lowered her head and blushed when he was around. She hoped she’d feel more comfortable around him with time. Not likely, given her nonexistent history with good-looking men.

  Megan’s stomach rumbl
ed. “What do we have to do to get room service around here?”

  Grace laughed. “We have to catch some fish and bring it to our room . . . after we make our room, that is.”

  Megan took a deep breath. She’d have to get used to the hunger pangs. “Do we have enough sticks?”

  “Yeah, I think so. Want to start on the roof?” Grace asked.

  “Yeah, it looks ready,” Leo agreed. He showed Megan, Grace and Carson how to take the leaves they had gathered and “sew” them together with the long grasses and small sticks. It was an ingenious idea.

  Megan gathered some leaves and sat back beneath the tree to start sewing. The cameras whirred around her and she wondered if she would ever adjust to their constant stare. When she looked up from her work, she caught a glimpse of the blue medic tent. The side flapped in the slight breeze and a figure appeared.

  Megan stared as Cane shaded his eyes and inspected their handiwork from afar. He raised his hand and waved and she smiled. There was no way to tell if he was greeting her or anyone else on the beach, but she liked to think the wave was just for her. And what harm would that cause? Molly wasn’t there for her to confide in and no one had to know about her little crush on the show’s medic. She had a crush on Carson too. Crushes were harmless!

  Both groups worked the morning hours away and by early afternoon, two shelters had formed. The beach group had a sturdy-looking makeshift box in the middle of the sand. It resembled something a family would have lived in during settler days. The organized branches coming out of the sand acted as walls and the stick roof was covered in leaves woven through the crisscrossed branches. Megan wished she had a camera to document the ingenuity of the shelter, but then she remembered everything would be on camera.

  The shelter in the woods was more of a lean-to. The four outcast contestants used the V of a large tree to hold fallen branches they found in the woods. They created an angled wall that would hide them from the elements at night. The sewn leaves draped over the top and down the sides to keep out at least a few bugs.