The Leftover

by Brooke Williams

  Cane didn’t want to involve his heart any further than he already had. He wasn’t sure his heart could mend itself if it was broken a second time. He was right when he told Megan there would be time for a relationship later. Now, he needed to back off. Megan was a contestant on the show and he was the medic. It wasn’t professional.

  Megan was having trouble letting anything get to her. The group had let the fire burn out overnight—apparently Andrew had forgotten to assign anyone to the duty—and they were struggling to get a new one started. Andrew was barking orders at everyone. “Danae, get water! Leo, get more wood! Carson, work on the fire!”

  Megan wondered what Andrew himself was actually doing to help. Perhaps he thought his role was to simply tell everyone else what to do. She spotted Grace out in the water, fishing. They were all hungry and thirsty and the whole contest was getting old, but Megan grinned through it all. Nothing and no one could touch her happiness with a ten-foot pole.

  When the day’s competition rolled around, Megan was still on cloud nine. She even found it charming when Wendy Weathersby repeatedly said her own name.

  “Today’s competition is going to be a challenge for each of you.” Wendy pointed to the wooden boards sitting at seventy-five degree angles all around the beach. “You will have to climb each wall and slide down the other side. This is a group event. Since there are eight of you left, there will be two teams of four. Every person on the team has to make it over all of the walls to complete the competition. The first group to get everyone over wins the reward. The reward today is juicy, let Wendy Weathersby tell you. It will satisfy a different taste bud than the fish.”

  Megan’s mouth watered as several stomachs nearby growled. Food. The reward was food. The fish kept them going, but anything different would be heaven. Even if it was pizza, something she normally avoided.

  “The twist to today’s game is that the winning team will also receive protection, but only one person can have it. The team will have to decide unanimously who gets protection from this evening’s elimination. If the decision cannot be unanimous, the entire losing team will be protected from elimination. Understand?”

  Megan nodded along with the others. It was a unique twist. She was anxious to get started—she felt ready for anything. Her stomach joined in with the symphony of other stomachs growling around her. She wanted that reward.

  “I’ll draw for teams.” Wendy reached into the bucket she carried and pulled out a slip of paper. “Grace,” she read. She pulled another piece. “Kat.” Megan’s heart sank. If she was going to be with Grace, she’d have to deal with Kat too. “Andrew.” Ugh. As much as Megan wanted to be with Grace, she detested the idea of sitting on Andrew’s team. “And the final person on this team is . . .” Wendy drew another slip. “Megan.”

  Grace gave her a big smile and a hug while Andrew and Kat walked over to them. Wendy continued her monologue. “Leo, Carson, Danae, and Tank, that leaves you for the other team.” Megan sized up the competition. Carson was physically fit and he would easily be able to scale the walls. She wasn’t sure how they would get Tank over, but perhaps his muscles would end up being an advantage. And Danae had proved to be more fit than Megan had first thought. Time would tell.

  “I’ll give you two minutes to strategize before we begin.” Wendy brushed the sand from her hands after she set the bucket of names aside.

  Megan huddled with her group and assessed the walls behind them. Each group had its own walls to climb. They started out small but grew in size as they moved down the beach. She was fairly certain she couldn’t scale even the shortest on her own, much less the tallest—especially with her wounded toe. It throbbed dully.

  “What do you guys think is the best approach?” Grace asked.

  “Can’t we just all climb the walls and get to the end? I’m hungry.” Andrew straightened his tie. It was bloodstained and dirty—almost an improvement.

  “This is a team event,” Megan reminded him. “I think we’re supposed to work together.”

  “If we’re all over the wall, who cares how we do it?”

  Megan narrowed her eyes.

  “Oh, I get it. You don’t think you can get over.” Andrew stroked his chin. “It’s okay to admit your weaknesses.”

  Megan scowled.

  “Teams, time is up,” Wendy called. “Take your positions.”

  What a waste. They’d made no decisions and formed no strategies. Megan took position at the starting line, pausing to search the crew for Cane. She spotted him behind the cameras by the second pair of walls and smiled. Who cared about Andrew? She had Cane on her side. Their connection could make her scale any wall in record time even with two toes taped together. Or so she hoped.

  She bent her knees, crooked her arm and set a determined expression on her face. She was ready.

  “And, go!” Wendy shouted.

  The sand kicked up around the two groups as they scurried to the first set of walls. Megan reached the wall last and watched as Grace catapulted herself over like it was a vault. Andrew took a split second longer but used the same move. Kat grabbed the top of the wall and climbed with her legs until she disappeared behind it as well. The wall was only shoulder-high. Megan shouldn’t have a problem.

  “Come on, Megan!” Grace encouraged from the other side.

  Megan threw herself at the wall and grabbed the top. She wasn’t able to clear it like Grace and Andrew, but she could climb like Kat. Or so she thought. Her toe had other ideas and pain shot through her foot. She’d worried the injury would slow her down, but she hadn’t dreamed the agony one little toe could cause. She cried out but kept climbing and landed on the other side moments later.

  “Let’s go!” Andrew ordered as the group scurried to the second, slightly higher wall. He was up and over the wall before the rest of the team approached. Kat attempted the wall next.

  “I can’t get a grip,” she complained. The wall was too tall for her to reach the top.

  “Dig your nails in,” Megan suggested. Kat’s claws ought to be good for something.

  “Are you kidding? They’ll break off!”

  Megan scrunched her face. “I’ll go.” She backed up a few steps and took a deep breath. She ran at the wall and threw herself at its mercy. Thud. The wall unapologetically sent her soundly back to the sand.

  “That worked well,” she muttered as she rubbed her shoulder.

  “Hurry up, guys, they’re gaining on us!” Andrew shouted from the other side.

  “I’ll climb to the top and balance myself there,” Grace suggested. “Do you think you can make it up far enough to grab my hand?” She looked from Megan to Kat.

  “Let’s try.” Megan was encouraged by the idea. She watched as Grace flew up the side of the wall as if she was running on flat ground. Once she had found her balance on top, she reached down as far as her arm would go.

  “Go ahead.” Megan motioned for Kat to give it a try. She needed a break after flattening herself against the wall once already.

  Kat nodded, clicked her nails together with a sigh and took a run at the wall. She caught Grace’s hand and Megan watched in awe as Grace pulled Kat up and over the wall effortlessly. Megan took a second to take stock of the other team. Leo was having issues, but it looked like Carson was about to get him over the wall. She needed to hurry if they had any hope of winning the reward.

  Megan caught a mass of dark curls bobbing behind the cameras. Cane was there. She would do this. He believed in her, and that opened a well of confidence Megan hadn’t known she had.

  She backed up and ran at the wall. Her toe complained as she hit the board with all her weight, but she strained upward, trying to be as vertically inclined as possible. The tips of her fingers caught Grace’s wrist and she grabbed hold of her hand.

  “Yes!” Megan shouted as Grace aided her up the wall. She slid down the other side and Grace followed. They jogged as a group to the third and final wall.

  “Let’s do this one together from the sta
rt,” Grace suggested as Andrew took a run at the wall.

  He stopped halfway up and glanced at the others. Did he have suction cups on his hands and shoes? Megan had to give him begrudging respect.

  It quickly vanished as he said condescendingly, “Need help, ladies?”

  “Go ahead.” Grace shooed him away. “We’ll be fine.”

  He shrugged and threw his tie over his shoulder before scaling the rest of the wall and disappearing down the other side.

  “Here’s what we’ll do,” Grace said. “Megan, do you think you can help Kat over from the top?”

  Megan nodded. She’d certainly try.

  “Let’s build a pyramid to get you to the top, Megan. Then you can help Kat over like I helped you and I’ll climb up last. Ready?”

  “Let’s do it.” Megan didn’t know if the plan would work, but it was better than throwing herself at the wall alone and ending up like a bird hitting a window.

  Grace knelt in the sand and asked Kat to stand on her shoulders. Kat did as she was told, but didn’t look certain about the idea as Grace stood and walked closer to the wall.

  “Lean against the wall, Kat. Okay, Megan, climb!”

  Megan studied the tower of women against the wall. She hadn’t thought this part through. Now she had to climb up and over Grace as well as Kat to get to the top of the slanted board. She was afraid that Grace would be crushed beneath their weight.

  “Are you sure this is going to be okay?” she asked.

  “Positive. Do it, Megan. Do it!” Grace encouraged.

  Megan took a step closer to her friend and surveyed her options. She planted her good foot on Grace’s thigh and used it as a ladder. Then she grabbed Kat’s leg and hoisted herself onto Grace’s shoulders. She glanced down at her friend to make sure she was still holding up.

  “Good going, Megan. Keep it up,” Grace called. Megan didn’t seem to be hurting her, despite her miniscule size.

  Megan’s eyes moved up Kat’s body as she searched for a way to advance up the wall. She wrapped her arms around Kat’s waist and her legs around her feet.

  “What are you doing?” Kat screamed.

  Megan blinked. Kat was right. This wasn’t working. She was stuck. Megan inched upward. She could climb Kat this way, but it wasn’t going to be pleasant for either of them.

  “So sorry.” Megan moved her arms around Kat’s chest. Kat’s arms were straight above her head and flat against the wall, trying to keep the wobbly pyramid upright. “Sorry again,” Megan murmured as she turned her head away from Kat’s armpit. The inching was slow, but it was working. Soon, she was level with Kat’s disgusted gaze.

  “Hurry up,” the other woman insisted. “I don’t enjoy being climbed like a tree . . . by someone as big as a tree.”

  Megan wondered why Grace chose her to be first. It didn’t matter now—she was almost there. She used Kat’s shoulder to help her swing one leg over the top of the wall, and she tried not to pay attention to the way Kat grunted when she pushed off.

  “I’m up,” Megan announced. “Kat, give me your hand.”

  Kat placed her hand in Megan’s and squeezed as she started to climb off Grace’s shoulders and up the wall. Her nails bit into the back of Megan’s hand. Megan winced. She might need stitches later, but it would be worth it to eat.

  Balancing on top of the wall was harder than Grace had made it look and Megan had to reposition herself several times to stay upright. When Kat surged a final time to reach the top, it was too late for Megan to regain her balance. She followed her leg over the side of the wall and fell to the sand below, taking Kat along with her.

  Megan landed with a thud and watched in horror as Kat splayed on top of her. The breath rushed from Megan’s lungs as her ribs met the organs beneath them. Megan tried to breathe, but found she could only take small, short breaths of air. She gave Kat a shove. The sooner the woman was off her, the better. They’d been far too close for far too long.

  “My nails!” Kat cried as she rolled off Megan and held a hand out in front of her. “Look what you’ve done to my nails!”

  Megan glanced at Kat’s hand. All but one of the nails were broken off, but she was still finding it hard to breathe and she wondered what Kat had done to her insides. She sat up and tried to catch her breath as Grace launched over the wall and skidded down the other side.

  “We’re over!” Andrew called. “We’re over and they’re not!”

  Megan inspected the other group. It was true. Only two of them had made it over the last wall so far. She tried to take a deep breath and failed again.

  “Andrew, Kat, Grace, and Megan win the reward!” Wendy screeched into her megaphone.

  “Medic!” Grace called. “Over here!” She knelt next to Megan. “Megan, are you okay?”

  Megan wanted to answer, but she still couldn’t breathe right. Cane appeared at her side and placed his hand on her back.

  “Take deep breaths if you can, Megan. As deep and slow as you can,” he instructed.

  Megan’s breaths came in short bursts, but she tried to do as he said. He pushed her back into the sand and felt her rib cage.

  “Nothing seems to be broken. You probably just got the wind knocked out of you.” Cane’s concerned face blocked out the sun. “I think your breathing is slowing down. Are you starting to feel better?”

  Megan was able to take a slightly deeper breath. She couldn’t speak, but she nodded. After a few more breaths, she turned to Kat. “Sorry . . . about your nails.”

  Cane chuckled. “I think Kat should be the one apologizing to you. Your hand is a mess.” He took her hand into his and opened his medical bag. He cleaned the scrapes on the back of Megan’s hand and covered them with a few Band-Aids. “There. All better. Enjoy your reward.” Cane ran his thumb across the palm of her hand before he disappeared behind the pit of cameras nearby.

  Megan watched him for a bit too long before she remembered the red blinking lights on the cameras all around her, taking in her every expression.

  Grace offered her a hand and Megan stood, brushing the sand from her backside. Her toe ached and the rest of her body didn’t feel much better, but they’d won. She joined the celebratory circle and united with her group in a hug. She didn’t even mind the rough fabric of Andrew’s suit jacket against her bare arm.

  “Reward begins immediately. Winners, follow me. The other group can return to the beach.” Wendy removed her spiked heels and gingerly stepped from her board. She walked on tiptoes through the sand as the winning group followed.

  Megan raised a hand to Leo and Carson. She wished she could trade them for Andrew and Kat. It still would have been hard to choose someone for protection, but at least it would have been someone in their group for sure.

  Megan limped behind Wendy through the sand and into the woods. When she stopped, Megan gasped.

  “Behold, the grill!” Wendy pressed her hand against its shiny silver cover and ran her fingers over its top like she was a model from The Price is Right. “You will have two hours to grill your own burgers and discuss who will receive protection from elimination tonight. After those two hours are up, we will hold a secret vote. If even one of the votes reads a different name than the others, no one from this group will be protected and everyone in the other group is safe. Does everyone understand?”

  “Yes.” Megan spoke in unison with the others.

  “Okay, then. Without further delay, I give you . . . the burgers.” Wendy waved her hand as a crewmember appeared with a platter of raw meat. Another staff member had a bag full of buns in one hand and various condiments in the other. “Enjoy. I’ll return in two hours.” Wendy tiptoed back through the sand.

  Megan’s stomach echoed several others in the line. “Well,” she said, trying to control her watering mouth. “Who’s good on the grill?”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Megan wanted to lick the grill, but she knew it would be way too hot. The burgers sizzled and she had to hold herself back from eating one ha
lf-cooked. She and Grace took turns on the grill and the group kept the conversation light. Once the burgers were cooked to perfection and Megan’s held enough ketchup to satisfy the entire state, they sat on tree stumps.

  “Mmm,” Megan moaned as she took a bite.

  “I second that.” Grace opened her mouth wide and did some serious damage to her burger.

  Andrew gingerly removed his dirty tie and stuffed it in his pocket.

  “Don’t you get hot?” Grace asked with her mouth full.

  “Sometimes,” Andrew admitted. “But I get past it.”

  “Why do you want to?” Megan asked.

  “It pays to look good.”

  Megan and Grace exchanged a look. Andrew didn’t look good in their book. His crumpled suit didn’t fit in with the woods and the tie had never been pleasant on the eyes, even when it was clean.

  “So, what are we going to do with the protection?” Kat asked, taking a small dainty bite. She chewed thoroughly before swallowing.

  Megan stayed silent and let her eyes roam the group. No one looked comfortable with the change of topic except for Andrew.

  “Maybe we should take a preliminary vote,” Andrew said. He called out their names one by one, and each person stated who they wanted to receive protection. As it turned out, each of them received one vote—Grace and Megan voted for each other and Kat and Andrew voted for themselves.

  “Looks like we have a little work to do.” Andrew sighed.

  “Let me just pose a question.” Grace paused between bites. “Andrew, Kat, is there anything that would make you vote for someone other than yourself?”

  Megan didn’t like taking time away from her burger, but this discussion was important. Grace had asked a poignant question. If they were going to get any further in making a decision, the group needed to know.