“That means, Red, Yellow, and Purple are all up for elimination.” Chris says. “Let’s all get to our places.”
Ryder grabs my hand. He doesn’t let it go. I don’t know if he thinks I will have a breakdown if Caleb will go home or not. Something doesn’t feel like it did last time he was up for elimination. I don’t know what it is, but it feels different. It feels almost like I would be fine by myself here if he were to be sent home.
It should worry me that he is up for elimination, but I really am not worried. I don’t know if it’s because I feel different about the game right now, or if it’s something else entirely I just know that I feel content.
“Let’s bring in the jury. Farrah, Quintin, and Meredith.” Chris says before he produces the bag of rocks that will be drawn from.
I watch as slowly one by one, each of the three teams, draws a rock. I watch as Caleb and Rachel pull out their rocks. Something inside me stirs at the possibility of Caleb going home. But the thought doesn’t spiral like it did last time. If Caleb gets eliminated, I don’t know if I will be sad or happy. I don’t know if I will be mad, angry, upset, or anything. I am not afraid to be alone anymore.
Do I want Caleb to go home? No. Do I still want to play with him? Absolutely. I came here to play with him, not against him the whole time. Even if that is the point of this game. But I do want to play with him.
“Show your rocks.” Chris calls.
My eyes are stuck on Caleb’s hand. When he produces a black rock, I heave a sigh of relief. He isn’t eliminated. He is safe. At least for another day. At least for another round of challenges. If only I could talk to him, hug him, something.
“Abby you have produced the white rock. You are eliminated. Please leave the challenge area. We will see you at the next Elimination.” Chris tells her.
I look over and frown. Now we have a team made up of just men. Now that I think about it, the game is mostly men. Of the eight of us left, there are five men and three women. The chances of a woman winning this game are low. I don’t like that. I don’t like knowing that this game is now dominated by men.
Don’t get me wrong, I am glad that Caleb is here to see another day. I am glad that I am still here to see another day. But something about there being more men than women bothers me. What if all the men band together and eliminate the women at the merge? What if there is no merge? Those thoughts scare me, but I can’t worry about them now. It’s not happening yet. At least, I hope.
FOURTEEN
Ryder
“I am fine. Caleb is here and I have Ryder by my side. Why wouldn’t I be fine?”
Ari Harper
Day thirteen interview
Day Thirteen
Seeing Rachel and Caleb make it through another elimination, that made me happy and sad. Happy because my sister survived another day here on the show. But it made me sad because, a part of me knows that the longer they stay in the game, the closer it gets to me having to get rid of them, that is if I want to win. After all there can only be one winner.
Just the other day, during one of my confessionals, Lacey asked me if I would be willing to eliminate Caleb, Rachel, or Ari. Back then, I told her no, because I didn’t think I could eliminate them. Even if I did want the money. But now, as we are getting further and further into the game, I am seeing that I will have to, in order to win, and I really do want to win.
Am I looking forward to that? No, I am not. Because no matter what I do in that situation, someone will have their feelings hurt. No matter what I do, someone will hate me. Except for Rachel, she has to love me, but Caleb and Ari, they would hate me.
I know that one day, I will have to do something like that, but for now, I want to enjoy the time I have alone with Ari, because I can’t get enough of her.
Holding her at night, that helps me sleep. Watching her work around camp, that makes me smile because she is absolutely amazing and doesn’t seem to slow down. Watching her during challenges, that is one hell of a turn on. I mean watching her work her ass off to win a challenge, that is amazing in and of itself. Listening to her laugh, that’s music to my ears. We have joked around and told funny stories form our jobs, it’s nice to have that kind of outlet out here. Hearing her talk about Caleb as if he means the whole world to her, that right there, makes me think of marriage.
Yes, I said the big M word. Marriage. That’s right, I am not crazy. But when I see how dedicated she is to Caleb, when I hear her talk about her family, I can’t help but see how amazing she is. I can’t help but picture her as my wife, just as dedicated to me. Just as dedicated to my family, our children, everything. I know it’s crazy, I have only known her two weeks, but still, its where my mind goes.
I know that we haven’t done more than just kiss and talk. I know that we aren’t even technically dating, but still my mind recognizes her as marriage material. And to be honest, that isn’t a problem for me.
I don’t want to lose any more time alone with her. I don’t want the merge to happen. Because of all the changes they have made to this season already, I can only hope that the merge isn’t one of them. But my hopes are dashed when she comes into camp holding a letter. This is supposed to be our off day. Meaning no challenge or anything, what could it be?
“Pack your bags, follow the map, find your new team, there is no time to nap. Get there quick, or the food will be gone. In just two days one of you will be gone.” Ari reads aloud. “Well, it’s better than all the others, but it still sucks.”
“It’s the merge. I wonder which teams camp we will be put on this time.” I say.
She frowns. Sometimes I forget that she doesn’t know much of anything about this game. Sometimes I forget that I know information about it and that she wasn’t allowed to find out.
“On previous seasons, when there were just two teams, once the merge happened, they were on one of the team’s camps.” I explain. “I wonder if that remains the same, or if that has changed this season or not.”
She gives me a small smile. I feel it in my soul. That small smile isn’t for the information I just told her. That small smile is because she doesn’t want the change. Neither of us do. For thirteen days, we have been at this camp, just the two of us. Alone, with no one else besides the cameras and the production crew. For thirteen days we have come up with a workload and routine that works for us. Now we will be around six other people on an unfamiliar camp, without that routine.
I must admit I hate change. I really hate change. I don’t see this merge as a good thing. If anything, it feels like a bad omen of some kind. I just don’t know what.
***
Following the map through the thick trees, is no easy task. The camp must be further away than the challenge clearing because it feels like we have been walking for an awfully long time. In reality it has probably been only like ten minutes. But still, that is a long time to be walking through the trees, in the heat of the day, wearing everything we own, carrying our spoils from our won rewards, and praying that we will be there soon.
The trees are so close together, it feels a little claustrophobic at times. The underbrush is so thick that Ari stumbles a few times and falls into me. I happily catch her. But I must admit, I trip a few times too. Which is why I have taken the front because I don’t want her walking into the unknown.
Just thinking about her leading me through the thick of this, makes me feel terrible. I was raised, that in a situation where there could be danger, to never let a woman go in first. I was raised to put myself in harm’s way to protect a woman.
Up ahead a few yards, I hear voices, see a bright blue flag waving in the air, and I can smell food. Not just one kind of food, but different kinds of food. Burgers, fried chicken, pizza, bacon. Even fresh baked bread. I can smell it all. I throw Ari a smile over my shoulder, as we pick up our pace.
The last few yards seem like they take seconds. We are there before we know it, and I cannot stop the smile that spreads across my face when I only see one other team. I see
the red team, Zach and his new partner, William. William’s brown hair looks a little greasy. Zach on the other hand, he looks dirty. Like his buzz cut blonde hair, has grown, but it doesn’t look blonde anymore. It looks like it has a tint of brown, like he has dirt in it.
Not that we have a way to bathe every single day. Not that it has rained since we have been here either. But still. He looks dirty. We are the second team to arrive. I look at the array of food and hear my stomach growl, not that it should be hungry, we, meaning Ari and I, had that reward meal day before yesterday. That fed us well. Even if we couldn’t keep the leftovers.
“The party has arrived.” I hear the familiar cadence of my sister call from behind me.
I turn around just as she comes running up to me. She hugs me tightly. I don’t let her go. It feels so good to hug her. She smells nasty, like the rest of us, but it feels good to hug her again.
“Look at you, dirty, but looking good. That reward picnic did you well, big brother.” She says to me, as she looks me up and down.
I do the same to her. Her long blonde hair looks dingy and greasy. She looks a bit thinner, which I think all of us do. Her eyes look like she hasn’t slept in weeks, which she probably hasn’t.
“You look thinner. If mom were here, she would want to put meat on your bones.” I say with a grin.
Movement beside me catches my eye. I look over just as Caleb releases Ari and holds her out at shoulder length. He looks her up and down, just as I had Rachel. I can’t stop watching the two of them. She looks him up and down too. But her eyes look different. Glossy, almost like she is about to cry.
“Awe, come on Ari, don’t cry. I am here. We both made it to the merge.” I hear Caleb tell her.
I watch as he pulls her into his arms again. I get a good look at him now. His short brown hair is the same as Ari’s, although hers reaches the middle of her back. She keeps it in a ponytail or bun. I often wonder if she wears it like that outside the show as well. I try to remember what he looked like on the first day, when I initially sized him up for being paired with Rachel. He was muscular but more so on the lean side. Now his muscles don’t seem so big, but he doesn’t look thinner either. How is that possible?
“You look any harder, and they might actually hear your thoughts.” Rachel says beside me.
“I was just watching them.” I lie.
Rachel chuckles, “You were sizing him up. He is gentle, loves her very much. He wouldn’t hurt her.”
“I never thought that he would hurt her.” I say.
They separate again and this time, she turns toward me and Rachel. I watch as Ari extends her hand toward Rachel.
“I’m Ari. Kindergarten teacher.” Ari tells her with a smile.
“Rachel, Nurse.” Rachel says with a smile. “I hope you didn’t hold that outburst between my brother and Caleb against him. He really wasn’t prepared for the protective brother to come after him.”
I watch as Ari’s face turns red. “I… um… Maybe a little.”
“Really? I didn’t mean for that to happen at the challenge. But Rachel told me he was a player. That he had a different woman every night.” Caleb says.
My eyes fly to my sister and she just smiles. “I was seeing what he would do. It was a lie of course. When I admitted it to him, he freaked out, Caleb wanted to go and make things right between him and Ryder. He wanted to make things right with you as well.”
I cannot believe that Rachel would tell Caleb that stuff. Even if she wanted to see what he would do. She should never have done that. Caleb and I got off on the wrong foot. So wrong that Ari didn’t talk to me for days. She didn’t cuddle me for days. Or kiss me. Until I kissed her at that challenge. But still, if it weren’t for Rachel and her lies, that wouldn’t have happened.
I am about to say something else when the last team shows up. Sandra and Brad. Sandra was on the original blue team and Brad came from the Orange team. Sandra looks like she is overly muscular. Like professional wrestler muscular. But I doubt that she is a professional wrestler, I would have remembered that since I actually like watching it. Her shoulder length brown hair just adds to that look. She looks a tiny bit thinner than she did at the beginning, but not much. Brad on the other hand, he looks a lot thinner. Almost like he has skipped meals. Though, if I am remembering right, he was thin to begin with. Maybe he isn’t that much thinner but who knows. His short blonde hair and green eyes look duller than they had before. Not that I really paid attention to anything that was different about them.
“We are all here now, can we eat?” I hear Zach ask from the background.
I frown, I had forgotten about the food. I had forgotten because I was too busy with Rachel and watching Ari with Caleb to remember that there was food. What is wrong with me? I should have been worried about the food. I should have been worried about meeting and greeting everyone else.
A production assistant nods her head, and we all race to the table to get food. I pile my plate with a burger, some chicken, some bread, a hand full of fries, and I take some brownie bites. I grab a beer and a soda. I know I will feel sick later, but I just can’t pass this up.
I choose a seat around the fire, that I am assuming either Zach or William started, and watch the others interact. William and Zach remain close to each other, they were partners, even if only for a night. Brad and Sandra are hanging close to them as well. That’s when it hits me. They could be separated from their partner in this game. Not their original partners, but their person in this game. Ari and Caleb and Rachel and I are the only two “ties” in this game.
Instantly I start to wonder, does this put a target on my back. Should I go talk with them and see what their thoughts are? Should we just mingle for a while? I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to be singled out because my sister is in this game, and then I have tied myself to Ari with the kisses and whispers at the challenges. Though the whispers started for the cameras.
“They all seem rather chummy already.” Rachel says.
“I noticed that too. They might all be singles, for lack of better word. We are the only four people on this show who have our ties in this game left.” I say.
“I realized that too. Should we go and insert ourselves into their conversation?” Caleb asks.
I look to Ari, who just sits there holding her plate. She hasn’t taken a bite from any of her food. Part of me wants to kneel down in front of her and ask her what is going on, but another part of me doesn’t want to do that. I want to pull her into my arms and let her know that everything will be alright.
Suddenly she looks up and is smiling. I frown at that. What is she smiling about? But before I can ask, she is holding up a rolled piece of paper.
“What is that?” Rachel asks in a whisper.
“I went to grab a fry and it was in my pile. I haven’t opened it.” She says. “I know it must be something good, otherwise why put it in the food.”
“Open it.” Caleb urges her. “I will let you know if they are looking or coming over.”
I watch as she looks around before turning her attention back to the rolled-up piece of paper in her hand. She takes her time in untying the knot on it, but I can’t take my eyes off of that note.
FIFTEEN
Ari
“Watching Ari with Caleb, that was something I wasn’t expecting. I mean, even though he is her brother, I was a bit jealous.”
Ryder Holt
“Here is a clue to your salvation. Behind your camp at a higher elevation, is a ledge, climb the three rungs to retrieve your prize. It is one that will bring tears of joy to your eyes.” I whisper reads.
I stare at the paper. It was a shock to find it in my food, but it is an even bigger shock that it is a clue to something no one else, aside from Ryder, Caleb, and Rachel know about. But it’s scary too, because how am I going to look for this, without the others getting worried.
“Well, we need to make a plan. If the four of us go off together, they will most likely notice. If Ari and
you Ryder, go off alone, they might get suspicious. But if Caleb and Ari go off, it will be suspicious, but they will expect that they want to have time alone, since they came into this game together.” Rachel says. “I think if we go over and talk to the four of them, Caleb and Ari can head off to look for whatever the clue was talking about.”
“Do you think it’s an idol?” Caleb asks.
I frown, what is he talking about? What is an idol?
“Could be, I mean they were in other seasons, but who knows.” Ryder says.
“Should I just go alone?” I ask. “It will be less suspicious, and Caleb can tell the others how terribly shy I am and that I just needed to take a breather, because this is way out of my comfort zone.”
It’s the truth. I am super shy. I am terrible in large groups. That is unless it is my classroom full of kindergarteners and their families. But that’s different. Those are kids I have gotten to know; I haven’t gotten to know these people. I mean, they are here to win the money, just like I am. That’s what makes me nervous.
They know my relationship with Ryder, will they use that against me and get me out sooner rather than later?
“That’s an even better idea. It’s like a strategy. We can see who we could possibly pull onto our side of the numbers and go from there.” Caleb says with a wicked gleam in his eyes.
I don’t like the look in Caleb’s eyes as he says that. Caleb has always been a good manipulator, how else would I have gotten myself here. But seeing that look in his eyes, bothers me. I wish he would play a nice clean game. I wish that he would play the game like I am, but that isn’t Caleb.
When he sets his mind to something, he does all he can to accomplish that goal. Caleb has always been competitive. That is part of the reason I am scared. What is he willing to do to win this game?
I can just see it now, Caleb will somehow get each of them to do as he says, and one by one he will get rid of each and every one of them. But my worry isn’t just for them, it’s for me too. Because, even though I am his sister, I stand in his way of winning the money, just as much as they do. He could play up my relationship with Ryder, if you could call it that, and make it seem like they need to get rid of me.
Playing For Keeps (Romancing The Games Book 1) Page 9