Page 41 of The Cuffing Game
Idiot,she thought to herself.Why did you spend so long talking to Noah? He literally kissed Celine yesterday.
There was a sharp rap on the door. Mia looked up to see Damien standing in the doorway.
“What happened to you?” he asked. “You look like a hot mess.”
Mia groaned. “I know I do.”
“Did you not sleep after we finished uploading the episode last night?”
“I did, but clearly not enough,” Mia replied, suddenly glad that she and her friends had never figured out how to set up cameras around the firepit.
She would have told Damien and her friends about what happened last night, but she wasn’t sure what had happened. And she didn’t want to create unnecessary drama, especially if the weird tension she’d felt between herself and Noah was all in her head.
“Do you want me to ask Alex if they can be the host today?” Damien asked. “So you can relax behind the camera?”
A surge of gratitude filled Mia. Damien was alwayslooking out for her. They all were, since every member of the crew tried their best to take care of the others. But Kallie and Damien, as the two upperclassmen,especiallytook their roles seriously. They were the mom and dad of their little queer film production family.
Mia splashed another handful of water onto her face.
“No, I’m okay,” she replied. “I got this. Thanks, though.”
Damien frowned, looking unconvinced. “If you’re sure.”
Mia dried her face and took a big breath.
It was time for the third day ofThe Cuffing Game.
Mia stood behind a pile of shovels as she waited for the contestants to gather around her in the front yard. The snow had picked up after she’d gone to bed last night, providing the perfect amount between the house and their cars for today’s random event. Mia couldn’t have planned it better herself.
When Noah arrived, she did a double take. He somehow looked even more exhausted than Mia felt, with evendarkercircles than the ones he had the previous day. Somehow, his fatigue gave him a brooding quality that made him hotter, reminding Mia of the tortured Byronic heroes of her favorite shows. As she watched, he pinched the bridge of his nose and briefly closed his eyes, like he had a headache.
Mia started to feel bad about keeping him up late, but then stopped herself.
He was already out and about before we started talking,she thought.And I warned him and everyone else we had an early start today.
Mia didn’t realize she’d been noticeably staring at Noah until he met her gaze. “Just for the record,” he said, “no, I will not help you bury a body in the snow.”
“Huh?”
“The shovels. The ones suspiciously in front of you right now?”
Most of the contestants laughed, although some, like Matías, sounded nervous.
Mia’s cheeks burned as she turned away.
“This isn’t some sick and twisted game where you’re going to kill off whoever is eliminated, right?” asked Matías. “Like inSquid Game?”
“No, of course not!” Mia replied, making a face. “You guys are so morbid.”
The two boys grinned and bumped their fists together.
Are they friends now?Mia wondered. It wasn’t something she’d expected to happen, but she had to admit it was kind of cute.
She waited until Alex finished getting all the contestants miked up before saying, “Hi, everyone. I’ll explain the rules for today’s random event once we start filming. But for now, please grab a shovel. Guys, please stay where you are, and girls, please take your shovel and follow me. The snow is deep in some places, so watch your step!”
Mia led Celine, Tiana, and Shirin to the halfway point between the lodge and their cars. The snow was fresh and soft, and much deeper than she’d ever experienced in Texas. She was glad she’d decided to wear her knee-high boots.
Once they started filming, Mia said, “Contestants, welcome to Day Three ofThe Cuffing Game.For today’s random event, y’all will be participating in a snow shoveling race. The guys of each cuffle will shovel to the girls, who will then shovel the rest of the way to the road. The order that you reach the road will determine the order that you pick for the next cuffings.”
