Page 7 of Sugar Lips

I just know it wouldn’t be right for the money to go to me.

I know I’ve been so set on winning this competition to avoid the shame that the Coast crew will bestow on me. But screw it. I can deal with it. It’s not important compared to whatever Elizabeth’s going through.

Turning my gaze back to my diorama, I mull over the options in my head. There’s gotta besomethingI can do.

“I’m going to add blood,” I mumble.

“What?” says Mandy. “What are you talking about?”

I don’t have time to explain. I run back into the pantry and grab a big bottle of corn syrup, red food coloring, and cornstarch. I also grab a big bowl and a whisk. Less than a minute later, I’ve got all the ingredients tossed together in the bowl and am furiously mixing them together.

“Um, Jackson?” says Michael. “What are you doing, dude?”

“Adding some final touches,” I mumble, and walk over to the diorama. Before Mandy or Michael can stop me, I’m splattering fake blood all over the town. I don’t go crazy with it—I can’t let this be too obvious—but I add way more than I know I should.

I’m streaking it onto the side of one of my haunted houses when I hear Ben announce, “And that’s time! Hands up, everyone!”

In a daze, I look up and see Mandy and Michael staring at me in disbelief.

“I can’t believe you just did that,” says Mandy.

I look at the blood-splattered town and shrug.

“I think it looks good,” I say.

Our dioramas are too big to be moved, so for our final evaluation, the judges come over to our work stations. They come over to mine first and ask me to tell them about what I did. As I explain my choices and techniques, they silently nod along.

“And tell us about the blood,” Derek says. “I noticed you added that in the last few minutes.”

“Right,” I say. “Well, when I was looking at the town…I just felt there was something missing.”

“I see.”

The judges save their comments for now, just smile and thank me. Then they move over to Elizabeth’s work station to take a look at her diorama. As I look over, I’m relieved to see that she pulled off finishing hers after all.

The judges ask her a few questions, then nod and thank her, too. Then Ben tells us to say goodbye to our assistants and head on back to the green room while the judges deliberate.

“Thanks, you two,” I tell Mandy and Michael, giving them each a hug. “I couldn’t have done it without you.” I can tell they’re both still mystified about my decision to basically ruin my diorama with fake blood, but they both wish me good luck.

Then Elizabeth and I head back to the green room to wait.

“That was nuts, huh?” I say as we walk in and I close the door behind me.

“Yeah,” says Elizabeth. “I’m exhausted.”

She grabs a bottle of water and twists off the cap. Thankfully, she seems completely oblivious to my plan. I hope it stays that way. The last thing I’d want is for her to think I did it out of pity. It’s not like that. I just think she deserves it more.

Elizabeth sits down on one of the couches, leans her head back, closes her eyes, and sighs. She might be exhausted right now, but she looks so damn beautiful.

I grab a bottle of water, too, and take a seat on the same couch, leaving some space between us.

“Your diorama looked great,” I say.

She opens her eyes and looks at me. “You think so?”

“Yeah. Definitely.”

“Thanks. Yours did, too.”

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