Page 29 of Forever is the Sweetest Con
It’s not that I want him to be flirty or anything, but base-level kindness would be appropriate. He’s not going to show well on TV, acting like that, but I can’t let him bring me down. “Sure,” I say. It’s a relief to get away from him.
I wander around, picking up sticks, and make a pile. Garrett comes up beside me and rifles through the assortment of twigs and branches I’ve compiled.
“Most of these aren’t usable,” he says, tossing half of the sticks aside. “Bring these down to the fire pit,” he says, indicating what’s left, “and I’ll meet you down there after I find some better tinder.”
I gather up the remaining sticks and head down toward the beach. A few moments later, Garrett appears with an armload of wood and starts meticulously arranging each piece until he is satisfied. He leans back and crosses his arms over his chest.
“So,” I say, in a falsely bright tone. “Fancy ourselves a woodsman, do we?” I’m desperately trying to crack Garrett, to see if he can lighten the fuck up for a minute. But no dice.
“I was a scout leader for six years.”
“Oh, wow.” Boy Scouts—fascinating. “So, have you met anyone that interests you?”
He shrugs without looking up. “Not really.”
“Maybe you just need some time to get to know everyone.” He doesn’t respond. He puts his hand on his stomach.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
He winces. “I’m fine.” He sighs heavily, looking at the ground. Then he wraps his hand around his mic and leans toward me. “Do you ever feel like something is off around here?” He speaks so quickly and quietly I can barely hear him.
“What do you mean?”
His eyes dart around, like he’s anticipating a threat. “Something’s not right,” he says quickly, his forehead creased.
I swallow. “It’s intense,” I say, trying to find some common ground. “Surreal.” He gives his head a little shake and looks down. “But just look over there, across the water. Do you see the beach that we left from?” I point over to the grey strip of rocks and sand in the distance. “That’s the real world. It’s just right there.”
Garrett’s brow is furrowed. He shakes his head again, letting go of his mic. After a long moment, he sighs.
“Come on,” I say, taking his arm. “Let’s go back up to the camp. The challenge will be starting soon.”
We’re going up the path when Tyler arrives. Heisrat-like, with his pointy nose and beady eyes. It wasn’t just the punch.
“Hey, you two,” he says, eyeing my hand on Garrett’s arm. “You look like you’re getting along.”
“Yup,” I say. I have zero interest in engaging Tyler in conversation right now.
“Cool, cool.” Tyler runs a hand through his hair, stepping in front of us as we go to leave. “Hey, Garrett, dude, can you hang back? I want to chat to you real quick.”
Garrett blinks several times in rapid succession. “Sure,” he says, flatly. I peer at him, and he nods. “I’ll see you back at camp, Cleo.”
My stomach curdles, so I make a beeline for the bathroom. Valeria is there, washing her hands. She looks at me in the mirror. Her face is pale, her eyes watering.
“Sorry,” she whispers.
I’m about to ask for what, but then I’m hit by the smell. Oh god. It’s putrid. Poor girl. I hold my breath and wave her off.
As I’m leaving the Bunkhouse, Giovanni bursts in, a panicked look on his face.
“You okay, G-dog?” I say, using Damian’s nickname for him, but he doesn’t answer. He half walks, half runs to the bathroom.
At the ring of the bell, I head out to the flagpole. Natasha is therewith Kei, Damian, Trina and Valeria. “Where are the others?” she says to no one in particular, tapping her foot.
Sue-Ellen shows up, holding her stomach. “Harmony’s sick,” she says to Natasha. “She can’t do the challenge.”
Natasha sighs. “Where is she?”
“On the toilet,” Sue-Ellen says.
