AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“It looks like Jasmine has something she wants to say. Go ahead.” Stella’s Southern drawl and professionally calm demeanor helped soothe Avery’s frayed nerves.
“I’ve enjoyed my time at the house and getting to know everyone here. However, I’m finding it impossible to be without my phone. It’s harder to be disconnected than I thought. I may not be well known, but I’m constantly worried about losing my followers, since I’m nothing without them. Plus, I need to continue cultivating relationships to be an influencer. I’m sorry. You’re a great person, Quinn. Even though we didn’t get to spend much one-on-one time, I just didn’t feel that vibe with you, and I don’t really need the money. So, I think it’s the best decision for me to leave. Don’t forget to follow me on social media: Jazzed about Jasmine,” she added at the end with a wink.
Avery could barely make out the words. She was still lost in the despair of being sent home. Her whole body had gone numb. Everything she’d worked towards had crumbled on the first elimination. She felt sick to her stomach.
“Thank you for the opportunity and good luck.” Jasmine stepped forward to hold her hand out to Avery. It felt like she was underwater as she reached out. What? What was happening? What had Jasmine said? She’d heard the words, but they still weren’t registering. Jasmine hooked her packed bag over her shoulder. Shouldn’t she be the one doing that?
“Continue down the hall, and I’ll be down there in a moment to do your final interview.” Stella pointed in the direction she wanted her to go. “So, how do you feel getting saved to stay another two weeks?” Stella directed her question to Avery.
Avery sank into her chair, stunned, finally realizing what she’d missed. She’d been saved by a hair. Reality squeezed her chest as she thought about how to get through the next twenty-four weeks. Maybe that was the mistake. Perhaps she needed to shorten her goal and take it one week at a time.
“Shocked, to be honest. But I hope to make the most of it and prove to Quinn that I deserve to stay.” Avery’s mind went quiet as she felt the past few minutes seep from her shoulders. All she wanted now was to curl up in bed and sleep.
“Go ahead and meet the rest of your housemates downstairs. I’m sure they’re dying to know the outcome of tonight’s elimination round.” Stella stood to chat with Jasmine, leaving Quinn and Avery alone in the room.
“For the record, I’m okay with what happened. I’m excited to get to know you better.” Quinn offered a conversational branch, which Avery took with both hands.
“I’m glad. I haven’t put my best foot forward these past two weeks. There was a lot on my mind, but I’m excited for this do-over and can’t wait to get to know you better. I’ll try to have better conversation skills than a rock this go-around.” Avery couldn’t help but throw some self-deprecating humor in and was rewarded with a laugh. “See you around, Quinn.” Avery finished on a high note and skipped down the stairs with her bag slung over her shoulder.
Everyone was gathered around the foyer, waiting to see who returned. She was met with a few groans but mostly positive congrats.
“What happened? I was sure Jasmine was staying,” Tanya said, sounding a bit accusatory for Avery’s liking.
“Guess you’ll just have to wait until it airs.” Avery shrugged but laughed when Riley grabbed her arm. “I was picked to leave, but Jasmine wanted to go home.” Avery still couldn’t believe what had happened.
Avery had meant to play coy, mostly because she didn’t want to go through the whole deal of not getting picked initially; however, halfway through her sentence, she thought it might be helpful for other contestants to know that the option was available. Maybe it would put a bug in someone’s ear who might want to go home. Hey, it helped her once; perhaps it could again.
“Why would she wait until she was almost eliminated? Why not just leave?” Echo asked.
“Probably to see if she was chosen. This way, she can leave on her own terms.” Elizabeth shrugged, walking away. The rest of the group disbanded, heading in different directions as they discussed the elimination round.
The next day, the women were gathered outside, ready for another competition to see who would get a date with Quinn. Avery was staring at the tables, trying to figure out the game, but the tables were too far away to see what was on them.
Stella walked out the sliding door, standing next to Quinn and Elizabeth who were whispering to each other off to the side. Because Elizabeth won the first challenge, she couldn’t compete this week.
Everyone turned to Stella as she started explaining what they would be playing.
“The rules are simple. The first one who finds the key and unlocks the locket gets to go with Quinn to a women’s basketball game and then dinner.”
The sun was already relentless. Avery shuffled closer to the shade, listening to what Stella was saying as she admired her bright yellow blouse. Shaking her head, she focused back on the tables. If yesterday was any indication, she couldn’t afford distractions.
“Easy. This one is mine,” Echo called over her shoulder. Her shoulders pulled back with determination.
“Not so fast. Each station is lined with different puzzles. Solve the puzzles to find the key. The first one to open the locket gets the honors.” Stella provided a stunning smile for the cameras hidden in the yard. “Go!” she yelled out of the blue.
A mad scramble started. Echo and Riley tangled together, which somehow ended with Riley on the ground. The pull to win was strong. After a disastrous two weeks, Avery was running on a new lease on life, and it was showing in her gameplay. Plus, she’d been able to squeeze herself in for a few minutes alone with Quinn over breakfast that morning. Avery had tried giving more than two-word answers and let some of her personality show. Now that her head was in the game, she found herself relaxing and sleeping better.
She stopped to help Riley up and they shuffled to an empty table together. All the women were gathered at the first couple of tables. Avery liked having more space to work, so she jogged to the far side of the yard, which was free of people.
Sweat poured down her face as the sun beat on them. The longer she was out in the sun, the slipperier the puzzles became. Tanya had already thrown something across the yard in frustration.
“I’m going to check the next table,” Avery said, bringing one of the devil cubes with her.
It was there she saw the clue. Each cube had a piece that connected to each other. She was at a considerable advantage since nobody had thought to move on to another table.
She made eye contact with Riley, indicating with her head to come over. It was the biggest hint she would give her friend as she moved to another table, hoping to figure out how the puzzle worked.
She hadn’t realized she was being watched until Tanya shouted to move to another table. Avery was pushed out of the way by a hoard of five women. She landed on her wrist with an oomph, wincing as she brought it to her chest. Sharp pain shot up her arm when Elizabeth jogged over to help her up.
