“I’d had a crush on Noelle since we were kids,” Yumi says. I almost roll my eyes. Get your own backstory and leave mine for me. “But, you know, you never know how to act when you’re a kid and you like someone. And being queer makes that even more complicated, right? Like, not only do you not know if someone likes you, you don’t even know if theycould.”
It was smart of her to bring up the queer angle so fast. Maybe we can veer Aliona away from us and toward larger societal issues—at least until we can get on the same page about our “relationship.”
“Completely,” Aliona says, and I scrutinize her, curious if that was the agreement of an enthusiastic ally or someone who understands through experience. But then I practically hear her voice in my head:Donottry to get to know the crew. They are here for ajob.“So how did you move past that and end up together?” she asks.
I open my mouth to answer, but Yumi gets there first.“Actually, it’s funny. It happened the night we applied to be onTheAdventureverse.”
What?I freeze, wanting to whirl around and ask her what she’s doing. But with the camera staring me down, I can’t do anything other than hold on to my smile like it’s a cliff I’m falling from.
Aliona gestures for Yumi to keep going.
“Noelle and I were at my house. We had just watched Gabby and Christian win, and that inspired us to film our own audition. So, Gabby, Christian, if you’re watching, thank you.”
Aliona chuckles, giving Yumi a thumbs-up. I recognize that I should laugh, too, but it’s taking all my energy to just keep my smile from fading.
“We filmed and submitted the application, and there were just…sparks, I guess. That was our first kiss.”
My cheeks heat. No. She could’ve chosen any direction—why did she pick honesty? Isn’t this how Icarus died? Telling a little too much of the truth on reality television?
“Who kissed who?” Aliona asks, pointing between us.
Words are a distant memory. I couldn’t answer even if I tried.
“I kissed her,” Yumi says softly.
My facial muscles twitch, the strain of fatigue from my forced pageant grin. Again, I wonder why she picked the Beauty Queens. It’s such a weird choice for her.
“Is that when you started dating?” Aliona asks.
The water laps softly at the poles of the dock. Gulls dip in and out of the way of crew members as they quietly set up light stands behind Aliona, preparing for the oncoming nightfall.
Yumi breathes a laugh. “No. That’s not when we started dating.”
“Why not?”
“Because Noelle told me it was a bad idea. And then she left.”
Aliona is stunned. “Wow, so, Noelle, what—”
Her question is interrupted by a clatter, the sound of two men fumbling with a light stand. One reaches for it too late and knocks over an entire section of cable.
“No!” another producer shouts, diving for one of the tripods before it tumbles into the water.
“Sorry,” one of the original men says meekly, arms thrown out in apology as he tries to step out of the way but ends up tripping backward over a crate.
Aliona sighs and puts down her tablet. “Hold that thought, ladies,” she says, standing. “I’ll be right back.”
I feel like a bottle rocket was launched inside my body and it has nowhere to go. With our mic packs on and the camera still running, I can’t say anything to Yumi. I can’t ask her what she was thinking, saying all of that.My dadis going to watch this show. My friends. Our classmates. Her parents. And she just…told them everything? Without even asking.
Yumi watches me with an expression of curiosity that slowly morphs into concern. Her eyes crinkle at the corners like she’s about to ask something, but I hold up a finger and nod toward the camera. We can’t talk right now. I can’t even breathe right now.
I turn my head away and take in gulps of the salt air. My hand finds my necklace and spins the globe. Not lost. My mom,still here. At least she’s one person who won’t see me absolutely crumble on our favorite TV show.
The clamor down the dock has turned into a full-scale production nightmare; Aliona is barking orders in a voice better suited to military boot camp than hauling camera gear. She returns a few minutes later—at least, I think it’s a few minutes—with one of the production assistants.
“I think we’ll wrap it up here for the night. We can pick up tomorrow, if you’re still here,” she says wearily. “Paul here will take you to your hotel for the night. I’ll see you in the morning, girls.”
I was wrong. Everyone was wrong. The waiting isn’t the worst part ofThe Adventureverse. This car ride is the worst part ofThe Adventureverse. In twenty-five seasons, nothing has been more unbearable than this.
