"Poppy," Lucy and Lily say together.
“You… you didn’t,” Lucy says, and her eyes start to brim with tears. Tears! As if I didn’t deliver them into the reality show they’ve been dreaming about for literal years!
I swallow the guilt down and smile broadly at them.
"Listen," I start, then clear my throat. "You don’t have to go to work today. Ell, you hated that job.” Her jaw drops as the realization hits her. “Lily, you were one bad email away from committing assault on your boss. We are living the dream. We are finally on a reality show and making our wishes came true.”
I refrain from telling themI’m your fairy godmother,but it’s a close call.
"You knew," Ellison gasps, her brown eyes wide. She points a shaking finger at my pretty slip.
I tug the hem down slightly, frowning.
"You knew that this was happening, and you worelingeriefor it." She shakes her head. “No wonder you insisted on last night being a pajama party.”
Lily looks like she is actually contemplating my death. Then she goes green and dry heaves.
"You signed the paperwork," I argue, crossing my arms over my chest. The I let them hang at my sides, because the boobs need to be perky.
"It’s not my fault if you didn’t read the whole contract through. You all have been fucking miserable for ages. I just chose to do something about it."
“You got us drunk,” Lucy croaks, staring at me in horror. “You got us drunk and abducted.”
Before they can tackle me into the chrome floor of whatever spaceship we've been beamed into, a computerized voice booms from the ceiling.
"You will each be paired with a partner of your choosing to complete the course with. The object is to survive together as you make it to a series of waypoints... Each couple to completethe course successfully will be rewarded with a mansion and a parcel of land on Sueva, as well as one million galactic credits."
"See?!" I whisper-shout, gesturing grandly to the ceiling like a game show model. "Mansion. Land. One million credits. I manifested this.”
“You didn’t manifest it.” Lily glares at me. “You manipulated it into being.”
"Credits?" Lucy whispers, her brow furrowing. "That could be like one dollar."
Lily immediately raises her hand toward the ceiling. "How much money is that in, er, American dollars?"
The announcer ignores her, which is incredibly rude, but I toss my still wavy hair—thank you, mousse—and keep my triumphant smile on my face.
Until a pneumatic door slides open with a sharp hiss, another woman striding through. I'm expecting another glamorous human contestant—maybe a Miss Universe runner-up or a reality TV veteran to give us some stiff competition.
Instead, a thin, hard-looking woman walks in. Her collarbones jut out like razor blades beneath a suit that looks like something a military contractor might wear. Her shoulders are hunched, her dark eyes completely empty of the starry-eyed excitement I’ve been feeling.
"Introducing Selene!"the computer intones.
I flash my best, most comforting pageant smile at her. "Hi! Welcome to the?—"
Selene doesn’t smile back. She surveys the four of us with suspicion that makes the hairs on my arms stand up. She looks like a woman who didn't sign a contract. She looks like she’s going to kick our asses.
A tiny, uncomfortable knot forms in my stomach.
Okay, so maybe the casting department went a little dark with this one.
"Before we begin,"the announcer booms,"you will be allowed to select your mate now, and once chosen, you will be marked and dropped at a secret location. Welcome to Mated and Afraid."
Dramatic reality TV music swells through the speakers, and the opaque glass wall in front of us ripples, turning perfectly clear.
My breath catches.
Oh yeah. This is why I signed up. A quick side long glance tells me my friends are too stunned to speak.
