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“Well, what did it say?”
Shit. Shit. Shit.I stomp my foot on the ground.What the hell are they up to?
“Umm. Nothing. I’ll see you at school. I’m walking today.”
I snatch my bag off my bed and head for the door, hoping Riley doesn’t press for more information.
“Wait. Scarlett—”
I open the door and slam it shut before she can ask any more questions.
With the letter in hand, I tap it to my palm.
I’m not sure what’s waiting for me at the athletic center, but this note has Crew’s name written all over it. Figuratively. Not literally. It actually has my name, but I’m certain he left it. He came to my room last night, tried seducing me—which almost worked—then he left and dropped the note by the door.
I’m hauling ass down the trail, feeling snow fall into my shoes, and I wish like hell I’d opted for boots this time. There’s no time to waste, so overthinking this isn’t an option.
Soon, it’ll all be over.
I make it to the center in record time, with twenty minutes to spare. I can only hope my next task doesn’t delve into that time because class starts in thirty.
Where’s the laundry room?I look left, then right.
I know the students have laundry rooms in the dorms, but I have no idea where the one inside this building is.
“Hello,” I say to a janitor, who’s pushing a mop across the floor. “Do you know where the laundry area is?”
“End of the hall on the right.”
“Thank you,” I holler as I hurry down the slippery marble floor, trying not to fall on my ass.
A sign above the door at the end saysLaundry, so I push it open. It smells like sea breeze and clear water, if that’s even a scent. If not, it's what I’d describe this smell as.
My eyes skim the room and I spot the uniforms immediately. They’re hanging over a bin, all individually covered in plastic.
As I near them, I see another note that sends my pulse into a frenzy.
My head drops, and I sigh.I really don’t want to open it.
I glance at my watch.Sixteen minutes.
Pulling down the note that’s taped to…a bottle of lighter fluid, I immediately notice it’s holding more than paper.I quickly rip open the envelope, this time not taking care to leave it intact.
A box of matches falls out, but I catch them before they hit the ground. Holding them in one hand, I read the note.
Burn them.
If you fail your mission, it’s your ass that will burn.
You have five minutes.
Five minutes! What the hell, I was supposed to have thirty in total.
Fuck it! I tear down all the uniforms, bunching them in my arms—there’s about ten total—and I grab the lighter fluid.
This is another one of the most fucked-up things I’ve ever had to do, but it beats being thrown in the river.
If Riley ever finds out what I’m doing, she’s going to be so pissed at me. Then again, she said herself that it'sall just part of the games.
