Love Game

Holding my heels in my hand I walk into the house. I try to be quiet as I sneak up the stairs since it’s late.

Okay, so it’s only 11:30, but I really just want to close my eyes and forget this night even happened.

Right as I walked up the last step someone shoved me into the wall.

“How was your charity case?”

Blinking my eyes against the pain from my head hitting the wall I see Bernice smirking at me.

“What?”

“You didn’t really believe that Nicolai took you out because he liked you, did you? Ha, not likely. You’re just the show’s charity case.”

I roll my eyes and push past her, “Didn’t I tell you to leave me alone? I will feed you to my cats.”

She pulled me to a stop, still smirking, “I thought about that, but since it’s a given that Nicolai will pick me at the end of the show you wont have a chance to kidnap me with all of the camera’s that will be following me.”

I smiled, “I won’t have to kidnap you, just let one of my leopards out with your scent,” I stepped closer, “Did you know that the leopard is one of the world’s top killers? They climb up high and stalk, waiting for the perfect moment to jump down and crush their prey’s skull between its mighty jaws. The press will think some poor animal got loose from the zoo and that you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

I turn and head to my room, locking the door so that I don’t get any unwanted visitors.

I dress into my jamies, tossing the dress, shoes, and jewelry onto the floor.

Please let this whole night be a dream.

~*~

The next morning I shut my eyes tighter, holding a pillow to my head, trying to ignore Adam banding on my door.

And when I say banging, I mean throwing his whole body against it, screaming the entire time.

“I swear, if you don’t open this door right now I will have it removed for the rest of the show!”

He charged into the door again.

Sighing I get up and unlock the door.

I really want to keep my door.

Just as I swing it open, Adam stumbles.

He must have been leaning against it.

I stand so he couldn’t enter, “What do you want?”

He growled at me, “I want to know why Nico stumbled in at three in the morning completely drunk and smelling like a dumpster!”

I think that was a question, but it sounded awfully like a statement.

“He smelled like a dumpster? Very romantic.”

I push past him as I walked to the kitchen.

“Hey! Don’t you walk away from me!”

I make it all the way down the stairs before he pulls me to a stop.

What is with the people of this and house manhandling me?

“You better tell me what happened to Nico last night.”

“Or what?” I asked

“Or you’re off the show!”

I smiled and walked away, leaving Adam in the main room.

“That’s not what I meant! I meant to say that you’d have to stay!”

His voice faded as I walked into the kitchen and groaned seeing the group at the table.

Bernice, Megan, Kelly, Marisol, and Hope were sitting in the kitchen having a little verbal bash party.

“Poor Nicolai, I heard Nevaeh left him when a mugger attacked! She just walked away as the man cornered Nicolai.” Hope said

The other’s quietly murmured until Bernice spoke up, “You should have seen her when she walked in! She entered alone, her clothes rumpled, and walked straight to her room. I think she helped the mugger, even told him where Nicolai would be.”

I’ve really had enough, I walked in not-so-quietly and grabbed some fruit, cutting and mixing it together for breakfast. When that was accomplished, I pushed a chair in between Bernice and Marisol, forcing then to move over.

What can I say? It’s not in me to back down from a challenge.

“So, any one want to meet my new mugger friend?” I asked around the fruit

Their shocked faces almost made me choke as I laughed.

“So it’s true?” Kelly asked, “Your mugger friend really attacked Nico?”

I stared at her, “You aren’t fluent in sarcasm, are you?”

She frowned, “Sarcasm?”

“Oh, good lord,” I exploded, “please tell me you’re kidding.”

She didn’t say anything.

“Okay, I’ll explain,” I turned and saw that Bernice was wearing a very bright, very floral dress, “Now, I may tell Bernice that her dress is a beautiful designer style,” Bernice smirked in satisfaction, “When I really think her dress is one of the worse knock offs I’ve ever seen.”

The evil look Bernice gave me almost made me want to dig my own grave.

“So you just tell a lie?” Kelly asked

“Basically, but with the straightest face ever.”

“Uh,” She looked to Marisol and with one of the best straight faces I have ever seen said, “You should be a make up artist, you make it look like nothing’s there.”

I burst out laughing, “Okay, you can handle the facial features perfectly, but you were a little wordy.”

As I take another bite of fruit, I notice everyone else staring at me, “What?”

“I cannot believe that you told her to lie to Marisol after what you did to Nicolai!” Bernice screeched

I was about to reply when a deep voice interrupted behind me, “Did what to me?”

Turning in my chair I see Nico at the doorway. The next thing I know Bernice screeched and ran to him, attaching herself like a hungry squid, “I’m so glad you’re alright! I was so worried when I heard about the mugger attacking you!”

Oh, Lord, someone call the drama police.

“What mugger?” he asked as he unattached himself.

“Nevaeh’s friend mugger,” Kelly supplied, “But she said she was being sarcastic and that that’s a lie?”

He looked even more confused.

Jumping up, I grab my empty bowl and move to the sick, putting it in the dishwasher, “Well, I’m off to pack.”

I make it up the stairs before a large hand stopped me.

These people really need to stop grabbing me.

“Why are you packing?”

I turn to see Nico behind me, with confusion and hurt in his eyes.

Hurt?

“Because Adam said I can leave.”

He opened his mouth, but screaming stopped him.

“No! No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! I did not mean that!” Adam came running from the hallway.

I look at him, “Did you, or did you not say, and I quote, ‘you’re off the show!’?

“I did but-“

“No!” I held my hand up, “No buts.”

Leaving a frustrated Adam and a disbelieving Nico, I walk to my room. Hearing Nico and Adam arguing as I shut my door.

God, I can’t wait to go home.