Last Girl Standing

Haley groaned when her alarm sounded at eight a.m. on the dot. It was way too early for her taste, especially since she didn't remember falling asleep until two.

She seriously considered just skipping the challenge scheduled for that day, since she hadn't even been picked for the last ones. No one would miss her.

But apparently, someone already had.

"Come on, sleepyhead." A familiar giggle came into the room. "You heard what Tanisha said yesterday. We've got a big day ahead of us. Or, well, the girls picked for the challenge anyway."

It was like Aurora somehow knew Haley, and the East Coaster wasn't sure if she felt comfortable with that.

So she buried her face into the pillow and wished she was back in Connecticut.

Sadly, when Haley looked back up seconds later, Aurora's copper mane was still there, surroundings too.

Coming to terms with the fact that there was no escape, Haley pushed herself from the bed and got ready at a snail's pace, ignoring Aurora's friendly reminders that she had an hour, forty five minutes, ten minutes left to meet up with everyone else.

By the time Haley was finished lacing up her shoes, she had missed breakfast and the other girls were already making their ways outside to meet Tanisha and the boys.

The boys and Tanisha were already there, everyone crowded around a cheap foldable oblong table set in the grass. The t.v. show hostess was wearing a big grin on her face, the boys looking about as pleased as Haley to be up so early.

"I hope everyone got plenty of rest, nutrition and brought your running shoes today," Tanisha drawled happily.

Haley looked down at her old, beaten up converse.

Check, check and check, she thought. Not.

Of course.

Tilting her head back up, Haley's eyes locked with Harry's and his face twisted like he had had grapefruits for breakfast. The girl scrunched her nose, wondering how he could be such a prick. She hadn't done anything to him. Yet.

"Since Liam won the last challenge, he will be able to choose the teams for this one." As Tanisha gave this little speech, Haley noticed Harry leaning into Liam's ear, whispering something with a malicious grin. A grin that only widened when his eyes caught hers again.

Oh, screw you, Haley thought bitterly when Liam seemed to agree.

"Abelia can go with Niall," the short haired boy grinned. The blond in question was all smiles as well when his girl walked over to join him. "I'll take October. Harry and Kara. Haley's with Louis..."

It's war, Harry Styles. Haley growled, avoiding a certain pair of blue eyes as she walked over to accompany Louis.

"I'm sorry, love. What's your name?"

"Aurora."

"Right, you're with Zayn."

"Finally." The redhead breathed as she took a stand next to Haley and Zayn, excited for her first challenge.

"This challenge will test you on cooperation skills and your trust in each other," Tanisha smiled, officially pissing on Haley's already crappy parade. "You will be participating in a scavenger hunt around the island, looking for clues that will lead you to the treasure. The first couple to grab it, all six clues, and come back wins. A signal will be sent out to the rest to return immediately. The amount of clues collected will determine first, second and so on."

Haley counted at least three groans, all coming from the boys. She had to admit, even she was thinking of booking it straight to find the treasure, which was no doubt hidden within the forest behind Tanisha.

"There will be six clues, plus the treasure." The hostess continued. "Expect this challenge to last a couple of hours at least, ladies and gentlemen. The first clues are on this table right here, and each one will lead the teams to a different clue. Good luck everyone and get ready in five..."

Haley felt a hand wrap around hers loosely to give it a gentle squeeze as the countdown began and immediately pulled her hand back, furrowing her eyebrows.

"You know, talking is a part of cooperating," a soft voice whispered.

Haley still refused to look at those blue eyes.

"One, GO!"

Haley reached the table first. She might not have been a good swimmer, but she was a damn good sprinter, best on her high school's track team. She had already unfolded the clue and had begun to read when Louis reached her.

"What does it say?" He breathed.

"The answer lies where Icarus fell." Haley snapped her head up, searching the beachhead. All the rest of the teams were already gone.

"Who's Icarus?"

"A figure in Greek mythology. I can't explain everything right now... What's important is he drowned in the sea."

Haley gulped, hoping getting to the second clue didn't involve swimming. But as her eyes locked on a buoy not far from shore farther down, she knew that wasn't the case.

"There," she led Louis' gaze with her finger before taking off again, blue-eyed boy right on her heels. She didn't want to be there, but by nature, she would be damned if she didn't get first in this race.

"Goddamn it, Haley!"

"It's on that buoy out there."

"Well, since you're so keen, why don't you go?" Louis huffed.

Haley flushed. "I'm on my period. Now go get it."

Anger flashed across Louis' face, but only for a second before he manned up and splashed through the waves to get to the buoy.

It was times like these when Haley wished she hadn't refused to take swimming lessons. Just grow some balls and realize that Jaws didn't inhabit the kiddie pool. But she was four at the time, and nothing would make her change her mind. Haley blamed her father for the fear of Jaws.

All she could do was pace as Louis swam as fast as he could to the buoy and back, taking a full five minutes with the waves and currents, and trying to hold the paper away from the water. He re-emerged from the ocean looking like a wet dog, managing to hand Haley the little piece of paper, miraculously dry.

"Here, smarty pants." He pushed back his hair away from his face.

"You want to win this challenge or what?"

Haley didn't bother holding Louis' stare or to admire the fact that he finally didn't look like a fifteen-year-old Justin Bieber wannabe with his hair out of his face.

"Please, head north," Louis reads the note and Haley's thoughts. "Where's north?"

"Two hundred paces up, one hundred paces right. We're obviously supposed to head into the... the jungle."

Louis chuckled, earning a glare. "A jungle? We aren't in Africa, love."

"Don't call me love. What else am I supposed to call it, a tropical forest?" As the words escaped her mouth, she knew Louis was right. And she sounded stupid. But she would never admit to it.

"Let's make this a team effort, shall we? Love?" The British boy smirked.

Haley scowled, following with a jog as Louis led the way for the first time.

It took the pair another forty five minutes to find the third clue, and the situation was definitely looking hopeful. At least, in Louis' eyes.

Haley was tired, starving, sweaty and feeling disgusting when Louis let out a squeal of delight, skipping forward to find a mesh bag full of Wilson volleyballs. She couldn't see the connection between the clue and Cast Away, but they were on their third clue, nonetheless.

"It's on the ball," he said, turning the sports ball around to examine the riddle.

"Well, what does it say?"

Louis looked up at Haley, raising an eyebrow. "I didn't think we were cooperating."

Haley rolled her eyes. "Come on, Tomlinson. I just want to get this over with."

"PMSing are we?"

"You're a rude prick, you know that?"

"Nah." Louis grinned. "I just like playin' with you."

He tucked the Wilson look-a-like under his arm and started heading to his left.

"No one else managed to get to the balls yet," Louis mused after a while. "That's probably a good sign. I think we have a good chance of winning this challenge."

Haley harrumphed in agreement, mentally willing Louis to shut up.

She crossed off becoming a psychic of careers she could pursue when Louis opened his mouth again.

"So, what kind of music are you in to? What kind of bands?"

"Do you like hearing yourself talk?" Haley snapped, the island heat not helping her already boiling blood.

Louis shrugged, determined not to let the girl see she was wearing him down. "Never thought of it before. Really, it's just a simple question. It's not like I'm asking what kind of tampons you use."

"Again with the period jokes," Haley growled. "And it's Fleetwood Mac, if you're dying to know."

Louis raised an eyebrow, not expecting that at all. "Really? Your t-shirt says you like Motley Crue."

"I'm allowed to like different bands," Haley replied shortly. "Fleetwood Mac is just my favorite."

Louis didn't expect Haley to return the question, and she didn't, throwing the two into a comfortable silence.

Another half hour later, Haley finally spotted the fourth clue, just over a small hill, hanging from a tree branch. Energized she jogged towards the hill, intending to jump down it.

She didn't realize the drop was steeper than she had calculated, a lot more so, and she wasn't prepared, lost her footing. It wasn't until she had tumbled down a few feet and landed right on her ass at the foot of the hill when a searing pain seized her ankle. She tried not to scream, she really did, but a strangled cry broke through her throat as she gripped her left calf, squeezing her eyes shut.

Louis' panicked voice followed her, he himself trailed closely behind.

"Shit, bloody hell." Worry consumed his features and filled his eyes as he looked from Haley to her foot, crouching down beside her. "Do you reckon it's broken?"

Haley whimpered, trying to breathe calmly. She was a runner, injuries like this happened all the time. "I don't- I don't think so. I didn't hear anything crack. Just a sprain."

"Can you walk?"

Tears stung the girl's eyes. "Do you fucking think I can walk? Do you even think at all?" She hissed.

"I- I'm sorry. Shit." Louis ran his hands through his messy hair, looking around at the dense foliage surrounding the pair. There was absolutely no way someone would find them. Not for a long time anyway.

Haley nursed her leg for a good twenty minutes before reluctantly letting Louis help her up and help her hobble to the next clue.

It was a struggle for the pair to get to there, and Louis shook his head after Haley ordered him to collect the paper. There were only four left. "No, you can't do this. We have to go back. You need help."

Haley grimaced, trying to continue pulling on Louis' shoulder. "No, we can win this. Come on."

Louis looked at her softly. "Haley, you don't know how much time we've lost. From before to now. You didn't exactly get back up on your feet when you fell."

"I don't care. I'm not not finishing the challenge because of some stupid sprain." She knew she should have stayed in bed.

Suddenly, a gun shot rang out in the distance and Haley threw her head back, cursing out in pain and frustration.

"That must've been the winner. Come on, we have to get you back. Second and third don't mean anything."

"You'll get disqualified if we don't bring back all the clues." Haley hoped she wore him down before he and the pain got to her.

"And look at your foot, it's swollen twice its size in the past five, ten minutes we've been trying to walk. Think of what another hour would do."

For the first time that day, green eyes met blue ones and Haley couldn't refuse him anymore. It hurt too much.

"Okay."

"Here, let me carry you."

"No, Louis, that's too much."

Louis didn't listen and he scooped Haley up bridal style, starting the long walk back to the finish line.

"You know, it'd be a lot easier to carry you if you relaxed."

Haley gave up, wrapping her arms around Louis' neck, letting him carry her back without another word or complaint.

"Now there's trust and cooperation, ladies and gentlemen." Haley heard Tanisha speak as Louis and her reached the makeshift finish line an hour and a bit later. The brunette would have rolled her eyes, but she was too concentrated on keeping them shut to block out the pain from her mind.

Louis dropped to his knees, quite literally, panting for air as he held Haley close. "I need- we need a doctor. She might've sprained something."

The looks on Louis' bandmates faces ranged from concern to intrigue, and the girls, Aurora being the first, rushed over to see if Haley was okay.

Finally, a pair of paramedics parted the crowd and pried Haley from Louis' arms.

"It hurts," she finally relented as they started to poke and prod at her ankle.

"It's just a sprain," one of them confirmed. "I'll wrap it up and give you an icepack for it, okay? It'll be as good as new in a couple of weeks."

Haley didn't dare ask if it was enough to get her sent home because she already knew the answer. And it was no.

She sighed as the paramedics helped her back up, wondering if she would have rathered the break if it meant going home.

They asked her more questions pertaining to her overall health, and she insisted that she was fine. She just wanted the day to be over.

She sat on the ground while everyone else stood, waiting for Tanisha to call the names of the winning team.

"Congratulations to Niall and Abelia for coming in first!" She cheered, the happy couple beaming at each other.

Everyone clapped until she continued. "As you already know, the prize for winning this challenge is choosing whatever you want the next challenge to be."

Niall nodded. "Is it possible for me to give the prize over to Lou? He deserves it way more than me."

To say that everyone else was shocked was an understatement. But Tanisha frowned sadly.

"That's really nice of you Niall, but I'm afraid it's against the rules. You won the prize, you have to keep it."

"Oh."

"I'm sorry. Well everyone, that wraps another challenge for Love Games, you can all go back to the girls' house to hang out and relax. Get cleaned up and have some refreshments while you boys and girls are at it."

"I got it," Haley sneered when Louis bent down to help her up.

"Don't be silly." Louis' voice was soft again. "Don't put that tough act up again just because there's people around." He pushed a strand of dirty hair from her face.

Haley opened her mouth to object, but Louis already had his arms under hers and was hauling her up. Haley caught Aurora's gaze again, and the girl, as usual, was nothing but smiles. Haley didn't want to face her alone later when she asked for the details, which she surely would.