A Place of Hope and No Pain

Chloe's POV

What was meant to be a bit of fun, a harmless team building exercise had gotten out of control and somehow, thanks to Matt, I had gotten caught right in the middle of it.

It was obviously a manly thing, who had the bigger set of balls and so on, but damn Matt for dragging me into it. How could he agree to me being the prize? Especially when Jerry was involved. When this race was finished, he was dead, I was going to kill him myself.

"Come on." Matt called back to me.

I was doing my best to keep up with my him, I really was. I'd been doing great, right up until Carmen had grabbed my legs, pulling on them. I'd felt something go in my left knee.

"Quick." Matt snapped. "You go first."

We were at another obstacle. It was a huge mud pit, with a net over the top and we had to crawl under it and through the mud to get out.

Matt held the net up for me and I dived in, ignoring the pain in my knee. I was going to finish this because there was no way in hell I was going to dinner with Jerry, no way.

I crawled, cursing Matt under my breath. What was his fucking deal? And why the fuck did he ask about my tattoo? My tattoo was nobody's business. Only two people in the world had ever laid eye's on it. Me and the tattoo artist who'd done it. It was personal and it had meaning. It was simple yet heartfelt. It was an ancient symbol for warrior and the words ' Be strong when you are weak, Be brave when you are scared, Be humble when you are victorious' were written underneath. I'd gotten it done after I finished rehab, after my world had fallen apart. It was in a place that nobody but myself would ever see. No one else would ever see it, I didn't want them too, it was for me, it was me, it was personal and it was none of Matt's business.

"Come one." Matt snapped, grabbing my arm and pulling me along.

I had fucking mud in my hair, in my eye's and in my mouth and with every footstep I took my knee screamed at me.

Fuck. I was having so much fun. I didn't know what was up with Carmen, but she hated me, she'd made it very obvious and I was pretty sure she was out to destroy me.

"Right." Matt said stopping and turning me to face him. "I'll go up first, then you come after me, I'll help you up."

I eyed the wall. It was on a slant. It had a rope halfway down it that you were meant to grab and pull yourself up with and I watched as Matt did it with ease.

He scrambled up, turning around and looking at me. "Come on."

I took a deep breath and ran at the wall, ignoring my knee and scrambling for the rope. I missed and slid back down on my stomach.

"Try again Chloe." Matt called.

I got up, going back further for a run off when Clay and Carmen arrived at the wall smiling at me.

Fuck. I took a deep breath and ran again, Clay running at the same time. I grabbed the rope and held on, trying to pull myself up.

"FUCK." I screamed as Carmen grabbed hold of my legs again. "What is your fucking problem?"

She was going to dislocate something shortly and I struggled against her, trying to get her to let go.

"Carmen." Clay shouted and I looked over.

He was almost at the top and I watched as Matt scooted over to him.

"I don't fucking think so." He muttered, pushing Clay.

While Clay slid back to the bottom I kicked out with my foot, connecting with Carmen's face again. She let go and as I glanced down at her I was mildly satisfied to see blood pissing out of her nose.

"Chloe." Matt snapped and I looked up to see him holding out his hand.

I grabbed it and let him pull me over, but by the time we made it over the other side Clay was back up at the top.

"My knee." I huffed at him as he grabbed my hand, pulling me along.

My knee was now screaming and I wasn't sure I was going to finish the race.

"We're nearly done." Matt mumbled. "You can do it."

I rolled my eye's at him, letting him pull me along. There was one more obstacle and then a good run. I was worried that the run was going to get us, my knee was a problem and I knew the other's would catch us up on the run.

"Okay." Matt said as we approached the next obstacle. "You go up, I'll push you from behind."

It was another wall, only higher, with little things we could use to climb it with. I hated this course, I really fucking did.

"Matt." I started but he ignored me, giving me a push.

"Do you want to eat with them?" He snapped.

He was right of course and I turned, scrambling up the wall. My knee was not really co-operating anymore, I was having trouble putting weight on it and I just couldn't see myself finishing, well that was until, just as Matt said, I felt his hand grab my ass and push me from behind.

I actually made it to the top and Matt wasn't far behind me, so he helped me down the other side and we started the last part, the run.

I was doing my best to keep up with Matt, but he was getting away from me and I could feel my pants getting tight around my knee, restricting my movement.

God, this had turned out to be a fucking day from hell and it was about to get worse.

"Hahahaha." Jerry screamed and I was horrified to see he was catching up and oh god, so was Clay and Carmen.

"Fuck." Matt bellowed, stopping and grabbing hold me.

"What." I screamed at him.

He shook his head.

"FUCK." I screamed as to my horror, Matt picked me up and threw me over his shoulder, running for the finish line.

"Put me down." I screeched, slapping his back.

He ignored me, and kept going, finally sliding me to the ground.

"We won." He huffed, grinning down at me. "We fucking won." He laughed loudly at Jerry and Clay as they made it over the finish line.

"Cheater." Jerry snapped, glaring.

"Us?" I screamed, looking at Carmen. I was totally satisfied to see her nose was still bleeding. I kind of hoped she bled to death.

"We won." Matt screamed again, rubbing it in there faces and I laid on the ground thanking god and smiling, while Matt laughed like a maniac.

"Well congratulations." Bruce said, walking over to all of us. "Are you okay?" He asked, looking down at me.

"I might need a doctor." And I was pretty sure I did.

He nodded at me. "Congratulations." He said again. "On the most disgusting display I have ever seen in all my years here. What are you all still in grade school?"

Oh no. Bruce was angry. Bruce never got angry. We were all in the shit now.

"We won." Matt mouthed at me, ignoring Bruce and grinning.

He was right, I thought smiling, we did win, so fuck Bruce.