NORA
By the time we hit the wheelbarrow relay, things were actually going well.
Shockingly well.
The blindfold tower station had been chaotic at first. Too many voices.
Too many directions. But once we figured out a system and stuck to it, everything clicked.
Miles and Amanda rotated with placing the blocks.
I coached Miles, Theo coached Amanda, and we somehow made it through without the whole thing crashing down, finishing just ten seconds behind Lucy and Owen’s team.
Which meant the relay mattered.
Theo was about halfway across the grass, palms planted, shoulders flexing as he powered forward while Miles held his legs steady just outside his hips. He was moving fast.
“You’ve got this, Theo!” I called. “Just a little more!”
He pushed harder, and I couldn’t help noticing the way his arms and shoulders worked as he crossed the lawn. Strong. Controlled. Very capable.
I risked a glance toward the other teams. Bash and Alessi were only just starting their first wheelbarrow leg. They were behind.
Lucy and Owen’s team, though, was right there with us. Maddie was their final leg, and she was flying.
Theo crossed the finish line a second later and popped back onto his feet. The moment Miles let go of his legs, all four of us took off toward the food tables.
Lia had been very clear about the rules. One dome at a time. You couldn’t lift the next one until the food under the first was completely gone. No peeking ahead.
I reached for the first dome and lifted it.
Shrimp.
“Yes,” Amanda said immediately, relief lighting her face. “Unless this is cooked in some horrifying way, I can handle this.”
“Everyone okay with Amanda taking this one?” I asked.
The guys both nodded instantly.
“Please,” Theo said. “Be our hero.”
Amanda didn’t waste a second. She dug in while I glanced over at the other teams.
Ian had apparently scarfed down the shrimp for his team, and they were already moving on to the second food. And as I watched Owen lift the second dome on their table, a wave of relief flowed through me. Because it looked like it just might be a favorite snack from my childhood: dirt and worms.
Except not the kind you’d find in your garden. No, this was chocolate pudding, crushed cookies, and gummy worms.
Yes! Maybe Lia isn’t going to be cruel after all.
Amanda finished the last shrimp and wiped her hands, grinning. “All right. What’s next?”
I reached for the second dome to reveal to my teammates that our next food was indeed exactly as I’d expected.
I looked at Theo. He looked at Miles. Miles looked at me.
We all seemed to be silently debating who would get to eat what was most likely the most palatable thing on the table.
But before any of us could actually debate it or make our case for who should eat this one, Miles looked at the team to our right, seemed to see that they were making gains on us, and instantly scooped up the pudding cup. “If no one’s gonna claim it, I will.”
And then he took a bite.
“Hey, what are you doing?” Theo exclaimed. “We should’ve let Nora take that one.”
“What?” Miles paused mid-bite, eyebrows lifting. “From the way no one was grabbing it, I assumed both of you must have a texture thing and thought it was gross.”
“It’s pudding,” I said flatly. “That’s basically dessert.”
“Oh.” He glanced down at his bowl. “Well… too late now.”
“I think I just figured out why you didn’t have a date to the wedding.”
“Har har,” Miles said before proceeding to demolish it anyway, clearly enjoying himself.
By the time he set the empty cup down, Lucy and Owen’s team was still working through theirs.
Which meant we were ahead.
Theo lifted the third dome to reveal a single red pepper on the plate.
I squinted at it. “Do you think that’s just a baby bell pepper?”
Theo leaned closer. “Maybe. Or maybe it’s one of those spicy peppers that ruins your life.”
“Are ghost peppers red?” I asked, familiar with the name since my favorite breakfast sandwich at The Brew had ghost pepper cheese in it.
“I think so…” Theo said.
“So, this could be it.” I frowned, not sure I liked the chances.
“It’s definitely a possibility.” He glanced at me, seeming to study my face. “You want this one? Or do you prefer I take it and you get whatever is hiding on that last plate?”
My stomach clenched as I glanced toward the other teams. Maddie was nearly done with her pudding. Bash was just starting in on the shrimp.
We didn’t have time to overthink this.
“I’ll take it.” I blew out a breath. “Worst case, it’s painful. But at least it won’t be gross.”
“You sure?” Theo arched a dark eyebrow, his eyes searching mine. “Because for all we know, the next thing could be ice cream.”
“Or it could be chocolate-covered scorpions,” I said.
“True…” Theo said, his expression darkening at the thought.
“But yeah, maybe it’s ice cream,” I quickly said, not wanting to go worst-case scenario on him and make him change his mind about letting me take this one.
“Who’s gonna eat it?” Miles’s voice cut in. “We’re gonna lose our lead if someone doesn’t start eating fast.”
Says the guy who stole the pudding.
Oh well.
Taking a deep breath and committing myself to my choice, I grabbed the pepper from off the plate and took a big bite.
At first, it was fine. A little sharp. A little bitter.
Then the heat hit.
Hard.
My eyes watered instantly. My throat burned. And I was suddenly gasping like the spice had taken all the oxygen out of the air.
“Ghost pepper?” Theo asked, scrunching up his nose.
“I think so,” I croaked, shaking my head as I rested my hand on the table to support me. “And oh my gosh, it’s spicy.”
“You’ve got this.” Theo’s hand came to my back, rubbing in small circles. “Just another two or three bites and you’ll be there.”
I coughed, blinking through the tears, but I kept going. Bite after bite.
I didn’t even know what the prize was. Just something Lia had promised was fun and worthwhile. But I wasn’t about to be the reason our team lost. Not when we were this close.
Finally, I swallowed the last bite and slapped my hand on the table.
“I’m done,” I rasped.
Lia appeared instantly, laughing as she handed me a piece of bread and a cup of milk. “Well done, Nora. Way to take one for the team.”
I took her peace offerings gratefully, not hesitating to take a bite of the bread.
While I worked to de-spice-itize my mouth, Theo lifted the final dome.
And froze.
For a beat, no one spoke.
We just stared at the pile of brown, crunchy-looking insects that had a little sign beside them that read: salted crickets.
“Oh no,” I breathed.
“Well…” Miles let out a low whistle. “That’s unfortunate.”
Theo exhaled slowly, like he was mentally preparing himself for impact. “Guess that one’s mine.”
My stomach twisted.
Because technically, he was right. By the way we’d split things up, the last plate belonged to him.
And just like that, I was painfully aware of what could have happened if I’d backed out when he offered the pepper to me earlier.
Theo picked up one of the crickets between his fingers, studying it like a hostile exhibit.
“Thanks for letting me take the pepper,” I said, meeting his eyes as I gently touched the back of his arm. “I don’t think I could’ve done this.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he joked, the corner of his mouth lifting. “This is a cakewalk compared to your hot pepper.”
That wasn’t true. Not even close.
But being the resilient man that he was, instead of hesitating further, he popped the cricket into his mouth.
There was a crunch.
I winced on his behalf.
“Well?” Miles asked.
“Salty. Crispy.” Theo chewed, then swallowed. “All in all, not great.”
“You don’t have to do this,” Amanda said, stepping up to his other side. “No prize is worth eating a handful of bugs.”
“It’s fine,” he said, shaking his head. “I’ll just pretend they’re sunflower seeds. I used to eat the shells when I was younger, so it’s basically the same thing.”
“Totally,” I said, finding his determination attractive.
“If only I’d been blindfolded for this challenge,” Theo said. “Then my brain wouldn’t have known the difference.”
“For real,” I said.
Then, sweeping the rest of them into his palm, he bent down and, after mumbling, “That prize better be epic after all this,” shoveled the rest into his mouth.