Chapter Seven Noah #2
they did that intentionally. I’m more worried about the overhead ones, but thankfully those are only in the hallways.”
Noah made a mental note to do a full sweep of the house later. But for now, the adrenaline that had built up inside him during
the drive was dissipating, and all he wanted to do was sleep.
“Contestants, please gather around the firepit in the backyard,” Mia’s voice rang loud and clear all around the room. “And
don’t forget to bring your phones and any other telecommunication devices you brought with you today.”
“What in the Big Brother nonsense was that?” Matías grumbled.
It took Noah a second to realize that this wasn’t one of his nightmares and that Mia’s voice had really come from the ceiling. He opened his eyes to see his roommate unhappily
peering up at an intercom speaker overhead.
Great, he thought. Just what I need. PA messages from Mia.
“Maybe we can spray some water onto it with the showerhead,” Noah said wryly as he got up from bed.
“Ha, I wish,” replied Matías. “I don’t know if you heard but it sounds like they want us to gather in the yard. Apparently
there’s a firepit? I guess everyone’s finally here.”
“Nice. Do you think they’ll actually take away our devices?” Noah asked as he picked up his phone from the bedside table.
Matías shrugged as he also grabbed his phone. “It said so on the email, right? I’ve seen a lot of reality TV shows that don’t
let contestants use their phones, so it’s not that unusual. It’ll be like a social media detox, I guess.”
Noah winced. Before he’d moved to LA and started content creation, he wouldn’t have even thought twice about the term “social
media detox.” But now, after years of being entirely dependent on his phone and smartwatch to not only make a living but also
communicate with his family in South Korea, Noah’s hands grew clammy.
The two boys put on their coats and went downstairs.
Frigid winter air instantly hit them the moment they stepped outside. They shivered violently, and Noah gritted his teeth, hoping they wouldn’t have to stay outside for long.
Seven other contestants sat around the thankfully already-lit firepit behind the lodge. Besides the three girls from before,
the only person Noah recognized was Jack Miller, the star athlete who had led their school to victory this past college football
season. The other three, a tall blonde wearing a pink tracksuit, a Southeast Asian boy with a shaggy shock of hair, and a
lanky, long-haired redhead, were total strangers to him.
In total, there were four girls and five guys.
Uh-oh, Noah thought. Things were already starting off on a dramatic foot.
Before he and Matías could join the firepit circle, Mia stepped in front of them with a small, portable safe box.
“Phones and other telecommunication devices, please,” she said.
Matías went first, gladly tossing his phone into the box before sitting next to Shirin. Noah slowly handed in his phone and
smartwatch.
“It’s like we’re going to jail,” he quipped.
Mia rolled her eyes. “It’s only going to be for six days. Even less than that, if you get eliminated before then.”
“Oh, believe me when I say you won’t be getting rid of me that easily.”
“You don’t even know what the show is going to be like.”
Although Noah had come up with the idea to transform Campus Crush into The Cuffing Game, he and Mia had agreed that he should be kept in the dark about any and all plans after that, just to keep things fair for
everyone else.
Noah raised his eyebrows. “Whatever it is, I’m ready for it.”
Mia fixed him with an all-too-familiar glare.
Heat rose up inside Noah as he stared back at her. A part of him was still aware that the other contestants were waiting for
him to join them by the fire. But it was as though he and Mia were back at Marlon, electricity crackling between them like
they were mortal enemies in an anime.
Suddenly, Mia rubbed the corner of her eye, creating a small, dark smudge.
And just like that, Noah snapped out of it.
“Wait,” he said. “Are you wearing makeup? And contacts?”
In the four months he’d known Mia, Noah couldn’t recall seeing her wearing anything else but her usual glasses, T-shirt—with
a hoodie, if it was cold outside—and jeans. And because she never wore makeup, he’d assumed that that was just her thing.
But now, as a real blush bloomed across her cheeks, Noah noticed how they also had a faint shimmer of artificial pink. Her
heart-shaped lips were cherry red, and although it was very slight, her eyes were lined with eyeliner that made them look
bigger than usual.
And her hair. Her hair was down, in dark waves that pooled across her shoulders.
Noah put a hand over his mouth. This was a Mia he’d never seen before, and he had no idea what to do.
“Yeah?” Mia frowned. “So what if I am?”
Noah only then realized that, in his shock, he’d stared at Mia for too long, way beyond the socially appropriate amount. She looked pissed.
He shrugged and glanced away in an effort to break the tension between them. “Looks nice. But also, you smeared your eyeliner.
You should probably fix that before we start filming.”
Mia narrowed her eyes at him and reached into her pocket for her phone.
Someone grabbed Noah’s shoulder.
Noah bristled, his heart rate skyrocketing from the sudden physical contact. It was a good thing they weren’t filming yet,
because for a split second, he grimaced in what was probably a very unflattering way.
“You must be Noah,” said a low, matter-of-fact voice behind him. “We simply do not have time right now for . . . whatever it is you’re doing. Please go to Alex—they’re with Matías right now—to get miked and
then join everyone else at the firepit.”
Noah turned away from Mia, who was now fixing her makeup with her phone camera, to look at the speaker, a vaguely familiar
Black boy holding one of the cameras.
“Damien Carter,” he said. “We took Intro to Cinema together as freshmen, although with a class size of three hundred fifty students, I don’t expect you to remember me.
I myself only know you through social media, since we never talked to each other in class.
Now, shoo. We’re already behind schedule. Alex, mike him.”
Alex, who reminded Noah of a tomato with their short, dyed-bright-red hair and green, squarish glasses, got Noah miked up
and ready to go. As they were working, the final crew member, a white girl with a blond pixie cut, came by with the other
camera.
“Hey,” she said. “I’m Kallie. Nice to meet you.”
“Noah. And likewise.”
When Noah finally settled into his seat at the firepit, everyone stared at him.
Noah squashed down his discomfort, forcing himself to put on a neutral, vaguely friendly face.
“Hi, everyone,” he said. “I’m Noah. It’s nice to meet you all.”
His words were met with a mix of cheerful greetings and disgruntled noises from the other contestants. They all seemed to
know who he was, but not everyone looked happy to see him.
Mia bit her lip. “All right then. Sorry for the delay. Now that everyone is ready, let’s get started so we won’t finish filming
too late at night.”
The crew introduced themselves to the contestants, and then Mia went in front of the cameras.
Kallie said, “Camera is rolling.”
“Sound, speeding,” added Alex as they held up the boom mic.
Noah braced himself, fighting the thundering of his heart.
“Action!” Mia said. “Hi, everyone. I’m Mia Yoon, your showrunner and host. Welcome to the very first night of The Cuffing Game!”