CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
COX THE OBSERVER
You must search your soul, Lila Murphy. The world’s fate lies in your hands.
BUD LEROY
(whispers) Cox, dude. She doesn’t do well under pressure.
Vampire Falls. Season six, episode ten – “Music, Maestro”
We’re twenty-three minutes past the alleged start time of the quiz.
If my literal happiness and life’s fulfilment weren’t hanging in the balance right now, I’d write a passive aggressive tweet about how not starting at the planned time is like breaking a promise – a promise, I tell you. My nerves are in shreds.
My Trip to San Diego Comic Con and Megan Nicole Jefferies. ROUND ONE.
I study the other two teams. Rashawn is wearing dungarees adorned with Vampire Falls and other TV show badges which means that his loyalty, and therefore knowledge, is divided and diluted across several fandoms. Good for me.
His teammates are not wearing any Vampire Falls merch, but then neither is Roxy, and who’s to say there isn’t a tattoo of Owfain the Odious hidden beneath their clothing.
I’m more concerned about Vivian’s team. If she’s telling the truth and is a big fan, then her knowledge, along with Sadie’s burgeoning superfan status and Charlie Chamberlain as a lapsed fan, will be a threat.
I’m not sure about Toby’s knowledge, although he has the pale hue of someone who spends a lot of time indoors.
“Welcome to the first and only Fall Games,” says Felix, finally. “Just one person will win the prize of a lifetime, an all-expenses-paid trip for two to San Diego Comic Con as Megan Nicole Jefferies’ personal guest.”
I clear my throat and immediately feel Roxy’s hand circle my sweaty fingers. I glance at her and she nods at me, her face stern and serene at the same time. She squeezes my hand and I try to absorb her energy up my arm. I lean forward and look at my other teammates.
Meh.
Dorothy has her knitting in her lap like she’s waiting for a bus, and Fake McKinley, whose real name we should probably find out, looks like he’s going to barf.
“Please welcome our quiz master, Dax St. James, onto the stage!”
Dax St. James saunters on, waving to the audience, his chest swelling with the knowledge that every person in that room loves Whitlock Abrahams, a favourite recuring character on the show and in our hearts.
He steps up to the mic, feedback screeching from the speakers when he knocks the stand with his leg.
He thrusts his arms out wide, almost getting Felix in the eye with the plastic bottle he’s clutching.
“Hello, Manchester!”
Everyone laughs.
What a kidder he is, mixing up his cities.
“I said, hello, Manchester!”
Less laughter this time, but he launches into a hilarious story about his journey here.
Roxy turns to me, her eyebrows high, and mouths, he’s drunk.
I nod, also noticing his slurring of Manchester and that he doesn’t realise he’s a little down south of there.
In London. He takes a swig from the bottle he’s holding.
The audience responds to his anecdote, politely laughing in all the right places. I focus on getting my head even further into the world of Vampire Falls, ready for the battle to commence.
“. . . and I was, like, that’s not even my carry-on!”
“Let’s begin, shall we?” says Felix, a stretched smile betraying his chit-chatty voice.
Even from over here, I can see Felix is worried that he’s appointed a mildly drunk fan favourite as quiz master.
As long as he can read the questions, doesn’t matter to me.