The Race to Midnight
Chapter 1
Celia
“So you’re telling me that all I have to do is run around Ruston, Louisiana, for a few hours looking for clues, and I could walk away with a pocket full of cold, hard cash?” I ask, leveling my gaze at Katie, one of my best friends.
I flick my dark brown hair over my shoulder and pop out my hip. I place my hand there and wait for her to tell me this is all just a joke. I refuse to let anyone know just how desperate I am for the money. A prize of $10,000, or even just $2,500 once split evenly between our team of four, would go a long way.
Katie folds her arms over her chest, her auburn ponytail swinging behind her as her expression turns mischievous. “I mean, there is some competition involved.”
She knows she has me. I am as competitive as it gets. From the time we were best friends in high school, Katie and our mutual friend–and my now roommate–Brian, bore witness to my competitive streak. I dragged them with me to spelling bees and mascot tryouts, roller skating limbo competitions, and, once, a miserable attempt at a mathlete tournament. I still haven’t forgiven Brian for handing me my ass in that one.
“And what will this competition involve, exactly?” I ask, arching a brow.
“My sister-in-law, Amelia, is the event chairman and she won’t tell me the exact details. But she did tell me to think along the lines of The Amazing Race. There will be challenges and clues and a race to the finish. We will work in teams of four. You, Brian, Jacob, and I would be the perfect team.”
She’s not wrong. I can mastermind any competition, seeking out the strengths and weaknesses of each player. Katie’s enthusiasm will make her an ace at any kind of performance. Her fiancé, Jacob, is physically fit and just as goofy as she is. I know he can dominate feats of athleticism. And Brian… My thoughts trail off to our shared best friend of many years, currently locked away in his bedroom. He’s quiet and reserved. His favorite activity is online gaming, teaming up with other players to dominate Fortnite. Well, that and Star Wars. And he is good at math. He also has a leanly muscled frame that he keeps hidden away under baggy t-shirts. I blink that thought away. He can be our strategist. I just have to convince him to leave our apartment.
“I knew you’d agree,” Katie says, pumping her arm in victory. “I’ll call Amelia and tell her we’re in.”
Amelia is married to Katie’s brother, Rhett, and has somehow, single-handedly revived Ruston’s Chamber of Commerce. This latest New Year’s Eve race is yet another way she’s helping revitalize the small, northern Louisiana town.
“New Year’s Eve is only a month away,” I say, eyeing my colorfully decorated, twinkling Christmas tree. “Do we need to do anything to prepare?”
Katie’s eyes flicker to Brian’s closed bedroom door and a knowing glance passes between us.
Right. First, we’ve got to convince our thoroughly introverted friend to get on board with this plan.