Chapter 5
Celia
I’m clasping my bleeding nose, staring at Brian, and I am utterly confused by what just happened. One minute, we were charging down the field; the next, something flew out in front of us, and I slammed my face into the back of Brian’s skull. It turns out that the something was just a grocery bag, and Christy swore up and down that it was an accident and somehow managed to stay in the race on a five-minute time delay.
But then, that moment with Brian after. What the hell was that?
Katie, Brian, and I are best friends. The three of us have been thick as thieves for more than a decade. Hell, I live with the man. He’s always been like a brother to me. Then why the hell, Celia, did you nearly grab his face and shove your tongue down his throat? I’m shook.
I’m still reeling when Katie clears her throat and says, “Jacob, I think you need to read the clue again. Our injured teammates seem to be a bit out of it.”
I snap my attention to Jacob and notice Katie’s knowing smile that she’s not even trying to suppress. I flush and hide behind my bloody paper towel.
Jacob clears his throat and reads the clue aloud.
Are you Bob Ross or more of a Van Gogh?
Harness your inner artist to put on a show.
Prepare to guess and best be swift
Or you’ll be left behind, cut adrift.
Head to the place of evening time fun
Where the drinks flow and it’s named for the sun.
“Let’s go!” Katie yells, already bolting for the car.
We already know that the clue can only refer to one place: Sundown Grill, the local dive bar.
Our drive to the bar is awkward. Katie and Jacob try to fill the silence, now stretching taut between Brian and me. The two of them joke around about Katie riding her fiancé like a Derby horse. I feign smiles and act like I’m paying attention, but my mind is a million miles away, caught up in a frozen moment of an almost kiss, tumbling around in a maze of confusion and attraction. I focus on driving, but part of me wants to reach over and snag Brian’s hand, make him look at me as I reassure him that we’re fine. Another part of me wants to run away, tell him this evening has been fun, but now I’m tired, and it’s over.
But then thoughts of my sister trapped at home, her dreams languishing, filter through my mind. I dig my heels in, determined to give this my best. If we lose, it won’t be because I didn’t try my absolute hardest to win. Plus, the thought of Christy walking away with the prize money is enough for me to push my foot down a little harder on the gas pedal. That sneaky bitch startled Brian on purpose. She should be disqualified, but she was conniving enough to have her excuses ready.
We pull into the parking lot, then quickly pile out of my hatchback and run inside. Another team is already there, arriving just before us. Fortunately, there is no Christy in sight. Hopefully, their clue took them somewhere else. I glance around and see easels lined up along a wall in the bar.
“I hope you’re ready for a game of Pictionary,” the volunteer says. He walks up to our team and the one next to us with markers. “Here’s how it works. The two teams will compete against one another. After two rounds, the team with the most correct guesses gets a bonus pass. Take a moment to choose who your team artists will be, then let’s get started.”
“Well, this is a no-brainer,” Katie whispers. “Jacob is an amazing artist, so he’s definitely one of our drawers. Me, on the other hand, let’s just say I’m much better with a camera than a marker.”
“I’ll do it,” Brian says quietly, surprising everyone. We turn to look at him, and he shrugs. “What, I like to draw anime. I’m no expert or anything, but I think I’m probably better than Celia judging by her attempts at food doodles on our dinner menu whiteboard.”
His mouth tilts up in a grin, and his shaggy black hair falls into his eyes. All the tension that’s been building between us seems to ease as we jump back into the game.
The first round flies by, with Jacob doing an incredible job at drawing everything from a Ruston peach and Tech bulldog to a cheeseburger and fries. When the other team goes, they don’t have nearly the same success. I feel the victory in our grasp when Brian walks up to the easel and takes the marker. His hands tremble slightly, with nerves or anticipation, I’m not sure. I allow myself to stare at him openly for a moment, noticing his corded forearms, his towering height, and his flash of dimple. He’s always had these attributes, logically I know this. But I’ve never quite seen them like, well, this before.
“Ready, set, go!” the volunteer calls out.
Brian looks at the clue card and starts drawing. “Crawfish!” Jacob calls out immediately. Score one for us.
His first couple of drawings are quick and easy. And then Brian furrows his brow. Apparently, the topics have grown more difficult. He quickly draws what appears to be a classroom and a teacher. It takes us several guesses to get to “learning.” He gives us the thumbs-up, flips the card, then starts again.
The timer is on its final descent, and Brian gives it his all, quickly sketching out a person who looks like a cartoon version of himself down to the long legs, thin frame, and Converse shoes.
“Man! Tall person! Video gamer!” we all call out, desperately trying to figure out what he’s trying to depict. He draws in a lightsaber, pauses, considers, and then points to the figure and to himself, back and forth. Our guesses continue. “Gamer! IT man!”
And then my brain short circuits. Or at least that’s the only way I can describe what comes out of my mouth next. Because when I shout “Main character! Love interest!” Katie and Jacob both turn to look at me, their eyebrows raised. I blush. “What? I’m just throwing stuff out there.”
The timer goes off, and Brian throws his hands up in defeat. “It was a nerd!” he says like we are all a bunch of idiots.
“You’re not a nerd,” Katie says with a grin.
“Really? My Star Wars and anime fascinations didn’t give that away?” Brian asks sardonically.
He sits down next to me while the other team plays their round. He bumps his shoulder with mine. My mouth is dry, and I don’t know what to say. I feel awkward and embarrassed. Brian leans down to whisper in my ear, “Main character, huh?” And I’m so damn grateful he didn’t repeat the other words I said.
“I mean, you could have been drawing Luke Skywalker,” I say with a small smile.
He grins back. “Ah well, Luke Skywalker is a Jedi. This nerd is, sadly, lacking in all abilities to use the Force.”
And we’re back to us again, just like that. I was overreacting. In fact, maybe I was the only one who even thought something was off. Yeah, that’s it. The competition and pressure to help my sister with her finances are getting to me.
Fortunately, our failed attempt to guess Brian’s last drawing did not stop us from winning this round. We earn our bonus ticket and grab our next clue.
It’s New Year’s Eve, time to start anew.
Enter the maze and find your way through.
Head to the place where Halloween reigns
For one final challenge to determine who wins the games.
It will take teamwork and trust to the end
But if you make it through, you may find a win.
“Well, with Amelia running this thing, there’s only one possible location this clue can be referencing,” Katie says with a grin. “Let’s head to the fall festival site.”
All of the awkward tension that’s followed us through this night has drained away and been replaced with giddy joy. We fly through the streets of Ruston, making our way to a large field off of Farmerville Highway. A red barn stands tall in the distance, marking the sight of the largest fall festival in Louisiana. The corn maze lies just behind it, and I know that’s our destination.
We hop out of the car and start running, noticing that several other teams are already there. My heart sinks, knowing this won’t be an easy win, but we do have our bonus ticket and an entire maze to get through. My teammates seem to be thinking the same thing, because none of us slow as we run towards the maze entrance.
We get in line to enter the maze, and a volunteer explains what to expect. Apparently the corn maze has been adapted for this evening. Inside, we’ll find not only the maze but also the occasional barrier or challenge we will either need to work together to overcome or find a way around. My heart thrums in my ears as we prepare to enter the final obstacle of the night.