Shiny Demon

Call Me Friend But Keep Me Closer

Normally the sight of a giant inflatable tub displaying a battered mechanical bull would have filled Seb with dread. But today, he was in a good mood. Maybe it was because he'd actually slept well. Stevie was a nice bedmate. Didn't snore or thrash in her sleep. She was even cheerful in the morning. They'd shared a pleasant breakfast. He was feeling positively refreshed when they got the text about the challenge.

The girls had been sent away somewhere first. So it was just the guys at the moment. Harry approached him during the lag. "Can we have a chat?"

"Sure," Seb agreed reluctantly. 

Harry's eyes flickered to the nearby cameras and he projected his voice. "Look, I know Stevie says you two are just friends, but I wanted to do the honorable thing and make it clear that I haven't given up on us."

"Us?" His gut roiled with disdain, dampening his happy disposition. It was so obvious he was doing this for show.

"Me and Stevie. We'd still be together if Yasmin hadn't interfered."

"Sounded like she just likes you. Why don't you give her a chance?"

Harry's face pinched in frustrated confusion. He lowered his voice so only Seb could hear. "I don't know..." He bit the inside of his cheek. "She's fit and wellness-minded." Seb fought the intense urge to roll his eyes. "But I don't get the sense that she actually likes me." He leaned closer and whispered, "Last night when we went to bed, I tried—."

Before he could continue telling Seb what skeezy thing he'd tried on Yasmin, he was interrupted by a spirited "Yeeeeeehaw!" coming from across the lawn.

Genevieve was leading the pack of girls, all decked out in Western wear. Chaps, tassels, holsters, and hats. That style had never been something he was into but watching those straps of leather struggle to contain Stevie's bouncing form was making him reconsider. She gave him a faux-stern look as she approached, daring him to make fun of her. His lips curled into a smile in spite of himself, which triggered her own begrudging smirk.

"You girls look great!" Nicky said,wrapping his arms around Elladine, who was eyeing the mechanical bull warily.

Stevie's phone buzzed. She read it to herself and then strutted over to a large trunk full of various fabrics and props. "Boys, the girls are lookin' prettier than a hayseed. It's time to mosey on over and pick an outfit from the trunk. You'll need to look the part today, as we find out who among you is the best at holding on to a rough ride... #thistownaintbigenough #messwiththebull" She looked up with an offended expression. "Did they choose me to read this because I'm backwoods? That's typecasting."

"Dag-nabbit, you curmudgeons!" Genevieve said. "What the deuce are ya waitin' for? Skeedaddle over there and get yer cowhides!" Everyone stared blankly at her and she shrugged. "I love westerns, okay? Have I really never mentioned that?"

"Hey!" Harry shouted over her. "Nicky is already picking out an outfit!"

At that, there was a mad rush to the trunk. The selection was picked over by the time Seb could get his costume, so he had to settle for a hot pink squirt gun, and some odd over the shoulder belt thing. He was walking away disappointedly when Stevie caught up with him and shoved something into his hands. He looked down to find a massive black cowboy hat with a glittering skeleton hot glued on the front.

"This screamed 'Sebastian', so I nabbed it before anyone else could."

He smiled down at the absurd hat. "This is really something." He popped the monstrosity on top of his head. "Really spruces up the look, don't you think?"

She nodded approvingly. "It's hot."

"Oh, it is," Iona said as she jogged past. "Looking good, Seb."