The Legacies (Sequal to The Unrated)

Zach

"Wow, this place is insane." Zach shook his head. "Focus, I need to find Alissa. I don't even know where to start." Zach walked into the receptionist. "Hey, I'm here to check-in."

"May I see your room key?" The receptionist asked. She scanned his ID and handed it back. "Yes, you're in room 510. I believe your roommates have already checked in. Here's the itinerary for the evening. You're welcome to stay in your room, of course. Dinner will be served in an hour."

"Thanks. Um, can I ask if a participant has checked in? She's a friend of mine. Her name's Faith Brooks."

"Hmm, yes, she has checked in. However, due to privacy, I cannot reveal her room number."

Zach sighed. "That's fine. I'm just glad she made it. Thanks again." Zach rode the elevator to his floor. The hotel reminded him of the types of places his parents would put them when they went on business trips. "After The Games, I have to go talk to them. I can't leave things how they are." Zach thought. He was so deep in thought he didn't notice the person when he stepped off the elevator. "Hey, sorry about that."

"No, it was my fault. I should've been looking where I was going," The woman said. 

Zach looked up and noticed she was also a participant. "I'm Zach, by the way."

"Rose, normally, I'm not this clumsy. I'm just so excited to be here! My dumb brother was worried, but I'll show him."

"Nice to meet you, Rose. I guess I'll see you around." Zach smiled.

"See you," Rose walked past him and onto the elevator.

"Now, what room was it? 510, I think?" Zach asked, searching for the room. The floor seemed to be mostly empty. Zach could hear some participants behind the doors. After wandering for a while, Zach found his room. He was about to open the door when someone beat him to it. 

"So, you finally decided to show up. Elliot, I owe you credits. Go on, get inside. I'm Joel, by the way," Joel said, moving over so Zach could come in.

"This guy seems like he'll be fun," Zach thought. "Zach." Zach walked in, and it was more high-tech than he thought. The doors to each room were color-coded. He could see his name on a yellow door. A small monitor was beside each door. He scanned his ID, and the door opened. He threw his bag on the bed and sat down. The room was modern. It had a TV, a monitor displaying the schedule for the night, a desk, a closet, and a bathroom. He didn't have much of a view, but that was fine. A soft knock hit his door. "Hello?" Zach touched the monitor and saw it was one of his roommates.

"Hey, I just wanted to introduce myself. Mind opening up?" The woman asked. Zach complied and opened the door. "Hi, I'm Alexandra. Call me Alex. I'm a Silver, but I want to be a Gold."

Zach held out his hand. "Zachary. Call me Zach. I'm a Gold. I, um, want to be a Platinium." Zach realized he didn't put much thought into it. He was here to help Hunter. Honestly, he could have said anything. He was going to be Obsidian when Zoey got married. 

"Wow, really? What's that like?" Alex asked. Her eyes lit up like a Christmas tree.

"I mean, it's alright. I don't really know what to say. We have money, but I never cared for it," Zach shrugged. 

"Oh look, the rich boy doesn't like being rich. Lucian, you make me sick."

"Elliot! Don't be rude!" Alex said.

"Hello to you too," Zach said.

"I'm sorry, am I supposed to sympathize with him? Some of us have to work our asses off to make a living. Yet, you come in here complaining about having too much money. Are you serious? Why are you even here?" Elliot asked. "You make me sick. You're the reason none of us can move up. All you upper rankings always fill up all the spots. I was lucky that I got in. Let me guess; you paid someone to get you in?"

Zach laughed. "Buddy, you got the wrong idea about me. First, I spent most of my life being Unrated. Yes, I've always had money, but I never used it. That's my parent's money. Not mine. I'm not here to make myself richer. I'm here because I need to be."

"What the hell does that mean? You need to be? Also, I'm calling bullshit on the Unrated thing. I don't remember you being in The Games last year. The only Unrated that I really saw was some guy named Hunter. And you aren't him." Elliot crossed the room and held Zach by the shirt. "You better leave now. The rest of us need this. You clearly don't."

"Elliot, stop! You can't hurt him. The rules said so. I'll report you!" Alex said.

"Why are you protecting this guy? You realize that because he's here, that means that someone lost a chance to change their lives for the better." Elliot pushed Zach away from him. "Whatever." He stormed out of the hotel room.

"Charming guy," Zach said, brushing himself off. 

"Don't mind him. He's been through a lot. Being Unrated has made things rough for him," Alex said.

"I really was Unrated. I get where he's coming from, though." Zach sighed, then smiled. "So, are you hungry?"