Survivor

24| How Men Kill Time

"You want to use me as a weight?" I asked, shocked. I wasn't the smallest person. Part of me doubted he could do any curls at all using me.

"Woah, you're using Cassie as a weight? I want to try!" Cam said.

"I'm first!" Nathan replied, "Ready Cass?"

"I guess?" I said, getting into position.

"Great. Lay back." Nathan instructed as he hooked one arm under my lower back and the other under my legs. He gently lifted me up off the ground and I tried to keep my body straight while he bounced me around a bit. "Oh yeah... this will be easy."

I doubt it.

"One... two... three..." Nathan grunted as he curled me into his chest and back out. I was only partially aware of the other guys watching. Adam was the only one helping Nathan count out loud, and I would have joined in if I wasn't so concerned that he was going to drop me.

"Four... five... six..." he grunted. He was already beginning to slow down, breathing hard between counts, "seven... eight... nine," he dragged out the last one, not curling me in with as much momentum. On the 10th curl, he was just barely able to get me to his chest before setting me down gently on the ground and shaking out his arms. "Damn..." he panted, "I thought I'd be able to get more than 10, but it's much harder to use a person."

Some of the guys chuckled, "Wow Nate, I expected more from a farmer," Cam teased, referring to his comments from the night we were drinking.

"Oh yeah? Let's see you do better huh? Competition is officially on," Nathan quipped, gesturing with his hands towards me in an "after you" type of motion.

Cam strolled towards me with a cocky grin on his face. "May I?" He asked.

"I guess," I chuckled as I wrapped an arm around his neck.

"Hey hey no helping Cassie! Remember, arms in and keep your body straight," Adam warned.

"Sorry I forgot," I responded. It had become such a habit for me to just get scooped up by them that I was used to helping them out. I tucked my arms in and straightened my body as Cam adjusted me.

"One... two... three..." he began. This time, most of the guys were helping count. I could tell when we got to 6 that Cam was going to have Nathan beat by the pace at which he was still able to curl me; plus, it didn't seem he was working as hard. He started to slow down around 8, and was really slow to complete the 12th. He tried for 13, but he wasn't able to bring me up high enough to count it. He set me down gently, panting, but with a smug look on his face, "Who's next?"

"Jake you try! I want to see Cam get beat," Nathan said, poking Jake in the bicep.

"Oh, you think I'm the one to beat him?"Jake asked while cocking a perfect eyebrow.

There was a collection of nodding and mumbling "yes" throughout the guys.

"Well okay then," Jake chuckled while making his way towards me, "Ready Cass?"

"I suppose," I remembered what Adam said last time about not helping, and made sure to keep my body straight while Jake picked me up and adjusted me in his arms. He began curling in the same manner, bringing me to and from his chest at a quick and easy pace. All the guys were counting along now, excited to see Cam get beat.