"Alright. Jody is handing out envelopes. They hold your first riddle - do not open it till I say. The family race will find you in the resort, the city, and the hills to your left. If you are anywhere else, you are lost and you might as well throw in the towel. Rules! No internet, but you may ask for directions. Put your Cell phones in the box at my feet. At each stop you will have a task you need to complete, once done you will receive your next clue. The first team to cross the finish line wins - it's that simple. If you are still out there after 4 pm, come back - you are out of time. Don't cheat- you were raised right. Everyone got that?" Rich shouts and everyone shouts back their agreement.
"Ok, get ready. The race starts when you hear the gong, that's when you can open your envelopes," Rich says as everyone moves into position.
Now, let's run over Lux's personality real quick. The girl loves as hard as she hates. She is driven and focused, and she takes no-ones shit. Piss her off and it's best that you watch your back because she is coming for you and she will get you - no matter how long it takes. She is also a perfectionist - hence her always beautifully done intricate tattoos. She's intense. Second place is not an option for her. It's never an option for her. With that in mind -
Lux grabs Austin's arm and pushes them to the front of the group, glaring at anyone who so much as hints their annoyance at her. Once in the front, she stares Austin down who is looking at her like she is crazy, he also looks a little concerned. "Focus, I have no problem with leaving you behind. I can do shit on my own so I have no problem with cutting off any dead weight holding me back," she warns him then faces forward, slightly crouched and ready to bolt while she listens carefully for the gong. "Uh...Luxie...you ok?" Austin asks nervously. "Deadweight, Austin, dead fucking weight," she says as she focuses on the stairs in front of her, she will take them two at a time.
Louis comes up behind her and then crouches next to her. "That giant man baby might have been great at the tug of war. But out here on the streets - this is my kingdom. I am small, agile...I am like a whippit," he whispers. "I am small too and I play dirty, watch your back, Cream Puff," Lux whispers, still focused on those stairs. "You will have to catch me first," Louis whispers back. "I will catch ya and I will kill ya," Lux warns.
"They scare me," Jessica whispers from behind Louis. "Me too, Jess," Austin whispers from behind Lux. "Guys, remember this is just a friendly family game," Demi says. "Shhhh!" Lux and Louis hiss out. It goes silent after that. The silence seems to stretch on for hours and then the gong finally sounds. Lux darts forward at the same time Louis does but then suddenly Austin's arm curls around her waist, snapping her back and she watches in horror as Louis, Jessica, and most of the group rush up the stairs and disappear.
"What the fuck Austin!" Lux screams thrashing about to get out of his big dumb arms. Austin holds her to his chest and grabs her jaw. Fucking good - she had been ready to bite him. "Your tantrum is wasting our time, Luxie," he warns in her ear. She stops thrashing and goes limp.
"Put me down."
"Promise you won't bite me."
"For now. Put me down!"
"Luxie."
"Fine! Fuck! I promise!"
Austin puts her down and she turns on him immediately. "What the fuck! You are making us lose!" she shouts.
"Really? Where were you running to?"
"The finish line!"
"Where is the finish line?"
"I don't fucking know!"
"I do," Austin says holding up the envelope. "Oh...ok I will give you this one - clever man," Lux says grabbing the envelope and ripping it open. "You and your fucking instruction manuals," she mumbles as she unfolds the paper inside.
In the heart of a barren land, stands a rock, stoic and grand,
An unsung monument, wearing no artist’s brand.
Unmoved by the tempest, deaf to the wild sea’s roar,
It stands, as a sentinel, guarding Earth’s primordial lore.
"Well...what the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Lux throws her hands in the air. "It's a clue, Luxie. We need to break it down," Austin says softly rubbing her back like a child, trying to calm her. It works. But she does not appreciate it. "Barren land....beach? Stands a rock...a rock. Wild sea's roar...a rock in the sea? What do you think?" Austin asks turning to look at her.
"You asking me?"
"You are a clever woman - think. Do you remember any significant rocks in the sea?"
Lux thinks, then her eyes widen. "The rocks Chance was fucking your cousin behind!" she says. "What?!" Austin asks loudly, shocked. "The rock's where we had dinner in the fucking sea!" Lux says grabbing his arm and bolting down the beach toward them. Other teams catching on to the clue too and running in the same direction. As the rocks come into view they see a few resort staff standing near them - Lux knows she is right.
They come to a screeching halt in front of one of the resort staff. "Morning. One of you will need to dive in and get the flag of the same color as your team from the pole out there," she says pointing out to sea. Austin starts removing his shoes and shirt. "I am a good swimmer," he says. Lux won't stop him.
She stands on the beach and looks out while Austin swims. The flag pole is still full of flags and she can see their pink one. She can also see a black one and a green one - fuck yeah! Demi and Shawn arrive then, Demi throws off her shirt and shoes and then runs into the water just as Austin makes it to the flagpole, reaching up and grabbing their pink flag. "Fuck yes, baby! You fucking machine!" Lux shouts as Austin puts it in his mouth and starts swimming back.
"He is amazing, isn't he? Great catch of a man," Shawn says and smiles at Lux. "Refrain from speaking to me, heathen," Lux says grabbing a towel from the pile near her. "Why not? I thought we were friends," Shawn says grabbing a towel too. "Maybe after, but right now we are enemies," Lux warns him. "Geez, Demi said you were competitive, but...wow," Shawn says taking a step away from her. "I am not competitive. I just don't like losing," Lux says walking closer to the shoreline. "Come on - in the end we are all winners no matter where we come!" Shawn shouts after her as Austin runs out of the sea. "I told you to stop saying shit like that, Shawn!" Austin says grabbing the towel from Lux and drying himself as Lux takes the flag and shoves it into her bag.
"I will burn your house down if you teach my nephews and nieces that. You play to win," Lux says running past him to Austin who is taking an envelope from the resort staff. "Grab my shoes and shirt," he says to Lux, who does, before they bolt towards the lawn. They pass Louis and Jessica halfway up. "Whipits may be fast, but they are dumb as fuck!" Lux shouts over her shoulder to Louis as she runs. When they get to the grass Lux rips open the envelope while Austin dries off and dresses.
Right then and there I knew I had to
finesse this set.
Breathing in I push towards the sky.
Frustration, annoyance, and negativity are being lifted toward the heavens.
The set was finished, and my day began.
"Another fucking critic message! Just tell us where to go like normal fucking people!" Lux shouts, throwing her arms up. "Hey," Austin says grabbing her and pulling her to him then kissing her. It calms her and she likes it but she won't tell him that. "Let's just work it out, ok?" Austin says softly. "Ok," Lux mumbles handing him the clue. Austin's brow creases as he reads it while a few teams run past them, including Demi and Shawn. "We are all winners!" Demi shouts. "Austin!" Lux groans in annoyance. "Relax, Luxie...push towards the sky...the set was finished...the gym, baby!" Austin says then grabs Lux's hand and bolts into the resort, passing the front desk and then down a long passage.
Demi and Shawn are just in front of them and she can hear Jessica giggling behind them as well as Harry shouting motivations to Hailey. Lux and Austin catch up to Demi and Shawn as they dash into the gym - Louis, Jessica, Harry, and Hailey hot on their heels. "Jessica is like a fucking dolphin in the sea," Louis says breathing heavily next to Lux. Lux ignores him. She won't stoop to his level."You have to move 50 kgs of those weights from there and stack them over there, then do five bench presses, five sit-ups, and one minute on the treadmill. You have to tag team with your partner," the resort staff says. "I have never gone to the gym, Austin!" Lux says as they run over to their pile of weights. "It does not matter, I will help you," he says looking at the weights - they are all different sizes and Lux has no idea what's going on. Austin grabs the biggest weight. "50kgs, we will only have to do one trip...aww, sorry Louis," he says when Louis picks up a 10 kg weight. Lux laughs as she runs behind Austin and flicks Louis off.
Austin drops the weight and then pushes Lux to a bench with a bar above it as Louis turns around to run back with Harry and Shawn to grab another weight. "Lie down put your hands here and here," Austin says tapping the bar. Lux does as he says then he makes her lift it as he hovers his hands under the bar. She lifts it five times - it's fucking heavy and her arms are shaky. When she gets to five Austin takes it and places it back on its brackets then drops down and does five sit-ups - like it's no big deal. After he is done, he pushes her to the treadmill. "I can't do anymore!" Lux complains after ten thousand hours on the treadmill.
"It's been twenty seconds, Luxie..."
"This is fucking bullshit."
"Thirty seconds."
"Who the fuck invented this bitch?"
"Forty seconds."
"I can't do this, I pulled a fucking hamstring!"
"You didn't pull anything. Fifty seconds."
"I could become a professional runner after this shit."
"Sixty seconds. Get off," Austin says pressing a button and turning the hellish machine off. "People do that shit for fun?" Lux asks as Austin pulls her back to the resort staff who hands them a pink flag and an envelope. "Yes, it's good for you," Austin says running out of the gym. "That is not good for anyone!" Lux says opening her bag and shoving their second flag into it when they stop in the passage and then ripping open the envelope. Before she can read it, Austin pushes her up against the wall and latches onto her neck. "What's going on here?" Lux asks, it's weird but she is not complaining. "Your need to win is fucking hot. Read the clue," Austin mumbles against her skin. Lux holds the clue up, but it's a little hard to read when she goes cross-eyed from his nipping. Fuck.
She puts salt and pepper on tables
She always enjoys family suppers -
special recipes from different kitchens.
She can’t help as much as she used to,
but she can put out condiments and butter.
"That makes no fucking sense," Lux moans. "Because your mind is mush...It's my charms," Austin says lifting his head and grinning at her. "You do not affect me. It's the dining room," she says pushing him away and running down the long passage with Austin - Louis, and Jessica right behind them. "Why is this passage so fucking long!" she groans. "Run, Luxie!" Austin shouts as Jessica and Louis slip past them. "Later, fuckers," Louis shouts over his shoulder as they disappear around a corner. Shit.