"Smosh Summer Games: Apocalypse!" Our voices echoed into the open desert air.
Knowing that today would be a heavy cardio day, I ended up going to bed shortly after the movie ended last night. My stomach couldn't handle the incessant jealousy creeping into my mind, and my body was plagued with fatigue. It seemed like the easiest way to avoid suspicion.
With three competitions already under our belt, the week had already flown by. Today, we were filming Catch Your Meal, which would signify the halfway point of the games. Matt kicked off the video introduction.
"Welcome back, everybody, to another game! Today we are playing a little game we like to call Catch Your Meal," Matt announced to the camera.
The anticipation was killing me. I placed my hand on my hip impatiently as he explained the rules of the game. The premise seemed simple enough. We had competed in games similar to this one before.
Matt revealed the buckets of the "meals" we would catch - slimy snakes, dripping chickens, and ferret-looking things that barely resembled toys. The projectile items dripped with blue, gooey liquid, saturating in various buckets. Gross.
Team assignments were determined this morning to save time. Over breakfast, Lasercorn nominated me to go first. I was surprised at his choice but agreed nonetheless. Damien and Kimmy would be joining me for the first round. Meanwhile, Toxicitea had chosen Olivia, Wes and Joven to play. It seemed like a fair match up. Both sides had relatively athletic people to anchor them.
We had already filmed the pre-game interviews this morning, and I had a few good jokes lined up from speaking with Damien and Lasercorn. The heat induced a little delirium in me, but I managed power through.
It was time to focus. Mushroom Clout absolutely needed the win today to tie the score overall. Determination set firmly in my bones. The fire was ignited.
"I'm a hungry bitch," I called out as I walked towards my position. Beads of sweat began to line my forehead.
Matt lined up a salamander to the catapult, and it seamlessly sailed through the air. I jogged towards its landing spot, but Damien managed to square up in the perfect position. A two-handed catch secured our first point.
Damien ran towards our bucket in victory, arms raised to celebrate with a distinctive yell. He dropped the salamander into our sideline bucket.
The second round began. Matt positioned himself, and then released the object. As the little toy flew towards us, I laser-focused in on it's projection.
"Get it, get it, get it!" I muttered to myself. It descended toward me. The animal slipped through my hands, but my legs clenched together to trap it. Somehow, the last-minute plan worked. It's tail lodged just above my knees.
After some celebratory shouts, I jogged towards our bucket to release the toy. "I'm gonna cook you into a little kebab!" I told the toy with an affectionate voice.
The air seemed tense with competiton. Focus radiated off of the players on the field. Unfortunately, the next toss was far too shallow. Even Kimmy, who was positioned closest to the catapult, couldn't dash for it.
"We got a couple slippery snakes!" Matt cheered, waving the next round of toys in a tantalizing manner.
"Catch 'en in my pants, catch 'em in my pants," I chanted. "Mama's hungry! Gimme, gimme!"
The mob of plastic snakes streamed across the sky. Moments later, my hands swiped the air to grab one of the snakes. I gave a satisfactory smile to my teammates. I may have had bad guesses in Spilling the Tea, but damn it, I could catch flying snakes.
After a few misfires and another successful catch by yours truly, our turn was almost over.
Next, a blue gopher-looking thing streamlined through the air, clearly denser than most of the other toys. I had the perfect catch lined up. With a quick jump, I placed my hands out to grasp it. Instead of the victory, a cold, wet blob hit my face with an assertive smack!
"Courtney, did you get a face shot?" asked Matt from afar.
"My head caught it!" I groaned indignantly. I took off my sunglasses to remove the sticky residual. It's opaque, goey consistency was clung to my cheek. "Ew, what is this? Like, milk?"
No one cared to answer, leaving me to assume the worst. With that chilling thought, we were down to the last two throws. Olivia managed to catch the last snake of the batch, bringing the score up to 4-2 in our favor.
The production crew signaled for us to switch teams. I made my way towards the sidelines, eager to catch a break. Shayne smiled at me in passing, pausing for a moment.
"Damn, Court. Can't believe that toxic waste ferret bitch-slapped you," he teased.
"I can't a catch a break from you, but I can damn well catch a plastic snake from the sky," I retorted, grinning. With a poke in his side for good measure, I retreated to the sideline. My heart skipped a beat as he laughed loudly at my response.
Though we were allowed to leave the shoot, Kimmy, Joven, Wes and I decided to watch the rest of the game play out. It was the best way to support our teammates, and heaven knew our team needed all the support it could get. We stood animatedly, eager to watch the events unfold.
Shayne began to do a hapzard dance on field, jumping and flailing his hands on anticipation. I snorted loudly. That stupid boy.
"Nice," Wes chuckled next to me. "Haven't heard a classic Court Bourt snort in a minute."
"Shut up," I dismissed, grinning at my former roommates' teasing. He merely smiled in return.
As we continued to go through the rounds, I chortled at Shayne's obvious struggle. His athletic ability was clearly not doing him any favors for this game. It was almost comforting to know that he wasn't good at absolutely everything.
The remaining rounds flew by all too quickly. Lasercorn managed to snatch a toy from Shayne's grasp, taunting him about his useless muscles after. Ian and Matt had good bit about Matt's shallow releases. Ian also successfully caught two snakes in one round, which was seemed to be a standout moment. He also kept tickling people, but that was familiar behavior.
Shayne continued to scramble during each catch, giving up his efforts after a certain point. As I continued to laugh at his floundering on the field, I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder.
"Hey," Kimmy half-whispered, a nervous smile gracing her features. "This is going to sound so cringy, but can I ask you something?"
I shrugged. "Sure, what's up?" I asked, eyes still watching the field.
"Um... oh, man, how do say this? Well, I know you and Shayne are pretty close, and I was wondering if you knew anything about his love life."
Her question made my heart stop momentarily. Shock radiated my system. I ripped my gaze away from the game. "What?" I sputtered.
"Oh, wow, I am so bad at this. I'm sorry," she laughed nervously. Kimmy took a deep breath to reframe her thoughts.
"I've been talking to Shayne a little bit more over these last couple days, and I think he's a great guy. I know you guys are super close, so I was wondering if you thought it would be a good idea for me to see if there was any potential to move things forward, um, romantically speaking," she asked with hopeful eyes.
The immediate pang in my chest burned far worse than I liked to admit. I couldn't tell her to back off - that would be wrong, cruel, and unnecessary. I had no claim over him. But, hell, if I wanted to watch sparks fly between her and Shayne.
"Kimmy, I - " I began. I hadn't exactly planned what to say but simply began to ramble, hoping some sensical words would come out of my mouth.
"I'm really not killing it right now, am I?" she confessed with a sheepish smile. "Let me try one more time. Do you think it would be okay if I got to know Shayne a little better?"
I don't know why I was so surprised. Of course, I knew that Shayne was objectively very attractive. And it was obvious that his charming, witty, and selfless personality would draw other people to him. But I always figured (in the back of my mind, mind you) that work was the one place I could have him to myself. Olivia had Sam, Mari had Peter, and me... well, I had Shayne, even if the lines were blurred between platonic and romantic.
But he wasn't mine to claim. She didn't know that I had these dumb feelings trapped inside me. Kimmy clearly hadn't considered my own desire, yearning for his lingering touches and crinkled eyes. Though my heart was trying to do an artistic gymnastics routine within me, there was really only one thing to do.
"Kimmy, it isn't really up to me. But I really wants to see him happy in whatever situation he is in, so maybe you should follow your heart," I offered meekly. The words tasted metallic in my mouth - unfamiliar, unpleasant and possibly harmful.
She threw her arms around me, grateful for my answer. "Thanks, Court," she whispered. "You're the best."
Ironic how she thought I was the best, when this was the worst I had felt all week.
***
After a quick dinner out in the sun, Ian was the first to interrupt the gentle buzz of noise.
"Let's have a party!" Ian's voice burst with excitement. "It's been a long day outside. You guys deserve a break!"
"Are you serious?" Olivia asked with a curious tone.
"Dead serious. Look, I'll handle the logistics with Sarah and Matt. You guys go ahead and rest up. Keep an eye on our slack channel, okay?" Ian said. With a determine, earnest smirk, he wandered into the editing room and closed the door behind him.
"Woohoo!" I added in a goofy voice. I squatted and starting white-girl dancing in the middle of the group. Keith quickly joined me with actual, well-rehearsed dance moves, earning laughter from the cast.
Noah scratched the back of his head. "Well, that was unexpected."
"I'm worried for my liver," Olivia joked. "The last time we had an official Smosh party, I was wasted by 11. This will be hilarious."
"Odds Olivia loses it after one drink," Shayne teased. "Any takers?"
"Hey!" she interrupted. "Sorry, we can't all be frat-bros in training!" she replied sarcastically, eyeing Shayne and Damien.
Damien was quick to reply, indignation lacing his words. "Hey, that's Pledgemaster-in-training to you." He puffed out his chest before adding, "Who do you know here? Name three brothers."
I chuckled, fluffing Damien's hair with my hand affectionately. What a big softie.
"I'm gonna power nap for a few, so I can really celebrate," Noah decided. As if on cue, he yawned. "I don't understand how the heat makes me feel like I just did a Tough Mudder or something."
He did have a point. As soon as I stood still for a minute, my body started to settle into a deep fatigue.
"Honestly, that's not a bad idea. I'll come with," I said. Keith and Olivia nodded in agreement, while Damien and Shayne decided to go find the rest of the Smosh Games group.
Our group left the dinner site and walked to our cabin across the path. Olivia fished the key to the door out from her shorts pocket, wiggling it slightly so the front door swung open.
We walked through the common area and said a quick goodbye to Keith and Noah, who peeled left towards the guys' bunks. Olivia and I turned the opposite direction and walked through the hall, passing through the double bathroom towards our room.
On our way, Olivia nudged me lightly with her elbow. "I have a question."
Oh, this ought to be good. After our on field banter, I had a feeling she was going to ask me about my impending crush. "What?"
"Did you notice Shayne flirting with you today?" I saw this coming from a mile away.
I chuckled, kicking off my sneakers into the corner of the room. "Don't be ridiculous."
She shook her head with an earnest grin. "He's stepping up his game on purpose," she stated, matter-of-factly. "You guys have started spending a ton of time together lately."
She began to swap out her dirty clothes for comfier pajama shorts and a loose t-shirt. I mirrored her, changing into an XL Wrestle-Mania shirt (stolen from my brother, of course) and some boxers.
A small, exasperated sigh escaped my lips. "C'mon, Liv. He's one of my best friends - the teasing is all friendly. Plus, he doesn't reciprocate my feelings. And it's not worth it with all the rabid Shartney fans out there," I responded quickly.
Olivia's eyes widened with excitement, a sly smile teasing the corners of her mouth. "No longer in denial about your feelings, huh?"
I replayed the moment in my mind, horror etching my features as I realized what I said. He doesn't reciprocate my feelings. Shit shit shit.
I put my hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay! So maybe I came to terms with it a couple days ago. But it's not a big deal. These feelings are harmless, I'm gonna squash them like a bug," I joked, flexing my practically non-existent arm muscle.
"You sound like the protagonist of a bad rom-com," she grinned. Olivia scurried up the bunk bed ladder, launching her little body into her sleeping bag. "What's the worst that could happen if you went for a test run?"
Confusion laced my response, "What do you mean?"
"Flirt with him a little at the party tonight. See what sticks. What's the worst that could happen?" she asked.
Shayne gets weirded out and Kimmy notices, my mind involuntarily responded. I didn't have the heart to tell Olivia about my encounter with the brunette just yet. But the wheels in my mind turned continuously with spurts of jealousy. That being said, Shayne was single, and flirting could be considered harmless, I guess.
I sighed, settling down into my sleeping bag. Olivia had a point. I wasn't a great flirt by any means, but I thought we had a little moment on the field today. And then there was the milkshake run, which could be interpreted as romantic or platonic. It felt like everytime I would think of our moments together, they could be viewed with either lens. The back-and-forth made my head rattle.
"Maybe, though I'm not sure it would change anything," I pondered.
"You never know until you try. By the way, how long should we nap?" she asked with a yawn.
I glanced at my phone. In white sleek letters, the home screen read 7:29pm. "Let's sleep for like an hour, hour and a half?" I set the alarm promptly.
She nodded and added in a childish voice, "I wuv you, Courtney!"
"Love you too, Liv," I chuckled. And with a quick switch of the lights, I crawled into bed, letting exhaustion take over.
***
I woke up to the ear-splitting sound of a fire alarm blaring. My heart leaped as I shot up to sitting, before realizing that it was the phone alarm I had set to wake up for the party. Damnit.
"I hate your alarm," Olivia groaned from the top bunk.
"Honestly, me too. I figured it would scare me into waking up, but now that seems like terrible thinking," I replied. As Olivia descended down the ladder, I stood up slowly, taking in extra time to stretch.
Olivia landed beside me, giving me a quick hug before hunching over her duffel bag that was shoved in the corner. She wrestled through some belongings to select some clothes for the evening.
I groaned. Again, I was reminded about how much of an idiot I was for packing the night before the trip. I didn't even consider bringing clothes for a party or any nice make up. "I think I'm not gonna dress up. It's all family, anyway."
"Except Shayne."
I groaned, eliciting an airy chuckle from Olivia. We both shuffled around the room a bit more and mentally prepared for the the night ahead. A few minutes later, we made our way to the common area where the party would presumably start.
I was shocked to find that the gathering was almost in full swing when we walked down the hall. Ian, Matt and Shayne were hauling a large keg from the front door to the kitchen island, while Joven was carrying grocery bags filled with mixers to the island as well. Mari and Wes just finished lining a few handles of vodka, tequila, and rum along the back of the kitchen counter alongside some red solo cups and shot glasses.
"This feels very... college," Lasercorn mused as he entered from the opposing hallway. His grin widened as he spotted the keg. "Hell yes, sign me up for a keg stand!"
Sarah, Keith, and Noah were already getting comfortable with some drinks in hand, sitting on the couches as Damien was telling an animated story. He kept waving his hands with enthusiasm as the story reached its climax, earning loud laughter from his audience.
"Looks like we got here just in time," Olivia mused, giving my hand a squeeze. She made a beeline to the kitchen for a drink. I chased her heels quickly, muttering a quick internal prayer that I wouldn't make a fool of myself tonight.
Olivia mixed up a couple vodka sodas for us, and we soon joined the rest of the group in front of the fireplace. The party was perfectly balanced, with a low buzz across the room as some light pop music played in the background.
I listened intently to Ian and Lasercorn debating about the best Summer Games so far, which was highly entertaining considering they were already several beers deep. Later on, Damien and I were having a very intense thumb war which I consistently lost, but I insisted on continuing to play. The night was laced with a round of drinks and then another before Olivia yelled, "Squad shots, RIGHT NOW!"
Like the obedient, tipsy 20-somethings we were, the squad immediately gathered to the kitchen. I propped myself on top of the counter to watch Olivia's handiwork. She distributed some empty solo cups and then poured a splash of tequila into each, adding a little extra to Shayne's cup.
"Hey! That's definitely more than a shot," Shayne protested as she closed the bottle.
"That's what you get for making fun of me earlier," Olivia retorted with a glint in her eye.
Shayne put up his hands in surrender. "Fine, fine, I deserve that. Cheers everyone!" We all raised our cups in the air before downing our drinks.
The shot of the tequila warmed my insides. The aftertaste left a burning sensation in my mouth. I involuntarily made a face leading, and Keith started laughing at me before joining the rest of the group on the couches. I took a big deep breath and relased it, wishing my tequila-stained exhale would remove the burn. It didn't work.
I looked around briefly, allowing the gentle buzz of alcohol to fog my thoughts slightly. Shayne, who stood across from me in the shot circle, casually took a step toward me to narrow the distance between us. I continued to perch on the counter as he rested one arm next to me, the other hand holding his beer. His chest was mere inches away from my knees.
"Hey," he greeted casually. His warm smile was a familiar one, but his eyes took on a new intensity as he stared at me, prolonging eye contact for far longer than I was used to.
Awkwardness took over my body. "Hi." I mentally facepalmed, wishing my drunk self could utter something more intelligent to say. Nice one, drunk Court.
Shayne opened his mouth to say something else, but a familiar melody interrupted him.
In the far corner of the room, "Single Ladies" began followed by a crowd of cheering. Kimmy had queued up Beyonce's hit song, and I immediately hopped off the counter to grab Mari and head to our makeshift dance floor. Keith and Kimmy were already there, attempting to turn their hands back-and-forth for the ever famous chorus.
Saved by the bell. Or rather, saved by the Bey. From afar, my eyes locked with Shayne's briefly. He returned a smile to me as if to say "we'll talk later." My heart surged at the thought.
As the song finished, there was another massive cheer as Shayne and Damien dragged out a plastic folding table. Oh man, drinking games. Ian and Joven brought over more cups, and the guys went to work on setting up two familiar triangles on either side of the table.
I was terrible at beer pong. It didn't help that my tipsy-state seemed to be further induced by early 2000's pop hits, so drunk Courtney was gradually replacing any sense of sobriety I had left. With my dignity still in tact, I went to chat with Olivia who stood in the corner with Keith.
"Hey," I greeted, throwing my arms around them happily. "I love you guys. And I love alcohol!" I chirped.
Keith giggled, clearly amused with our mutual tipsy state. Meanwhile, Olivia nodded along with her own alcohol-infused grin.
Keith began to tell a story about the last time he got drunk with his family, but my focus wandered. Kimmy had joined Shayne at the beer pong table, enthusiastically cheering him on as he took each shot. Her hand found his forearm as she laughed at something he said, leaning into his touch gently. Her eyes shone with infatuation.
My heart rapidly sunk. I wished I could melt in the floor. Now knowing Kimmy's intentions, I couldn't help but assume the worst. Kimmy was adorable, charming, kind, and hilarious. She was new to our cast, and brought fresh talent to us. I had been around Shayne too long to be considered an option - forever friend-zoned.
A familiar hand waved in front of my periphery, bringing me back to reality.
"Hey! Earth to Courtney?" Keith said, interrupting my thoughts.
Olivia immediately recognized the pain in my facial expression. "Hey," she said softly, sobering up a bit. "You okay?"
I nodded, mustering up some energy to show a smile.
"Court, that is the most bullshit smile I've ever seen you give me," Keith chuckled, wrapping his arm around my waist. "C'mon guys, let's get some fresh air."
Keith released me and walked towards the door steathily, with Olivia and I following close behind. It seemed like the rest of the cast was too busy (read: drunk) to notice our absence from the cabin.
The night air was chilly, immediately refreshing me as I stepped outside. The hum of noise from the cabin seemed decibels louder than anything occuring outside. The moon shone brightly above us, illuminating the desert in a really stunning way. My mind retreated to the night that Shayne and I stargazed together on the bed of the truck. I groaned at the thought.
"So, why so sad?" Olivia asked as she shut the door behind her.
I sighed. If it weren't for the tequila earlier, I probably would have kept my mouth shut. But the privacy of being outdoors, liquid courage, and two of my best friends asking me about my mood was too much to handle. I burst almost immediately.
"So, obviously I had a revelation earlier this week," I began.
"Courtney likes Shayne," Olivia explained to Keith.
"I was getting to that part," I chuckled lightly.
"Ooooh, shocker! I am so surprised," Keith retorted sarcastically. "Girl, I could tell within the first month of knowing you. I can't believe it took you four years to admit it."
I rolled my eyes at his blunt comment. "Anyway, I was going to try to test out the waters a little bit, see if there was anything there on his end... shit, I'm so awkward with explaining this," I faltered, putting my hands in my face with embarassment.
Olivia put a reassuring hand on my shoulder.
"So anyway, during the challenge today, Kimmy mentioned that she's interested in getting to know Shayne in a romantic way. And kind of asked if it was okay with me if she did that. Obviously, I said it was fine because I don't own him, y'know? But it made me feel like shit. And to see them flirting in there was a little much for me," I confessed. A pit feeling anchored my stomach to the ground.
"Aw, Court. You're, like, perfect. Shayne would be an idiot if he didn't notice that," Olivia said supportively.
"I hate that I'm acting this sensitive. This is so unlike me," I responded, frustration edging my words.
"Trust me, everyone's been there. Hell if we know how to deal with relationships as adults. But I say, go in there and fight for your man! You and Shayne have chemistry, you'd have to be blind not to see it," Keith said decisively. "Don't give up so easily! You deserve to find happiness with him!"
"I'm not much of a fighter, Keith," I confessed.
As if on cue, the door to the cabin swung open to reveal a mop of familiar, dirty blond hair. His blue-gray eyes shone with concern as he scanned the three of us, stopping with relief as he saw me. Shayne offered a faint, nervous smile in my direction.
"Hey guys, mind if I join?" Shayne asked.
I nodded and began make space for him, but Keith put an arm out to block me.
"No worries. Liv and I were actually just about to head inside for a refill, right?" Keith explained, shooting a knowing look in Olivia's direction. She grinned and nodded, following him into the cabin and closing the door.
"Hey," Shayne greeted again. He settled down to sit on the ground, leaning against the cabin wall for back support. Patting the empty space next to him, he looked at me expectantly. I obliged obediently. There were brief sparks that ignited as our shoulders brushed slightly.
"Hey, S. How was beer pong?" I asked. We were finally alone, together. Thank goodness for matchmaker Keith.
"Eh, not the best. Dames and I are out of practice, and Kimmy took an absolutely horrible celebrity shot," he laughed.
My heart twisted like a pretzel. Kimmy and Shayne must have hit it off. I cursed my own stupidity. "Oh... that sounds hilarious," I replied, attempting to mask the pain.
He didn't seem to notice the change in my tone. "Yeah, definitely was. I was expected to see you make fun of me after the loss, but then I realized you had left."
I shrugged nonchantly. "It was getting a little stuffy in there. But you know for a fact that I wouldn't given you shit if I had seen it play out," I teased.
He grinned. "Wouldn't expect anything less." Shayne paused, observing the sky for a moment.
"You know, this reminds me a lot of the night we spent on the truck," he began. My heartrate picked up almost immediately. It was the first time he had acknowledged that night since it happened. "It was beautiful."
"It's crazy to think that we look at these same stars in LA, but they look so much better here," I added quietly. The blanket of stars shone brilliantly across the onyx sky.
He nodded. Shayne paused thoughtfully, carefully choosing what to say next. Apprehension washed across his face as he turned to me.
"I think a lot of things look better out here. And maybe they've always been there, but it takes a different perspective to appreciate them."
And there it was again. His cloudy blue eyes, drawing me in and drowning my mind. The intensity of his gaze made me feel vulnerable, risky and exposed. I had to remind myself not to panic. It's just Shayne, my best friend. I focused on his stare once again. Just me and him and this moment. Suddenly, my nerves disappated into the thick night air.
Our faces were merely inches apart. Was it me, or was the distance between us closing? My breathe hitched. His gaze flitted down to my lips for a fraction of a second, but I caught it.
Oh my god. He was going to kiss me. At least, I thought he was going to kiss me. I could feel my insides warm at the prospect of his rosy pout on mine. After days of yearning for his touch, it was finally going to happen. My heart was pounding through my chest so loudly that I thought he could hear it.
And then he didn't.
With a loud creak, the cabin door swung open loudly, slamming against the wall. The magic in the air immediately shifted. The trance we both were in disappeared.
A very drunk Lasercorn stumbled out of the cabin, grinning when he saw us outside. "Hey kiddos," he slurred.
Shayne turned to face him. "Hey, Laser," he said, cheerily.
"We're playing slap cup inside. Come join!" Lasercorn demanded. He retreated into the cabin, propping the door open on his way back in.
Shayne turned back to me with a gentle smile. He seemed normal. As if nothing had happened. Before I could muster up the courage to ask him about what almost occurred between us, he hopped up to stand and dusted off his jeans.
"You coming?" he asked.
Dumbfounded by his sheer ignorance, I nodded slowly. I stood up and followed him back inside.
What the hell just happened?
***
Ooooh, baby! We got a long boi today. Thanks for reading, and please leave me a vote or comment to let me know how I'm doing.
We've got a bunch of exciting stuff coming up in the next few chapters, but I've only drafted bits and pieces thus far. Do you have any ideas for the story? Let me know - I would love to get your input.
Much love,
Marina