The Leftover

by Brooke Williams

Megan shook her head. “He hath spoken,” she muttered. At least she’d dodged his command this time.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Cane rolled over on his cot. He could hear the laughter settling down the beach. The contestants were calling it a night and would soon be in their respective shelters. The cameras would turn off and the crew would break for the day.

  Being close to the show was exciting. Cane wondered what kind of emergencies might pop up over the days to come. So far, he had only treated Kat for splinters after the log competition. He was certain no one else would have complained of that particular “injury,” but Kat was in a league of her own.

  Cane sat up when he heard a rustling noise. It wasn’t going to be easy to sleep with so many different sounds.

  “Are you awake?” The loud whisper rang through the tent.

  “I am. Why are you?” Cane smiled and pushed his thin blanket aside. He parted the tent flap to reveal his visitor.

  “The ground is pretty hard.” Megan shrugged.

  “Want to come in?”

  She glanced over her shoulder. “I better not. I don’t want to get caught cheating or even have it look like I was trying to cheat. The cameras aren’t rolling, but still.”

  “Good point. Why don’t you take a seat out there and we can talk for a while.”

  “Really?”

  “My cot’s not much softer than the ground.”

  Cane sank to the ground on his side of the tent and watched Megan do the same. “Turn around and lean against me,” he suggested.

  Cane felt the pressure of her back against his as he leaned in her direction. They could support one another.

  “Tell me a bedtime story?” Megan asked.

  Cane chuckled. “You like ghost stories?”

  “On a dark beach near the woods? Um, no.”

  An owl hooted and Megan started with a small gasp.

  “It’s a lot to get used to.” Cane chuckled.

  “I’ll say. I usually go to sleep to the hum of the air conditioner.”

  “Air conditioning . . . don’t remind me.” Cane wiped his brow.

  “I know. The humidity today was killer. But it’ll cool off tonight.” As if on cue, Megan shivered. “So, no ghost stories. Just tell me about you. Did you always know you wanted to be a paramedic?”

  Cane leaned the back of his head against hers. “As long as I can remember. I always wanted to help people at least. When I was little, my friends played G.I. Joe and when they’d get hurt in battle, I would fix them up. My parents were always running out of bandages in the medicine cabinet because I would steal them for the Joes.”

  Megan giggled. “I can picture that. You have a compassionate heart.”

  Cane shrugged. “The world is so messed up. I just want to do what I can to make it better, even in a small way.”

  “If I’m ever hurt, you’ll be my first call.”

  “I better be.” Cane glanced over his shoulder, wishing he could see her face through the tent wall.

  They settled in against each other again. “What’s it like to have a sister? Someone you can rely on like that?” Cane envied their sibling bond. They seemed closer than he was with his brothers.

  “Molly’s great. We’re close in age so it was almost like growing up with a twin. Except we’re rather different, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

  “There are a few contrasts,” Cane agreed. His few interactions with Molly had gone smoothly. She was charming and full of grace. Megan, on the other hand, was reserved and understated. He smiled, thinking about the way she pushed her glasses up her nose and looked through her eyelashes at him.

  Megan let out a snort. “Like the fact that she’d choose to do a show like this and I never would.”

  “And yet here you are.”

  “Here I am.” Megan sighed.

  Cane was enjoying the conversation and her closeness. Since Eva, he had pulled away from his friends, and he realized he was lonely. He hadn’t had a simple, easy conversation like this in a long time. Would they be talking like this if Megan could see him? He smiled. Perhaps the darkness gave her shy tendencies the cover she needed to step out in boldness.

  “What brought you on the show?” Megan asked. “You know why I’m here.”

  Cane drew in a sharp breath as visions of Eva flashed across his mind. “I don’t know. I guess I was trying to get away from everyday life.”

  “You aren’t happy with your job?”

  Megan was prodding him, but he didn’t mind. “I love what I do. I think I just needed a change of pace.”

  Megan turned slightly. “What are you running from, Cane Trevino?”

  He drew his knees up toward his chest and placed his elbows on them. “Okay, you got me. A broken heart.”

  “I couldn’t believe my eyes when she turned you away,” Megan said wistfully.

  He smiled. She was sweet. “We weren’t right for each other.”

  “Well, I guess that’s true, but still. I can’t imagine having a man like you and dumping him. It just doesn’t make sense.”

  “Thanks.”

  The pair listened to the night sounds of the woods and the soft lap of the water for a few moments.

  “Did you see how much sand blew up around Tank when he fell off that log today? It was like some kind of sand storm.”

  The abruptness of the comment and the image of Tank caught up in a sandstorm was too much. Cane threw his head back and laughed. It felt good to let loose. “Thanks, Megan. That was just what I needed.”

  “I wasn’t joking.” Her voice was serious.

  Cane laughed again. “I know. I saw it with my own eyes.” He appreciated the change in topic and the fact that Megan didn’t delve too deeply into his past. She knew what had happened. Everyone did. They’d all seen it on TV.

  For the next hour, they talked about his college days and how she got into voice-overs. The time went fast and the night noises faded away until all he could hear was the sound of her deep, melodic voice.

  Megan smacked her lips. Her mouth was dry. She brushed her fingers across her cheek. Sand stuck to her face and her arms were freezing, but her back was very warm. She opened her eyes to get her bearings. Ah yes, The Leftover. She was on the beach . . . but wait. She wasn’t in the lean-to with the others. Her eyes darted around. The blue tent at her side told the story.

  “Cane,” she whispered as their conversation came flooding back. They’d spent well over an hour talking about their lives. She’d enjoyed every second—which was very unusual for her. The fact that she had sought him out the night before was unprecedented. She smiled. He had a way of making her feel comfortable.

  She pressed her hand against the blue tent and felt his back on the other side. He must have laid down when she did and eventually, they had both fallen asleep.

  “Hey! Watch it!”

  Megan drew back her hand in surprise as the tent flap flew open and Cane’s head appeared, confused and sleepy.

  “I’m so sorry, did I goose you?” Megan’s face was on fire despite the chill in the morning air.

  “Goose? No, but you grabbed my rear.”

  Megan stood. Oh my gosh, oh my gosh. She stumbled backward. “Again, so sorry.”

  “Wait,” Cane called, reaching out to her.

  But Megan was picking up speed across the beach. They’d had a lovely conversation. Their friendship had grown by leaps and bounds. And then she ruined it by waking him up with a hand on his butt cheek. Thankfully, with no cameras around, the moment would be between the two of them. But that was bad enough.

  Megan crawled into the lean-to, lay in the space next to Grace she had vacated the night before, and tried to calm her breathing. With any luck, no one would know she had been gone. Especially all night. She didn’t need rumors to start, and she certainly didn’t want anyone to think she was trying to cheat.

  She gave herself a few moments to revel in the late night conversation, trying to forget the embarrassing morning event. Cane
made her feel like a real person, not someone easily overlooked as she was by most people. He cared about her opinion and laughed at her jokes. She closed her eyes. It was a good thing they had sat back-to-back. She never could have said half as much had she been looking into his dreamy eyes.

  Grace rolled over with a moan and the rest of the contestants in the lean-to began to stir. Megan pretended to be waking up too, which wasn’t hard. She was sleepy from the previous day’s exertions and late night conversation.

  Too soon, she was following Leo to the fire pit to help boil water. Danae and Sabrina looked the most haggard since they had taken turns keeping the fire going throughout the night. Stomachs rumbled all around. Megan couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this hungry.

  Everyone drank their fill of water to try to calm their complaining tummies.

  “How was the lean-to?” Andrew asked with a cocky smile. His tie was in place around his neck, but his suit was wrinkled.

  Megan ducked her head and let the others in her group answer. “Lovely,” Leo said. “No wind, no bugs, just enough moonlight. How about your shelter?”

  Andrew cracked his knuckles. “Never better.”

  Megan noticed Kat rolling her eyes as she rubbed the small of her back. Life on the beach wasn’t paradise after all.

  The contestants began to ponder what the day’s competition would be as the station’s crew members were making plenty of noise on the other side of the medic tent. Before long, Wendy appeared in a bright flower-print sundress and strappy high-heels.

  “Morning, everyone.” Wendy’s voice was bright and cheery, like that of someone who had slept in a cozy bed.

  “Morning,” the contestants muttered in sleepy voices.

  “I hope you don’t mind getting started bright and early. Our competition for protection will begin in a few moments on the other side of the beach. You’ll have the rest of the day to figure out who you will eliminate tonight. And,” she paused for dramatic effect, “the reward that goes along with protection is one all of you will want. Wendy Weathersby will see you over there in a few minutes and we’ll get started.”

  Megan watched Wendy take off in her dune buggy. Maybe the reward was getting to ride around the beach in that thing. Megan was tired of the sand in her shoes. But a little sand was the least of her problems. She was starving and she had to compete on little reserve energy.

  She fell into line with the group as they trudged up the beach and around the blue tent. Cane appeared as the contestants neared and Megan averted her eyes. She’d hold on to the conversation they enjoyed. It would have to be enough. Now that she had touched his buns, she’d never be able face him again. Her cheeks flamed with embarrassment.

  “Welcome to Day Two of The Leftover!” Wendy greeted the contestants from her board. “Today’s challenge has several parts. It will be a timed event and you will each have a turn. First, you’ll do a little beach bowling.” Wendy gestured dramatically at the long aisle of boards lined up in a makeshift bowling lane. There were ten pins at one edge and a plastic ball sitting at the other end. “You have to get all ten pins down before you can move on to the second stage. You’ll throw the ball and then retrieve it yourself. Remember, time is of the essence.” Wendy tapped her wrist. “Then, once all ten pins are down, you are allowed to start digging in the sand behind the pins. There, you’ll find a box that holds a key. Use the key to unlock the puzzle pieces at this station.” Wendy tapped the wooden treasure chest next to her. “Once the puzzle is free, put it together and hold up both hands to indicate you are finished. Wendy Weathersby will stop the timer at that point.”

  Megan smiled. She stank at bowling, but she was decent at puzzles.

  “You can watch one another from over there.” Wendy pointed to a flagged area twenty feet away. “That way, no one else can see what the puzzle is and gain an advantage. Who’s ready to play?”

  Megan took a deep breath. She didn’t know if she wanted to win or not. Her sister told her to keep a low profile, and she already came close to winning last time. Then again, if she won, she could relax for the rest of the day knowing she was safe from elimination. Plus, maybe the reward was a cheeseburger.

  “I’ll draw names for order.” Wendy reached into a bucket and picked out a slip of paper. “Nathan, you’re up first.”

  Megan watched Nathan take his spot at the end of the bowling aisle as the rest of them moved to the designated viewing area. She hardly knew Nathan. If her social game was going to go anywhere, she’d have to start talking to the contestants in the other shelter. That would be even more painful than getting to know the lean-to crew since the others were on the opposite side of the game from her.

  “And go!” Wendy shouted.

  Nathan tossed the ball down the aisle, and Kat sidled up to Megan’s side.

  “What do you say we make a deal?” Kat said out of the corner of her mouth.

  Megan looked behind her. Could she be talking to anyone else? “Me?” she asked softly.

  Kat nodded. “If I win today, I’ll take you with me on the reward. If you win, you take me.”

  Megan shrugged. “Sure, deal.”

  Kat smiled and moved away. Megan wondered if she was making the same deal with everyone in the group. It didn’t matter. Megan wasn’t likely to win, given her aversion to bowling.

  Nathan threw his hands up to show he was done, then stood up and adjusted his large belt buckle to tighten his pants at the waist as Wendy recorded his time. Juan took his turn next, knocking the pins down quickly but struggling with the puzzle. Megan cheered as Carson and then Grace took their turns. Carson did well, but Grace beat him by ten seconds and took the lead. Sabrina and Danae fell short by a few seconds and then it was Megan’s turn.

  Megan grabbed the plastic ball and prepared to toss it on Wendy’s cue.

  “And . . . go!” Wendy yelled.

  Megan launched the ball down the aisle. It zoomed off to the side and into the sand. She jogged over, picked it up, and raced back to the other end. She heaved it a second time with similar results. Her face started to burn. This was not going to be pretty.

  “Gutter ball!” Andrew called from the sidelines.

  Not helping. Megan threw the ball again and managed to knock one pin off the side at the end. After a few more throws, there were still four pins standing securely in the sand. She was growing increasingly frustrated. It didn’t matter how fast she did the puzzle if she couldn’t knock down the pins.

  She took a deep breath and glanced at the blue tent. Cane stood at its corner and gave her a slight salute. She smiled and returned her attention to the pins. She held the ball in front of her face, squinted, and lightly tossed it down the aisle. It veered to the side, then returned and hit the remaining pins in the center. When they all fell over, she jumped into the air.

  Megan knelt in the sand and dug furiously. She needed that key fast if she was going to make up any time. Once the key was in her hand, she got the puzzle out of the box. She laid the pieces out right side up and surveyed the scene. It was some sort of beach picture with a lot of sand. It wasn’t an easy puzzle. She found the corners and began to connect pieces. Once she saw the picture in store for her, the pieces fit together faster.

  The last piece snapped into the puzzle and Megan threw her arms in the air.

  “And time!” Wendy leaned over to look at the puzzle, which was a picture of the beach with The Leftover spelled out with rocks. “Puzzle correct,” Wendy announced. “Megan, your time was . . .” She paused as Megan tried to slow her racing heart. The puzzle had taken more out of her than the rest since she was in such a hurry. “I’m sorry, you’re four minutes off pace. Megan takes a spot at the bottom of the leader board.”

  Megan grunted and returned to the viewing area, disappointed but not too upset—at least now the other contestants wouldn’t feel threatened by her. She crossed her arms over her chest and watched as Andrew got a strike on the first try and then put the puzzle together with ea
se. He took the lead from Grace like it was another day at the office.

  Kat was last and Megan found herself cheering the woman on. Why not? She might be the key to the reward, even if protection was out of the question. When Kat threw a split with the first ball, Megan groaned, but the woman was fast on her feet and was throwing the ball again in no time. On her third throw, all the pins were gone.

  She dug with precision and Megan wondered if she was worried about breaking a nail. Once she got to the puzzle table, perhaps the nails helped her slide the pieces into place—it went together in no time at all.

  “Done!” Kat held her hands above her head.

  “Wow, great job, Kat.” Wendy studied her stopwatch. “We have a new leader . . . and a winner! Kat, you have protection from tonight’s elimination.”

  Kat brushed her hands against one another and pumped her fist. “Yes!”

  Wendy turned to the competitors as Kat took her place among them, receiving congratulations from all around. “No one can vote for Kat tonight and this afternoon, she will also get a reward. Kat, you can choose two people to enjoy the reward with you.”

  “I’ll take Andrew and Megan,” Kat replied.

  Wendy nodded. “Everyone else can return to the beach. Andrew, Megan, Kat, you’ll come with me.”

  Megan, pleasantly surprised that Kat had followed through on their deal, watched as the rest of the group commiserated their losses and walked around the blue tent to the other area. She also caught Cane’s bug-eyed look as Kat swung her arm around Megan’s shoulders as if they were long lost sisters.

  “Now,” Wendy said once the other contestants were gone. “I know it’s only been a day, but I’m sure you’re already feeling rather dirty from sleeping on the beach.”

  “You bet,” Kat agreed.

  “Near the parking lot, we have a staff shower set up. This morning, you will each be allowed twenty minutes to get cleaned up. The shower is equipped with shampoo, soaps, and even new toothbrushes and toothpaste. It’s an outdoor shower, so it’s not like having a long bubble bath, but it’s certainly better than what the others get.”