Groom Wars

42. Sponsored by KFC

Tension blanketed a KFC dinner that the Dryads were supposed to enjoy. Cadmus sat mutely in his chair; he and the rest of the Dryads groaned inwardly as they watched the brewing fight between Leandro and Adriel. Adriel grabbed a pack of fries from the patio table that held many boxes of fries, mashed potatoes, wedges, fried chicken, and chicken fillets. People, forgetting to avoid the virus puppy, swarmed the table to get what they wanted. Adriel said, "Acting cute is so freakin' annoying."

Leandro, sitting beside Adriel, said, "Really? You seem to like it. It seems to come so naturally to you. You quickly bat your eyelashes and pout to get what you want. Honestly, you're the only guy I know that can act like a woman without an ounce of shame."

"Fuck off."

"I'm just saying a man should have principles, things he wouldn't do no matter how much someone pays him," Leandro said.

Mike said, "How about we play a game where the two of you don't fight?" He turned his attention to the table and licked his lips. "We haven't had fast food in months. Let's enjoy it." He dipped a deep-fried chicken leg in gravy.

Leandro said, "Okay, I'll play nice." He waved a fry in front of Adriel's face, smiled smugly, and said, "If you act cute for me, I'll give you this fry."

"I have my own fries." Adriel turned his nose up into the air like a child after throwing a temper tantrum. Cadmus sighed, wishing they would fight somewhere else. Their whole alliance knew why they were quarrelling. Secret dalliances between men were quite common in their society; the strict protocols surrounding dating women sometimes made it easier for men to enter a relationship with a man they were close to. And some men recommended the gay lifestyle to others. Light and dark always coexisted.

In the light, people witnessed heterosexual romance, and beneath, shrouded by dark, lay a hidden network of homosexual bonds.

Yet, despite the threats and dangers, homosexuality continued to thrive, which made it seem like it wasn't as unnatural as churches and society made it to be, which was why some communities turned a blind eye to it.

In the military, where men were away from their wives for many months, as the boys participating in Groom Wars were away from women for months, there were often whispers of men entering relationships with other men. Some consensual. Some forced.

If Leandro forced Adriel to do anything, then Cadmus would get involved and separate the two. If not, then Cadmus would let the two of them sort things out independently.

Leandro continued to aggravate Adriel, saying, "You know, I was wondering why your father was so protective of you. But after spending some weeks with you, I feel quite sorry for him. If I were him, I would worry about you daily. You can't cook. Can't do laundry. Have terrible decision-making skills. You are rash. Proud. Ignorant. Should I go on?"

"I can cook."

"Yes, putting bread in the toaster is cooking."

"I make cereal."

"You make cereal? Did you guys know Adriel can make cereal? Wow, that's why they have people making cereals on cooking shows. It takes so much talent. Pour milk. Pour in some sugar-filled snack. Honestly, it takes so much skill to do that. I'm impressed."

"It's not as simple as you make it out to be. I warm up the milk, then I put in the cereal, and it takes me a while to get the milk to the right temperature—finding the right amount of warmth for the milk is an exact skill; not everyone can do it properly." A pause, then Adriel asked, "What's your problem anyway?"

"I don't have a problem; do you have a problem with me?"

Adriel lowered his food, unclipped his microphone, tossed it on the table, then said, "This show and you are driving me mad," he muttered and went inside.

Leandro also removed his microphone and followed the boy, saying, "Come on, why don't you act cute for me? Flirt a little? You do it for everyone else."

"It is a fucking act; it means nothing. Get over it!" The two went inside and closed the glass door behind them.

At their departure, Mike muttered, "Thank-fucking-God."

Tousling his red curls, Charlie said, "They are like a couple heading for a divorce."

Some people laughed.

Cadmus ate his fries.

Steven, always serious, held Cadmus' shoulder and said, "You are voting in Lord Columbia tomorrow, right? The quicker we get rid of him, the better."

Cadmus nodded. The last few times they had sent the marquess into an elimination round, he had survived and returned the favour. After being voted in by Les Braves Hommes, Cadmus and Adriel had survived a hiking elimination challenge. There had been a terrifying moment where Adriel had slowed and vomited halfway up the mountain, and Cadmus had saved them by carrying Adriel's bag and his, a combined total of eighty pounds. Cadmus stretched his shoulder blades as he remembered that treacherous event.

Junho and Charlie had been the third pair to survive an elimination round; they had solved a sudoku puzzle roughly fourteen feet tall and equally wide. The player solving the puzzle had worn a harness secured to a rope that rested in a pulley far above their heads, while their partner had stood on the platform behind them, holding the trailing end of the rope. In Junho and Charlie's match, Charlie had solved the puzzle while Junho adjusted the rope, raising and lowering his partner as needed to put the numbered tiles in their slots. It had been a tight and thrilling elimination, but they had won by a millisecond.

The following week, Luke and Mike had survived an easy elimination that had required them to run barefoot across hot rocks without making a sound. Following them, Leandro and Steven had won an elimination round by lifting barrels weighed down with stones. They had managed to hold their barrel above the ground longer than their opponents and had secured their place in the competition.

But, lately, Lord Columbia had changed his tactic; instead of going after the party's leaders, he had begun to attack the smaller members, sending them in against titans he could trust to take them out, crippling the Dryads.

If they did not eliminate Lord Columbia soon, the Dryads would lose their equal footing. Cadmus hoped that if a God existed, He would orchestrate things so the marquess would be sent home. Cadmus also wished his partner would stop messing around with Leandro and focus on the competition, but it wasn't a subject he could safely talk to Adriel about with so many cameras around.

Cadmus ate a piece of fried chicken breast, savouring the salted, crispy skin and oil-soaked flesh. He didn't particularly care for fast food, but he had come to appreciate well-seasoned food after cooking his own bland and sometimes burnt meals over the past few months. Cadmus licked his fingers and watched the smiling, oily faces of his companions, who thanked him for winning the challenge. As he studied their childlike grins, he wondered how many of them would survive the following month.

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