sweet tooth - karl jacobs

chapter 33- chance

i can hear nolan's footsteps growing closer and closer, and it takes every ounce of adrenaline and determination to not fall behind and let him tag me out. my lungs burn, my legs are tired, and i can feel sweat starting to prick onto my scalp. but i'll endure a few moments of suffering for a hundred grand.

i'm not entirely sure where i should run to. since nolan is right on my tail, it's not like i can pull a fast one and turn a corner to lose him. or maybe if i keep running, he'll get tired and stop chasing me.

i decide that the latter is the best option i have, so i run around in open areas, hoping to shake him off and wear him out. i only run in open areas because i don't want him to find any shortcuts to cut me off with.

my plan doesn't seem to be working, because nolan doesn't run out of breath.

i let out a long breath, attempting to slow my heart rate. 

what happened to the haven appreciation hashtag he participated in?

i catch sight of someone running towards me on the right. i turn my head slightly to fully see who it is, praying it isn't another seeker. but thankfully, it's not. rather, it's sapnap.

"HAVEN!" he shouts, still running towards me. i look beyond him and see kris tailing not far behind him.

"NOLAN!" kris screams shortly after sapnap. "HELP ME CATCH SAPNAP!"

"CAN'T YOU SEE I'M BUSY?" nolan yells back.

"CATCH HAVEN LATER! I NEED HELP!"

i take the distraction as my sign to escape, and make a quick turn to the left. i pray sapnap escapes the two taggers and follows. i enjoyed his company.

i find myself in the cafeteria, looking around for a hiding spot amongst the array of tables in the dimly lit room. if not a hiding spot then maybe a snack, considering the running has worn me out immensely.

i find myself at the food window, where you pay for food and a lunch lady gives it to you. it's a small opening, but i hop over the counter and slide into the back where all the food is kept.

i should be safe here for a while. safe and fed.

i open a random shelf to find a stash of bagged potato chips. i grab the nearest bag, turning out to be fritos, and lean against a wall while i eat. i still keep high alert and listen through my earpiece for people to come out (one boy did, so seven people are left). after it's quiet for a while, i decide to start recording on my go-pro. i haven't done so since i was with sapnap, anyway.

"hi guys," i mutter as i turn the camera on. "there are seven people left. i don't know how i made it this far. but now i'm eating chips." i hold up the bag and cringe at how awkward i sound without sapnap.

"i miss sapnap. he was fun to hide with." i pause. "cut that out, jimmy. that was cheesy."

i hear another person climb over the counter, and i freeze in place. until i figure out who it was.

"speak of the devil," i say as i turn the camera towards sapnap walking towards me, his breathing heavy. "i was just saying i missed your company."

"where did you get those?" sapnap asks, referring to the chips, hunching over with his hands on his knees, attempting to catch him breath.

"first cabinet over there." i point to said area and he nods, making his way over. "if you can find water, bring that over as well."

"whatever you say, boss."

i turn off the camera as sapnap returns with a bag of lays and two water bottles. he hands one bottle to me and i thank him, twisting the cap off and taking a long gulp.