Dangerous Charm - THG [2]

03

|IN THE RUNNING|

Ignoring the sound of footsteps approaching from the roadside, Knox pushed the heavy wheelbarrow out of the cow barn without so much as breaking a sweat.

The weeks leading up to the dreaded games were passing too quickly and the closer they got the more paranoid her father became. His worries made it difficult for her to qualm her stress about them so she'd been spending more time alone on the farm lately.

Other times she spent with Lenox, practising defending themselves per her father's request to ease his mind just in case. This had been his routine for years, he had always been paranoid about the games, rightfully so, and to help ease himself the smallest bit he'd been teaching Knox the best he could since she was young.

It was no career district training academy but it was better than nothing at all. She could at least break her attacker's nose before they stabbed her to death—something she was all too good at hence the constantly bandaged knuckles. Small victories.

An obnoxious scoff came from somewhere behind her as she placed the wheelbarrow down beside the field. She was alone on the farm so she already knew the visitor wasn't friendly.

"I knew I smelt manure," the all too familiar voice drawled.

"This is a farm Benson," Knox said dryly turning to face the trio of intruders, "it's going to smell like manure,"

Knox didn't allow herself to look in Linara's direction as she stared at the group that, despite all being a year above her in school, made it their mission to make her life more miserable than it already is.

Linara, despite having a random change of heart in her attitude towards Knox recently, always acted differently around her friends.

"He wasn't talking about the cows," the girl hanging from Benson's arm, Becky, giggled like it was the funniest thing anyone could have said.

Knox smiled sarcastically as she removed her hat from her head and wiped her brow, "thank you for clearing that up Becky,"

"Your welcome," Becky condescendingly blew a kiss at her.

"Reaping day tomorrow," Benson announced, "nervous Codie?"

Seeing no point in denying it, Knox nodded, "A little. What about you guys?" She questioned as if they were friends having a casual conversation. It was better to let them antagonise themselves than do it for them.

"It would be stupid not to be," said Linara, speaking for the first time since they'd gotten to the farm. Becky nodded in agreement.

Finally letting herself look at the girl, Knox noticed her eyes were scanning around the farm, particularly the rugged farmhouse which had a wheelchair ramp built leading to the front door.

Benson folded his hands in front of him and leaned against the wooden fence separating them, "I'm feeling quite hopeful this year actually," he informed, a glint of malice in his eyes, "heard you're in the running sixty-seven times Codie. I'm excited. Maybe this year the games might be entertaining to watch instead of depressing."

Knox's eyes snapped to Linara who was already staring at her.

"How many times is your name in now?"
"Uh, like sixty-seven, I think,"

Of course, she couldn't keep quiet for more than a few weeks. Knox didn't know why she was so surprised.

Becky detached herself from Benson and smacked his arm, way too hard to be friendly banter "That's disgusting," she shrieked, "you know we don't joke about that. my cousin..."