For Evermore

CHAPTER 20

I just realized that Oliver hasn't spoken to me about the quiz at all. He didn't even tell me that there would be a Pictionary round. It makes me wonder what's next. Something tells me it isn't Q and A. This better be something I'm good at.

"Let's get our teams back for the next round!!", Oliver chimes into the mic.

"I wonder what's next," Min mutters nervously.

"You just spoke my mind!", I say as we return to our desks on the stage.

"I can sense the tension radiating from the participants, because believe it or not, your boy here can keep a secret! So, none of the participants knows what's next! It's CHARADES!!!! My favourite round here!! So, the two teams who have qualified for this round will play charades!" Oliver winks at the crowd.

He's good. I mean, really good with the crowd. But that doesn't make me want to punch him any less. Charades!! That'll be a nightmare! I've participated in plays before but that was rehearsed. I've never been good at charades! What am I gonna do? I really hope Min does well on this because I'm going to be a total disaster.

All of us look like we're about to hit Oliver, but he chooses to ignore that and goes on.

"So, let me lay down the rules. All of you will be given turns to pick one tiny scroll from this wooden bowl right here," he points to a wooden bowl kept on a table at the centre of the stage, "During each turn, one of you will open the scroll and see the word or phrase written on it, and try to enact it to your team-mate. If your team-mate guesses right, your team earns ten points, and if they don't you obviously don't get any points. The person enacting the word will face the audience and your partner will have one minute to guess the word."

All of us look reluctant but the audience seems really excited about this. I can see Bacchus smiling to himself. 

"Now that the rules are clear, let's get started! Let's start with Team Poseidon!"

"Katherine, one of us has to go now. Do you want to go, or should I go first? I'm really bad at acting, you know, and there are so many people watching!" Min whispers.

"I'm not much of an actress either, but I guess I could try!" I say.

"Alright, good luck!" she says.

I walk up to the table with the wooden bowl and see that there are about 10 tiny scrolls tied with golden thread. I pick one from the top.

POSEIDON- that's what it says. Could it really be that simple? The name of my team here? Okay, maybe this is just a fun round.

I turn around to face the audience and Min is looking at me intently. Henry just gives me a curious look and Oliver doesn't meet my eye.

I point towards Min and at myself.

"Friends?" she says, doubtfully.

I shake my head, point at the table and move my hands to suggest a board or something like that.

"Screen," she says.

I lean over and point at our team name written on a tiny board at our desk.

"Table, us, quiz, team?", I stop her at 'team', then I move my hands in waves to suggest water and then point at the sky to suggest God, maybe this will do!

"Team, water, sky, Oh wait!! Is it Poseidon??"

"Yes!!!!" I go and high-five her.

"Poseidon? Really?" she asks.

"Ten points to team Poseidon for Poseidon!!" Oliver says in a sing-songy manner.

"Team Hades, who's coming?", Oliver asks Jeremy and Henry.