Sophie's Life

Chapter 8: The Win

We gather in a small clearing near the pond, preparing to form the human pyramid. Sasha still looks uneasy, and I can't blame her—balancing on top of people doesn't sound fun to anyone who isn't confident. James takes charge, of course.

"Okay, so we'll start with the base. Daniel, Aaron, and me. Then Abby, Sasha, and Riley, you'll climb up on our backs."

Aaron, who's been silent since retrieving the bottle, suddenly speaks up. "Shouldn't we switch positions? Riley's taller. She should be at the bottom."

Riley whips around, glaring. "Excuse me? I'm perfectly fine where I am. Maybe you're just too weak to hold us up."

Aaron raises an eyebrow, his voice calm but condescending. "I'm just saying, it's about balance. You can't argue with basic physics."

"Or maybe you just can't stand me being above you," Riley snaps, crossing her arms defiantly.

"Guys, can we not do this right now?" James cuts in, looking between them with frustration. "We're wasting time."

But Riley isn't backing down. "No, let him explain why he thinks he's so much better than everyone."

Aaron scoffs. "I'm just trying to win. If you have a problem with that, maybe you're not cut out for this."

That's when Riley loses it. "You're unbelievable! You've been acting like you're above everyone from the moment you joined our group. If you don't want to be here, just leave!"

Aaron steps forward, clearly fed up. "You know what? Fine. Maybe I will."

Sasha looks panicked, sensing things are spiraling out of control. "Please, stop. We're going to lose if we keep fighting."

But Aaron turns, storming off toward the trees. "Good luck without me."

"Good riddance," Riley mutters under her breath, but the damage is done. We've lost one of our strongest members, and the group feels disjointed. Daniel tries to fill in for Aaron, but it's clear we're no longer working as a team.

"Let's just try," James says, trying to salvage the situation. "Come on, we don't have time to argue."

We manage to get into position, but it's shaky. Sasha is trembling, and I can tell she's about to give up. As we try to lift the next person, the whole structure wobbles. Riley, still fuming, isn't focusing, and suddenly, the pyramid collapses.

We all hit the ground in a pile of limbs. Sasha looks like she's about to cry, and Riley groans in frustration. "This is a disaster."

Before we can even try again, we hear Sir's voice in the distance. "Blue team wins!"

I glance toward the trees, seeing the Blue team celebrating. Jace and Jules are high-fiving while Alan waves the flag triumphantly. They must have solved their puzzle without a hitch while we were busy falling apart.