EQAO

Chapter 16 - What Are We, Seven?

A few moments later however, I did let go. Most of the people around us looked sick, but relieved. Everyone looked mostly tired. Except for Mia, who was looking impatient.

"Everyone's here!" she said, looking at the crowd, "We can move on!"

"Ah ah ah! Not so fast, girly." said the voice seemingly from thin air, "Not everyone here is a super-human like you, and they need their rest."

He said the last part with a bit more meaning, but I didn't have time to process it. All the adrenaline that was once in me, and vanished like a candle had been blown out. I stumbled, and Sameera had to hold onto my arm to keep me from falling. My eyes drooped, and felt like someone had attached weights to my eyelids.

"Exactly my point!" exclaimed the announcer. "Jessica looks about ready to faint! Now, contestants, line up single-file in front of the gym doors to exit the stadium."

I looked up, and saw a group of guards stationed around two normal school gym doors. People slowly shifted towards the doors, knowing what lay behind them now.

"Come on," I said groggily, "A little elevator ride can't hurt, right?"

"Uh..." Kat looked skeptic, "I think in this case, it can."

"Psh!" I forced my feet to move forward, "It's sleep! Don't you guys need sleep?"

They looked at each other, shrugged, and followed me to get in the line.

—*—*—*—*—*—*—*—*—

After being slightly banged up from the dark elevator, I found myself looking at what looked like a sad attempt to create a children's hotel. In front of me, was a long hallway with eleven doorways. On each doorframe, there was a peeling and faded sticker of a rainbow, cat or smily face. I suppose they were supposed to make us 'more positive' as we slaughtered each other to win a contest, but they had the opposite effect. Some people looked disgusted at this fake cheeriness. Others rolled their eyes, and walked into the rooms that had the most faded stickers.

"Let's find a room together!" chirped Kat.

Apparently, the stickers had worked on her. Anika sighed, and followed her into a room with a smily face that was missing one of its pupils, making it look very creepy and disturbing. I grinned at Kat as we entered, positivity is contagious. Inside, there were four armour stands, a bowl of fruit on a bed stand, and two bunk beds against the walls. My smile faded.

Four beds, for the five of us...

I looked around to find that everyone else was thinking the same thing. Everyone, except Kat, who inspected a pear before taking a big bite out of it.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her mouth full.

"One of us," Michelle said grimly, "has to sleep somewhere else."

"I'll do it!" I said immediately.

I knew it had to be me. Otherwise, there would've been arguments, and feelings hurt.

"Jessica..." Sameera started.

"I'm going." I said firmly, "Don't try to stop me. I should be the one, I got us into this mess."

"No you didn't!" Kat exclaimed, "You saved me from real trouble."

"Yeah," agreed Anika, "and I was the one who texted everybody to come and investigate the school the second time."

"You're right," I answered, "the second time. Who was the one who proposed going to the school the first time? Who was the one who found those footprints and ran off like an idiot? Who was the one-"

I stopped. I had almost said,

"-who found the way in here?"

"It doesn't matter!" I went on hurriedly, "I'm going, and that's that."

With that, I stomped out of the room.