Chapter 14

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"Good luck with your challenge, by the way." Dodge said a few mornings later. We had received word that everybody would be getting their individual challenges today, it was just that nobody knew when.

"You too." I nodded. We were both in the diner and his shift had around five minutes before ending. I got a text from Jesse.

Jesse: Hey can you come pick me up from Tony's
Me: That's like twenty minutes away.
Jesse: Aren't you with dodge
Me: Yes.
Jesse: Dodge has a car

"You're either texting your dad or your brother." Dodge guessed.

"It's Jesse, he wants me to pick him up from his friend's place, but it's like twenty minutes away." I said.

"My shift is almost over, we can go get him." Dodge said as he finished cleaning the glasses.

"You don't have to." I shook my head.

"I have nothing else to do." He shrugged. I picked my phone back up to text Jesse again.

Me: Dodge and I are coming to pick you up.
Jesse: Told you so

Just as his coworker began her shift, Dodge and I left to retrieve my little brother.

"Thanks." I said as we drove. I had put the address into his phone's GPS just moments prior.

"No problem." Dodge said, staring at the road. We drove in near silence until my phone vibrated with a text message. It was from an unknown number. "Jesse?"

"No, I think it's my challenge." I shook my head. "It's a location card."

"Does it say immediately?" Dodge asked. "Because I can take you to wherever it says then take Jesse home."

"No, it think it's okay." I said, putting my phone away. We hurriedly picked my brother up from Tony's house, dropped him off at home, and went to the location I was sent.

"Hold on!" Dodge said before I opened the car door. I stopped and turned to face him. He quickly pressed his lips to mine and shooed me out of the car. The place ended up being a run down amusement park just outside of Carp. After Dodge had driven away, I was met with Abby (I can't remember what a reader said her name could have been. Abby is now engraved in my brain, so that's what we're going to call her. Thanks to whoever I spoke to about her, though!) dressed in a clown costume. 

"Hey, before we start, let's take a quick video to show to the judges for proof." Abby said, pulling out her phone and putting it into selfie mode. "Say your full name—with your middle name and no nicknames—, favorite color, and favorite drink." I nodded and She began recording. "My name is Abigail Mildred Clark, my favorite color is red, and my favorite drink is sweet tea!"

"My name is Clement Andrea Wilcox, my favorite color is dark green, and my favorite drink is apple juice," I said, copying Abby's format. She stopped the video and faced me. 

"Great! Follow me to your challenge!" She led me to the tallest Ferris wheel I've ever seen in my life. "Hop in."

"You can't be serious." I said, dumbfounded. As it turned out, Drew did remember one thing I told him: I have a fear of heights.

"I'm so serious." She said.

"I'm going to kill Drew when I get out of this." I muttered.

"Don't feel bad, he knows about everyone." She said. "Well, everyone but Dodge. That's why his hair is so big, it's full of secrets."

"Whatever." I said, clenching my jaw and climbing into the rickety gondola.

"Going up!" Abby said, flipping a switch. The Ferris wheel creaked to life and I started going up. I held my breath, gripped the rusted bar, and squeezed my eyes shut. But it stopped. I opened my eyes to find that I was at the very top. My stomach lurched and I felt my hands get clammy. "Your challenge is to get down!"

"Screw you!" I called. I wracked my brain to figure out a way to get down without leaving the gondola, but to no avail. I would have to climb down the Ferris wheel like a ladder. I then gathered up my courage and climbed out of the gondola and started the long way down. When I got to the middle, I realized that I would either have to jump or inch along the side of the ferris wheel. The bars I was using as a ladder ended up turning vertical rather than horizontal, so there was no way for me to get down there without jumping. On the other hand, I would have to climb in a curved motion if I went to the side. I decided to jump. As soon as my hands left the hot metal, my breath caught in my throat. I braced myself to make impact with the ground, which was harder than I thought it would be (that's what she said). 

"You good?" Abby asked with a grin in her voice.

"Peachy." I said, winded.

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