Sunset City

: - T H R E E - :

Overgrowth has never been known for affection in the Competition. Last year , for example, one of our Competitors tried to push the other Overgrowth person off of the stage. The year before, both of our Competitors got eliminated in the first task because they wouldn't do the task since they were so busy arguing. So, our Area is not known for its kindness.

The "audience" make mumbled surprised sounding noises seeing me hug Poppy. Goldie does an over exaggerated gasp. Poppy mutters "Thank you, Lotus." Before Goldie whisks me up out of my seat and raises my right hand into the air, and I know without seeing any of the audience outside of the Square, I have immediately become a favourite without meaning to. The Towerscape People love when Competitors are different than normal. I smile at the camera, secretly hoping for it to focus on anyone but me, and notice the rest of the people off-stage being cleared out.

Being a favourite Competitor is both good and bad. Good because Towerscape Citizens can slightly help their favourites by sending them notes with advice. Bad because all of the other Competitors will try to sabotage your tasks so you fail and get eliminated. And seeing this years crop of Competitors, I think I'm leaning towards bad.

Goldie stands the rest of the Competitors up and leads us to a backroom behind the Centre Hall, where we will wait for our transport to take us to the Competitor Complex. Me and Poppy are sat next to each other while all of the others can sit where they like and talk to whoever they want. Poppy turns to me and places a reassuring hand on my shoulder. For all I know there are hidden cameras in here recording how we behave while we wait, so I play along to the little "sweet innocent Overgrowth kids" scenario I accidentally made. I lean over and hug her again, almost falling out of my seat. This doesn't feel like that last hug, this one feels right. Like I'm meant to be hugging Poppy right now.

She's fourteen like I am, which makes us an incredibly rare pairing of Competitors, us both being the youngest age you can be. Poppy hugs me back, putting a hand in my cotton candy hair. Normally I hate when people touch my hair, but I don't mind it now.

We break apart our hug when we hear Goldie clapping her hands together, she starts to speak to the group. "Okay, everyone! The car is almost here, and there are some basic rules I want to see being followed in there. One, no fighting of any kind. Two, be respectful to the driver and staff on the car. Three, just don't be rude and mind your manners when you're asking for something. Got that, my darlings?" She looks at us and we vaguely nod in understanding. I don't like Goldie calling me her "darling" so I tune out the rest of what she's saying and look at Poppy. She's really pretty for her age, soft, smooth skin dotted with amber freckles. Curly blonde hair that bounces anytime she moves.  She has green eyes, like everyone in our Area, but hers are almost electric. Her soft smile when she looks at me makes her eyes light up. She's wearing a dress decorated with her namesake flower, the red blossoms nearly covering the blue fabric. Poppies are normally a symbol of war, but in the Overgrowth we see them to mean joy and acceptance of what you've lost. I think Poppy represents the joy meaning.

She leans over and whispers in my ear "Play along to what I'm about to do, I'm sorry in advance and I won't do it again if you get upset." Then she wraps her arms around me, not in the way we have hugged before, but almost in a loving way. I immediately know what she's trying to do. Play us off as lovers so we get help in the Competition due to being favourites. Risky, but worth it if it works. I lift my head and see the rest of the Competitors staring at us like we're taking drugs, and Goldie looks like she might have a heart attack from how "adorable" we are together. I spot a shining screen in the corner of the ceiling and know that we are being recorded, just as I thought. I look at Poppy and play with her hair. I've never been in love before, but this seems almost natural to do if we're to pass as boyfriend and girlfriend. A strand of my hair falls on my face and it almost looks red in the lighting. I hear the girl from Crystalline yell "Break it up, lovebirds, car's here!" And Poppy let's go of me, and walks to the exit. I get up and follow her and see the biggest car possibly in the whole City. It definitely has room for all fifteen of us travelling and then some. I get into the car and sit next to Poppy. She rests her head on my shoulder and I rest mine on top of hers. She reaches her hand over to me and I grab hold of it. I see the Crystalline girl from earlier point at us pretend to gag with her new Jewelled friends. I ignore them and try to fall asleep, not knowing how long the journey is.

I eventually close my eyes and fall sleep, still gently resting on Poppy's head