𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗠𝗬 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗕𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗙𝗜𝗧𝗦, Alejandro

Chapter 14:

Chapter fourteen:

HYPOCRITE OR SELFISH

Y/N was taking a nap at a table in the common area, her head nestled in the crook of her folded arms. She had purposefully chosen this spot, away from the loser area where Duncan was, as he was ticked off at her since the last elimination ceremony. Tyler, too, was annoyed with Y/N, clearly still holding a grudge over the act she pulled during the tiebreaker challenge.

Even though she knew it was just paranoia talking, the thought of sharing space with Duncan filled her with dread, like he might jump her when she was sleeping. His unpredictable nature and history of aggression made her uneasy, and she didn't want to be anywhere near him when he finally decided to confront her.

As she slept, Y/N shifted restlessly, the hard tabletop pressing uncomfortably against her cheek. The events of the past few days had taken a toll on her, both physically and emotionally. All she wanted was a moment of rest. Then, she felt someone nudging her shoulder, gently at first, then more insistently. Groaning, she slowly opened her eyes halfway, the world still blurry and unfocused. She could make out a figure standing over her,

"You alive?" A familiar voice said. It was Owen. He then noticed her slightly stressed expression. "Yikes, you look terrible, no offense," he added, his eyes scanning her face with mild concern before glancing around the table, frowning when he saw that there was no food laid out.

"Hi," she replied, rubbing her eyes in an attempt to wake herself up fully.

"Wait... why are you over here anyway?" he asked as he cocked his head, confused. "Shouldn't you be on the loser side with the rest of us?"

Y/N hesitated for a moment, unsure of how much to reveal. But Owen had always been friendly and easy to talk to, so she decided to be honest.

"Well, Duncan isn't exactly thrilled with me right now," she began, "And Tyler... um, he's not too happy with me either. So, I thought I'd just stay over here by myself for now."

A look of empathy dawned over Owen's face, "Oh, I see," he murmured, nodding sympathetically. "But actually, Duncan isn't in the loser side," he answered,

Y/N arched an eyebrow, "Really? Where is he then?"

Owen shrugged. "Who knows, probably sneaking off somewhere to talk to Gwen," he said, then he lowered his voice conspiratorially. "Heck, I even heard some kissing,"

"Did not need to hear that..." she muttered. "Anyway, I'm heading off to the loser side. This table's the worst for napping, honestly." she said, pushing herself up from the hard surface and stretching. With a wave to Owen, she made her way to the loser side.

As Y/N entered, she noticed Tyler sitting on the bench, looking visibly bored and absentmindedly fidgeting with his finger. Next to him, Alejandro sat, one leg lazily crossed over the other, his gaze fixed on some distant point. She glanced around, confirming that Duncan was indeed nowhere to be seen.

Uncertain of where to sit, Y/N hesitated momentarily. Just as she was about to choose a spot across from Alejandro, he looked up, their eyes meeting. His expression softened, and he gave a subtle nod, inviting her to join him. Though Y/N was tempted to ignore his silent request and sat across, she remembered her agreement to stop being distant from him. With a sigh, she made her way over and settled down next to Alejandro,

"So, how are you, chica?" he asked, unusually sincere.

Y/N just shrugged, still feeling dozy and not particularly wanting to engage in conversation with him of all people.