His Choice (The Selection)

Chapter Twenty Six

Written by firerose11

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Charles appeared in the doorway of the gym before his eyes flickered over to the very obvious singing Abigail riding one of the bikes.

"I see you brought another buddy to join us," he said, leaning against the frame.  "I didn't seem to find mention of that in the note I received."

"She's harmless," I answered, turning off the treadmill I was on and opening my water to take a sip.  "Besides, we both wanted to know what was up with this new elimination factor."

The prince opened his mouth, but Abigail beat him to the punch.

Not sounding as out of breath as she should have for pedaling for twenty minutes, she broke into a rendition of "Defying Gravity."

"Whose MP3 is she listening to?" Charles asked, raising an eyebrow right before she started singing the chorus.

"It's time to try defying gravity.

I think I'll try defying gravity.

And you can't pull me down!

Can't I make you understand?

You're having delusions of grandeur.

I'm through accepting limits

Cause someone says they're so.

Some things I can't change

But till I try, I'll never know!

Too long I've been afraid

Of losing love I guess I lost.

Well, if that's love,

It comes at much too high a cost!

I'd sooner buy defying gravity.

Kiss me goodbye.

I'm defying gravity

And you can't pull me down."

"Mine," I admitted, amused to watch her singing.  It was clear that she didn't realize that Charles was in the room with us.  "She's got quite the voice."

He didn't have a comment right away, but the look he directed my way told me the whole story.  "She should be glad that elimination doesn't involve singing," he remarked, taking his usual place on the treadmill next to the one I had been running on.  "She wouldn't be here much longer."

Abigail opened her eyes, and noticing the two of us, she yanked the earbuds out of her ears before getting off the bike.

"What's the battle plan, folks?" She asked as she twirled over to us.  "Can it involve a vat of boiling oil for Bexley?  There's so many things I want to do to that girl, but of course, I shouldn't especially not now."

Charles seemed a bit stunned when he heard her admission, and she had noticed it.

She grinned and leaned closer to him.  "What?  You didn't think the girl from Zuni had it in her?"

"It just seemed a tad bit violent," the prince replied.  "You don't seem like the type of person to wish ill on anyone even if you perceived them as your mortal enemy."

Abigail shrugged.  "Okay, so maybe I wasn't thinking a vat of oil.  Maybe more like a tub of boiling oil, just enough to stick her feet in, would do the trick.  That's not relevant though.  I want to know what's up with this elimination."

He groaned.  "And there's the real reason why Ember wanted to meet me in the gym.  She wanted the inside scoop on the newest challenge."

"We wanted it," she answered.  "I'm on the team that got stuck with the unchallenged Queen of Pampered Rich Girls.  No offense intended, Ember."