XOXO, Rachel Finch

seven

I AM SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING IN FOREVER. PLZ FEEL FREE TO GO BACK AND READ THE CHAPTERS (thankfully there's not that many). I love you guys for sticking with this story.

"Hidaya, I will literally pay your fee and pay you to do the Hunt with me."

It was Thursday afternoon in the cafeteria, and Kareena was trying to get anyone to join her on the Junior Hunt. Entries are due tomorrow, and so far nobody in my new friend group had entered to play (minus Rey, but she was going to compete with her brother).

"No! My mom would take out my intestines if I showed up at the house at two in the morning," Hidaya argues, and I join in on the conversation.

"Why don't you just do the Hunt during the weekend, then?"

"Right, because I'll for sure be ahead if I wait all week to start step one."

"Okay, true. So why not do it in the afternoon getting back from school? You should have a lot of time before night."

"Well, firstly, I have homework and tennis practice. But the judges of the Hunt always do surprise challenges to get in the lead at like, three am," Hidaya pops a Cheeto in her mouth as she says this, acting like there was no possible way she could compete.

"Wait, explain?" Even though they've spoken only of the Hunt since Monday, I still didn't understand anything except that it was some big scavenger hunt.

"Okay, so the first item is broadcasted to all the competitors. Say I found or couldn't find the pineapple shaped like Elvis, right? Later that night there'll be an elimination round, where you'll have to find a mystery item and the groups who don't find it by whatever o'clock are eliminated," Katie explains.

"That happens every night? How do people even come to school?"

"No, the Hunt is one item a week, ten weeks. And the elimination round is just a random day in the week, you don't know until they announce it the day of," Kareena says, clearly excited about the entire thing and trying to sell it to me.

"So what if I haven't found the pinecone from hell by the time elimination night comes?"

"Doesn't matter, you just need to find the elimination item. Clary and Sam didn't find the week one item until the last week but she still won. As long as you keep up on the elimination rounds and find everything on the normal list first, you win."

"So explain to me why Hidaya can't do it with me?" Kareena asks, reaching over me to grab a Cheeto from Hidaya's lunch.

"Tennis practice, homework, studying, not being able to sneak out at two am. There's four reasons. Plus, what if someone partners me with a creep, or Erika?" Hidaya shudders at the thought, and Kareena rolls her eyes.

"That won't happen, because I'm going to be the first one to send in my partner! Er-" Kareena cuts herself off as the devil herself appears, walking past us and giving us a cold stare. Behind her walks Noah, who doesn't even bother to look at our table as he walks to a group of his friends, sitting at the opposite side of the cafeteria.

"Maybe I'll partner Rachel with Noah or Erika," Kareena schemes, and I nudge her with my shoulder.

"I'd literally kill you. Anyways, I'm not even playing," I point out, and Kareena is back to her mopey state, putting her head on the table in despair.

"It's not fair! Please, Rachel, if Hidaya won't do it can you please be my partner? Seriously! Please! I just want to win and I know we would be a power team. Please!" She begs, looking close to tears, and I groan.

"Maybe. Maybe!" I repeat when she starts screaming in joy, knocking me in the head with her flailing arm. "Listen, I have to ask my mom. There's no way I'd be able to sneak out either."