Page 128 of Alice Chen's Reality Check

Will we even have enough time? Chase and I just finished scaling the volcano, and I don’t know if I can do it again.

“There has to be some way to get up there without going through the challenge course,” I say, studying the area. “The crew’s up there, and there’s no way they climbed up with their cameras.”

“This way,” Daniel says. He takes my hand like it’s the most natural thing in the world, and we’re running around the perimeter of the volcano. We find a portable staircase, like the kind that gets set up for airplanes, and then we’re going up. It’s better than climbing the course all over again, but not by much. My knees burn and my thighs ache as we make our ascent.

Daniel swings himself over the top, then reaches back to help me up.

At the summit, it’s chaos. Confetti cannons are going off one by one. White smoke is billowing from a smoke machine somewhere. Ava andNoah are getting down to the music, while Chase cheers. And at one end of the platform, Dawn Taylor is descending from the sky, cables connecting her to a giant crane. She’s covered from head to toe in a shimmery white dress. Large silver wings unfurl from her shoulders, and in her hands is a giant golden trophy. She looks like a model in a Victoria’s Secret fashion show, but with slightly more clothes on.

Daniel and I push through the crew, ducking under the cameras to burst out into the open.

“Dawn!” I scream. “You have to get down from there!”

But Dawn Taylor continues to smile beatifically as she holds up the trophy.

“Alice,” Daniel says urgently, “Peter Dixon’s here.”

I follow Daniel’s gaze, and yep, there’s Peter Dixon making his way over to us. His usual genial smile is gone, and he lookspissed.

I look around frantically, scanning the scene. Peter Dixon said in the video that they would use fireworks as cover for the explosion, but that doesn’t tell me much.

My gaze falls on the trophy that Dawn is holding. A spray of sparklers is just barely visible over the top.

“It’s the trophy!” I shout to Daniel. “We have to get it away from her.”

“I don’t think so.” Peter Dixon shoves a cameraperson aside, and in an instant, he’s upon us. “You’re not going anywhere.”

Daniel steps in front me. “Go! I’ll handle Peter.”

“Drop the trophy!” I yell up at Dawn desperately. She looks down at me, her nose wrinkling in confusion, and shakes her head.

I want to scream in frustration, but there’s no time. I’m already casting about for another solution. If Dawn Taylor won’t drop the trophy, I have to get up there somehow. I look at the rock formation acting as a backdrop wall. It must’ve been part of the labyrinth set or something, because there are handholds on it. The top of the wall is just high enough for me to jump over to Dawn Taylor and grab the trophy. It’s risky, incredibly so, but it’s possible. And right now, it’s my only choice.

I take a running leap at the wall. I manage to scrabble up several feet, but then someone roughly drags me down. My arms scrape against the rock face painfully as my feet hit the platform, and I scream when I’m jerked around to face Bryan.

“You know, I really don’t know what Chase saw in you,” he sneers, grabbing my arm and wrenching it behind my back.

“Fuck you, Bryan,” I spit. I throw my weight forward, trying to get him off me, but he wrenches my arm again, sending pain shooting through me. He forces me forward and I catch sight of his shoes with their narrow, distinct pointy tip. They match the shoeprints near Anton’s body.

“Ohmygod,youkilled Anton,” I blurt out. “Peter Dixon told you to do it, didn’t he?”

Bryan just shoves me again, harder. “You know, I never thought I’d regret asking Chase to come on the show. He’s dumb as a rock and easy to manipulate. He should’ve brought a trophy girlfriend, not someone who’s such a pain the ass. But don’t worry, I know exactly what to do with your type.”

I’m breaking out in a cold sweat now. I don’t want to find out what Bryan means by that.

“Hey, man, what is this?” Chase’s voice cuts through my panic. He comes up to us, looking from me to Bryan, like he can’t quite believe what he’s seeing.

“She just went psycho,” Bryan said. “Started screaming and going crazy. You really dodged a bullet with this one.”

“Peter Dixon is trying to kill Dawn Taylor!” I tell Chase. “And Bryan’s helping him!”

“You’re not going to believe this bitch, are you?” Bryan laughs.

“Oh, shut up,” Chase says, and punches him. Bryan stumbles back, cursing, and I break free. Bryan tries to block me from escaping, but Chase gets in the way.

“Chase, keep him occupied,” I yell as I start to climb again.

“You got it,” Chase says, inexplicably rolling up the sleeves on hisshort-sleeved Hawaiian shirt.

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