The Blues may have won their first victory, but there was still a long way to go before anyone would be crowned King or Queen of the Canyon. Since the game began Courtney had been on her own for the most part, and so far she had avoided being one of the first five Spartans to eliminated, but she knew she couldn't keep this up forever.
Courtney's log
"As much as I hate to admit it, it looks like there is only one way out of this… I have to get close to John. Not only is he last season's winner and Chris' favorite, he's arguably the best gamer here. But how the heck am I supposed to get close to someone who punched me in the face and then yelled at me?"
It was some time past lights out that Courtney noticed that John was out of bed. He was reading something next door in the kitchen.
"Well… Now's as good a time as ever I suppose… But what am I supposed to say?"
She barely opened the door when John looked up from his book.
"Still alive?" he asked.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You had an awful lot of pizza this evening if I'm not mistaken."
"So? We've had nothing to eat but those nasty MREs for twelve stinking days."
"I can understand that, but I thought you were lactose intolerant."
"Whatever gave you that idea?"
"I distinctly remember hearing you say that you were in season two."
"Oh that… That was just an excuse I made so I wouldn't have to go to that stupid cheese factory."
"You shouldn't lie Courtney, it's a sin."
"So is terrorism, but for some reason people do it anyway. And why exactly would you take notes about things I said three whole seasons ago."
"Knowledge is power, that's why I was able to beat Alejandro so effortlessly today. But don't get me wrong, I don't obsess like Sierra does.
"So I take it you've studied me?"
"Maybe…"
Courtney's log
"Crap! I forgot he's seen every other season! Maybe he suspects I'd try something like this!"
Courtney knew it was time to change the subject.
"So… What are you reading?"
"The good book, not a lot of people have actually read it from cover to cover. For that reason it's on my bucket list."
"But you're not…"
"No I'm not dying… anymore. I still go in for regular checkups, but my oncologist says I'm as healthy as a horse… I didn't know you cared."
Courtney knew her next answer was critical. Watching Sierra in season three proved that a girl clearly coming on to a guy would be just as big a turnoff as being entirely honest with him in this case would be, even if it was only a ruse. It would be best to just avoid the topic.
"Tell me something… If God is so good, then why does he allow bad things to happen?"
"I just said the stupidest thing ever! Crap!"
"That's an excellent question, but the answer is very simple."
"Phew… That was a close one."
"Enlighten me…"
"The short answer would be that it is the devil who is responsible for evil and not God. But it is also true that we are given the gift of freewill, and what we do with that gift is up to us."
"But why does he let us make bad choices?"
"Why are you going to law school?"
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"I will gladly explain, if you'll be so kind as to answer the question."
"Because… because I want to."
"And would you like it if someone decided to force you to go to culinary school or something instead?"
"No…"
"Exactly, that's why we're given the gift of freewill, because without it we'd be nothing but a bunch of mind controlled zombies."
"That doesn't give Duncan the right to just kiss Gwen behind my back…"
"No it doesn't. But just because he didn't care how that made you feel, it doesn't mean that God doesn't."
"Well if he does care, he has a very funny way of showing it."
John actually laughed.
"That is often the case, I speak from experience. But you know what they say; sunshine all the time makes a very dry desert."
Courtney's log
"Last season he punched me in the face, and now he's talking to me like it never happened? This guy is unbelievable; then again I also find it hard to believe that I'm also talking to him."
"Where you always such an evangelist, or is this something new?"
"It's just my way of being thankful for getting a chance to live."
"So… You only believe because you're a cancer survivor?"
"I've always been a believer, I just never believed as firmly as I do now."
"Because your parents told you a couple stories and have been sending you to private schools your whole life?"
"You can be as skeptical as you like, I'm firmly aware that you can lead a horse to water but not make it drink. But even you can't deny that there are some things in this world that simply defy explanation."
"Such as?"
"The Cloak of Saint Juan Diego, Saint Bernadette of Lourdes and the list of inexplicable cures that took place at the grotto, Therese Neumann, and let's not forget the Miracle of the Sun witnessed by as many as a hundred thousand people on October thirteenth nineteen seventeen. One last thing… Do you know how many martyrs there have been since the Church was formed by the Apostles? Do you really think they would have died such violent deaths for a lie?"
"You've got answer for everything don't you?"
"No I don't, I'm only human, but if you want to learn more about Roman Catholicism, visit your local library."
John laughed.
Chris' log
"Hmm… Maybe Sierra was right, this looks very interesting."
