After we finished dressing, Yuri called me aside to talk in the changing room, and Taeyeon took her phone out to play her games
"The PD told me to give you this, he said this is your first hint" Yuri gave me an envelope,
"You open it" I pushed it back to her,
Yuri opened the envelope then said "Okay first Ace card is inside your partner locker, second one is..." she looked at me with the damn face expression "In your partner name tag" she told me then ripped the envelope.
"The locker one is easy but the name tag" Yuri said, I looked at Taeyeon
"Leave it on me I'll find a way"
I walked back to the blonde "Can I put my clothes in your locker ?" I asked
"Yeah of course" She said while her mind is still in the game, I went to her locker and opened it. I looked around and found the Ace under the shelf; I took it, put my clothes inside then closed it.
The staff called us out and we went to where the meeting is taking a place
They didn't start filming yet; when I walked side to side with Taeyeon. Everyone was talking to each other and as we stepped in between all the members the MC walked to us "Everything is going fine?" he asked all smile
"Yeah, everything is perfect" I said and Taeyeon just nodded
"Miss Taeyeon is very quiet, just like her name" he said and she let out a very dry giggle
"Okay everyone in their place" the PD said and we all went to the same form we were standing at in the begining
"Today's episode theme is called Queen of spade. The 13 of you resemble the 13 cards of the spade. One of you is the Queen...and you have to find who they are. Every time your team win a challenge you will get a hint that will help you find the Queen."
"Right now one of us is the Queen? Do they know that they are?"Asked the MC
"What about their partners?" the masculine guy added
"Yes they do know they are the Queen, and no their partners don't know" the PD said and they all looked at each other, here comes the trust issues...
"Are you the Queen?" Taeyeom whispered to me, no no she can't know... I can't let her sense it...she's good in reading me.
I looked at her and rose my eyebrow "Said the one with the Queens attitude"
She smirked surprised, then nodded "Okay, fair enough"
"Before we go to the next location you should know that each challenge the Queen pass, they will get a hint that will help them in the name tag race"
"What's the Queen mission" The tall guy said
The PD smiled "Can't tell" he pointed to the street side "Every two teams in one car" he said and we all walked to the line of cars.
The MC who Moonbyul from mamamoo was his partner came to us "Wanna go with us?" he asked...Taeyeon and I nodded, why not.
I sat at the back with Taeyeon and the MC is driving with Moonbyul beside him. There is cameras on each door corner and there is one in the middle, it kinds of awkward having them pointing at us like that. One of the staff came and put the location on the GPS. I suddenly felt vibration in my jacket pocket; I put my hand in and took out a phone that wasn't mine...my phone is with Yuri. I looked at everyone and they seem busy in something else. I opened the phone and it didn't have any password, I looked at the notification and there is a message...I opened it and the first word was 'This is the PD' and I don't know why but I gasped
And Taeyeon looked at me "You okay?" she asked
"Everything is fine, it's just Yuri" I pointed the phone but tried not to show her what's written
She nodded and looked away
I continued reading the message:
'The first mission is going to be in the theme park. Each team will have three dangerous games to play, and on each game they will have to see words and make a sentence out of them that will help them to escape the park hardest and scarest maze. Keep in mind every game you lose you will get a hint about the Aces and every game you win your partner will get a hint of where to find the lower card'
Oh god...stress started creeping inside me.
"So Taeyeon," The MC popped out and said from nowhere "You are...ah..." he hesitated to talk
"Model..." Taeyeon said to help him
He shook his head "No...I mean..."
She nodded "Gay" that dead flat voice crawled back to her tone
"Yeah," he said awkwardly giggling
I looked at her and her gaze was straight deadly on him. Why they do that to her?
"You were outted right? Must've been tough" he senselessly said
Taeyeon clenched her jaw taking in a deep breath, she then uncomfortably chuckled and said "I didn't know I was here for an interview"
The MC laughed "No no I just want to make you talk"
Her face straightened "There are other ways to make me talk." the air became thin, then she faked a laugh "Don't be amazed! But my sexuality is not the only interesting thing about me"
I wanted to stand up in the car and clap for her...she's so classy with trashy people. I couldn't do it, I was scared to sound disrespectful but suddenly Moonbyul did it.
She clapped while saying "I'm a huge fan of your courage like my respect for you is unbelievable, you meet my expectations" I can see Taeyeon smiling wild
We finally arrived thanks God.
Taeyeon looked happy when she walked out and saw that we are infront of the theme park "I love this place" She told me when I stood beside her "So damn much"
Moonbyul passed by us and Taeyeon stopped her "Thank you, I appreciate what you said" the blonde girl told the girl with the gray hair
Moonbyul shook her head "No...I appreciate what you do for us" she said smiling then walked away
Taeyeon turned to look at me with her eyebrows crossed, surprised. She pointed her thumb at Moonbyul "Did she just...?"
I nodded giggling "Yeah, secretly came out to you"
"Wow" she shook her head trying to understand what just happened.
We walked in and we stood in our places infront the cameras. My mind started to think about how I'm supposed to take the Ace card under Taeyeon's name tag, while the PDs were explaining the challenge rules for the rest of the members...
When they finished; Taeyeon looked at me "But I can't see well that's so homophobic of them again" she said, and I felt relieved...thank you God
"It's okay you have me" I said hitting my shoulder with hers...I'm sorry, I feel sad now...
They brought a small bucket with colored papers inside them. We have tp take three of them each have a name of game we should play.
"You pick" I told her before she tells me to do it
She picked the first one "Water slide..." she put the paper away, good this is gonna be hard on her. She picked the next paper
"Please be merry go round" I said crossing my fingers behind my back.
"Rollercoaster aka death train" she chuckled so hard, this is going to be terrifying but good for me. "You pick the last one" she told me
"Please lord let me have something easy for my soul" I picked one and my face went blank when I saw what's written
Taeyeon looked at the paper "Bungee!" she said while laughing so hard "My luck was better"
"Is there any bungee jumping here?" I said
"No not here but it's beside the park" the PD said
"Then we will do that last, we should get going" Taeyeon said
This is going to be horrible...
"Where do you want to go to first?" she asked while walking around randomly, with two VJs around us
"I don't know they all are scary..."
She walked close to me, as if she's trying to comfort me but without touching because there's camera infront of us and one behind us. I looked at her and I can understand what she's intending to do.
"Let's do the rollercoaster first, second water slide because we will get wet, and last jumping" she said and I agreed to the plan.
We went to the rollercoaster and RM staff where there waiting for us,
They made us sit in front, at the begining of the train shaped ride were cameras were placed infront of us and around. A staff came and pulled this thing for safety over our head, he made sure we are strapped in so tightly.
After being seated Taeyeon looked at me and said "I'm wearing contact this is going to be pain in the ass" she chuckled...God I'll sound so mean but that's good everything will be blury for her.
It started and the train took a long chain hill up, I looked around and we were getting higher and higher. Then suddenly it went downwards so fast and my heart dropped. I closed my eyes, not only because I was scared to death but also to not see any word. I lightly opened my eyes and looked at Taeyeon from the corner of my eys and she was trying her best to keep her eyes open...I guess the strong wind is bothering her eyes. I have to do something to stop her from being so focused on what's going to be shown of words. My hand moved alone without thinking and held hers and I started screaming so loud without caring how my face is going to look like.
She looked at me surprised "Hey, hey it's okay" she held my hand tight between her two hands and put it on her lap
"I have fear of high places" I lied, while shaking. She locked her arm with mine
"We are almost done just keep holding my hand"
After the upsides and downs of loops and loops; the ride finished, I walked out and sat on the ground; my legs were shaking.
"Did you get all the sentence or you want to go again?" the staff said and I stood up
"Oh no, I can't do that again" I said to stop Taeyeon from even thinking about it, she can't go again and see the words correctly
"Oh don't worry no need for us to go again" I looked at her surprised, she continued "I got couple of words"
"Which are?" one of the staff asked
"I got 'There's' then got the word 'Yellow' and least 'Left' so I guess it's whenever we see yellow in the maze we have to take the next left turn" she said
And I lost my mind "What?!"
"You are right" the staff said
Taeyeon jumped in her place "Yes" she walked to me "Water slide is next" she happily said.
Oh god I don't know if I'm angry or if I'm truned on by how smart she is...
"How did you do that? I wasn't able to focus at all" I asked her as we were walking to the next game
"I wasn't too but i tried my best to get as many as possible" she smiled proudly "It was just luck that I only was able to catch the words that made sense" she said and I just wanted to tell her no it wasn't luck you are just a very smart ass person.
We stood infront of the water slide and it was huge, without forgetting that it's full of water in this cold weather. I can already feel how freezing the water is...
"First do you want to change, your clothes?" The lifeguard standing there said, while pointing to the small room.
"Yes" Taeyeon said and walked to change before and the first thing that popped in my mind...it's the best time to take the Ace underneath her name tag
However, when she finished she walked out with her shirt in her hand then gave it to the staff there... God this woman
When I finished we walked up to the starting point, "We are going to freeze to death" I said
And Yuri popped out of nowhere behind us and said "I'll be waiting for you at the end with towel, don't worry"
"The words are going to be inside slide" They said putting the go cameras around our hands and head.
"But it's going to be so dark inside" Taeyeon said and I added with her "We won't able to see anything" just to look like I'm intrested
"There's light inside the slide that will turn on and off you just have to keep up and notice the words" they said
Taeyeon held my hand "We can do it" she said and I smiled awkwardly...why she got to be that excited? Like cutey pie you are always quiet and in your bubble...why today? When I want her to show interest she doesn't and when I don't want her to she does...ugh.
"I'll go first"
She walked to the edge and sat down at the very top of the slide. The lifeguard told her to keep her hands and feet together, "Are you ready?" He asked putting his hand on her back. Taeyeon nodded and he gave her soft but fast push and she took off.
"Did you take the cards?" Yuri asked
"Just the one in the locker," I said trying to see where Taeyeon is at,
"Yeah the one in her name tag is very hard" she said "I'll go wait for you down" She left and the lifeguard told me to get ready next.
When I sat at the edge of the slide I heard water splash; he told me the same "Keep your hands and feet together, are you ready?" I closed my eyes and nodded, he pushed me and it started vertical but then serpentine, I squeezed my arms to the side of my body and kept my feet clenched together. The light that was going on and off made me open my eyes and I saw 'Tall' then 'Wall' I immediately closed eyes and kept them like that till I felt my body hitting the cold surface of the pool water.
I felt hand holding mind, and just by the touch I knew it was hers. I opened my eyes and she was pulling me slowly out of the pool. When we walked out, Yuri gave Taeyeon a towel, then walked to me and started drying my body then my hair. I couldn't help but look at the blonde...she stayed in the cold water extra time wating for me, to help me...
Yuri put the wet towel aside and put another dry one around me. Taeyeon did the same; she put the wet one aside and took another one but she put it under her shirt!
She looked at me looking at her surprised, "Putting the towel inside makes me more warm, it makes like a barrier between the wet shirt and my freezing body," she said
"What a smart ass" Yuri said making Taeyeon smile, shyly looking away. I looked at Yuri with my eyebrow all the way up. "What?" she asked
"She never smiled shyly like that with me" I whispered
"Jealous?!" Yuri chuckled "Don't worry, she doesn't look at my body the way she looks at yours" she said and my eyes closed and opened alone in shock
"What?"
She turned me to look at the camera that was coming from far away "You just have to pay attention, and stop spacing out every time she's around" she told me then walked away from the camera view
"Saw the words, or you'll go again" they asked. Taeyeon looked at me and I tried not to look in her eyes since I'm still blushing of what Yuri said.
"What I got didn't make that much of a sense." she said "I got 'Don't, touch, small, walls, Touch' that doesn't make sense how to not touch and touch small walls" she said frustrated...I want to tell her but I can't, gosh my heart can't so that to her...
"What about you?" she asked moving close to me but not too close.
"Ah..." my mind froze not knowing how to bring up a lie, "I only saw wall"
She looked at the camera "Guess will go again"
I couldn't handle it, "But I saw wall two times," I said and she looked at me
"Two times?" she asked and I nodded "Then it's about two walls, the small ones and the tall ones. So don't touch tall walls and touch small walls" she said and this time I'm just purely turned on by her, no anger.
She was right, so we didn't have to go again. Instead we went to change back before freezing. The PD said they will stop filming till we change and till they get the car ready for us to go jump.
The lifeguard told us that our clothes are inside the small room. And I had to take the chance "I will go first" I told Yuri and Taeyeon then walked straight to the wood like a box room. Taeyeon shirt was folded and put first. Suddenly someone opened the door; when I was about to put my hand on the shirt. I turned and Taeyeon was standing infront of me.
The room is too small, her body was way too close to me. I had to move my head away or hers would've touched mine. I wanted to ask what she's doing here, but I lost my breath. I feel my heart beating inside my throat. She moved her arms over her abdomen and tugged her wet shirt off. I took deep breath looking at her but I didn't let it go, because if I did my breath would've came out as a moan instead. My eyes moved away and my head moved to the side to look at the old woody walls. Every move she takes her body touchs mine. I felt her breath getting closer and I uncontrollably looked at her...my nose hit hers, and there's no room for me to move any inch of me away. My body started shaking, I'm slowly suffocating in the most beautiful painful way.
"Sorry, I just thought that changing at the same time will save time" She took her shirt and wore it, "Want me to help you?" she said
"No...no I'm fine" I finally was able to breathe, she nodded then took off her shorts, I can feel her head going all the way down...and here my mind goes wild again.
I left my head up to not see anything, then took my shirt off. I put it aside and then saw Taeyeon looking at me with her head tilted...Ahhhh Yuri's words played in my head all of a sudden, no we've seen each other like this before it's all fine...but she was looking at me the same way back then in the dressing room. My whole body heated up and it's no longer cold.
Taeyeon took her pants and wore it, then she held her jacket "I'll be waiting outside" she said before she walks out, and all my mind could think of is...that was something.
I dressed and walked out; Taeyeon was nowhere...pft she said she's going to wait outside.
Yuri walked to me "Did you two make out or did you fight in there?"
I crossed my eyebrows confused
"Taeyeon walked out with a serious face, I got her coffee but she just walked straight to the car without saying aword"
"Her mood always change like that" I said "Anyway I wasn't able to take the Ace, and I wasn't able to take any new hint because we got both of the games right"
"It's fine, you still have time"
We arrived to the bungee, and as they parked the car, I looked up "That is so high up," I told Yuri who was shaking just by looking at it and she's not the one jumping. "There is no way I'm jumping this I won't be able to do it" I said
"Don't worry it's going to be a very useful experience for you" Taeyeon said opening the door for me
We went to the desk to sign in, "Miss Taeyeon has a file here, we only have to take Miss Tiffany weight and information" the guy there said. I looked at her and she just smiled then looked away.
I got weighed, then they took us to the elevator to go up. The cameras went before us so it was just us in it.
"So you come here often?" Yuri asked Taeyeon.
She crossed her arms while leaning on the side wall of the elevator "Yeah it clears my mind of bad thoughts" she said and Yuri looked at me, I shrugged...what a way
The place was empty so we were first, they asked if we are going solo or together.
I looked at her "I can't do it solo"
"I'm fine going together" she told me and thank you god
My heart started pumping rapidly, and my hands are shake as they started harnessing me up, the crew member there wrapped a towel around my ankles then they started strapping all sorts of things to my feet. I looked around at all the harnesses, cables, wires around me and alot more of equipment that I don't know and never seen before.
I looked at Taeyeon while she was strapping and harnessing herself without any help...she really do it often...I wonder what feelings of clearness she means.
Taeyeon walked to me and held my hand to stand up. "Ready?" she said
"What?" I took step back,
She chuckled "Just kidding they just have to connect our wires together" she said, and they pulled our bodies together. Taeyeon pointed at the rubber rope "This is the bungee" she said and I looked at her in shock
"My life is in that rubber band?"
She laughed so hard "It's not just any type of rubber band" she shook her head then opened her arms for me "Hug is more comfortable"
I wrapped me arms around her neck and she put hers around my waist. Our feet are bound together so they walked us to the ledge, it's like a short metal square that extends outside the platform.
I looked over and the view is so terrifying, the VJ told us to look at all the fans down waiting for us to jump. I waved to them then hid my head back in Taeyeon's jacket "That's so scary" I felt her petting my head
"The words are going to be held by the fans down there," he said then added "We are going to count down from three." while the crew were holding our harness at the back. I held Taeyeon tight, shutting my eyes.
"Three" they all yelled, oh God my heart is pumping incessantly. "Two~" I took a deep breath.
"No no no, I can't..." I let go of her,
But she held my hand "It's okay, take a second...take it in slowly" she said, I was breathing heavily, I tried to take it all in but I was getting dizzy.
Taeyeon slowly moved my hand and put them around her neck, then she held my waist and pulled me so gently closer to her, aad whispered in my ear "You know when I was young, my dad used to pick me and my mom up with his so fancy black jeep," she softly giggled, and I closed my eyes listening to her "And he would drive us to the countryside away from the city, even though he wasn't doing good in life. I used to sit in the back seat with the window down and I would close my eyes; let the air hit my face and run through my hair. I would close my eyes to draw everything I love and want in my imagination, I would make everything so peaceful insdie my head to make me escape all the problem we had" She slowly turned us around, "I remember in one of those days, I closed my eyes and I started imagining me jumping from a very high place like this, I felt like the air had adrenalin in it and as hard and cold the wind hit me, the more I was alive, and out of the real world. In that day I felt my mom putting her hands on my eyes and whispering 'Keep them close and don't open them till I tell you so' and that made me feel so safe and that nothing can stop me from going in with that jump till the end of it" I softly pulled her closer to me, and she buried her face in my neck "Close your eyes and imagine what makes you feel safe, and don't open them till you know you are completely safe" she said and I felt her bending her knees, arms tight around me, and she jumped.
My mind was clear, everthing was quiet and her face was the only thing I was able to imagine...I saw myself standing infront of the children hospital, with her holding my hand and smiling so bright that I believed... I can do it. I opened my eyes and I feel free...all the anxiety, fear, nervousness, disappeared in an instant.
I looked around, I'm falling...but the wind is ripping through my hair. I'm completely upside down, head down, feet up. I saw the ground below me getting closer fast, and before I scream scared I felt the bungee starting to gently pull at my legs and hips and it's slowing us, and that made the blood rushe to my head. We suddenly came to a stop but then in seconds we moved away from the ground and we are up again then we dropped again.
I looked at Taeyeon who was looking at me smiling "You did it" she said, and I couldn't help but smile so proudly.
I nodded "Thanks to you" I kind of yelled out of excitement.
She shook her head, "It's all you, you made it possible" I hugged her again and I can feel her rubbing my back.
We were still upside down, then the crew member released our feet so we can sit right. I laid down not wanting to move an inch of me.
"You will go again?" The crew said
I was so out of power to even scream at them. Taeyeon looked at me then said "No I think we are okay, with not getting this hint" she said, then gave me her hand to pull me up. I took it and stood up,
"Okay as you wish" They said and the crew came to take all the things off of us.
We took off to the car to rest for five minutes before we go back to the maze.
I looked at her, taking a sip of water then laying her head on the seat while breathing heavily, "So when did your mom tell you to open your eyes?" I asked and she turned her head to me,
"She didn't, I opened them myself" she said
I rose my eyebrow surprised "And when did you find it was the time to open them?"
She smiled "When I believed that I was ready to face the fact that my dad died"