AN: Sorry about the time between updates…..my computer is acting up….so here's chapter 15! And yes, I think Bumlets is a little over snobby and self-righteous…but I'm going to keep him that way just for sake of storyline. Don't kill me.

This chapter is going to start out with the nominations, then we're going to listen to each of the house guests give their say, and then maybe the veto competition.

Also, I've been thinking about bringing in a different family member for each house guest and doing the 'interview the family' again. What do you guys think?

                                                                                                                                               

Bumlets

            They had no idea who I was going to nominate. I could tell. And that made them all nervous. And the truth was, I was having trouble with the decision myself.

            I had been planning on putting up Skittery, but right now he was still recovering from the concussion- I wasn't that cheap. He wouldn't be able to compete for his own veto, and I felt it wouldn't be fair to nominate him. But I'd get him next time.

            "Bumlets?"

            I looked up from my book and there, in the doorway, stood Race.

            "What do you need?" I asked, and he hesitated a moment.

            "Can I…can I talk to you for just a sec?"

            That was weird. Race barely ever talked to me, letting alone going out of his way to do so. And that made me suspicious.

            "Yeah. Come on in."

            He walked in and sat beside me on the bed, and I shoved my book aside, sitting up and looking him in the eye. It was worthless- that gambler wasn't going to let anything out through his eyes. This was purely a big poker game to him.

            "I wanted to offer you a deal."

            Oh, so that was it. He was cutting deals to stay in the house. "I'm listening."

            "Skittery and I cut a truce. I don't touch him, he doesn't touch me. No one else knows, except for you, that is. I talked to him again today and we agreed that we want you in on this truce."

            Wow. Skittery and Race cut a deal? That seemed unreal. But then again, they were both very tricky people. I should've expected a move like that.

            "Why me?"

            He seemed to be getting more excited about the idea by the second. "Because that's what no one will expect. They all think that Skittery hates me and you hate me. And you probably do. But we're not supposed to be bringing personal vendettas into this game, and everyone else is. This alliance could save your ass."

            He was right. If we could keep up our façade of hating each other, then our alliance wouldn't be noticed until it was much too late. We were the X factor, the secret that could bring the rest of the house to their knees.

            Race saw the indecision in my face, and smiled as he continued. "And if you're worried about it coming down to the line with the three of us, Skittery and I have agreed that when it does come to that, there's a break off point. Every man for himself come the finish line."

            Sarah suddenly broke in and announced that it was time for nominations, and Race looked at me expectantly, and then stuck out his hand.

            "I've stuck out my neck on this one. If you wanted to, you could put Skittery and I up and kill our little alliance. What's your pick, Bumlets?"

            I stared him down for a moment, and then I shook hands with him.

            "You've got a deal."

            We headed for the main room, and I couldn't help but smile. My nomination would work out perfectly, and I would get rid of one person that I'd hated all along.

            Everyone was gathered together already, the tension hanging heavily in the air. I could feel it just as well as the people who I could possibly put up. I noticed that Skittery was there also- he'd been doing things around the house all day today, trying to get his feet back under him for the next head of household competition.

            "Alright, people. As head of household I had to nominate two people. I just went by the game, so let's do this."

            I reached down and took the first key out of the box. "Specs…you're safe."

            I handed Specs his key, and he sighed with relief, as did Dutchy.

            Next key. "Race…you're safe."

            No reaction there. He knew he'd be safe.

            Next key. "Snitch…you're safe."

            He looked a bit surprised, and I didn't blame him. It had been a hard decision not to put him up.

            Next key. "Blink…you're safe."

            Another hard decision there. But strategy won out eventually- Blink may be a strong competitor, but eventually someone would kick him out. It was inevitable. And that left it off of my shoulders.

            Next key. "Dutchy…you're safe."

            Dutchy heaved a sigh of relief and grabbed his key, sharing a glance with Specs as he sat down.

            Next key. "Skittery…you're safe."

            Another wave of disbelief went through everyone. I saw Blink and Mush share a look of worry- it was almost cute the way they had this 'secret way' that they looked at each other. They could have an entire conversation with one glance.

            It was down to Spot, Itey, and Mush. And everyone looked even more nervous than they had been when they first walked in.

            Last key. "And last but not least…Mush, you're safe."

            Itey looked absolutely floored, and Spot just looked annoyed. I looked at both of them, trying to push down the guilt that was rising up in me for nominating Itey.

            "I nominated you two just for game purposes. Spot, you're too strong…Itey, you're not strong enough. That's just the way it goes."

            With that, everyone went to the main hallway to hang up their keys, mostly in silence.

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Specs

            This has got to be heaven for now. No parents to tell me what to do…or who to kiss, for that matter. I'm free from everything as long as I don't step out those doors.

            But once I'm out…that is gonna be hell on earth.

            My dad would probably disown me. Either that or just shoot me. When I first walked in, I was scared to death and I wanted to go home. Now I never want to leave.

            I know my sister wouldn't care. Hell, she'd probably applaud me. Unlike our father, she's very tolerant. Mom? She'l just give me the silent treatment. The disappointed glances, the crying in her bedroom at night. She'll hope to guilt me out of it.

            But this is one thing that I can't be guilted out of. I mean, it's Dutchy, for heaven's sake! If they'd just look at him…really look, and see him like I do…there wouldn't be a problem.

            But that's never gonna happen.

            So I'm going to enjoy my time in paradise while I've got it.

                                                                                                                                               

Blink

            I truly don't understand why Bumlets nominated Itey. He wasn't a threat or anything…he was just a kid. I was really starting to not like Bumlets. He didn't know what he was doing. If he were smart, he would've nominated someone like Race.

            Mush can't figure it out either, and usually he has an insight that none of us have. He can usually tell what you're thinking just by looking at you, which does not come in handy when you're keeping something from him. Cause he knows. And those three people who voted to evict him when he was up against Cowboy? I'd like to hunt them down and kill them someday. Well, not really, but you get my point.

            But, anyway…this game is quickly degrading. Nerves are fraying, people are getting very mad, and times are basically rough. But if I win that veto, Itey is off the block and Race is on. No doubt.

                                                                                                                                               

Skittery

            Bumlets took the bait, and now Race and I are safe. That is, unless someone wins veto and puts one of us up. But I have the feeling that I'm a bit safer than Race, at least for the moment, anyway.

            But God, I feel like hell. I feel like I got hit by a bulldozer…or two. I don't know what happened in the kitchen- all I remember is waking up in my bed with Blink looking at me like I'd come back from the dead.

            But then again, for me, waking up unconscious in strange places isn't a rare occurrence. But that's a whole 'nother story.

What Bumlets did just kills me. I think he was trying to do the same thing I did- put up someone well liked and someone not so well liked in order to get out who he wanted. There was one flaw in that plan, though- Itey may be a cute kid, but he isn't half as well liked as Mush. If Bumlets wasn't careful, his half baked plans would backfire on him.

                                                                                                                                               

Itey

            I don't get it. I just don't get it. What did I do wrong? Why was I put up instead of someone like Blink or Skittery? Not only that, but I was put up against Spot. What kind of a move was that?

            I didn't know what to do other than try my hardest for the veto. Which brought another question to mind.

            Spot had been nice to me so far. But if he got the veto, would he take me off the block, or would the game prevail?

                                                                                                                                               

Race

            Okay…I did not expect Bumlets to do that. That was a really dumb move. Sure, we needed to get rid of Spot, but that would come in due time. What he did was a desperate move to follow up Skittery's move.

            But that certainly didn't ruin the alliance. Nobody even suspected a thing. And by the time they did suspect that something was up, it would be too late. All we had to do was keep up the façade of hate. It would work. It had to.

                                                                                                                                               

Spot

            Here I am again…on the block. I expected it. No one here seems to like me at all, except for Itey, who practically worships the ground I walk on. But that's okay. I don't mind. He's like the little brother I never had.

            I'll probably get evicted. I've accepted that. But I hope Itey realizes that since $25,000 dollars is at stake here, if I get the power of veto, I'm off that block. I have to look after my own interests.

            Call me selfish, but…it's just a game.

            Isn't it?

                                                                                                                                               

Dutchy

            I don't want the veto. Truly. I'll throw the competition if I have to. I don't want that decision laid on my shoulders this week. Cause I could form bad relationships with quite a few people in the house no matter what decision I make.

            Things had gotten a whole lot tenser in this house, and it's really bugged me. People were keeping secrets, people were getting over competitive…but I guess that's what you get in any situation like this one. But I was staying out of that whole aspect of it. The money almost didn't matter now.

            Almost.

                                                                                                                                               

Snitch

            I was shocked that I didn't get nominated. I thought for sure that I'd be on the block this week after what I'd done last week- nominating Blink and Mush. Maybe it's just my paranoia working overtime or something. I felt sorry for Itey- you could just tell he didn't see that one coming.

            But that's what this is about. The surprises, the twists, the turns, the loyalties, the betrayals…it's all a part of the game.

                                                                                                                                               

Mush

            I don't know what's wrong with me. I honestly don't know. I grew up in a very conservative family. Every time I met someone who was gay, my parent's voices rang in my head, telling me that they were awful people, and that I should avoid them.

            Now Dutchy and Specs were two of my best friends in the house. They were gay, but they weren't awful people.

            And now, every time I see Blink, I get this weird feeling. This unsettled feeling, a dizziness that I haven't felt before.

            That makes me wonder. But if my parents are right, my instincts would make me one of those awful people. One of those people that mom and dad would never allow to step foot in the house if they could help it.

            It wasn't fair. I shouldn't feel like this. No one should have to feel like this. It was almost making me sick to my stomach. So what can I do about it?

            Just ignore it. Leave it alone. It's only a game.

            Just keep telling yourself it's only a game.

            You couldn't possibly be in love…

                                                                                                                                               

AN: Okay people, one that note, I bid this chapter adieu! Please review!

My computer is all fixed now, and though I've taken on another fic on top of this one (Soldiers At Heart), I'm going to try and at least update once a day now that the computer isn't crashing every other second. Give me reviews, cause reviews are like warm chocolate chip cookies- you never can have enough!