AN: Ack! Another gap in updates! Sorry…I'm compulsive about getting up at least one chapter a day…I just wanna please! But anyway, time for nominations!
Dutchy
I put down my half eaten peanut butter and jelly sandwich, taking a long drink of water and trying to rid my mouth of the taste. I hadn't liked PB+J in the first place, and now I had been eating so little of it that I had lost eleven pounds since I got in the house.
One sandwich a day. That's about all I could take. I just had to drink lots of water and keep my mind off the hunger.
I looked around the room, where only Skittery and Spot were still eating. Specs had disappeared from the table a long time ago- he liked PB+J, and didn't have any trouble scarfing it down at lightening speed.
I stood up and shoved my plate away, and then I headed for the living room, where Specs was usually sitting down reading a book. And sure enough, there he was, his feet on the table and a book the size of a dictionary in his lap.
"Hey Specs. Whatcha readin'?"
I hopped over the back of the couch and landed right beside Specs, and he gave me an amused half smile before closing his book.
"The Lord of the Rings."
"Oh…like the movie?"
He laughed. "Yeah, like the movie."
I leaned against him and he sighed, slipping an arm around my shoulders.
"What's wrong?" I asked, and he just shrugged. "Come on…I know something's wrong. You can tell me."
"I'm just worried."
"About your family?"
He nodded. I watched his face, his beauty not diminished even by the distress evident on his features.
"Don't worry. It'll work out."
"I don't know, Dutch. Just don't know."
"Well, I do. It's gonna work out, one way or another. That's a promise."
He obviously didn't believe me. He loved his family, I knew that for sure, and he was scared to death of what they would do when he got out of the house. And from what I'd heard about his dad, I wouldn't be surprised if they did do something drastic.
Specs was the normal bookworm thinking along the "Romeo and Juliet" storyline. I may not be an avid reader, but I knew better.
I grabbed his chin and pulled him into a kiss, and rested my forehead against his as I spoke. "If they give you any trouble, you get my address from the producers and go to my house. If my mother truly loves me, she'll welcome you with open arms, an open mind, and an open heart. Cause I love you."
"You mean that?"
"More than you'll ever know."
Spot
I had to do something off the wall. I knew who they all expected me to nominate- Race and Skittery. But since it was so obvious, it would probably get done by someone else in due time.
So I decided to nominate two people who didn't seem to be in danger, but who could also be a big risk to the house. And as I put their keys in the nomination bag, I felt pretty darn good about it.
I couldn't wait to get out there and baffle all of them. This would be one helluva week.
Bumlets
We were all waiting on Spot to come in with the nominations, and Skittery had already resigned himself to the fact that he would be one of them. I didn't blame him; he basically had a huge target on his head.
"Hey guys." Spot said, carrying the box of keys into the room. The nomination bag dangled on his wrist, and he had a bright smile on his face. Who smiled during nominations? Did he have coffee again or something?
He set the box down and looked around the circle, and then he pulled out the first key without saying another word.
"Skittery, you're safe."
Skittery's eyebrows shot up as he took his key, and I wondered what Spot could possibly be thinking. If he wasn't nominating Skittery, who was he nominating?
Next key. "Mush, you're safe."
Blink grabbed the key and put it around Mush's neck for him, using it to pull him into a quick kiss before Spot cleared his throat and gave them a look that basically said, 'are you quite done?'
Next key. "Specs, you're safe."
No big shocker there. Specs had been 'under the radar', so to speak, since this whole game started.
Next key. "Race, you're safe."
This was shaping up to be pretty weird. The only people left were me, Blink, and Dutchy. I didn't get it.
He pulled out the last key. "Lastly…Dutchy, you're safe."
Me and Blink. It was down to me and Blink. And there was only one way I could get out of this.
I would need Mush's vote. Cause I knew that whoever he voted for would find favor with the whole house. I somehow had to convince him to vote out his own boyfriend.
After nominations, I got my stroke of luck. After a short conversation, Blink was inside talking and laughing with Specs and Dutchy, and Mush went outside to lift weights. It seemed like God had smiled down on me and broke the pair up for a few moments.
"Hey Mush."
He put down the barbell and wiped the sweat off his forehead, sitting down for a momentary rest. "Hey Bumlets. Come to work out?"
"No, not really. I need to talk to you."
"About what?"
"Nominations."
He frowned, an expression I had rarely seen on his face. "What about them?"
I took a deep breath. "I want your vote if the veto doesn't get used."
He didn't answer me. I'd have to try a different approach. I sat down beside him, and I saw his body grow tense. Was he scared of me or something?
"I don't think you know exactly what's gonna go down. You're a huge threat in this house, that's unmistakable. Even you know that. And Blink especially knows that."
"What are you tryin' to say?"
God damn, this kid was so naïve.
"I'm saying that when it comes down to it, Blink is gonna have you out of this house before you can even…well, blink."
"I know that."
"So why aren't you doing something about it? He's one of your biggest threats here! Getting rid of him could pave the path all the way to the finals for you!"
"Getting rid of him would also make me the biggest jerk in history."
"This game isn't bout right or wrong. It's not about emotions. It's about winning."
"Maybe for you."
"No! For everyone! You think you know Blink, but the second you turn your back, he's gonna be standing behind you with a raised dagger! Do you honestly not understand that?"
Once again he fell silent, staring at the grass by his feet.
I pushed the issue a little more. "He's playing to win, Mush. He's not playing for you."
"If that's what he wants…"
"Do you honestly believe you two are gonna stay together after you leave the house?!"
"Yes." He said without a second's hesitation.
"Then you're disillusioned. And you're going to lose."
Mush bit his lower lip, looking like a child who was about to cry. "Sorry, Bumlets. I can't betray him like that."
I groaned and stood up, but I turned around before I left.
"You really love that idiot, don't you?"
"More than you'll ever know."
AN: Fluff. I love fluff. It's so…fluffy. Anyways, veto competition, veto, votes, and maybe even eviction next chapter! I start school tomorrow, but I'll try and keep my 'one chapter a day' thing going. Remember- reviewing will keep my muses from beating you up!
Sorry this was another pretty short chapter. If my instincts are right, the next one is really big. Especially if I include evictions. Keep reviewing! And if you haven't reviewed yet, do it NOW! Your opinions do make a difference sometimes.