If you like chaos, this chapter's got it.

Play It Cress-cendo: Part Three

Like during the winter where they had toboggan races, they had to make some sort of competition on the beach. They found some old rope by the docks and Winter tied her shawl in the middle to show the halfway point so they were preparing for a classic game of tug of war. They set up between the sand trap Scarlet and Kai made earlier so the losing team would fall right in. All that's left to configure is the teams.

For obvious reasons, everyone wanted Wolf. He had more muscle than everyone combined and his tattoos made him look more buff.

"How about this," Wolf wagers with a grin, "whichever team doesn't get me can have the extra person since we're uneven."

Everyone thinks it over and, despite Wolf being stronger than all of them combined, it was fair enough.

"In that case, why don't you pick your teammates?" Kai suggests. "It seems fair."

"Really?" Wolf's grin grows with the idea of being in charge of this whole match, especially when everyone seems to agree with it. He doesn't even hesitate on his choices. "Cinder and Thorne."

"Nice," Cinder states, cheering as she walks over to Wolf.

"Seriously?" Thorne questions in shock but heading to Wolf and Cinder as fast as he could. He isn't letting Wolf change his mind.

"Rude," Scarlet says, offended since she believed her boyfriend would've picked her.

"My fellow targets for your sand trap!" Wolf responds, putting his arms over their shoulders.

"What?" Cinder and Thorne questions, not aware of the sand trap.

"Again, you were a target by proximity!" Scarlet yells. She grabs Winter and Cress, dragging them to their end of the rope as Kai follows.

"Love you!" Wolf yells as he leads Cinder to their end.

"Got a strategy?" Cinder asks.

"You're not sacrificing me to the stars, are you?" Thorne questions because why else would Wolf willingly pick him without thinking?

Wolf thinks that over. "I didn't think of that till now."

"Because we know you'll sacrifice Cinder."

Wolf claps Thorne's back. "Of course."

Winter's tied shawl is in the middle of the sand trap and rises as each team grabs hold of their end of the rope. Wolf stands in the middle with Thorne in front of him and Cinder behind. On the other side, Cress is in the front followed by Winter, Kai, and Scarlet.

On the count of three, they start pulling.

"Kick sand in their faces," Scarlet says to Cress since she's in the front.

"And lose footing for half a second?" Cress asks, her arms straining against pulling so hard. "I don't even think I can kick that far."

"I think it's worth the sacrifice," Winter reasons.

"We lose one foot and they notice?" Kai questions. "We're dead."

Meanwhile, the other side had their own problems since they were outnumbered and nearly sinking in the sand to keep their footing. They weren't being dragged into the sand trap and hoped the others were. Since they were the targeted victims of the sand trap, then being a team would've been pointless.

"My feet are burning," Cinder says as she exhales a sharp breath. "Feels like they're dipped into a volcano."

"Got a Mount Artemisia?" Thorne jokes.

"Mount Antares. South of Luna. A separate island just off the ocean. Close enough to see from the shore but far enough that if it were to explode, the coastal people wouldn't necessarily have to evacuate."

"I was born in the bordering town," Wolf adds.

Thorne blinks, not having expected that while pulling on a rope for dear life. "Who knew my joke came with a geography and a biographical lesson?"

"Okay, new plan," Wolf states. "Keep a hold of the rope."

"You're letting go?" Cinder questions. "I don't think now's the time."

"Trust me."

"I don't," Thorne states.

"Why do you think I'm in the middle?" Wolf asks.

Cinder and Thorne remain silent, not because they know the answer but because they don't. They grip the rope tighter and tug as Wolf lets go. Quickly, Wolf wraps an arm around their waists and yanks them back hard. They stumble back but Thorne and Cinder keep the rope in their hands.

The sudden jolt of opposition surprises the other team. Cress squealed and let go, jumping to the side to save herself. Winter and Kai tripped forwards, nearly falling into the sand trap. Scarlet landing on them sent them screaming as they scrambled not to fall into the trap.

Once Thorne and Cinder were back on the ground, they and Wolf cheered amongst each other. So much for being targets.

"Thank the stars…" Cress mutters as she crawls away.

-o-

After the tug of war game, Cress army-crawled back to their spot and she stayed on her stomach under their beach umbrellas and on the towels. Cress grabs her book and didn't even get a chance to open it since Thorne lied on his back beside him.

"Look, we have a plan to go swimming in a bit," Thorne says.

"Really?" Cress questions, knowing where this is going. "Cinder is going in the water?"

"Yeah, we didn't tell her yet."

"Thorne…" She knows that he knows why she's being on edge towards all this.

"Crescent Moon," Thorne holds her by the hip and slides her closer to him. He rests his chin on her shoulder. "You're the most beautiful girl on this beach. Girls wish they were you."

"Pep talk," Cress states, tapping his nose since it won't work.

"Seriously. Do you think I like standing next to Wolf who's, well, Wolf? The dude has abs on abs and tatts. Like, aces. Is he even real? And I didn't even know Kai had something underneath but look at him."

"Thorne."

"What? I know I look good but it's weird when they look like that."

"Are you manipulating me into taking my shirt off?"

Thorne backs away for a second, mirroring Cress's playful grin. Her cheeks burn and she hides her face behind her book, lying back against the towels in disbelief she said that aloud. Thorne is frozen, blinking like a loading computer.

Thorne clears his throat. "That wasn't my intention. Also sounds worse when phrased like that."

"In retrospect, Carswell Thorne, my swimsuit is basically a shirt."

Cress puts down her book and takes off her shirt, putting it to the side. She feels lighter now that it's off and not because it's less fabric on her body. Her one-piece still covers her chest and torso, but the meaning behind it is more vulnerable. Her shorts are still on but baby steps.

"You're beautiful," Thorne tells her.

"So are you," Cress responds.

-o-

"Wolf! I'm drowning!"

Wolf treads in the ocean nearby Scarlet who isn't drowning at all. She's not even acting the part by flailing her arms or pretending to sink. He knows Scarlet didn't want to make a scene and pay a potential fine if a lifeguard had to swim all the way out here to see her playing around.

Instead, Scarlet's treading water a foot away from Wolf with a stupid grin on her face. Wolf narrows his eyes at her. At least she isn't mad about the tug of war teams although he doubts she ever really was. Maybe she was pettier that he picked Thorne over her. He knew he would be if the roles were reversed.

"What are you doing?" Wolf asks as he swims closer to her.

"Waiting for CPR," Scarlet teases.

Wolf grins, taking her arms and pulling her closer to him. "I'm not certified."

"You work at a gym. You have to be."

"Good point." He picks her up, holding her under her bottom. Wolf looks up at her as she holds the back of his neck. "This is how you do it, right?"

"Airway, breathing, compressions."

"That's exactly what I'm doing."

Scarlet nods, going along with it. Him carrying her in the water was exactly how CPR was done. Wolf laughs as she kisses him.