“Sank you,” she murmured, rushing off to get ready.
“So what does this mean for the rest of us?” asked Marissa, slumping down into the sofa. “We’re just going to sit around here, waiting for something to happen?”
“Have you seen the pool? It’s amazing. We could go swimming,” said Shyla.
“It’s too cold,” said Marissa.
“We could sunbathe,” said Shyla. “I brought a ton of cute suits. I think they want us to wear them as much as possible. Right?”
“It’s too cold today,” Marissa snapped. “I’m used to Miami. It’s freezing here compared to Miami.”
“Is it true that we can’t watch television?” asked Mylar.
“Well, look around,” said a contestant whose name I didn’t know. “Do you see any televisions?”
“No,” said Mylar, sadly.
“This sucks,” said Marissa. She stood up and stretched, showing off her jiggly spare tire. Then she self-consciously yanked her shirt back down into place.
“I miss Cason,” said Mylar.
“Is that your boyfriend?” asked Marissa.
“No. Of course not! He’s my son.”
“What’s Bellamy going to do if he finds out you have a son?” asked Marissa.
“He already knows. And as you can see, he kept me around. In fact, I showed him a picture of the little guy and he said he couldn’t wait to meet him.”
“I guess that just goes to show what a great guy Bellamy is,” said Marissa. “Most guys would run for the hills if they found out someone they were going to date had kids. Even if guys like kids, they want their own kids. Not someone else’s.”
“Not all guys are like that,” said Mylar.
“Most are,” said Marissa.
“Maybe, but Cason is amazing. He’s not just any kid.”
“Everyone thinks that about their own kid, but they’re wrong.”
“Whatever! Were you scared when you were picked last?” asked Mylar.
“No way,” said Marissa. “I knew without a shadow of a doubt that he was going to pick me. He saved the best for last. And you know what else they say? Good things come in small packages.”
“I’m going to make cupcakes, if anyone wants to join me,” said Cashmere. “Delores, do you want to help me?”
“Sure,” said a waif-like girl who looked about nineteen. Her hair was long and so pale blonde it was nearly white. She gave it a twist and stuck a pen in it to hold it in place. The rest of the girls continued complaining and bickering, so I decided to go to my room and take a nap. As I began to doze off, the tantalizing aroma of baked goods filled the house. My mouth began to water. How positively sneaky! I went to my luggage and gobbled up a small packet of almonds to combat the images of dancing cupcakes that were overtaking my brain. There was no way I was going to cave in to that schemer’s scheme! Not when the threat of having to wear a bathing suit on air loomed over us at all times. I returned to my bed and slept for another hour. When I awoke and went out into the living
room, cupcake crumbs and sprinkles were littering every surface.
Caj and Delores were still in the kitchen, hard at work. “We’ve got some red velvet that will be ready in five minutes, and some chocolate I just frosted with cream cheese icing,” said Caj, smiling sweetly at me. “There are a few vanilla funfetti ones left, too, if you’re quick,” she added. Then she broke out in song: “Some say love, it is a cupcake, that soothes, the taste bud’s need…Some say funfetti, is the tastiest, there are three left, give them a try…”
“No there aren’t,” said Shar, cramming one in her mouth and taking the other two into the bathroom with her.
“Oh, bummer. Funfetti is my favorite,” I said. “I guess I’ll have to find something healthy to eat instead.” I looked through the refrigerator, settling on some yogurt and a salad. Caj looked annoyed with my choices. Delores was too busy whisking batter to care what was happening around her. We could hear Shar gagging in the bathroom.
“If you puke those up you won’t get any more,” yelled Caj.
“Oh man! I can hear her. How incredibly disgusting,” said Shyla. She set down her half-finished cupcake in a sea of discarded cupcake liners and champagne glasses.