Chapter Nineteen:

"Come on," he whined as I struggled to push up the heavy weights in my hands for the last time. "You can do it," encouraged Jaylen right next to me, but upright spotting me.

I still needed to owe Jaylen, he made sure to remind me that as often as possible. But after that first time I had really spoken to Jaylen two days ago. It didn't really go well. He seemed like some nice dick which was really confusing, even for me.

Yes, two days may seem so little to literally change over my feelings towards him. And by feelings I meant wariness and the want to avoid as long as possible. But later on that day he greeted me out of nowhere as I passed him when checking out the library, that everyone around even looked confused.

Yesterday I went to train yet again, wanting to improve my physic and just do something other than sitting around. When I went to one of the training rooms, Jaylen soon joined after and engaged in conversation with me against what I had trying to obviously get him to leave me alone.

But after an hour of torture, him speaking to me, me not replying and trying to put as much distance between us impossible. Him still following. I finally sucked it up and spoke to him very shortly and curtly as he chatted away, clearly knowing that he was irking me.

Eventually I snapped and began screaming at him, everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and started to watch us. As I finished my screaming rant at him I was puffing out of breath but all he did was stare at me with those unnerving pale green eyes. His face was impassive but I could see the amusement laced in his eyes and the corner of his mouth twitched upwards and that was when I realized that that was what he was waiting for.

After that, he still continued to hang around me and I began conversing with him more too tired to do otherwise. Maybe he was trying to wear me down so I was too tired to resist talking to him. If so, it worked.

But now, I was actually conversing with him alright, we acted like friends that hang around each other and it turned out he wasn't bad company. He may have seemed like some cold hearted, i didn't give a fuck type and a dick. And I may have secretly thought he was some uptight snob. But if anything he was the total opposite. He was kind, at least to me, had a sense of humour, but he wasn't as kind as you'd think as well. At any possible point, he'd try to insult me and it made me want to strangle him. But I secretly enjoyed it. It felt nice to smile and laugh.

So yesterday night, as I was walking back to my room, Jaylen flanking behind me. We decided to meet up in the weights room to train and he promised to start small with me and pulled some joke about lifting a kilo. Five hundred gram weights on each side and that equaled a swat on the shoulder.

So here I was, forgetting the one kilogram option and wishing I had taken it yesterday, but now was benching twelve kilograms. Not much, but clearly too much for me.

"Come on Bryce," chuckled Jaylen from up-beside me and gestured for me to lift it. "You said you wanted to start easy so I got you easy, bloody, I got you even easier than what would be considered easy."

I glared at him and he laughed harder, clearly knowing that he had insulted me and I pushed my arms up as hard as I could and miraculously my arms pushed up for the thirtieth time and I began sputtering as I whined slightly.

"Jaylen . . . can't." He seemed to get what I was indicating and he was quick to grab the pole of weight off me and place it on the bar holder. I laid on the soft bench below me, out of breath, sweat coating my skin and my shirt that I was wearing.

"Thanks," I breathed after what felt like an eternity. After a few more seconds a hand was suddenly brought out in front of me and I followed it to find Jaylen there giving me a knowing look. "Come on," he said waggling his fingers.

After hesitating for a moment, I grabbed his hand with mine and he helped pull me up and handed me my bottle and towel. Gripping my squeezable bottle, I squirted it into my mouth and drank quickly before wiping my face with the towel.

The Weights Room was filled today. Many of the weights in use along with the bench presses. As of The Resdue they have added extra staff into the weights room. And by staff I mean big bulky men which were most likely from the army or guards maybe even bodyguards as I'd like to put it.

In the room today. There was a single guard at every bench press in the room, in hopes to spot the guys who really wanted to push their limits during weight lifting.

From what I had seen in the past few days, because I have been pretty much been spending every second in either the Weights Room, or Gym, because I have been wanting to distract myself from everything going on around me. I had seen one too many guys pulling muscles and struggling for breath as the weights had fallen onto their chest. Hence the many guards stationed around for the incompatible guys.

Surprisingly, the Weights Room had been a hit. Yes, I knew that it definitely would be, but it had been so good that they had to install bench presses and even more weights.

"So you going to spot me?" Asked Jaylen.

Quickly without thinking I nodded me head. "Yep."

He let out a low laugh, throwing his head back chuckling. "Yeah, you are not going to be spotting me," he then turned around and hollered out for one of the nearest guards and then turned back to me. "Girl who can only lift twelve kilograms."

I thumped him on the arm like I was offended but began to laugh. I really enjoyed my friendship with Jaylen. He made me feel more at home here despite the fact you probably could never feel at home here.

It turned out that Carter would always hang with Jarvis and Logan, and I didn't blame him for it. They'd all try to include me at times, but I didn't really hang out with them as often. I'd sometimes hang out with Lucy and Shaun when I really needed to distract myself, but yet it wasn't as often either. They stuck more around each other and I didn't really feel right intruding with them all the time.

So Jaylen it was. He didn't seem to hang out with his sister Rebecca a lot either. In fact, I have yet to seen her other than the time she and her brother were announced that they were safe in the competition from the last test.

I still couldn't even believe that I had become friends with Jaylen after telling myself that I didn't have time for friends, and even after out of everyone I wanted to avoid him and his sister the most. But I guess the Resdue really did change you. He probably put something in my food when I wasn't looking.

But Jaylen would also be a strong ally, he seemed to scare everyone especially after he spoke up with me in the test round. I heard some rumours going around about the two of us speaking up but I chose to ignore.

It was better to be friends with Jaylen then being an enemy or foe to him.

The guard guy came over and Jaylen rolled over onto his back just where I was, but not before adding one to many weights onto it. He declared to me that it was much to light and that he could lift that with his single pinkie finger.

Now, he was benching one hundred and forty kilograms. Just ten or twenty kilograms over the average man would bench. His words not mine. I could hardly lift twelve kilograms let alone one hundred and forty.

As I watched a bit, the guard spotting Jaylen and I knew for sure that if something were to go wrong, he's easily lift the weights off him and help him, I walked away to head to some machine in the corner which I had kept my eyes on.

The machine was something like bench pressing but was much safer. By safer, I meant that it wouldn't crush my chest and cause me to puncture a lung or something.

It stood up, a pole on either side which went back and the poles from there were drilled into the ground. To length ropes with hand holds hang from where the poles crossed over the top and was easy to get a hold on. just behind it on the floor, there was a clear glass box with weight slabs inside. Every five or so centimeters there was a hole and hanging on a string, a fat piece of metal sat, needing to be put into one of the holes which would determine how heavy the weights would be.

Walking up to the glass box, I read the weights written in write at the front which outlined and told me exactly how heavy it all is. The lower I placed the metal stick thing, the heavier it was. After looking at it and seeing the heaviest it went was fifty kilograms. I chose the fifteen kilogram one and stepped back, gripping the handles.

I tried pulling on it, but it barely budged. After some time, I eventually got into a nice rhythm and was easily lifting the weights. I ended up doing a few sets before I felt the burn in my arm muscles and felt a very sweaty hand rest onto my shoulder giving me a shock.

"Fifteen," he hummed. "Not bad, guess I have to call you fifteen kilogram girl now." Turning around I found Jaylen with an amused expression on his face at the sight of my puffed out expression.

"Except you are pulling not lifting, well, I guess you are back to twelve kilogram girl," shrugging he pulled his hand off my shoulder. "Now, my big question. Are you pulling, or falling using your full weight to pull it up?"

I gave him another swat on the shoulder.

"Pulling," I confirmed. I felt like I needed to confirm it, and he laughed again.

Looking around, everyone was doing weights, except for those girls like two days ago were now in here watching. As I glanced around, the room stuffy with heat from all the guys working out, sweat dripping down their pecks and between their abs. At least for the shirtless ones.

I felt tempted to go up to the group of girls. Befriend them. And watch the hot guys all day long.

Something I did that the girls were doing was sending sneaky glances towards Jaylen. One girl bit her lip while doing it most likely trying to seem seductive but I didn't think Jaylen really noticed.

I wasn't sure why the girls were looking at him. He had muscles no doubt. With his shirt off his six pack was definitely impressive. An eye looker. And his hair draping to his shoulders, one side tucked behind his ear and his pale green eyes. I guess you could call him good looking. But for me. He wasn't really anything to look at. Not as impressive as the girls were making it out to be.

"So when do you think the next test is?" Asked Jaylen.

"I'm not sure," I answered him truthfully. I had no idea when the next test would be and I wasn't sure that I even wanted to know.

He hummed in response and looked like he was in deep thought. "What do you think they would do?" I asked him and brushed a trail of sweat trickling down the side of my face. "As in what do you think it would be?"

He continued to think and shrugged again, a sigh coming deeply from his throat. "I don't know," and again thinking it wasn't enough he repeated himself. "I really don't know, Bryce."

It became quiet between the two of us, the tension thick. Thick of the intensity of what killer task would lay next. Would it be another knowledge test, would it be a death one, a puzzle, a mystery, a sickness, a sprung surprise?

Anything could happen.

The tension that struck the air like electricity was broken as Jaylen decided to cut through it with easy playfulness. "Well I don't know about you, but I'd be hoping it has nothing to do with carrying heavy objects. It would be tragic." He teased me.

This brought out a bit of a laugh from me before I swatted him yet again on the arm. I really needed to keep track of how many times I did that a day. A dollar a swat, I'd be a millionaire within a week.

"Well let's hope it has nothing to do with intelligence. Then I'd really be praying for you," and that was when he really began to laugh. "I did pass the knowledge test," he retorted and I gave him a slight smirk. "If we look at the results, your probably just swung by."

It felt good to laugh. We were both laughing together and cracking jokes, insulting each other at the same time when a loud noise banged through the room.

Turning to see what it was, I saw Carter standing just past the entrance, right next to a small, maybe ten kilogram weight, on the floor right next to him. The way he was gripping his right side, I knew he must've accidentally bumped into it when walking in, or he was too distracted by something to notice it.

The latter seemed to be right as he stared intensely at me and Jaylen by my side laughing with me. Jaylen seemed to sober up and looked at my partner who was staring at us, a snarl almost rising onto his face.

"Isn't that your partner?" Asked Jaylen leaning down a but to my ear as he whispered it to me. "Crate— no Carter?" I just nodded in response and continued to watch Carter as he ignored the weight that crashed to the ground and stomped his way towards us.

Stopping in front of us, he not only was on the verge on snarling, but was seething at the sight of Jaylen right next to me and seemed to be losing his control as his fists turned white from keeping it in a too much tight grip.

"What," he whispered venomously. "Is he doing here, with you?" He spat as if addressing anything to do with Jaylen was poisonous.

"What do you mean?" I replied confused as ever.

I didn't really seem to have that much of a problem with Jaylen. I had told Carter about what happened during the knowledge test and about the guy who was set up by some other guy, with some man bun, pinned him on cheating. I also told him about what Jaylen said and even as I told him, I never said negative of Jaylen either.

Even with the other day in the Gym, I never mentioned my interacting with Jaylen. I kept it to myself hoping to avoid everything possible relating to drama, and it never seemed as much of a pressing issue either. If it was much of a pressing issue, I would of most definitely mentioned something.

"I mean," said Carter glaring at Jaylen who had taken a step closer to me. "What are you doing here with him?" Last time I checked, he never had a problem with Jaylen, or anything at that.

"Is there a problem?" I asked him exasperated, lifting a hand to my head. I really didn't want to argue with Carter. We were suppose to be a team and we may not always hang out together, but I didn't want to fight with him either.

Everyone in the room had stopped to watch the interaction between the two of us, Jaylen hanging just next to me. Impassive as ever, not like he usually was around me, but I knew that he was only doing that because he hated confrontation since he couldn't control his anger as well. Something I had picked up on.

I also didn't like all the attention we were getting. It seemed like I was always being pulled straight into the middle of everything and at the rate Carter was keeping this, we were going to be the next big thing on television.

Partners from Redlake battle it out in Weights Room with innocent bystander from ......

I could see it.

"Yes," he all but spat. "You told me you were training," he just seemed to get angrier and angrier. "I am," I replied with as much conviction as he was using. "You never mentioned him," he basically screamed and pointed at Jaylen.

"I didn't need to," I told him and whispered to him urgently. "Please don't make a scene, I don't want to be the centre of attention on television."

But he decided not to listen. "If you really wanted to train with someone you should of just asked me, not go off with that," he spat again. This seemed to be the perfect time for Jaylen to jump in and I had the incredible urge to hit my head repeatedly on the mirror nearby.

"'With that, really? That's all you could do?" He stepped closer to Carter trying to be intimidating, but Carter never backed down. "Back off, this isn't your business," said Carter as calmly as he could as rage seeped through him.

"This isn't my business my ass, I'm not going to let you scream at her like she has done something terrible."

This seemed to quiet the whole room, as if it wasn't even quiet in the first place. Carter's eyes seemed to soften slightly as he realised that he had just been screaming at me. But just as suddenly they softened they turned hard and continued to glare at Jaylen again. The two of them having some sort of stand off. Both barely a centimetre apart and were glaring at each other. Heads tilted upwards to see who would back down first.

I could feel the tension from where I was standing, just next to them.

Not wanting anything to escalate, I grabbed Carter by his arm and yanked lightly. When he still didn't budge, I yanked harder and he reluctantly drew his gaze from Jaylen's and looked down towards me.

I gestured my head behind him and pulled again. "We are going out there, now." I demanded and hesitantly he nodded and reluctantly took a step back and it didn't go unnoticed that Jaylen had as superior look on his face, a smirk coming up on it in victory.

Carter then clenched his jaw and went straight back into his face completely ignoring my warning look.

"Something you want to say," he threatened.

I saw Jaylen's mouth began to open and this time I really made sure that they'd break apart and not start anything. Anything worse than this. "Carter," I said harshly and he was right to look over and know I was really serious this time.

I pulled his arm again roughly and pushed him in front of me before turning back to Jaylen. "I'll see you later," I whispered and continued up to Carter. I fell short though as a hand gripped my wrist from behind and I turned to see Jaylen staring at me with concern on his face and anger as he glanced at Carter.

"If he is being a dick to you, come straight to me," he said protectively and turned to Carter who had stopped just ahead and stared at us with a clenched jaw. "Next time you be a dick to her, I'll personally punch you."

Everyone's breath were held and I rolled my eyes and walked away from Jaylen, but not before calling out a goodbye over my shoulder and walked to Carter and dragged him out of the Weights Room.

As we went outside, it felt refreshing from being in the air conditioned room filled with the stench of perspiration and testosterone loitering the air.

Outside, there was a fresh breeze blowing through the air and it made me feel better, more natural, more fresh. The sun was just above us, burning downwards and heating up all my exposed skin and it wasn't too long until I felt the heat spread through me, overwhelming me slightly.

Carter's wrist still enclosed by mine, I dragged him on the cobblestone path, around the Weights Room and dragged him towards the forest. I walked through the thick trees, the wind not as strong as before since the trees blocked it from its full intense blow.

Carter begrudgingly stomped after me, with no choice with my hand around his wrist. And even though he could easily break from my grip, he wasn't dumb enough to know that my temper as risen to the verge of climax and a little push would really make me blow. So now he stalked behind, still as annoyed and angry as ever.

I lead him further into the forest and finally stopped in a small clearing where I believed we were far enough from the cameras that surrounded the grounds. But I wouldn't be surprised if there were cameras out here too. But I felt better not thinking about it.

I finally let go of Carter's wrist and for some reason I felt a sense of loss but ignored it before turning around, whipping towards him. Hi jaw was clenched and he faced the other way, staring at the trees and bushes that must have seemed more interesting than me.

The clearing was quite small. Maybe ten by five metres, but had a fallen stump in the middle which I knew would be useful later on when I needed a seat after pacing burns into the ground.

The clearing had grass reaching up to my shin and had a few wild flowers growing, most in particular being Black-eyed Susan's. The yellow on them making the clearing seem more bright and friendly, but wouldn't be as friendly seeming after I was done.

"What the hell was that?" I screamed at Carter, not worrying about anyone hearing since I had dragged him in hear quite far from the main grounds. I made sure I remembered which way I came so we wouldn't be lost.

Carter still kept his attention to his left staring at the trees as if something there was keeping his attention to a little span whatsoever. "Huh?" I asked again loudly. "What was that!" My throat burned by how much I was screaming, but I couldn't seem to stop. With what had happened, I couldn't believe how he reacted.

He acted as if I was his territory or something. Like I had needed his permission to do what I wanted. And better yet, he had embarrassed me and Jaylen. But who he really embarrassed the most, was himself.

I knew that this was going to be the talk of the day and he most likely was most entertaining enough to be placed onto television. Almost anything is. But fighting with both your partner and someone else at it. Everyone is going to eat it up.

But yet, he still wouldn't respond to me. "Carter! Are you even listening? Not only did you feature yourself, me, and Jaylen on television. But you embarrassed us, and yourself even more. Do you realise this? Do you?!"

This time I seemed to get his attention as he whipped his head towards me, almost like he had gotten whip lash and replied to everything I was saying. "Jaylen, you are on first name basis now?" He barked.

"Jaylen, are you kidding me? After everything I said, that's all you picked up on. That's all you'd reply to. That! Are you kidding me?" I continued to scream at his ridiculousness.

His jaw clench he continued. "If you wanted to train with someone why not come to me?" He looked almost hurt as he said that, but I still wasn't taking it. "No," I said. "No," I replied even stronger. "It was never about training with someone. It was me training and having some friend."

"A friend," he asked confused. "A friend," he said again and then through his head back and let out a humourless laugh. "A friend? Are you kidding me? That wasn't a friend, he just wants you. Can't your realise that? A friend. You must be stupider then I thought."

I felt a pang in my chest and hurt filled me. My eyes or facial expression must've shown that since he paused mid rant and realised what he said because he turned to me with shock evident on his face.

"I didn't mean it like th-"

But I cut him off. "No, you did. But even so, I can't believe you'd think that. It is not about anything like that. Not at all. But that isn't even the problem at hand. How you acted in there, that was unbelievable. Like, are you kidding me?"

He just shook his head. "I don't want you around him anymore," he told me. This time it was my turn to let out a humourless laugh.

"No," I told him. "You don't get to tell me who I can hang out with and who I cannot. You don't get to pick that, I do."

He stared at me in disbelief and anger. "But what the problem is, is how you reacted just then. You were literally screaming for attention we do not want. And it wasn't like I did anything wrong. You have your close friends here, I have mine. And you have no right to yell at me like you did."

He didn't reply of a while after that. Just stood breathing and staring into nothing. After what felt like an eternity he turned back to me, all anger or annoyance all lost on his face.

"You're right," he relaxed his fists which were clenched. "You're right," he sighed.

"I have no right to tell you who too hang out with and with what happened, I reacted way out of proportion and embarrassed you, and myself. The cameras must be viewing everything that happened." He ran his fingers through his hair which he did when angry, nervous, or embarrassed, and I knew that he was doing it because he was embarrassed.

"I'm sorry," he croaked. "I'm sorry."

Nothing else was said between us for a few seconds, but I then walked forward and embraced him in a hug.

At first he didn't react as my arms wrapped around him tightly. One around his neck, the other just under his arm. But I the felt his arms wrap around me as well and he held me in a tight hold. My head resting on his shoulder and I could feel the faint thumping of his heart vibrating through his chest.

Hi chest lifted and deflated in a slow rhythm as he breathed slowly. Relaxed other than seething like before. I felt more relaxed than ever as the breeze blew softly around his. I would have been cold, if not for his warm arms around me.

"I don't like fighting with you," he said suddenly from above me and I looked up slightly confused. "We are suppose to work together, not fight."

I nodded in the crook of his head and whispered a, "yeah."

After that. I wasn't sure how long we spent in that embrace. The two of us away from everyone. No cameras around, at least not that I know of. But at this moment I didn't really care if there were. I just stayed as I was.

I knew that with everything that had happened, the problem wasn't over, nor fixed. I knew that he still wasn't okay with everything and that with Jaylen he would still have problems there.

But now, just now. I relished the feeling of his strong, warm arms around me and silently wished we could stay like this forever.