“One. Two. Three. Go!” Olivia said enthusiastically as she watched us jump into the pool. I resurfaced quickly before taking a long breath and going under water. Ethan was already there and searching for his key. I looked around on the pool floor but couldn’t find anything. The tiles were blue and the pool was big. It could be anywhere.
I couldn’t hold my breath any longer so I resurfaced out of the water. Olivia and Tristan were standing on the edge of the pool. Olivia was cheering for me and Tristan was supporting Ethan.
“Go, Juliet! You can do this.” Olivia yelled as she bit down on her nails. Taking a huge breath, I dove inside the water until I reached the floor and started searching for the key again. My hands tapped around to feel for a key but I couldn’t find it anywhere.
I couldn’t hold my breath underwater for too long. I had last swam about four years ago for a competition which I lost in the end. So I was out of practice and couldn’t hold my breath for too long. I was coming up for air too many times compared to Ethan. In a span of five minutes, I think I came up for air for about twenty times whereas Ethan only came up ten or so times.
I swam over to where Ethan was searching, relieved that even he wasn’t getting any key either.
We spent another few minutes searching until something sparkled inside the water. At first, I didn’t pay attention and thought it was just the water but when my eyes happened to glance over in that direction, I saw the key. Keys, actually. Both of the keys were lying in the corner, about a feet or so away from each other.
Ethan must have noticed it too because the moment I started moving in its direction, Ethan lunged for them too. I was too late to back away because we bumped into each other, hard.
Shit. He had noticed the keys too and I? had? to resurface with the key before he does to win this task.
Water went into my mouth and I realized that I had opened my mouth and released my breath due to our bump. I recovered as quickly as he did but before I could grab a key, two arms wrapped around my waist and pushed me back. I fought against him but he snatched both of the keys and resurfaced back.
“He cheated!” I yelled as soon as I was out of the water.
“What? What happened?” Olivia asked as she handed me a towel. I yanked it out of her hands.
“I almost had the keys first but he grabbed me and pushed me back! He cheated!” I shrieked while he just dried himself out with a towel, acting as if he didn’t even listen to me. That pissed me off more than it had.
“Juliet, there were no rules against not cheating. So Ethan won the first round,” Tristan said. “Don’t worry, you have two more chances.”
“You’re just saying this because he’s your friend and you’re happy he won. But he cheated, goddamn!”
“Suck it up, crybaby. We weren’t told that we couldn’t stop the other from having the key. So you can’t really blame me.” Ethan said, smirking victoriously.
I fumed. “I hate you two! And what happened to a fair match between us?! This is not fair!”
“Calm down, Juliet. I’m sure you will win the next two rounds. We’ll show these jerks!” Olivia sneered.
“So, are you all ready for round two? The hide and seek – which is not exactly hide and seek?” Tristan asked. “Let’s head in!”
“So Ethan as you’ve won the first round-” Tristan started but I cut him off with a not so silent “-by cheating,” he continued on as if I’d never spoken. “You get an advantage. You’ll go second so you can pick up on tricks or something like that to win.”
“Juliet will go first and Ethan will stop her from entering her room. If she manages to get into her room in less time than Ethan took, then she’ll win this round,” Olivia stated.
“Okay,” Ethan and I said in union. I glared at him.
“If Ethan wins, there’ll be no round three and he’ll be declared as the winner!” Tristan said.
“Don’t worry, Juliet. You got this. You’re going to win this one,” Olivia said reassuringly and I believed her. I could do this.
“Ethan, off you run buddy. Juliet will enter one minute after you and then you’ll have to catch her! Or not let her get to her room if you two come across each other in front of her room.”
Ethan disappeared around the corner and after one minute, I was told to go too.
“We can enter the mansion from another door right?” I asked and Tristan nodded.
I quickly sprinted off to the back door near the pool which lead to the kitchen. I had to be quick because when it’d be Ethan’s turn, I knew he would’ve no problem in getting into his room in no time. I was sure he’d think I’d go in through the main door and was probably hiding somewhere in ambush.
Once I entered the kitchen, I looked around warily. Someone suddenly entered from the other door, nearly giving me a heart attack. It was just some cook.
“Ms. Jenson? Can I help you with something? Are you hungry, perhaps?” He asked, unaware of the fact that I was scared out of my wits.
“No, I’m fine,” I whispered.
“Hey, have you see Juliet anywhere?” Ethan’s voice reached before he did. In a second I had managed to hide myself behind the fridge.
“Um…” The cook looked at me weirdly. I shook my head at him.
“No, sir. I haven’t.”
“Okay,” Ethan said and to my horror, his voice started getting a little louder, meaning he was getting closer.
The fridge door opened and I heard him rummage through it before he closed it again. I heard his fading footsteps as I relaxed. I stealthily got up and thanked the cook. I didn’t even know his name. I didn’t have time though. I had to get to my room as soon as possible.
I peeked into the living room and saw it was clear. There were two ways to get to my room. From the staircase from the living room or another staircase which lead from the computer room directly to the hallway where our rooms were.
I started to make my way towards the computer room but stopped short. This was a game of hide and seek, well sort of. He wouldn’t think I would choose the direct way. He would think I would use the less used way – through the computer room. So I must go through the direct way. I hoped I was right.
I silently but quickly skipped up the steps and once I reached the hallway, I hid behind the wall to see if it was safe. There was no one and I was happy. Yes, I was definitely going to win this one.
I said it too soon though because Ethan showed up at the end of the hallway. When he spotted me, he smirked.
“You lost this one too,” he said. “I’m the winner.”
I revealed myself fully to him. I smirked back at him. “Not so soon, Evans. Have you forgotten you’re supposed to catch me? Or that I’ll have to wrestle my way in if we end up in front of my room?”
His smirk was gone by now. I quickly sprinted towards my room door with him running towards me from the other end of the hallway.
I reached my room and quickly fumbled for the key in my pockets. Just as I took it out, Ethan slammed into me, making me trip over my own feet and land on the floor with Ethan on top of me. I groaned in pain but didn’t let it affect me.
I quickly pushed him off of me and dragged myself towards the door. Just as I managed to push the key into the keyhole, I was pulled away from it. Ethan grabbed me by my waist and threw my over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. I yelled at him to let me down but he started walking away from the door.
I beat and dug my nails into his back, making him hiss in pain. When that didn’t work, I bit his back hard and he finally let me go. I almost fell off of him.
Once I was on my feet, I ran in the direction of my room with Ethan hot on my heels. But once again, I found myself being yanked away from my room. He pushed me against the wall and held my hands tightly at either sides of my head, making it impossible for me to move.
Finding no other escape route, I did the only thing I could in a situation like this. I kneed him in his family jewels so hard, I was pretty sure even his future kids felt the pain.
He crumpled to the floor, clutching his affected area.
I finally managed to open the door and get in. I sighed in relief once I entered. I just hoped I didn’t take long.
I instantly got to work and started searching for the notes. I started with the bed and looked in all of the pillow covers and blankets but didn’t find anything. Next, I checked the drawers and found one taped to the upper side of one of the drawers. The second one was in one of the makeup kits. The third one was difficult and took most of my time. I had to search the entire closet for it. I didn’t find anything.
I was sure Olivia had hid the notes. I knew Olivia. She used to keep some money or little important sticky notes or such in her phone cover. I walked towards my phone and pulled off its cover and there it was, the third note.
I gathered the three and made my way downstairs where they might most probably be there.
The three were seated on a couch, watching TV. As soon as Tristan noticed me, he quickly tapped something on his phone.
“And your time is thirteen minutes and two seconds,” he announced. “That was pretty fast.”
“She cheated!” Ethan gritted out. “She kneed me in my balls!”
Tristan sighed. “There were no rules against not cheating.”
“But that’s not fair!”
“Suck it up, crybaby. We weren’t told we can’t try to stop our opponent. So you can’t really blame me,” I imitated him from before.
He glared at me.
“Okay, Ethan it’s your turn now. Juliet, you go first.”
I nodded and walked away. I was supposed to walk away from the living room but instead, I hid behind the wall to see where he would be heading after one minute.
“You can go now,” Tristan said and Ethan, like I had suspected directly went for the staircase like I had.
I wanted to catch him before he made it to his room because I knew I won’t be able to hold him back for too long if we both end up in front of his room. He’d just toss me away like a ball.