45. You Look Better In The Toilet III

**Rosé**

I shook my head. That's not my concern right now. I continued dragging Joshua.

“I didn’t have a chance to change,” Joshua said to himself. He took a sniff underneath the arm of his sweaty shirt. “Um, I don’t smell bad, do I?”

I shook my head. “No. You smell completely fine. Practically scentless.”

As my hand continued to wrap around his scrawny arm, I tried to focus regardless of his continuous chatter.

My energy swirled within me and gathered at my chest. It traveled to my arm but didn’t go any further. Why does it need to when I’m taking and not giving?

I felt my energy flowing back to my chest mixed with something new.

His lifeforce.

As it entered my body, it gave me strength. After all this practice I’ve learnt to control how much I consume. It’s not my most favorite thing to do to a living, moving object, but this is the best way to make sure he won’t get away from the trap I had set.

“Can you slow down? I’m feeling tired.”

“Don’t worry, we’re here!” Stopping in front of the small building, I turned to him and smiled. “He’s waiting for you inside.”

The male bathrooms stood in front of us. It’s a walk-in building with stalls on either side and a shower room at the very back.

Joshua furrowed his eyebrows. “Well, this isn’t what I was expecting…” He muttered, scratching his head.

“I guess I should let him know that you’re here,” I said. With a shrug, I walked to the door. Joshua was glaring holes into the back of my head.

“Why? You’re not needed anymore!” His shoulders bumped against mine as he overtook me. I stopped walking and let him pass. “Stop trying to be relevant.”

My mouth was sealed shut. I noticed the way his movements were more sluggish than before.

“Manny? Sorry, Manuel. I know you hate when I call you that.” Joshua gazes around the bathrooms. Why is everything so dark? That’s what I guessed he was thinking.

The further he went in, the closer I got to the door.

Then I locked it shut.

“Hey!” He yelled. “What did you do that for?”

He started knocking on the door, but he could barely pack a punch. Not even his shouts were loud enough to be heard. It will take time for him to regain his strength, time he does not have. His will do.

It doesn’t matter if someone lets him out and he tells them that I did it. What matters is that everyone saw me out in the open for the entire day. The teachers and students alike. The others in my grade aren’t reliable, but I do depend on their abilities to gossip. They would get me off the hook without realizing it. Keona has been social and out in the open, so I’m sure she won’t be affected if things go wrong.

I spun around and walked back to the clearing to look for Keona, leaving Joshua hitting the door and asking for help.

His trying to get out doesn’t bother me, but there is something else that does. Something that shakes me to my very core that I thought I was ready to face.

Just why.

Why is *she* here?

________

**Manuel**

Watching her leave, he could tell that, try as she might, she was tense as hell. She’s probably not used to it.

Manuel, with folded arms, leaned against the wall of the bathroom. His eyes glowed a dim green. Without touching it, the lock was released.

Joshua spurs numerous curses until he realizes that he’s finally free. Manuel rolls his eyes. How uncivilized.

When Joshua sees Manuel, he cracks a smile. “Manny, you’re really here! You won’t believe what happened. That crazy bitch locked me inside! Thank god you were here. You came to save me right?”

Manuel’s eye twitched. He stands in front of Joshua, gazing directly into his face.

“You said there was a bitch here?”

“Yeah, she…”

Joshua stopped mid-sentence. Manuel’s eyes had developed a stronger glow. Joshua slowly falls into a trance, leaving his mind completely vulnerable.

“Listen here and listen to me good. You locked yourself in the bathroom. Rosé was never here. You were just dumb enough to get yourself stuck,” Manuel said. “Nod your head if you understand me.”

He nodded.

“Well, that’s that. Oh, and stop calling me Manny. We’re not close enough for you to be calling me by my name and you’re not smart enough to get close to me. That clear?”

He nodded.

“Good, now get out of my sight.”

_______

Manuel didn’t realize that there was another part to her plan until an hour later. The rumor that the charity money was missing spread like wildfire.

“Do you think it’s true?” Robin asked. Her toned legs hung from her seat in his lap. Manuel tries to keep himself from scowling and puts on a polite smile instead. “They say that the money meant for donations has gone missing but the teachers haven’t said anything about it.”

“If it’s true then we’ll know,” Manuel said simply. “Don’t you want to check on Queenie and see how she’s doing?”

“Nope!” Robin grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Queenie has been acting weird. I’d rather stay here with you. Besides, we haven’t gotten much time alone since we came to camp.”

Manuel tried not to show his disapproval. He got with Robin to get her away from Rosé, that was the whole point of him asking her out.

While Rosé didn’t see it, Robin had gone around the school, happily engaging in gossip targeted at the person who was supposed to be her best friend. Getting her to expose her other side to Rosé didn’t take long. Their friendship is ruined, which is better than the alternative. Rosé can leave this all behind and find better friends when she goes to college.

Just like she’ll leave him and her other fated partners behind.

Manuel attempted to push that thought to the side. He made the decision to treat her poorly and keep her hating him so that she wouldn’t feel the effects of the pull. It worked, somewhat. She hates his guts. What he didn’t consider adding to the equation was whether or not he’d be able to resist the pull. He nearly tore off Denis’ head the day before.

An image of him teasing Rosé during the race made him hard. It’s something that he’ll remember for decades.

Robin gasped when Manuel held the back of her head and buried his tongue into her mouth. She followed his lead. Such passion, such fierceness. He doesn’t usually act like this. What happened?

They heard a bunch of footsteps and broke apart in time to see all the teachers and plenty of campers head to Joshua’s tent.

“What is this?!” One of the male teachers shouted. “Someone, go get Joshua!”