Desperation

Hayley didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t understand why she was even considering such an awful option, but she was starting to get desperate. And that scared her more than anything. If only there was another way that she could guarantee that she’d win. Use the skills that got you all the way to the finals! One part of her was screaming. Yes her skills had gotten her all the way to where she was now, but she needed something more assuring that she’d win.  She had to win. No. Matter. What. Her own thoughts were embarrassing her. She wasn’t like this. Hayley was a kind and generous girl, but the competition had changed her and her wanting of the prize money was too strong. 

“You of all people deserve it,” he had said in that snarky tone, “You need the prize money. You're a smart girl, but you're going to need a lot more than smarts to win. And I can help you win,”

“Why? What do you get out of it?” She had said stupidly instead of politely refusing. Sometimes it surprised her why she was even competing in a game of smarts.

He laughed, which was surprisingly tinkly, “I give you the map to get out of the maze and you will do something for me,”

“What?”

“I’ll tell you once you’ve decided,”

She considered it. She had actually considered it! “Okay let me think about it for a second,”

“I’ll see you at one make up your mind by then, but if you decide to do it, you must swear that you’ll do whatever I say,” 

“Or else?”

There was a maniacal glow in his eyes, “You’ll wish you weren’t alive,”

And now here she was thinking about cheating this competition using a map from a sketchy old man with a disturbing giggle. What had gotten into her? How desperate had she gotten. Desperation wouldn’t result in anything good she knew. But oh how she wanted that prize money, so she could finally open her own food truck.

    It was one, exactly 2 hours before the competition would start. She had made up her mind. Hayley snuck into the tent behind the building. He was waiting. A piece of paper in one hand. She sucked in her cheeks, “I’ve made up my mind,”

“You’ve made up your mind,” he repeated slowly.  

She nodded. This was a bad idea but her wanting was too much.

He threw the scroll on the ground and kicked it across to her. She bent down to pick it up.

“Thank you,” She spun around, hoping to get away before-

“Are you forgetting something?” 

She swirled around on her heel. She could practically feel heat emitting from her burning cheeks, “Oh uh sorry. What is it that you wanted?”

He leaned onto his cane, “I want you to get Kiera Watson out of the game,”

“What? How?”

He seemed irritated, “Just get her out, find a way to eliminate her. The girl with the black hair, red t-shirt,”

“Why?”

“She took something from me without giving me what I wanted, so she will pay.” The gleam in his black eyes seemed to be saying and you will too if you don’t do what I want. She grimaced, maybe this wasn’t the best idea ever. 

    He wasn’t kidding when he said red, thought Hayley. A short girl was sitting at a table, her black curls in a ponytail and her red t-shirt popping out against the drab gray tones of the room. She walked over, “Hey I’m Hayley,” she plopped down on the cold bench.

“Hey, Hayley, I’m Kiera”

Kiera couldn’t help but notice the anxious look on the girls face, “Nervous about the competition?”

The girl looked up from her phone as if finally realizing that Hayley was there, “Yea, I have to win. I need the prize money. I would do anything to win,” She laughed weakly.

Hayley suddenly felt uncomfortable,Kiera sounded exactly like her. She’d forgotten that other people wanted to win as much as her. “So what are you going to use the money for?” Hayley asked, completely forgetting the actual reason she was there to begin with. 

Kiera’s face lit up, “See I want to win the money to donate to my orphanage,” 

“You have an orphanage?” She wondered

“Um, no, I kind of grew up there…”

Gosh, leave it to her to get into awkward situations like this. She didn’t know what to say. Sympathy was her mom’s department. Poor girl, she didn’t even have a mom.

“I am so sorry.” Kiera stared at her. “About your parents I mean,” she added hastily.

Kiera shrugged, “I just want to give back to that orphanage cause it’s not that great and well I want kids to have a better time at the orphanage than I did,”

Wow, thought Hayley. This girl was sweet.

“What about you, why do you want the money?” she  asked wide eyed.

Hayley’s reason suddenly seemed lame and selfish compared to Kiera’s, “I haven’t thought about it really,” But that was a lie. It was all Hayley thought about ever since she heard about the competition. She dreamed day and night about giving out mini cakes and donuts from her Dessert food truck. One of a kind. Just like her. She could practically see herself begging her mom and dad to let her compete.

Kiera got up and reached for her bag. It was unzipped and things were overflowing, one of Hayley’s biggest pet peeves. 

“I’m gonna go warm up,” Kiera said, “Good luck,”

As she turned to leave a slip of paper flew out of her bag and floated to the ground. Hayley picked it up. It was a schedule from October up till now. That was 9 whole months of training! She wanted that money more than Hayley. And worked harder for it than her, she thought. 

The scroll of paper seemed like it was burning in her back pocket. She sank back into her seat. What was she thinking. Why did she do something so stupid? She was going to cheat, take the money when she didn’t deserve it, and find a way to eliminate Kiera. How could she have let herself get so carried away? 

She wasn’t like this. Kiera deserved the map a lot more than she did. She would give it to her. That’s what she would do. Hayley stood back up, actually no she wouldn't give the map to Kiera either. She didn’t know how hard the other contestants had worked and who really deserved it. No one deserved it.

 But she had to protect Kiera--- and maybe even herself from that crazy old man. And with that she ripped up the map in half, then again and again. Then she threw up the little pieces of paper like confetti, feeling a load of guilt and anger lift away from her shoulders.