The Luna Choosing Game

When Linda said she knew enough, I knew she was referring to her blackmail. What she knew was that Nicholas and I had been campus sweetheart three years ago. Unfortunately, that was enough to get her everything what she wanted.

She picked up one of the cookbooks. “Since I know everything, I expect you to agree with my decisions. here. I know best, after all. You should consider yourself fortunate to be paired with me.”

“I can help.” I started to reach for a book of my own, but she slapped my hand away.

“You can help by not screwing this up for me.”

For the rest of our hour together, I was forced to agree with all of Linda’s decisions, even the ones I knew wouldn’t make sense. No one would select three different kind of egg dishes. Where was the

variety?

But when I tried to suggest it, I was immediately shut down.

“It would be such a shame for little Elva, wouldn’t it?” she said. “If her mother was tossed out on the street, destitute and publicly shamed. Absolutely tragic.”

I kept my mouth shut after that.

When we were finally allowed to separate for the day, I was worn out and eager to spend time with Elva.

Nicholas had agreed to check in on her while I was busy, so I was not surprised to find him and Mark playing cards in my bedroom while Elva took a nap.

Both Nicholas and Mark looked at me when I came through the door. Mark frowned.

He kept his voice

skipped a beat. How had he been able to tell something had happened with only a single glance? Mark had only grimaced, but Nicholas knew instantly, it wasn’t

of anger.

bad

walked to them and fell into one of the open chairs at the table. I held

to Mark

can be trusted. He knows must

our current…

“You both surely know about

“Yes.”

to work in pairs. But you might not have expected that my partner

Linda.”

forward, placing his elbows on the table.

she threatened you?”

she has taken charge of our challenge and refuses to accept any input from me. And some of these choices she is making… I feel as if she might be setting me up for

a dangerous gamble on her part, to make us both look bad while hoping she alone would weather the storm. I

her

so, it was a risk. One I wouldn’t have thought her calculating enough to make. Yet the