Tying Her Laces: The Devil's Submission

The charter bus hit a massive pothole, jolting Sloane awake. Her head bounced painfully against the glass window.

She rubbed her eyes, her neck stiff. She looked out the window to see dense, towering pine trees blocking out the sun. A weathered wooden sign passed by, reading Pine Ridge Boot Camp.

The bus ground to a halt in a dusty clearing. The loud, crackling voice of an instructor echoed from a megaphone outside, vibrating through the thin metal walls of the bus.

Sloane stood up. She grabbed her backpack from the overhead bin. She felt the heavy, shifting weight of the hidden snacks inside, her stomach grumbling in anticipation.

She walked down the narrow aisle and stepped off the bus. The humid, pine-scented mountain air hit her face like a wet towel.

Julian stepped off right behind her. His sharp eyes immediately narrowed as he noticed the suspicious, bulky shape of her backpack.

He stepped up beside her. He tapped the side of her bag with his knuckles.

"Did you pack bricks, or just a ridiculous amount of junk food?" Julian asked, his voice dripping with amusement.

Sloane swatted his hand away instantly.

"Keep your voice down," Sloane whispered frantically, her eyes darting around the clearing.

Julian smirked. He leaned casually against a wooden fence post, crossing his arms.

"You're addicted to gummy bears," Julian teased openly. "They're going to smell the sugar on you."

Instructor Cole Donovan, a massive man in tight cargo pants and combat boots, blew a loud silver whistle. The shrill sound pierced Sloane's eardrums.

"Line up! Rows of ten! Now!" Donovan roared.

Sloane scrambled into the second row. She stood rigidly at attention, her heart starting to race as Donovan paced like a predator in front of them.

"Mandatory contraband check," Donovan announced, his voice booming. "All snacks, phones, and non-essential items will be confiscated immediately. Open your bags."

Sloane's eyes widened in sheer panic. Her grip tightened on the nylon straps of her backpack until her knuckles turned white.

Julian, standing in the front row, glanced back at her over his shoulder. He shot her a mocking, I told you so look.

Donovan and two other counselors began walking down the rows. The sound of zippers tearing open filled the air. Counselors pulled out chip bags, candy bars, and phones, tossing them into plastic bins.

A female counselor stopped directly in front of Sloane.

"Main compartment. Open it," she demanded.

Sloane hesitated. She bit her bottom lip hard, tasting a hint of copper. Slowly, she pulled the zipper down, revealing her massive stash.

The counselor ruthlessly reached in. She pulled out three bags of chips, a box of cookies, and a large bag of gummy bears. She tossed them all into the plastic bin with a loud clatter.

Sloane watched her food disappear. Her stomach physically sank. Her face fell into an expression of pure, dramatic tragedy.

Julian let out a low, audible chuckle from the front row. He couldn't hide his amusement at her absolute misery.

Sloane glared daggers at the back of his head, her teeth grinding together.

The counselor moved on to the next student. She completely failed to notice the small, flat chocolate bar Sloane had slipped into the hidden pocket of her skirt before boarding, pressing it flat against her stomach. Sloane let out a tiny, silent breath of relief. She subtly rested her hand on her midsection, feeling the solid square of chocolate still safely tucked against her skin.

Donovan blew the whistle again.

"Grab your cleared bags. Head to the cabin assignment board," Donovan ordered.

Sloane walked across the dusty clearing. She dragged her feet, mourning her lost gummy bears as she approached the large wooden bulletin board.

Julian fell into step beside her. He leaned down, his face inches from hers.

"You look like a kicked puppy without your sugar," Julian whispered.

"You're heartless," Sloane snapped back, her hands balling into fists. "I'm going to trip you into the mud during the first hike."

Julian laughed. It was a bright, genuine sound. He reached out and quickly ruffled her hair, his fingers tangling in her ponytail and completely messing it up.

Sloane gasped, batting his hands away and trying to smooth her hair down.

A few yards away, Blair watched them from the crowd. Her jaw was tight with anger, her nails digging into her palms as she stared at Julian's hand in Sloane's hair.

Sloane stepped up to the board, completely unaware of the target that had just been painted on her back.