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Contestants: “...???”
Crew: “...!!!”
Dead silence.
Everyone’s frozen,staring at me.
At Ethan.
At his hand.
Even the live comments stall.
“You said lick him.I did.”
I’m mad.Is this System nuts?
System implodes,cursing in my head.
I saunter back to my spot.
My move breaks the spell.
Lily shrieks, “Pearl Dawson,what was that about!”
Ethan leaps on spot,disgust,horror,shock flashing in his eyes.
He grips his licked wrist,sprinting to his assistant for water.
If we’re not live,he’d probably deck me.
Viewers snap back,comments filthier than System’s,some auto-banned because of keywords.
It’s live,so it trends instantly.
Ethan keeps his distance far from me.
No one mentions it again,treating it like I was possessed.
What adults do,I guess.
The crew says no food today—find your own ingredients.
Since Ryan vowed to buy groceries yesterday,I sidle up,eyes hopeful.
Chloe follows,distraught: “I’m watching you.No more stunts,no insulting my idol!”
Outwardly,I grab her hand,nibbling: “Don’t steal my food!”
Inwardly:Pecked her!Thrilled!
Chloe stares at her hand with my saliva on it,her expression screaming...disgust.
“Pearl Dawson,I’ll end you!”
We run,Ryan chasing.
Exhausted,we squat by a breakfast stand.
I glare at Ryan,declared: “I’m hungry.”
Ryan flips his pockets inside-out,whining, “I said I’d pay,so the crew confiscated my cash.”
“My week’s allowance!”
I scowl.The camera guy doesn’t take the blame: “Head director’s orders.”
I drool at steaming meat buns in the steamer.
Ryan and Chloe can’t drag me away.
The owner’s son stumbles out,messy hair,test paper with an E.
“Dad,teacher said correct my mistakes.I can’t.”
The owner,frying something,roars, “I pay for tutors,and you can’t do this?Leave me alone!”
Ryan grabs the paper,sitting with the kid to tutor.
I lean in.Ryan’s math talk is gibberish,but no biggie—I catch other stuff.
When Ryan nods approval,I praise:
“You’re so smart!”
“Born for Ivy League!”
“Got it in one go?Awesome!”
When Ryan shakes his head,I soothe:
“No biggie,you aced the last one.You’ll get this.”
“Just a focus slip.Try again—you’ve got it!”
“Believe in yourself!”
Comments:
[Boo-hoo!If my mom was this patient,I’d be at Harvard right now!]
[She just licked Ethan Cole.]
[Ryan’s tutoring’s worth hundreds an hour.Lucky boy!]
[Pearl’s great—so friendly and encouraging!]
[She just licked Ethan Cole.]
[Like a cute couple...I’m shipping them!]
[I want Pearl as my mom!My palms!]
[She just licked Ethan Cole.]
Any praise for me gets that reply.
When the owner finishes what he was doing,his son’s paper is done,and he’s tackling other homework.
Grateful,learning we’re starving,he insists on treating us.
Ryan’s still pretending “We can’t accept your offer”.
