Abby

As Karl speaks, my fingers worry the hem of my white chef’s coat, now no

longer pristine but splattered with sauce and tiny stains and the remains of

haphazardly cooked meals. It feels like a perfect representation of my inner

world right now: once untarnished and lily-white, but now stained and weathered

from the trials I’ve been through today.

We’re still standing in the supply closet, and the air feels thick. Karl is standing

over me still, his hand pressed into the door next to my head, sandwiching me

there with his body.

Enter title…

My wolf stirs ever so slightly, but now is not the time; I just found out that Karl

tried to talk to the judges for me, and I’m not sure how to feel about it.

“Abby…” he begins, his voice trailing off for a moment as his eyes search mine.

Finally, he pushes away from the door and crosses the small room, running his

hand through his hair for what feels like the millionth time in the past few

minutes.

“Just tell me, Karl,” I murmur, blinking away the tears that are threatening to

spill.

He pauses, then draws in a deep breath, and turns to face me again. “Abby,

yes, I did talk to Logan; but I never tried to bribe anybody. I hope you can

believe me in that regard.”

whirlwind that this competition has become, I

lie to me right now.

he promised all

Karl. But why talk to him? What

and I can tell he’s choosing his words

told him you’re an incredible chef, Abby. The best

the

word hangs

looks away for a brief moment, gathering

me again, it’s as though

like there’s something that he wants to tell me

out.

idea about you, Abby. He doesn’t see things

make him see that you are putting in

competition. That’s it.”

heart races, and I don’t know what to say.

dread knotting itself around my stomach: gratitude for

also dread because I

about me are, nothing Karl can

this

chef?” I ask,

whisper. “What happened, really?”

“He was

I caught him in the act, tried to stop

but I swear, Abby, I never laid a

truth; Karl, despite

in this sort of context. Not in a

not

the guards didn’t believe

head. “The guards think I’m

looks… Anyway, it

be here when you

stare down at the floor unblinking, staring at my feet. Outside,

to life again: “Contestants, this is your two minute

stage in two minutes.

hand reaches out and seems to

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