I really need some air.
I find it at the hotel, which has a large rooftop pool. The sun is out and it’s hot, but there’s only one person up here. Ravi is sitting on the edge of the pool with his legs in the water. I sit beside him and start taking off my shoes. “Ravi, you’re a genius.”
“What’s up, Fi?”
“Eh, you know. Trying to accept the fact that this reality show is faker than Santa Claus.”
He laughs as I dip my feet into the warm water. “Yeah, I know what you mean.”
“So Sarah talked to you about cheating? When?”
“Before we filmed our Within the Warrior interviews. That’s why I was trying to warn you. When did you find out? Just now?”
“Nope,” I say, shaking my head. “Yesterday.”
“But you—”
“Didn’t do what they wanted? No way! Why did you?”
Ravi hangs his head low so his face hovers over the water. I can see his reflection looking back at him. “At first, I was angry. Very angry. But when they explained I’d be guaranteed more money than if I actually won, I couldn’t say no.”
I kick the water hard. I can’t believe what I’m hearing. “You did it for the money? I thought you were better than that, man.”
Ravi pulls his feet out of the water and hugs his knees to his chest. “You don’t understand, Fiona. My parents work hard to give me every opportunity they can, and it’s expensive. They don’t even know I know, but I hear them at night, after they think I’ve gone to bed, talking about their money situation. They’re barely getting by. But if I lose, I get forty thousand dollars. That money could really help them, and I owe it to them to help when I can. I’m sorry if you thought I was someone better. I guess I just can’t afford to be.” Ravi buries his head in his knees, making himself into a ball.
I feel like such a jerk. I want to curl into a ball too and throw myself into this pool and sink to the bottom where no one can find me. Instead, I scoot closer to Ravi and put my arm around him. “I’m sorry I said that. I didn’t know. Will you forgive me?”
Slowly, Ravi nods. He reaches his arm out and pats my back without raising his head off his knees. “I don’t want to cheat, Fi. I want to make my parents proud. If I lose, even if I explain that the producers made me do it and that I did it to help them, they won’t be proud. I don’t know how to help them and make them proud at the same time. It’s impossible.”
“Me too. I mean, my parents took me out of my gymnastics club when they found out it was corrupt. I can only imagine what they’d think if they knew how crooked things were here.”
I lie down against the warm concrete and stare up at the empty blue sky. There must be a way to win fairly, and to get Ravi the money he needs.
I bolt upright. “I’ve got it! I know how we can do this!”
Ravi lifts his head and squints at me. “How?”
“It’s so simple,” I laugh. “They can’t kick both of us off, right? They can’t have a fake competition if there’s no one to compete. So if we both agree to boycott their rules and play fairly, they can’t stop us.”
Ravi scratches his hair. “Yeah, that could work. I mean, we still have to beat Paul, but that’s doable.”
“If we do our best, one of us will probably come in first place. If somehow Paul magically beats us, we’ll still get the money from losing.”
“So we try to win, but we get paid either way,” says Ravi, a slow smile spreading across his face.
“Exactly! And whatever money I get, you can have.”
“What?” Ravi looks shocked.
“I mean it,” I reassure him. “I was never in this for the money. My parents don’t need it as much as yours. And you’re my friend. We help each other. If the money will help you, then I want you to have it. End of story.” I stick out my hand for him to shake. “It’s the perfect plan, admit it.”
“Yeah. It is,” Ravi admits.
“So are you in?”
Ravi nods. “Yeah. I’m in.” We shake on it, then he grins mischievously. “Sorry, Fi.”
“For what?”
“For this!” Ravi jumps and yanks me with him, face first into the pool.