Hiding in the bushes?

It was 6 a.m., and I was already awake, staring at my ceiling like a condemned prisoner awaiting their execution. Today was the day. The reality show On the Real would be filmed in a matter of hours, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I was about to walk into a disaster of epic proportions.

Of course, my alarm hadn't even gone off yet. I'd woken up on my own, naturally, because the universe had decided that sleep was for people who weren't secretly sabotaging their own lives with terrible career choices. I rolled over in bed, groaning as I checked my phone. Nothing but a bunch of emails I didn't want to read. Probably more logistics I hadn't even considered.

[Six hours to make sure everything doesn't fall apart,] the system chimed in, chipper as always. [How are you feeling? Overwhelmed? Panicking? Catastrophically underprepared?]

"Shut up," I muttered, rubbing my face. "I've got this. I'm fine. Everything is fine."

[Sure,] the system said, clearly not buying it. [That's exactly what people say right before they trip over themselves and faceplant on live television.]

"Great. Thanks for the confidence boost," I snapped, rolling out of bed and shuffling toward the bathroom.

I splashed some cold water on my face, hoping it would jolt me into feeling like a functional human being. It didn't. All I saw in the mirror was a tired 24-year-old who probably shouldn't have agreed to run a reality show with less than 24 hours' notice. But hey, at least I looked mildly alive, which was better than nothing.

By the time I'd pulled on some clothes and made a half-hearted attempt at looking professional, it was already 7 a.m. I had one hour before I had to meet Felix at the filming site. One hour to mentally prepare myself for whatever chaotic nonsense today would bring.

The site where the show would be filmed was… well, let's call it "rustic." It was some outdoor retreat area just outside the city, complete with a lake, a few cabins, and enough mosquitoes to make me question every decision I'd ever made. The idea, apparently, was to throw the cast into nature and see how they reacted. Spoiler alert: not well. Who in their right mind thought reality stars and wilderness survival were a good mix?

Felix was already there when I arrived, looking far too calm for someone about to orchestrate a trainwreck. He stood near the production crew, arms crossed as he surveyed the setup with the kind of smug satisfaction that made me want to throw him into the lake.

"Morning," I muttered as I approached, trying to ignore the overwhelming urge to turn around and go home.

"Amara," Felix greeted me with that irritatingly calm demeanor. "You look… ready."

"Do I?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. "Because I feel like I'm one broken camera away from a mental breakdown."

Felix ignored my sarcasm and nodded toward the crew. "Everything's coming together. The cast will arrive soon, and we'll get started on the introductory interviews. After that, it's all unscripted chaos."

"Lovely," I said, staring at the equipment being set up around us. "And by chaos, you mean public humiliation?"

"Exactly," Felix replied, clearly proud of himself. "The more uncomfortable they are, the better the ratings."

"Of course," I muttered. "Because nothing says entertainment like watching people trip over themselves and ruin their careers."

[Sounds like your entire life,] the system quipped.

"I said shut up," I hissed under my breath.

Felix glanced at me, eyebrows raised. "Did you say something?"

"Nope. All good," I replied, flashing him a smile that was probably a little too forced.

The crew continued setting up while Felix rattled off more details about the day's schedule. I wasn't listening. My mind was somewhere else—specifically, on Elara. She'd be arriving soon, and I wasn't exactly looking forward to the reunion. The last thing I needed was for her to figure out that I was the mastermind behind this whole show. If she knew I was pulling the strings, she'd probably throw me into the lake herself.

"Amara," Felix's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "The cast is arriving soon. You ready?"

I forced myself to focus. "Yeah, totally. Ready as I'll ever be."

Felix didn't seem convinced, but he didn't push it. He just gave me that annoyingly calm nod and turned back to the crew, leaving me to stew in my own anxiety.

I glanced toward the entrance of the retreat area, wondering when Elara would show up. I needed to find a way to stay out of her sight at least for the time being. If she saw me, I was screwed. I wasn't exactly prepared for whatever awkward confrontation was bound to happen.

[Why don't you just face her like a normal person?] the system asked, clearly enjoying my discomfort.

"Because normal people don't drag people they hate into reality TV shows without telling them," I muttered, already looking for a good hiding spot.

[Fair point.]

I spotted a row of trees near the lake that looked like decent cover. Not exactly my proudest moment, but desperate times called for desperate measures. I made my way over there, ducking behind one of the trees just in time to see a black car pulling up to the site. My heart rate spiked.

Elara stepped out of the car, looking annoyingly perfect as usual. Even in casual clothes, she had this aura of grace and heroism that made me feel like a half-drowned cat by comparison. She was greeted by the production team, and they immediately whisked her away to do some preliminary interviews. Thank God. At least that bought me a little more time.

[Hiding in the bushes?] the system snickered. [Classy.]

"Shut it," I hissed.

[What's the plan, then? Hide the whole day?]

"I'm working on it."

[You're going to get caught,] the system said with an irritating singsong voice.

"Not if I play my cards right," I muttered, peeking out from behind the tree. Elara was still deep in conversation with the crew, completely unaware of my presence. Perfect.

I just needed to stay hidden until things got rolling. Once the show started, I could blend into the background and manage things from behind the scenes. Easy enough. Just had to make sure Elara didn't spot me before then.

Of course, knowing my luck, things weren't going to stay easy for long.

[Tick tock,] the system whispered ominously. [The heroine's here, and the games are about to begin.]

"Yeah, yeah. I know," I muttered, eyes still fixed on Elara as she disappeared further into the filming area.