“On purpose?” I’d been so focused on making the sauce and the clock, I hadn’t even thought about how the spill had happened.

“Definitely on purpose,” she said. “I know it didn’t make a difference, I mean, you won anyway, but I just thought you should know.”

She was right. It didn’t matter, but not because I’d won. It didn’t matter because I felt just as bad about cheating as I had before. Only now, I was confused too. I’d seen Chef JJ mess with contestants in all kinds of ways, but this? This was sabotage. Did she do this kind of thing regularly and they just didn’t show it? Or was she just doing it to me?

“You know, everybody thinks Chef JJ favors me because she knows my mom.”

“Yeah, she’s definitely not favoring you. If anything, it kind of seems like the opposite. How does she know your mom again?”

“They worked together at a restaurant for a long time.”

Just then, the speaker came to life with a low hum. “Hello?”

“Yup, still here,” I said.

“We’re good to go,” the man said. “Just wanted to give you a heads-up.”

“Great,” I said at the same time Keya called, “Thank you!”

A moment later, the display began flashing again. Then the elevator shuddered into motion.

21…20…19…

We scrambled to our feet and faced forward like we were preparing to bow at the end of a play.

12…11…10…

“Newdee?” the girl in the elevator doors said.

“Nuddy.”

“Nuddy. Got it.”

3…2…

The doors slid open. A man with worried eyebrows and Keya’s face thrust his hand out to keep them from closing again. “Keya!”

“See you at the next rodeo,” she whispered, then got out.

“You all right?” the man said as they headed for the lobby’s side exit.

“I’m fine.” I could hear an eye-roll, as if it had been some other girl in the disaster movie.

I started across the lobby in the opposite direction.

“Tris!”

“Yeah?”

Keya had stopped and was looking back. “People who work together for a long time don’t always end up liking each other.”

I stood there for a second, thinking.

“You understand what I’m saying?”

“Yeah,” I said. “I think I do.”

• • •

What Keya had said slowly sunk in as I walked across the plaza.

It wasn’t until I got to the door of the Petersmobile that I remembered what was waiting for me on the other side, and the second I did, I felt every atom of my body pulling me the other way like the Airstream and I were the wrong sides of a magnet.

I forced myself to open the door.

“Your parents said you totally killed it.” Josh gave me a high-five.

“I guess.” I couldn’t look him in the eye.

“Don’t get too excited.” Jeanine sat up in her bunk. “It’s only the second challenge.”

“Where is everybody?” I asked.

“At that diner on Fifty-Third. We’re supposed to take you over there to celebrate. I’ll be ready in a sec.” Josh ducked into the bathroom.