A/N: Well, yes, here I am doing another "OC in Total Drama", but with a twist! You see, ever since I wrote "Bailey In Exile" and changed All-Stars a bit, I thought about changing up a few more seasons of TD with an OC! Well, "Island" doesn't need changing. And while "Action" and "World Tour" could use some tweaking, I'd already explored those seasons too many times – though if I did, Lindsay would win TDA and Owen wouldn't have come back. However, ROTI and PI...those were another story. And as I thought, I decided PI had more potential as a better season. The twins' storyline coming full circle, a villain better than Sugar, Beardo showing what he could do, more equality between challenge wins...so here it is!
Plot: Julie Sanchez, a not-so-good Catholic girl, signs up for Total Drama Pahkitew Island. Her strategy is to get to know the other campers in a way that most people wouldn't condone. She's been to Confession for sixteen years, every Sunday. She's confessed her own sins to the priest – but not all. And if the other campers are smart, they won't confess everything either, because someone's listening, and she isn't a priest...
Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Total Drama. I only own Julie Rosa Sanchez.
I made my audition tape by having my phone video me, as I lounged back on my bed. "So...I guess you want me to tell you why I deserve to be on Total Drama. Well, I probably don't. Ordinary girl, go to school, go out with friends, go to Confession...oops! Did I mention I'm from this seriously Catholic family? My friends don't know – I'd be so embarrassed if this was for something other than auditioning for a reality show. If I had the million, I'd use it to get out of my family – just give them a proper wake-up call so that they'll let me follow a different religion if I don't try to leave and stop regarding my complaints as childish contrariness. Then-" I grinned, "Well, I don't know what I'd use the cash for once I decided not to leave. To blow or to save? Well, I'm probably boring you now, so I'll just cut it off here. See you on the island!"
I'd seen audition tapes for Total Drama before. After each person on Total Drama Island was eliminated, their audition tape was leaked online. And the people on Revenge of The Island had their audition tapes used in promos before the show aired. I'd chosen to go the normal route, like quiet little Zoey (who just explained why she wanted to be on Total Drama, sitting at her desk) and soft-hearted DJ (who listed his good traits but then started crying over his mom).
Then I decided to redo my audition tape. This time, I said pretty much everything I'd said last time, but I wore my track team outfit (forest green T-shirt with the number 5 on the back and seriously unattractive black shorts), my hair was in a plait, and I was sitting on the grass, legs stretched out. It made me look a little more interesting. It probably didn't hurt that I could be considered being from an ethnic minority – I didn't think they'd had a Mexican contestant before (shut up, Alejandro's Latin. Or Spanish – Sierra's blog about him said his family moved from Spain when he was little, but he used the word "Latin" several times. Although one thing I do have in common with him is I am bilingual – my parents moved from Mexico so they're fluent in Spanish and English, and so I grew up speaking both – just I mostly use English since we live in Canada). Anyway, when I played back my audition tape, it didn't seem too bad, so I sent it off.
And it worked!
I was called to an airfield in two weeks' time, just when Total Drama All-Stars started airing. The letter said I'd meet the other fourteen contestants and we'd all take a zeppelin to Pahkitew Island.
My family didn't approve, of course, when I finally told them I was going on a reality show which would take place on an island for two weeks (yeah, thirteen episodes in fourteen days – for some reason, Chris McLean didn't want to spend too much time on this season). They hadn't even wanted me to watch the show, but all the episodes were online, so there was no way they could stop me watching it. Even the first episode of All-Stars had been leaked (I was looking forward to seeing the rest of it when I got home (although I'd miss the air dates as both that season and my season would be aired one after another, within the span of three weeks – one episode per weekday).
But the thing was, although my parents were deeply religious and didn't approve of my life choices, they weren't unfairly restrictive. Don't get the wrong idea about them. They didn't take my want to choose my own path seriously enough, thinking I just wanted to rebel and wanting me to repent and ask God for forgiveness. But I was never sorry. I didn't want to be a good Catholic girl. But even with that, even though they thought reality TV shows to win money were sinful, they were good about it once I got through all the telling-offs. They told me to "stay safe" and "play well". They even said that they'd make an exception when I came home and watch the season. I wasn't sure about that.
"I don't know if that's really a good idea." I told them. "I mean, it's Total Drama. If I've learned anything from that show, it's that everyone will do something they regret sooner or later on camera. Even the clear villains do things they regret. Even the goody-goodies like Bridgette have done a few things that they probably didn't want caught on camera."
Dad chuckled. "We know that, Julie. That's why we're so set against reality shows – it makes people greedy and selfish. But that's why it's up to you to make an example. But don't feel you have to be perfect – the atmosphere is vicious, after all, and I'm sure you'll want to survive. The occasional lapse in judgement can be forgiven, as well as you repent afterwards and remember not to do it again."
I pretended to take all the repentance talk seriously. But in all honesty, I'd thought about how I was going to play. I knew from watching Total Drama that there were certain people who got far and people who didn't. If Ezekiel and Staci had taught me anything, you had to have good social skills, or you'd be off the show superfast. But judging by Geoff's run, you couldn't afford to be too nice, or that would lead to a late elimination – late, but still too early to win.
Winning challenges was a good way to stay on top. Heather survived three eliminations in a row that way, callously orchestrating Trent and Lindsay's eliminations, and not caring in the slightest when Bridgette went. I couldn't tell who'd won All-Stars by just the first episode, but if Courtney kept up her attitude, she wouldn't be on the show for much longer. But threats got voted off, too. Leshawna was a great person to have on your team, and a great friend, but when the chips were down and anyone could be gone, she was a top choice to kick to the curb.
So I had a lot of different thoughts on how to play this game. I needed to be smart and stick to the right strategies. Help my team, but don't push it too far. Let other people put in their ideas. Be nice, make friends, but be prepared to stab one of them in the back if you're in trouble. Don't try to be friends with everyone – the sneaky ones will regard you as a threat. Since it's hard to get invincibility all the time, concentrate on staying under the radar – don't do too well in challenges – well enough to not be last, but not first, either – third in a challenge is a good final five position.
With all these rules I'd made for myself, I was ready to dive into Total Drama Pahkitew Island. I just hoped that cast would be full of Lindsays and Sams, and not too many Alejandros or Courtneys.
After all, Lindsay's sweet but stupid, and Sam doesn't seem to care where he ranks as long as he's not cut first. Alejandro is tricky and Courtney is vicious. Think Julie will like the cast she's with? What team do you think she'll be on...and who do you think will go home first with her intervention? Will it even be someone from her team?