Total Drama Action Redux
a Total Drama fan fiction story
by Lord Akiyama
Author's Note: This is an alternate universe story based around my idea of how the series would have gone. It begins from the episode Alien Resurr-eggtion onward. Some elements are the same as in the show, but the rest is taken in a different direction.
Total Drama and its characters are copyright © of Fresh TV, Teletoon and Cartoon Network. This story was created purely out of sheer enjoyment so please don't sue. Or throw me off a thousand-foot high cliff into a shark-infested lake. That would so smarts.
Chapter Two
Riot On Set
(Narrated by Chris McLean)
Last time on Total Drama Action...
Fourteen teenagers. One spooky film lot. And a whole buncha alien eggs!
In a world where an army chef wore... an alien costume... only the strong could survive. Everybody else... are just a buncha losers. Like Harold and LeShawna. LeShawna has seemingly joined Beth and Lindsay in fawning over the incredible man-candy that is Justin. But poor Harold hasn't given up in his pathetic quest to get back together with his so-called Chocolate Almond. Dude's about as nuts as Izzy, who engaged in a spectacular shoot-out with Chef before getting taken down.
Meanwhile, Owen and Heather are having some very personal problems. Having eaten all those fake food props in the last challenge has made Owen suffer from some serious bowl issues. Like we needed to know that. And during the challenge, Heather lost her precious wig. Leaving her to have to continue onward as the bald freak that she is. I love it!
Bridgette and Geoff just can't seem to quit sucking face. Even in the middle of the challenge. Which is starting to get on the nerves of the poor lovelorn Duncan. He won't admit it, but he badly misses a certain C.I.T. In the meantime, he figured himself to have the challenge in the bag given his knowledge of alien horror movies. Didn't quite turn out that way when, just as he was on the verge of victory, a bomb was dropped on him. Literally. By me!
Finally, two lovers shared a heroic victory. But no! They'll be forced to endure a tragic separation. That's because, while Gwen and Trent will have immunity for an indefinite period, they will have to compete as captains of opposing teams. Shocker!
This week... we're gonna bring the pain! Heh-ha! ... Well... if I have any thing to say about it. And I do, by the way.
So brace yourself for some deliciously painful...
TOTAL... DRAMA... ACTION!
(Cue Theme Song)
There was still time before dawn would rise from over the horizon. The contestants were fast asleep in their beds in their trailers. Duncan wearing headphones, heavy metal music blaring. Owen snoring through a sock that was most like placed over his mouth by the others. Justin keeping his good looks in check with facial cream applied. Over in the girls' trailer, all were deep into their beauty sleep. This was especially so for Izzy, who apparently was dreaming about being a dog. It was a true moment of peace.
One that was interrupted by the deafening sound of a bullhorn being blown. Everyone jumped out of their beds in fear that something was going to happen. Then an all too familiar chuckle was heard being spoken through a megaphone.
"All crew on set!" Chris announced. "Call time is four A-M!" The handsome host kissed the megaphone that he had in hand and looked over to the camera with a smug face. "I love this thing."
(Make-Up Confessional)
Beth - "At first, I thought he was talking to the crew crew. Not us. I was really hoping they'd replace 'Chris The Creep' with a nicer host this time around. Is that mean?" /Gasps./ "Sorry!"
Chris - /Raises curious brow./ "'Chris The Creep?' Is that supposed to be an insult? Well, you know what? It is. I work very hard to be treated and regarded as the jerk that I am. I demand to be labeled with better insulting names! Shame on you kids."
Tired and far from fully charged, the contestants shuffled their way out of the trailers and onto the film lot. It was only by a miracle that they managed to get into their regular day clothes and keep it from looking all messy.
"I can't believe I'm doin' another season of this show," LeShawna muttered as she stepped out of the girls' trailer. She was followed by Izzy, the only one who apparently was energized as she danced her way onto the lot.
"This continuing sadistic wake-up call is messing with the natural rhythms of my body clock," Harold noted aloud as he exited the boy's trailer. "My mojo will be destroyed!" For his troubles, he received a rough shoulder bump from Duncan. The punk was clearly in no mood to deal with any one or any thing.
The contestants lined up by gender before Chris. The handsome host stood there, waiting. He then began to tap his right foot on the ground a couple times. It was becoming quite apparent that something was off.
"It's two minutes past four," Chris stated. "Why aren't our two captains out and about?"
The contestants looked confused at first. Then they started looking around. Sure enough, they came to the same conclusion. Gwen and Trent were indeed missing from the group.
"Guess they never came back to the trailers," Duncan suggested with a shrug.
"Excuse me?" LeShawna questioned, as though what the punk said was an insult.
"Some captains they turned out to be," Heather grumbled quietly.
"Like you were any better," Beth retorted. The two girls glared at one another for a short period as a result.
"Did they run away?" Owen asked with a gasp.
"Ooo, fugitives from the law," Izzy said in excitement.
"They haven't left the film lot, that much I'm sure," Chris responded. "Otherwise, they would've tripped one of our many well hidden silent alarms. There is no escape from this."
"Juvie is starting to sounding like a better place by the minute," Duncan muttered.
"Dudes, there they are!" Geoff called, pointing out in a particular direction that had everyone looking towards.
The two captains appeared onto the lot, looking very much like they had just woken up. Trent looked the most sleepy while Gwen appeared seemingly depressed. They took their places within the separated groups, glancing at each other only once.
"You slept out on the film lot?" DJ asked curiously.
"Guess we lost track of time," Trent managed to say before yawning.
"Doing what?" Duncan questioned with a smirk on his face. The response he got was a death glare shot at him by Gwen.
(Make-Up Confessional)
Gwen - /Shoots a death glare at the camera./ "We simply slept in each other arms. Nothing more."
Trent - "I would never take advantage of Gwen! Never!"
Chris - "Unfortunately, I can vouch for them. Was hoping they do something fun with their time alone. But no. She cried herself to sleep and he just held onto her when he slept. Boring."
"Ahem!" Chris coughed, bringing the attention back to him. "Now that everyone is here, we can begin. You're on a film set now. And you're gonna learn that show biz is not all red carpets and pool parties." He waved his finger at Owen, as if to say the statement was announced specifically toward him. "Today, you're gonna get schooled on how tough on-set production life can be." Chris began walking further into the film lot with the contests trailing behind.
"Whatever," Gwen muttered. "I can deal."
"You think so?" Bridgette asked curious.
"I once had a summer job at a petting zoo," Gwen explained.
"Aww," Lindsay cooed. "That must've been, like, so cute!"
"It's so adorable," Gwen responded sarcastically. "Everybody feeding the adorable goats their adorable cabbages. But somebody... i.e. me... had to shovel up the less adorable end of the digestive process."
"Well, speaking of number two, it's time to pick your teammates," Chris proclaimed, appearing rather suddenly before the goth girl.
"Bite me, Chris," Gwen growled.
"Temper, temper," Chris tsked. "You could have just as easily not won the last challenge, and thereby had a chance to compete with your boyfriend. But you won. So too bad."
"Jerk," Gwen scoffed.
"You know, I was feeling really nice a few seconds ago and was going to let you choose your teammates first," Chris said. "But you're being really mean this morning. So I'm gonna let Trent choose first so that he can stick it to the team you end up with."
The handsome host gleefully smirked as he walked away while Gwen shot a death glare at the back of his head. She remained so until she noticed that someone was standing next to her. She had a very good feeling that it wasn't just any one. Shifting all of her emotion from anger and frustration to depression and exhaustion in one fell swoop, she caught a glance of Trent looking at her with great concern. She sighed and hung her head.
"We're not going to get all competitive and nasty, are we?" Trent asked.
"Absolutely not," Gwen quickly answered, as if in desperation. "We learned from least season. ... Right?"
The contestants gathered outside the Craft Services Tent. Everyone, with the exception of Gwen and Trent, stood together on one side. Gwen and Trent stood across from them, on opposite sides of the handsome host.
"Okay, let's get this bloodbath started!" Chris announced, rubbing his hands together. "I wanted you to choose school yard style. You know, boy, girl, boy, girl. But somebody... i.e. Gwen... had to be all snippy. So we're just gonna run it so that Gwen has to pick the opposite sex of whichever contestant Trent picks. You're up, music man."
Trent took a deep breath and examined each of the contestants before him. His eyes then came on one person in particular. He glanced over at Gwen, wondering if there was any one in particular she was eying. Only he found her with arms crossed and staring at the ground in brooding fashion. It only left him wondering even more how she would reaction to his selection.
(Make-Up Confessional)
Trent - "I don't know why, but I still have this sense that there's something between Gwen and Duncan. I mean, they're kind of alike and they get along really well. What am I supposed to make of that?" /Sighs./ "So I did what I thought would be best to ease my nerves about the whole thing."
"Duncan," Trent announced. He was managed to quickly look over at Gwen without any one noticing. She made no reaction.
"What?" Duncan questioned, raising a curious brow. "You serious?"
"Hey, you made it to the final four last season," Trent explained.
Duncan merely shrugged and walked over to Trent. "Your funeral," he muttered.
"Trent picks Duncan," Chris commented with a slight chuckle. "Which means Gwen's next pick has to be a girl."
"LeShawna," Gwen said in a barely audible tone.
LeShawna walked over to Gwen with concern on her face. "You doin' okay, honey?" she asked, placing a reassuring hand on the other's shoulder. "You really moody this mornin'."
"I just want to get this over with," Gwen replied quietly.
"Back to you, Trent," Chris stated.
Trent studied the remaining contestants for a moment, tapping his chin with a finger. "Owen," he said.
"The fart machine?" Duncan questioned in an annoyed tone.
"He won last season," Trent explained as the big guy happily made his way over to their side.
"So you're picking all the guys who finished strong first?" Duncan summarized. "Who're you gonna pick next? Heather?"
"Oh God no!" Trent nearly cried as he flinched.
"I heard that!" Heather yelled. A slight smile appeared on Gwen's face as she heard all of this.
(Make-Up Confessional)
Gwen - "And that's why Trent is such a talented musician. He makes such sweet music for me to hear."
"Your turn to pick a girl, Gwen," Chris announced.
"Bridgette," Gwen uttered.
The surfer girl ran up to the goth girl and placed another reassuring hand on the other shoulder. "Cheer up, Gwen," Bridgette said. "We'll be right here with you all the way."
"Us sist'a's helpin' each other," LeShawna proclaimed. "That's how we roll."
Gwen finally looked up, if only slightly. She looked at both of the girls individually and smiled. "Thanks, guys," she said softly. "I really mean it, even if I don't look it."
"Over to you, Trent," Chris stated.
"Maybe I should pick a girl this time," Trent noted aloud as he continued to look out at the remaining contestants. "Izzy."
"Crazy girl?" Duncan questioned, getting more frustrated and annoyed with each pick his captain made. "What, because she was the next available strong chick after Gwen, Heather, and LeShawna?"
"Why not?" Trent asked with a shrug.
"Woo-hoo!" Owen cheered, arms raised in victory. "Izzy, we're on the same team!" There was sudden silence that followed and the big guy looked over that Izzy didn't even move from her spot. "Izzy?"
The redhead remained in place, looking nonchalant and whistling.
"She likes to be called 'Kaleidoscope,'" Lindsay said to Trent.
"Oh, right," Trent responded with a slight, nervous chuckle. "'E-Scope.'"
"Here!" Izzy called, hand raised. She then giggled and skipped over to her team. "Hi!"
"We're on the same team, Iz..." Owen was about to say in excitement, then stopped himself. "I mean 'Kaleidoscope!'"
"E-Scope approves," Izzy giggled with a nod. She then rubbed her hands together, looking at the three boys before her. Looking as though she was getting ready to eat them up. "Such manly men E-Scope is with. And you're the manliest of them all!" The redhead cackled as she leaped onto Owen's shoulders and perched.
"This bites," Duncan grumbled.
"Time for you to pick a guy, Gwen," Chris announced.
The goth girl finally manged to actually take a look at the remaining contestants, studying to see which one to pick. One face in particular came to mind. But she also knew that it came with some consequences. "Promise me this," Gwen said to Bridgette, nearly startling the surfer girl. "If I pick him, you two will not make out during the challenges. Got it?" Realizing what her friend was talking about, Bridgette lit up in excitement and nodded very rapidly. Gwen sighed. "Geoff."
"Alright, babe!" Geoff cheered before immediately running over to his girlfriend. Bridgette jumped, timing it just right so that Geoff would catch her before she started to drop. Not even a second passed before the two began making out.
"Didn't you just promise Gwen-" LeShawna stated to ask.
"I'll let it pass for now," Gwen interrupted, a slight giggle in her tone. "We haven't started the challenge yet."
"Should probably pick another girl..." Trent thought aloud. He examined the contestants and looked prepared to make his pick. Then he noticed that Duncan was glaring at him and shaking his head slowly.
"Don't you dare," the punk muttered. "Don't you dare. Don't you dare, Trent."
"Amongst the girls, she placed-" Trent attempted to reason.
"I don't care where she placed amongst the other girls," Duncan stated. "Don't you dare pick her."
"Dude, it's not yer call, bra," Geoff said, managing to breaking off the kiss he was sharing with Bridgette if only for a quick moment. "Just let him pick who he wants."
"Easy for you to say, you're over there!" Duncan yelled. "His picks suck! At this point, I'd rather have Heather on our team!"
"Not going to happen," Trent proclaimed sternly. "I pick Lindsay."
The blonde squealed, jumping up and down with excitement. Which in turn caused a couple of the males to follow her bounces. She then skipped over to her team, clapping her hands. During all this, Heather seethed in frustration.
"I hate you, man," Duncan grumbled at Trent.
(Make-Up Confessional)
Heather - "Don't they realize who the most valuable player here is? I mean, seriously people!"
Duncan - "Gwen's a good friend and all, but man I gotta question her taste in boyfriends. Trent's too much of a good guy for me to be around with for too long. He wants to be friends with every one and not hurt any one's feelings. Half of the people who ranked as well as they did last season got lucky, simple as that. They're not going to be of help to us. This is a competition for a million bucks. Rip out Gwen's throat! She'll do it to you, pal." /Stares at the camera then leans back in a relaxed position./ "Just like Courtney would to me. And I wouldn't have it any other way."
"You're up, Gwen," Chris stated.
"DJ," Gwen said after getting a good look at the remaining contestants.
"This is gonna be so cool, dude," Geoff proclaimed, giving his new teammate a high five.
"Glad to on you guy's team," DJ said after joining the group.
"Whatever you do, don't pick Harold," Duncan stated rather suddenly to Trent, startling everyone on his team as he spoke. "I swear, if you do, you will live to regret it."
"Uh, hello?" Harold cried, letting the punk know that he heard every word. Unfortunately for him, he went ignored.
"Oh, you know what would be so great?" Lindsay cheerfully suggested. "If you picked Tyler!" She was oblivious to the looks she was getting from her team. In particular, she was not aware of the face palm Duncan gave himself.
"Um... Lindsay?" Trent said in a near sheepish tone. "Tyler's not in the game any more."
"Seriously?" Lindsay asked, sounding very sad when she heard Trent's statement. Her team each nodded in response. Pouting, she hung her head. "Bummer!" After a moment, she looked up and then noticed someone whose appearance seemed to have suddenly brightened her mood. "Beth! Pick Beth!"
"I'm cool with Beth," Duncan said, getting very agitated. "Just don't pick Harold."
"Alright, alright," Trent stated, throwing her arms up in the air for a slight second. "Sheesh. Beth."
Beth cheered and clapped her hands before running over to her team. She immediately clasped hands with Lindsay and the two new Best Friends Forever began squealing with excitement. Duncan merely sighed and rolled his eyes.
"Don't wicked skills count for anything?" Harold questioned in a loud and rather angry tone. "I mean, who else here went to film camp and is fully trained as a junior cinematographer, with a thorough knowledge of lighting filters, film stock-"
"I pick Harold!" Gwen proclaimed rather suddenly. "If for no other reason than to shut him up."
"Wise choice," Harold said happily as he made his way over to his team.
"Just... stop talking, okay?" Gwen stated in a rather annoyed, yet begging tone. Harold was about to open his mouth when LeShawna immediately placed a finger over his lips to keep it shut. He looked over at her to see that she was shaking her head, telling him not to push it.
"Time for your final pick, Trent," Chris announced. "You can either pick Justin, the hunk stallion who makes all the girls go crazy, or Heather, the girl who tried to break your girlfriend's heart by kissing you right before her eyes." The handsome host ignored the glares he was getting from Heather and Gwen.
Trent found himself stuck in a bit of a predicament. He made it quite clear to everyone that he had no intention of having Heather on his team. The summarization Chris had made was reason enough. However, by not picking Heather, she was going to end up on Gwen's team. He knew that was not going to be a pleasant experience for his girlfriend. Still, it did not take him long to come up with his decision. In his heart, he felt was he making the right choice.
"Justin," Trent stated.
Lindsay and Beth began to squeal again as they about to be joined by the male model hunk. Justin made his way over to the team when the two girls immediately began clinging to him. Trent merely sighed, Duncan shook his head, and Owen looked quite excited himself. Izzy, though, glared at Justin, looking at him with suspicion.
"Which means Heather is on Gwen's team," Chris proclaimed gleefully. "I love it!"
Heather was clearly displeased with how this came about. She was more pissed that she was last than any thing, but she was just as upset who was on her team. Gwen, Bridgette, and LeShawna gave her collective glares that would burn holes all over her body, knowing first hand just how volatile the girl was. Geoff and DJ looked very concerned, having been exposed to her treachery in the past. Harold was the only one who didn't seem to have any sort of care about all of this. With a huff, Heather made her way over to her team, stomping her feet along the way.
"Remember," LeShawna whispered to Gwen. "Keep your enemies closer."
Gwen seemed a little surprised to hear this. She looked over to LeShawna, who merely nodded with a smirk. Then the goth girl got it and grinned herself. "Right," she whispered back.
"Gwen, I christen your team 'The Screaming Gaffers!'" Chris announced to Gwen and her team. He then jogged over to Trent and his team. "Trent, you're 'The Killer Grips!'"
"Grip?" Beth questioned in a worried voice. "I-I don't wanna be a grip!"
"Puh-lease!" Heather scoffed. "It's not like being called a gaffer is something to brag about. It sounds like something that has rabies."
Suddenly, there was a series of crashes and smashes that caught everyone's attention. They all looked over to see two very angry looking interns throwing equipment onto the ground, breaking them into pieces with great frustration.
"I'm sick and tired of gettin' no respect around here!" one of the interns said before walking off. The other other intern merely pushed a television off its stand before following the other. The scene left the contestants feeling rather disturbed.
"Okay, since we're running late now and don't seem to have any more... um... whatever those... two... crew... dudes... did... we better get going!" Chris stated. "You're challenge, for each team to set up a film set!"
Hearing what the challenge was made LeShawna scoff with confidence. "We'll be scarfing flapjacks by seven," she said.
"Oh will you?" Chris asked with a wicked grin. The one that made everyone groan because they knew something was up. And it was not going to be pleasant. "As location manager, I want your sets to go... there!"
The handsome host jerked his thumb over to a specific direction the contestants looked. Sure enough, there was a large, full-scale replica of the cliff from back on the island. Most everyone gasped in shock while the others simply shot death glares at Chris. LeShawna sighed and gave herself a face palm for having opened her mouth earlier.
"You just love doing this to us," Gwen grumbled.
"Yes!" Chris responded cheerfully. "Yes I do!" After chuckling, he pulled out a walkie-talkie. "Chef! Clear for traffic up there?"
At the cliff, Chef looked around. There definitely was nothing there. The big man scratched his head and shrugged.
Screaming Gaffers
Gwen - Captain
Bridgette
DJ
Geoff
Harold
Heather
LeShawna
Killer Grips
Trent - Captain
Beth
Duncan
Izzy
Justin
Lindsay
Owen
"Lights!" Chris announced through the megaphone. "Camera! Action!"
With a mad dash, everyone began grabbing whatever they could and starting hauling them up the cliff. Most ran in pairs or groups, doing so in the belief that it will help get the equipment up faster. For the most part, the contestants were not thinking in terms of who was on which team. They were more concerned about getting everything up the cliff.
Gwen and Trent were a few feet from one another, each with their hands full of materials. Almost suddenly, Gwen took a bad step and started to slip. Trent managed to hear her low cry and turned, concern on his face. He looked to see that Geoff happened to be in the right place at the right time to catch the goth girl.
"I gotcha," Geoff said, holding Gwen back up to her feet. "Wouldn't want to lose our fearless leader, right?"
"Thanks," Gwen muttered, feeling a little embarrassed.
Trent sighed with relief, seeing that his girlfriend was okay. He turned and was about to take a step forward when he himself suddenly tripped and fell flat on his face. He looked over and saw that his foot hand been tangled in one of the cords.
"Are you okay, Terrance," Lindsay said as she appeared rather suddenly, running up the cliff to meet him.
"Um... sure," Trent said rather sheepishly, scratching his head. "It's Trent, by the way."
"People, this is crazy inefficient," Heather complained as she made her way down the cliff. She commented at Gwen and LeShawna in particular, who just happened to be passing her by. "I say we organize relay style and pass the equipment up."
Gwen and LeShawna looked at each other than at Heather. "If you say it, we're not doing it," Gwen scoffed before she joined LeShawna in walking away and continuing with the challenge at their own pace.
"But it's a good idea!" Heather yelled.
"I'm totally with you," Harold said, appearing rather suddenly next to the queen bee. "Write down all your ideas and we can bring them up at the next team meeting. I'll second you. Cool?"
"Go jump in a lake, trout-lips," Heather grumbled, storming away from the nerd. Harold seemed bewildered by the response.
"C'mon, lucky necklace," Trent muttered to the necklace in hand. The one given to him by Gwen. "Papa Trent needs you."
"He-heh, wow!" Izzy cried rather suddenly as she caught up to Trent. "You're talking to jewelry?"
"Everyone talks to their lucky charms as a means of boosting their self-confidence," Trent explained, tucking the necklace back underneath his shirt and continued with the challenge. "I'm just trying to help our team win this thing."
"He-hey, that's actually a cool idea!" Izzy cheered. "You got some lucky earrings? I'd love to have a chat with them!" Trent merely looked at the redhead. He started to wonder if it was indeed a good idea to have picked her for his team.
"It's neck and neck, people!" Chris announced through the megaphone. He sat comfortably in a beach chair as each team hauled what appeared to be the last of the equipment up the cliff and ran back down. "And now for the heavy stuff!"
"How the heck are we going to get those trailers all the way up the hill?" Trent nearly cried as the Killer Grips got a good look at the one thing left needed to bring up the cliff. He could tell that the Screaming Gaffers were not fairing any better as everyone literally stopped and tried to figure out just how this was going to happen.
"I have a great idea!" Lindsay cheerfully proclaimed rather suddenly.
(Make-Up Confessional)
Lindsay - "It's so great to be free from Heather. I can totally contribute more and stuff! I have a lot of unwrapped potential, you know."
"Let's get Tyler to do it!" Lindsay stated happily. Everyone on her team let out a collective groan.
"He's not here any more!" Trent, Beth, Duncan, and Izzy cried.
"Oh, right," Lindsay pouted. She sighed and hung her head in shame. "Bummer..."
The Killer Grips each positioned themselves in their thinking stances. Then a small noise was heard. Trent raised a curious brow and looked over. It was Owen's stomach grumbling. Owen chuckled in embarrassment. But it gave the music man an idea.
"Owen!" Trent said rather loud, catching the attention of everyone on the team. He walked over to the big guy and patted his stomach. "There's a caterer at the top of the hill. Just take that trailer up there with you, and you can eat."
"Eat?" Owen repeated. His eyes lit up and he began to get all excited at the prospect that awaited him. "I love eat!" Without hesitation, he removed his belt, wrapped his around his forehead and tied it to the trailer. His whole body weight and strength alone was more than enough to pull the trailer with ease. Easy enough for him to run it up the cliff.
"Yee-haw!" Izzy cheered, riding the top of the trailer as though she were on a horse. "Go Owen! Run her home!"
"So Duncan, how do you like that?" Trent asked the punk as they ran behind the trailer. "Still think our team sucks now?"
"Yeah," Duncan responded with a slight scoff. "But we're winning, so I'm not complaining."
"Dudes, they're making this look easy!" Geoff cried. He, along with the rest of the Screaming Gaffers, felt helpless as they watched the Killer Grips on the verge of victory. "We gotta get up there!"
"C'mon, DJ!" Bridgette called. "Let's get this thing moving!"
"Oh no!" DJ fearfully responded. "Don't expect me to-" He paused slightly, noticing the shocked and disappointed faces he was receiving from his teammates. "What if the trailer slips and rolls back down the hill and possibly hurt someone? What then? I couldn't handle bein' responsible for that!"
Gwen gave herself a face palm in annoyance and frustration.
Things were going smoothly for the Killer Grips. They were half-way up the cliff when Owen suddenly stopped. The team could not figure out why, so they hurried over to see what the problem was. Once they saw for themselves the reason behind the stop, they nearly screamed and turned away. Owen's pants were falling. Feeling that his team needed him, Owen tried to continue onward. At the same time, however, he was trying to keep his pants up. Resulting in his pace being slowed considerably.
"Oh, this is just great!" Duncan complained. "Not only is his pants dropping slowing him down... but we're about to get permanently blinded because of it!" There was a sudden cheer that caught his attention. He looked over and flinched. Then he gave himself a face palm "And Izzy's not helping!"
"You don't need pants, Owen!" Izzy cried. "Just take them off and run us to the top, baby! Woo!"
"Do it, DJ!" Harold chanted. Seeing the Killer Grips slowed gave the Screaming Gaffers a chance at possibly catching up. They just need to get the ball rolling as quickly as possible. "Do it, DJ!"
"How many times do I hafta say no!" DJ stated, almost with an angry tone. He crossed his arms over his chest and stood his ground. Much to the frustration and disappointment of the rest of the team.
"You know what?" Gwen grumbled suddenly. "Screw this!" She jumped to her feet and marched over to the back of the trailer. The rest of the team watched with curious brows raised as Gwen began pushing the trailer with all her might.
"Girl, what in the world are you doin'?" LeShawna asked.
"I don't care if all I do is move it one inch!" Gwen managed to grunt as she struggled to push the trailer. "One inch is better than not moving it at all! But at least I tried, dammit!"
Most of the team sighed and looked back over to see how the Killer Grips were doing. They then suddenly heard the sound of a heavy object being moved. DJ, Geoff, Harold, and Heather looked to see that the trailer had indeed moved one inch. They looked over to see how Gwen could have possibly done that. Only they found that she wasn't alone.
"Don't even think yer gonna do this alone," LeShawna proclaimed through her own grunting as she pushed the trailer.
"It's like LeShawna said," Bridgette cried out through her struggling to push. "We're with you all the way."
"I'm with you too, my Bridgey Bear," Geoff declared rather suddenly. The party dude quickly ran over and began pushing the trailer along with the girls. His strength cause it to slowly move along.
"Aww, that's so sweet of you," Bridgette cooed through her grunting.
"Owen, Owen, he's our guy!" Beth cheered. She managed to find some pom-poms and started doing a routine for the heck of it. "If he can't do it... uh... he's... he's not our guy!"
"At this rate, we'll never catch up to them!" Heather complained. She watched as the Killer Grips were not three-fourths of the way up the cliff while they were still one-fourth. "What's the point in pushing this stupid thing any further? We lost!"
"Well, what do you know?" LeShawna asked with a grunt. "It's a win-win situation."
"What?" Heather questioned, raising a confused brow. "How is this a win-win situation?"
"Cause even if we don't win, someone from the team is gonna get voted off," LeShawna replied in a struggling voice.
"And how is that a good thing?" Heather asked. There was no immediate answer. Instead, she got looks from Gwen, Bridgette, and LeShawna. Then it finally hit Heather as her eyes shot wide open with horror. "You... wouldn't... dare!"
"After all the things you did last season, I can't wait," LeShawna managed to laugh through her grunting.
"But if we win, you can't vote me off!" Heather stated, as if realizing this fact. She immediately ran over and helped push the trailer, even if she lacked the strength to move it any faster. "We are not losing!"
"That's the way to do it," Harold cheered. He then ran up to join the others in pushing the trailer. "The more people pushing, the greater chance we have of getting it up there faster." His strength only slightly got the trailer moving faster, but it was another helping hand that the others appreciated.
DJ watched all this with a worried look on his face. His teammates were putting themselves in danger. What if they hit a rock and the trailer starts shifting its weight? What would he do then if they got run over by a runaway trailer they worked so hard to push up? Feeling guilty and then determined, the big guy jumped over to join the rest of his team and pushed the trailer with all his might. His strength alone moved the trailer so fast that the rest of the team nearly lost their balance at the sudden shift. They were just glad that they were now really catching up to the Killer Grips.
"We could be seeing a photo finish here," Chris commented aloud through the megaphone. He watched as the two teams struggled to get their trailers over the final hump. Rather, the Screaming Gaffers were doing just that. Owen was doing all the work for the Killer Grips. And in the end, it paid off by mere seconds.
"Alright, Owen!" Beth cheered in victory. "You did it!"
Trent joined the others in cheering on their win. Then he stopped and looked over at the Screaming Gaffers. They all exhaled and sighed with exhaustion, having just pushed the trailer up the cliff. Gwen looked the worse for wear, having released all her strength in pushing the damn thing from the start. She nearly collapsed, but what quickly grabbed by Bridgette and LeShawna.
"We gotcha, girl," LeShawna proclaimed. The tired goth girl looked up at the other two and smiled as best as she could before being helped back up to her feet. Then she went to find the nearest thing to sit on.
"He actually won!" Beth continued to cheer with excitement.
"Well..." Chris sheepishly, yet gleefully started to say, which caused all of the joy to stop suddenly. "Not... exactly."
"Pardon?" Beth squeaked.
"That was only the first part of the challenge," Chris announced. "Did I neglect to mention that?"
"It's time to make a movie," Chris proclaimed. The teams were separated onto different sets. Chris approached the Killer Grips, who were set up on a stage decked out like the living room of someone's grandmother. "And what we've got here is the set for a tear-jerker starring an elderly lady considering her long life."
"Boring," Duncan muttered as the handsome host walked past him to address the Screaming Gaffers, whose set looked like that of an abandoned office building with broken down wooden furniture.
"You'll be making a feature about a thug who tries to go straight, but can't resist the allure of the street," Chris stated.
"Yeah," Gwen said in a monotone voice. "It's been done."
"Hey!" Heather suddenly shouted, bringing all of the attention to her. "What about lunch? We have been working for eight hours and you are legally obligated by Union rules to give us a meal break."
"Oh yeah?" Chris asked with a wicked grin. "Who here is in the Union?" The handsome host raised his hand. None of the contestants even bothered to move an inch. "Yeah, I thought so!"
(Make-Up Confessional)
Heather - "I am hereby forming Local One of United Workers Against Chris. Who's with me? Everybody?"
"And now it's time to choose an actor to perform the scene," Chris continued. Chef appeared with two packets in hand. "Chef, give the teams their scenes." The big man walked over and gave each captain one of the packets.
"Alright," Trent said as he looked at the packet given to him. "We need an old lady."
"Oh, please!" Izzy cried rather suddenly as she ran up to Trent with her hand raised. "Let me do it! It's gotta be me! I've got an old soul! I'm, like, 87-years-old in the inside 'cause I've been reincarnated, like, a whole buncha times! Actually, I'm the reincarnation of my very own Granny Mavis!" She then leaned in closer and began to speak in a Scottish accent. "'Aye there, laddie! Ya spelled a wey bit'a haggis on yer kilt! I can tell ya of the Lochs a risin' up to the claw!'" Izzy exhaled and bowed.
"Okay, fine!" everyone else on the Killer Grips cried, freaked out by her performance.
"'Big Lucky Parmigiano,'" Gwen said as she read the label on the packet.
"A tough guy..." Bridgette thought aloud as she looked over at the rest of the team.
"We sure have our pick of the litter," Heather noted with a scoff. "Harold? He's as tough as butter." She ignored the glare she was receiving from the nerd. Though neither one were aware that LeShawna was also glaring at the queen bee.
"Don't expect DJ to be your tough guy, that's for sure," Chef chuckled.
"How can you say that?" DJ cried, tearing up before running off in an upset manner.
"That leaves Geoff," Gwen summarized.
"Cool," Geoff said with a shrug in a nonchalant voice. As the goth girl gave the party dude the packet, Bridgette began to quietly squeal with anticipation of seeing her boyfriend perform.
"Like we had much of a choice to begin with," Heather grumbled.
"Alright, set up the shop!" Chris announced. "Whoever can get Chef, Mr. Ex-Army Corporal, to show any emotion, wins the challenge." Everyone looked over to see Chef take a seat behind the playback monitor. He glanced up to see that all the contestants were looking at him. He then growled at them that sent shivers down the spines of a lot of the onlookers.
"Yeah," Gwen muttered. "We're screwed."
"Your make-up... gorgeous!" Lindsay cooed as she lightly tapped Izzy's face with powder. "And now I'm gonna make you really feel like an old lady." The redhead, who had been standing in a bent position for the last fifteen minutes, merely grumbled.
"I feel like eighty-years have already passed since they started to adjust the lighting!" Izzy stated aloud.
"Don't move!" Beth cried from the top of the set. She was clearly in charge of the lighting and wanted to get it right.
"Oh, don't worry," Izzy responded. "I can't. My legs are totally asleep!"
"Could I get that last line again?" Owen called out from behind the sound board.
Izzy glared at her hefty boyfriend for a moment before yanking the boom mic from out of Justin's hands. "MY LEGS ARE ASLEEP!" she screamed into the mic at the top of her lungs. Owen screamed as the increased sound volume overwhelmed his senses and sent him flying back onto the ground. The sight of which made Duncan laugh in amusement.
"Uh, guys," Geoff said, a confused brow raised as he went over his lines. "It's cool and all if you think I should do this. But I dunno if I can. I can't memorize this much. And these lines are way out of left field."
"Just say what is written and quit being such a prima donna," Heather stated as she placed a marker on the stage floor.
The party dude could see that she was in a very foul mood. Reasonable considering that LeShawna made it clear that the queen bee would be the one going home should they lose the challenge. Thus Heather was now working twice as hard to make sure the team never loses so that she won't get the boot.
"Okay, let's all just chill..." Geoff tried to begin saying calmly.
"I am chill!" Heather roared, nearly startling the party dude. "It's you who is doing all the complaining!"
"Friction between the crew and talent," Chris said aside to a nearby camera from behind the stage. He chuckled quietly with glee. "I love it! It's like a real film set."
"Stop it!" Bridgette called, getting in-between Heather and Geoff. "You're making him nervous." She watched as Heather marched off with a huff before turning to her boyfriend. "Geoff sweetie, I know you can do this. There may be a lot to remember and the lines may be a little off. But if you can nail this..." The surfer girl leaned in and whispered something in his ear. Something that made his eyes pop wide open and his lips curl into a stupid grin. "Can you do that for me, my Cutie-Patootie?"
"Absolutely, my Honey-Boo!" Geoff cheered. He then immediately buried himself into the script and walked off to prepare.
"I can't believe they've settled that so fast," Chris noted aside to the camera. "Sometimes, this business really stinks."
"Tell me you didn't promise him what I think you promised him," LeShawna said with a raised brow as the surfer girl joined her and Gwen at the sound board.
"Nah," Bridgette responded with a slight giggle. "I told him that I'll let him take my top off tonight if we win."
"Girl, you crazy," LeShawna proclaimed with a laugh.
"I'm willing to do it if it helps motivate him," Bridgette explained. "A guy will do any thing for the girl he likes. No matter how foolish or how weird it seems. If he thinks it will win her heart, he'll do whatever it takes."
"You can say that again," Gwen said.
Both Gwen and Bridgette then each let out their own loving sighs. Seconds later, they were back to work. LeShawna watched all of this and hung her head a little. Wishing she could express the same kind of feeling her friends were at the moment.
"There's seven colors on this tape roll thingy, but I don't know which one to use," Lindsay thought aloud. Oblivious that some one was waiting for her to hurry up and finish her job. "And what kind of a shape would a mark be? Like an 'M' for mark? Or..."
"My legs are starting to tingle!" Izzy complained. Her entire body started to shake uncontrollably. "I don't think I can hold much..." Before she could finish, she lot all feeling in her body and collapsed onto the floor. "Longer..." She then watched as Lindsay, who continued to express ignorance over what just happened, place down a red tape.
"Ahhh!" Beth cried. "We had the lighting just right!"
"Get back to first positions!" Trent called as he walked through the set, unaware of what had occurred moments before.
"Uh, it's been decades!" Izzy yelled in distress. "Can we just get the ball rolling on my eventual Best Actress nomination?"
"No wonder we're taking so long," Heather complained aloud as she examined her team's set in the back. "This place is a mess, guys. And you haven't-" She froze suddenly when it felt like she got caught on something. She looked down to see that some wiring had managed to wrap around her ankle. And it tightened everytime she tried to move. "Ow. What the..." She jerked her leg very hard. The strength of the pull resulting in whatever the wire was attached to to drop. Thereby pulling the wiring upward. Which in turn dragged a screaming Heather off her feet and hanging upside down. After dangling for a moment, she started to seeth. "Oh! I know you did this LeShawna! Help! I'm gonna need a little help here, people!"
"I'll help you down, m'lady," Harold announced rather suddenly.
Heather flinched in surprise when the nerd appeared. He gripped in his hand a pole with a hook at the end. He used it to loosen the wiring and free Heather. Only there was nothing to catch the screaming queen bee as she fell. Once she had crashed onto the ground, she started grunting, groaning, and growling in frustration and rage. Then she took a moment to calm herself as she got up to her feet and face her "savior."
"Thank you," Heather managed to grumble.
"Anything for m'lady," Harold replied in a courteous tone as he bowed.
(Make-Up Confessional)
Harold - "I've been working on my courting skills. Yep, I've mastered 'Girl Whispering.'"
Heather - "As annoying as hanging around Harold would be, he'll make an easy-to-persuade alliance member. And right now, 'm'lady' needs all the help she can get."
LeShawna - "You know, hangin' wit' my girls Gwen and Bridgette and all their talk about them bein' wit' their men... got me thinkin' about how I just dumped Harold wit'out givin' him a chance. After all... I still like the Sugar Baby. And I'm sure he still likes me. Hope I didn't screw things up wit' him too badly for us not to hook up again."
"And now, time for the final hair and make-up," Chris announced to both teams.
The Screaming Gaffers went through their final preparations while Geoff sat in a chair, awaiting to receive his final dab of hair and make-up. Which ended up being done by one of the last people he expected to do such a job.
"This light is just appallin'!" DJ proclaimed with an unusually stern tone. "How am I supposed to work without a proper trailer and lightin'?"
As DJ dabbed Geoff's face with powder, the party dude nervously looked to the rest of his team over what he just witnessed from the big guy. Geoff and LeShawna merely shrugged while Bridgette smiled and shyly turned her head. When he was finished, DJ grabbed the make-up kit and headed off stage. Where he was met suddenly, and rather violently, by Chef. The bigger man grabbing the other by the collar and literally through him into a seat on the nearest chair.
"That's enough!" Chef nearly yelled.
"What?" DJ asked in confusion. "My mama always told me I had a flare for applying her church make-up, so I figured-"
"We've got to toughen you up, you big ol' marshmalla!" Chef interrupted sternly, nearly scaring DJ to death.
(Make-Up Confessional)
Chef - "I've gotta admit, I see a bit of myself in DJ. But I had to develop the macho in myself without somebody like me helpin'. This is gonna be fun."
"Here's the deal," Chef stated, pacing about slowly in front of the shivering teen. "I'll help you man up and win this thing. You don't ask any stupid questions and you split the prize wit' me. Like they say, it's an offer you can't refuse. I won't let you." He leaned in closer to emphasize the latter point. DJ merely replied by swallowing very hard.
"Wow, you don't look like you," Lindsay cooed as she took a step back and got a good look at Izzy. While Izzy didn't quite look like an old lady, given the limited amount of time and supplies the Killer Grips had to work with, she still looked camera ready.
"'Aye, lassie!'" Izzy responded, speaking like her late Granny Mavis. "'That's ona'count a me bein' a master thespian!"
"Just make sure you lose the Scottish bur, okay Granny McE-Scope?" Duncan noted. He ignored the glare he received from the redhead.
Both teams went through their final preparations. Satisfied, everyone exited the stages except for the actors. Izzy dressed up as best like a sweet old lady. Geoff trying to look as best like a gangster as possible holding a tommy gun.
"And that's... action!" Chris called, hitting the clapper together to get the cameras rolling.
"When I was a young school girl in Poland, frolicking through the fields with my pet goat in the summer sun, those were my happiest days," Geoff began to perform.
Geoff's attempt at a 1920's gangster accent certainly had an effect on his team. Virtually every one of them cringed at how awful it sounded. And that was on top of having heard the first line he spoke, which only terrified them even more. The only person who didn't seem to be bothered was Bridgette. She looked as though she was anticipating him to nail a major acting moment.
"Did you check the envelopes before you labeled them?" Chris asked Chef after hearing Geoff's first line with a curious brow raised.
"I thought you checked them," Chef replied.
The two looked at one another for a moment. Then wicked grins grew on their faces and they began to snicker. This was going to be fun.
For the Killer Grips, there was no problems with the performance as far as they could see. Izzy very much acted like the little old lady from across the street. The problem was the script. Which clearly did not belong. And it only made the overall scene just very weird and surreal to watch. Nearly the entire team watched with their mouths slightly opened and eyes popped wide open with concern. Duncan merely watched with a raised brow as he rested his head on his knuckle.
"Now you listen and you listen good," Izzy acted. "If your fighter doesn't go down in the first round, you'll be sleeping with the fishes!" As if finally realizing that the lines did not match what her scene was supposed to be, Izzy fumbled over words a bit and started to do the one thing she felt could salvage the scene. Improvise. "And, uh... that's tough to do because... you know, they have no eyelids and it's hard to sleep." She then paused and looked over at the camera, breaking character completely. "Hey, I-I can flip my eyelids! Hey, any body wanna see me flip them?"
Chef watched this with a confused brow raised. No chance of him getting all emotional over that.
"What the hell was that?" Duncan asked in frustrated bewilderment.
"O-kay..." Trent managed to utter. "Granny Izzy may be nuts... but at least she's committed. Right?"
"I'm sure Geoff will have a hard time beating that," Duncan replied sarcastically.
"I've lived a good long life," Geoff acted. He dropped the accent, feeling that it was not necessary for this part of the performance. It was what he consider the money shot. And he put all of his heart and soul into the performance. To the point that a tear ran down his eye. "I've loved. I've laughed, but what I miss most of all is my sweet little goat, Shopa. Oh, baa, baa."
"Baa," Chef repeated, starting to get emotional. "Baa." He sniffs and begins to cry.
Gwen and LeShawna looked at one another and shrugged. It sounded like a performance that would get them the win. Especially with Chef tearing up. But then they looked over at their friend Bridgette. She was literally soaking every tissue she managed to pull out of the box. She clearly liked Geoff's performance. The Killer Grips watched all this and sighed.
"Cut!" Chris called. He looked over at the crying Chef with a raised brow of annoyance and then turned his attention back to the contestants. "Okay, enough. It's too much for Chef to take. Geoff clearly wins for Best Performance. The Screaming Gaffers win it!" The Screaming Gaffers cheered at their victory while the Killer Grips hung their heads in disappointment.
"Hey, Hey!" Izzy complained in her own gangster accent. "Oh, Oh! I was robbed! I'll see you in the morn, capeesh?"
"You're going to teach me how to be a tough guy?" DJ asked Chef, laughing as he watched the older man cry. This attempt at a confrontation turned out to be a bad idea as Chef suddenly shifted emotions. He went from crying to furious. To say DJ was scared would be an understatement as Chef grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up.
"Tough guys cry!" Chef proclaimed. "And did you notice your team just won? Who was the judge, huh? Who?"
(Make-Up Confessional)
Bridgette - /Crying with joy./ "Oh... My Schmoopy-Boo... Your sweet little Shopa is right here!" /Continues crying./
Justin - "I had a feeling something like this would get pulled. I know some guys who had similar situations happen to them when they tried to break into the business. Being the model that I am, I'm quite familiar with the how the system works out there in Tinseltown. And it's that familiarity that will help me to victory."
The Screaming Gaffers were about to celebrate in the girls trailer. But before the party could get underway, nearly all of them were shoved out the door by Bridgette. She then quickly closed the door and locked it. A sensual smirk forming on her lips and she slowly turned, her shoulder up slightly, to look at the only other person in the trailer. A confused looking Geoff.
"Um..." Geoff managed to squeak. "Something you wanna say? My Granola Goddess."
"We have a promise to fulfill, my Schmoopy-Boo," Bridgette purred.
Geoff's eyes widened and his lips trembled into a stupid smile. He knew what she meant and he was as excited as any guy would be whenever their girl acted the way she was. If he could only figure out why there was a slight sense of worry as well.
"You don't wanna wait until tonight, Schmoopy-Schmoo?" Geoff asked.
"No," Bridgette proclaimed. And then she pounced.
The rest of the Screaming Gaffers had just managed to get a few feet away from the trailer when they heard a loud slamming sound that was followed by a quick high-pitched scream. They all immediately turned and saw that the trailer was just about to tip over to one side. Then it waited until finally it fell back down to it's original position.
"Ooo, that girl is freaky," LeShawna said with a laugh.
"Ugh," Heather scoffed. "Now everything in there is going to get messed up. They better not ruin any of my clothes."
"So what are we going to do to celebrate now?" Harold asked curiously.
"You guys go ahead and do whatever," Gwen said, beginning to leave the area. "I've had enough craziness for one day."
Harold and LeShawna wanted to call out to her, but decided against it as Gwen looked very determined to get away. They looked at one another and then shrugged. She probably deserved some rest given how much of herself she exerted in the challenge.
"So what do we do now?" Harold asked.
LeShawna looked at Harold for a moment. For the first time in perhaps a long time, the two of them were seemingly alone together. Bridgette and Geoff were otherwise occupied. Gwen had walked off. Heather was in a huff. DJ appeared content to be himself elsewhere. Running through her head as quickly as possible how she had been feeling earlier in the day with the way Gwen and Bridgette went on briefly about their romantic lives, she herself wanted to feel as though she was apart of that. And for whatever reason, she always came back to thinking how sweet it was for this little string bean to give her that haiku back on the island. Perhaps she should give him another shot.
"You know, all that film equipment we hauled up the hill is still there," LeShawna said. "How's about showin' me some of yer skills as a junior cinematographer and have some fun makin' our own stuff."
"Really?" Harold nearly cried in surprise. When LeShawna nodded, he pumped his fist. "Yes!"
Gwen sat at the same low cliff she was at the night before. Less moody, she had her eyes closed and just let the light wind gently blow against her body. She remained like this until she was sure that she felt a little heat to her left side. She opened her eyes and looked over to find the source of the heat. A certain music man sat himself next to her with a smile on his face.
"I see you're not celebrating with your team," Trent noted.
"It's now a private celebration," Gwen responded with a smile of her own. She then let out a light laugh that came after taking a deep breath. "Just Geoff and Bridgette. No one else. Not even shirts."
Trent chuckled at the thought. "That was quite the performance he did today," he noted, slightly changing the subject.
"It was a little over the top and he had a horrible gangster accent," Gwen commented. "But hey, a win is a win."
Trent nodded. Then he began reaching behind his back. "Figured you might be up for a snack so I snagged you something from the Craft Services Tent," he said. "It may not be an adorable cabbage, but I'm sure an adorable goat wouldn't mind an adorable muffin." He pulled his hand back into view and placed in front of Gwen a muffin.
The goth girl giggled slightly as she took the muffin. "Mm-baa," she said, mimicking a goat.
"If you don't mind me saying," Trent said almost immediately. "You look a lot cheerful now than you were earlier."
Gwen paused for a moment before taking a deep breath. "Well, my team did win," she began to respond, picking at her muffin as she spoke. "But in honesty, this challenge made me realize some stuff. I'm not in this alone. No matter what happens, even when it gets to the individual stuff, I've made friends who have my back when I need them. Now I don't have to worry about having to go through this show all by myself. I have LeShawna, Bridgette, Geoff." She paused again. And then started to blush lightly before turning to face him. "But most important of all, I have you."
"I'm glad to be here for you," Trent said. He slumped slightly with his head sinking in just a little. His way of showing shyness.
"Although I don't wanna be you right now," Gwen noted rather suddenly.
"Because you're gonna have me shovel up the less adorable end of the digestive process?" Trent asked. His attempt at being funny was met with a handful of the muffin being squished upon his face. Both started to laugh as Trent wiped off the food particles from his face and looked back at his goth girl with a grin.
"More like because you have to go vote someone off," Gwen clarified.
"Ah, whatever," Trent said with a shrug. He then wrapped his right arm around her shoulders. "As long as you're still here, and you're not gonna dump me for what I just said, I'm good."
"You know, don't think I haven't noticed," Gwen pointed out rather suddenly, tapping a finger on his nose. "You think there might be something going on with me and Duncan."
"You guys are just friends, right?" Trent asked rather sheepishly, trying to mask any sense of worry his voice might let out.
"Worry not," Gwen stated. "Geoff told me that the guy has a secret photo of Courtney under his pillow."
"Secret?" Trent questioned with a curious brow raised.
"I'm sure he thinks that by having it out for the cameras to see it'll diminish his tough guy persona even more," Gwen noted, which was followed by a light laugh. "What a spaz. And really, why would I wanna go out with him." She slowed her laughter to a stop and then nestled her head upon his right shoulder. "He's no Trent."
The two smiled and looked into one another's eyes for what seemed like forever. Trent then brought his left hand up, cupping it upon her face. He let his thumb gently caress her cheek, which had turned pink. The continued to stare at each other until they finally leaned in for a soft, yet intoxicating kiss.
The Killer Grips watched with great discomfort as they were forced to sit through a whole sequence that introduced what became their elimination ceremony. The Gilded Chris Awards. Finally, the handsome host came out, looking stylish and spiffy in a light blue tuxedo. Once he was at the podium, he went through his usually hosting speeches.
"It's time to cast your votes," Chris announced. "Under your seats you'll find your voting devices. Just press the button of the person you want voted off. Oh, and no peeking! Or it's 'Nyah-nyah Nyah-nyah-nyah, hey-hey-hey, good bye!' He-Ha-Ha! Who will it be? Who will be cast off the set?"
The Killer Grips reached under their seats and pulled out handheld electronic devices. Upon the screens were all of their faces, though the image of Trent had a big red X over it. Which obviously meant he could not be voted for given his being immune. They then individually cast their votes and waited about as patiently as they were willing for the results.
They were then treated to the blinding sight of Chef bringing out five Gilded Chris Awards. In a sparkling pink dress. The guys wanted to laugh, but were more terrified at what they were looking at and tried to cover their eyes as quickly as possible. The girls, on the other hand, were giggling and laughing. Izzy was have the most fun seeing the big man being humiliated in such a fashion. Chef merely growled in response.
"The votes have been cast," Chris proclaimed. He pulled out a sheet of paper from behind the podium. "If you get a Gilded Chris, that means you're safe. For now. Because, rather suitably, the Gilded Chris represents the luster of fame and immortal greatness. And the first Gilded Chris goes to Trent!" Chef threw one of the awards to Trent, who caught it with ease. "Lindsay, Justin, and Beth are also safe." The girls cheered as they both embraced the handsome model. An act which, for whatever reason, distracted Lindsay as the award that Chef threw to her ended up clonking her on the head and knocking her out cold. Justin and Beth had no problems catching their awards. "So is Duncan." The delinquent merely scoffed before catching his award.
Everything who was still conscious then turned their attention to the remaining two contestants. Owen and Izzy. Owen looked very worried, fearful that his name would not be called and would therefore be eliminated. Izzy, meanwhile, had her arms crossed and her nose up in the air. As though she did not care what the outcome would be.
"And the final Gilded Chris goes to..." Chris began to announce.
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
"Izzy!"
Izzy immediately shot her eyes wide open in sudden surprise. She ignored the award statue that passed her by, which ended up clonking Lindsay on the head again and brought her back to consciousness. Izzy looked then turned over to Owen. The hefty boy sighed and hung his head in defeat.
"But..." Izzy began to whimper. "But why?"
"Sorry, big guy," Chris said from the stage. "You got the most votes. You're outta here. Shame, too. You win last season and now you're the first one out this season. Tough break, dude."
"Well," Owen sighed, getting to his feet. "I guess you can't win them all. Bye guys!" He turned to the other contestants and waved before making his way down the Walk of Shame.
"Bye, Ocho!" Lindsay called out in a tearful voice.
"Adios, fatso," Duncan muttered with a wave.
"We're gonna miss you dude," Trent called out.
Owen continued to walk upon the red carpet. He was within a few feet of the Lame-o-sine when he stopped as he felt something drop onto his shoulders. Then Izzy appeared, upside-down, from above. She looked very sad. A sight which Owen couldn't remember ever seeing the redhead look.
"Who's Izzy gonna play with now?" Izzy asked in a hurtful tone.
"Don't you mean 'E-Scope?'" Owen questioned.
"Izzy's too upset," Izzy replied, on the verge of tears. She then dropped her entire body onto his shoulder, clutching him as if doing so would prevent him from going. "Izzy wants Owen to stay."
Even with her placing all her strength latching onto Owen, Izzy was easily removed by two heavy-set interns. Another pair of interns then quickly rushed Owen into the Lame-o-sine. Izzy struggled in an effort to get back to Owen, but found herself on the losing end. She could only watch in sorrow as Owen looked back at her, equally sad, until the vehicle drove off into the distance.
"Owen!" Izzy cried to the Heavens when the interns finally released her and walked away. After she stopped screaming, the redhead breathed heavily. She then narrowed her eyes in anger and frustration. "Izzy senses tingling. Izzy suspects foul play. Izzy thinks there's a conspiracy going on."
In a mad dash, Izzy ran away from the stage and through the film lot. She by-passed the Craft Services Tent and the sleeping trailers. She kept running until she went up the cliff that had be used previously for the challenge. She continued onward until she reached the stage upon which she had acted on. She grabbed the old lady clothes from earlier, put them on, and then waved her fist out in the direction she believed the Lame-o-sine had left toward.
"'F'ar not, Owen,'" Izzy proclaimed, speaking as her Granny Mavis. "'Izzy well avenge ya. Ya 'ear me! Ya well be avenged!'"
(Make-Up Confessional)
Trent - "People might think I'm voting Duncan because I might still be jealous. But when you think about it, all he did was complain about the team and didn't really contribute anything. He's bad for morale."
Beth - "Even though Owen got the trailer up the hill first all by himself, Justin said that it would be best to vote him off." /Looks around and then leans in closer to the camera to whisper./ "He said that he passes gas every time he walks."
Duncan - "The fart machine has got to go if only on account that we'll get a good night's sleep in the boy's trailer. Seriously, the guy stunk up the place real bad these last couple of nights."
Izzy - "E-Scope does not trust Justin. Uh-uh. He's a liar and E-Scope does not like liars."
Justin - "Beth and Lindsay will vote any way I want them to and Duncan has a natural dislike for Owen. Besides, he won last season. It's time for some one else to win this whole thing. And that some one is going to be me."
Lindsay - "Omar is sweet and kind. But Justin said that he ate all the food when we weren't looking. I don't eat all that much, but why did he have to eat all of the watermelons? That's really illiterate of him."
Owen - "Duncan was really mean to everyone. Why can't we just have some fun? That's why we're here, right?"
Trent - Duncan
Beth - Owen
Duncan - Owen
Izzy - Justin
Justin - Owen
Lindsay - Owen
Owen - Duncan
...
Owen - 4
Duncan - 2
Justin - 1
...
Voted Off - Owen
Well... That turned out to be a much bigger chapter than I expected...
Part of the reason for the changing of the order of events every now and then is part of the rewriting process. For instance, in the previous chapter Bridgette and Geoff's elimination came later even though how it happened was roughly the same. This was because of the rewrite where Gwen, DJ, and Trent overruled Duncan in letting the two tag along, thereby letting them advance further on. I kept the manner in which they were eliminated the same because I figured that's what they would've done regardless. Traces of the Gilded Chris Awards ceremony that originally happened in "Alien Resurr-eggtion" happens here for the obvious reason that I didn't do an elimination in the last chapter. Besides, that first ceremony had good bits.
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Next Up: Beach Blanket Bogus
