THE COUNSELLOR
"He's got to be some kinda sicko, hiding in a woman's closet." Justin looked at the boy with the raggedy hoodie with utter contempt. He was the first to come running after hearing the girls scream in unison only a few minutes prior. DJ came running in after Justin. The two boys dragged the unknown into the captain's quarters where Chris was living.
Courtney had her free hand on her hip with a scornful expression, while her other still held a toothbrush. She was beside one of the other contestants Bridgette, who shared a room with her on this ship. One of the more important qualities that got her on good terms with her was not being considered a threat. This woman in particular didn't seem competitive and even kind of a pushover. They didn't have much in common, but Bridgette seemed a kind enough person, although Courtney did feel annoyed she was so dismissive and overall unimpressed with her achievement of being a camp counsellor.
Right now, Bridgette was visibly shaken after some creep startled the holy hell out of her.
"You can let go of him you guys, I'm sure he won't be violent. Will you?" Chris was sitting in his room next to a gray onix desk, with the usual cheshire grin. Ezekiel pulled himself off their grasp with some anger, looking like he was about to lash out. DJ seemed the most apologetic about dragging him all the way over here. Chris said, "So what happened exactly?"
"Bridgette heard a noise in our closet just as we were about to sleep. Turns out this hobo was in our room the entire time, probably watching us change and everything!"
"This all true?" Chris asked.
"No."
"A liar as well as a creep." An attractive boy named Justin was clearly not impressed with the boy with the beard stubble, and seemed to want him out of here more than she did.
"Throw him overboard," Courtney suggested. "That should teach the pervert a lesson."
"We're miles away from shore you guys." DJ tried to reason with them.
"Hold on now, let's not do anything rash. I want to hear his side of the story." Chris talked with the tone of an elementary school teacher. He turned to Ezekiel, standing up from his seat and inspecting him. "Last I checked, you weren't one of the contestants invited for my show, or a member of my staff. Now who are you and what were you doing in their room?"
"My name is Ezekiel. I'd like to participate in the game sir." His voice was deep and croaky. "The prize for winning your competition is a hundred thousand, it said so on the papers."
"And you thought sneaking aboard my ship and creeping out girls was gonna get you that, dude?" Chris asked.
"Never said I thought it through, it just happened like that." Ezekiel got on his hands and knees. "Please. You got to let me stay. I'm only here for my mother, I need the prize money for her." Courtney found the act shameless, if anything. Bridgette's expression turned to one of uncertainty. "I don't mean to cause trouble but, my family's fallen under hard times. Please understand. Me getting on this boat was my last shot at repaying her for all she done for me."
Courtney and Bridgette exchanged a glance.
"A likely story," Justin doubted.
Courtney looked to Chris, who looked unsympathizing as he continued smiling. "My heart's breaking for you, dude. Tell you what, I'll make an exception and let you participate."
Ezekiel raised his head, still on his knees.
"Are you kidding me?" Courtney was in disbelief.
"Hey, we never had someone desperate enough to pull a stunt like this before. This is kinda exciting." Chris said. "Twenty-eight is kind of a strange number though." He took a second to ponder before looking to the others. "Are you okay with it?"
"Absolutely not!" Courtney said at once. "Accident or no, he was still in our closet the entire time without our permission." Justin seemed to be in agreement.
"Wait." Bridgette finally spoke up, sighing. "It's all good. He can stay."
"Bridgette? Are you sure about this?" Courtney asked.
"I'm sure."
Ezekiel didn't seem uplifted, but he nodded at Bridgette to show gratitude.
"There you have it, folks. The newest competitor of Total Drama. Now, all of you go and get some sleep, except for you." He pointed at Courtney. "I have a business proposition that could prove to be mutually beneficial for both of us."
Bridgette stayed behind, likely so they could accompany each other back to their room. "I'll be outside."
"You can bunk with me, if you want." DJ made an offer to Ezekiel. He and Ezekiel then left the room, with Justin in tow.
"He ever gives you any trouble, you let me know." Justin winked. Courtney was sort of grossed out, but gave him a thankful wave. He was far from her type, but he could prove useful in the coming days.
"Please, grab a seat."
"If that freak tries anything funny, I'm holding you personally responsible." Courtney sat on a red cushioned chair that looked as if a cat had carved it up.
"The scrawny fella was just another one of the thousands looking for fame and fortune. I can't blame him at all. Another thing I can't blame him for, is checking you girls out, 'cause if I can be honest," Chris did a little whistle. "If you girls were a couple years older, there would be zero hesitation on my part, from making-"
She shifted in her seat. "Just tell me what it is you want."
"As you yourself have stated on your resume, you're a driven overachiever in school, a born leader, and the head of the disciplinary committee for your student council. You're already a guaranteed role model for the kids watching at home, which is why I think we can help each other." She saw through his attempts to ease her in with honey-coated praise. "Once we're on that island, I'd like you to participate in a couple photoshoots."
"You want me to model for you?"
"It's just going to be used for promotional material. I didn't bring you on just for your smarts alone," he admits. "The prettier the contestants are, the more likely people are gonna wanna keep watching. The contestant audition tapes have already been leaked online, and you already have quite the following, male and female."
She had always been confident in her image, but she was still baffled. Courtney was disgusted with being treated as a sex object, but beauty came with perks. "You said this would benefit us mutually, right? How am I getting anything out of this?"
"Like I said, the folks at home want a hero and a good looking woman. So I would have the obligation to pull some strings and prevent an early elimination. I'll throw this in as well." Chris brought out a small box. It couldn't hold anything bigger than a flashlight, but by how he grinned, she figured it must be something of worth.
She assumed it must contain money, food, or some kind of item for immunity. Courtney needed to be the sort of person willing to sacrifice her moral principles for the sake of self gain if she wanted to win it all. That's what she thought. "You really going to exploit minors like this just for a little extra viewership?"
"I want to make this season my crowning achievement as showrunner, I'd even sell my soul if it meant ratings. A kid like you probably won't understand, but I want recognition."
As a girl that worked her ass off and didn't waste an hour of the day, she immediately told him, "No, I think I do." Courtney suffered with never getting credit for so long, and had to go above and beyond what was required of her in school. All the pressures from both her peers and her parents was taxing. She was even bullied by those jealous of her talents. "I want acknowledgement for my own accomplishments as well."