Author's Note

So, this story is about the former two, but this chapter is mainly about Zoey, and how she's handled the last two-three episodes leading up to her elimination, and her thoughts on the two, that hasn't been shown in flashbacks so far.

A day before the final 5 challenge..

Zoey felt very alone. After that conversation with Jo, she knew that talking to her about Mike was dead, and while Cameron is a friend, he knows... nothing about relationships. Lightning knows nothing other than his workout routines, and Scott... is the reason why this all happened to begin with. She was walking around caressing the medallion Mike gave her, as she started singing "Love Is Here And Now You're Gone", "Love is here, and oh my darling now, you're gone. You said loving you would make life beautiful, with each passing day. But as soon as love came into my heart, you turned and you walked, just walked away."

Scott overheard Zoey singing, and decided to taunt her, "So I see that you're coming to terms with the fact that Mike was nothing but a delusional fantasy. You're better off now than you ever would have. I can imagine what him and Anne Maria are doing right now. All of the Italian talk, enjoying the tan as it makes their skin more golden together, all of the kissing they are doing, or potentially making love as we speak."

She turned around, and started poking him in his chest, "Are you SERIOUSLY proud of yourself for exploiting someone else's mental illness in order to last longer in the game? You couldn't come up with anything else?"

He started poking her back, "HE made it fair game when he signed onto the show, KNOWING that he had a mental illness. I was able to get footage of his audition tape, and he outright stated that his psychologist told him to not go on the show, but he didn't care. You blame EVERYONE BUT HIM. First Anne Maria, and now me. You BOTH are pathetic as hell."

Jo just-so happened to have watched this happen, and sat down enjoying the show, "Now THIS... this is primetime television."

"He's a nice person. NEITHER OF YOU AREN'T. You BOTH PRETENDED TO BE MY FRIEND, though you SECRETLY HATE ME. I will do EVERYTHING I CAN to MAKE SURE YOU GET YOUR KARMA," Zoey yelled, as she pushed Scott on the floor.

He got up, and snatched Mike's medallion away, tossing it far away, "DON'T FUCKING TOUCH ME. I don't know what he saw in your ugly ass anyways."

Cameron approached to stand beside Jo, "Aren't you going to do anything to stop this?"

"Hell no. I love drama, especially when it has nothing to do with me. Listen kid; sometimes you need to stay out of things, and let stuff happen naturally."

Lightning decided to show up randomly, "I don't know what that scrawny loser saw in Zoey either. The other girl has a bodacious booty, and large boobs that just don't stop shaking, and a waist that you want to hold onto while you're pounding that puss."

Scott gave him a high five, as they both started howling, "Did you see her in that bikini during the beach challenge? I don't blame Mike for not keeping his hands off of that. If only she didn't quit."

"Do you KNOW the amount of work that she spent looking like that? She doesn't LOOK like that naturally," Zoey complained. "And if you BOTH FELT this way about her, you BOTH could have hooked up with her. I'm sure she would have obliged your offers."

"Sha-Zoey is just sha-jelaous that she isn't as hot as that Anne Girl. She isn't even as hot as Dakotazoid, Dakota, and Dawn," the athlete continued to ramble. "Some people aren't just genetically blessed, like you."

The redhead turned to give an evil smirk at Zoey, "Lightning's right. You're just not good-looking, and you put your entire energy and identity into a mentally-ill nutcase. I can't WAIT until your UGLY ASS is HURLED NEXT, and you can WATCH them have sex for yourself." Him and Lightning started laughing, and Zoey could feel the tears building up. She had never been so demeaned and attacked by men in her entire life, and she fled somewhere as she started crying her head off.

A few days after the final 5 elimination...

Cameron and Zoey decided to meet up on a tall tree branch, since they wanted some privacy. He saw that his friend was getting more and more depressed, especially after hearing/seeing the video Scott planted in the laptop, "I'm sorry you had to... see that about Mike and Anne Maria. Just remember that it was over a month ago, and it was when Mike wasn't himself."

"I guess I know that, but seeing what you may have speculated about someone you love, and someone you wanted to befriend with in the beginning... really sucks. Lightning and Scott continue to make fun of my looks. I've been bullied and harassed by jocks ALL MY LIFE, and I THOUGHT that the same thing wouldn't happen here, and not to this extent. I don't know how much longer I can stay in this game. It isn't fun anymore, I am being bullied, and I'm sure the toxic elements are starting to effect me."

He put his hands on her shoulder, "You need to think about the positive moments. Remember when you, Mike, and I would hang out in the arts and craft center all day during our days off, and we all made great pieces of art? That happened from the beginning until he left. We ALL had fun there, and THAT was genuine. You are going to see him very soon, and I think this will be a great opportunity to prove to yourself what you can do on your own."

Zoey put her hands on Cameron's legs, "I know you're right, but the main reason why I came on this show was to make friends, and meet people who aren't like me. I feel like I've accomplished that, and I want to spend more time with Mike in a positive way, before this experience ends. We don't even know how we could carry this outside of the show, and in real life. We both owe ourselves to have that conversation, so I do think going to Playa des Losers will be ideal."

"What do you think Mike and Anne Maria are doing over there? It's clearly bothering you a lot, and you think there's a chance that they could rekindle something," Cameron blurted out, clearly getting annoyed. "I thought you and Anne Maria got along, somewhat in the beginning."

A frown went on her face, "We were... getting along, but that turned out to be a lie. As soon as a man came into the picture, she decided to use my insecurities against me, and used it to make fun of me. She showed a nasty side to me, and acted like all of those other girls in my hometown, who would pretend to be my friend, and used me. I'm usually a very apologetic and forgiving person, but I CAN'T do it to her. Too many triggers."

Cameron gave her some final words of advice, "All I know is that if you don't put your all to the remainder of the season, you will regret it. Take this experience for what it is, and use it to your advantage."

Hours after the final 4 elimination ceremony...

Zoey felt good that she was able to mastermind Scott's elimination. He approached her in an alliance to get rid of Lightning, and she strung him along, only to take him out when he least expected it. Watching him get hurled with the shark he feared all season was very liberating. All of the nasty taunts that Scott has thrown in her face over the last 2 weeks, that played right against her insecurities were one of the main reasons why she had her meltdown, "He had his boot coming for a long time now. A so called "ugly loner" got him booted. Never should have underestimated me."

At the same time, a large part of her was numb towards a lot of things. Apologizing for everything is something she refuses to do, and what Cameron told her some days about about trying her best in the game resonated with her, though not in the way that he probably expected.

She felt the broken medallion of Mike's in her pocket, and took it out. While a part of her remained numb, a saddened look appeared on her face. While she remained optimistic immediately following his boot, her nerves and doubts about the relationship continued to get worse, "Mike... I hope things are able to get back to the way we wanted them to, but I have to be prepared to expect, and plan for the worst."

While going on her run, she thought about how things would be different once she returned home. Maybe she would be famous in her small town, but was pretty positive that a lot of the support, and supposed attention would be fake, and people wanting something from her, rather than being someone's friend genuinely, "Hmmm. Maybe the likes of Jo was right about people. You can only count on yourself. At least I gained a lot of confidence from this show."

Cameron ran to talk to her, "Hey Zoey. Isn't it cool that we're in the final 3? Our chances of making it to the final 2, and having a friendship finale is VERY high. Oh, I never asked you this, but why do you have war makeup on, and wearing a bandana... which is made out of your shirt being ripped?"

Zoey just rolled her eyes, "I had a meltdown at the last challenge. Everything just piled up; from Mike being unjustly booted, his mental issues being used against him, Scott and Lightning making fun of my looks, being taunted with what Mike and Anne Maria could be doing, the competition getting more stressful, Chef humiliating me in the challenge, and dealing with a lot more than I ever dealt with in my life. I am ready to kick ass in this competition, and to win, just like you told me to do a few days ago."

"So, are you looking forward to seeing Mike again after you win?"

"If he's loyal, sure. But something tells me that he won't like me the same way he did early in the season. I realized that he saw me as a fairy tale, and I saw him as that for a while too. I learned that fairy tales don't exist. If we get together, great. But I'm not going to rely on it."

A few hours before her elimination...

Zoey and Cameron were in the eating area, and chatting as they accepted their fate, "So Lightning won the challenge, and our friendship finale isn't happening. It sucks, but I'm shocked I made it this far, and I'm glad that I made it to third place."

"I am SO SORRY for how I've acted over this last week Cameron. You didn't deserve any of it, and I unjustly took my anger over everything that happened over the last 2 months over you," Zoey apologized passionately. "You were TRULY the only person who was there for me the entire season, even over Mike."

He grabbed her hand to hold for assurance, "It's fine, and I got why you had your meltdown, though things did get a bit strained. We played a good game this season, and we both came out of our shells. Now that I'm going home without the money, I won't have enough money to buy a new bubble, but that might be for the best. What do you plan on doing with the money once you win, because you WILL win."

She thought about it for a few seconds, "Well, I know I want to invest in the theater in my hometown; not the cinema theater. I'm going to buy a car, and potentially an apartment that's closer to Mike. I want to invest in my town, and make sure that everyone has great access to the bare necessities. Maybe start my own vintage and tarot card business as well. Being here with Lightning for a few days with there being no one else will force me to deal with my fears of jocks. Do you have any regrets about anything regarding you experienced here?"

"Honestly, I don't. I played, I saw, I conquered, I learned, I grew, I made friends, I met a lot of fascinating people, and I lived. Lightning got the best of me this round, but I'm fine with hanging out at Playa des Losers for the remaining days to get to know everyone, without the confines of the game. Do you have any regrets about your experience?"

Zoey started to become a bit sad once again, "Outside of the Commando Zoey situation, I do have a lot of regrets. I wish I learned how to balance not being a pushover to not being a mean person. That's something I'm going to have to continue dealing with, since I was a pushover in the beginning of the season, but became too harsh. You cannot let your poor experiences turn you into a negative person, and seeing many people this season who let that happen to them was something I saw first hand." She looked down on the table as she continued, "The next regret is that I was able to make a female friend on the show. You and Mike are great, but it's always different having another girl support you."

He felt her start to tense and tear up, and rubbed her hand once again, "I know... I know that was hard for you, but to be fair, a lot of the girls on this season didn't make it easy. Staci wasn't around long enough, and didn't know how to speak about anything outside of her family. Dakota focused on a lot of the wrong materialistic things, and when she was starting to grow out of that, she became a monster, and still has a long way to go with her own journey. She wanted to use your friendship to make you putty in her hands. Dawn has poorer social issues than the both of us combined, and liked to talk about auras, while revealing things about us that we didn't tell anyone else. She is well-intentioned, but doesn't know how to have normal conversations. Jo and Anne Maria... are both very aggressive, and easily the most insecure women in the entire season, and they... were our teammates. Anne Maria was something that you didn't expect to happen. Do you want me to send her a message once I take the Hurl of Shame?"

"Honestly, I just want to know WHY she hates me SO MUCH, and why she FELT the NEED to pretend to like me the entire time? I want peace, but I have no idea how to approach the situation. Whether her and Mike are together in Playa des Losers, and I end up losing out, or it's the opposite. I don't want to leave this place with any serious grudges. Even with Scott."

A message was played through the speakers, "The elimination ceremony will take place in an hour. Use the washroom, pack your bags, and prepare everything beforehand."

Zoey ended up in a robe, while her clothes were in the washing machine. She was in the dining area, still trying to recap what happened over the last 1-2 hours. Both her and Cameron thought that he was going to get booted, so her getting booted instead was a shocker, "I am relieved to have gotten the boot when I did. Everything kind of wrapped up nicely, but... I'm worried for Cameron. Who knows how he will deal with Lightning for the last few days."

Two voices were behind her, "The red head is talking to herself. Isn't that like, weird?"

"I used to do that too when I had no friends, and lived in the farm. I relate to her on that."

She turned around, and saw Lindsay and Beth behind her, "Oh hey girls. It's nice to meet you Beth, and nice to see you again Lindsay. Please, come on over."

The BFFs quickly moved, so they were sitting on both sides of Zoey. Beth decided to speak up first, "So... Zoey, is it? I read that you're a small-town girl, who didn't have much friends. How was this experience like for you? I'm sure we had similar experiences, and it's quite an adjustment being around no one, and then dealing with a lot of different people, and the future attention of the viewers."

Lindsay wanted the gossip, "Forget all of that, I heard YOU HAVE A BOY TOY. I didn't get much info from my cameo or whatever, but I want the TEA. How hot is the relationship? Did you two kiss?"

She felt a bit overwhelmed, but it was better than dealing with her lonely thoughts, "Mike and I had a... connection from the moment we met. For every good 2-3 conversations we had, we would have a bad conversation, and he never let me get to know the true him which was frustrating. And then when him and Anne Maria got involved, that hurt me, and the two of us got into a lot of arguments. He told me before he left that he had Multiple Personality Disorder, and one of his personalities liked Anne Maria. But with him being booted not long after her, I started having doubts about them potentially getting together while I was in the game."

"I know how that feels. Getting in a relationship that is so stable... I mean unstable, and then worrying about what distance will do to it. As long as you want it, and he wants it, the two of you should accomplish anything, and make it work."

Gwen and Leshawna showed up (with Zoey's clothes), and the latter spoke, "Hey girl. We heard that you got the boot, and it sucked, since we were rooting for you."

Zoey turned around to shake both of the ladies hands, "Hey Leshawna and Gwen. It's nice to know that two TD legends were rooting for me. Couldn't get it done, since Lightning was too strong. I'm glad to go and see Mike, whether we end up together or not. I am really, really scared to see what happens at Playa des Losers."

"Yeah... Trent told me about what happened in that situation, and what Mike told him, and all I have to say is... he's still crazy about you," Gwen reassured the girl. "Take it from me. Go after what you want, since you will regret not doing so. And if you can make peace with that jersey girl, and the villain, do it. Being on this yacht with Courtney has been awkward, since we haven't made peace, and everyone feels the tension."

Beth kind of shrugged her shoulders, "She kind of deserved it though. I don't feel bad."

Lindsay slightly shoved her friend, "Oh my GOSH Beth, you can't just say that. I know we don't like her, but Gwen was definitely being a homewrecker."

"Well, she DID speak to me about the... situation when her and the buzzcut guy got launched, and she doesn't want the drama either. She was annoyed with how you responded to her, and felt that you played... you know what, nevermind," Leshawna decided to stop herself. "I remember when our first season ended, everyone put our differences aside, and wanted to enjoy the end of the experience. I'm sure that will happen with your generation too."

The redhead just smiled, "Well, thank you all for the advice ladies, and I hope you're all right. And thanks for getting my clothes. I think I see the lot, so it won't take much longer."