Alejandro 1
The plan was simple. He'd been invited to audition for Total Drama since the producers needed his uncle's services during the second season, but only cared to get involved once the show reached international acclaim. Alejandro needed to get out of his brothers' omnipresent shadows, and he wasn't about to let José steal this from him before he was ready. So when one of the family lawyers called Fresh TV, it was less a matter of negotiations and more a group of producers bending to his list of demands. A few weeks into their talks, Alejandro was one signature shy of getting casted, and he let the ease of the situation distract him. Unbeknownst to Alejandro, he had his biggest roadblock saved for last.
"I'm so sorry to trouble you with this, Mr. Burromuerto. The meeting really should just be a formality. We would have had it ages ago, but, haha, you know how it is with schedule syncing. The better you are, the harder it gets!" The producer walking beside him seemed to cower more with every word they spoke.
Despite his annoyance with the recently re-re-re-rescheduled meeting (four times?) Alejandro kept his wits and charm about him.
"Not to worry, friend. I understand that the life of a celebrity can be very hectic. I'm just happy that I was able to make time."
The producer practically collapsed before him at the suggestion of forgiveness. "Oh, oh yes Mr. Burromuerto! You must be so busy, with your brother's game coming up! What an amazing opportunity, to fly all the way out to Brazil-"
"Yes, it is!" Alejandro cut them off before they could mention Carlos by name. "It's too bad Mr. McClain seems too busy to accept tickets to the game. I'm sure he and your team would have enjoyed Canada's World Cup match. But work clearly comes first! You know how it is, amigo."
Catching the producer's crestfallen face was enough to satiate Alejandro's annoyance. "Oh. Yes sir- right." They arrived right at Chris's door, and after knocking once and hearing a cheery 'come in!' the producer left.
Thank goodness he was free of that clown. Without much other thought, Alejandro waltzed in, putting on the charm routine. Chris stood on the power side of a desk, and Alejandro walked right over to offer him a handshake.
"Mr. McClain! What an honor it is to meet an elite as distinguished as yourself. You may call me Alejandro Burromuerto." he put the emphasis on the Spanish pronunciation of his name, a little trick he'd learned that made most Canadians swoon. Between that and the weight his name carried, he was sure to have Chris's signature in the bag.
Alejandro stood with his hand outstretched over the desk. Chris gave him a quick once-over, frowned, and smirked, ignoring the handshake. "That's a mouthful. Pro tip, anyone who's anything in this biz knows how to keep it short and sweet. My name is Chris, I'm calling you Alejandro. What are you doing in my office?"
It was then that Alejandro recognized that he'd made the first of many errors. In his confidence and position as the wronged (rescheduled) party, Alejandro genuinely thought this meeting would be another groveling breeze.
Unfortunately, he failed to account for a few facts.
Chris McClain was too full of himself to care about the Burromuerto family background in politics and sports, and he was too territorial to fall prey to the charms of a young, pretty male face. In fact, when he saw Alejandro for the first time, it was pretty clear that the older host was jealous. Which didn't help his case when Chris, a co-producer, had the final say on characterization.
Alejandro started damage control immediately, cutting all of his usual flowery language. "Si. I, Alejandro Burro-uh, I mean. I am tall, tan, wealthy, charming and handsome, as is made obvious by my family crest and appearance. My plan is to make the contestants of the show swoon, fall in love with me, get eliminated one by one to win the million."
Chris actually rolled his eyes.
"We don't need another Justin. You watched season two, right?"
He had to hide the grimace threatening to appear on his face. How dare anyone compare him to a brainless, uglier-by-the-second has-been… but with the pitch he gave, he wasn't exactly wrong.
Alejandro coughed. "But, señor, I'm nothing like-"
"Ah ah ah." Chris put a hand up."Yeah, I don't know about this, kid. I'd rather just stick with miss Cody-kisser on her own. All we were really looking for was more energy, and she has it. Thanks, though." He stood, presumably to leave.
He felt his eyes narrow dangerously. "Chris, If you could just wait-"
"No time- Remember, short and sweet buddy."
Chris got to the door, and suddenly Alejandro could only see flashes.
The 'seat fillers' at his middle school graduation sitting in place of his parents, because Carlos had a big game that weekend. And José- just José's face, mouth twisted to call him "Al" and hand poised to wedgie him. In a world where they'd both already accomplished unbeatable academic and physical success, this was his first real chance to surpass them- and it was slipping away because his name was too long.
Chris must've seen the look on his face even as he tried to hide it, because he offered a cruel smile and said, "Cheer up buddy, if the other producers promised you a place on the show, I'd be happy to have you as an intern! Heh heh!"
Alejandro stood, back facing the door as he took a slow breath to calm himself. A Burromuerto did not show anger.
Chris got impatient. "O-kay, don't you know social cues? It's time to go, amigo!"
Still calming himself, Alejandro's voice dropped to a deadly quiet whisper, unable to help himself. "Of all the incompetent-"
Chris smacked loudly, putting a hand up to his ear. "What was that? You're going to have to speak up-"
"Silencio!" Alejandro turned then, rage warping his features. Being a good Burromuerto had to be the farthest thing from his mind. "In my life I have never encountered this level of insolence from such an ego-inflated pelagatos! You dare to reschedule Alejandro Burromuerto? Me, the two time winner of the South American Skate Olympics, the recipient of the second-ever actual president's list for getting straight A's in every assignment since middle school, the son of the Spanish Canadian Diplomat! Do you know what you're costing your team by doing this to me? I could have you deported! And you dare, dare to reject me- because you think I'm too much like Justin? Are your eyes and ears incapable of function?" His voice had reached a fever pitch, and now he let it drop sinisterly quiet. "Believe me, Christophen, your fame, your paltry 'self-made' fortune- it is nothing to me. You are beneath me. And I will make certain that you regret this decision for the rest of your days, amigo."
His eyes were still set in a poisonous glare, whilst Chris's were wide, with the enraged seventeen year old mere inches from his face. Chris gave him a once-over again.
And then he shut the door.
Chris walked back around the table with a serious expression on his face. He sat down.
"Sit." He commanded. Alejandro did no such thing. "You want to be on the show, right?" Alejandro's glare lightened, just slightly. He still didn't sit. Chris smirked. "Okay, fine. You want to know why Total Drama is so successful? You want to know why I'm more than just the four time gemmy-winning host of this show?"
Alejandro rolled his eyes. Despite himself, he answered. "The mass culture's love of catharsis through violence and a home-alone-level of creativity when it comes to creating violent situations?"
Chris laughed. "Totally. But that's not all. People love Total Drama because it's reality TV that's real. They put me in charge of characterization and casting because I can tell when there's something behind the glitzy stereotype persona people see on TV, whether that means it actually goes down deep or its a mask I can chip away to find something even more watchable underneath. I cast characters who aren't characters, capice?"
Alejandro's mouth was still curled in a frown, but he nodded.
Chris slid forward. "The Justin pitch- that's real, for him. And we're over it! The straightforward Spanish cassanova routine you run on the rest of the producers won't fly on camera, pun intended. I'm sure they promised you a place on the show because of your looks and your skills and your status, but me and the rest of the TV watching world don't give a rat's pitoutee about that."
Of course, with the anger clouding his judgement, Alejandro wanted to scoff and ignore everything this self-important pendejo had to say, but a part of his brain considered that he might be right. Even when advertised correctly, the people of the world might be too stupid to know how impressive he was just on his own. And him just telling them- well, even Alejandro knew that wouldn't make great TV.
His posture, stiff with anger, relaxed a little as Chris humbled him.
Seeing this, Chris continued. "But… What I might care about is whatever you just showed me there. I inform the cast who returns and who doesn't in a few months at the Gemmies. You have until then to show me something real. And you better thank your soon-to-be stars that I don't know the word for 'old' in Spanish. I don't want to hear it. Ever. Get it?"
Alejandro frowned, but opened his mouth to speak. "Fine. But what is it that you saw in me? If it's not my accomplishments, what exactly can you sell?"
Chris actually rolled his eyes as he headed for the door. "You did it, you figure it out. Bye bye!"
With that, Chris shoved him out of the office and slammed the door. Shocked, Alejandro turned back and glowered- but, when he saw the producer from before, his expression turned easy.
They gave him a pathetic, nervous look. "Mr. Burromuerto! How'd it go?"
A few swear words came to mind, but instead he said, "Oh, swimmingly, amigo. I'd love to do the final signings on my contract whenever you're ready."
The producer blinked. "Oh! Sure sir, we'll just have to wait for Mr. McClain-"
"Of course." Alejandro cut them off. "But it shouldn't be a problem- Chris said he'd be busy because he has a lot of decisions to make, but the rest of the producers have clearer schedules. I hope you like Brigaderios, friend."
The producer blinked, then beamed. They babbled more in gratitude, but Alejandro's mind left the conversation. Now that negotiations weren't done he needed to give away the world cup tickets for leverage. As frustrating as Chris was, Alejandro refused to let this opportunity slip through his fingers.
He needed to figure out what he could sell- he needed to find something real.
—-
"Character Proposal Draft: number One-Thousand, two hundred and thirty five."
"Alejandro is a devilishly handsome devil. He kicks babies and-"
The paper crumpled before Alejandro read any more. This was stupid- and too Duncan-like. He'd gone through hundreds of ideas in the past few months, but none of them seemed to fit, or feel real, or make him feel like he was representing his family properly. He wouldn't go on this show and make a fool of himself- Alejandro was there to win.
But what could his motivation be?
It was the night of the Gemmie awards, when Chris was supposed to tell the cast who would return. Noah, one of Chris's assistants, reached out to him with a reminder that Chris wanted his pitch today. Alejandro promised him it was ready.
Alejandro had also lied.
But either way, as his limo left for the Gemmie awards hotel, Alejandro was determined to tell Chris something. He refused to let the man throw him off guard again- as long as he sounded confident, it wouldn't really matter what he said. He'd get casted. He had to.
…maybe.
Alejandro stepped into the hotel, ignoring the paparazzi buzzing around outside. Someone was supposed to be waiting for him, but with so many people there, he couldn't see any sign with his name on it.
He looked around, annoyed, until a voice about as loud as s buzzing fly caught his ear. "-muerto. Burromuerto. Hey, yes, you! What, you need me to dance?" Alejandro turned slowly to see Noah waiting impatiently, a sasquatch behind him. A bear and an intern relaxed on the couches nearby. The judgemental, unimpressed attitude radiated from all five feet nothing of Noah's budy. It was eerily Chris like. He walked over.
"Finally. Seriously, tall tan and headache, do you think we have all day?"
Alejandro's eyes narrowed. "I think that I arrived on time, but you couldn't be bothered to stand by the door, hold a sign, or raise your voice in this loud lobby."
Noah scoffed. "And risk putting in effort, for Chris? Not happening."
On another day, Alejandro might've respected it, but he had things to do. "Right. So, where do I find the, hm, beloved host?"
Noah laughed. "Hanging out with the rest of the people on Deal or No Deal. Chris, however, is upstairs."
That actually made Alejandro crack a smile. But, before he could enjoy the joke at Chris's expense, Noah continued. "Unfortunately for you, he's not seeing you yet. He's got some kind of side project for you to prank the cast before you talk to him. It's definitely hazing. For now, you sit through the Gemmies, babysit this big guy, and you'll have to drive a bus- destination TBA."
Oh, joy. "Certainly. Anything for Mr. McClain."
Noah shot him an amused, cruel look. "I'll be sure to tell him you said that. Good luck, Mr. Burromuerto."
—-
Mr. Burromuerto was pissed. Hours after the snore-worthy award speeches and giant creature babysitting, he still hadn't spoken to Chris. And now this. He had to navigate to New York with a bunch of hairy animals, from LA. Thar's right, Alejandro sat through four hours of boring awards and bad jokes, only for Chris to force him on a 41 hour cross-country drive. All just so he could talk to Chris.
At least he had time to think. With the hours he'd spent on the road, he could at least use the peace and quiet to think about his proposal. Maybe taking out handsome all together would-
SCRTCH!
A loud noise and fast jolt of the bus sent Alejandro reeling out of his thoughts. Distraught, he started through the driver's window only to see the original total drama cast pulling ahead of him in their own bus.
Had they just.. hit him?
He didn't have time to check before a brown, half-melted blob flew onto the windshield, blinding him.
This was crazy. They were crazy! Meanwhile, the intern in the back just double-checked that he was mic'ed.
Alejandro turned on the windshield wipers and glared daggers. He had to go meet Chris in New York, and these insane drivers were stirring up trouble for no reason!
"Ugh! You're gonna regret this!" He yelled, only to see one of the contestants- Heather, he remembered- standing triumphantly as she stared at him from the back door of the bus.
Alejandro was pissed- and then, she laughed. "You just messed with the wrong reality show cast, mister!"
Eyes widening, Alejandro's hands tightened on the wheel in shock. Adrenaline coursed through his body as he heard those words, more ready than ever to fight. His foot slammed the accelerator.
Then, the sasquatch roared from the passenger's seat. When another shot covered it in chocolate, sending it into a rage, he had the presence of mind to stop driving and make sure everyone was okay.
Now that the total drama bus was far ahead, he slid down into his seat, hands covering his face.
What was wrong with him? How could he have gotten that swept up that fast?
It was shameful for a Burromuerto to let his emotions get to him like that. He came from a family of diplomats and fair game players, not red-tempered idiots.
His face burned at the thought of the stupid thing he was about to do, and how much he wanted vengeance. No matter the cost.
Then, Chris descended beside him in his helicopter. Alejandro stepped put of his vehicle. On further inspection, the side was dented badly, and the chocolate in the wipers was not coming out easy. If driving was Chris's test, he definitely failed. Alejandro tried to look unaffected as he heard Chris talking to Chef.
Chris looked overjoyed. "They survived the crash. They actually survived it! Do I know how to pick em, or what!?"
Chef just chuckled, walking around beside him. "You got me there. I never thought the soft shells would make it past the first challenge." His eyes fell on Alejandro. "Now, what are you gonna do about this one?"
Chris caught his glance, and his laugh faded into a cocky smile. "I dunno, depends on what he's got to tell me!"
Smirking back, Chef just clapped Chris's shoulder. "I'll make sure the footage survived. Don't talk too long, or I fly off without-chya." He looked directly at Alejandro. "Good luck, kid."
Chris's smile turned easy as he watched Chef walk away. He clapped, making both of them focus. "So, Alejandro! Enjoyed meeting the cast?"
Alejandro scoffed. "Are you kidding? They were insane! I'm not surprised that they're famous, I'm just shocked they're not dead."
Chris laughed. "Heh, yeah. Me too. And yet, you were still following them after they hit ya. What was that about man, trying to ding up my bus?"
Embarrassed, Alejandro tried to downplay it. "I was just… when they hit me, I wasn't considering…" he struggled to find a good sounding explanation.
Chris raised his eyebrows, voice serious. "Come on, no excuses. What made you do it, Alejandro?"
He swallowed, thickly. This was so stupid, so beneath him, but- "Heather laughed." He admitted. "She laughed and shot chocolate at me and I just- I couldn't loose like that. After the humiliation of the hotel, the awards, and the stupid hazing forty-one-hour drive all just so I could talk to you, I had enough. Then, the people who had what I wanted tried to aggress me, and succeded! It's bullshit! I refused to let them get away with making me look foolish!" Alejandro's anger tapered down into shame. "I let my emotions get away from me."
Chris looked him over, and Alejandro prepared for the lecture of a lifetime, or the short and sweet 'you're fired'.
Instead, Chris raised an eyebrow. "So what actually motivates you, man? Why do you want to be on Total Drama?"
Alejandro thought back to his pitch- but then he remembered how he felt in Chris's office all those months ago. The hot flashes of anger at the reminders of his childhood and of being dismissed. His promise for revenge then, and now, and Heather's triumphant, evil laugh.
"Because I want to win. I would do anything to step on everyone who's ever second-guessed or offended me and laugh at them as I triumph and they cry. I'm much too well-bred, too smart, too good to let my emotions get to me like that, but I don't care if it means I get to destroy others. I have to be better than my brothers, and this is one way to do it. That's what I want out of Total Drama."
To his surprise, Chris smirked. "Huh. Egotistical, emotional, unempathetic, and a streak for vengeance that flares after humiliation? Gotta say, not half bad. Loads better than that rich boy schmoozer schtick you pitched before. Kid. You're in."
His eyes went wide. Was Chris serious? The look on his face was serious! Alejandro's jaw dropped open, and he was about to thank him when Chris laughed, turning away.
"Yeah, save it, you're just lucky Chef likes futball. We go watch Canada play before filming starts. As for you- You'll film your first confessional when you reach the total drama action lot, plane's parked a few miles out. I want to see you play up the Vengeance, but give it some mystery. Play your cards right and you're our biggest story this season. Capiche?"
Alejandro grinned. "Understood."
"Camera and Audio are good to go!"
Chris turned when he saw Chef and beamed. "Awesome! Then I bid you…adieu!"
With that, they left, and Alejandro got back in the truck. He considered calling his mom but- no. He'd tell her when he left. And his brothers- well, they'd know when he won, and not a moment sooner. José would regret ever messing with him.
When he arrived at the total Drama Action film lot, Alejandro let himself smile big, once, in celebration- then go right into game mode.
His first stop was the kitchen, where Chef stood in his classic apron, stirring batter. One pancake was already made, set aside on a blue plate while the rest of the batter started coming together. Staff buzzed around in the background, but Alejandro went right to Chef.
"Hola, Señor Chef. Do they really make you cook all of the food? Every season?"
Chef turned to see Alejandro. "Make isn't the right word. Every now and then, I like to do something nice. Gives the crew a break."
Alejandro stretched. "I see. Then allow me to help. I insist- I appreciate you vouching for me."
Chef laughed softly. "No thanks, I didn't do all that much, I just appreciate the free tickets. If you're really some kind of rich boy I know you ain't in this for the money. Hope you get what you're looking for."
Alejandro was oddly touched. He'd come here to seal-in having Chef's favor, but now he was just appreciative of the guy. Maybe he had more to look forward to than crushing the competition.
"I- yes. Thank you, sir."
"Okay okay, now, stay out of the way! You'll get your blocking for the reveal scene soon."
Shrugging, Alejandro walked towards the service window, staring at the cast. He wasn't supposed to reveal himself yet, but he could at least see what they were like. Courtney and Gwen shared a headphone wire while Duncan enthusiastically tapped an iPhone screen, probably choosing their song. Gwen kind of looked into it, while Courtney did not. Brigette and DJ sat across from each other, playing some kind of rock-paper-scissors knockoff with animals.
Lindsey braided Owen's hair, and Izzy braided-no, knotted and tied hers. Ouch. Tyler stood behind them doing some kind of squat challenge with Noah and Cody, utterly failing to get Lindsey's attention. Meanwhile, someone he hadn't seen before with long, braided hair giggled and slyly took pictures of the three boys- his other newbie then. Back at another table, Leshawna wasn't… not flirting with Harold as she played something on his DS, and he cheered her on.
And then there was Heather, sitting just outside the tent on a bench, manicuring her nails. Jackpot. Time for vengeance.
He looked back behind him, noticing the single blue plated gone. Another glance to the side found it in Chris's hands as he talked with a producer.
Okay, nothing more to see here. Alejandro took a deep breath and walked outside, standing next to Heather.
"Hola, Senorita. Is this seat taken?"
Heather didn't even glance up. "Do you see someone else sitting here?"
Alejandro sat. "No, Heather. The only one I see is you."
Her eyes narrowed, and she finally looked at him. "It's you! The dirtbag!"
Alejandro smirked. "Alejandro Burromuerto. You remember me?"
Heather blinked, then smirked back. "I remember your face when we shot disgusting candy all over your truck. How long did it take to clean, celebrity?"
Cool as ever, he shrugged. If a little part of him was satisfied that she remembered his face- no, it wasn't. "I don't know. Tragically a job left to the crew as I took a plane here. But, I heard you had quite a ride."
Caught off guard, she scoffed, but kept her head high. "I've done worse, at least I have a job. Something tells me that the dirt bag show won't be on TV much longer. Come here to beg Chris for some work? I'm sure if you're really nice, he'll let you go from star actor to PA."
Alejandro grinned. "Something like that. Perhaps I just wanted to see you and your exquisite beauty again."
She laughed now, taking the compliment without another thought. "What, for your revenge? What are you going to do, PA, un-mic me? No offense but a glorified coffee pot doesn't exactly inspire fear."
And now, his expression soured. This wasn't going how he wanted. "I suppose we'll just have to wait and see."
Heather rolled her eyes. "Yeah, Nice try Romeo. Bye!"
Before he could leave, an actual PA ran up to them, telling them to get in their places for shooting. Heather walked away from him without a second thought. Not exactly what he was going for, but it'd have to do. He'd get the upper hand soon.
Indeed, once all of the shots were set up and he had a stack of pancakes in his hands, Chris stated the scene. Technically it wasn't scripted, but he and Noah had a few lines.
"Turns out you guys are the drama masters!
"Duh." Heather said, "but what happened to Total Drama Dirtbags?"
Alejandro came in behind her. "It was a trick. There never was any Total Drama Dirtbags!"
Heather shot him a nasty look of surprise before turning back to Chris. "Is that true?"
"Mostly." Chris explained more, and a couple of other cast members pitched in with questions.
"So why are we here?"
"Did you plan this?"
"Can I go home? I have a test tomorrow!"
"What about Alejandro?"
Alejandro didn't even hide the satisfied smirk on his face when Heather asked that, her voice pitching down in distress. She'd been totally duped, and she had the noogie from Chris to prove it. When Chris told them what would happen to him, he smiled pleasantly as Heather glowered. The scene wrapped fast, and everyone got sent to do their reactions in the confessional. Alejandro, who'd finished, texted for his ride home.
While he waited, he paroozed around the line, greeting and socializing with everyone. Thankfully, they all seemed to appreciate his gentlemanly exterior- some more than others, in Brigette and Lindsey's case. This was going to be a cakewalk.
Before his car pulled up, Heather left the confessional and stomped over to him, furious. "So you knew?" She questioned, and Alejandro shrugged.
"Perhaps. Concerned about what this extremely hot coffee pot can do now?" Alejandro learned over her, ready to watch her squirm.
But Heather took none of it. "As if." Heather said, confidently. "You get ready, because I am the queen of this game and I refuse to lose. Bring it on, Alejandro."
Alejandro just stared as she walked away to her own car. He tried not to look too foolish watching her go, but he did catch the logo on the back. Her mom had a Tesla.
Huh.
Well, whatever. It didn't matter where she came from. He would crush her just like everyone else.
His thoughts returned to her eyes- the flash of indignation in them as she scoffed. Her prideful, dismissive laugh when he challenged her. The way Heather never seemed to notice his flirting at all. What made her so confident?
"Mr Burromuerto." A voice pulled him out of his thoughts- Miguel, the driver.
"Hola Miguel. Can you hand me the remote? There's a show I really need to watch on our way home."
-‐—-
Months later, the real challenge began. Alejandro stood by his car at the cast drop off site. His father was there (with none of the rest of his family) to see him off. Undivided attention from the busy diplomat was a rarity, and despite himself and his pride telling him he didn't need it, Alejandro didn't quite want their time to end. To his surprise, his father stepped out of the car and placed a hand on his cheek in a gentle caress.
"Ay mijo, be safe, okay? You know what your mama would say if she saw you get hurt."
Alejandro looked to the side, wary of others noticing the coddling, but none of the other contestants were here yet. He relaxed. "Si papi. I will be fine."
"Of course." He smiled, nutmeg brown features all warm, then his eyes turned serious. "And Alejandro-"
"Win." The Burromuertos said it in unison, their matching longhorn necklaces catching the morning light. His father smiled with satisfaction, clapping him once on the cheek before returning to the car.
Alejandro would make him proud.
Watching the vehicle drive off, Alejandro got ready. This was his big break. He'd make his parents proud, make José weep, and make Carlos come home. Nothing was getting in the way of his success.
"So, are you going to give him the bad news now, or wait for him to see it on TV?"
Heather.
Looks like the games had begun. Alejandro turned, a smile on his face, ignoring how she'd managed to instantly snipe one of his weak points. He watched Action- he knew all of her weak points too. "Heather, I appreciate your concern, but he'll know what happened when I come home with the million. But enough about me, your hair has grown beautifully since I last saw you."
Her eyes widened, then shrank in a glare. Bingo. "Funny, I wish I could say the same about your itty bitty goatee, but that'd be a lie. But hey, if you get started growing this week, it might cover your chin in time for you to be invited back for the finale."
Alejandro laughed, the insult rolling off him like water. He'd never had a problem growing hair where he wanted it, especially now that he was eighteen. "It should grow just as well while I'm here. I just hope you'll stick around long enough to see it."
"You should hope I don't stick my foot up your-"
"Hehehe o m g! Mom, look, it's Heather!" An excited voice cut off their fight, and they both turned to see Sierra and her mom squealing in harmony. She hugged her mom once and ran up to them both, bouncing, suitcases in tow.
"What are you-"
"Heather! Omg omg, I have so many questions! Do your eyes really turn red at night? Do you have two hundred eighty-three first place ribbons, or two hundred eighty-four? Ooh, ooh, ooh! Do you alphabetize your glitter or ROY G. BIV it?"
Heather stepped back, genuinely disturbed. "I- how'd you know?"
She beamed. "I'm the biggest massivest total drama superfan ever! I'm so excited! It's like meeting Lex Luthor, but real! Didn't I tell you that I called your house? Your mom picked up and-"
"Okay, okay, do not want to know. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I need to know where the rest of the cast is. Not that I'm complaining, but I should be hearing Harold's mouth breathing and DJ's blubbering by now."
Now that she mentioned it, despite the general chatter and business of the area, there were no producers around. The only cameras present were on cell phones, and people were kind of crowded around, but none of them had anything to do with a film set. Something was wrong.
"Allow me to take the liberty of checking my email, ladies." He glanced at the screen, but there was nothing. They were definitely at the address on the call sheet.
Heather leaned over his shoulder. "Find anything useful yet, or do I need to show you how to read?"
Alejandro rolled his eyes. "You can read all you want. We're in the right place, at the right time."
Heather repositioned herself to look at the device, then grumbled with dissatisfaction.
Turning away, Heather pulled out her own phone. "Then we need to do something else. If we call, someone will tell us what's happening."
It wasn't a bad idea, but now he had a bad taste in his mouth. "Fine, I'm calling Chris. This is incredibly unprofessional."
Heather snorted. "You think this is bad? Oh, you won't last a day!" Alejandro glared as Chris's phone rang.
And rang.
And- "hello, Fresh TV, Office of Chris Mc-augh!" A loud crash sounded in the background, and the deep voice on the other end gasped, panicked.
Alejandro was just glad he got someone. "Hello, yes. We're trying to contact Chris. We're World Tour contestants and-" another crash.
"Oh sure, I'll put you through to his personal! Bye!"
"Wait, but-" Without another word the receptionist put him on hold. Making a note to himself to get the rude guy fired later, Alejandro listened to the brief hold music. Heather, still interested in what was going on, had been gesturing and whispering at him this whole time.
"Hey. Hey! Come on, what is going on?"
Alejandro was done putting a finger to his lips. "I am… ugh, I'm clearly on hold! They're putting me through to Chris, relax!"
Heather wasn't impressed. "Yeah, right! We've been on hold forever, how can I be sure you're not messing it up!"
In lieu of a response Alejandro put his speaker on, and they both got to enjoy the fresh TV holding music. Yippee.
With nothing to say to each other, their attention turned to Sierra, who'd gone off to talk to the people nearby. She was pointing at them and saying something they couldn't make out, nodding quickly.
Alejandro looked over in concern, and Heather gasped, understanding what was happening moments before he did. She started to bolt over there, when a teenager walked in her way, stopping her dead in her tracks.
"Uh, hi. Sorry to ask eh, but are you… Heather? From Total Drama?"
Heather's eyes went wide. Another teen came up to Alejandro. "Wait, I heard you say Chris McClain- are you in the new cast?"
People older and younger started to crowd, and before either of them could deny it all, Sierra laughed, loudly. "Ha-ha ha, that is so funny! I love total drama fans! Heather, do you want to hear how many times this girl watched you shave your head?"
"Heather?" Someone repeated, from far off, then another. "Oh, that's totally Heather!" "They're actually here!" "Omg I get to see Chris!" "I want to FEEL HER HAIR!"
Heather and Alejandro shared a look- then they immediately dashed for an exit.
Light, calming jazz piano notes wafted from Alejandro's phone speaker as they sprinted out of the parking lot. Fans gave chase behind them, and the two quickly had to escape for their lives.
Heather, who was lucky enough to get a head start, led them onto a busy street with plenty of stores. She wasn't as fast as usual with the Louis Vuton luggage in her hands, though, so the crowd stayed on their tails.
As they ran, Alejandro heard a voice through his phone.
"Hey, can this wait? I'm kind of trying to-"
"Chris!" They shouted in unison, and Alejandro kept going. "Por favor amigo, we-"
"Fans!" Heather cut him off, getting to the point. "Rabid fans at the dropsite! I swear if you don't send us a car now-"
"EEE, are they talking to Chris McClain?"
A fan on the other side of the street with superhearing brought thirty more eyes on them. They skidded past and managed to run harder as the crowd pursued.
Chris, for his part, just sounded annoyed. "Uh, I don't see any fans at my film site. Gotta say, late on the first day? Very unprofessional!"
If Heather's looks could kill, the world would be a graveyard. Alejandro jumped in. "We went to the address on the call sheet!"
Chris went quiet for a moment, then recognized the problem. "Oh! Yeah, the location changed because someone leaked it online, heh heh. But ya'll should've seen it in the cast Groupme! Maybe Mr. New guy isn't in, but it's been around since the Gemmies, Heather!"
The look on Heather's face shifted from surprise to something negative that Alejandro couldn't quite name, then twisted into indignation. "Chris, If you don't send the address I swear I will-"
"Don't worry, I'll send it to Alejandro. But you better get your butts over here fast, or we leave without you! Toodles!"
Chris hung up without further explanation, while the fans were hot on their tail. Heather groaned, at her frustration limit, and knocked someone over, giving them a lead on the pursuing horde.
She saw a crossing sign that was already on the blinking red hand and sped up. "Come on, come on! We can make it!" Alejandro followed her command to speed up, but noticed the cars tapping on and off the break by the light. He slowed, but Heather barreled straight ahead, ignoring her obstacles.
Alejandro forced his eyes off the traffic light, even as it turned green and one car sped ahead. Heather just dodged around it and he followed after her as car horns bleeped in the background. The second Alejandro's feet hit the other side of the sidewalk, drivers blitzed by them.
They made it.
Heather cheered and Alejandro couldn't help but whoop excitedly with her. Still focused, she made a sharp turn into an alley, and made sure to pull him along.
They hid there, crushed together against the brick and hearts pounding in tandem. Alejandro hadn't even caught his breath yet, but had to tease.
"Hah- All this but you couldn't check the cast groupchat?" He whispered, but Heather shushed him. They heard footsteps, and waited in silence for the rest of the group to go by.
"I think they went this way!" One yelled as she jogged by. A couple of them followed, but not many.
Heather stood against him, silent. If Alejandro noticed how close she was to him- no, he didn't. Nope.
"Aw man forget it, it's not like it was Leshawna. Heather probably would have just yelled at us anyway."
"Yeah, but I wouldn't mind that. Her face is so mean and so pretty, I just… wanna see her lips move in person. Could you imagine kissing them?
"I could imagine getting slapped. I'd take the pretty, cool one over the sexy mean girl any day, even if she is kind of hood. Ugh, forget this, Let's go back to the car, man."
"Okay, okay."
They walked away.
Something about the comments made Alejandro's stomach drop. They'd just called Heather mean and pretty, which she certainly was on the show, but it was…
… uncomfortable. And the way they compared her and Leshawna felt wrong, for multiple reasons.
Before he could say anything, though, Heather separated herself from him.
"Okay, I'm calling my mom, she's probably still nearby. Did Chris text you the address?"
Oh, he hadn't even checked. Thankfully, Chris did, and now Alejandro had his actual number. "Si. Why don't you have the-"
"Shh!" Heather cut him off, phone to her ear. "Tēnā koe!" She went quiet for a moment, listening. "Ugh, stupid Chris didn't send everyone the right address because it was leaked. I'll send you our location, can you get us there?"
Alejandro watched her speak, suddenly grateful that she was calling her mom for both of them. Now that he had time to think, he didn't want to disappoint his dad by calling on the family car so soon after their departure.
Heather spoke again. "Oh, you're that close? Nice to know there's someone I can actually count on. See you soon!"
She hung up, and noticed Alejandro staring. One of her tiny eyebrows lifted, critically. "What, never heard Māori? I guess money doesn't buy brains, hm?"
Alejandro shook his head. "No, my extensive education has at least allowed me to recognize Māori, even if it's not one of the three languages I speak fluently." He didn't miss the roll of her eyes, and could have kept bragging, but he did actually have something he wanted to know. "About the fans, though. Are they always so…"
"Rabid? Obsessed? Relentless? They're the kind of people that get off on a trash show like Total Drama, so, obviously. That's what being famous is- not too late to back out now if you can't handle it."
Frustration welled up in him again. He was being serious, so why couldn't she be serious too? "no. I'm well aware of the obsessiveness." He said, voice calming before it turned concerned. "But, the…" he didn't really know the word. "The rude comparisons. Is that… typical?"
Heather was quieter then. Her lips curled into a frown, fist squeezing before she caught herself. "Objectification comes with the territory. This wasn't the right time to confront guys like that, and it usually doesn't make things any better anyway." She let out a nonchalant sigh as she inspected her nails. "I'd say get used to it, but you don't have boobs, so they might go easier on you. Hopefully."
Alejandro frowned. "Oh. I see." Heather didn't seem particularly affected by it, but the thought that she just had to put up with it was disturbing.
They fell into silence after that, Alejandro really lacking any words then. Somehow, the usual faux-romantic taunts he had stored up didn't feel correct here.
Instead he changed the subject. "Right, can you add me to this so-called cast Groupme?"
He almost missed the brief look of panic on her face before her expression turned haughty. "Ha, and why would I do that? Isn't it a little futile for someone going home so soon?"
Alejandro scoffed, relaxing into the familiar. "Oh no, Heather." He leaned in, close. "I plan to stay for quite some time. How else could I revel in your radiance-"
"Buzz off!" She said, harshly pushing him away.
His dark eyebrows lifted and scrunched in confusion, but he immediately backed off. Alejandro had no clue what set Heather off, but the teasing tone left his voice again.
"Fine. But I need an invite from someone so I don't miss important things like this. Somehow, I get the feeling that Chris won't be very reliable."
Heather laughed, but it sounded bitter. "So you've managed to figure something out. Then you know you can get the chat link from someone else."
He couldn't believe her. How stubborn could one be? "But you're right here. What if something changes again between now and liftoff?"
"Then deal with it! You think you're so smart, so figure it out yourself!"
It was ridiculous. He knew they'd teased about him leaving the game early and quitting before he started, but this was serious. She was actually trying to put him at a disadvantage and count him out before they'd even begun, like everyone did. Alejandro couldn't stand it.
"Oh, as if that's reasonable at all! If it wasn't clear, the game hasn't actually started yet, Heather! I guess Chris was right about you being just as nasty in real life!"
Heather's eyes widened in shock, and her slowly rising voice turned even harsher. "If I was nasty, I would have ditched you with the fans. If I was nasty, I wouldn't have offered you a ride- but obviously you can't see that, huh? You just talk to Chris and now no matter what I do, I'm a bitch! Typical!"
Huh? Alejandro's thoughts battled each other at light speed in response to Heather's anger.
Obviously that wasn't what he meant, he was grateful for the ride! (And yet, he'd called her names? Poor behavior, Burromuerto.) She was being ridiculous. (He should apologize.) She was looking down on him! Yeah!
So Alejandro groaned. "I didn't even say that, I just want you to be decent and invite me to the group chat!" He scoffed, anger bubbling higher the more he spoke. "I mean, why wouldn't you do it? If you're not trying to boot me early, then what? Seriously, give me one good reason-"
"Because I'm not even in the stupid groupchat!" Heather screamed, voice raw and enraged. "Until now I didn't even know the dumb thing existed, but whatever! I'm sure those asshole losers will let you join their pathetic pity party if you ask. Then you can join in, call me bitchy and mean and nasty all you want, I don't care! I don't need any handouts, I'll figure it out on my own!"
Far too late, Alejandro finally shut up. Suddenly he remembered the expression that crossed Heather's face when Chris first mentioned the chat. What he couldn't decipher back then read pretty clearly as crestfallen now. He'd seen her panic when he confronted her directly with the question of the chat, but refused to take no for an answer until she admitted something obviously depressing.
And Alejandro, some person she barely even knew, forced her to admit it. And called her nasty.
Dios Mio, I'm a jerk.
"Lo siento, Heather-"
"No." She spat, cutting off his apology. "Don't you dare pity me! I mean it, I don't care what they have to say! I'm pissed because that cliquey bullshit could have cost me the game. Fuck that!"
And, she'd managed to surprise him again. Even though with all he knew about her, the value she put on this game should have been obvious. Fundamentally, not different at all from his drive either- she just happened not to be a huge dick about it.
"I'm sor-"
"Don't speak to me."
Alejandro opened his mouth to say more, saw the look Heather gave him, and snapped it shut. They waited an unbearable few moments in silence until finally, Heather's mom called.
She walked out of the alley to talk to her, not even letting him listen as her mom updated her on their location.
Alejandro had to resist the urge to slap his forehead. Not only had he just been an asshole, but now he'd lost his ride too. Pendejo. Idiot, idiot. Idiot.
He prepared to call his own ride, but noticed she'd left her luggage. Spying her standing by the same white Tesla from before, Alejandro decided that even if he couldn't apologize, he could at least be polite. So, he hoisted both bags and brought them over to the car, catching the tail end of a phrase.
"...go get my luggage. Thank- oh." She saw Alejandro standing there as her mom popped the trunk, and said nothing, getting inside the passenger's seat instead.
Well, that was fair. Alejandro put the bags in the trunk, paused, and closed it, walking back to his own bags. After reaching it and pulling out his phone, he stood there for a minute, expecting the car to drive off.
The car did not drive off. Another minute later, Heather stepped out, expression sour. "Uh, hel-lo? What are you doing?"
Alejandro was startled. "Uh, calling a ride?"
Heather's face burned in embarrassment, fist squeezing in anger. "Are you an idiot? I still need the address from you."
Anand now he was embarrassed. "Oh. Si. Well, I can just text, or-"
"It's whatever, just get in here already! I don't want to be any later!"
Shock didn't even begin to cover his reaction, but he was immediately awash with gratitude. "Okay." With that he went back to the car with his own bags, and the second he sat down, Heather handed him her phone with a messaging screen open. Oh, she still wanted him to text it to her.
Of course, Alejandro could have just put it in Google Maps, but by then he'd learned that the less he said to Heather, the better.
He handed it back wordlessly, then looked at Heather's mother. Their faces were so similar it was like seeing double, and he noticed their matching manicures. "Thank you for the ride, seno-miss. Miss. Thank you."
Heather's mom smiled. "I'm happy to help. And what's your-"
"Nothing. It doesn't matter, he has nothing worthwhile to say." Heather cut her off quickly as they started to drive.
Her mom didn't even look surprised.
She responded with a word that Alejandro couldn't even sound out, and Heather went off, telling her exactly what had happened in the past twenty minutes, and not sparing any details that would make him look bad. How embarrassing. This was not a proper representation of the family name.
Fifteen minutes later the car slowed. He was on his phone, but couldn't help but track Heather's tone throughout the ride. Once she'd said everything she wanted, the car had gone silent, and they'd picked up a totally new topic. She seemed a lot more relaxed now than she did before, and even laughed a few times with her mom. Despite her evident continued annoyance with him, Alejandro was glad she was happier.
The new location required an ID badge from Heather before they went in, but finally, they reached the dropoff point. With camera people, crew and producers running around the closed area, this was obviously the right spot.
Heather's mom parked and popped the trunk, Alejandro's sign to get out. Heather did the same, but she went around to the front to hug her mom, while Alejandro unloaded both of their bags.
He gave them a moment, noticing how unusually tender the goodbye was- he'd usually never let anyone see him react so genuinely to his family, because the world needed to know he was strong on his own. Not that there was any doubt in that for Heather. She was tough enough to be genuine about being close to her mom, and he'd be lying if it wasn't endearing.
When they finished, Alejandro walked back to the car before her mom could get back in, leaving the two standing together. "I know I said it before but I truly, truly appreciate this, miss." His gaze flitted to Heather. "I'm sorry that I was rude… during the ride. Being able to get here means a lot to me. I can't thank you enough for your kindness." He ended it looking at Heather's mom, who glanced at her daughter.
Heather, for her part, just crossed her arms, but didn't look particularly venomous after the apology.
Her mom smiled, voice warm, serene and unjudgemental. "Good luck to both of you."
With that she got back into the car, and drove off. Alejandro grabbed his bags from beside Heather's and they walked in, immediately running into Chris.
"Oh, finally. You two look like you've been running in a tornado, ever heard of a hairbrush?" Both of them glared, and Chris just rolled his eyes. "Ookay, turn those frowns around you cranky kids, we've got a show to start. Have either of you seen Sierra? I thought she'd be with you."
Alejandro's eyes widened. Shit, they left Sierra. He went into overdrive trying to craft a good excuse for accidentally forgetting a costar but Heather just scoffed. "Oh, you mean the crazy girl who leaked our location? We left her at the old drop site when she released a horde of fans after us. Keeping a professional stalker on staff- not your best move, Chris. I figured leaving her would do you a favor."
Chris actually looked like he was considering it, but sighed. "Too late to replace her now. I'll just send a car. Skip the bag check in, just go to your makeup chairs! Go!"
With that Chris walked off, and Heather noticed Alejandro staring, again. "What? Like anyone else could have leaked our meetup stop. We may have just forgotten her, but if acting like I did it for Chris means avoiding a McClain meltdown, it's a worthwhile lie."
Alejandro's respect for Heather probably doubled at that moment. And, she talked to him! He needed to play this smoothly. "I won't tell him otherwise. What should I expect from a McClain meltdown?"
Heather's eyes lit up with mirth, ready to respond, before she seemed to remember who she was talking to. "You can go ask Duncan or an intern. Either way, I'm avoiding one and getting my makeup done."
With that she walked away towards makeup, obviously not interested in being followed.
Damn. He hoped to leave things on a slightly better note. Alejandro would have to figure out how to make this up to her. But as she left, he felt his mentality shift. They were on the real film lot, finally. This was the first time he'd meet everyone, and in a day, they'd be starting the challenges that would give Alejandro international relevance, love and acclaim. In other words, everything he needed to beat his brothers. Now that he was here, he couldn't afford to make any mistakes. As Heather said, it was on.
And he had a game to win.