DISCLAIMER:
Welcome to episode 21. Now that the kidnapped campers are safe and Playa des Losers is back to normal, Chris appears with a proposal to the losers. What does the host want? And can this affect the five finalists that are still in the game? Find out right now
Total Drama belongs to fresh tv and his creators. I don't own anything from the properties used in this fic
Haute Camp-ture
It was past midnight in Playa des losers, but no one was sleeping. And not because they were waiting for the newest loser, Geoff, who arrived a couple of hours before. The 17 teenagers were waiting for Chris McLean.
After dealing with the paramedics, the host entered the lobby, forcing a big smile. Behind him was Chef Hatchet, frowning angrily as always.
"Good evening campers," Chris laughed, "sorry, I mean former campers, the wretched, the rejected, the losers…"
"Yes we get it. We were eliminated or cheated out of the show," said Courtney, giving the host and Harold a dirty look. "Get to the point."
"Sorry, I couldn't help it." Chris dried a tear after the fake apology. "Now, let's get to the point. As the season has been more demanding than we expected, I promised to give the contestants a free day. Unfortunately, that would leave the show run one episode shorter."
"Then you're canceling their free day?" asked Trent, scowling at the host.
"No, I'm not that heartless," said Chris. The room was filled with groans, eye rolls, and chuckles. "HEY! It's true. The staff calls me kind Chris."
Noah smirked. "You never heard what's an ironic nickname, right?"
Everyone, including Chef laughed at the comment. The host was fuming but made an effort to regain his composure.
"Hahaha, so funny Noah. But even if you don't believe it, I don't want to ruin our dear finalists' rest," said Chris raising a finger in a teacher-like gesture. "So I tell myself 'Chris, how can you do an episode without the remaining contestants.'"
"Maybe you can make a puppet show using dolls instead of Duncan and the rest," said Sadie, looking at Chris with a wide smile.
"That would be awesome. I love puppet shows," said Katie, clapping.
Lindsay raised a hand. "Can I help? I love designing clothes for my dolls."
"STOP!" shouted Chris, raising both arms and visibly upset. "No, we're not doing a puppet show. We actually have a simpler solution."
"Are we making a clip show?" asked Harold, raising a hand.
Chris was about to reply, but Tyler interrupted him. "NO! We're making a Total drama episode. Why do you want to make an episode for the Clip show?"
"Gosh, no! Clip show is how you refer to an episode made of scenes from previous episodes. It's a way to save money without recording new material. The first clip show was made in 1936 for the show Robinson Crusoe of the clipping islands…"
"OK, ENOUGH!" shouted Chris, stomping his foot. "Thanks for the history lesson Harold, but NO ONE CARES."
The host took a deep breath and smiled. "Although, you're right, we're doing a recap episode. But instead of only using old scenes, we decided to give our viewers a more exciting experience … Watch you, the losers, in your daily life on the resort."
The ex-contestants began to talk, complain and whisper among themselves.
"Oh my gosh! I can't believe we will be on tv!"
"That's an invasion of privacy!"
"I don't care if my Bridge is with me!"
"I knew they would put my beautiful face on the screen again!"
"But we were eliminated. Can we appear in the show again?"
"I can't wait to show my rapping skills aren't just for show. Eh!"
"If we're lucky, they'll film the moment the new intern gets carried by the flying ambulance."
"Ok, ok, listen to me," said Chris raising his arm, but no one cared. Chef just chuckled behind him.
"SHUT UP!" shouted Chris, getting everyone's attention. "I don't want to hear anything from you until I finish talking, capisce?"
Everyone got quiet, but some contestants rolled their eyes.
"Good. As recording your daily routine would be unbearable and boring, we will record all of you around the pool," Chris chuckled and then pointed to the resort's door. "We'll pay for a BBQ party, and we'll go asking everyone about your experience in the show."
Izzy raised her hand, waving it wildly.
"ZIP IT IZZY" shouted Chris. "After that, we'll ask your opinion about a finalist and then which of them you're supporting. Finally, we'll end with a night shoot with everyone for a surprise."
Izzy raised both hands, waving them more wildly.
"I told you to wait," said Chris frowning. "You must be in your swimsuit. You can't mention anything that happened in the resort, including incidents, arrests, monsters, or the interns. We'll record on the next challenge day, ok?"
There were some groans and some nods, but everyone was too tired to argue.
"Good! Now Izzy, what do you want?"
"Oh, I forgot about it," said the redhead making a big smile. "I'll remember later if it was important."
Chris rolled his eyes. "Then everyone is dismissed. See you at the BBQ party."
Chef and Chris went outside the resort as the ex-campers lined up to take the elevator or the stairs. Harold, as always, had already disappeared before Courtney could catch him.
Chris waited in front of the building, making a big smile.
"See, I told you it would be easy," said the host, winking.
"I can't believe we'll make a recap episode in a reality show. We're turning into the laughingstock of the industry," said Chef shaking his head.
Chris rolled his eyes. "Why are you so negative? We need to make 5 episodes with the budget for 2, and this one will be AWESOME!" The host raised his hand excitedly. "People always wonder about the losers, and we'll show what they're doing. In fact, this may become one of the season's best episodes."
"You're crazy man," said Chef, huffing. "and what about the elimination?"
"I have all under control, don't worry about it," said Chris chuckling. "Now, if you excuse me, I'll spend the night in my penthouse. Come and find me at 8:00 a.m. so I can go to Wawanakwa to prepare the preview of the episodes."
Chef's eyes bulged. "What? You're sleeping here, and I need to go back all the way to the island?"
"Well, yes," said Chris, shrugging as if it wasn't his problem.
"At least let me sleep in your penthouse," said Chef folding his arms.
Chris groaned and frowned, "what? Impossible! There isn't enough space in the room for both of us."
"It's a damn penthouse."
"A small penthouse."
"I'm not going back to the damn island. If I enter that boat I'll go directly to the network office to present my resignation," shouted Chef, pointing at the docks.
The host blanched. "Let's not be so drastic. You're the heart of the show. Without you Total Drama island is just Drama island," Chris patted Chef's back and smiled, "Let's do something! Go and sleep in room 11B."
"In one of the contestants' rooms?"
"Yes, it'll be Owen or Duncan's room, and they won't be here in at least 5 days! And who knows, maybe one of them wins the money and the room remains empty until the finale," said Chris smiling. "So let's go, it's almost 2:00 a.m., and I'm tired."
Chef opened his mouth to argue, but he closed it. He was also tired and this was the best he could get. The two hosts took the elevator and left Chef on the first floor.
"Well, see you tomorrow," said Chris, using his key to go to the last floor.
"Wait!" shouted Chef, who stood there in the dark hallway. For some reason, the light wasn't turning on. He moved his arms, danced, and searched for the switch, but nothing worked.
"Damn new resort, and damn Chris, who couldn't wait for a moment," muttered Chef as he walked down the hallway. Suddenly he stumbled in the dark and fell facefirst.
Chef stood there for a moment, wondering what life choices made him end in this crappy job. If he knew the entertainment was so godawful, he would have become a kindergarten teacher like his momma wanted.
The next day the 17 former contestants were excited for their chance to appear on tv again. Zeke was polishing his golden Z necklace, Katie and Sadie washed each other and Eva's hair, and Justin was using 2 hand mirrors instead of one. Only a few, like Courtney, were doing their usual, in her case, hunting Harold.
Justin, Cody, and Trent were talking next to the pool. Someone was watching them at the other side of the pool, and she was unsure what to do.
"Maybe I should go and flirt with Justin. That would give Cody a hint, right?" asked Beth, biting her nails.
"Maybe," replied Lindsay tilting her head. "But isn't like better if you go and tell Cody directly how you feel? You almost did it the day you were kidnapped."
Beth groaned. "Yes, I know. But if that was a sign telling me to not do it? A way the universe is telling me to not do that and instead use the other plan?"
"I guess … maybe? I don't know. The universe had never told me anything before," said Lindsay crossing her arms. "But I think if the universe wanted to tell you something, they might use the phone instead of an ambiguous sign."
"NO! I didn't mean the universe would literally … ugh, forget it," said Beth, sighing sadly. "What I mean is that I lost my confidence."
Lindsay nodded and smiled. "Then we just need to recover it, and I have a great trick my sister taught me to make tough decisions."
"Really?" said Beth, smiling joyfully.
"Mhm, I use it all the time when I have to choose between two skirts, two coats, or even two different brands of lip gloss," said Lindsay, winking before looking for something in her purse.
However, Beth's expectations became much smaller after hearing Lindsay's method's usefulness.
"You just need to write a big T. On the left side, you write your idea's pros and on the right its cons. Do that for both items, and voila, you just have to choose the one with better pros or fewer cons," said Lindsay, taking a small notepad from her purse. "Easy, isn't it."
Beth blinked a couple of times. "It's actually a great idea! Let's try it."
While Beth and Lindsay cheered, the guys on the other side of the pool looked at them.
"I wish they weren't so loud. Their screams hurt my beautiful ears," said Justin, putting an arm over his forehead.
"Oh c'mon Justin, they aren't so loud," said Trent making a sad smile. "Don't be a fun police."
"Trent's right. The girls just want to have fun," said Cody, winking and making finger guns.
Trent gave him a high five. "Hey, neat reference!"
"Be careful dudes, suddenly you're becoming weirder and weirder," said Justin, raising an eyebrow.
Cody and Trent looked at each other and frowned at their friend.
"Anyway, what are you doing tomorrow? Are you talking during the show?" asked Trent, trying to ignore the model insult.
"Yes, being silent and mysterious is my trademark." Justin winked. "If Chris wants to interview me, I'll answer his questions, but if I can, I'll just do what I do best…"
"Look awesome!" said Justin and Cody at the same time.
Justin smiled and gave Cody a high five. "Hey! You really know what we're talking about!"
"Hahaha, of course, they don't call me the Codemeister for nothing," said Cody puffing out his chest proudly.
"You're great Codemeister," said Trent, making finger pistols to his friend. The three then laughed a little.
"Now I need to find out what I can do to stand out tomorrow," said Cody, rubbing his chin.
Trent raised an eyebrow. "Stand out?"
"Yes," Cody tilted his head. "Justin has his face…"
"Not only my face but also my neck, shoulders, legs…"
"Sorry, I mean Justin is Justin," said Cody, continuing where the model interrupted him, "and Trent has his guitar. I need something easy to remember and make me stand out over the other competitors."
"I think it's impossible to become as handsome as me," said Justin, shrugging. "much less in a day."
Cody sighed. "I know. That's why I need to find my own way."
"Aren't you being too serious about this?" asked Trent, crossing his arms.
"I don't think so, it's our last time on tv, so I want to be memorable," said Cody, rubbing his chin again.
The three then began to think about it, but none of them got a good idea. Meanwhile, Lindsay and Beth had finished their lists.
"So telling Cody pros are," said Lindsay, smiling. "It's simpler, you don't bother other people, and you don't need to lie."
"But the cons is that I need to break his heart," said Beth, sighing sadly.
Lindsay twisted her mouth, "and pretending you're dating Justin, pros are that you don't need to confront Cody."
"And the cons are that I need to lie, I need to ask Justin for help, and Cody may not realize I'm dating Justin for some days," said Beth, sighing sadly.
"I'm not the smartest, but I think it's better if you talk with him," said Lindsay patting her friend's shoulder. "If you need help, you can practice with me."
Beth's eyes sparkled. "Really? Oh Lindsay, thank you!"
"Don't worry," said Lindsay, winking, "Now let's go. We need to get our manicure ready for tomorrow. We can start practicing after recording the new episode."
The two friends then stood up and went inside the resort. Not realizing that maybe telling Cody right now was the real best choice.
Tyler went out of the gym's showers, whistling happily. After all the ordeal of being kidnaped, he at last had some quality time with Lindsay during breakfast.
As he entered the locker room Tyler noticed someone else was there, but instead of dressing, they were hunching over something. Being curious by nature, Tyler went to take a glance at what the man was doing.
The person kneeling was a huge guy with a broader back and more muscles than Tyler, the jock knew him because they were on the same team.
"Hello DJ!" said Tyler. DJ jumped, not expecting him, "Sorry, did I startle you?"
"Don't worry, man, I didn't notice you were there," said DJ, making a big smile and then turning around again.
Tyler then noticed DJ was brushing a bunny. The big guy was smiling kindly as if the small mammal was a treasure.
"Hey! that small friend is cute. What's their name?"
"Bunny."
"I know it's a bunny, but does it have a name?"
"Yes man, Bunny."
"Sorry DJ, I think you don't understand me. What's the bunny's name?"
"Dude, I understood you perfectly," said DJ in a tired tone. "His name is Bunny."
"The name of the bunny is Bunny?"
"Yes, it is!"
"What kind of name is Bunny?" asked Tyler, unaware that DJ named him.
"HEY! It's a great name!" DJ frowned at the other jock and smiled at his small friend. "Just look at him. Also, he loves his name, right Bunny?"
Bunny wiggled his nose happily.
"He really likes it," said Tyler smiling. He then went to his locker. "It's really cute, I know Lindsay would love him."
"Yes, and I want him to look his best for tomorrow's episode," said DJ, brushing Bunny again.
Tyler nodded. "Now that you mention it, I should also brush my hair. See you later, bro."
DJ chuckled at Tyler's occurrence, realizing the jock wasn't a bad guy, he should talk with him more often.
Inside the cafeteria, Noah was reading a book while Bridgette and Geoff were making out in the pool, and Courtney was arguing in the kitchen.
"Ugh, Are you listening to me? The omelet was undercooked, which is dangerous. We can get Salmonellosis," said Courtney in a stern tone.
She was talking with a tall, blond intern, the new guy had an apron and gloves, and his brown eyes were bloodshot. He stood there, with the mouth half open, without saying a word. He has the intern's uniform and a small nametag that reads Hello, my name is Oscar.
"Also, you didn't turn on the coffee machine and put the bread and the fruit in the same container. What kind of service is that?" Courtney glared at him.
However, the intern didn't react and just picked his ear.
Courtney winced and rugged her nose. "Ugh! What are you doing? That's dirty and also defeats the purpose of using gloves in the kitchen."
Oscar tilted his head, at last his eyes focusing on the CIT. "Sorry, were you talking to me?"
Courtney screamed, making Noah cover his ears. The genius was pondering leaving the cafeteria when someone sat in front of him, the person made a long and sad sigh.
"Why all people here love to sigh," said Noah raising an eyebrow, he then looked at his visitor. "A sigh is an amplifier for people who suffer in silence."
"I'm not sure if I'm suffering eh! But maybe you're right," said Zeke. He was furrowing his brow, and the sides of his mouth were downturned.
Noah shook his head. Whatever happened, it wasn't his problem. Why does he have such a big mouth?
"I can't understand why Bridgette is acting like this," said Zeke, looking at Noah.
"Isn't she acting like always?" asked Noah, looking at the couple in the pool.
Bridgette was hugging Geoff, and both were kissing while floating around.
Zeke shook his head. "No, she was always enthusiastic and loved to go to the beach. Since this morning, she has been with Geoff making out."
"Well maybe she missed him," Noah shrugged, putting his book on the table. "They're dating after all."
"But Lindsay and Tyler are also dating and they don't make out as much as Geoff and Bridgette," Zeke looked at Noah, hoping for an answer.
The Indian guy sighed, thinking how he was suffering in silence. "I don't know. Each couple is different."
"But even if the persons are different, there should be some standards no?" Zeke folded his arms, looking at the couple. "Maybe there is something different going on."
"Or maybe they're just horny teenagers in their first relationship," said Noah in a harsher tone.
"That's true," Zeke took a moment to think about it. "But Lindsay and Tyler are also teenagers, and they don't act like that. Do you think it may be because…"
"I don't know!" replied Noah, frowning. "I'm not a love expert and have never dated before. Want to ask someone about this? Go and pester Cody. He's a self-proclaimed love expert."
Zeke rubbed his neck. "I know, but I can't."
"You can't?"
"I already asked his help some days ago, and I don't want to bother him."
Noah looked at him with wide eyes, taking a moment to process what he said. "So, you don't want to bother him but it's ok to bother me."
"Hahaha, I'm not bothering you Noah, because we're homies, eh," Zeke said with a big smile.
"Since when we're Homies?"
"Don't be shy," Zeke began to number his reasons with his fingers. "We beat a prehistoric beaver together, lived in the same room in NYC, found a treasure of weird movies, and saved Courtney and the other from Frank. We're basically besties."
The Indian guy slammed his head against the table.
"Are you ok homie?" asked Zeke, scratching his head under his toque.
"Yes, I do that when I'm too annoyed with myself," said Noah, not raising his head. "My advice is that you keep watching over Bridgette, give her some time. Maybe she's acting like that because she missed Geoff."
Zeke rubbed his chin. "You're telling me to watch her…" and then he made a huge smile, "Sounds like a good plan! Thanks Noah! I'll be over her like a falcon."
"No wait…" Noah shouted, but it was too late. Ezekiel was already outside the cafeteria. "I probably just gave birth to a stalker. Should I follow him?" Noah pondered this for a moment.
And then took his book. "Nah, he'll be fine. And also maybe I can finish my chapter before lunch."
"NO! You're supposed to wash, peel and cut the potatoes before putting them in the frier. Are you trying to make me angrier?" Courtney could be heard shouting in the kitchen.
"On second thought, I'll go and read in the library," said Noah, standing up and walking out of the cafeteria.
The next day everything was ready. The staff was on the island, and the losers were all around the pool. Chris arrived in a pink jet ski to the resort.
"Welcome to Playa des Losers," Chris said enthusiastically as he stopped his jet ski. "The all-inclusive luxury resort where our losers are sent after being brutally voted out of the game to lick their wounds and accept their fate as reality show has-beens."
However, what happened to the five finalists? Did they really have a free day? So instead of watching the losers, let's focus on the remaining 5 contestants.
Wawanakwa was a small island without much to do. There was the old camping site, the dilapidated dock, the arts and crafts tent with all its moldy tools, and a lot of wilderness life ready to hurt you.
Just this morning, Heather was chased by a stupid bear that somehow was in the confessional. It then went after her and Gwen, but lucky for the Asian girl, she lost the big animal, and who knows? Maybe it ate that weird goth girl.
Now that she didn't have to run for her life, Heather could focus on more important things. The Queen Bee wasn't a person who took who just waited for her chances, she made them. That's why she was still in the game.
And also, that's why she climbed the boys' cabins and crawled through the dirty roof. Heather knew the next elimination would be her best chance to warrant her place in the finale.
She found a place near the window, and bingo, she could hear the boy's conversation.
"Dude, I really liked that swimsuit," said Owen, getting changed into his famous green shorts.
"Yes, and I already apologized. Once I win the hundred grands I'll buy you another pair. So stop whining," said Duncan, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall.
Owen put on his shirt and sat on his bed. "Hahaha, you seem quite confident."
"I'm," Duncan smirked, "but to win, I need your help."
"Of course buddy, count on me," said Owen chuckling.
"Great, this is the plan," Duncan got off the wall and walked toward Owen, whispering.
"What?" Heather grunted, annoyed by the sudden secrecy. "Why is he whispering now?"
She leaned more toward the window, trying to hear what the punk was saying when suddenly she FELL!
Heather felt the rush of adrenaline and expected the impact. But lucky for her, her right leg got stuck in the roof, saving her from hitting the ground. But now she was upside down right in front of the window.
And the worst part was that she couldn't hear what Duncan was saying.
"WHAT? HEATHER!" shouted Owen, his eyes widening.
"Can't you shout any louder? I think the girls couldn't hear you," said Duncan in a snarky and angry tone.
Owen shook his head. "I'm not talking about the alliance. Look, Heather is there!"
Duncan turned and laughed. Heather tried to act as naturally as possible while hanging upside down.
"Oh boys, what a coincidence," said Heather, forcing a smile.
"Yes, what a coincidence! Who would thought we would be in our cabin," said Duncan smirking.
Owen chuckled. "And you Heather, why are you hanging around?"
The Queen Bee made an effort to not roll her eyes. "ME? I was just … practicing some parkour, yes. I was jumping and running and stumbled on the roof. Can you help me get down?
"Do you practice parkour?" asked Duncan, raising a side of his unibrow.
"O-Of course," lied Heather, making a bigger smile. "So can you help me? The blood is starting to pool in my head."
Duncan smirked. "Maybe I can help you in exchange for your vote."
"Are you kidding me?" Heather glared at him.
"Hahaha, yes I'm kidding," said Duncan, glaring back at her. "We'll get you down in a moment."
Duncan and Owen went out of the cabin, the big guy scratching his head.
"Why did you say it was a joke? A moment ago, you were talking about getting Heather to vote with us," asked Owen, confused by Duncan's actions.
The punk smiled. "Don't worry big guy, she'll vote with us even without the blackmail. It's her only chance to stay in the game." Duncan then looked up. "Now help me reach the roof."
Owen joined his hands, and Duncan used them as a step to reach the rooftop. Then the Big guy noticed an envelope on the ground.
"What is this?" asked Owen, picking up the small piece of paper. He then heard a loud thud and Heather's loud voice.
"Thanks, but next time try to be more careful, jerk!" shouted Heather, giving the punk a death glare.
Duncan laughed. "Sorry, my hand slipped."
"Your brain slipped," shouted Heather, who then noticed Owen was reading a letter. "And what are YOU doing?"
"I found this letter, but it doesn't make much sense," said Owen tilting his head. "It says, Hint number 2: the next one is in a really tall and emblematic place. Try to not fall from it."
Heather blinked a couple of times. "What kind of cryptic bullshit is that?"
Duncan kept quiet while Owen turned the sheet upside down and squinted at it.
"It seems like a riddle," said Owen, putting the sheet closer to his face.
"Really? I would never imagine it," Heather rolled her eyes. "it's probably a stupid prank."
Duncan smirked. "Probably it isn't important. Let's go, Owen."
Owen nodded and followed him while Heather glared at them. "Are you really trying to figure that riddle?"
"Of course not," Duncan rolled his eyes. "You say it, it's probably just a stupid prank."
"Well, then I'm going with you," Heather followed them. "Maybe it's part of a challenge, and I'm not going home without the prize."
Duncan tsked. "Do what you want."
At the same time, Gwen and LeShawna were talking in front of the girls' cabin. LeShawna was sitting on the steps while Gwen was in front of her with her arms crossed.
"I swear Chef's breakfast is worse every day. Today's food was nasty," said LeShawna, her face getting greener as she remembered what she had eaten.
"He surely does it intentionally. No person can be so bad at cooking," Gwen sighed and made a small smile. "But we need only to endure 10 more days, and we're free."
"You say it sister," LeShawna high-fived the goth. "Now we just need to survive the next elimination."
"Yes, and this time we need to cut Heather," said Gwen, frowning. "If we keep her in the game, she may win the prize."
LeShawna chuckled. "You worry too much, there is no way Heather will reach the finale. And I think we should focus first on one of the guys."
"What?"
"Think about it, the boys are in an alliance. If we eliminate Heather, we will be tied in the next elimination, but if we vote together, we can take down one of the boys," said LeShawna, cupping her mouth with a hand, so no one else could hear her.
Gwen shook her head, "I'm not allying with her."
"I'm not saying to become allies," LeShawna made an impishly smile. "I just say we use her."
"I still don't like it. This morning she fooled a bear to chase me!"
"Think about it. There is also a chance she wins immunity," said LeShawna patting her shoulder. "So it's not bad to have a plan B."
Gwen was about to answer, but then she saw something that made her feel a chill run down her spine.
"It's that Heather and the boys," said Gwen, looking at the other three finalists with wide eyes. "What are they doing together?"
"I don't know, but we'll find out. Come on," LeShawna began to run behind them, something the other 3 campers noticed.
"Don't tell them anything about the letter," whispered Duncan to Owen in a harsh tone.
Owen nodded and mimicked closing his mouth with a zipper.
"Hello y'all," said LeShawna, waving. "What are you doing?"
Heather forced a smile. "Just taking a walk."
"Hehehe, yes a walk," said Owen nervously. "Want to come?"
Duncan and Heather facepalmed as Gwen smirked.
"Why not? Today is a free day, we can at least have a relaxing walk around the island," said Gwen, enjoying Heather's disgusted expression.
"All right, let's go," said Duncan, who looked daggers at Owen.
"What? I didn't mention anything about the let…" Owen then realized what he was saying and covered his mouth.
Gwen smirked, finding her chance. "The let?"
"Lettuce," said Duncan, quickly interrupting Owen. "There is this lettuce he found in the cafeteria."
"And YOU didn't want Owen to mention it because…?" the goth's eyes were fixed on the punk, her smirk turning almost into a sneer.
Sadly Heather went to the rescue, "Because Duncan loves lettuce, yes he's a selfish pig, but there is not much to do about it, happy? Can we now stop complaining and start walking?"
"Ok, I was just asking," Gwen raised her hands and glared at Heather. She almost had him.
"Phew, that was close," said Owen taking out a handkerchief and drying his sweat. Only that instead of a handkerchief, it was the envelope.
LeShawna elbowed him. "So lettuce, eh? I think you boy wanted to say letter instead."
Owen blushed and chuckled as Duncan sighed. He did what he could.
The 5 contestants were at the summit of the 1000-foot cliff. LeShawna and Gwen were smiling, Heather and Duncan frowning, and Owen clenched his teeth nervously.
"So you found this letter in front of your cabin with a riddle and you decided to solve it," Gwen raised an eyebrow. "It actually seems like a challenge, but it's weird that Chris didn't say anything about it."
Heather rolled her eyes. "Well, if you don't believe it's a challenge, you're free to go back to the cabins."
"If I knew my presence would annoy you so much, I would have joined earlier," said Gwen, smirking. Heather just huffed without saying a word.
"And why do you think it's here," asked LeShawna, looking into the lake.
Duncan lifted a rock, but there was nothing under it. "Because this is the most emblematic and tall place I could think of. It's the place of the first challenge so most people would think in this cliff when talking about the show."
"Well, you're right, boy, I found the envelope," said LeShawna, sighing. "But I don't like where they put it."
The envelope was on the cliff's side, held in place inside a cranny on the wall. But they needed to climb down at least 2 meters to get it.
"So, who is getting it?" asked Heather, crossing her arms.
Duncan pushed the cliffside, and some rocks came off and fell into the lake. "It seems a little brittle to climb down without a rope."
"It's only 2 meters. And even if you fall, there is the lake below. So don't be a chicken and start climbing down," said Heather, glaring at the criminal.
"Are you crazy? I told you, you can't climb this wall."
"Well, then I hope Mr. criminal has a better idea."
"I actually have one," said LeShawna making an evil smile. "And don't worry, no one will have to climb the wall.
The others heard LeShawna's idea and everyone agreed it was the best plan … well almost everybody, but they put it into practice nonetheless.
"YOU'RE ALL DEAD!" shouted Heather, trying to struggle as the other 4 lowered her upside down.
"You're the best option Heather. You're tall and not heavy like this guy," said Duncan, holding one of the Queen bee's legs.
Gwen chuckled, "and if she falls, nobody will miss her."
"I can hear you Weird Goth Girl! You'll be the first one!" shouted Heather, trying to reach the side of the cliff and failing.
"C'mon girl, stop moving or we'll really drop you." said LeShawna, trying to not let go of Heather's leg. "Just take the envelope and we'll pull you up."
The Queen Bee stretched and held the envelope. In less than a minute, she was again on the cliff.
"You bastards, I just hope what we get at the end is worth the trouble," said Heather, opening the envelope. "Hint 3: the next hint is in a really stinky place. Hold your breath to get it."
"You must be kidding," said Gwen, shaking her head. "I quit."
Heather smirked. "Perfect, more for the rest of us."
"Wait, girlfriend," said LeShawna holding Gwen's arm. "It may be a challenge. Do you want Heather to win immunity?"
"I guess not," said Gwen sighing. "But I don't want to search in the bathrooms."
LeShawna patted her back. "I know, but just hang in there. How many letters can be there?"
After that we have a montage of the contestants finding envelopes. Gwen put her hand in a toilet, retching, and found an envelope in a plastic bag. The next one was Duncan taking the envelope carefully from a bear trap, which was suddenly triggered by a bunny, hurting the punk's hand. After that, Owen took an envelope from a beehive, then put his other hand inside, and took some honey. Sadly he ended up chased by some angry bees. The next scene showed Gwen and Heather running away from a bear, the first with a new envelope in her hand.
LeShawna climbed one of the tallest trees to get the next envelope, but the tree wasn't strong enough to bear her weight and broke down. After it Owen was tickling a crocodile and Duncan was taking an envelope from its mouth. The next scene was Heather and Gwen running away from a bear… again. And after that Duncan was standing on LeShawna's shoulders while looking into a squirrel nest while the squirrel threw acorns at them.
"I ... give up…" said Gwen huffing and puffing. "What does the envelope says?"
Duncan dried the sweat off his forehead and read it. "Hint 33: the last one, what you're looking for is in the most dangerous place, inside something where a bunny may appear but in which you'll never find a hair."
"The other hints were silly, but this is the worst by far," said Heather while resting on a stump.
"It's the last one, so make an effort," said LeShawna, rubbing her chin. "Where can you find a bunny?"
"In a stew?" asked Owen rubbing his stomach.
"Yes idiot, we'll find the reward in a stew," replied Heather rolling her eyes.
Gwen nodded, "Well, you won't find a hair in a stew" she then shuddered, "or at least I hope so."
"At least not in Chef's stews," Duncan chuckled. "Except if it's a hair from his eyebrows."
"That's it!" shouted Gwen.
"Eww! Did you find a hair in some of Chef's dishes," said Heather, retching.
Gwen glared at her. "Of course not. But that's the answer, under Chef's hat. There is a magic trick in which you hide a bunny inside a hat."
"And there are no hairs because he's bald," said LeShawna, sharing her friend's excitement.
"And taking his hat is completely dangerous, hehe," said Owen, twiddling his fingers and sweating a lot.
Heather then began to run toward the mess hall. "So what are we waiting for? Let's find it."
"Hey! come here you…" shouted LeShawna running behind her, quickly followed by Duncan, Gwen, and Owen.
Was this a challenge? A game to get the advantage in the next challenge? Maybe not, but none of the remaining players wanted to take the risk.
Owen began to run slower and slower, breathed heavier, and stopped.
"I can't keep going on," said the big guy. He then found someone hiding in a bush.
"Are you an intern?" asked Owen, tilting his head.
The blond guy shooed him, putting a finger over his lips. "Shhhh! I'm just resting. That witch will never find me here."
"No, I don't think she will," said Owen tilting his head. "But it isn't dangerous to hide in a bush in the forest."
"No, she's more dangerous," said the blond man, rolling his bloodshot eyes. "So when Chef asked me to come and hide that envelope, I knew it was my chance."
"Wait, did you…"
But Owen was interrupted by a growl. He and Oscar blanched, looking slowly behind them. After a second, both screamed.
Back in the campsite, Heather was the first to enter the Mess hall, but no one was there.
"Darn it. Just when you need him," cursed the Queen Bee, she ran back to the entrance, but the door suddenly hit her in the face.
"Sorry, but that prize is mine," said LeShawna, after hitting Heather with the door.
She then ran toward the docks, but Duncan, hiding behind a bush, tripped her with his foot.
"You need to look where you're going, LeShawna. You can stumble if you aren't careful," said Duncan, laughing as he sped up.
However, he was kicked in the back by Gwen, who was swinging from a tree.
She jumped from the rope and kept running. "Sorry I didn't see you there."
Gwen was reaching the dock, and as they thought, Chef was there, with the boat of losers and putting some leopard-printed suitcases on board. But the goth wasn't alone.
"AAAAHHHH!" Owen was shouting as he caught up with Gwen.
She looked at the blond guy running and rushed to the dock, arriving before the blond guy.
"Wait, wait, WAIT!" shouted Chef, covering his face with both hands.
Lucky for him, Owen and Gwen stopped.
"Bear, there is a bear over there!" shouted Owen, pointing to the trail.
But in that direction was only a blue squirrel that blushed and hid behind a tree.
The co-host made a circle with a finger around his ear as Gwen shrugged.
"Chef, we found a set of hints, and I need to look under your hat," said Gwen, smirking.
"WHAT!? HOW!?" said Chef, looking at her with wide eyes.
Duncan, Heather, and LeShawna arrived. Duncan had a red handprint on his cheek.
"We find the first hint in front of the boy's cabin," said Duncan glaring at LeShawna and rubbing his face.
"That's impossible!" said Chef, his voice trembling. "Are you sure it was the first hint?"
Owen put a finger on his cheek. "It was actually the hint number 2."
"Damn Oscar, he ruined the damn challenge," muttered Chef as the contestants looked expectantly at him.
"So what did I win?" asked Gwen, smirking.
Chef scratched his head. "You won … a dinner! Yes, it was a secret challenge for your free day, and I'll prepare you a real dinner."
"Yes!" Gwen fist-pumped.
"I wanted that dinner," the big guy whimpered as Duncan patted his back.
"Congratulations," said LeShawna, "I hope you can share some with me."
Gwen winked. "Of course"
"Ugh, all that effort for a lousy dinner," said Heather rolling her eyes.
The contestants were walking toward the cabins, but Chef caught them.
"But before cooking your dinner, there is something I need to do, loud girl. You come with me," said Chef, pushing her toward the boat of losers.
"What, why?" asked LeShawna, her eyes wide in confusion.
"You're out of the game," said Chef pushing her into the boat and leaving the island.
"What?" asked Gwen as confused as her friend, but before she could say anything else the boat of losers was going away. Owen waved at LeShawna, as Duncan and Heather smirked. This was better than they expected.
LeShawna arrived at playa des losers, still with the same confused expression. Chef put her suitcases next to her and left as Chris came to greet the new loser.
"And with that, we're down to four. Tune in next week to see the dramatic almost conclusion of Total. Drama. Island!" said Chris as the episode ended.
And this was episode 22. Now the losers just need to enjoy the resort and rest, right?
When I began writing this story, one of the challenges was this episode. What to do with it? Show the episode and do a behind-the-scenes? Write it without editing? And then I thought, why don't we see what the finalist is doing in their free day? I hope you enjoyed it.
Now there are some details about the episode, LeShawna doesn't like Heather, but she was ready to ally with her so Duncan or Owen left the game, just to give she and Gwen the advantage. This interpretation came from Action when LeShawna told Gwen to choose Heather for her team, showing LeShawna can go against her animosity if necessary.
And as always thanks to all the reviewers, I'm glad Frank was a surprise. Now I would like to know what do you think of this episode. Do you like reading about the finalist? Or you would like more to see the losers during the episode?
And before ending the episode, let me answer last week's reviews.
Guest: Well at least everyone is now safe and sound.
gman5846: Yes, sadly Chris interrupted them, but surely they will kiss later.
Total Simaniac: To be fair all the last part from unmasking the Bassman to Izzy playing with the mask was based on Scooby doo, I hope everyone got the reference.
Basically Frank was kicked from a moving boat, so his "injury" wasn't as bad as others. I also took advantage that no one was in the resort when it happened. Nadia at least went away making friends, not like Oscar.
Now I hope you enjoyed this Haute episode while reading a bit from the finalists. Well expect to have a bit more of LeShawna in the next one.
MatiasND: Well only one more week, I hope that last test went fine. Now the good news is that this story will be finished around new year, so I hope you can enjoy it.
Yes, I played a bit with poor Nadia, letting her survive the more painful and obvious demises, I hope that was at least amusing. The intern was Oscar, but the poor guy, didn't last long.
And yes, Zeke somehow is doing better. Sadly Noah advice doesn't seem like the right one.
Thanks for reading and I hope you like it.