Disclaimer: Total Drama and its associated characters are the property of Fresh TV. My OC's are of my own creation.
The lights focused on the stage turned on, revealing the Total Drama Aftermath set. Music started to play and the twenty previously interviewed contestants and ten non-competing veterans filed onto the stage.
On the left side of the stage sat Nicholas, Jessie, Eva, Danny, Trent, Megan, Harold, Katie, Sadie, Beth, Joseph, Alexander, Leshawna, Gwen and Ezekiel. On the right side of the stage sat Duncan, Courtney, Geoff, Owen, Izzy, DJ, Tyler, Lindsay, Justin, William, Rebecca, Julie, Cody, Emily and Heather.
The audience was loud, with the occupants talking amongst themselves while waiting for the show to start. "Welcome one and all to the Total Drama High School Aftermath: Finale Edition," an announcer said to start the show, "Please welcome your hosts, future contestants Alejandro and Sierra!"
The Hispanic flirt and the show's superfan walked out from the left side of the stage. As they did, the two security officers that were present previously walked out from the right side of the stage and took seats in the seating near Cody and Emily. MacArthur, one of the two guards, locked eyes with Sierra and made a motion as if to say "I'm watching you."
"Hola and welcome, everyone, to the finale special of the Total Drama Aftermath. I am Alejandro and you may not know me now, but I look forward to making an impression on you all next season," Alejandro greeted.
"Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, I get to be on Total Drama next season! It totally slipped my mind because I was so preoccupied with other stuff," Sierra squealed in excitement.
Alejandro raised his eyebrow and said, "Yes, quite. In any event, we've been asked to interview the final four contestants about their time and experience on the show. And seeing as we've been tapped to do this the day of the finale, let's get right into it. I'm sure our finalists are quite tired after the day they've had."
"But wait, before we can introduce them, let's recap the last leg of the competition! Oh this is so exciting, I get to find out some of this stuff in real time," Sierra happily exclaimed, "So let's see here, oh, well there were two challenges that really involved the eliminated contestants. It's referring to them here as Final Exams and Graduation."
"They certainly went all in on the school theme, didn't they," Alejandro noted.
Sierra shook her head and said, "Oh, I'm so conflicted. The uber-fan in me wants to use the official titles, but they're honestly kind of lame. Names aside, the final four challenge had the eliminated contestants create all kinds of challenges for the final four to face. Some catered to hobbies or strengths of the challenge giver, others were meant to really challenge the final four."
"And the final challenge was a race through smaller challenges from the past season. Halfway through, three became two and then by the end, two became one. With that out of the way, let's get started with the interviews, shall we," Alejandro finished.
Sierra nodded and said, "Right, our first guest is a likely-fan favorite, was one of the more accident-prone competitors this season and claims to be a big fan of the show. But is he really a big fan? Does he know how many French fries Owen eats in a typical meal? Or how many minutes a week Lindsay spends on her nails? Does he? Because I do!"
"I don't think I want to know why or how you know that," Alejandro remarked, "But you're getting off topic. Remember what the producers said."
"Right, right. I have to behave or I can't interview the others. Getting back on topic, please welcome Mikey," Sierra said as the gamer walked on stage.
As he sat down, Alejandro greeted him, "Good evening Mikey. How are you today? Not too tired I hope?"
"I had an energy drink before we started, so I'm good to go for the time being," Mikey chuckled, "But my lack of sleep last night aside, I'm doing well, thanks for asking."
"Well how about you start by telling us about your time in the game. As someone who will make their debut next season, I'm interested in first hand accounts," Alejandro prompted.
"It was a blast. I know there are some who will disagree with me, but it's easily the greatest thing I've done in my life. I had a ton of fun with the challenges, I met a lot of people that I'm happy to call my friends and I got to have an incredibly unique experience. Plus I'm going out with a wonderful girl because of the game, so it's hard to complain about my time," Mikey answered before continuing after a brief pause, "Yeah, there may have been a couple of low points, but I firmly believe that the good far outweighs the bad."
"This makes me so excited for next season when I can compete too," Sierra exclaimed, "Oh! Oh! You had a core group you worked and hung out with during the season, that being Geoff, Bridgette and your girlfriend Megan. Tell us about them, why you stuck together, any juicy deets that I can put on my blog, whatever you like!"
"Well, as a group we've stuck together ever since the second challenge, I think. It was one of the really early ones. We were allowed to form our own groups or teams for the challenge if we wanted and Geoff seemed to be looking for someone to join him. I offered and we teamed up. The same thing happened with Bridgette and Megan. And during that challenge we just became friends and stuck together after that," the gamer explained, "As for Megan specifically, if I'm being honest I did always find her attractive. But it was when I got to know her more that I really started to fall for her. And funnily enough, after we got together she told me she had felt the same way."
Sierra was jotting down notes in a small notepad and said, "This will be a great scoop for my blog."
"Well one final question for you before we let you go. You've been at the center of quite a few, we'll say confrontations, with some of the other late game contestants. Joseph and Cody had been gunning for you specifically, and Izzy kept injuring you. Care to elaborate," Alejandro asked.
Mikey shrugged and said, "I mean with Izzy injuring me I assume was just bad luck. She never seemed to be hostile with me, and I don't think she even intended to do the go-kart crash. Though she does scare me a little bit, no offense Izzy."
"None taken! I know I scare people, watch," the crazy redhead said as she suddenly made a near-miss bite attack like a shark directed at DJ, who was sitting next to her. She followed it up with a "Boo!" that caused the gentle giant to shriek and jump in his seat slightly.
Mikey shook his head and said, "Uh, okay. Well as for Cody, I kind of get it. He was angry his girlfriend was gone, my girlfriend was still around and I had won immunity. If I hadn't won that challenge, who knows I may have gone home then instead. I get why he did it, but I still think he took things to an extreme."
"And it's all her fault," Sierra shouted as she stood up, pointing at Emily.
"Here we go again," Emily grumbled.
"If that, that, that harlot wasn't added to the game then my little Codykins would still be single and we could be together," the Uber-fan shouted.
Nicholas stood up and cracked his knuckles, "You might want to make your next move very carefully."
"And that goes double for me," MacArthur said as she whipped out her taser.
MacArthur's partner, Sanders, saw that and said, "I still can't believe the producers let you have that."
"I can't take it anymore! Cody, you will be mine," Sierra shouted as she left the couch and charged at Emily.
MacArthur acted quickly, standing and shooting Sierra with her taser. The Uber-fan spazzed about for a few seconds as the taser worked before she collapsed to the ground, unconscious. "Another job well done. C'mon Sanders, let's take her backstage and wait the producers or whatever," MacArthur said as the two cadets walked over to the unconscious girl, picked her up and took her backstage.
"Well that's just great, now I have no co-host. Not that I couldn't host this by myself, mind you, but I wouldn't say no to a helping hand," Alejandro griped, though something about his expression implied he enjoyed these developments.
The speaker system in the set came to life and Carl the Intern said, "Lucky you Alejandro, we've got someone who can take Sierra's place. They need another minute or two to get ready, so finish interviewing Mikey on your own and then move the segment after Noah's interview up to after Mikey."
"Very well," Alejandro nodded, "Before we were so rudely interrupted you were talking about how you were a big target during the game, especially to Joseph. Care to elaborate?"
"Joseph targeting me is news to me," Mikey admitted. Joseph scoffed and said, "Sure it is. The game's over, you can stop playing dumb. I know you had a secret alliance."
The gamer raised an eyebrow and said, "Uh, no? I'm pretty sure I would know if I had a secret alliance."
"Stop it, both of you," Courtney said as she stood up.
"Ay dios mio," Alejandro muttered as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
The CIT took a deep breath and said, "I was the one with the secret alliance. I had made it quickly in order to combat Joseph because quite frankly, I couldn't trust him. He found out I had one and when confronted, I blurted out your name because I figured it would be difficult to easily eliminate you with the core friend group you had. I'm sorry for throwing you under the bus like that and for anything Joseph did to try and get rid of you."
"Hold on just a second! You mean you lied to me," Joseph accused.
"I can't believe I'm standing up for Courtney, but you don't get to lie to all of us and then get offended that you were lied to," Gwen shot back.
The overachiever ignored this and asked back, "If you didn't make the alliance with Mikey, then who did you ally with?"
Duncan, who had insider knowledge thanks to being an intern, snorted and said, "You're the genius. You figure it out."
"If it wasn't Mikey then who else would she have," Joseph quietly trailed off as he closed his eyes in thought before slamming his arm into the arm of his chair, shouting, "GOD DAMMIT!"
"Seems he finally figured it out," Alexander noted, "I'm surprised it took him this long."
"So, uh, did you have any other questions for me," Mikey meekly asked.
Alejandro smiled and said, "No, my friend, we are all done with your interview. Take a seat wherever you would like, though I have a feeling I know who you're going to choose who to sit with." Mikey moved over next to Megan as Alejandro flipped through a couple of index cards before saying, "Apologies amigos, this little change in schedule threw me off. As we wait for my new co-host, please watch this extra-long segment of That's Going to Leave a Mark!"
Clip 1: The chase and confrontation between Nicholas and Ezekiel from the detention challenge is shown again, this time with cartoony sound effects added to appropriate parts of the action
Clip 2: Izzy dropping the chainsaws from the talent show are shown in slow motion as they imbed themselves in the stage of the auditorium.
Clip 3: The explosion Mikey caused in the chemistry section of the final four challenge is once again shown.
Clip 4: The Jaegers from the Pacific Rim challenge are all shown being attacked and destroyed again.
Clip 5: Noah, Bridgette and Jennifer struggling with the monkey bars over the water pit from William's challenge in the finale is shown once more.
Clip 6: The numerous virtual deaths that Bridgette and Jennifer suffered during both of the challenges that using the Virtual Reality machine during the finale close out the segment.
"Well I'm sure for some of you that may have been a less than pleasant walk down memory lane," Alejandro noted, "And it seems my new co-host is still not here."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that handsome," a matured, female voice said as Blaineley O'Halloran made her way onto the stage, to an explosion of cheering from the audience.
Alejandro stood up and greeted the celebrity by taking her hand and giving it a kiss, "It is an honor to be able to work alongside a professional such as yourself."
"Well I've got a surprise or two up my sleeve as well, but I'll leave that for the end of the show, I've taken up enough time as is," Blaineley grinned and followed Alejandro back to the couch.
"Would you care to do the honors," Alejandro asked.
The celebrity shook her head and said, "This one's all yours. Believe me when I say I'll have my time in the spotlight again soon enough."
"Very well," the flirt said before introducing, "Our next guest was eliminated third in his original season but managed to take third place this time around, was able to completely blindside his former ally and big bad Joseph, and is known for being all brains and no brawn, please welcome Noah!"
As the crowd made a mix of boos and cheers, Noah walked on stage, a bored expression on his face. His eyes widened when he noticed the visible rage on Joseph's face, and he quickly scurried over to the couch. "Well if it isn't Noah, who will likely be very love-him or hate-him by the fans after his actions this season. How are you," Blaineley asked.
The know-it-all shrugged and said, "I just barely lost this competition and people are likely to hold grudges against me next season. How do you think I feel?"
Alejandro smirked and said, "Well when you put it like that, I guess I should thank you, as I don't think I'll have to worry about you next season. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Instead of thinking about next season, please tell us your thoughts about this past season."
"Well, I'm proud of myself for making a much better showing compared to the first season I suppose. And though the challenges were not what I imagined they would be when they picked me for this season, they weren't as bad as I expected I suppose," Noah said before sighing, "But I have more than a few regrets. I regret helping Joseph as much as I did and I regret not selling him out earlier. And yet, considering how far I made it, I'm not sure if I would do things all that differently if given the chance. I'm not sure what that says about me."
"That just tells me you still want to win. Chin up kid, that doesn't make you any different than the rest," Blaineley assessed, "In the end you still double-crossed Joseph, care to tell us more about that? And what of Courtney's secret alliance?"
"Well since I heard the commotion while backstage, I may as well come out and say it, yes I was the one Courtney formed her alliance with. Honestly it's tied into my decision to betray Joseph. But I guess I should go back to the beginning. I was in the bottom three in the first elimination this season and I was not keen on going so early a second time. I initially wanted someone to help watch my back, that's all. I had picked Joseph because, and I mean no offense when I say this, he was the smartest person here. And because I can't say this without making myself look like a conceited douchebag, I'll just up and say it, I hoped he would see the merit in working with someone equally as smart, or at least close to it," Noah started to explain.
"Well you're right on the conceited part," Trent muttered.
"And he's not far off on the douchebag part either," Leshawna agreed.
Noah, who either hadn't heard or chose to ignore them, continued, "And so it started as just a way to watch each other's backs. Fast forward a few days and he begun to manipulate people to influence the votes. Or maybe he always was and I was being ignorant to it. Either way, it was around Trent and Jessie's eliminations that I started to feel guilty about what I was doing. Seeing people like Jennifer and Nicholas as upset as they were, it wasn't easy. And then I started to have my doubts that he was going to remain loyal the day Courtney ended up getting eliminated. He left gathering votes to him, which I found suspicious. So Courtney and I made a pact that if one of us went down that day, the other would work against Joseph."
"The deal was only for that day though, so I guess it was less of a secret alliance and more a secret agreement," Courtney clarified.
"After Courtney went home, I knew it was up to me. And since my hands were already dirty from Trent and Jessie's eliminations, I figured I may as well keep going. I figured if I could get a bunch of people who had loved ones eliminated and tell them Joseph was behind it, they would all strike back against him," Noah explained, "It was a gamble, but it paid off in the end. So I guess this is a really long winded way to say I ended up betraying Joseph because I didn't feel good about what I was doing."
"But surely you must have known that most everyone would be eliminated eventually, no? So the couples would still have been split up eventually. Though a pair going out as finalists would have been an interesting spin on things," Alejandro mused.
The know it all shrugged, "It was the backhandedness of it all that didn't sit well with me I guess. Like if someone was eliminated without any manipulation involved then that's not as bad as when Joseph worked to twist the votes to deliberately get them out."
Blaineley smirked and said, "Well, one last question for you then we'll move on. Suppose you never asked Joseph for an alliance on that second day. How do you think that would have changed things?"
"That's a very broad question. Talking about alternate timelines or realities, anything and everything could happen honestly," Noah remarked.
"That's true. Getting into multiverse theory, technically there are parallel universes were every permutation of the events of this contest occur. Trying to theorize what might happen is kind of a fool's errand," Cody added.
"Well humor us, we didn't have much luck thinking of things to ask Noah, and even if we did, it would pale in comparison to his dealings with Joseph," Alejandro responded.
The know it all sighed, "Fair enough I suppose. Sadly there's little of my time in the game that didn't have to do with Joseph. Well, assuming he never seeks me out for an alliance, knowing the challenges I would probably make it to just before the merge without his help. Whether he had an alliance or not, he would have still made the merge probably, but without an alliance he probably would have done about the same. With one, depending on who he strung along he very well may have won it all. That a good enough answer for you?"
Blaineley shrugged and said, "Good enough I guess. Not like we had a lot of expectations for that question. You can take a seat wherever you like."
Noah got up and took a seat on the side of the stage opposite of Joseph. "Moving on, let's welcome our next guest! She wins the record for fastest official relationship in Total Drama history, had one hell of a rollercoaster of emotions and is your Total Drama High School runner up! Please welcome Jennifer," Blaineley announced as the performing artist walked onstage to a large amount of applause. She walked to the front of the stage and took a bow before walking to the couch.
"Good evening Jennifer, I can see our audience has not caused you to shy away," Alejandro greeted.
Jennifer giggled and said, "Well I am used to performing in plays, so being in front of an audience isn't exactly new to me."
Blaineley brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and said, "Let me tell you, with that attitude you have a real chance of being a real star. But enough about that, tell us your thoughts on the season."
"Well, while I'm bummed I lost by literally seconds, I don't think I can say much bad about the rest of my experience. The challenges were a lot of fun, I made a ton of friends, I got the best boyfriend and despite losing, I still managed to place second. I mean I guess I could have conducted myself better after Trent was eliminated, but I came out stronger for it, so while it was sad to be away from him, in a sense I'm kind of thankful it happened," the performing artist answered.
"A very positive experience then," Alejandro noted before adding, "Funny you mention coming out stronger after Trent left, because that was the topic of our next question. How do you feel about your newfound confidence?"
Jennifer pursed her lips in thought and after a moment said, "Well I always had some confidence. Can't exactly be a good actress if I didn't have any confidence, you know? But I'm honestly pretty good about getting into character when I perform. Before, when I was just being myself, I wouldn't say I had no confidence. But I also didn't have the best self-confidence. That's part of why I got so depressed when Trent was eliminated. I felt like I was helpless or powerless to have done anything about it. But with the help of a couple of friends, I was able to pull myself out of it and realize that I was stronger than I thought."
"Well our last question for you is going to be a bit more of a philosophical one. You performed really well in challenges, even if you didn't always win them. Do you think that your challenge performance as well as your new attitude will help or hinder you in any future appearances you might make," Blaineley asked, a sly, almost knowing smirk on her face.
"It could go both ways really. I mean, yeah some will likely see me as a threat. But I think I'm likely to also be seen as a boon to have. Especially early on, I don't think you would want to vote out someone who could be good at challenges. So even if people see me as a threat, I think I would have enough time to figure out a plan," Jennifer answered.
"Well unfortunately we do have to move along to our last guest, so if you could please take a seat wherever you like," Blaineley mentioned.
Jennifer nodded and moved over to sit with Trent. The audience started to get a bit more active, knowing the winner was about to come up. "Seems you all are excited to see the winner," Alejandro noted, "Well let's not waste any time then! Our final guest of the day was a former host of this very show, is one of the friendliest competitors a show that is often known for being cutthroat has seen, and is your winner of Total Drama High School, please welcome Bridgette!"
A massive chorus of cheers broke out as the surfer walked onto the stage. Bridgette grinned sheepishly as she waved to the crowd and made her way to the couch in the middle. "Seems you're a fan favorite here Bridgette. I hope you're not too tired from the finale to answer some questions for us," Blaineley greeted.
"I might be a bit tired, but I think I can manage a short interview," Bridgette answered.
"Let's get right to it then. Let's start off easy, what did you think about your time in the game," Alejandro asked.
Bridgette mused, "Well I can't think too poorly on it, I did manage to win it somehow. I was able to spend time with a lot of my friends as well as my boyfriend, so that was nice. Even the challenges seemed to have been less dangerous compared to before. I mean, yeah there were a couple of people that ended up detracting from it all and part of me thinks I didn't really deserve to be there. But as a whole, this was probably my favorite season to compete in so far."
"Hey, don't put yourself down like that babe," Geoff shouted from his seat in the stands, "If you made it to the end then there had to have been a reason for that."
"As someone who didn't really feel qualified for making a finale, he's right," Beth added, "I feel like last season I made it for not being a threat in the slightest. And maybe I wasn't, but I still got there."
"Well deservedness or no, you still made it to the end, rather easily I might add. According to our notes here, not only were you immune for every challenge before the merge, you also never got any votes. Like at all," Blaineley reported, "Care to tell us your thoughts about that?"
"Wait really? I could have sworn I lost some of those challenges. And seriously, I never got any votes? I don't understand, I should have gotten some at some point. I mean, I don't think I was ever in the bottom two so I must not have gotten many, but surely at some point I got an errant one thrown my way, right," Bridgette asked.
"Nope! You somehow never got a single vote, well unless Joseph erased one when Megan was eliminated. Which by the way, while I can appreciate a good loophole, next season we'll be closing off the cameras so you can't do that," another voice said as someone else walked on stage.
"Well you're a sight for sore eyes Chris," Blaineley halfheartedly greeted as Chris McLean made his way over to the couch.
"Good to see you too," the host replied, equally as halfhearted.
Alejandro pinched his nose at the new intrusion and muttered, "Deep breaths Alejandro, how could this get any stupider?"
"What are you doing here anyway," Blaineley asked.
Chris shrugged and said, "I wanted to see how the other half lived, so to speak. Don't mind me, I won't interrupt."
"Wait, can we back up a bit? What was that about Joseph erasing votes," Bridgette asked.
Noah raised an eyebrow as well, "This is news to me as well."
"I didn't know until he fessed up last aftermath," Chris admitted, "He erased most of the votes for that elimination. Which according to the contracts everyone signed, was technically not an illegal move. Rest assured, we will not only work to prevent interference going forward, but the contracts will be updated before next season."
"That's oddly professional of you," Gwen noted.
Courtney smirked and said, "Well I may have called my lawyers after learning what Joseph did."
"So is my interview done," Bridgette asked.
"Thank you for helping to get this back on track," Alejandro genuinely said, "We have one final question for you, then you can leave. So now that you've won the competition, what do you plan on doing with the prize?"
The surfer tilted her head slightly, "Well, a half a million dollars is a lot of money. I'll no doubt give some to a local charity that helps keep my favorite beach clean. Plus I'll put some to helping fix a couple of things up around the house. I'll use some for some personal stuff, like a new surfboard I've had my eye on, a newer car, taking a trip with Geoff. Oh, and I should save some for college, I guess."
"Well maybe not as much as you think. There was a reason why this prize is less than last season's," Chris mentioned, "There's a secret component to the prize, and that is a major scholarship of sorts. We'll have people get in contact with you about it after everything wraps with this season."
"Wait, really? Wow, guess I need to start giving my future more thought," Bridgette said, somewhat shocked.
"Well, that's all the questions we've got for you Bridgette. You are welcome to move over to the stands for what little time remains of the show," Blaineley said as the surfer moved over to Geoff, "And seeing as we're wrapping up, guess it's time for my big announcement!"
"Big announcement? This about that reality show you were hired for that the tabloids were reporting on," Chris asked.
The celebrity grinned and said, "You could say that yes. I've been given permission by my employers to report that you are now looking at the co-host of Total Drama's next season!"
Many members of the peanut gallery and crowd shouted, "What?"
Chris, shocked, bellowed, "What!?"
From backstage somewhere, Chef's voice boomed out, "WHAT!?"
"Now Chris, before you get too bent out of shape, you aren't being replaced. Neither is Chef. But there are bigger plans in motion for Total Drama than either of you know and the producers thought you could use the help. And who better than an experienced hostess in the entertainment industry? The producers didn't want to disrupt you with this info until the season ended, so I expect you will hear from them very shortly," Blaineley cryptically stated.
"If you'll excuse me, I need a minute," Chris said as he got up off the couch and walked backstage.
"Well this seems like as good a time as any to end things, so thank you everyone for tuning into the Total Drama High School Aftermath Finale Special! My name is Alejandro, please, wish me the best next season when I make my debut," the flirt closed out.
"And I am Blaineley O'Halloran, future co-host of Total Drama! Big things will be going down next season, you aren't gonna want to miss it! Thank you all and goodnight!"
The show ended and as various interns and employees of the theater that was used for the Aftermaths began to usher out the crowd, the curtain for the stage was lowered. "Okay, well as I understand it, there is an afterparty in the lounge backstage and everyone is invited," Alejandro said to the people gathered on stage. This was met with cheers as everyone began to make their way backstage.
The Afterparty was in full swing as everyone talked and mingled. The only person that everyone seemed to avoid was Joseph, who sulked in the corner of the room, nursing a drink as his glare moved between people every so often.
"This was supposed to be my time to shine. My chance to finally be the best. And yet like everything else it all came crashing down. I performed way worse than normally too. At least if I was second it wouldn't have been any different than normal," Joseph thought aloud, "No matter. I'll be back eventually. And when I am, I'll be ready."
"Is talking to yourself normal where you come from or something," Alexander asked from the nearby food table, where he was grabbing more to eat.
Joseph cast a wary glance at the slacker and asked, "You really wish to take the risk and socialize with me? Am I not a pariah to the others?"
"Just making conversation. And I can relate with you to an extent, neither of our strategies worked out this season. I guess it just means we'll have to try something different next time, yeah? Though I guess it'll be easier for me than you," Alexander shrugged before saying, "Anyway, good talk, I'm going to go hang out with some friends."
In another part of the lounge, a large group was gathered around a karaoke machine. "No time for losers, 'Cause we are the champions," Trent sang as he finished his turn. The rest of the group, which consisted of Jennifer, Mikey, Bridgette, Megan, Geoff, Cody and Harold, cheered for Trent's performance. "Well that was fun. Who else wants a turn," the musician asked.
"I'll pass," Mikey said, "I'm not really one for singing. I'm mostly moral support."
"You did pretty well during the singing challenge," Megan brought up.
Mikey shrugged, "Just because I did well doesn't mean I like to do it. I'm honestly kind of self-conscious about my voice."
"Hey dude, no worries. That sort of thing goes both ways, like I love to sing even if I'm not very good," Geoff added.
Jennifer nodded, "That's right. When it comes to singing for fun, what matters the most is if you enjoy it."
"As opposed to singing as a profession, when you need to be good at it. There's a reason I did the backing beat for most of the Drama Brothers songs," Harold pointed out.
"Yeesh, don't remind me about our band days," Cody remarked, "It started out fun, but well, let's just say we lived up to our name in more ways than one."
"Yeah, things did get nasty towards the end there," Trent agreed before he looked around, "Say, where's Justin? Not that I thought he would join us, but talking about the band made me think of it."
"I think he's flirting with some of the single girls," Bridgette shook her head.
Geoff tipped his cap up and said, "Yeah that doesn't surprise me."
Jennifer looked around and asked, "Say Cody, where's Emily?"
The tech geek looked over and said, "Oh, I think she was talking to Courtney, something about needing a lawyer for Sierra."
"Yeah, I do not envy you next season. I could not imagine dealing with her normally. But seeing how she acts with you, got any plans for dealing with that next season," Mikey asked.
"Is hiding a viable strategy? That or get her voted out as soon as possible I guess," Cody shrugged.
Harold nodded, "Well if I end up on the same team as her, I'll do what I can to get rid of her. She gives me the creeps too. As for me, I'll just do what I always do and rely on my mad skills to carry me through the competition. It almost worked for me last time, who's to say it won't now?"
"I guess I'll try and keep my head low. Though seeing as I won, something tells me people will see me as a threat or something," Bridgette said.
Geoff kissed her forehead and said, "You worry too much babe, I'm sure it'll be fine. Just wish I could be there with you."
"Yeah, figures Chris would screw us out of the game after we left to get help," Trent remarked, "But hey, if it means I don't have to be away from you Jennifer, that's fine by me."
"Aww," the performing artist cooed, "Well as for me, I think I'm in the same boat as you Bridgette. People will think I'm a threat so I'll just do my best and make the most of it."
"I'll probably just do what I did this season again. I'll have fun with my friends and just maybe do well in the competition too," Mikey shrugged.
Megan tapped her chin in thought and said, "I mean, I feel like I got pretty far without doing much. If I do well again, I want to make some type of big move. Maybe work to eliminate a threat early. One that isn't one of my friends that is."
"Seems we all have some type of plan for the next time we compete," Trent mused before he asked, "So who wants the next turn?"
In another part of the lounge, Nicholas was facing down Eva. "You really sure you want to do this? I don't want to embarrass you in front of your girlfriend," Eva asked as she rested her right elbow on the table in front of her.
"Ha! I just want to test my strength against you. I know full well I won't win this," Nicholas laughed as he also put his right elbow on the table.
"Well you definitely won't win with that attitude. I believe you can do it," Jessie said as she gave the mechanic a kiss on the cheek for luck.
Danny nodded and wisely said, "That advice is true in more ways than one. It is true in life, in Total Drama and even in arm wrestling."
Noah quirked an eyebrow and asked, "Danny, I hope you don't mind me asking, but why are you here? I thought you and Nicholas were enemies?"
"Nah, we talked about it, I apologized for being a dick. But we are going to be rivals if we ever get brought back," Nicholas answered.
Danny nodded and said, "Yes, thanks for answering for me Nicholas."
The mechanic scratched the back of his head and said, "Sorry. I get too excited sometimes."
"Quite. Anyway, I'm here because I'm interested in seeing Eva's strength firsthand," the martial artist replied.
Eva smirked and said, "Why don't you find out first hand? After I beat Nicholas I'll be more than willing to take you on."
Danny tapped his chin and said, "A tempting offer. Though I feel I'll be too focused on taking you on to properly observe."
"Say, why are you here Noah? I feel it's only fair to ask you that question," Jessie inquired.
"Oh, well there's not exactly a lot of people that I would say I'm on good terms right now. And of the others that they were hanging out with, I feel like you three are among the least judgmental," Noah explained, "Plus, someone's gotta root for Eva."
"Well I'm not exactly happy with you," Jessie remarked a sour look on her face.
Nicholas raised an eyebrow and said, "I can kind of understand why he did the things he did. I might not agree with your choices, but I understand it. Plus you did the right thing in the end, that's what matters to me."
"As I mentioned to some of the others, you did not win so your actions did not go unpunished. And like Nicholas said, when it mattered, you did the honorable thing," Danny nodded.
"Well whatever the case, next season I'm going to play the game differently. If someone asks me to join an alliance, it needs to be just to keep votes off each other. I'm done with all this treachery stuff," Noah declared.
"At least you'll get a chance to compete again. I swear, no matter what I do they'll never have me on again," Eva grumbled.
"You couldn't have known that those of us who stayed behind at the bus crash were going to be on next season," Noah stated.
Danny chuckled and said, "Believe me if you wish Eva, but I have a feeling we'll all be back in the game sooner than expected."
"I certainly hope so. I'd like another chance at the prize. Or at least making the merge. That's probably my biggest regret, that I didn't even get that far," Jessie stated.
"The merge was overrated. I got knocked out due to dumb luck. Hopefully next time if I get taken out it's normally," Nicholas shrugged, "Now, are we doing this or what?"
Just outside the lounge an entirely different type of conversation was taking place, this one much more serious. "Yes sir, I understand sir. Yes, I'll make sure to tell her. And yes, I'll let my partner know too. Okay, thank you, goodbye," Sanders said as she spoke into a cell phone. Nearby was MacArthur watching over a tied up Sierra. The calmer police cadet walked over and said, "Okay, so I've got good news and bad news, for both of you. That was one of the producers that I just got done talking to."
"They congratulate me on a job well done? I mean, I know I'm pretty awesome, but it'd be nice if someone acknowledged it," MacArthur commented.
"Yes and no. While they are glad you took action, they also said if you keep using that taser they will take it away," Sanders answered.
"What! Come on, what was I supposed to do, let her attack," MacArthur grumbled.
Sanders shook her head, "The good news for us is they want to hire us as security for the next season of the show. They said they'll talk to the academy and get it to count as our field service."
The more excitable cadet perked up and said, "Wait for real? Because as much as I'd like to take down scumbags on the street, it's way more exciting to be working for this show."
"What about me? They're not going to remove me from next season, are they," Sierra sadly asked.
Sanders sighed, "No, your good news is they won't punish you this time. The bad news is you aren't allowed to take part in the party they're having. And you aren't allowed to attack Emily between seasons. They have said they're very serious about removing you if you violate this rule."
Sierra enthusiastically nodded and said, "Okay, I understand. I'll just have to make her suffer for stealing Cody from me next season."
"As long as it's not life threatening. As security we will stop people from causing lethal harm," Sanders clarified.
"And don't tempt me to stop you, I've got all kinds of ways to take down criminal punks," MacArthur boasted, "Say, do you think Duncan will act up? I've always wanted to try and elbow drop someone and I feel like he'd be a good target."
As Sanders sighed and shook her head, Sierra developed a dark grin and thought, 'You better watch out Emily. I will make you pay for taking Cody away from me. And he will be mine.'
Speaking of the dancer, she was talking to Courtney about a very important matter. "I don't know for sure if that specific office deals in restraining orders, but if they don't, I'm sure they can recommend someone reliable that can," the CIT informed Emily.
The dancer took a business card from Courtney and said, "Thank you so much. I would like to think that things will be fine between us, but I have a feeling they won't be."
Courtney smiled and said, "Don't mention it. If I had to worry about someone like Sierra, I would want to do the same thing."
"Yeah, I just hope it doesn't get too bad. Last thing I need to worry about during the off season is a crazy stalker," Emily griped.
"Well hey, you don't live too far from me, and by extension Duncan, so if you or Cody ever need some added protection, feel free to give me a call," Courtney offered.
The dancer smiled and said, "Thanks, I appreciate it. Hey, so good luck next season."
The CIT smiled back and said, "Thanks. I hope the others won't be too mad at me for what I did this season."
"You and Gwen made up at least, right? So that's one person who won't be really against you," Emily asked.
"Not quite. I apologized to Gwen, and we agreed to be civil with one another. But that's it. I can hope she won't hold what I did against her too much, but if I were her, I wouldn't be so quick to forgive," Courtney admitted as she rubbed her right arm with her left hand.
The dancer pat Courtney on the shoulder and said, "You just need to hope the others will forgive you and play an honest game next time."
The CIT gave a small smile and said, "Don't worry, I intend to."
Meanwhile, in the air ducts above the room that were honestly much bigger than they needed to be, a secret meeting was taking place. "So wait, why are we up here again? And why are the air ducts only big enough for us to crawl through them? If they can be that big, they might as well be a little bigger, right," Rebecca asked the other two in the ducts with her.
"It's the rule of movie air ducts. They have to be big enough for the hero to be able to crawl through them, but not any bigger than that," William explained.
Izzy looked up from the opening into the lounge below and said, "We're going to drop down and surprise someone! Give them a good scare, but it's all in good fun, so no swords."
"I left my sword back at the hotel," William and Rebecca said simultaneously. The two looked at each other a moment before they began to laugh.
"Say, won't they hear us if we're trying to sneak up on them," Rebecca asked.
William looked to Izzy and said, "I was wondering the same, to tell the truth."
"Nah, it'll be fine. Like you said the rules of movie air ducts are in effect. No matter how much noise we make, they won't hear us for some reason."
"Works for me," William grinned, "Who's our target?"
The otaku shook her head and said, "You make it sound so brutal that way."
"Ezekiel is stepping away from the people he was talking to in order to get some more food. He's coming this way, now we strike," Izzy said as she pulled the cover off the opening from the duct to the room and dropped down.
William lunged forward and as he fell head first out of the duct said, "Geronimo!"
Rebecca took her time to make her way over to the opening before swinging her legs around and dropping down. When she landed, the other two were on either side of Ezekiel, who was trembling like a deer in headlights. "Uh, Zeke? Are you alright," Rebecca asked, concern in her voice as she stepped forward and touched the homeschooled teen's shoulder.
"Ah," Ezekiel cried out in surprise as everything finally caught up to him. Rebecca recoiled as Ezekiel angrily said, "Why do yoo keep messing with me, eh?"
"Most people don't like to put up with me. I thought that since you hadn't gotten mad with me that you accepted it," Izzy admitted as she looked down, hurt at the reaction she caused in Ezekiel.
William looked to the side and said, "Hey, sorry man, I was just following Izzy's lead. There's not a ton of people that get me, you know?"
"I just want too keep to myself, eh. Keep my head doo'n and maybe I woon't dig a deeper hoo'l than I'm already in," Ezekiel said, now sounding more frustrated than outright mad.
Rebecca rubbed her arm and said, "I get it. We're all kind of outcasts in some sense. Maybe we should try to be more normal, even if it's not who we really are, maybe then the others will be more accepting of us. I'm sorry for scaring you Ezekiel. I'll leave you alone."
"Wait, don't go," Ezekiel said as he sighed, "Pushing everyone away isn't going to help me, eh. But I don't knoo' where to start."
"Nor I. What did you have in mind, Rebecca," William asked.
"Me? I-I don't know. We could use the power of friendship like most of the anime I watch" the otaku stammered out.
"We're all still young and learning who we are. Maybe we should just take some time before next season to try and shape ourselves to be less of an annoyance to other people, while not sacrificing who we are as individuals," Izzy sagely said.
"That was strangely profound of you Izzy," William noted.
Izzy cackled and said, "That was just one of the voices in my head! It did sound pretty good, now didn't it? Well I'll try to stop messing with you Zeke, but no promises. Now if you excuse me, I have to track down Big O. Him and I got big plans for tonight!"
Izzy walked away and Ezekiel said, "She's a unique oone, that's fur shure. But how will I be more accepting to the others?"
"Hey, my offer from awhile back still stands, I'm willing to coach you in teenage slang and stuff. Might not be the end-all solution to stuff, but it can't hurt right," William offered.
"I still can't believe you actually have a lesson plan for teaching that," Rebecca added, "But Izzy has a point. Maybe I do talk about anime too much. Maybe if I try to back off on that, things will be better with me and the others."
"I've been putting off seeing a doctor for a while. My mom thinks I have a condition of some sort," William admitted nonchalantly, "But that's not important right now. Come on Zeke, let's hang out the three of us. Lessons or no, hanging out with friends will do nothing but help you out."
"Alright, I guess it woo'd help to be a little like a normal teen, eh. But can I get the food I was going to get befur you three ambushed me," Ezekiel asked.
One corner of the room had been claimed by a handful of people who were talking about a very crucial topic. "It's just, I don't know if I'm making enough of an impression on my own anymore. I used to not need to use makeup but I'm thinking I might need it to give me an edge," Justin was explaining.
"How could anyone possibly not find you the most gorgeous person ever," Katie asked.
Sadie nodded, "Oh, I know. Your skin is so perfectly tanned. And your hair is to die for. Like I'm sure there would be people out there that would murder someone for hair like that."
"That seems a bit extreme, doesn't it? I mean, yes Justin is very attractive, but killing someone for him," Julie replied.
Justin held a hand to his chest in mock pain and said, "I'm wounded Julie, really I am. I have a question for you though. You don't seem to be as enamored with me as some of the others. Why is that? That's what made me start to doubt myself in the first place."
Julie blushed and she said, "Oh, well I have a boyfriend back home that I really love. And they say when you really love something, everything else pales in comparison. Like I said, you are very beautiful, but when I have him in my life, it's hard for others to compare."
"Fair enough I suppose," Justin replied, "If you don't mind me asking, what were you three talking about before I walked over."
"Julie was telling us about how she and her boyfriend got together," Sadie answered.
Katie nodded and said, "That's right. We're tired of being alone so we wanted to know how her relationship started. Since it seems like we won't find someone on this show at this rate."
The model shook his head and flashed a perfect smile, "Don't give up hope girls. Even if you can't find a boyfriend on the show, you two are famous now. I'm sure eventually guys will be lining up to date you."
"I'm not so sure about that, I mean, I was eliminated fifth and never got another chance," Katie lamented.
Sadie nodded and said, "And I didn't do that much better. And I also haven't been back yet. The two of us didn't make the best impressions."
"Well I can't say much about making good first impressions. I was eliminated seventh and for a rather embarrassing reason," Julie shrugged, "But you have the make the best of the situation you find yourself in."
"Hey don't be too down on yourself girls, after I was out fourth my first season, I didn't think I had much of a chance the next time I came around, but I like to think I did fairly well my second go. Who knows, maybe there's a competition show out there where pairs compete that you two can really show your stuff and go the distance," Justin assured Katie and Sadie.
Katie shrugged, "I guess that would be cool, sure beats just sitting around the Aftermath studio all the time."
"That would be pretty cool. But who knows, maybe we'll get a chance to compete again here someday. We just have to be careful about how we play. We can't annoy the others and have to be useful," Sadie agreed.
Julie blinked in surprise and said, "Wow. That's a very solid game plan."
"Sadie is like so smart. She's definitely the smarter of the two of us," Katie pointed out.
"Yeah, but Katie's so much more emotional. And not in a bad way! Like she knows how someone's feeling before they even speak," Sadie insisted.
Justin flashed another smile and said, "If we ever make it back into another season, I think we all have the potential to be underdogs. We're all underestimated and that's what makes us dangerous."
"Maybe so. But until we get brought back, just keep positive. Everything will work out in the end," Julie assured.
By one of the numerous snack tables, Tyler was watching as Lindsay and Beth were talking a mile a minute. Well, more like Lindsay was talking a mile a minute and Beth was adding input when she could. Gwen and Leshawna walked over to watch the spectacle.
"How do you keep up with that," Gwen asked Tyler.
He chuckled and said, "She doesn't get like this with me. This is her 'girl talk' speed. I've only seen it a couple of times."
"You should be lucky she doesn't talk like that with you boy, you'd never understand what she was asking," Leshawna commented.
"Hey, give me a little credit, I think I would pick up some of it eventually," Tyler defended, "I've even learned a little bit already. Like right now she's telling Beth about this color of nail polish she saw at the mall a couple weeks ago."
The trio listened in as Beth said, "Do you think that color would look good on me Lindsay?"
"Hmm. It wouldn't be bad, but with your hair, a red dress would be better," Lindsay replied.
"Tell me more about your skills, girl whisperer," Gwen snarkily commented.
"Hey I never said I was good at this. Besides, I knew they were talking about the colors of something. Give me some credit," the jock griped.
"Alright, I'll give you that," Leshawna chuckled before she asked, "You excited to be finally getting back in the game next season? I know I am after basically not getting to play this season."
"You bet I am! I am so ready to get back in the game after I royally sucked the first season," Tyler exclaimed.
Gwen rolled her eyes, a small playful smile on her face, "Maybe you did, but this whole game sucks. If it were up to me, I would take the next season off."
Beth, who overheard this, managed to say over Lindsay, "I wish I could switch places with you Gwen. I would love to see the world."
"Oh yeah, we're flying all over the place next season, right," Lindsay asked, before she gasped, "Do you think we'll get to go to Paris? What kind of jet do you think we'll take? I'll get to be in first class like when I go places with my dad, right?"
"Knowing Chris, we'll be lucky if he buys a plane that can fly, let alone being even remotely luxurious," Gwen grumbled.
Leshawna nodded, "You got that right girl. Man's so cheap he'll skip out on buying anything if it'll get him more hair gel."
"Still, I can't help but be jealous of you guys, getting to have a worldwide trip next season. At least I'll be with Justin at the Aftermath studio," Beth sadly noted.
"Aw, I'll miss you Beth. It won't be as fun without my bestie," Lindsay said as she hugged the shorter girl.
"Well hey, let me know if you guys want to team up. Even if we aren't on the same team, we can still watch out for each other," Leshawna added, "After getting out first this season, I am not going down easy again."
"Count me in," Tyler grinned, "If this season taught me anything, there's a lot more strategy stuff to this game than in the first season. I figure I'm not so great at that stuff, so I'll take anything that'll help."
"Oh me too. That fancy thinking stuff makes my head hurt," Lindsay added.
Gwen shrugged, "You know what? A group of sorts isn't a bad idea. Like you said, even if we don't end up on the same team, we can keep an eye out for each other. What the hell, I'll join."
Beth sighed, "Now I really wish I was in next season."
"Aw, I'm sure you'll be back before you know it," Lindsay said as she hugged her friend.
"You'll be back one day. Aren't you and the other interns guaranteed to be in another season," Leshawna asked.
Beth gasped, "That's true! I forgot all about that! I guess they must have another season in the pipeline for after the next one. Well I can't wait for it then."
One final group of people was hanging out near a TV, watching a sports game that was being played. Duncan and Alejandro were being very passionate in particular, as their favorite teams were playing each other. Owen was nearby with a plate of food, not one for sports but always one for the food people prepared for big games. And finally DJ was watching curiously, as being an athlete was something he had considered for his future, even before Total Drama.
The gentle giant whistled and said, "Man, you guys are really into this game aren't you?"
Duncan and Alejandro pointed at each other and both said, "Of course! Because my team is going to beat his into the dirt!"
"Oh, you are so in for it next season," Duncan threatened.
"Big talk coming from someone who didn't even compete this season," Alejandro shot back.
The punk snorted, "Unless you forgot, I won Total Drama Action."
"Just barely. Beth's social game almost made up for all your physical advantages," Alejandro pointed out, "And I think I'm almost a match for you physically, so with my social game, I should have no problem beating you."
"Guys, come on, can't we just be friends," Owen asked.
DJ sighed and said, "I'd like that too, but some people take the game too seriously."
"He's right. When it comes to the competition, you can't be friends with everyone. Don't take it the wrong way Al, you seem like a decent guy, sports preferences aside," Duncan said with a sigh.
Alejandro's eye twitched ever so slightly before he composed himself, "Yes, I would have to agree with you. Outside the competition, you are pleasant enough to get along with, your delinquent tendencies aside. But in the competition, expect no mercy from me."
"Aw man, I was hoping the next season would be just a bunch of guys, having some fun around the world, none of this sneaky alliance stuff," Owen lamented.
DJ shook his head and said, "People have gotten a taste for what shows like this really are. Something tells me it'll never be as simple as the first season."
"Say Owen, aren't you scared of flying? How are you going to cope next season when we're supposed to be flying all over the world," Duncan asked.
Alejandro nodded, "I was wondering that as well. I can't imagine it's easy to fly in a plane when one is scared of flying."
Owen's eyes shrunk and he quietly said, "Oh poopie."
"Hey, I got your back man," DJ said as he put a hand on Owen's shoulder, "Besides her famous Momma Spice, my momma makes a syrup you put into a drink and it'll help erase nervousness and anxiety. I'll see if I can get you some for the season. It might not be perfect, but it should help."
"Is that stuff legal," Duncan asked, part of his unibrow raised.
"It's made from all natural and legal ingredients, so there's no reason it shouldn't be," DJ answered.
"As long as it's not being commercially sold, it should be fine for him to use," Alejandro remarked, "In any event gentlemen, I look forward to competing against all of you next season. Perhaps if we go there and we have some free time, I can show you around my home country of Spain. Given what little I know of Chris, he would probably make us do some twisted version of the running of the bulls, which since I've attended it before, I know the area a little bit. Perhaps we could stop at this café I am quite fond of."
"Wait, aren't you like Canadian? How would you know so much of Spain," Duncan asked.
"Dual citizenship. I was born there but my family moved to Canada when I was very young," Alejandro explained, "Between visiting family and going with my father on diplomatic assignments, I've been to the country quite a few times."
"Hey, sounds good to me man. I'm always willing to learn how people prepare different types of cuisine," DJ grinned.
Owen nodded, "And I'm always willing to learn what other types of food tastes like!"
Alejandro chuckled, "Seems like a plan then. Hopefully we'll all last long enough to see it. Assuming we go there, that is."
"Say Duncan, you said you've seen some of the plans, right," Owen asked, "Do you know where we're going?"
"Can't say I do," Duncan admitted, "The plans I saw were very early, lot could have changed since then. Most it said were a bunch of possible ideas, but there was way more than a season would have. I think the only place he had marked as a definite was Newfoundland, and it mentioned something about a relative."
"Fascinating. Using the competition to do a more personal wish as well. Truly, Chris seems to be a man of questionable morals," Alejandro remarked.
DJ chuckled, "You can say that again. I don't like to speak poorly of anyone, but even I'll say that Chris is one of the more twisted people I've met."
"Seems I've got my work cut out for me next season then, in more ways than one," Alejandro remarked.
The party was beginning to wind out, with some of the former contestants starting to tire from the long day they all had. A couple of people were on the verge of falling asleep while others were still catching up. The double doors to the lounge suddenly opened as Chris, flanked by Chef and Blaineley walked into the room. A moment later, Carl the Aftermath Intern also walked in and shut the doors, grumbling, "Geez guys, you all think we live in a barn?"
Ignoring this remark, Chris looked around the room and said, "Hey, can I get everybody's attention please?"
Some people looked over and others ignored him until Chef barked out, "Hey! Look here you ungrateful punks! Got some big news for ya!"
This caught everyone's attention and Chris said, "Thank you Chef. First I wanted to thank everyone who participated on a great season. Congratulations again to Bridgette for winning. But onto why I'm really here. Since I left the Aftermath earlier, I've been talking to the higher ups and I've got some good news and bad news about the future of this show. Which do you guys want to hear first?"
"Bad. Always start with the bad news," William pointed out.
Harold nodded, "He's right. Always start with the worst news, that'll make any good news lessen the impact of the bad. If you start with the good, the bad news will just drag it down."
"Thanks for that Doris," Duncan said with a roll of the eyes.
"I don't want this nice ending to be a downer," Harold shouted back, "Gosh!"
"If we could get back on track please," Blaineley interrupted.
"Right, so you all want the bad news first. Fair enough. The bad news is that Total Drama World Tour has been cancelled. The producers were not exactly happy with the idea and the projected cost of such a season wasn't something they wanted to approve," Chris broke the news.
"Que!? Then what will happen to me then," Alejandro exclaimed.
Sierra tried to break away from the security guarding her from the nearby hallway and said, "And me! I have to be on the show to get closer to Cody!" Sanders and MacArthur held strong and kept her from getting into the room, but they let her stay in the doorway to hear the announcements.
"And what about us who were interns? We were promised to be in another season," Beth pointed out.
"Oh yeah, that's right, I completely forgot," Katie said.
Sadie nodded, "Oh my gosh, me too."
Chris sighed and said, "I was getting to that. There's good news here too, remember? Some people."
"Don't let them get to you Chris," Chef grumbled, "The young are always so impatient."
"I like to think I'm pretty patient," Carl remarked, "And why am I here anyway?"
"All in good time," Blaineley assured him, "And aren't you like, in your twenties? You don't fall into the same category as them."
"As I was saying," Chris loudly said, to quiet the other staff members, "The good news is the producers have greenlit another season in World Tour's place. And they want to make this one as big an event as they can. So much so that all of you will be competing!"
"Another season? All right," Mikey grinned.
Eva grunted, "About damn time."
"Excellent," Joseph said, his voice barely a whisper.
"Oh thank heavens I don't have to worry about flying anymore," Owen sighed in relief.
"Does that include me," Alejandro asked.
"And me," Sierra exclaimed.
"Wait, do we count for that? I could be game for playing," MacArthur exclaimed.
Sanders shook her head, "No MacArthur, we're security for next season, remember? The producers already told me this news."
MacArthur crossed her arms and pouted, "Man, that's lame."
"If I may," Chris said, annoyed even further, "Yes, Alejandro and Sierra, you two are considered part of this season. That's not all, they're even looking at bringing in some fresh faces as well. Not sure exactly how many. They said at least eight more, since forty-four was a nice number for competition purposes. In any event, this next season will take place next summer at where it all began, Camp Wawanakwa! We're still hashing out the details but expect a bigger cash prize than ever before now that we aren't buying a plane or paying countries to let us compete there. And don't worry, there will be some upgrades made to the island to account for the larger group."
Blaineley grinned, "This is why I was brought on as a co-host. A bigger season like this will need someone like me to help lead it along. And Carl here is being promoted to aftermath host."
"Say what," the intern flatly replied, "I don't have the charisma for something like that."
"We'll get a co-host to balance it out for you," Blaineley dismissed before gesturing around, "So I hope you all are ready, because next season will be bigger, better and hopefully more dramatic than every before!"
"We'll see you next season for the greatest season of Total Drama yet," Chris announced, "We'll have people get in contact with you for any questions and concerns before you leave tomorrow, as well as a point of contact for important information before next season. Until then, have fun and don't let the fame get to your head."
The staff quartet then exited the room. Everyone was quietly thinking, coming up with plans and ideas. Some were excited, others were anxious, but everyone knew one thing: They had the chance to become Total Drama Champion once more.
And there we have it! The true finale to Total Drama High School. And look at that, I managed to do it in under a month. You have no idea how proud I am that I got this done so quickly. Aside from the normal Aftermath stuff, like final thoughts from the contestants following their elimination, I wanted to use this to get a few more little character moments for the characters, as well as planting the seeds for the sequel to this. That's why so many conversations included people talking about their plans for the next season. While proofreading, I found the Izzy/William/Rebecca/Ezekiel scene was a little odd/out of character after Ezekiel was introduced, but I feel it was a necessary evil for the purpose of setting up the changes those characters will make.
Now for the elephant in the room, the sequel. Yes, I still intend to write the sequel. It may never be completed, but I've had so many ideas for this sequel to just let things end with this. Chris and Blaineley will host, Chef will have his usual recurring role and Carl the intern will be co-hosting Aftermaths, with either a new character or maybe one of the canon characters, I haven't decided yet. As for the size, I've already figured out the cast (I've even started to write some of the first chapter, well before I wrote this) and there will be more than 44. I won't say how large though. The cast will be all 24 of the first gen cast, the 12 OC's from this story and then the newcomers, who will be a mix of Revenge of the Island characters, Pahkitew Island characters and some new OC's of mine. It's a super ambitious project, but I can't wait to start it. I have not settled on a title yet, but I'm leaning toward something along the lines of Total Drama Ultimate Island or Total Drama Finale, as overplayed as those titles are. (Though it's not like TDHS is a unique title, so maybe I'm just unoriginal at times) In any event, the final title will likely have Ultimate or Finale or some similar wording in the title, as in-universe, this will be sold as the potentially final season of the show. When it eventually debuts I'll make sure the description mentions it's a sequel to this, but if you're really interested, it wouldn't hurt to follow me or keep an eye on my profile or whatever. I'm aiming for a late summer debut for it, as I want to write up at least the entire first "episode" before I publish it (I'm aiming for multi-chapter episodes, at least to start. With the planned cast size, it'll need it). Though I hope to have a few "episodes" done by the time the story comes out, that way I can have somewhat regular uploads to start.
As for in the meantime, besides working on the start of the sequel, I think it's about time I bring one of my other stories out of hiatus. Total Drama Zombieland is close to completion, so maybe I should finally finish it. Who knows, there could be a sequel for that somewhere down the pipeline as well. I've certainly toyed with some ideas for such a thing. As for my other, long dead projects, maybe they'll be finished one day but I wouldn't hold my breath for them. But enough about them, I wanted to thank everyone for reading, and if you've made it this far, I'd appreciate if you answered a new poll on my profile. That is, now that TDHS is done, who was your favorite character from it? I'd like to know what people thought of the cast. Once again, thank you for reading, whether you just discovered this story recently, you've been along for the ride since the beginning, or anywhere inbetween. I sincerely hope you enjoyed and I hope you continue to enjoy when the sequel comes out. Until Next Time!