"Last time on Total Drama United States," Chris began, standing on what appeared to be a nature trail.
Shots from the last episode moved on the screen, supplemented by Chris' narration. "The Yankees and the Yee-Haws split up, some taking on the Empire State Building, and others taking on the American Museum of Natural History."
The next shot was Miriam throwing up into the puzzle pieces bag. "While Miriam was overjoyed to the point of bursting that the Yankees won their advantage in more ways than one..."
Soon, the shot followed Luciana stealing the puzzle pieces, and Corsica making an alliance with Bea. "Luciana snagged the next advantage for the Yee-Haws, but Corsica managed to secure an alliance with idealistic Bea and Mr. Velvet Pipes Drew!"
Finally, the shots ended on Pracilla sticking her hand in Miriam's vomit bag and walking off stage. "Ultimately, it was Pracilla's mean attitude and refusal to help the Yankees assemble the puzzle that got her booted."
Chris finally stopped beside a sign indicating various directions, though it was unclear where he was. "Will the Yankees snag the victory this episode? Will Daryl say something that makes sense? Find this out and more on this episode of Total! Drama! United States!" The camera panned out, revealing Chris on none of than the Appalachian Trail.
(INSTRUMENTAL OF THEME SONG)
The instrumental began with a plane landing in the United States, and Chris emerging from the plane with a huge grin on his face and waving an American flag.
(DEAR MOM AND DAD I'M DOING FINE, YOU GUYS ARE ON MY MIND)
The camera followed Chris through John F. Kennedy International Airport at 2x speed, until he eventually ended up outside signing autographs to rabid fans, leaving Chef to carry their bags, all while holding pamphlets about what to do in New York City. As Chef put down one of the suitcases, one of the pamphlets flew away in the breeze.
(YOU ASK ME WHAT I WANTED TO BE, NOW I THINK THE ANSWER IS PLAIN TO SEE)
The pamphlet drifted into a body of water in Central Park, only to be caught on a hook and reeled it. The other side of the hook was revealed to be Cohen, who huffed at his catch. The camera panned over to Bubba, who reeled in a rather large fish with a beam on his face.
(I WANNA BE FAMOUS)
The camera moved across Central Park to Reggie and Mira, who were throwing a football back and forth to each other. Reggie signaled for Mira to go long, launching the ball from his grip. Mira jumped for it, ultimately missing and watching it hit a cop as he rode by on a bike, sending him to the ground. He got up, immediately heading toward the two, prompting them to run away in terror. They ran across the entrance of the Metropolitan Art Museum, and when they moved inside, the camera followed.
(I WANNA LIVE CLOSE TO THE SUN)
Meredith and Tonia pondered over a Van Gogh self-portrait, Meredith appearing to be rambling about the history of the piece to Tonia, who flipped out her camera to begin to vlog. When they saw Reggie and Mira move by, they paused in confusion, especially when the cop followed. However, the cop stopped when he saw Tonia, removing a notepad to get her autograph.
Meredith huffed, stepping outside of the Met, just for her Met brochure to fly away, which the camera followed.
(SO PACK YOUR BAGS BECAUSE I'VE ALREADY WON)
The Met brochure flew towards Chinatown, stopping when it hit a window to a tea shop. Mitch, Daryl, and Ash were inside, idly looking over tea leaves. When Daryl whipped out a bowl to try and pack the tea leaves in it like they were bud, Mitch face-palmed, Ash staring in awe as Mitch took the bowl and threw it in the trash, just as it was being taken out, and loaded into a garbage truck.
(EVERYTHING TO PROVE NOTHING IN MY WAY, I'LL GET THERE ONE DAY)
The garbage truck eventually passed through Times Square, with Pracilla and Maisie ambling from shop to shop with bags in her hand, the camera then moving to Brianna and Hayato as they got a picture together with someone pretending to be Spiderman. Once Pracilla, Brianna, Hayato, and Maisie all got back together, they gaped at Sophie trying to put the same Spiderman into a headlock, rushing over to her, hoping to pull her off. The camera then followed a taxi as it drove by.
('CAUSE I WANNA BE FAMOUS)
The camera followed the taxi to New York Public Library, where Tom and AJ got out, already whipping out their notebooks in excitement. As AJ opened her notebook to begin to speak to Tom, Kaisa appeared out of nowhere, removing something from AJ's pocket and getting into the taxi they had arrived in.
(NA NA NA...)
The taxi moved to Broadway, and Kaisa got out, entering the Gershwin Theatre on Broadway as Alex was playing the piano, and Drew was singing lovingly to an adoring audience, to which Kaisa rolled her eyes.
(I WANNA BE, I WANNA BE, I WANNA BE FAMOUS!)
The camera moved down the block to the Neil Simon Theatre, where Bea and Miriam were on-stage, laughing as they did the macarena and turned themselves to the side.
(I WANNA BE, I WANNA BE, I WANNA BE FAMOUS!)
The camera moved Corsica exiting the stage door of the Neil Simon Theatre, appearing to have just gotten off stage prior to when Bea and Miriam started dancing. With a longing expression on his face, he peered upward to the top of the Empire State Building.
(WHISTLES)
The camera moved to the top of the Empire State Building, where Luciana and Kyle sat on lawn-chairs, clinking two bottles of Coke together. Suddenly, Luciana pointed to the sky, hitting Kyle on the arm to get his attention.
In the sky, a plane came by, a banner saying "Total Drama: United States" flying behind it.
(EPISODE START)
The episode started inside of the Yee-Haw's RV, where Kyle and Luciana danced around the small kitchenette area, both in their pajamas. Kyle wore a blue tank top and his red boxers, and Luciana was dressed in a pair of grey sweatpants and a baggy, AC/DC t-shirt. Soft music played from the speaker, the song appearing to be "911/Mr. Lonely" by Tyler, the Creator.
"Huevo me, hombre." Luciana held her hand out to Kyle, just as the male passed her a brown egg, which she cracked over a small convection stove into the skillet below.
Sophie ambled from the bunks, her hair sticking out in every-which direction, adorned in a blue-white oversized jersey that fit the small female more like a dress. "Breakfast?" She hummed, rubbing sleep from her eyes.
"Hey, Sophie. Good morning." Kyle greeted, just as he was brewing another pot of coffee. "We have eggs, scrambled, and bacon."
Sophie took the seat next to Bubba, who was already dressed and eagerly awaiting yet another plate of eggs. "How long have you guys been awake?" She asked, the energy starting to return to her voice.
Luciana shrugged, looking over at the clock hung on the wall. "Kyle and I didn't really sleep. We chilled out in here and talked the entire night." She began to move the egg she had in the skillet around with a spatula, bobbing back and forth to the beat of the music.
Sophie narrowed her eyes suspiciously, folding her eyes over her chest. "Just... talking?" With that, her brows raised suggestively.
Luciana and Kyle caught drift of her innuendo, and glanced to each other, only to burst out laughing. "Jesus, no." Kyle laughed, wiping a tear from his eye.
Luciana plated the egg she had scrambled, sliding it over to Bubba, who automatically began to dig in. "Kyle and I both are both gay, we're just homies." She reassured Sophie with a wink, looking to Bubba. "How are the eggs, Bubba?"
Bubba held a thumbs-up, smiling in content. "Five stars, chef!"
(CONFESSIONAL CAM)
Sophie began to tuck her hair into her hat, shaking her head. "Luciana and Kyle are dangerous. Two days here and it's like they are a married couple. That's something I can take advantage of..." Sophie trailed off, smiling mysteriously. "If they say no, that's something I can squash."
(END OF CONFESSIONAL CAM)
In the Yankees RV, the campers were already awake, most of them hustling between the bathroom and the kitchenette area to grab coffee. Despite the grandiose nature of the RV, there was still the problem of there being a single bathroom, and said bathroom doubling as its intentional use, and as a confessional.
(CONFESSIONAL CAM)
Corsica applied his lipstick, with Bea beside him, who gingerly applies mascara to her thick eyelashes. To her left was Drew, who was finishing washing his face.
"What's up Total Drama, it's your favorite alliance trio getting ready for the day and discussing strategy." Drew made weird, 90s hip-hop-esque gestures, involving rock'n'roll hand signs, and folding his arms over his chest.
Bea hit the Milly Rock flawlessly, before resuming to apply mascara once more. "We were discussing adding Tom and AJ to the alliance, but Corsica convinced me to scale them back just being involved for vote numbers, and not letting them in on the whole discussion process."
Corsica fluffed his hair in the mirror, nodding his head in confirmation to Bea's words. "The driver said we were about an hour from our location. Where do you think we're going?"
Bea shuddered, removing the mascara from her eye area. "Hopefully the place doesn't have cockroaches."
(END OF CONFESSIONAL CAM)
The three exited from the bathroom, only to be met with Kaisa on the other side of the door with a towel draped over her shoulder, who regarded them skeptically.
"We were conserving water by all showering together." Drew immediately vouched, only to be met by Corsica slapping him upside of the head.
"Nice try, but you three aren't even wet." Kaisa scoffed, using the towel to gingerly whip Drew on the arm, brushing by them to enter the bathroom.
The camera panned over the living room area, where Miriam was curled up on the couch, with Maisie and Reggie seated next to her.
"Are you going to eat anything?" Reggie asked, offering his granola bar to Miriam, who was seated to her left.
Miriam silently shook her head, curling into herself even more, which made Maisie huff. "Get over it, Miriam. You were saved from elimination, the only person who voted for you was Pracilla, and she's gone. No one else in this RV wanted you gone."
Miriam placed her coffee cup down on the glass table in front of her, shaking her head. "I don't know, it's just weird to shake that I was almost gone for a second, on the first episode nonetheless!"
"Trust me," Reggie clapped her on the back, flashing her a confident grin. "You'll get over this funk. You have this challenge to prove how strong you are to yourself, because I can guarantee you that each of us already see it."
Miriam processed his words, her features softening as the corners of her lips rose. "Thanks, both of you. Sorry, I get stuck in these funks. I have to do better, and I'll let this challenge be my incentive, and I'll guide us to victory. We won't be on that roof voting one of our own out this week."
"Here, here!" Maisie raised her coffee cup, and the couch trio clanked mugs together.
Suddenly, the intercoms crinkled, and Chris' voice rang over the other end. "Yankees, Yee-Haws, we are approaching our destination in 45 minutes! Get dressed, and showered, and cleaned, it'll be hard to do that where we are going."
(APPALACHIAN TRAIL)
Chris stood at the entrance of Virginia's Appalachian Trail, his arms folded over his chest as he leered at both teams in front of him. Chris had two camping packs beside him, filled to the brim, and appearing quite straining on the shoulders.
"Welcome, to the Appalachian Trail! We figured you city folk would have a nice reaction to seeing so much greenery," Chris narrowed his eyes to Daryl, "not the kind you are probably used to.."
Daryl's shoulders slumped, as his head shook in melancholy.
"But regardless, this challenge will push your teamwork even further, and test your outdoor skills, because this week, you will be camping! With no technology at your whim, you will have to get your own food, build your own fire, and find your own way to your campsites and back here using your maps and compasses! First team back will receive immunity!" Chris explained, gesturing to the packs below him.
"Yee-Haws, since you won the last challenge, you'll be receiving an advantage that'll be revealed once you get to your campsite." Chris snapped his fingers, Chef approaching from off frame adorned in an all-khaki get up, holding two maps. He threw one to the Yee-Haws, which was caught by Daryl, and to the Yankees, which was caught by Kaisa.
(CONFESSIONAL CAM)
Daryl smiled in satisfaction, exhaling in glee. "Finally, a challenge in which I can be connected to the Mother. I have hiked a portion of the Appalachian Trail in my past journey, so I know I can be of use this time."
(CONFESSIONAL CAM)
"I can read a map. Do you think I use Apple Maps to complete high-scale robberies?" Kaisa scoffed, her eyes suddenly widening. "But I've never done that, I'm a law-abiding citizen."
(END OF CONFESSIONAL CAMS)
As the teams embarked on their quests, they left Chris and Chef behind. Chris remained in all of his smug glory, while Chef watched the two teams amble off, confusion spread over his features. "Hey Chris, did you forget to tell them about the storm coming tonight?"
Chris feigned surprise, his mouth falling open and his eyes widening. "What? Oh, no! I guess I left that out..."
The two began to chuckle sinisterly, just as the camera faded to black for a commercial break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
The Yee-Haws scoured the trail, led none only by Daryl, who glanced up and down from the map, to the trail in front of him.
"It's kind of nice to see Daryl quiet for once." Sophie conversed with Mitch. Mitch nodded his head, his eyes widening in agreement.
"This morning, he went on this tangent about the power of the self, and how this translates into green smoothies he drinks." Mitch murmured, earning a chuckle from Sophie.
Behind Sophie and Mitch, Tonia sighed in annoyance from beside Bubba, Luciana, and Kyle. "I'm so not used to the elements." She pouted, glancing over to Bubba.
"I just wish I ate more breakfast before coming." Bubba followed, pausing his steps as Kyle hiked the Yee-Haw's backpack further up his shoulders. "You sore there, Kyle?"
"Nah, man. I've got raw strength on my side. Plus, Mira said she'd trade off with me around halfway." Kyle reassured him, glancing to Luciana and elbowing her in the ribs. "How long do you'll think she'll go without yelling at someone?"
Wordlessly, Luciana held her hand up, counting down on her fingers from 5, when she hit 0, Mira's voice sounded from behind them.
"Y'all city dwellers better speed up! I don't care how purty the forest is, it's trees! Y'all can stand and oggle at trees another time!" Mira yelled to Meredith and Alex specifically, who were avidly discussing the beauty of the foliage around them.
This alarmed Brianna and Hayato, who were lost in each other's conversation, and soon caught up with the rest of the group from the very back.
(CONFESSIONAL CAM)
"Mira's very sure of herself, that's for sure. But, she's got to get a handle on her temper. Her strength will only save her so many times before one begins to outweigh the other." Alex grumbled.
(END OF CONFESSIONAL CAM)
On the Yankees side, Kaisa and AJ guided the Yankees through their portion of the trail, followed closely behind by Tom.
"Only around 4 of the thousands of people who attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail make it all the way through." AJ revealed, seemingly having been in the middle of an Appalachian-themed fact babble.
"That's very interesting, did you know that we now technically qualify as section-hikers due to us completing a section of the trail?" Tom followed, much to AJ's excitement. She turned to Tom, beginning to walk backwards.
"Wow! I can write about how I hiked the Appalachian Trail in my school paper! As well as...you know, being in Total Drama!" She beamed, Tom replying with a more muted grin.
Behind them, Corsica scowled in Tom's direction. "God, he's so fake." He seethed, much to Bea's surprise.
"You really think so? I think he's kind. Sure, he has a cooler exterior, but I think everyone has a capability of goodness. Some people are just pigeon-holed to be a certain stereotype because they feel as if they need to fit a role." Bea tried to justify.
Corsica nodded, reaching over and patting Bea's head. "Listen, hun, your idealism is charming when it needs to be. Just trust me, Tom is a snake, and if you get caught in his path and he bites, don't expect me to suck the venom out." Corsica began to walk ahead.
Bea frowned, only to be met with Drew's hand on her shoulder, who had opted to catch up with them. "Your idealism is cute. You're like...You're like a baby bird. Or a small rabbit."
"Those animals are all eaten by the snake, historically." Bea pointed out, raising her brows, only to be met with Drew's awkward chuckle and grin.
Cohen groaned loudly, dragging his feet along the trail. "I hate walking." He complained.
Ash fumbled with his watch, bringing it close to his face to observe the time. "We've only been walking for like 45 minutes."
This made Cohen groan even louder. Miriam heard this, starting to clap her hands. "We've got this, Yankees! Let's get immunity this week!" She tried to motivate, earning chuckles from Reggie and Maisie.
(CONFESSIONAL CAM)
"Okay, so the cheerleader role isn't really the best for me." Miriam sufficed, rolling her eyes. "I just had to wait to get to the campsite to delegate myself as leader."
(END OF CONFESSIONAL CAM)
The Yankees approached their campsite, Kaisa rolling up the map and taking in the scene. "Yup, this is it. Let's get a fire going. Reggie? Can you open the pack and see what's in it?"
Reggie plopped the backpack down, opening the pack and removing a flint and steel, a single canteen, a pot, a knife, and tent gear. "Dope, that's more than the campers got on their first season of Total Drama."
Miriam cracked her knuckles, standing in front of her team. "I move that we delegate people on certain duties so we can easily get our set-up complete. I think we need to focus on getting our shelter set up first, and then the fire."
Kaisa snorted, rolling her eyes. "Okay, sweetheart, clearly this is your first rodeo. You always want to get a fire going, and then focus on shelter. Fire means food, getting clean water, and warmth."
AJ loudly cleared her throat, alerting both girls to her. "Well, I think whatever we need to do, it needs to be done quickly, because there's a pretty unforgiving looking cumulonimbus cloud coming toward us." She pointed West, a mass of grey clouds in the distance.
"Okay then!" Miriam smiled, pointing to Maisie, Reggie, and Corsica. "You three go get food," she then gestured to Bea, Ash, Cohen, and Drew. "You four set the tent up." Finally, she alerted to Kaisa. "We'll get the fire going, and Tom and AJ will go find water."
AJ and Tom were the first ones to disperse from the group, taking the canteen and pot with them. "It's very interesting to see the give and exchange of power between those two." Tom observed once they were far enough away.
"What do you mean by that?" AJ crossed, turning her full attention to Tom.
Tom rubbed his chin, appearing to be lost in thought. "The two are both independent women bent on overcompensation. Their aggression and desire for leadership comes from a place of yearning to prove themselves to be better than they think themselves to be."
AJ followed his words, glancing over her shoulder and watching as her team's figures became mere outlines.
(YEE-HAWS)
Daryl's knowledge of the outdoors had been more than forgiving for the Yee-Haws, as they already had their fire started, and were working on finding clean water.
However, when Tonia reached into the backpack, her brows furrowed in confusion as she didn't appear to find what she was looking for. "Guys, do we have a tarp for the tent?" She asked, turning over her shoulder to look at Alex and Meredith, who were both busy setting it up.
"I didn't see one when I got the tent out." Alex replied, his eyes widening in realization. "Crap, that's the advantage, our backpacks must have been switched."
"We don't have something to put on top of our tent? Oh no, and it looks like it's going to rain." Meredith pointed out, the corners of her lips drawing downward in a worried frown.
Daryl removed himself from sitting in front of the fire, regarding the trio before him. "Perhaps this is what Mother intended for us. We can feel her entire wavelength if we put our hearts to the soil below."
Sophie groaned, drawing the bill of her hat further down her face. "No one knows what you're talking about. Now go make yourself useful and go get us some food before it rains!" She commanded, prompting Daryl to shrug his shoulders, ambling into the woods.
Brianna and Hayato emerged from the other side of the campsite, holding the canteen and the pot. "H-Hayato and I got water!" She sang, stepping toward the campfire, only to drip over a root that meandered through the campsite, the pot of water falling out of her hands and onto the ground below her.
"Damn it, Brianna! Now you have to go all the way back to get it refilled." Sophie growled, rising to her feet and gesturing to the mess below her.
Hayato stepped in front of Brianna protectively, narrowing his eyes. "Relax, Sophie. It was an accident. I'll go grab the water." He plucked the pot from the ground, handing off the canteen to Brianna.
(CONFESSIONAL CAM)
"I-It was really nice for Hayato to stand up for me. It reminded me of when we were kids..." Brianna trailed off, her cheeks turning pink. Once she realized she was still in front of the camera, she awkwardly giggled, rubbing the back of her head.
(END OF CONFESSIONAL CAM)
The sun had started to set, the thunder starting to boom in the distance. The Yee-Haws were huddled around their fire, all of them looking up to see Mira and Daryl emerge from the forest, Mira holding fish, and Daryl's shirt acting as a carrying device for mushrooms.
"Alright y'all, I can de-scale the fish and get it carved up using the knife Chris gave us, Daryl has some weird mushrooms that y'all can eat." Mira announced, plopping down next to Tonia. Removing the knife, she began to de-scale the fish, expertly carving along the necessary bones to make the fish easier to eat, before she tossed it into the pot dangling over the fire to cook.
Kyle and Luciana approached Daryl, holding their hands out. "We're starving. We could only distract ourselves with Tonia discussing her Internet history for too long."
Daryl placed a mushroom into their hands, which Luciana and Kyle clinked together in a toast, before automatically starting to eat. "Earthy." Kyle commented, nodding his head before he swallowed it.
Tipping his head, Daryl looked down at the mushrooms, his eyes widening in shock. "Children of Mother, the forest gives us opportunities to feel Her aura via natural hallucinogens. Mushrooms are a good way to do so, and they happen to look identical to the mushrooms I picked for us to eat..."
Luciana swallowed, freezing as she processed Daryl's words. "So...you're telling me there's a possibility I could start tripping balls?!" She whispered, grabbing Daryl by the shirt collar.
Daryl waved his hands in surrender, shaking his head. "Do not think of it as tripping, think of it as becoming closer to Mother's vision to total enlightenment. You will realize in around an hour which one you took."
Luciana released Daryl, taking in Kyle's appearance. She groaned, looking up to the sky. "Well f***."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
Rain started to pitter-patter against the Yankees' tent, which was luckily covered by a tarp. Inside were well-fed and hydrated Yankees, all in a circle.
"Okay, Drew. Truth or dare?" Cohen asked the male seated across from her in the circle.
"Easy, truth." Drew shot back in a nonchalant manner, leaning back against his hands.
"Who is the hottest person on our team?" Cohen asked, everyone snickering in response.
Drew leaned up, rubbing his chin as he thought about his answer for a moment. "Miriam." He replied firmly with a nod of his head toward the girl.
This made Miriam smirk, shaking her head. "I'm not looking for anything here, and if I was, trust me Drew, you would be the last person I would seek that from."
Drew pretended to faint, Bea fake-fanning him. The atmosphere in the tent was broken by a loud clap of thunder, making Ash yelp in surprise.
"It's all good! We only have around..." Ash paused, checking his watch and doing some math within his head. "7 hours left, if we want to leave here around 7 AM."
"7 hours?" AJ paled, burying her face within her hands. "I'm not the biggest fan of thunderstorms."
Tom reached into the bag behind him, producing a small lantern and putting it in the middle of the group. "I can logistically state that we are more than likely doing better than our opponents."
"Yeah!" Reggie asserted; a positive smile plastered on his handsome features. "Think about this positively. We are well-fed, hydrated, and we aren't going to get wet because of the tarp. It's just 7 hours of us hanging out together, what could possibly go wrong?"
Thunder boomed even louder, lightning highlighting the rapidly moving branches beyond the fabric of the tent.
"Try not to make it sound like everything is going to go wrong." Maisie mumbled to Reggie.
(YEE-HAWS)
Inside of the Yee-Haw's tent, Kyle's eyes remained transfixed onto Mitch's shirt, his jaw agape as he witnessed the nuances of Jason's mask bend and turn before his very eyes. Extending his hand, Kyle stroked the front of Mitch's shirt. "I can feel your suffering, hockey man." Kyle whispered.
Mitch regarded Kyle suspiciously, turning to Meredith, Bubba, and Alex. "Why is he copping a feel on my shirt?"
Bubba leaned forward, looking deeply into Kyle's eyes. "His pupils are huge. You don't think he's..." He trailed off, not knowing how to finish his sentence without incriminating Kyle too harshly.
"High?" Meredith finished, tapping her chin. "Historically, hallucinogenic mushrooms have been easily mistaken for regular mushrooms due to similar appearance. So, I think whoever ate the mushrooms may be high." She then turned to Alex. "Did you see anyone else eat those mushrooms?"
Alex shook his head, gesturing outside of the tent. "Just Luciana. But I haven't seen her in a little bit."
Mitch scrambled to his feet, his head thrashing back and forth inside of the tent. "Did any of you guys see if she wandered off after she said she had to pee?!" When he was met with silence, Mitch groaned, burying his face in his hands. "I'll go look."
Mitch clambered from the tent, only to be met with a massive downfall of rain, and Sophie and Daryl stacking large leaves on top of the tent. "Have you guys seen Luciana?!" He called, having to raise his voice.
Sophie held her hat down as a large gust of wind pummeled her small frame. "She went to go pee like 10 minutes ago!"
Mitch gestured angrily to Daryl, narrowing his eyes. "The poster boy for Birkenstocks gave Luciana and Kyle shrooms, and now they're high, and Luciana is nowhere to be found."
Sophie whipped around to face Daryl, her small hands moving into fists. "God, I was just starting to think you were useful!" She crowed.
Out of Mitch's periphery, Brianna, Hayato, Tonia, and Mira re-entered camp, each of them holding foliage meant for the roof. Mitch jogged to them, waving his hands desperately. "Did you guys see Luciana?"
Brianna shook her head, cringing as lightning illuminated the sky a pale blue. Mitch bit down harshly on his lower lip, pointing to Tonia. "Luciana's tripping and lost in the woods because of Daryl," he flashed a hateful look back toward the male. "Tonia, stay behind with Meredith, Bubba, and Alex, don't let Kyle leave unless you follow him. The rest of us have to go look for Luciana."
(CONFESSIONAL CAM)
"Listen, I've seen about every horror movie there is to offer. Someone being alone, in the middle of the night in the woods, as well as it raining, AND them being high? That automatically spells disaster to me. I knew we had to find Luciana before someone else did." Mitch nodded his head firmly. "It was time for me to step up."
(END OF CONFESSIONAL CAM)
On the Yankees side, Kaisa emerged from the safety of the tent, cringing as rain began to pelt the exposed portions of her skin, feeling more like needles than raindrops. Extending her arm, she held out the canteen, listening to the raindrops vociferously rattle the metal container.
Despite the sheer volume of the rain, the vague whisper of branches snapping behind her made Kaisa jump, her muscles tensing defensively as her eyes scanned over the vast expanse of forest. "Yo, if you're a bear, I can take you!" She yelled into the woods.
What emerged from the woods wasn't a bear at all. In some ways, a bear would have been easier to explain to her teammates than who came from the woods.
"Luciana?!" Kaisa sputtered, taken aback by seeing a member of the opposing team at their camp, especially in her state. Her white shorts were splattered with mud, as well as her legs and arms. Goosebumps rose along her exposed skin, Luciana's body shaking in tremors that made her eyes shut.
Hesitantly, Kaisa approached the female, narrowing her eyes to her. "You're a bit far from Yee-Haw territory."
Luciana emitted a string of slurred chuckles, her head lolling from side to side. "I am just allowing myself to be freed of society. You feel me? I am labelled just by looking the way I do, and now I feel like... Like I'm ethereal."
Given Kaisa's lifestyle, it wasn't hard for her to comprehend the pattern of behavior that Luciana was exhibiting as being characteristic of taking hallucinogens. "Okay, you need to get inside." Kaisa wrapped an arm around the girl, helping guide her to the tent.
Inside, most of the Yankees had started to settle down, Cohen being fast asleep and snoring. Kaisa ushered Luciana inside, shocking the people that were wide awake, more specifically Maisie and Reggie.
"Woah! Time-out, did you pick up a stray or something?" Maisie teased, taking note of Luciana's rather disheveled appearance.
"Is she...okay?" Reggie dropped his voice to a low murmur, not wanting to offend Luciana by insinuating anything about her character.
Kaisa forced Luciana to sit, automatically starting to rub down Luciana's arms to help her regain some body warmth. "She's tripping balls and got lost in the woods. I'm assuming her team is looking for her right now, but with the rate the storm is moving, there's no way they'll be able to complete their search party. So, for now, we are plus one."
Reggie was quick to accept this, starting to allow himself to relax into a sleeping position. "Wake me up if you need anything."
Maisie was slower to accept this, seeing nothing wrong with leaving Luciana in the rain, given the fact that she was on the other team. But, eventually, she lowered herself down so she could fall asleep.
Kaisa forced her canteen to Luciana's lips, aiding the female in swallowing and drinking the water. "God you owe me so big if we merge. Plus, you're on TV. Your parents are probably going to kill you for seeing you trip."
Luciana shook her head, some of the water dribbling down her chin. With a roll of her eyes, Kaisa aided in cleaning this off with the sleeve of her sweatshirt. Luciana squirmed, the texture of the sweatshirt being too soft against her skin.
"My mom's in the slammer, and your face is moving." Luciana revealed, her eyes widening as Kaisa's face bent and contorted like it was a Snapchat filter.
At this reveal, Kaisa fell quiet, her knees curling to her chest as she took in this part of Luciana's life. The reveal that Luciana's mom was in jail didn't make her uncomfortable, as much as the fact that she probably wouldn't ever know this information if Luciana had been sober. The reveal in hallucinogenic-delirium wasn't Kaisa's place to hear to begin with.
"It's going to last a bit, but the best thing you can do is just try to sleep." Kaisa laid down, staring up at the ceiling of the tent. Luciana mimicked the girl's movements, soon laying next to her. "Oh no, my team is going to kill me..."
(YEE-HAWS)
"Luciana!" Hayato cupped his hands over his mouth, yelling into the forest. Behind him, a symphony of yells followed, belonging to Mitch, Mira, Sophie, Daryl, and Brianna. Sophie wiped the lantern in front of them, the muted glow of yellow illuminating the harsh conditions in front of them.
"Y'all! It's no use, we have to go back." Mira acknowledged, moving her fingers through her soaked, brown hair.
Sophie peeked at Mira through the brim of her hat, which was the one thing keeping her face and some of her hair dry. "And do what? Leave her behind?"
Veins in Mira's neck clenched as she gestured around them, and to the sky. "Do you see this, Sophie?! I can barely even tell you're in front of me! How are we gonna get Luciana, and get back to camp? We'll find her when the conditions clear up!"
"Are you kidding me?" Mitch interjected, moving to stand beside Sophie. "She's by herself facing the elements."
Daryl lifted a hand, shaking his head. "Technically, she is not alone, she has the power of Mother on her side to act as a spiritual guide through the raw nature of the emotional stat-"
Sophie began igniting in shushes, beginning to stomp away from Daryl. "Shut. UP! No one know what you are TALKING about!"
From the sidelines, Brianna and Hayato paused, Brianna's arms curled to her chest as she shivered, averting her gaze to the ground to avoid too much rain getting into her eyes. "I-Is Luciana going to be okay?" Her soft voice barely at a volume for Hayato to comprehend.
Hayato looked down to the female, hesitantly extended an arm out and wrapping it around her. "Of course, she'll be fine. We'll just go find her when the rain clears up, and we can see more than 2 feet in front of us."
Brianna scrunched up her nose, worry plaguing her features. However, she relaxed against Hayato's touch, her body reclining into his. "I-I wonder how Kyle is..."
Back at the Yee-Haw camp, Alex mimed playing the piano, with Kyle bobbing from side to side. "I've always admired Mozart..." He slurred, making Alex glance over his shoulder in worry to Meredith.
Meredith took this opportunity to free Alex from "piano-playing duty", sitting in front of Kyle. "Alright, Kyle, what's on your mind?"
Before Kyle had a real grasp on what his thoughts were, he began speaking. "What is a mind? If we take a brain out of someone and put it into another person, who do we see? The body or the mind first? So does it really matter what's on my mind, for I may not even be here right now, in this moment, with all of you." He rambled, leaving his friends in stunned silence. "Also, the scene in Aladdin when the cave talks."
Amidst the silence, Bubba and Tonia began to clap, exchanging incredulous looks with each other. "What a philosophical sentiment! Brava!" Tonia beamed.
Alex rubbed the bridge of his nose, sighing quietly. "Please let this night end..."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
To say that the Yankees were surprised to wake up and see a very hungover-like Luciana was an understatement. However, this led Corsica to the epiphany that if she was with them, the Yee-Haws would automatically lose the challenge. So, he warmed up quickly to the female's presence.
"It's sort of nice to be free of Mira's yelling for a little bit." Luciana commented idly to Tom and AJ as they walked back toward where Chris had told them to go to.
Seeing this as an opportunity to learn about the dynamic of the other team, Tom pressed forward. "I am assuming that she takes on a leadership role for your team?"
Luciana shook her head, sticking her hands in her pockets. "Nah, that's mainly Sophie. Everyone on the team is chill, Brianna and Hayato eye-screw each other every day, and Tonia pretends to vlog like she's a coke addict going through withdrawal or something."
She was about to continue talking, when AJ stopped her. "I-I actually think Kaisa wanted something, you should go see what it is."
Luciana's brows bunched together, as she didn't hear her name being called, but she shrugged, jogging forward to catch up with Kaisa. AJ turned to him sternly, staring him down in indignation.
"Tom, stop taking advantage of Luciana. She's been nothing but nice." She scolded.
Tom feigned innocence, placing a hand to his heart. "I was merely making conversation. We may come together for a merge, and if I have the backbone of this interaction, it will be easier for us to click for voting purposes later."
Corsica caught whiff of this and scoffed, elbowing Drew in the ribs. "If we make it to the merge, there is no way Tom is picking up Luciana. She's going to be with us."
Drew tipped his head, a skeptical hum escaping him. "I don't know, dude, she's pretty tight with that Kyle guy. I have a feeling it would be hard breaking her from the Yee-Haws if we all made it to the merge."
"Yeah," Bea added, tying her black hair into a ponytail. "Are you sure you aren't just wanting Luciana just because Tom does?"
Corsica shot Bea a sour look, Bea automatically murmuring an apology.
"Fellas! We made it!" Ash hollered from the front upon seeing Chris' frame in the clearing, as well as the figures of the rest of the Yee-Haws.
The Yankees charged forward, Reggie tossing the pack down to Chris' feet.
"Contestants, that...was awesome!" Chris gushed with hysterical laughter. "From the rain, to Daryl giving Kyle and Luciana shrooms!" He wiped a tear from his eye. "You can't beat that. But, rules are rules. I said all members of the team had to be back in order for there to be victory, and one Yee-Haw just got added back to the ranch."
Chris gestured for Luciana to rejoin her team, and she slunk over to Kyle, met with a few harsh glances from Mira and Sophie.
"Which means the Yankees are the winners of this week's challenge!"
The Yankees erupted in cheers, which juxtaposed drastically with the Yee-Haw's silence. Chris pointed to the Yee-Haws, pointing his thumb to their RV. "Yee-Haws, get showered and get ready to vote out one of your own."
(YEE-HAWS RV)
"Let's be honest with ourselves, it's going be me. My dumbass just had to wander off." Luciana hinted to Kyle, popping an Advil into her mouth and chasing it with a gulp of water.
"What? No way. You wouldn't have wandered off if Daryl didn't drug us. He should be the one going home, not you." Kyle denied, rising to his feet. "Just let me handle this, alright?"
Kyle patted his friend on the shoulder, the bags beneath his eyes obvious in the fluorescent luminescence of the RV. He headed outside of the RV, where Meredith, Bubba, Alex, and Tonia were seated.
"Who were you guys wanting to vote off?" Kyle inquired, plopping down next to Alex.
"Daryl." Alex responded with no hesitation, moving his fingers through his hair. "We took care of you last night, you were out of your mind. Luciana can't be held accountable to the extent that Daryl can. Plus, I could deal without Daryl ragging on me for taking a bite of bacon or eggs."
"Luciana has more...It factor than Daryl. I trust her to perform more in challenges." Tonia allowed herself to do jazz hands as she said the word 'it', before folding her arms over her chest.
Bubba soon chimed in, drumming his fingers along the side of the RV. "Yeah, you and Luciana cook the best eggs, and Daryl's green smoothie smells like death. How will I be expected to survive without breakfast?"
Inside the bunk area, Mitch, Sophie, Mira, Brianna, and Hayato also discussed elimination. "Y'all, it has to be Luciana. If she didn't get lost, then we wouldn't be here right now." Mira surmised, earning agreement from both Brianna and Hayato.
"Dude, Daryl totally drugged her though. She wasn't told until after the fact that she consumed them, what kind of person allows their own teammate to just drug themselves?" Mitch cross-examined, looking to Sophie to back up his statement.
She was about to open her mouth to speak, when Daryl exited the bathroom, steam pouring from when he had taken his shower. The steam soon faded, revealing a very naked Daryl in its wake.
Hayato's hands flew over Brianna's eyes, and Sophie groaned in disgust. "Why don't you have a damn towel?!" She yelled, hopping down from her bunk bed ready to fight.
Daryl extended his arms, closing his eyes. "I am having skin to skin contact with Mother. Her radiance shines through me-"
Sophie began to viciously shush him again, her finger moving from her lips to him. "Shut, the f***, up, DARYL!"
Daryl shrugged, grabbing his clothes from his bed, and soon heading back to the bathroom to change.
Mitch hopped down from Sophie's bed, wordlessly starting toward the kitchenette. "I'm going to plunge my eyes out with a butter knife."
(YEE-HAW ELIMINATION)
Identically to the Yankees elimination two days prior, the Yee-Haws were seated in front of Chris, the two groups separated by a small fire in front of them. "Whenever you get a marshmallow, you will be kicked off the RV, and never to return again. Ever!" Chris emphasized, narrowing his eyes to the team. "First marshmallow goes to...Mitch."
Mitch pumped his fist in the air, jogging to grab the marshmallow. "Brianna, Hayato, Mira." The three then joined Alex, Brianna and Hayato smiling to each other, making Mira gag.
"Tonia, Sophie, Bubba." Tonia squealed in excitement, hugging Bubba and heading over to Chris. Tonia handed Bubba her marshmallow, which he happily consumed, and Sophie stood with placid confidence.
"Alex and Meredith." The two high-fived, joining the rest of the team, and leaving Kyle, Luciana, and Daryl behind. "Kyle." Chris spoke, Kyle glancing a reassuring glance over his shoulder to Luciana before joining the team.
"There is only one marshmallow left. The person that gets this marshmallow and can continue with Total Drama United States is..." Chris paused for dramatic effect
"Luciana."
Luciana sighed in relief, rising to her feet and jogging to Kyle's side, fist-bumping him, the two of them throwing their marshmallows into each other's mouths.
Daryl frowned, but soon regained his composure. "Life has many journeys for me. The state of this team reflects many growing and shrinking consciousness minds." Before Daryl could continue his ramble, Chris coughed.
"Alright, dude, we get it. Please, just get off before Sophie breaks your knee-cap." Chris turned to the remaining Yee-Haws. "The rest of you, get some sleep, our next challenge begins tomorrow morning!"
(GAS STATION)
Around midnight, the three RVs stopped to get some gas, prompting Kaisa to exit in much need of some beef jerky.
"Yo! Kaisa!" A voice stopped Kaisa's journey, and she turned, only to be met with Luciana's figure.
Kaisa appeared amused, her hands resting on her hips. "You made it through elimination! Glad to see it."
Luciana stopped in front of her, looking down to the female in front of her. "Yeah, me too. There was a moment where I thought that I was a goner for sure." Luciana's smile fell, and she rubbed the back of her neck. "I just wanted to say thanks for like, rescuing me from the harsh elements. I'm not too good with articulating my words, so just know that it's genuine."
A sly chuckle parted from Kaisa's full lips, her hand moving gingerly along Luciana's arm. "Don't sweat it, kay?" She stepped back, winking to her opponent. "See you on the battlefield, Yee-Haw." With that, Kaisa departed from Luciana.
Luciana, her brows furrowed and her lips pursed in amusement, began to amble back to her own RV. "Don't be so cocky, Yankee."
When Luciana came inside, she was met by Kyle on the couch, a bemused grin on his face as he waggled his brows to his companion. "That light arm touch was suave on her part."
Luciana rolled her eyes, swatting Kyle's arm. She plopped down next to him, her head leaning on his shoulder. "Shut up." She grumbled, her eyes sliding shut. Kyle rolled his eyes, leaning his head against hers.
(CONFESSIONAL CAM)
"Luciana is sort of my best homie around here. I can't really imagine going through this competition without her." Kyle admitted, automatically shaking his own head. "Man, I hope she never sees this. She'll roast me for being as soft as the marshmallows we're given at elimination."
(END OF CONFESSIONAL CAM)
And with that, episode 2 is done! What are your reactions? Anymore predictions? Review down below!
I know you're all wondering why I'm cranking these episodes out so fast. The thing is, I go to work June 1st, and I work as a counselor at a summer camp until August. So, I want to get at least three episodes out to you guys before I head off, and I can tell you for a fact, the next episode is going to be more dramatic.
Here's a hint for the location. I don't mean to "Bragg", but it's in my home-state!
Thanks everyone!