Ep 4: Pirates of the Bakuhatsu
The island was engulfed in sunshine with its bright-blue sky, looking sunnier than ever; no clouds could be seen for miles ahead. Ocean currents drifted soothingly onto the sandy beach. Only Hailee and her assistant Calvin were on the beach, taking their time until the camera crew members worked through technical difficulties setting up the tripods. As they continuously struggled, Hailee rested onto a blue, reclining beach chair with her heels taken off; both heels gently settled under her chair. Calvin stood awkwardly beside her, waving cool air towards the host with a large, wooden fan.
"Ms. Friarwood?" One of the crew members alerted her. She lifted her head, taking off her black shades, revealing impatience. "Our set's repaired. We are ready to shoot."
"Finally." Hailee rolled her eyes. As the cameraman pressed record, she quickly readjusted her hair, as she focused her attention directly for the rolling cameras. "Last time, on Total Drama: Bakuhatsu Island…" She remained seated on her chair. "Hope you viewers are used to seeing my face by now because Phil won't be coming back anytime soon. Anyways…there was drama. There were fights. And there was mystery, surprisingly. Last episode's challenge revolved around guessing who did what, basing their guesses strictly by observations. Shockingly, I ended up using both traps once, which was quite a bummer. An underperformance, TV-rating-wise." She rolled her eyes. "Team Fish managed to taste victory for the first time this season, but unfortunately, during an overly-dramatic race for the finish between Arnold and Soraya, Team Eels ultimately secured the victory…" She glared at her assistant; Calvin's arms were quickly fatigued from the long, continuous waving and took an arm breather, much to Hailee's disappointment. "Calvin!"
"Yes Ms. Friarwood?" He answered nervously.
"Since you're just standing there idly, give me a foot massage… STAT!"
Calvin hurriedly dashed closer to her; his knees were set onto the sand, as he carefully massaged her exhausted feet.
"In conclusion…" Hailee continued. "Lily ended up packing her bags, leaving a cryptic message for her fellow campers. What could her message mean, exactly? Well, I guess you viewers will have to stay tune, for today's episode of…" She enthusiastically lifted both arms outwards in the air.
"Total!...
Drama!...
Bakuhatsu Island!"
Opening Theme
(Multiple cameras popped out of the lush bushes and palm trees found within the island)
Dear Mom and Dad, I'm doin' fine,
(The camera did its signature zoom across the island, as it quickly flew by Hailee and Phil arguing on the camper's compound.)
You guys are on my mind.
(The camera then entered a deep pond found further inland covered in dark, dense vegetation.)
You asked me what I wanted to be
(A gleeful Arnold found a treasure chest deep within the pond, but it was quickly snatched by Hunter's fishing rod as he raised it onto the wooden boat. Arnold swam up onto the boat and threw his fake, plastic cutlass sword towards him, but Hunter deflected it and whipped it into the air, as it flew across the sky.)
And now I think the answer is plain to see,
(The cutlass falls and lands with the blade stuck on the ground, frightening both Kiara and Kayla, as they stood right next to it.)
I wanna be famous.
(A large, green snake with bright, red eyes slithered out a nearby bush and hissed at Kiara and Kayla, frightening them once more as the snake chased after them.)
I wanna live close to the sun,
(Spencer and Nanci were both on a motorboat, cruising through a river in a dense, swampy region. A couple of random crustaceans jumped onto the motor and pinched it, causing the motor to glitch. The boat then sped uncontrollably, zooming through the river. Spencer and Nanci were panicking.)
Go pack your bags, 'cause I've already won,
(The boat quickly passed by Alexander, as he continued playing his pipe flute.)
Everything to prove, nothing in my way
(The crustaceans that were on the motorboat jumped out the river and pinched on all over Alexander's body, as he then screamed in immense pain.)
I'll get there one day.
(Lily leaned onto the outhouse confessional and noticed Alexander's screams from a distance. She took photos of his inconvenience with her camera but was then startled by a sudden arrow piercing through the confessional door. It was revealed to be Emily carrying a bow and arrow, who then had an apologetic smile.)
Cause, I wanna be famous!
(At a region near the beach, Rashon tried to carry multiple coconuts at the same time, presumably for someone else, but clumsily tripped on a rock, dropping all the coconuts at once. Zane creepily stared at him from near a palm tree.)
Na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na!
(Soraya and Daniela were seen arguing on the beach. Soraya was standing with her arms crossed, while Daniela sat on a black couch with her hand resting on her face.)
I wanna be, I wanna be, I wanna be famous!
(On the main dock, Oliver pulled out a line graph from the sky, seemingly out of thin air, as he pointed out the downwards slope in viewership and ratings for Total Drama.)
I wanna be, I wanna be, I wanna be famous!
(The dock exploded out of nowhere, dropping Oliver into the water. As he swam back up, it was revealed to be Phil. He stood on the leftover part of the dock, holding a remote control in his hand as he grinned menacingly.)
(Whistle)
(Spencer and Nanci smiled and looked straight into each other's eyes, but suddenly, Arnold popped right in between them, waving his sword in front of their faces. Nanci's face turned to confusion, while Spencer was completely annoyed. The camera then zoomed out of the campfire site, revealing all the contestants sitting in a circle.)
The island was unusually quiet at six in the morning. A typical early morning should be crowded with birds chirping, but alas, just silence. Even in the deeper part of the rainforest, no critters were heard, besides the occasional cricket. One person took note of the forest's intensive hush. His rope hanged from a towering tree branch, as he continuously searched for a valuable item deep within the tree's thick leaves. However, he found nothing. Nothing at all. Standing stiffly on a thick branch, he took a small step backwards, but his heavy-duty boots failed to grip, tripping himself on the branch as he violently dropped onto the muddy surface.
"Ahh great! Just great!" He lifted his back off the ground as he the wiped the heavy mud off his face, revealing his identity to the Total Drama cameras…
Hunter.
Confessional:
Hunter: "So…" He smirked. "You might be wonderin'… how the hell did the amazing Hunter busted himself out the rope? Y'all should know by now, I always keep a blade underneath my sleeves." He pulled out a knife from underneath his jacket sleeves like a magic trick, as he menacingly twirled it in the air. "I've been in worse scenarios; this was no biggie. But yo! This was the perfect opportunity to search for that immunity idol, and I blew it, damn it! Searched all evening yesterday! And just searched every tree in this damn sector and found nothing! Nada! And without that map, I ain't got no shot at immunity. For now, I'm gonna' stay chill, keep myself under the radar, and figure out an excuse once I return to camp. But hear me out dawg; I will find a way out of this. I always do…"
-static-
As he continuously, but tiredly, walked in a straight line to nowhere, he suddenly stumbled upon one end of the island: a cliff devoid of any trees. A drop from the cliff was about half the height of the iconic Wawanakwa cliff, but still terrifyingly steep, nonetheless. Upon closer inspection, he noticed a person near the end of the cliff, waving a sword around like a maniac.
"ARGH! This is thy Captain speaking!" Arnold screamed to the sky, holding his sword in the air. Hunter was hidden in a bush a few meters behind him, cautiously observing his surroundings, making sure no one else was with him.
"Perfect." He muttered.
Confessional:
Hunter: "Hear me out; just as I was thinkin' maybe… just maybe… I could use a scapegoat. And what a coincidence that I stumbled upon pirate yahoo from the Fish Team, with no one around." He gave a sinister grin. "See? Sometimes, old plans don't work out, but it don't matter for us scavengers. 'Cause I got somethin' regular law-abiding citizens don't: improv and lack of integrity."
-static-
"Yo! Pirate dude!" Hunter startled Arnold; he almost dropped his sword down the cliff.
"ARGH!" He had a frustrated look on his face. "Don't scare thy Captain like that! I didn't ask for audience members, matey!"
Hunter raised an eyebrow, his face confused, unsure on how to respond to such eccentricity. "Alright, yo! Can you cut the crap? I got a proposition to make…" He walked closer to Arnold, facing directly towards him.
"Only the Captain can make propositions!" Arnold slid his plastic sword back onto his belt, crossing his arms firmly. "Captain Arnold never do favors for thee homeless. Now… go away! I'm practicing confrontation! ARGH!"
Hunter, frustrated at his stubbornness, viciously grabbed Arnold's thin neck, lifting him up in the air with just one hand, and hovered him over the cliff as Arnold struggled for air.
"You got five seconds to drop the act, before I drop you off the cliff." Hunter glared at him with violent eyes.
"Argh!" He continuously gasped for air. "You wouldn't dare dropping the Captain on live television!"
"Wanna' bet?"
Hunter would not budge, and Arnold took note of his genuine threat. "You aren't serious, are you?"
Hunter menacingly glared at him even further. "As serious as a convict."
"Okay, okay. I hear you. Now can you please let go?" Hunter hovered him back to the ground, letting go of his neck as he breathed the air back inside. For the first time this season, Arnold dropped his fake pirate accent. His sudden transition to normal speech caught Hunter off-guard for a short moment.
"Playin' dumb in front of your teammates? Impressive." Hunter crossed his arms. "Too bad ya' overplayed that card and almost got voted off. Word of advice kid: stay under the radar, like me." He pointed to himself with braggadocio.
"First off…" Arnold dusted the dirt off his pirate jacket. "I got no clue what you're talking about. Secondly, you just ruined my chance of starring in an upcoming pirate movie. All my acting has now gone to waste, thanks to this very moment."
"Really?" Hunter laughed. "First off, your acting sucks. Secondly, I got a better idea. How 'bout let's say; I jumpstart your acting career?"
"I'm no longer acting like a pirate right now, so there goes my shot to be a movie star." Arnold was peeved.
"Not necessarily." Hunter smirked. "This gonna' be where my proposition ties in. I'm gonna' honest, you had no shot to begin with. Nada. But you really wanna' land that pirate role? You gotta' step it up a notch. Real pirates don't just say stupid catchphrases, they gotta' steal them valuables. Cause grief. That's key to asserting dominance. Know what I'm sayin'? You've only been doing the basics, dawg."
"So, you're saying I should be a thief?" Arnold raised an eyebrow. "That's a bit out of my comfort zone."
"See? That's the problem." Hunter facepalmed. "True pirates are masters at thievery. You gotta' fully commit to the art of thievery, before becoming a real pirate. Once you perfect that artform, the possibilities are endless. But ya' gotta' drop a bit of morality to even reach that level of potential. Otherwise, kiss that movie role goodbye. So, you in?"
Confessional:
Arnold: "ARGH! Oh, what's the point of pirate-talks in confessionals anymore…" He swiftly changed back to his regular voice. "He's right. I've only been doing the pirate talk the whole time. Maybe that's why no one was taking me seriously. But I must step it up a notch. And if it means making an alliance with my competitor, then so be it."
-static-
"Well…" Arnold pondered. "Looks like I have no choice. But what if people stop liking me?"
"Oh, please bro…" Hunter interrupted. "Your own teammates already don't like you. I've been watching their constant glares from a distance. Listen… you and I are in hot water. Make one wrong, sudden move, and we are voted off… instantly. We gotta' stick together to survive before they start picking us off. Now, shake my hand…" Hunter extended his arm forward, as Arnold stood silent for a few seconds, pondering on his next move.
"Well then…" Arnold raised an eyebrow but shook his hand regardless. "Alliance, it is…"
"First order of business…" Hunter observed the forest cautiously, frantically moving his pupils from left to right. "My teammate Soraya got a treasure map inside her room. She's eyeing me down like a hawk, so I can't even step near the compound without suspicion. She's also put me on 'time-out', so I'm gonna' need you to sneak inside when they ain't lookin'. So, you in?"
"A treasure map, you say?" Arnold grinned. "You got a deal."
"Perfect." He smirked. "Meet me by the challenge area once you snatch the map. In the meantime, I'm gonna' continue off to my nature walk."
Confessional:
Arnold: "I remember the Eels won the immunity idol map, but the tall girl also found a treasure map? Wow, Hunter's right. I need to step up my pirate game. That girl makes a better pirate than me, admittedly."
-static-
Hunter: "Perfect." Hunter smirked, rubbing his hands like a cartoon villain. "The seeds are planted. Got myself a scapegoat. Now, all I need is Soraya gone. She's been eyeing me for far too long. Ya' know that pathetic, little anti-Hunter campaign that she's been leading? Yeah, that ends today."
-static-
Spencer, Daniela, and Emily sat inside the girl's room, talking amongst them like friends on a high school lunch table. They spoke in low voices, since seven in the morning usually meant a quiet atmosphere outside their tiny cabin. Only a few, scattered birds could be heard chirping.
"Hey guys?" Spencer interrupted. He mostly sat quietly on the floor, with one knee stiffly up, while Daniela and Emily talked about their favorite movies. "Do you guys realize how the Eels' slab just slammed opened out of nowhere? They definitely cheated, yet the host did nothing. It's like Hailee doesn't even care."
"Um…" Daniela chuckled. She laid down on her bunk bed with her hand on her head. "Welcome to Total Drama, where the host can bend the rules whenever they feel like it."
"Yeah, but c'mon!" Spencer retorted. "At least don't make it obvious, ya' know what I mean?"
Confessional:
Spencer: "I saw that Hunter guy steal some weird remote from the assistant. Definitely keeping an eye out on him, in case he approaches me."
-static-
Daniela: She rolled her eyes while smiling. "Worry this, worry that. Yeah, typical Spence. Well, at least we kicked out Lily. She kept peeking at my phone whenever I'm texting someone, like yo, a lil' personal space please?"
-static-
"Maybe Hailee's just inexperienced, that's all." Emily shrugged, looking down from her top bunk.
"And also…" Spencer wanted to change the topic. "When Lily gave out her exit speech, what was that all about?"
"Probably just bluffin'." Daniela said. "Reminds me a lot of my classmate in history class. Super nosey. Likes to make up stories. I wouldn't care if I were you."
"Yeah, easy for you to say." Spencer glared at the open window across from him, wondering when breakfast would arrive. "So, this Calvin guy is coming over any minute now?"
"I like him, he's cute." Emily giggled; her left leg dangled from the bed.
"Don't mind her, Spence." Daniela teased playfully. "She's crushin' on half the staff."
"I am not." Emily continued giggling. "But he has cute freckles."
Upon further observing the outside through the window, Spencer noticed the skinny assistant sprinting towards their cabin, carrying four Loser Sandwiches inside plastic bags, two on each hand.
"Hello ladies, I'm here!" Calvin entered inside, not noticing Spencer and his confused face, still sitting on the floor. "Oh, sorry. Hello ladies, and Spencer." He timidly tossed each sandwich towards the contestants.
"Aww, thank you Calvin!" Emily winked teasingly. "Say, you should stay with us for a little while. Daniela and I could use some company." Daniela almost had a burst in laughter but gave a simple snort in response.
"Oh, I-um, that's interesting-um…" Calvin stuttered, his face warmed up slightly. "I-I'd like that, b-but I have to go now. Ms. Friarwood needs me to do her back massage in ten minutes. S-s-sorry."
"Oh, that's okay." Emily smiled. "Hey, wanna' go on a dinner date later today?"
Daniela's jaw opened slightly, surprised by her sudden bluntness. "Daaang, Emmy." She looked back towards Calvin. "C'mon dork, make your next move!"
"Oh-I-um-sure. I don't know. But y-yes. I'd like that." Calvin was visibly blushing, as he stood stiffly and awkwardly in the doorway. "I have to go now. Bye." He ran away into the forest, with heavy sweat dripping off his forehead.
"Just wanna' say…" Spencer was silent during their flirty exchange. "That was… something."
"Okay, is everybody here?" Soraya shouted. She stood in front of her teammates. They were all situated in the living room, sitting on the couch, huddled together like students in a classroom.
"And… why are we, like, here again?" Kayla crossed her arms firmly. "Kiara wouldn't want me attending a team meeting without her, especially if you're leading it…"
"I called team meeting because we have a huge problem. But first, where's Kiara?" She squinted. Only four of her teammates were present. Two of them were missing.
"No clue." Nanci shrugged, sitting right beside Kayla. "Think she mentioned something about searching the forest?"
Soraya rolled her eyes. "She's obviously looking for her tiara. Yeesh, impatient much? Anyways, anyone have any guesses on what could've happened to Hunter? Noticed any weird-ing going on?"
"Looks like I'm not the only one noticing weird things." Kayla said, worriedly. "This island has been giving me creepy vibes lately."
"Couldn't he just have escaped?" Rashon interrupted.
"No way." Soraya retorted. "I'm amazing at knot tying. Zero chance he could've escaped that."
"Hmm…" Rashon pondered deeply, recollecting a seemingly unimportant memory. "Hunter told me he aspired to be an escape artist and would practice escaping with rope on his free time. He even claimed he's so, very good at it."
Soraya gave a mean glare towards Rashon. "And you never mentioned this why?"
"I forgot. Oops. I'm sorry."
"Well, if we, um, believe his word…" Nanci joined in. "Then there's a likely chance he escaped?"
Confessional:
Soraya: "I should've known Hunter was capable of such trickery. Gah!" She fiercely banged the wooden door with her fist. "And now, I regret ever feeling sorry for him. See? This is what happens when I let pity get the best of me!"
-static-
Kayla: "Technically…" Her hand rested on her face, confused. "If Hunter doesn't show up and gets, like, disqualified, wouldn't that mean no one else gets eliminated?"
-static-
Oliver raised his hand, sitting between Rashon and Kayla. "I can guarantee Hunter won't be disqualified, like guys, c'mom! That's not how reality TV works. Ending the Hunter plot this episode would be very anticlimactic."
"Um…" Soraya scratched her head. "So, you're saying that Hailee will change her mind willy-nilly?"
"Nah, he will return because the plot demands it!" Oliver was annoyed at her misunderstanding. "But that's not the most important issue. The biggest issue is that we will lose today's challenge. So, I suggest we do nothing and let the other team win."
"What?" Soraya was speechless. "And why on Earth are you speaking this madness?"
"Because we won three times in a row, and now it's our turn to lose? Duh."
"That don't mean jack! We could win four in a row." She answered back, arrogantly.
"That would be a statistical improbability. No team has ever pulled off a four-win streak. I think?"
Confessional:
Oliver: "Admittedly, my Total Drama knowledge has been lacking lately. I was gonna' pull out my charts and graphs that had everything Total Drama trivia related. Too bad I left them back at the ship." He looked to the floor, disappointed at himself.
-static-
"Okay, so, um…" As soon as Nanci opened her mouth, a window-shutting noise could be heard from inside one the bedrooms.
"What was that?" Soraya quickly turned her head around, but it was not long until they were interrupted by the loudspeaker.
"This is Hailee Friarwood speaking. It's challenge time, so every camper must report to the beach immediately! Oh, and bring your swimsuits!"
"Soraya, it was probably just wind." Rashon shrugged. "But yes! Challenge time!"
The sun was directly above the island, illuminating burning brightness upon the contestants' swimsuits as they stood still on the beach, scattered around each other with their respective teams as they waited for the host's arrival. Two pirate ships the size of a small yacht could be seen further into the ocean. A pirate-themed challenge, perhaps?
"Like usual, host takes forever." Kiara, in white bikini, glared at her nails, like usual.
"Um, Kiara?" Kayla asked, as she swiftly readjusted the back of her black swim bra. "Where were you? You weren't, like, in the cabin for the whole day?"
"Um, hello?" Kiara rolled her eyes. "You didn't even come and help look for my crown. If you continue to be a nuisance to me, then I'll, like, consider voting you out."
Kayla gasped at what she just heard. She could not believe that one of her best friends would coldly throw her under the bus.
Confessional:
Kayla: "Oh-my-gosh, I can't believe she just said that!" She felt nothing but confusion, hoping she misheard what Kiara told her. "It had to be her missing tiara. She was never, like, this demanding to me before. I even told her before coming on this show: don't bring the tiara! This is just, so unlike her. I'm, like, worried…"
-static-
Kiara: "Serves her right! After losing my precious tiara twice, she's done nothing, but ignore the tragedy I'm going through. Worst part is, she attended Soraya's meeting today without even telling me. I could not believe… my own best friend would backstab me like that. I bet they were discussing to vote me out. But like, why Kayla?" She tried hiding a teardrop with one hand, but then quickly changed to a hostile face as she noticed the camera rolling. "What? I'm not crying. This princess doesn't cry."
-static-
"Are you okay?" Kayla asked worriedly. "We'll find your crown sis. But, like, just relax for a bit…"
"Forget it Kay." Kiara walked away in defeat, sitting close to the shoreline. Spencer, wearing black swimming trunks, took a quick glance at her, then turned his head back towards his team. He noticed a teammate missing.
"Um, guys?" He asked his team. "Where's Arnold?"
Emily and Daniela shrugged; Spencer was irritated by the pirate's incompetence.
A couple meters away from the beach and inside the forest, Hunter, in his black swim trunks, awaited Arnold's arrival as he continuously hid behind a fluffy bush. Continuously glancing left and right with his arms crossed impatiently, he finally noticed Arnold sprinting towards him. He still wore his pirate outfit, unsurprisingly.
"Yo." Hunter glared at his pirate jacket. "Our smokin' hot host wants us in swimsuits, dude."
"ARGH!" Arnold switched back to his pirate voice. "This captain won't go naked, matey!"
"First off, drop that stupid voice whenever we meet." Hunter demanded. "You got the map?"
"Indeed-y!" Arnold pulled the map out from within his jacket.
"Perfect. Keep it hidden in your jacket for now. If I walk around with that under my trunks, Soraya is gonna' be checkin' me out, and I don't want her paint stains all over me, yo!" Hunter pulled a silver watch from his pocket to check the time; it was the same watch that he stole from the cargo ship. "Aight, it's go-time. Hailee's gonna' show up any minute now."
They both zoomed straight to the beach. Luckily for them, after galloping over prickly bushes, it only took them a couple seconds to reach the shoreline. Arnold and Hunter ran towards their separate teams, noticing the host and her trusty assistant Calvin already in the center. They arrived just in time.
"Hunter…" Soraya squinted at him. The rest of her teammates were startled by his sudden reappearance. Few of them were disappointed that his sudden return would mean no automatic disqualification. "Where on Earth have you been? Doesn't matter. If we lose this challenge, you're going home." After she finished, Hunter gave a simple smirk in response.
Confessional:
Soraya: "There goes that sly smirk again." She rolled her eyes. "I so wanna' punch his face, but at this point, no one trusts him, so it's safe to say if we were to lose, he will pack his bags. All thanks to me." She pointed to herself, posing arrogantly for the confessional camera.
-static-
"Arnold…" Spencer facepalmed. "Why are you still wearing that ridiculous costume? Hailee said only swimsuits."
"Actually…" Hailee pointed out. "There is no need for that, and I'll get to why. But first, two announcements! First, let me introduce you all my new assistant. He will assist in challenge setups from here on out, and will personally assist whenever I see fit…"
"No need to introduce me Hailee…" A mysterious voice was heard within the forest. The voice was very young sounding, with a hint of flamboyance and arrogance. It struck familiarity within some of the competitors. They have heard that voice before. But where? He slowly stepped out of the forest; his shadowy silhouette revealed further and further…
"As I step foot onto the sandy beach, I want everyone to give a standing ovation to… ME!" Once he left out of the shadow, most of the contestants instantly knew exactly who he was. That blue shirt, and those olive-colored pants. It was none other than…
Topher.
A few of the contestants gave a light gasp, but others could care less for his sudden appearance.
"Hey, I recognize you…" Kayla pointed out. "Weren't you, like, that guy who wanted to steal Chris' job? From Pahki…tuwi Island, I think it was?"
"Ehh." Daniela shrugged. "I forgot he even existed. You're Gopher, right?"
"Topher." He grinned, with his usual smugness. "Soon-to-be co-host, but we'll get back to that later…"
"Anyways…" Hailee said out loud. "One last announcement: there will be an interesting… change in team dynamic that will proceed. In theory, this could guarantee a boost in TV ratings." She smirked, glaring at one team to the next. Topher and Calvin stood by idly, waiting. "Nanci? You will switch teams with Daniela… immediately. Now, get moving!"
"Oh, um, okay." Nanci muttered quietly as she waved goodbye to her teammates, walking towards her new team. "Well… it was nice meeting you guys!"
"See ya'…" Soraya waved back as she squinted threateningly at her new teammate.
Confessional:
Soraya: "I see what Hailee just did there. She switched my alliance member for headphones girl, just to spite me! Brilliant!" She yelled out furiously. "GAH!"
-static-
Nanci: "I'm a little confused as to why Hailee, um, picked me? But I, um, okay?" She grinned awkwardly.
-static-
Daniela: "Honestly, it's whatev'." She shrugged. "I'm gonna' miss Emmy's chillness and Spencer's long list of worries, but it's not like I'm gonna' be booted off, ya' feel?"
-static-
Spencer: "So, um, Nanci's gonna' be in our team now. That's quite… interesting." He looked down to the floor, shuffling his feet. "Hailee did this on purpose, didn't she?"
-static-
"Can we please get on with this stupid show." Kiara said out loud, with a peeved face.
"In a minute…" Hailee gritted her teeth irritatingly. "Today's challenge is going to be quite a doozy! See those two pirate ships in the distance? One of those will be your designated team ship. Your objective? There are three colored flags in each ship. You can either… A, capture all three flags from your enemy team, or B, completely destroy the enemy ship with the ship cannons, naval artilleries, whatever. But first, a pirate ship is not functional without its captain. You guys were all supposed to wear pirate outfits, but they all blew up inside the warehouse during the missile incident, and only one outfit survived, so… those that choose to wear the outfits will be designated team captains. Arnold… since you're still in your pirate getup, you are selected team captain by default."
Confessional:
Arnold: "A whole challenge dedicated to me? Oh my! This is a dream come true! I mean-" He cleared his throat, switching from fanboying to his usual pirate voice. "ARGH! This be good days for me Captain!"
-static-
Spencer: "Ugh, really?" He facepalmed. His forehead turned a light shade of pink after all the facepalming he had done today. "Having Arnold bugging me is bad enough, but electing him as team leader? Great. Just great."
-static-
Nanci, standing right between Spencer and Arnold, gave a happy shrug as she noticed Spencer's disbelief. "How bad could it be?" She whispered.
"Oh, trust me." Spencer assured; arms crossed. "This will end badly."
"And now…" Hailee turned around to face the opposing team. "Eels, select your team captain immediately. You have approximately thirty seconds." As the host stood firmly and patiently, they were discussing amongst themselves. An argument has sprung between them, of course…
"It's obvious I will be team captain!" Soraya yelled towards Kiara.
"After losing, like, my tiara?" Kiara retorted. "No way! I deserve to be captain!"
"Remember when we found Hunter in the woods?" Soraya recalled. "I did all the work pinning him down, while you just stood there, twirling your pretty-little 'princess' hair. You don't deserve that tiara!"
Her team gave an audible gasp. This was the last straw for Kiara.
"Oh, I've had it with you!" Kiara grabbed Soraya's hair bun and pulled it as hard as she could. Her hair still intact, Soraya fiercely pulled Kiara's blonde hair back. It had begun; their hair-pulling fight quickly caught the host's attention, wanting to continue from all the time wasted.
"Enough!" Hailee yelled. Her shout immediately paused their fight.
Confessional:
Daniela: "Pfft." She snorted in laughter. "Why am I not surprised? Soraya is loca. Period. All I'll say is… my new team just loves to fight…"
-static-
Kiara: "Soraya needs to, like, stop breathing down my neck! If I want her gone soon, I need to make friends with the new girl." She neatly dusted sand off her blouse.
-static-
"Soraya!" Hailee shouted, flipping her hair in irritation. "Congrats! You are team captain. Topher, toss her the pirate outfit, and Soraya, get dressed immediately. We are behind schedule." She faced towards the rest of the contestants. As Topher tossed her the outfit, Soraya swiftly wore her outfit over her black, one-piece swimsuit. "As for the rest of you, your first objective is to swim all the way to the pirate ships. Your team captains will stay behind. They will be rowing behind you all on small wooden boats. Now… GO!"
Everyone excluding Arnold and Soraya hurriedly swam out to the sea. Luckily for them, the turquoise waves were still. As Hailee positioned her wrist in front of her face, reading her watch, Soraya finally finished readjusting her black pirate jacket. She propped the final finish: the pirate hat. It could not fit over her hair bun, so she had let her hair flow down naturally. Every clothing and accessory for her had fit surprisingly well for her height. It had fit her so perfectly, that it caught Arnold's eyes. In his vision, Soraya flipped her black, silky hair in slow motion, as he noticed her dark pupils glimmering from sunlight reflection. His heart was beating fast like never before.
Confessional:
Arnold: His face was visibly warmed up. "She… looks… beautiful. I never realized her true beauty, until now. I just hope she's into an enemy pirate like me." He sighed, looking straight to the floor.
-static-
Soraya: She readjusted her black pirate hat, neatly pulling her hair down. "This is one of those moments where I just feel… pretty?" She smiled. Almost to the point where she felt like a completely different person. "Don't know why, but I'm more excited to lead my team in this outfit. Let everyone know my presence and authority."
-static-
"Hey, um, Soraya, is it?" Arnold timidly walked towards her, making his first move.
"Yeah?" She raised her eyebrow, not expecting a normal-sounding, young voice coming out of his mouth.
"Just wanted to say…" His face warmed up again. "I really like your… jacket. Yeah. That." He looked down in embarrassment.
"Um… thanks." Soraya faced towards the ocean; her arms crossed with only one thought in mind: winning the challenge.
"Topher, return to HQ. You're dismissed." Hailee said, as Topher rushed straight into the forest while Calvin left out the forest, struggling to pull two wooden boats with his flimsy arms into the shoreline. "Arnold and Soraya? You may now row towards your designated pirate ships. Now, go!"
Soraya and Arnold hopped onto their boats and began rowing immediately; their wooden paddles fiercely and repeatedly splashed the ocean water. Hailee laid a blue blanket onto the sand, resting onto it with her hands behind her head as she wore her black aviators. She then took off her heels right afterwards.
"Calvin. Foot massage. Now." Hailee demanded. Calvin's arms were already exhausted but proceeded anyways.
"Yes, Ms. Friarwood."
Everyone swam up to their separate team ships, standing firmly on the deck, ready for battle. Both teams were soaking wet from all the swimming. Without any towels to dry off, water kept continuously dripping, damping the wooden platform on which they stood firmly. Arnold, feeling more determination than ever, stood high and mighty on a large cannon, raising his sword up in the air. He had never felt this level of confidence before.
"ARGH, mateys!" He yelled out. The rest of his teammates stood behind him. Something they noticed; they were completely outnumbered. Only Arnold, Spencer, Emily, and newcomer Nanci were left.
"Yes, Captain Arnold?" Spencer rolled his eyes while doing his signature facepalm.
"C'mon Spencer!" Emily grinned, her red bikini still soaking wet. "Let's give Arnold a chance as leader. I have a good feeling about today!" She raised both arms in the air with joy.
"I have my doubts." Spencer retorted, as he turned around, facing Nanci, who wore a red, one-piece swimsuit. "So, how you liking our team so far?"
Nanci smiled timidly in return. "Let's see… no fighting. No rampant stealing. No spoiled princess. Yup. I think your team checks out." She giggled, shuffling her feet.
"Say, Nanci?" He looked at the floor, then looked at her again. "I was wondering if maybe… later in the evening, you'd like to… walk around the woods with me? Nature walk, and all?" He grinned timidly.
"Oh, I love nature walks." Nanci smiled. "Um, yeah, sure! What are we gonna' talk about? Alien conspiracies?"
"I love conspiracy talk!" Spencer answered back in excitement.
Confessional:
Spencer: "She's honestly just super cool. Finally, we have a sane person on our team. I mean, yeah, Daniela was cool, but I don't think she even liked me. Or something. And Emily is just… yeah." He shrugged.
-static-
Nanci: "Spencer never disappoints." She twirled her brown hair. "It's almost like, if I have no one else to talk to, Spencer's always there to make me feel better. His team's super friendly too, so that's a plus. Emily seems super nice, and Arnold is… different, but hey! He's harmless."
-static-
"Headphone girl, over here!" Soraya yelled out from across the other side of the deck.
"Uh, she has, like, a name, ya' know?" Kayla looked towards Soraya, raising an eyebrow. She and Daniela walked alongside each other.
"Lemme' guess… you want me to notice your new hairdo? Wow. Amazing." Daniela joked; she grinned and crossed her arms.
"Listen…" Soraya gave her a mean glare. "Just know that, in this team, I'm in charge. I have my pirate outfit. You have your black bikini. Notice the difference in power dynamic? Just know your place."
"Mira." Daniela continued grinning calmly. "Why don't you worry 'bout yourself and let me do whatever I want. Coolio?"
"No!" Soraya retorted. "Whatever I say, GOES!"
Kiara, overhearing their argument from the other side, quickly walked towards them, preparing to vent. "Ya' know what, Soraya?" She stood closer to Daniela. "How 'bout you shut the hell up for once, and let the new girl do what she pleases. I'm, like, fed up with your psycho-ness."
Daniela turned towards Kiara, relieved that someone had finally shut her up. "Thanks bro. Appreciate it." She tried fist-bumping Kiara, but she awkwardly held Daniela's closed fist in a handshaking manner.
Confessional:
Kiara: "She just called me 'bro'? Barf." She gagged. "Whatever, like, if all it takes to boot off Soraya is to befriend the new girl, then that's fine by me. Daddy once mentioned that, in the business world, it's sometimes your best course of action to befriend the enemy of your enemy." She smirked.
-static-
Daniela: "Pfft." She snorted in laughter. "Shoulda' seen her face when I called her 'bro'. It's always funny just teasin' them when they least expect it, especially for a team this uptight. And I thought Spencer was the only serious one…"
-static-
"Okay…" Soraya climbed onto the wooden ledge of the ship as she faced her teammates, growing in frustration over her team's lack of coordination. "We got a challenge to win, and I can bet hard that our team will secure the fourth win in a row, proving YOU… wrong." She pointed directly towards Oliver, who stood within the team crowd. He grinned in response.
"You wanna' bet?" He said. "If we lose, you hand over the immunity idol map for everyone to see. I need to know where exactly the producers hid the idol, so that I could add it to my one-of-a-kind trivia blog."
"Yeah! Agreed!" Kayla shouted. "You're, like, hoarding the map to yourself. What makes you so special?"
"Because…" Soraya continued. "I'm the leader of the team? Unlike you, who does and say whatever your snobby friend instructs you to do. Like a little chihuahua." She scoffed. Kayla, with her arms crossed, gave her a mean glare in return. She had nothing to say. No comeback. Just a new, inner hatred for Soraya.
"Guess what, team?" Kiara walked up front towards Soraya, turning around to face her teammates. "She just, like, admitted straight to our faces that she's running a dictatorship. Now… is this, like, an example we should show for the new girl? I don't think so." Most of her team were riled up, finally showing unison frustration towards Soraya.
"Ha." Daniela remarked, grinning with calm eyes and her posture relaxed. "Looks like the team's spoken. You gotta' give up that map, dude."
"Yeah!" Kayla fiercely had her arms crossed, as Kiara turned towards Soraya, smirking.
Confessional:
Kayla: She was sitting straight and stiff on the toilet seat. Her eyes squinted in utter disgust and annoyance. "Oh, Soraya just struck a huge nerve in me, like big-time. She just called me a dog, like, she has the nerve to publicly humiliate me in front of all my teammates. And you know what? I think I might vote her out, instead of Hunter. She caused trouble for my bestie and I… during the whole show. I gave her the benefit of the doubt, but this was the last straw."
-static-
Soraya: "You kidding me? GAH!" She screamed. "My whole team is suddenly turning against me, all because of my superiority as team leader. Looks like I got no choice, but to give up the stupid map. And Kiara… you will regret turning your back on me. Mark my words…"
-static-
"Ugh!" Soraya shouted. "Okay, fine! I'll share my map after the challenge. Win or lose, since I'm a very nice person. Happy now?"
"Very." Oliver grinned. Hunter, standing right behind him, swiftly changed his smile into a frown.
Confessional:
Hunter: "Damn, just realized!" He slammed the wooden confessional wall in frustration. "Thanks to Oliver's bet, Soraya's gonna' find out her map's gone missin'. That is NOT what I had in mind, yo! Change of plans; either we win this challenge, or she's voted off. But maybe… might consider voting Oliver. That nerd keeps ruinin' my opportunities at every chance he got. Almost like he be doin' it on purpose. Keepin' an eye out on him…"
-static-
Hailee, still receiving a foot massage from her trusty assistant, pulled out a large, red megaphone. "Are both teams ready?" She shouted. Surprisingly, both teams can hear her loud and clear, given the distant ocean water between them. "You may begin… NOW!"
As soon as she signaled the go, both teams gathered in their inner circle, discussing game plans. Over to the Floppy Fish, nothing but peaceful exchanges could be heard. But suddenly…
"ARGH!" Arnold shouted. "Me got a perfect plan, mateys! Spencer and Nanci will march towards the battleground, while Emily and I prepare the cannons! Argh!
"Uhh, sure?" Spencer added. He had no rebuttal, surprisingly. "We are really outnumbered, so we need to be careful and guard the flags as much as we could."
"Yeah, agreed." Nanci nodded. "So, Spencer… ready to take a swim together?" Her face blushed as she twirled her hair.
"Yeah, make sure to stay near me, so that I could protect you from the sharks, or something." He awkwardly grinned, shuffling his feet.
"Yay!" Emily cheered, giving Nanci and Spencer a gleeful group hug. "Seems like we got this in the bag!"
As Spencer and Nanci began swimming towards the enemy ship, the Electric Eels continued arguing over who does what, not noticing the swimming duo ahead.
"So…" Soraya said, irritated. "Let me repeat myself. Oliver, Kayla, and Hunter will guard the flags. They're all located in separate rooms, so obviously, each one needs to be guarded. Kiara and Daniela will be the swimmers, while Rashon and I will oversee the cannons. Got it?
"Horrible idea, 'kay?" Kiara retorted. "So, like, you want me to wet my hair?
"First off, I'm the only one dressed up. Thereby, I'm the captain." Soraya crossed her arms. "Secondly, your hair is already wet! GAH!"
Kiara glared at her, irritated. "Yeah, no, we are sick and tired of listening to you. Right, team?"
Daniela nodded. "Just let the guy in the black trunks be a swimmer." She pointed towards Hunter. "Dude looks like the grifter type. No offense."
"Whatever." Hunter remarked. "But I'm no thief, honey. Just lettin' ya' know."
"Riiiight." Kayla raised an eyebrow. "So, like, apparently, Kiara's crown vanished just like that. Please."
"I've already proved my innocence, yo!" Hunter retorted, turning back to face Kayla. "Soraya had her facts wrong. Very wrong. So, I agree with Kiara. I think we need a new leader. And I could give less of a damn about her hideous pirate outfit. That don't prove nothin'."
"See?" Kiara smirked. "Hunter is, like, also sick and tired of your dictatorship. 'Kay?"
"Oh, I see." Soraya squinted fiercely. "So, you're on his side now? The same guy that stole your stupid tiara? Unbelievable. You are a lot more braindead than I thought."
"Oh, shut up!" Kiara shouted. "And you know what? Maybe Hunter was right. Why would he steal it again? He was already caught. Maybe it was you the whole time! YOU!" She fiercely pointed towards her.
"How sad!" Soraya rolled her eyes. "After all the niceness and gratitude I've offered you, you are still this delusional? You know what? That's it. I'm done with this team. Do whatever you guys want. I don't care anymore. You guys are all stupid. You guys want Kiara as your leader? Fine, okay? I'm leaving. Goodbye." She threw her pirate hat into the ocean water and viciously walked away from the team circle. She crawled inside the ship deck and slammed the wooden trapdoor shut.
"So…" Kayla glanced at her teammates in confusion after an awkward silence. "What do we do now?"
"Duh." Kiara rolled her eyes. "I'm gonna' be running things from here on out, sis."
Oliver rubbed his chin, pondering. This struck a level of familiarity to him. "So, you're gonna' be the Heather of this season? Interesting..."
"Did I ask you to speak, nerd?" Kiara scoffed.
"Um… guys?" Rashon picked up a brown spyglass on the floor, dropped by Soraya. Upon observing through the lenses, he noticed two competitors approaching closer and closer towards them. "Floppy Fish is getting' close. We need to move."
Confessional:
Rashon: "Hehe. My observational skills are comin' in handy very very often. But Soraya had shaped me into a better player. Before, myself was super clumsy. I owe her."
-static-
"Obviously…" Kiara flipped her hair out of her face, like an arrogant princess. "My hair will, like, get wet if I take another swim, so me, Kayla, and Hunter will guard the flags. Daniela and Oliver will capture the flags, and Rashon will fire the cannons. 'Kay? Now… get to it, people! Chop chop!" She pointed everyone away from the deck, as they got into their positions as swiftly as possible. Everyone except Rashon, who just stood there. "What are you, like, waiting for, Rashon?"
"I need to check on Soraya." Rashon looked at the closed trapdoor, then looked back towards her. "I want to see if she okay…"
"Thought we were, like, in an alliance?" Kiara crossed her arms. "She betrayed us. Used us at every chance she got. She never cared for you. Because that's the type of person she is. An opportunist."
"Hmm, I don't know."
"You're a lot smarter than this, Rashon." Kiara touched his shoulder with her right hand. "Don't fall for her miserable attempts at pity. Remember: if we, like, lose, she's a goner. 'Kay?"
"Sure." Rashon calmly pushed her hand away from his shoulder. "I better get the cannon ammo."
"Good." Kiara walked away towards the lower deck, located on the other side of the ship.
Confessional:
Kiara: "Rashon is so easy to command. Like a lost toddler." She smirked. "With him, the new girl, and my bestie on my side, Soraya stands no chance. Sooner or later, like, she will fall. Maybe even ruin her reputation as an artist? Break off any possible connections for her painting career? I think both are deserving punishments, after all the torment I've been through, 'kay?" She crossed her arms.
-static-
Rashon: "I want to help both beautiful girls, but how? They hate each other." He looked towards the floor in defeat. "I need to find a way to unite."
-static-
As Rashon ran across the narrow hallway within the pirate ship, he tripped and fell face flat on the floor. Upon turning his head towards his right, he noticed Soraya in a dimly lit, empty room, surrounded by wooden walls. She was completely alone, curled up against the wall, shedding quiet tears as she continuously wiped them off her face, as silently as possible. This was the first time Rashon had ever witnessed Soraya in such vulnerability. He stood up, dusting the wooden dust off his green swim trunks.
"Soraya?" He said, catching her completely off-guard. She gasped, quickly standing up and facing towards the wall, as she covered her eyes in shame.
"What do you want, Rashon?" She answered back in a rude tone, still facing the wall. "You guys don't want me in your team anymore, so why are you here?"
"We do." He stuffed both hands in his pockets. "We need you back. I need you back, as a friend." He smiled. "It's okay. I'm not mad at you."
"It's just…" She sniffled. "All I ever wanted to be was team leader. But now, everybody hates me. For a short moment, this outfit made me feel special. Pretty, in fact. Maybe Kiara was right. Maybe I am a failure. Maybe I am hideous. Maybe I don't deserve to be here…" She shed a lonely tear, trickling down her pale face. "Just… leave me alone. Do the challenge without me."
She tried shooing away Rashon with her hand, while leaning her forehead against the wall. He took the hint, and walked away in gloom.
Arnold and Emily were in a rush, finally loading up the cannons with the heavy ammunition, after Emily gathered each one on her own. They were all cluttered up near the ledge, where every cannon pointed outwards.
"Arnold…" Emily panted, wiping the sweat off her forehead. "Would've been nice… if you helped me load up the cargo… but that's okay. We can fire cannons now! Yaaaaay!" She clapped her hands ecstatically.
"Argh!" He grinned. "Our future lookin' bright! Load 'em up, m'lady! I need to impress Soraya."
"Sure…" She said, exhaustedly. And slightly peeved. She grabbed a couple of black cannonballs and loaded five cannons, one by one.
"ARGH! Let Captain Arnold light 'em up!" He pulled out a lighter from his jacket and lit each one. Five of them fired at the exact same time. The powerful projectiles flew over the ocean water at a rapid speed. Upon impact, all five cannonballs caused surface-level damage to the enemy ship, although it was not even close to sink it. Only dents.
Confessional:
Arnold: "This is a dream come true!" He squealed like a fanboy.
-static-
Nanci and Spencer heard the impact from the cannonballs, as they finally arrived onto the lowest platform of the ship. It was low enough for both to simply grab onto it and pull themselves out of the water. Surprisingly, not one Eel member noticed their arrival.
"Did we not get spotted? Wow." Spencer was not expecting such an easy swim. Neither did Nanci.
"I mean…" She pointed towards two of the Eels swimmers, rushing towards their own ship. "There's two over there, but guess they didn't notice us? Weird."
"Also, weird that they haven't fired their cannons yet. Oh well. Let's tiptoe into the hallway. This ship seems identical to our own, so the flags must be in the same rooms. Let's go." He held her hand timidly, leaving Nanci flushed along the way.
Confessional:
Nanci: "Sorry…" She twirled her hair. "I get super awkward when someone I like starts holding my hand."
-static-
Upon tiptoeing through the empty hallways, they suddenly stumbled upon Kiara across the other end. Once Kiara turned her head towards them, Nanci and Spencer hid behind a large wooden barrel. Kiara, glazed from their sudden footsteps, looked away from the source and focused on her guarding duty, looking bored as ever.
"That's the room." Spencer delicately pointed ahead. "Too bad she is guarding it."
"Not sure how we could get inside." Nanci whispered. "But if we wait out, maybe she'll leave? Knowing her, she's super impatient."
"I might have an idea." Spencer pondered, whispering back. "Didn't she lose her tiara that one night? Maybe we could use that as bait?"
"That could work." Nanci peeked over the barrel, noticing Kiara sitting on the floor, her head leaning on the wall. "But what do you have in mind, exactly?"
"Watch." Spencer cupped his hands around his mouth, preparing to act out a scene. "Oh my. Is that a tiara at the lower platform deck?"
"WHAT?" Kiara zoomed out of her guarding post, skipping past Spencer and Nanci; they were still crouching behind the barrel.
"How'd you know that'll work?" Nanci grinned.
"You did mention she was impatient." Spencer remarked. "Now, let's go."
Confessional:
Nanci: "I know what we did was a bit mean, but… Kiara was just so insufferable. At least Soraya tried helping our team out, even if she was a bit pushy."
-static-
As soon as Kiara arrived at the lower platform deck, she noticed Kayla crouching, doing something with her hands behind the wooden corner wall.
"Um… sis?" She startled Kayla, as she quickly stood up and faced her awkwardly. "Why are you hear? Aren't you supposed to guard your post?" She crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow.
"Sorry Kiara. I heard someone spotted your tiara, and I thought I should check…"
"Wait a sec…" Kiara squinted, mentally piecing together suspicions. "KAY! You have my tiara the whole time, didn't you?"
"What?" Kayla, shocked by her sudden accusation, decided to fire back. "I'm your bestie! Like, why on Earth would I ever, like, do such a thing? Like, are you okay, sis?"
Confessional:
Kiara: "No, it can't be her." She pondered worriedly. "My own friend wouldn't backstab me like that, would she?"
-static-
Kayla: "Honestly!" She crossed her arms frustratingly. "Kiara, like, what are you doing? I've been following you around the whole game, trying to help keep you in check. But ohhhh, sometimes, like, you make it super hard!"
-static-
"I think I'm past okay…" Kiara stomped over to Kayla, and fiercely shoved her off the platform. Kayla screamed as she splashed into the water.
"KIARA!" She swam up furiously. "Are you [CENSORED] kidding me! After following you around aimlessly, this is how you start treating me!" Upon screaming, she noticed a large, hungry shark swimming towards her from a distance, underneath the pirate ship. Once she noticed, she swam away frantically. Her accompanied, desperate screams only made the shark chase her faster and faster. Kiara, standing idly on the deck, froze completely.
"Kayla! I'm sorry!" She screamed out. "Didn't know it was shark-infested!"
Nanci, carrying the first flag they found, followed Spencer, as they continued walking quietly through the dark, narrow corridors, ignoring the constant bombardment outside from Arnold's firing cannons. They both stumbled upon the room where Spencer believed to be where the second flag was located. Upon opening the creaky door, the blue flag was indeed inside. On the floor. Room just as barren as the last one.
"Weird." Spencer muttered. "Guess no one was here to guard it?"
"Wow, nice observation." Nanci teased, giggling. "Second flag down, last one to go."
As they both skipped inside, the door slammed shut, startling both. Hear someone's footsteps on the other side, Spencer gripped onto the doorknob, attempting to pull it. Someone just locked it.
"It was a trap." Spencer whispered, leaving both in worrisome dismay. "Looks like we're stuck here."
"Now what?" Nanci glanced around frantically.
"No clue. Let's wait it out?"
Confessional:
Hunter: He rubbed his hands together menacingly. "Guess who still got it in 'em? That's right, baby!" He smirked, pointing to himself. "Saw ditzy Kayla walk out of her post, so I hid behind the corner wall until the lovebirds show up. I gotta' win this challenge. Even though my teammates might wanna' eliminate Soraya, no way in hell I'm gamblin' for it, yo! Gotta' take extra precautions, know what I'm sayin'?"
-static-
Emily and Arnold continued firing cannonballs at a steady pace. Both ships were immensely indestructible than they previously thought, only making small dents here and there. Luckily for them, the Electric Eels had not launched a single projectile.
"ARGH!" Arnold surveyed the enemy ship using a spyglass. He noticed a competitor with dark skin and green swim trunks, slowly mounting each cannonball on the floor, closer to the cannons. As Arnold observed below the horizon, he spotted two swimmers approaching their ship at an alarming rate. "Emily, m'lady! The enemy frontline is approaching the mothership! Argh!"
Confessional:
Emily: She smiled cheerfully. "Yay! This is my time to shine! Been waiting for a moment like this!"
-static-
Once Daniela and Oliver reached onto the Floppy Fish's lower platform deck, they zoomed straight to the inner corridors with no time to spare. Upon running aimlessly together with water dripping heavily from their bodies, they instantly stumbled upon Emily across the other end of the hallway.
"Sorry Team Eels…" Emily giggled. "But we would like it if you guys swam back to your ship. Pretty please?" She let out a huge grin, her hands behind her back like a young schoolgirl.
"Makes perfect sense." Oliver proceeded to walk back. "Our team should theoretically lose this episode for plot-sake. Unless I… subvert your expectations!" He suddenly flipped back and Naruto-ran straight towards Emily. As he tried dodging around her, Emily swiftly stuck her foot out as fast as lightning, striking Oliver straight to the rough, wooden floor. Face-planted.
"Sorry. But I'm here to win!" She smiled.
"Dang, Emmy. You dropped him quick." Daniela teased, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. "Oye, Spencer and Nanci are probably trapped in a room or somethin'. You should check it out. I ain't gonna' do anything. Just gonna' chill here for a bit. Lowkey sleepy, and I wanna' nap."
"Aww. Thanks Dani!" Emily gave her a quick hug, then dashed out of the hallways.
Confessional:
Daniela: "Honestly, I don't really care if we lose, 'cause either my team will vote out Soraya or the sketchy-looking guy. Think Hunter's his name? Anyways, yeah, I've gotten used to the loser sandwiches by now. So, not too bad." She shrugged carelessly.
-static-
Emily had no time to waste. As soon as she arrived onto the enemy's lower deck, she swam closer to the platform and rolled onto it like a ninja. Sprinting through each inner passageway, she noticed a lonely flag inside one of the barren rooms. Running back to the doorway, something was fishy. She felt someone lurking about, sensing an imminent trap.
"Yay…" She said to herself, playfully. "I found myself a flag." As she approached the entrance, she closed the door, without going inside. She crouched in a sneaking position, hearing footsteps behind the corner wall. Once that person's leg popped out, she firmly gripped and yanked his leg, causing him to plummet backwards. The back of his head slammed viciously onto the floor, almost causing a concussion.
"YO!" Hunter groaned, rubbing his head rigorously as he rolled left and right.
"Oops! Sorry!" Emily smiled innocently, as she slammed open the door, grabbed the flag, and dashed straight out, skipping and galloping through the corridors. Hunter remained on the floor, in pain.
"So, what's your favorite part of the show so far?" Spencer asked Nanci as he sat stiffly on the floor.
"Um… not sure." She pondered. "Besides the money, meeting new people is fun. But I get so awkward sometimes, so maybe I should cross that off my bucket list." She giggled.
"Hey, you hear that?" Spencer noticed the doorknob flickering. As he stood up, the door finally opened, revealing a fellow team member.
"Hey guys! I found myself one too!" Emily cheered, waving the flag in the air.
"How'd you find us?" Spencer asked.
"Only door that was closed." Emily said. "Thought I should check and make sure-" She was suddenly interrupted by one of the wooden walls blasting open from one of Arnold's cannons, finally penetrating through the ship after countless dents and scratches.
"Oh, would you look at that." Spencer said, sarcastically. "Arnold actually did something for once."
The trio jumped out through the punctured wall, splashed into the ocean, and swam straight to their ship. Each one carried a blue flag. Finally, victory was upon them…
As soon as they reached towards the lower deck, they climbed up and ran straight to where Arnold stood proudly. The trio waved their flags ecstatically in a celebratory fashion. Hailee, with Calvin standing in front of her to block out sunlight, observed their ruckus with her own binoculars.
"Well, that was quick." Hailee muttered, pulling out her trusty megaphone behind her. "Everyone… stop what you're doing!" She yelled out. "Floppy Fish has secured the victory for today's challenge! Please report back to the island pronto! I'll be seeing the Electric Eels for elimination tonight!"
As the remaining four Floppy Fish members cheered for their first victory, the Eels were disappointed, but not surprised by the end results. Rashon was the only one who stood on the front deck. He sat down cheerlessly, exhausted, and worried for his team falling apart. Could this be the demise that Oliver predicted?
Late afternoon. 7 PM. The sunlight was barely dimming the dense forest, casting a dark-orange aura. Only crickets could be heard from a distance. So many crickets, in fact, that the forest was drowning in chirps like a continuous car alarm. Spencer and Nanci, in their regular clothes, carried on with their nature walk, nonchalantly strolling through overgrown trees by each passing second. They were in awe by the forest's silence. Finally, they can spend an affectionate time together. No distractions. No worries. Just carefreeness…
"Hey, ya' know what's weird?" Spencer noted. "Haven't seen almost a single bird lately. It's like, they've been disappearing…"
"Will that be your new addition to your list of conspiracies?" Nanci shoved him with her shoulders teasingly. She detected a funny scent coming from his gray jacket, as she quietly sniffed. "Um, are you wearing women's perfume?" She joked, giggling.
"No?" He blushed. "Okay, yeah, I did. I've mistakenly gathered my sister's fragrances to my luggage instead. She would sometimes leave 'em all over my room. So annoying."
She giggled. "How old's your sister?"
"24. We almost never see each other though, so I feel more like an only child." He awkwardly laughed. As Nanci was about to speak, they suddenly heard unsettling whispers deep within the forest. They heard deer. Bears. A wide variety of animals, crying and grieving, like they were in deep, physical pain. They both could not exactly pinpoint the source of their weeping.
"You hear that?" Spencer tucked his hands in his pockets.
"Yeah…" Nanci looked around frantically. "Best if we go. This forest feels like it's glaring at me. You feeling it too?"
Suddenly, a loud outburst of noise was heard. They both frighteningly jumped. It sounded almost alien. Almost half-creature, half-machine, like a shrieking roar filtered through distorted, crackling static.
"We gotta' go!" Spencer and Nanci dashed away from the source as they ran back to the camper's compound. Luckily, the roar was quite distant, further inland. But they wanted nothing to do with it. They sprinted away with pure adrenaline rush, as sweat poured from their foreheads.
Outside of the camper's compound, Emily pulled a small, round wooden table towards the back part of the Pahkitew shed. She made sure the table touched the shed wall, as she covered its surface with a dark-red tablecloth. Two lit candles were placed near the center of the table, illuminating the evening darkness. As planned, the table was set. Wooden chairs were already placed on opposite ends. She was ready. As she sat on the table surface, Calvin finally appeared, arriving from the other side of the compound. He was astounded. Not once did a dinner date with a Total Drama contestant ever crossed his mind. His forehead dripped sweat. Not from fatigue, but nervousness.
"H-h-hi Emily." He carried two plates of steak, one on each hand. Two glasses of water were balanced on both plates, albeit wobbly due to his frail arms. "S-since you guys won today's challenge, Hailee l-let me bring steak."
"Perfect!" She clapped. "Table's already set. Please… sit!" She smiled gleefully, as they both sat on the chairs. "Never had a girl set a dinner date for you?" She took a sip of water, as her brown pupils gazed at him.
"I-um-I…" He twiddled his fingers underneath the table. "I've never g-g-gone on a date with a girl before…"
"Aww!" Emily nibbled her lower lip. As Calvin tensely sliced his steak with a knife, she extended her right leg forward for a footsie, startling him from a simple touch. "What are your plans after the show? Hmm?" Her shoe continuously rubbed his ankle, as she lifted her foot higher and higher, caressing his left leg back and forth, slowly rising to his knee.
"I-um, not sure. Just focused on being an intern r-r-right now." His face blushed. He rubbed his hands uncomfortably on his thighs as she continuously touched his leg. Wanting to reach in further, Emily slouched in her chair. Her foot reached higher up, softly rubbing his thigh. Calvin froze; he had no idea what to do next.
"Hey Calvin?" She continued touching his thigh with flirty eyes. "May I ask you a favor?"
"S-s-sure." He answered timidly, wide-eyed.
"Alliance meeting!" Kiara stood outside the backyard area of their suburban cabin with her hands on her hips. Expecting a meeting with Rashon and Kayla, she was confronted with, non-other than, the petty thief.
"I see you ain't expecting me…" Hunter crossed his arms, smirking. "Shocker."
"Go away, Hunter." Kiara scoffed. "You're not, like, part of the alliance, so shoo!"
"I have a proposition to offer…" He smirked again. "Hear me out… we both know Soraya is in hot water. Like yo, I can guarantee my vote towards her, but under one condition…"
"Let me guess…" She squinted. "You wanna' form an alliance? Predictable. Like I can trust you…"
"In that case…" He stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets. "Consider my vote going towards you."
"Is that a threat?" She squinted further. "Who are you, like, gonna' sway? Right now, Soraya is acting like a shut-in, because even she knows she's a goner. Plus, she hasn't shared the immunity map yet. More reasons to, like, vote for her, 'kay?"
"Look, point is…" Hunter continued. "Sooner or later, we are gonna' be picked off, one-by-one yo! We are probably the most despised competitors, and even I know that. But if we form a secret alliance, we can watch our backs. Keep each other in check. Vote out anybody who'd get in our way. We'd be an unstoppable force, ya' dig? So, it's a deal?" He reached his hand towards her, waiting for a handshake. She pondered, wondering if she should even consider such an offer from a known grifter.
"Deal." Still squinting, she shook his hand. As soon as they let go, a random thought popped up in her mind. During the handshake, it triggered a memory…
Confessional:
Kiara: "After, like, searching through the forest early morning, I thought, there was no way Hunter stole it again that night. He wasn't anywhere near the cabins that time. How do I know that? I have a sensitive, keen sense of smell. Embarrassing, I know. But my own doctors found it extraordinary. Like, I can identify Hunter's dirty scent, and trust me, during my shower that night, I never picked his scent. Not… one… bit. Instead, I picked up a feminine scent. And it had to be none other… than Soraya." She crossed her arms firmly. "What a jealous loser. I knew it. I just knew it. Had to be her."
-static-
Hunter: "Perfect." He twirled his knife around. "Soraya is finally gone, and a new alliance was formed. But hear me out; I only want Kiara to stay 'cause there are still plenty of expensive items she is secretly hoardin'. I've been eavesdropping convos between her and Kayla about a 'secret stash'. But who knows where they're hidden? So, I need her to stay in the game, and hopefully, I make her spill the location. 'Cause, I won't stop until I steal every valuable on this show."
-static-
Hunter walked back inside the cabin after securing their deal, leaving Kiara alone, still waiting for her alliance members to show up. After standing impatiently still, one of them finally showed up, walking towards her in worry.
"Hey Kiara…" Kayla said, peeved. "Thanks for, like, pushing me inside a shark-infested water. Really appreciate your love and support."
"I'm so sorry!" Kiara tucked her hands in her denim pockets. "I didn't mean to! It was, like, the heat of the moment. I'll, like, try to contain myself next time. Promise…"
"Listen…" Kayla pushed her blonde hair behind her ear. "I'm more worried about you than myself. You, like, haven't been yourself lately, and it's been bothering me lately. Please, change for the better…"
"This is, like, the hundredth time you've told me this. I'm fine. Don't worry about me."
"Okay then." Kayla nodded. "Tell you what, I'll help you find your tiara tomorrow. Would that make you feel better?"
"Yeah, duh." Kiara rolled her eyes, although in a playful manner. "Tomorrow morning, 'kay?
"Okay." Kayla nodded, with a hint of sadness. "I gotta' go to the bathroom. See you at the elimination?"
"Yeah, whatever. Let's get, like, our first elimination ceremony over with."
The Electric Eels huddled around the campfire. Their winning streak had finally come to a sudden halt. Disappointed faces were only seen. No cheers. As they all sat around the fire, they waited anxiously for the host.
"Hey Rashon?" Soraya walked towards him, tapping his shoulders. "Thank you for being the only one to stop by and check on me. I… wasn't myself today. Sorry for my dismissive behavior earlier."
"Oh, it's okay." Rashon smiled. "I was really sad when I saw you cryin'. You helped lift me up durin' challenges, and it was upsetting seein' you in tears. Hope you doin' better."
"Thank you so much." Soraya smiled back. One of the few times she had ever smiled on the show. "Can I… sit with you?"
"Yes, you can, friend!" Rashon grinned.
"Contestants!" Hailee popped out of nowhere, as she walked closer to the fire with Topher following behind. "It's elimination time!"
"No Calvin today?" Daniela teased. She leaned onto the log, hand on her face with a bored expression. "Bummer. Really missed that dork."
"Calvin failed to report." The host rolled her eyes. "No clue where he ran off, but once he returns, he will have additional work to complete. But, oh well, not my problem for his absence. Anyhow, let's jump straight to the elimination, shall we? Now, those who are safe…"
Confessional:
Kiara: "It's, like, pretty obvious who I'm voting for. Duh."
-static-
Rashon: "I want to help my friend Soraya, but I also don't want to upset Kiara. So, I think I will vote Hunter."
-static-
Oliver: "Kiara has been giving me Heather vibes the whole time. As an analytical Total Drama viewer, it would be out-of-character for me to vote somebody else." He grinned, finger-gunning the camera.
-static-
"Rashon and Oliver… you're both safe." Hailee grabbed two marshmallows from Topher's bowl and tossed them in the air. "Daniela and Kayla… you're safe." She tossed two extras, leaving Hunter, Kiara, and Soraya empty-handed. "Wow, these votes are quite… something…"
"Just give us the results, diva!" Kiara yelled out.
"What did I say about interruptions?" Hailee scorned. "Now, the camper going home is…"
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"Hunter."
"WHAT?" He yelled out, completely baffled. "How is it me? Nah-nah, this is fraudulent, Hailee!"
"Guess what?" The host smirked. "I was just kidding! You're safe."
"For real? Wow, thanks for the unnecessary scare, yo!" Hunter crossed his arms.
"Moving on. This time, the real contestant going home tonight is…"
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"Kiara."
"WHAT?" Both Kiara and Hunter yelled in unison. They could not believe the results.
Confessional:
Hunter: "What just happen? I voted for Soraya. I'm certain Kiara and her bestie voted for her. That's three total. And there's no way Rashon voted for Kiara. That dude's in love with her. So, what's going on, yo? Well then, so much for findin' her secret stash…"
-static-
Soraya: "Yes! I honestly thought I was going home tonight. Maybe this is a sign that my team wants me back as leader? Maybe Rashon was right." She smiled.
-static-
"This is outrageous!" Kiara whined. The rest of her teammates blankly stared at her outrage. "I demand a recount, Hailee!"
"I can guarantee these were legitimate votes, so… not my problem." She looked back to face her new assistant. "Topher, escort her to the dock. Time for her to take the Swim of Shame." Topher nodded, as he grabbed both her arms and firmly dragged her to the dock.
"Kiara!" Kayla shouted, in sorrow that her childhood friend was eliminated. "I'll help find your tiara tomorrow. I promise!"
"Please do!" Kiara pushed Topher's hands away from her. "I have, like, one thing to say to everyone before I leave. Do NOT… trust Soraya! She stole my tiara! She's a jealous freak! She caused me suffering. She-AHH!" Topher expressionlessly pushed her off the dock, splashing her into the cold, ocean water. "MY HAIR! TOPHER!"
"Yikes." Topher gritted his teeth. "Glad it wasn't my hair."
"Anyhow…" The host shoved Topher away from the camera. "The spoiled princess is out of the competition! What do you think happened there? Who knows? Don't care. But… you know what I do care? For the next episode, of course! Stay tuned for whatever adversities the contestants will endure next, on Total! Drama! Bakuhatsu Island!"
The Votes:
Daniela: (Hunter)
Hunter: (Soraya)
Soraya: (Kiara)
Rashon: (Hunter)
Kiara: (Soraya)
Oliver: (Kiara)
Kayla: (Kiara)
Elimination Table:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11. Kiara
12. Lily
13. Zane
14. Alexander
Remaining Contestants:
Electric Eels: Rashon, Kayla, Hunter, Soraya, Oliver, Daniela
Floppy Fish: Nanci, Arnold, Emily, Spencer
Finally, a new chapter! Unfortunately, this one took me a bit longer to write due to school. But no worries; you can expect the following chapter to be released before the end of this month!
Last chapter, I asked who you think would return, and indeed, it was Topher! Not as a competitor, but as Hailee's new assistant. All I will say is… expect some surprises from him…
Also, Kiara was eliminated. There was a certain somebody that voted her out. Shocking backstab, perhaps?...
Anyways, I personally had a lot of fun with this character. Really wanted to keep her competing, but my plot outline had already been set to stone. Because of that, she was pretty much an early boot from the start. Also, fun fact; the short-lived alliance between her and Hunter was not planned at first. I did plan on having them interact more, but not in an "alliance" type of way. Pretty much, it was a "what-if" idea that recently popped in my mind as I was writing this chapter. Would have been an interesting turn of events had it gone that route, I will admit.
So, what are your overall thoughts for this chapter? Your thoughts on the alliances so far? And ultimately, who do you think stole Kiara's tiara? Any additional theories/speculations?
Thank you to all my fellow readers and reviewers! You guys are incredible! Next chapter will be quite an interesting one. There is a bit of mystery involved for the following chapter, so stay tuned!
