Ep 11: Trivial Purr-suit
"Whatever. Let's get down to the chase…"
Hailee had enough discrepancies to keep uphold. Enough could be said observing her posture; her cold eyes glared with clear-cut precision at the camera lenses. This time, she was the one laying stiff on the reclining beach chair, glancing over the sunset ahead of her, legs crossed with one arm loose to the left. No longer the assistant holding the fan. A relief for the impatient host, reclaiming her rightful spot.
Her soft, yet stern hand was delicately held by her favorite—or rather—her most convenient butler assistant. The continuous crunches reminiscent of stepping on concrete sand continued for as long as Calvin neatly and cautiously grinded her nail tips with a file, carrying the most concentrated stare possible. His face told the entire story; sweat dripped down his blushing cheeks as his eyeballs beamed stiff into her nails like attempting to snip the correct wires off a bomb.
After drying his humid forehead off with a swift hand swipe, his entire body jumped and hiccupped, startled by Hailee's sudden pat on his knee.
"Other hand now." Hailee commanded, tucking her left arm underneath her chin while letting the other hand loose. Calvin followed pursuit, without any questioning of her returning authority.
"Yes, Ms. Friarwood."
"Thank you, assistant." Suddenly, Hailee leered at the cameraman, standing much farther away from his designated spot, attempting to capture the entire island within one frame. "Ahem." The blonde host cleared her throat, signaling the cameraman to zoom closer to her while the tired worker's boots were slowly washed by the rising shore. "No need for the exaggerated island overshot angles. This isn't the Phil Friarwood show."
"Uh, Ms. Friarwood?" The cameraman tilted his head slightly, dangling out a piece of paper he pulled out of his pocket. "The script states: island overview shot, then we zoom into your frame, and—"
"Whatever. Let's just get down to the chase." She smacked her forehead, frustrated.
"Hey-um… Ms. Friarwood?" Calvin paused, looking up towards her disapproving face. "Do I… keep going?"
"I did not tell you to stop. Keep trimming!" She commanded, almost seemingly uptight with demands. Being demoted from her hosting position out-of-the-blue would do that. "Let's get a-moving! Picture-perfect time, boys! Three! Two! One…" She rapidly combed her hair to the side before the camera rolled.
"Previously… on Total Drama: Bakuhatsu Island," she forced a smile. "Plot twist after plot twist. Backstab after betrayal. And a disorganized mess of an episode. Thanks for that turmoil, Topher…" she rolled her eyes, resting her head on her left hand. "Sit tight because we have a lot to recap. After my uncle's impromptu return, we had a drastic shift of team management. Not to mention, a drastic shift in lovey-dovey nonsense. Cue awkward make outs!" She briefly paused, leaving room for the team editors to sprinkle a few frames of teenage love.
"Anyways, Spencer and Daniela became a thing before their inevitable break-up, Emily and Arnold form a closer friendship, and Kayla and Arnold became… a couple?" She shrugged, lips sticking out to one side. "All this lovey nonsense is hammering my head. But enough about that. After rescuing Topher from his sad excuse of a challenge, the competitors went on a rescue mission. For my uncle, of course." She emphasized with sass, referencing Phil's cliff dive. "Moron… But anyways, they rescued Phil… and Topher," she gritted upon uttering the latter name. "Then, escaped the treacherous Brad Ravine, and raced back towards camp. Arnold was declared the winner, Kayla and Arnold 'broke up', and Emily framed an assault on Spencer, forcing him the boot. Talk about a nasty little lady doing whatever it takes to take home the millions. And yet… I love it. Now that's what I call… good television. Ruthless pragmatism."
"Ms. Friarwood?" Calvin continued sitting on the wet sand, stiff and fidgety, looking back up.
"Yes?"
"S-sorry to interrupt, but I completed the task." He stuttered.
"Great. Now the pedicure. C'mon, chop-chop!" She hurried.
"Yes, Ms. Friarwood." He zoomed towards the front, facing away the camera in embarrassment after interrupting her monologue.
"Precisely done, assistant." After glaring down at her neatly trimmed nails, she faced back up, arms crossed. "Precision is how I love to run show biz. Just like the good old days. Just like the day when I was first promoted as host of the show. What wonders. Anyways, what dangers will the final four competitors face today? Who will eat dust tonight? And what other devious schemes will Emily pull out of the hat next? Or… will this episode finally be her demise? Well, this is it! The final three episodes. No more long-winded shenanigans. We are nosediving right into the action! Explosive back-to-back drama! Right here! On…"
"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.)
"Final four, baby! Woo!"
Daniela cheered with excitement. A rare sight for such a chill, kick-back-and-relax type of gal. Her black hair appeared rather bedhead-like, mostly due to swiftly lifting her head up from her uncomfortably stiff pillow.
Looking to her right, the other bunk bed was empty. No sign of anyone covered underneath the rigid blankets. Odd, given the early morning time. Kayla was the definition of a sleeper, unlike her bestie counterpart eliminated much earlier in the game. Kiara's elimination already felt like a long time ago, and yet, Daniela was remained calm. She leaned her head back onto the wooden wall, looking up the ceiling, wondering how she managed to slip way further into the show. Felt like sliding down a playground slide. But slowly, she felt the slide slowly morphing into staircases the further she strolled through the gauntlet as the competition tightened in rigor.
The morning sun beamed a yellow light onto her lips. A little tingly warmth, but she shook it off with a smile as she casually rested her eyes, arms gently crossed with her legs extended outwards. Still laying in her upper bunk bed while the sun slowly painted the messy shed inside with a calming-orange tint.
Confessional:
Daniela: "I don't know 'bout you guys, but oye… kinda feels like the weight on my shoulders has finally been lifted," she rested both hands behind her head, slouching back onto the side wall as her legs were lifted off the floor, one foot planked on the stool while dangling her right foot over her knee. For her, finding comfort—no matter the uncomfortable setting—was key to instant bliss. "No longer have to worry 'bout that mess of a hookup. No longer have to worry about Kayla's random complaints of that supposed 'giant rat' sneaking in and out of our shed. But aye, not gonna lie… I do miss sleepin' in the other cabin." She rested her head sideways. "Miss those giant, fluffy mattresses and miss twirlin' Spencer's long hair—" Upon muttering his name, she closed her mouth shut, with a touch of blush on her cheeks. "Nope. I ain't goin' back. Don't know what's up with me lately, but yo, let's just say… I'm here to win." She grinned.
-static-
As minutes gone by, the sun rose higher and higher, illuminating the camper's compound in a bright-yellow light with beams reflecting through the heavy vegetation surrounding the cabins. Birds sang in rhythm, chirping in synchronization as the colorful flock flew over a skittish staff assistant walking out of the compound alone.
But it was not just any assistant; he adjusted his glasses, almost sliding off his sweaty nose as he scratched his pimples off his face. Following the path that led to headquarters, he held his head down, not wanting to attract attention after the Brad incident last episode. But still, he felt the trees silently staring right back at him, leaves whistling against the wind. The darker the shadows gloomed over the damp rainforest, the more sweat rolled off his forehead, grinding his teeth as he picked up his walking speed. Passing bush after bush, tree after tree, as the birds' singing suddenly evaporated by the growing breeze. Eyes widened and concentrated to the ground, he continued speed-walking.
Until suddenly…
"Hey Calvin!"
The sudden female voice jump-scared him; his entire body flinched, almost tripping backwards. He pulled out his walkie-talkie, crouching down in the middle of the dirt pathway with his frail arms shielding his head.
"L-l-leave me a-alone! Or else… I-I… I will call Hailee!" He blurted out, peeking an eye out from his arm, glancing at a bush a couple feet away. He knew the voice came from that direction, but he did not want to risk running away, nor approaching it. Not in case it was anything other than human.
"Hey-hey, relax…" A head swiftly popped out of the bush. Indeed human, with a touch of urgency in her eyes. She flipped her dirty-blonde hair back as Calvin squinted his eyes, fully recognizing her within a matter of seconds.
"Kayla?" He stood up frantically, shooing dust off his shirt. "Wha… what are you doing here?"
"I-um…" Kayla stepped out of the rattling bush, slowly approaching him almost tiptoe-like, not wanting to scare him away. She did not expect that reaction. "I just want to, like, talk for a few minutes. Is… is that cool?"
"Um… I-uh… um…" Calvin stuttered, shuffling his foot while looking down her legs, avoiding eye contact. "Kinda in a bit of a h-hurry. Trees growing back faster than ever before. Blocked the ATV compound path, so now I'm just walking from place to place. Doing detours… anyways, Hailee told me I'm not supposed to conversate with contestants anymore—"
"Right-right," she held both palms midair, facing the awkward intern while attempting to calm him down. "After, like, the whole Emily fiasco. Gotcha. Although… I'm pretty sure Hailee slapped a restraining order for, like, Emily and Emily only. Riiight?" She stuffed her hands in her pockets, squeezing her shoulders upwards with a grin, almost like adding a 'pretty-please' on top.
"Oh-um… y-yes. You got a point," Calvin rubbed the back of his head, still eyeing the ground. "Um… so-uh, is there something you need, Miss?"
"You know…" She twirled her hair, gazing at him with a calmful approach, closer to him than before. She could feel his timidness trickling down his face. An easy target. "I… I just, like, want to… get something off my chest. I always thought you were… really cute. A sweet, nice-looking guy…"
"Um…" He kept touching his left face, unable to make eye contact as she walked uncomfortably closer to him. "Thank you, Miss. I—" After flashing a blush, he wanted to be brave. No longer stumbling his speech with every pretty female he stumbled upon. This time, things will be different, he thought. "I think you're… c-cute as well." And he did it again. Even if he puffed his chest out just a slight, he broke eye contact and stumbled upon muttering the word 'cute'.
But Kayla simply smiled it off, almost like she stifled an innocent chuckle. "I heard you're a gamer. Not sure if, like, you were aware, but I'm also—"
"A gamer?" This time, Calvin looked up, gazing into her coffee-brown eyes, ready to break his awkwardness. "Yeah, I know. Saw you dominate the video game challenge. It's really cool that someone as pretty as you love video games."
"Aww, thanks!" She flashed a grin, holding both her hands in front of her. "Say, I was wondering… wouldn't it be, like, totally cool if we went on a video game date? Maybe, like, we could play an online Call of Fruity match? Or maybe like… once we get to know each other better, you take me to… your favorite video game convention? You like holding hands? 'Cause I'm, like, a big sucker for romantic gaming."
"Oh, um… that would be perfect." Calvin stuffed his hands in his pockets, attempting to shake off his blush. "You-um… here's my gamertag. If… that's okay with you? It's—"
"Oh-but before you do…" she interrupted, reaching within her green utility jacket. "I was wondering if you could… do a teensy little favor for me? Emily told me you're, like, an amazing handyman with access to all the resources and stuff, so, like, I have a job for you that I think you'll enjoy…"
The suburban cabin interior no longer beamed bright under the sun, but instead, worn-dried curtains drooped over the window, casting a blanket of darkness onto the living room with a glimmer of light attempting to push through the curtain sheets.
The black leather couch laid lonely on the center of the room. Graffiti remained sticky on the wall. Fingerprints that belonged to Hunter and Daniela; their playful print left behind, now unchecked in the background, underneath the growing solemn atmosphere crawling out of the cabin.
"Argh! This'll burn cold just a jolly bit…" Arnold wrapped a plastic ice bag the size of his fist with a towel, gently planting it onto Emily's bruised face as she laid her head on the couch arm, both knees raised but her back planked and rested.
"Arnold, that's super-duper sweet of you, but you don't have to do this," she mumbled rather loudly, flashing her usual calm smile as she turned over to face the pirate, who sat criss-crossed on the floor. "My heart and drive are made out of forged steel." She giggled softly, hand hovering over her lips.
"ARGH! That's the spirit!" He expressed, grinning.
Confessional:
Arnold: "ARGH! FINAL FOUR, MATEYS!" He raised his fist triumphantly, albeit regaining his solemn composure rather quickly, dropping his pirate accent. "Bit of a… gloomy time. Kayla's… probably frustrated right now. I didn't select her to be my roommate. And probably annoyed at me for… other things." He flashbacked to the lovey-dovey incident, shaking his head. "But I had to bring Emily over to the victor cabin with me. After what that bully no-do-gooder did to her face, it's the least I could do…"
-static-
"Hey, alliance buddy, so sorry that I wasn't there with you to stop that dreaded Spencer," he continued patting her eyelid gently with the ice bag. "That dirtbag deserved more than just a boot off the show. He—"
"It's okay, alliance buddy." Emily smiled blushingly, calmly slipping Arnold's loose string of hair back inside his pirate hat with caring eyes. "Senseless evil is temporary. We've done enough vengeance. Soon, he'll get what he fully deserves. But… so sweet of you to pick me as your roommate! You didn't have to—"
"Argh! That's what alliances are for, right?" He winked, slipping a grin.
"Speaking of alliances…" Emily giddily lowered her voice. "If we both reach the final three, wanna team up against the third wheeler? You watch my back, and I watch yours? I'd love to take you to the finale with me. Face you one-on-one. Maybe even… share the prize winnings with each other?"
Arnold rubbed his chin, looking down the couch. "Thing is… I like both Daniela and Kayla. Especially Kayla. Since we were… argh, how could I say this?"
"In love?" She giggled teasingly.
"More or less. It's complicated. Pirate life, am I right, m'lady?" He chuckled, standing up to take a seat on the right side of the couch as Emily lifted both her legs, resting them on Arnold's lap. The pirate quickly dropped his smile, his face stern and serious. "I'm… I'm not sure how Kayla thinks of me right now. Probably thinks I'm weird now. Our pirate ship is wobbly, and I'm too scared to lose another friend, just like how I lost Soraya." He softly rubbed Emily's knee, attempting to find his own comfort zone, but to no avail.
"Hey, lighten up!" Emily asserted, tapping Arnold's lap with her leg while playfully smiling. "The key is to maintain an optimistic outlook. If she doesn't want to remain friends because she thinks your 'weird', that's okay! Look on the bright side! You still have me! I'll still be your friend!"
"Argh! Thanks!" He patted her small ankles. "Glad to have you on my pirate ship!"
"That's what alliances are for!" She winked. "Hey! Random thought popped in my head. How strong is your trivia knowledge? I have a… strong hunch that today's challenge will be Total Drama trivia related."
"Argh?" He raised an eyebrow, grinning. "Me pirate senses just tingled. That's… quite specific."
"Heard a rumor with Calvin-cutie and Hailee the other night," she chattered.
"Observant as usual, m'lady!" He praised. "I watched all the seasons in its entirety. From Island to Pahkitew. I believe… I can even give Oliver a run for his money," he winked, albeit knowing that he sprinkled some fluff in the mix.
"That's great!" She smirked underneath the ice bag while gently rubbing it onto her bruised face.
Confessional:
Emily: "I've only seen Island. Some Action and tidbits of World Tour," she grinned, dangling her legs back and forth. "Never been a TV gal. My mother's always been stingy with buying basic cable, even after her next goldmine, doing… whatever the hell she does," she rolled her eyes, smiling. "She's such a bastard. Caught her once snatching a little boy's entire allowance while little o' me was watching Total Drama with him. She babysat that poor kid while doing 'important business ventures' with his daddy. Still remember my middle school days vividly. I stole that father's Rolex too. Ha! Sucker." She giggled, left ear resting on her palm. "No matter the size of the fish, they'll always be gullible to hooks…"
-static-
Arnold walked out the dark cabin, gently closing the door shut not to disturb Emily's nap, not letting an inch of darkness escape the door. His hand hovered over his forehead, creating shade over his eyes while squinting away the bright-orange light off the sky. As his eyes adjust the unexpected brightness of the morning sun, he stumbled upon a fellow contestant, bumping into her chest as they both tripped backwards; their bottoms planked onto the dry ground.
"Argh!" He rubbed his forehead. "Who clumsily knocked thy captain down—" Upon finally gaining proper vision, his face blushed awkwardly, noticing the green jacket and dirty-blonde hair. "Oh-hey, Kayla! Fancy seeing you here! Thought you… weren't a morning pirate?" He stood up rather straight and rigid, flicking dust off his jacket.
"I-um… I had to use the restroom." Kayla shared an awkward grin, rubbing the back of her neck. "So… what's up? Haven't talked to you since, like, you know," she shuffled her feet, still awkwardly grinning wide.
"Argh. Yeah, that was… something." He crossed his arms, frozen in place. "Very, very sorry about that. Truly un-pirate-like of me."
Kayla giggled. "Don't worry about it. Truly. Like, I must've eaten something funny. It's totally, like, not your fault. Let's just say, like, whatever happened on the island, stays on the island."
"Oh, so, you're not mad at me? Even after I picked Emily as my roommate instead of you?"
"Hey, like, it's totally fine." Kayla reassured, attempting to comfort him with a friendly smile. "Don't sweat. You got a good heart for, like, helping Emily out after that incident. Keep your head up and, like, remember to keep your usual, positive vibes." She walked closer to him, her palm gently resting on Arnold's shoulder. "Listen. You're not a clown. You're more than silly makeup."
Arnold looked up into her eyes. Rather flustered by what she just muttered. She still remembered. "We're still… on friendly terms?"
"Of course!" Kayla lightly chuckled. "We've already, like, openly shared our overly personal details to each other. Might as well… shove our awkward getaway aside and stay cool." She shrugged with a smile. "So… fist bump?" Kayla raised her fist awkwardly, her soft knuckles facing him. "Sorry, not my thing," she stifled a laugh. "Dani used to, like, say what's up with fist bumps. Makes me feel like a dude."
"Argh! One big fist for you, my friend!" He excitedly fist bumped harshly, flinching her knuckles as she shook it off.
"Screw you." She giggled. "So, hey, before I catch a nap, I have something to show you…" Her hand reached inside his jacket, although almost in a slow, hesitant fashion. Rather unsure if she wanted to drop a bomb on him just yet. But before she pulled anything out, a loud voice blurted out of a loudspeaker, freezing both Kayla and Arnold.
"Attention! This is your one and only host, Hailee Friarwood. Miss my pretty voice? I thought so…"
"Ugh. Her again." Kayla stuck her tongue out while Arnold kept quiet as he glanced up.
"Anyways, all campers must immediately report to the newly established dressing room in the Shootout Compound. Each contestant has a designated fitting room with your… 'costumes' waiting to be worn. Now, come on! Chop-chop!"
Kayla and Arnold both glanced at each other, already exhausted by the island shenanigans. A reaction especially surprising from the pirate.
"Seems like we'll both be acing this… costume challenge…" She grinned as they both slowly broke into chuckles.
"This… was not what I anticipated…"
Kayla soon quickly realized she ate her own words as soon as she exited out the dressing room. The clear, bright-blue sky highlighted her awkward getup; a black spandex catsuit. Itchy from the back, and rather uncomfortable to wear under the damp, humid palm trees scattered around the compound. Still wore her gray ankle boots, making her taller than she already was.
She briefly glanced back at the dressing room; the exterior mostly resembled outdoor restroom stalls, but with a rustic shed aesthetic. How fitting. Plus, the four doors lined side-by-side were wooden as well, cheaply made with bits of wood chipped off near the door hinges.
Her suit was annoyingly tight as she played around with the highly elastic spandex while waiting for the remaining contestants, stretching it as the fabric slapped back onto her wrist like a rubber band.
"Hailee, like, I just have to ask… why?" Kayla raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms while glaring at the host, who leaned one shoulder to the side of the dressing shed.
"I didn't say they were flattering costumes." Hailee smirked rather teasingly, lightly snickering. "Not here to flatter your ego, but why fret? You look good, dear."
Kayla rolled her eyes, taking her sudden compliment as mockery. "Who still uses 'dear'?" She muttered under her breath.
"What's that?"
"Oh, nothing." Kayla kicked dirt off the ground, still waiting…
And waited.
And waited…
Hailee tapped the ground with her heels repeatedly, glancing at her wristwatch. "Seriously, what's taking them so long?"
"ARGH!" And suddenly, Arnold busted out the door, flabbergasted at what he was wearing: the same black spandex catsuit. "What is the meaning of this? Why are we dressin' like cats?"
After the pirate's barking, the last two doors were unlocked, as Daniela and Emily walked out of their respective rooms; both also wore the same spandex outfits. Emily kept her faux overly-gleefulness, while Daniela carried her annoyed face, attempting to loosen the tightness of her suit.
"Dude, Hailee, I'm with Kay on this one." Daniela blurted out, glaring at the host with an eyebrow raise. "What are we? 15?"
"Hey!" Emily playfully fist-bumped Daniela's shoulders. "I think these are cute and adorable. Makes me feel… like a secret agent spy. Like Cat-Woman!"
"While also smellin' like cat fur." Daniela sniffed her arm, strangely reminiscent of a typical house cat odor. "Show's runnin' in the gutter. Feels like I'm thrift shoppin'."
"Total Drama is doing just fine, actually." Hailee remarked, arms crossed with a playful smirk as she stood firm and tall in front of the exhausted final four. "We figured it would be amusing to have the contestants dressed like cats for the theme of today's challenge." She let out a single chuckle, then cleared her throat for a sterner approach. "Moving on…"
"Welcome… to hopscotch!"
Upon arrival to their new designated challenge spot, Hailee introduced the remaining four to a hopscotch platform flimsily situated over a swamp-like pond. Lots of mosquitos roamed around the vicinity, with giant tree leaves shielding out sunlight while keeping the dense humidity within. Sweat dripped off the competitors' foreheads, not because of physical activity, but by the sheer moisture that the dark-green plants captured and blanketed over.
Arnold glanced over the edge of the pond, resembling more like a crater pit filled with swamp water near the bottom. The two poles at the center holding up both ends of the wooden hopscotch platform appeared fragile; a simple, but powerful hand swing would almost be enough to knock the entire board down. As the pirate tippy-toed, he glanced over the platform, noticing balls of yarn. Variety of colors, with some almost the size of a basketball. Glancing downwards, he noticed a menacing shark fin popping out of the ripples…
"ARGH!" Arnold called the host's attention, pointing at the pond below. "Is that what I think it is?"
Hailee smirked. "Even better…" She pulled out her red megaphone from behind, one hand on her hip. "Hey Fang! Come on out!"
Most of the competitors gasped at what she just blurted out. Kayla and Arnold's jaw dropped. Daniela froze, both eyebrows raised, while Emily scratched her forehead, confused. Until she and the rest of the competitors peeked down onto the water, immediately spotting the smirking shark sassily waving at his potential victims. His colossal teeth alone sparked enough fright to Emily, gulping alongside Kayla and Daniela.
Except for…
"YARR!" Arnold cheered, standing between a dumbfounded Kayla and Daniela.
Confessional:
Arnold: "Finally! An adrenaline-pumpin' challenge!" He twirled around his cutlass. "I've done my fair share of circus acts with sharks back in the Aquarium Experience Show. I may no longer be a clown, but ARGH! It's not like I can't adapt circus acts into pirate tactics!"
-static-
"And, like, what on earth is the challenge?" Kayla retorted.
Daniela chuckled; arms stuffed in her pockets. "I take it back. Catsuit's made us look 15. The hopscotch now dropped our age to 5."
"Getting ahead there, guys." Hailee smirked, tossing rope into a hole drilled at the starting point of the platform. "How about… all four of you climb to the top and I'll explain."
"Today's challenge… is both a tribute to Total Drama and those wacky Japanese reality TV challenges."
Hailee smirked, almost chuckling at the ridiculousness of their catsuits as the contestants froze onto the wobbly hopscotch platform, all bundled up at the starting point. Emily swiftly held Arnold's hand, pretending to tremble as the pirate glanced back at her, smiling back, signaling her that everything would be okay, no matter the adversity.
From behind, Kayla glared at their brief exchange, eye rolling and frowning at Emily's two-faced pity act. Twirling around her bronze rose necklace with her sly fingers, she continued eyeing the redhead's fake grin until Daniela bumped into her shoulders, breaking her meticulous trance.
"Dude, you good?" Daniela wondered, hands in pockets, with the most relaxed smile out of the whole group.
Kayla gripped onto her necklace, glaring at Emily one last time. "Never better."
"HEY!" Hailee blurted into the megaphone. "Don't forget your cat ears!" She pulled out four, flimsy black cat-ear headbands, tossing them over the crater pond; each landed at the competitors' unwilling palms.
"Oh-great. Now I'm 4." Daniela stifled laughter but prompted a 'humph' from Kayla.
"Okay, like… how do you find all this… funny?" Kayla stepped away from her with cold shoulders, rolling her eyes. Upon picking up her uptightness, Daniela rolled it off, shrugging.
Confessional:
Daniela: "Dude, what's her problem?" She lifted her knee and planted one foot onto the wooden seat. "I get it, final four. Tensions high and all that. But dude's been on edge with me lately and, yo, I just don't get why…"
-static-
Kayla: "Could it be that she takes everything as a joke and doesn't, like, take my concerns seriously? Or could it be that, like, she bad-mouths me constantly whenever around her boyfriend?" She glared at the camera; arms crossed. Fed up with the drama at that point. "Oh-I-don't-know… how about she… STOP BEING A FAKE! Like, I'm totally done. She needs to choose a side instead of, like, befriending everyone!"
-static-
Emily: She wiggled her feet around, swinging her legs back and forth with a mischievous smile. "I'm not deaf. I could hear their grudging from behind. And I live for it." She widely grinned. "As long as they hog the spotlight with their little drama, who am I to care? Petty drama. You gotta love it…"
-static-
Arnold: "Argh!" He smiled confidently, laying his sword on the floor. "I don't know why Kayla is pickin' fights lately, but if there's one thing I learned while being on the show, meanies don't last long. Being social does. Kayla taught me that." His smile suddenly down-casted, reminiscing their brief time together. "I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy our little adventure. Even if our love was fake." He sighed.
-static-
"What's with all these yarns?" Daniela kicked a red ball of yarn as if she was playing soccer, before being interrupted by Hailee.
"I wouldn't kick those, if I were you." The host remarked, standing on dark-green grass near the edge of the pond with flashcards stacked onto her hands. "Those will be your laggers. About thirty or forty of those little yarn balls where you stand."
"ARGH!" Arnold interrupted. "And what exactly will we be doing? Just a game of hopscotch?"
"No… Bakuhatsu Hopscotch." The host corrected.
"Yarr! I've never heard of that before."
"We made it up, dimwit." Hailee rolled her eyes. "The game is simple; you all know hopscotch, but in case you were born on Mars, you just… throw your little yarn ball at a tile, and you hop towards it with one foot on each tile to pick it up. Simple. But in Bakuhatsu Hopscotch, there's a twist; instead, you'll be answering Total Drama trivia questions to move on to each tile. Notice how there's no double-tiles? That's because you'll be traversing through the platform as if it were like a giant racing board game. Just ten tiles lined straight ahead of you. Each square tile has a unique category. Wherever your little yarn ball lands on is the type of question you'll be receiving. If you know the answer, turn on your cat lights. The yarn thrower is free to not activate their cat lights to answer the question if they so desire, but there's a catch: your skip limit is three. Remember that. Surpass the three-skip limit, and you're automatically booted off the show. No ifs and buts. But… each question you get right, you hop ahead one tile. Key word: hop. If you answer a question incorrectly, or if you plant both feet on the platform, or if your yarn drops down the pond, you might be spending time with big kitty…" she spun around swiftly, megaphone up and ready. "TREVON! TANNER! Bring out Baku, the Tiger!"
As soon as she yelled out the cue, the two assistants strolled a giant glass cage from behind, seemingly popping out of nowhere. The shadows casted underneath the damp rainforest hid them well.
Trevon and Tanner, with their uniform moist and sweaty, cautiously and worryingly pushed the wheeled cage towards Hailee, not wanting to trigger the sleeping tiger. Its black stripes were on full ferocious display. The four contestants stood in their catsuits; eyes wide opened as they glanced helplessly at their potential predator.
"Damn. Hailee's gonna kill us all." Daniela lightly chuckled, albeit in a nervous tone, hands in her pockets.
Kayla, however, had none of it. "You brought… A TIGER? Don't tell me we'll be, like, forced to pet the tiger…" She blurted out.
"Oh-come on!" Hailee crossed her arms, rolling her eyes. "You've done more dangerous stunts before! Remember Episode Two? Had to jump through tight hoops pleasing the environmentalists. A pain in the—"
"ARGH! Thy captain gets the capooey!" Arnold interrupted, attempting to wiggle his body around from the uncomfortable fabric. "I would like to start now! Costume's tighter than my entire clown outfit collection. I-ah-um… they're no longer in my closet, of course! He-he!" He chuckled with a wide, awkward grin. However, the three girls could care less.
"Um, Hailee?" Emily raised her hand while adjusting her cat ears. "What if… we accidentally fall into the pond?"
"Good question…" Hailee smirked. "Simple. You start over." She briefly paused after hearing an audible gasp. "What? You thought the challenge was a simple game of hopscotch trivia without punishment? Pfft, please. If you fall off the platform or fail the tiger challenge, you start over. No ifs and-or buts."
"What… tiger challenge?" Kayla gulped, nibbling her knuckles.
"Would be nice if I could finish without interruptions?" The host hissed; could not be bothered rolling her eyes any longer. "If you answer a question incorrectly, miscalculate your lagger toss, or plant both feet on any tile, you'll be subjected to… The Wheel of Shame!" And out of nowhere, her favorite assistant Calvin timidly popped out of the wilderness, pulling a large four-color wheel spinner situated on a tripod stand, propping it near the glass cage. "There are four slots: Baku, Hatsu, Fang, and Dang. If you land at Baku, you'll be performing a challenge alongside Baku the Tiger right here…" She patted the cage, gentle enough not to cause a rumble. "Brief warning, Baku has quite an… explosive temperament. If you pass, you stay right on your designated tile. But if you fail, you'll be starting all over, from the beginning."
"And what kind of challenges will we, like, be facing?" Kayla already felt her body quiver, hands inside her arm pits.
"I'd rather keep it… a neat ribbon surprise. For now." Hailee smirked; arms crossed. "Moving on…" She pointed to the other slot onto the wheel. This time, instead of a yellow color, it was red. "If the spinner lands here, on Hatsu, you start all over. From the beginning. No exceptions." Her slim fingers slid to the next slot of doom: blue. "If the spinner lands on Fang, the spring trap will activate, launching you off the platform, into the pond. Taking a dirty swim back up, alongside—you guessed it—your friendly neighborhood, revenge of the elasmobranch… Fang!"
Right as the shark heard its name, Fang popped his hungry teeth out of the murky water, waving to the gulping competitors one last time.
"Not to worry," Hailee continued. "Make it back up in one piece without Fang touching you, and you only need to take one step back from your last tile. If he touches you, you start over. No exceptions. Finally, onto Dang," she pointed to the last slot. "If you land on green, you take one step back from your tile. That's it."
"Yeah, no, this challenge is insane. Like, totally crazy." Flustered, Kayla was on the verge of hopping off the platform, onto the soft, cushion-like grass before reminding herself on—
Confessional:
Kayla: "The million dollars. Yeah, don't think, like, I haven't forgotten." She tensely crossed her legs. "Heat of the moment. Especially with an uptight know-it-all like Hailee. Ugh!"
-static-
Kayla readjusted her cat ears, almost flimsily falling off her head. "Yeah, okay, let's just, like, get this over with." She crouched down to tighten her ankle boots, ready for action.
"That's the spirit." The host teased. "Everyone's got their shoelaces tied? If not, whatever. Don't care. Not my problem. Let's commence the show before we stall any longer, shall we?"
"Wait!" Arnold crouched alongside Kayla, tying the laces on his black boots. "Ahoy, first, thy captain needs to jumpstart his little mateys—"
"Nope. No time." Hailee pulled out her flashcards from her denim pockets; a tall stack was neatly balanced on her soft palms. "Order will proceed like this: shortest to tallest. Emily, toss your lagger at whatever category you'd like."
"Ooo, fun!" Emily grinned, squishing a ball of yarn as she prepared to pitch with utmost precision. Staring the ten tiles ahead of her, the categories from nearest to farthest were: General, Chris McLean, Island, Action, World Tour, Revenge, All-Stars, Pahkitew, Musical, and 'Surprise!'. Whatever that meant…
Of course, the safest approach was her go-to, tossing her ball of yarn to—
"Chris McLean. Interesting…" Hailee shuffled her flashcards. "If you know the answer, turn on your cat lights. There's a tiny button on top, right between your cat ears." Her sharp blue eyes darted to the selected flashcard.
Confessional:
Daniela: "Pfft. McLean. Typical Emily." She giggled.
-static-
Emily: "Like I said, big Chris McLean fan!" She smiled gleefully, wiggling her legs excitedly.
-static-
"Ahem." The host cleared her throat. "Chris McLean's cousin guest starred in one of World Tour's episodes. What's his name? Is it…? A: Jordan? B: Jerd? C: Justin? Or D: Joe?"
Daniela smirked playfully; but still puzzled by the rules. "So what? We raise our hands like we're in kindergarten?"
"Turn on… your cat lights…" Hailee muttered with hiss, flipping her hair off her face in frustration. "Guys, I've already covered this in immaculate detail! C'mon!"
"Oo! Oo!" Emily smashed the button on top of her head. Her cat ears radiated bright LED lights, flickering in splashes of colors like if they were in a carnival. "It's B, isn't it?" She blurted rather swiftly. "Jerd is one sexy fisher!" Arnold and Kayla perked an eyebrow. Daniela, however, chuckled to herself. A stark contrast.
"You are…" After processing what Emily just spouted, she continued onwards. "Correct! Emily, hop one tile forward. Remember, one foot balance."
"Okie-dokie!" She hopped forward, right on the center of the next tile, with the delicate balance of a ballerina and the precision of an archer. Not a single struggle keeping one foot planted.
Confessional:
Kayla: "Okay, like, NOW I can see why Spencer was, like, so grumpy." A face of understanding sparked, glancing the low-hanging ceiling, finally seeing the bigger picture. Not in the most hopeful light, of course. "Like, he was dealing with an outright sociopath! She's so nonchalant about just… yeah, ugh. This is going to be, like, much tougher than I anticipated."
-static-
Arnold: "Admittedly, not the biggest McLean connoisseur…" After admitting his shortcoming, he stabbed the wooden seat with his cutlass in determination. "But ahoy! I am proud of Emily for pushin' through adversity! She's like a tank! Even after the incident, she marches forward! Like a true pirate!"
-static-
"Daniela, your next." Hailee pointed out.
"Whatevs." Grabbing a yarn ball of her own, she tossed the lagger three tiles ahead, landing on—
"Island." The host flipped through her flashcards. "Okay, here you go: who was the first female camper booted off the island? Was it…? A: Eva? B: Bridgette? C: Beth? Or—"
"A, Eva." Daniela teasingly interrupted after silently flicking her cat lights without Hailee's knowledge.
"You… you were supposed to wait until I finish." Hailee rolled her eyes, caught off guard by Daniela's disobedience. "Whatever. Daniela… hop right ahead."
After yet another delicate hop, Arnold and Kayla stood firm and stiff, glancing at each other in worry, eyes more widen than usual while moist mosquitos roam around the high platform. Daniela's white sneakers almost accidentally knocked Emily off the platform, but the redhead simply shrugged it off with a smile. Not the sincerest smile that day, but a smile, nonetheless.
"Arnold, your turn. Let's get a' moving." Hailee blurted out.
"Ahoy, matey!" He saluted, grabbing a lagger and baby-tossing it one tile ahead, letting out an overexaggerated grunt.
"General. Interesting." Hailee expressed, albeit in a sarcastic tone. Her following flashcard read: "Without counting specials, how many total episodes are in the first three Total Drama seasons after adding them all up together? A: 77? B: 78? C: 79? Or D: 80?"
"ARGH! That's a tricky one…" Arnold crossed his arms in frustration, then smirked unexpectedly. "Is what I would say if thy captain was STUPID! It's B! ARGH!"
"Correct." Hailee flashed a thumbs up.
Confessional:
Arnold: "I'm at a point in the game where I could just… be myself! Judge-free!" He smiled. "Talkin' and actin' like a pirate truly made me feel freer than ever before. Emily gave me that boost in confidence in being myself again and I am forever grateful…" he suddenly looked down the floor in solemn. "But… after a while, I've… kinda gotten tired of doin' this method actin' biz. It still feels like… I'm not my true, true self. Almost like… I was at my peak self with Kayla. Lettin' all my trapped feelings out in the open with someone who loved and understood me. That… that felt… nice…" He sighed. "But alas, treasure is temporary…"
-static-
"Your turn, princess." Hailee smirked teasingly; Kayla stiffly crossed her arms with an eyeroll, eyeing Arnold from behind.
Wanting to stall and waste Hailee's time, she leaned her face closer to the pirate's ear. "How much you wanna bet, like, Hailee went shortest to tallest just so that I go last to spite me?" She whispered.
Arnold shrugged. "Might be 'cause you rescued Topher instead of Phil?"
"Why am I not surprised?" She chuckled.
"Ahem." Hailee repeatedly tapped the ground with her front foot, losing her patience. "No time to chitty-chat."
"See what I mean?" Kayla rolled her eyes.
"Seems like the host favors the anti-pirates." He muttered loudly, rather light-heartedly. "But remember, keep your head up. Screw what she thinks. You got this." He winked, flashing two thumbs up before patting her on the back.
"Gotcha." Kayla grabbed a yarn ball, tossing it with delicate accuracy…
Action.
Confessional:
Kayla: "Something I just realized," she combed her hair, still glancing the camera. "If I… want to give Emily, like, a harder time with these questions, I should, like… pick the most difficult categories, like Total Drama Action. Like… hello? Does anyone even, like, liked the season? Didn't think so. Even I skimmed through most of the season—" She shook her head, then facepalmed upon realizing her own poor judgement. "Oh-gosh, I'm such an idiot."
-static-
"Okay, Ms. Smarty Pants, you ready?" Hailee teased, reading the following card. Kayla, however, simply crossed her arms, almost shaking her head. "Who was the second female contestant booted out of Action? Was it…? A: Heather? B: Leshawna? C: Bridgette? Or D: Gwen?"
And in a swift hurry, three cats were glowing; all three almost smashed their buttons simultaneously, but Hailee still recognized a clear distinct order: Kayla, Arnold, and Emily.
"Kayla, spit it out." Hailee blurted out.
"Is it… C?"
"Bridgette?" Daniela smiled awkwardly.
Confessional:
Daniela: "C'mon. Even I knew." She laughed.
-static-
Kayla: "I don't watch too much Total Drama. Like, give me a break!" She crossed her arms, eyebrows tensed from frustration.
-static-
"Nope. Wrong." Hailee gave a slow, thumbs down in dramatic fashion. "Punishment awaits."
Kayla gulped; hands planted on her hips in utter frustration. "You gotta be kidding me," she murmured to herself.
"Arnold? What about you?" Hailee continued.
"Argh. I-uh, um…" For a split second, he glanced at Emily, wanting nothing more… than reassurance. Hoping she flashed a sign of approval with their agreement. To make sure they were on the same boat.
And sure enough… Emily grinned with a hidden thumbs up, blink-before-you-miss-it, obscure enough so that the other two competitors did not raise sudden suspicion.
"Argh! Leshawna!" Arnold shouted in confidence.
"Wrong again." Hailee shook her head. "Two in a row. Maybe three if Emily's incorrect. So, Emily? Ready to share your answer?"
"Ready!" She grinned sunshine. "It's D! Gwen!"
"Correct!" The host approved. "C'mon, campers. That was an easy one. Whatever. Hop one tile forward. Meanwhile, Kayla and Arnold? As the only two contestants with the incorrect response, it's the Wheel of Shame for both of you! Calvin! Spin it!"
Her sweaty assistant spun the wheel spinner in a flash, waiting for the arrow to slow down and land on a slot. Arnold and Kayla took one last glance at each other, both arms crossed, stiff and worried over the potential punishment.
Finally, the arrow slowed down, landing on—
"Baku!" After Hailee blurted out the punishment out loud with her megaphone, the tiger woke up, accidentally slamming its head underneath the glass roof while letting out a rumbling roar, startled by the host's shouting. "Alright, you two!" She continued loudly. "Descend to the ground! You got a tiger to please!"
"This… this is ridiculous." Kayla muttered in annoyance, standing beside Arnold in front of a large, white, plastic mat. Its blinding white color heavily contrasted with the dark-green grass, laying cleanly without much dirt or stains. Surprising, given the rough, wet terrain.
Meanwhile, as they both stood stern, Hailee remained seated on a reclining beach chair right to the side while Calvin hovered a fan at her left ear's direction, crouching down in sweaty uniform. Tanner and Trevon both cautiously led the tiger to the large mat on a leach, sweating not just because of the damp humidity, but also the mere tiger's presence.
"Let's speed this up, assistants! Chop-chop! Baku's extremely disciplined, well-trained, and intelligent. Won't be hurting us." Hailee rushed with piercing eyes as the duo sped up their walk, sitting the tense tiger down in the center of the mat. "Great. Okay. Kayla and Arnold? A swift briefing before we commence. This is for you, Kayla, so pay close attention; if you fail either the Baku or Fang punishment at the very beginning of the platform, you automatically lose the challenge and will LOSE the chance to win immunity."
"Ugh." Kayla rolled her eyes. "Should've warned us, like, beforehand."
"Sorry, hon," Hailee smirked teasingly. "But maintaining suspense is an integral slice of the show." As she continued smirking, she grabbed the megaphone underneath her chair, hovering right over her mouth. "Daniela? Emily? How's the weather up there? You two paying attention?"
Daniela and Emily both glanced at each other, still on one foot as they both giggled and shrugged at whatever noise the demanding host spouted. Too concentrated on remaining balanced over the unstable platform.
Hailee quickly moved on. "Whatever. They'll know soon enough. Anyways, let's get started." She pulled the wheel spinner closer to her right shoulders. "Today, you both will be sharing a game of Twister with Baku! You guys should know the game of Twister, but if you were born on Pluto, I'll run the gist; whichever color the spinner lands on, you must place either your hand or foot on that same color circle. Red, blue, green, or yellow. I'll choose either left hand, right foot, etc. Baku here will be participating—hence the larger mat—so make sure you don't upset him, and you should be golden. Survive four rounds without either falling or upsetting Baku and you'll be safe." She pulled out her megaphone again. "Get on you cat positions! On your mark? Get set? GO!" On command, Calvin pressed play on a boombox underneath her chair, playing the most stereotypical disco song imaginable. Meanwhile, Hailee spun the wheel, landing on— "GREEN. LEFT HAND!"
Arnold and Kayla both glanced at each other awkwardly, then at the smirking tiger, then back at each other as Arnold got down on all fours. In swift movement, both contestants planted their hands near the edge, on opposite sides of the mat. Baku wiped off his smirk, morphing into an playful smile as it planted one paw at a green spot near the right edge.
The pirate arched his behind exaggeratedly, like posing for a yoga class. Kayla, however, remained stiff with her movements, not wanting to rub her suit with the tiger's fur in fear.
"Ahoy! Tis, but a scratch!" Arnold shouted confidently.
Hailee shrugged while spinning the wheel yet again. On cue, Calvin pressed skip to play the next generic disco song on the boombox. The spinner then landed on—
"RED. RIGHT FOOT!"
Arnold and Kayla glanced at each other awkwardly yet again, as they both lifted their left foot forward, landing on red circles, alongside Baku's excitement participating with the contestants. Kayla, however, still feared Baku's presence.
"Hailee, your tiger's, like, staring at me! Ominously!" She pouted.
"Don't care!" Hailee blurted through her megaphone, spinning the wheel yet again as the next song played. "GREEN! LEFT FOOT!"
Once again, they both shared awkward glances as they both lifted their legs over the mat, both feet planted at the very front in the most uncomfortable position. While Arnold struggled with his shorter legs, Kayla managed to extend her legs underneath the pirate's chest, planting her ankle boots over to the other side closer to Arnold. Already, awkward twisting ensued. At this proximity, Arnold could hear her gentle breathing. Her beating heart. Her leg rubbing against his upper arm.
However, Baku remained distant from the two, lifting his other paw to the designated color in sadness as he felt left out from the fun.
"Okay, final one." Hailee announced, hands behind her head with her back resting casually. "Make sure to purr while planting your right hand! Makes it more… hilarious."
"Great." Kayla rolled her eyes.
The host spun the wheel one last time; a more dramatic disco song played, as the spinner quickly landed on a color.
"BLUE! RIGHT HAND!"
Arnold and Kayla quickly shuffled, not wanting to spend another awkward minute in their extreme yoga-like positions. Arnold's arm extended downwards with caution, not wanting to sprain his shoulder. Kayla had equal caution, not wanting to disturb the tiger playing alongside with her, even though Baku was minding his own business, moving his right paw with concentrated precision. Impressive. The tiger was acrobatic.
"DON'T FORGET TO PURR!" The host shouted.
Kayla shook her head; their spandex suits were already rubbing against each other. Arnold struggled keeping his composure, almost losing his balance. But regardless, they both swallowed their pride.
"Purrrrrrrrr…" They both muttered reluctantly, as Hailee snickered.
"Alright! That's a wrap! You both passed!" She stood up, gently patting Calvin's shoulder. A cue to shut down the boombox and fan. "Climb back up the hopscotch platform. Don't forget to answer each question correctly, or else… back to the Wheel of Shame!"
As soon as Hailee walked away, Arnold slipped and fell on his back, accidentally knocking down Kayla with him. She tumbled right on top of him, both their legs tangled around each other as their eyes briefly locked, flustered and blushing by their little accident.
"Um, oops, sorry." Kayla flashed a wide, awkward grin, pushing herself back up.
"Tis but a scratch." Arnold tried to play it off, rubbing the back of his head while letting out a half-chuckle. "You… are mighty lucky with those long, flexible legs."
"Thanks." She giggled. "For once, I am, like, totally proud they had a use."
Confessional:
Kayla: "Shoving awkwardness aside, I am, like, totally surprised how easily we both get along." She crossed her legs, getting herself comfortable inside the uncomfortable outhouse confessional. "Not the weirdo I once thought he was. Although… Kiara would hate-hate-HATE having someone like Arnold join our lunch table." She lightly giggled. "Honestly, like, I wouldn't mind. Not anymore."
-static-
Arnold: "Thy captain can't lie…" he smiled teasingly; eyes relaxed with a flashing grin. Hands planted behind on the wooden seat. "That was… a pleasant moment. Brief, but pleasant." He shifted his mood to a more serious tone. "But still, we're friends. Not lovemates. Don't think otherwise, viewers!" He pointed the cutlass directly at the camera.
-static-
"Everyone nice and comfy up there?" Hailee shouted from the ground up; all four contestants stood still on one foot, still balanced on the wobbly platform.
"Yeah-dude! Can we get a move on?" Daniela remarked, starting to wobble. "My toes are gettin' sore, man. Plus, Mr. Pirate Patch here grabbin' my shoulders like I'm some rollercoaster ride!"
"YARR!" Arnold retorted. "I'm squished on this tile with you and Emily and you're pushin' me off, missy!"
"HEY! Quit complaining and I'll start speeding it up! Comprende?" Hailee fired back. "Emily, your turn."
"Okie, dokie!" With excitement, she lifted a red yarn ball and gently tossed it one tile forward, landing on—
"Chris McLean. Again" Hailee pouted with disapproval, pulling out a flashcard.
Confessional:
Hailee: "The fact that Chris McLean still has fans remains a mystery to me." She remarked, deadpanned.
-static-
"Following question states: what was the name of the boy band that Chris McLean partook in? A: Fametown? B: The Hotties? C: Keepin' it Plain? Or D: Pennyback?"
"Hmm, that's a tricky one…" Emily rubbed her chin. Her other hand left loose, waiting. Almost as if her hand was patiently waiting for a love note someone would secretly pass in class…
And a paper note she received. Slipped right on her palm behind Daniela's back. Swift enough that not even Kayla raised suspicion.
"Is it…" Within seconds, Emily peeked inside the folded piece of paper between her thighs, then dropped it down the water pit in a quick crumble. "A?"
"Correct…" Hailee raised an eyebrow. Suspiciously noticed her head looking down the tile but shrugged it off and continued. "Hop on forward."
"Yay!"
"Fametown. Pfft." Upon murmuring, Daniela almost lost her balance, but quickly stood still as she planted both hands on Arnold's small shoulders. "Don't get too comfy, dude. This ain't a massage," she giggled.
"I'm not complaining." Arnold smiled, closing his eyes in relaxed posture, feeling her hands squeeze tight through the spandex.
Confessional:
Arnold: "The perks of being in an all-girls group." He rested his back onto the wooden wall, hands behind his head, resting both eyes but then shortly opening them back up. "This is the weirdest episode yet." He concluded bluntly.
-static-
Hailee grabbed the megaphone. "Arnold! Your turn!"
"Wait a sec—wasn't I supposed to go next?" Daniela blurted out, then laughed as she facepalmed. "Looks like High-Heels skipped first grade and never learned to count."
"And… you're laughing about it?" Kayla retorted, crossing her arms. "Like, you're not even gonna fight it with Hailee? Gonna let it slide, just like that? Is that your whole 'go-with-the-flow' motto you were talking about?"
"No offense dude, but…" Daniela slowly turned around to face her while keeping balance. "I-I don't know where all this fuss is comin' from. Like oye, what's the issue?"
"Nothing." Kayla turned to her right side. "Hailee, you skipped Daniela."
"Yeah, like I haven't noticed." The host remarked harshly. "I had a long day. And you're both almost the same height. Cut the busy, hard-working lady some slack."
"It's that 'professionalism' she was talkin' about earlier," Daniela whispered teasingly to Emily up ahead.
"Oh-yeah!" She giggled; head halfway turned. "But hey, at least she's 'on schedule' this time." They both shared a giggle.
"HEY!" Hailee erupted, frustrated on the chitty chatter. "How about we stop interrupting the host and get the show moving! Good? Good." She firmly gripped onto the megaphone and stuck it close to her lips. "Daniela! Tu turno!"
After giggling upon hearing Hailee's below-par Spanish, Daniela slowly leaned down, grabbing a lagger, then tossing it two tiles ahead, landing on—
"Island. Again." Hailee scoffed, reluctantly pulling out her flashcards. "Let's select new categories here instead of recycling through the same ones, okay?" She flipped through her cards. "Okay, ready? Alright, here you go: In Total Drama Island, Courtney revealed her greatest fear. Which one is correct? A: Flying? B: Green Jelly? C: Spiders? Or D: Chickens?"
"Chickens?" Arnold blurted out, almost bursting into laughter. "What scallywag is afraid of chickens?"
Emily turned around, rather alert. "You don't know who it is?" She muttered through her teeth.
"OH! Now I remember!" Arnold rubbed the back of his head, sweat rolling down his forehead. "Sorry, the humidity is frying my pirate brain."
"That's okay!" Emily quickly hugged the pirate, then faced forward, attempting to play it off like they were pen pals, but Kayla rapidly caught on their off-putting exchanges, arms crossed as she stood behind them, quietly observing…
Confessional:
Emily: "Maybe Arnold helping me out with trivia wasn't the best move." She smiled off her worries. "No biggie! Two brains are still better than one!"
-static-
Kayla: "Is she… are they in some kind of weird alliance?" She crossed her legs. "Not like I'm jealous or anything, but like, it feels like Emily is just… she's just, like, using him. Almost like, she was keeping him in check over… something. Sooo weird."
-static-
"It's gotta be C. Spiders, right?" For a moment, Daniela hesitated, scratching the top of her head, but then grew confident of her answer seconds later. "Yeah, definitely B. No way it's jelly or chickens, dude."
"Err! Wrong!" Hailee flashed a thumbs down. "Anyone else?"
Emily slammed the top of her head, cat lights activated. "It's…" she swiftly read the little note between her thighs before discarding it down the pond. "It's A! She's scared… of flying!" She grinned.
"Wrong!" Hailee sneered. "Oh-c'mon! That was a crucial Total Drama moment!"
Another set of lights flickered. "Is it… B?" Kayla interrupted, albeit hesitantly.
"Correct! Finally!" Hailee gave a quick, single clap before walking towards the Wheel of Shame. "Daniela? Emily? You two ready?"
The two gals glanced at each other, simply shrugging it off like it was a minor inconvenience.
"Meh." Daniela retorted. "Not like it'll land on the tiger slot again."
"Don't get too comfortable." Hailee smirked before giving the wheel a wild spin; the spinner scrolled through the slots in rapid-fire suspense, faster than the previous spin.
Confessional:
Kayla: "Green jelly? What?" She shrugged. "I just guessed, okay? Chose the weirdest 'fear'—if you could even call it that. Like, hello? Everyone who's seen Total Drama knows who Courtney is. Snobby know-it-all, and, like, so unlikeable. But… greatest fear? How was anyone supposed to remember that? Maybe I need to watch more Total Drama."
-static-
Emily: "Probably shouldn't rely too much on Arnold..." She shrugged. "Oh well. Not biggie."
-static-
"And your penalty is…" Hailee stopped the spinner, landing on— "Baku!"
"Damn." Daniela pouted, hands on hips, glancing at Emily as they both shared a worried smile. "Ready to get mauled by a tiger?"
Instead of utilizing the glass cage where the tiger slept, Hailee led both Emily and Daniela towards a typical, petting-zoo cage. Similar size to the giant glass cage, but instead, iron bars. Now housing Baku, growing hungrier by the second…
Dinner… was imminent.
"And now, we're tiger food." Daniela joked, albeit worryingly with her arms crossed and tensed. "We're not… we're not going inside it, right?"
"Of course not. Don't be silly." Hailee smirked. "Instead, you'll be feeding Baku. Without using your hands. Just your mouth. Oh-and you must crawl to the cage like a cat."
"Oh-how fun!" Emily clapped, forcing a grin, but it was clear she was as frightened as Daniela; her pupils shrunk in fear.
Confessional:
Daniela: She blew her silky hair out of her face. "Dude, not gonna lie, I hate this. Last family trip to the zoo, one of my brothers shoved me into the goat zone as a 'prank'. Givin' me flashbacks to not-so-pleasant times, but let's just hope the prank don't repeat itself, ya feel?"
-static-
"Here you go! Chopped-up deer!" Hailee slid both cat-bowls underneath the two contestants. "Cube chunks. Nice and ready to serve."
"Jeez, this took a dark turn." Daniela remarked, glancing down at her black cat bowl in disgust. "I-I got nothin' goofy to say. Whatcha think, Em?"
Emily glanced at her bowl in suspicion. "Weren't these the same deer we hurdled up in those big, metal boxes?"
"Classified." Hailee declared. "But let's just say, they were 'reexamined' for safety concerns."
"Doesn't answer my question." Emily leered.
"And now we're going off-topic." She rolled her eyes. "How about we start focusing on the challenge. Get on your cat positions! Feed the entire serving to Baku before the 30-second mark using only your mouth to lift the bowl. Ready-set-GO!"
As soon as Hailee's portable airhorn blew, both Daniela and Emily planted themselves onto the ground, picking up the designated bowls with their teeth while rapidly crawling to the cage, not minding the muddy-like ground roughing up their kneecaps.
"This is… the dumbest challenge we've done." Daniela muttered through her teeth before finally reaching to the resting tiger.
"Total Drama, lemme tell ya." Emily muttered back, stifling laughter.
"Dude, this tiger's lickin' my face. Gross." Daniela's teeth gripped tight onto the bowl as the tiger sloppily munched her serving.
"Is Baku almost done?" Emily's plate grew wobblier by the second, waiting for her turn.
"Oh-yeah!" She dropped her bowl, stretching her jaw.
"Hi, kitty." As soon as Emily whispered to Baku with her forced smile, he sensed unpleasantry. A fraud. The tiger knew he was dealing with a fox. A sly, conniving redhead…
He growled ferociously, right in front of her face. She felt the tiger's breath. A dense smell reeked of deer flesh. All she could do was glare sternly, piercing her eyebrows, attempting to show no fear, but rather, a face of frustration, wanting to get the whole ordeal done and over with.
And soon enough, the tiger huffed meanly. His stomach growled and he was hungry. No time to pick fights with a fox…
"And… that's a wrap!" Before Hailee stopped her watch, Emily's bowl was empty. Meal finished. "You both are safe. Let's jump right back to the hopscotch! It's time we… pick up the speed."
The sky remained clear and blue; no longer was the sun hanging right over their heads. The wind picked up speed, whistling through the damp trees, but not for very long. The longer the contestants stood on one foot over the hopscotch board, the fuzzier their vision. Colors glowed more vividly. Trees appeared wavier than before, almost like they were waving hello to the sweaty competitors. Silently observing, staring at them, almost like the trees had eyes of their own and a beating heart. Almost like the damp humidity was just their long breathing…
Hailee's questions flew by quicker and quicker, from normal pace to exponential rapid-fire. Questions and answers thrown at each other back and forth like a game of ping pong:
"Who was the second contestant eliminated in Pahkitew Island?"
"Leonard."
"Who picked the name 'Chris is Really Really Really Really Hot' for their team?"
"Tyler!"
"Wrong!"
"Sierra."
"Episode where Dakota began to mutate?"
"The Treasure Island of Dr. McLean!"
"Out of these four, who got eliminated first?"
"Alejandro."
"Hey Arnold…"
"Wrong."
"Arnold…"
"Heather!"
"Correct."
"ARNOLD!"
The pirate shook his head, glancing around his surroundings like a confused puppy. "Ahoy! Who called me?" He then glanced up, noticing the sky changing color. "And why is the sky green?"
"What?" Hailee facepalmed. "You've been staring at nothing for the past minute."
Daniela also glanced up, balancing right behind the pirate. "Oh-yeah, he's right," she continued peering. "Jeez, I've been skippin' bedtime lately."
Kayla and Emily also looked up at the sky, although not noticing the same, abnormal vivid imagery. "I mean…" Kayla squinted, careful enough not to lose her one-foot balance. "It's, like… kinda green?"
"More like… greenish-baby-blue-ish." Emily remarked.
"GUYS! FOCUS!" Hailee clapped loudly, snapping them out of their brief trance. "The sky is literally blue. You guys need some sleep. And Arnold, you still haven't answered the question."
"Yarr! What question?" He fired back.
"Seriously?" Hailee flipped back through her flashcards, repeatedly tapping the ground with her heels. "Which meal eliminated Duncan during the song, 'A Chinese Lesson'?" Is it…? A: Worms? B: Donkey Meat? C: Starfish on a Stick? Or D: The one Chris McLean admitted to not knowing what it was?"
"Argh, argh… argh?" Arnold scratched his forehead before looking down at his tile, jaw dropped by the sudden revelation. "ARGH! I'm on the Pahkitew tile already? How?" He blurted out. "Time flew by quick! It's almost like we just skipped over a big chunk of an episode! Like skipping pages of a book!"
Daniela also glanced down, sharing the same stunned expression. "Dude, we are so out of it today." She peered at the trees in front of her. "So out of it, in fact, the trees are growin' out eyes. They're lookin' straight at me!"
Meanwhile, Kayla realized something. In a frantic rush, she reached her hand inside her jacket underneath the spandex, double-checking if she still had the device. And sure enough, she felt the sturdy little box, safe and secure as she shoved it closer to her armpits. "How did I almost forget? How?" She thought.
Confessional:
Kayla: "I don't know how I lost track of time. Or the fact that, like, I was forgetting important stuff." She rubbed her chin, squinting. "Like, I remember answering Hailee's stupid trivia questions over and over. And I remember answering incorrectly and rolling on the 'Dang' penalty. So, so stupid of me to carry it over the pond. And, like, I was so lucky I didn't fall into the pond at any point. Like, it's gotta be, like, the island playing tricks on us or something, because, like, everyone is feeling the same, weird hallucinations. Minus Hailee and her assistants. Weird, am I right?" She rolled her eyes. "Like, I can't stall any longer. I gotta drop the bomb. Like, right… now…"
-static-
"Argh, is it… starfish on a stick?" Arnold clinched, gritting his teeth.
"Correct." Hailee shuffled her cards. "Alright Kayla! Your turn!"
Upon hearing her name, she grabbed a lagger, aiming towards the 'Musical' category, but instead, landing on—
"Surprise!" Hailee flipped through her flashcards until she reached her 'surprise' bundle. "So, the surprise category contains either a completely random, general trivia question, or… another Baku challenge." Hailee smirked after hearing an audible groan from the final four. "So, let's see what we got here…" Picking up a random card off the stack, it read: "Ready? Here it goes: In The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby is obsessed with a woman named Daisy, his ex-lover. His inability to accept reality caused his downward spiral of reckless deceit. What is the major theme of this book, according to the explanation? A: Love? B: Money? C: Deception? Or D: Self-Destruction?"
Looking ahead, Kayla instantly noticed that Emily stood only one tile away from the finish. Panic ensued. She had to act quickly. No-no, she had to act now…
"Ahem." Kayla cleared her throat. "Can I get everyone's attention? I need to, like, get something off my chest—"
"Ugh, we don't have all day." Hailee rolled her eyes, glancing at her wristwatch. "Just… make it quick!"
Emily and Arnold both glanced back at her in baffled expressions, waiting for whatever Kayla wanted to announce. Standing beside her, Daniela raised an eyebrow, unsure what she was about to pull underneath her outfit.
"Ya' know, like, before the pirate challenge, I thought the biggest pain-in-the-butt was going to be… my own bestie." Kayla confessed. "Like, whaa? My own best friend, Kiara? Like, how could I talk bad on my own bestie like that? But sometimes, a good friend must keep each other in check, right? Like, I still love her, I really do. But she was going to blow up over, like, a piece of jewelry! I get in. Sentimental value. Yada-yada. But it did not change the fact that I had to vote out my own bestie just to keep her off a destructive path. None of us should be victims of craziness, especially not on live TV. Like, this place should be a safe zone for our mental well-being. But, like, I'm going off-topic…"
The contestants scratched their heads in confusion. But one person in particular tilted her head slightly with a bitter look, almost like she was being attacked in the most passive-aggressive demeanor, like a teacher lecturing her student…
"Dude…" Daniela hissed. "I've been nothin' but chill with you. If this is about me, just spit it out and—"
"Dani, shut the hell up!" Kayla barked back. "I'm, like, sick and tired of your so-called 'chillness'. It's not about you. It's about HER!" She pointed fiercely to Emily. Straight at her face, catching her off-guard. "Stealing Kiara's tiara. Toying with her by pinning the blame on Hunter. Making me endure her destruction as you sit back and laugh. But, like, hey! Would you look at that! Final four! You no longer need to keep up the ruse, so why bother? You already won. You fooled us all! So, congrats! Like, I hope your happy with yourself."
For a brief moment, everyone was in utter confusion. Emily froze, not sure what to make of her sudden outburst. Just a glare and a growing smile. An attempt to comfort her…
"Hey Kayla, I-um…" Emily waved timidly, forcing a gentle smile. "I'm super-duper sorry you feel this way. And I'm sorry that your friend's tiara was stolen. But you must understand that I would never do such an awful thing—"
Immediately, Kayla pressed play:
"Because you had set Dani up with me."
"And-oh, it's my fault you couldn't control your urges? Goody-two-shoe snobs are just so stupid. You wanna hear all my so-called 'sins' one last time, Mr. Morality? I rewired Alexander's magic flute, framed that nutcase Zane, drove Soraya insane to sabotage her own team, steal a couple belongings and framed it on Hunter, played around with your 'relationship' with Nanci, which—by the way—stupid idea to mingle on a reality TV show. Oh, and don't even get me started on my background. Think I give a damn for Arnold's people-pleasing issues, or Dani hooking up with you? I helped set her up with you for a favor because at least she understands the basic winning principles: if you want something, you gotta get your hands dirty. I want… I take. Simple as that."
Kayla stopped the audio recording, holding the device over her shoulders. "Oh-would you look at that? Simple as that."
Daniela and Arnold stood shocked. Frozen. A bomb was dropped indeed. Arnold's eyes displayed pain. Betrayal. Emily's words stung deep. She did not care for him. Not at all. Her tone within the recording gave it all away…
It was all fake. Phony. But Kayla wasn't done.
"Guys, it gets even better." Kayla skipped through the recording, watching Emily slowly loosening up her body, placing both feet on the tile, ignoring Hailee's penalty warning. "Turns out, the recording didn't stop there. Listen…" She pressed play:
"I can't believe you just framed me with an assault case."
"Oh, one last thing…" There was a brief pause in the recording, followed by rumbling after the recorder tumbled onto the ground. Audible laughter was heard in the background, easily identifiable as Emily's voice. "Don't worry, I won't press charges. 'Cause I could care less. Try not to let the ocean water freeze you up, Spencey-poo. Ta-ta!"
And there it was: the smoking gun.
"The whole thing was made up!" Kayla barked. "Spencer never attacked you! You accused him of assault to cover your own sorry ass!"
Daniela also placed both feet on the tile, but in a nervous manner. "Kayla, yo, how 'bout we just chill for a bit and not get—"
"DANI, SHUT UP!" Kayla had enough. "I'm so sick and tired of you sticking up to Emily. Oh-wanna know another fun fact? 'Emily' isn't even her real name!" She pulled out a piece of paper out of her spandex outfit, viciously unfolding a revelation:
A mugshot of 'Emily' and her smiling face. The name under the photo read—
"Annika Lauren Becker. Says here you were arrested for… arson! Wow!" Kayla read out loud, exposing her identity. "So, how does it feel that, like, your own lover Calvin betrayed you? He helped me fix up the recorder and, like, handed me files of your oh-so-secret Annika background. Oh-and by the way, he wants nothing to do with you anymore. You scared him. He thinks that you'll, like—oh-I don't know—BURN his house down? Like, okay, I'd totally be scared too."
Daniela, standing right beside Kayla, grew tenser from her confrontation, crossing her arms while fidgeting her hands. "Hey, dude. How 'bout we cool it and—"
"Nah, let her finish." Emily interrupted, curious to hear what else she had to say. No more fake smiles or a high-pitched voice. Just a blank, intrigued face.
"Oh-I'm not done." Kayla turned to face Daniela, also stepping both feet down. "Don't think you can, like, pretend to be my friend and—"
"GUYS!" Hailee interrupted after staying silent from the total drama. "STOP STALLING AND ANSWER THE QUESTION! WHAT IS THE THEME OF GREAT GATSBY?"
"HAILEE, SHUT THE HELL UP, YOU [BLEEP]!" Kayla barked back; Hailee's assistants gasped loudly. Surprisingly, none of the contestants reacted to Kayla's biting. They were already fed up with the dense humidity and uneasy atmosphere.
"The hell did you say to me?" Hailee rolled up her sleeves. "Come on. Say it again. I dare you."
"No." Kayla fired back sassily, facing Daniela once again. "And Dani, don't pretend you are, like, the 'chillest gal-pal' on this show. You called me a pretentious gossiper! Behind my back! Don't think I never overhear the convos you and your ex-boyfriend spout behind closed doors. Convos about how gossip is 'all I care about' and that I'm dry and boring, and that I'm just a snobby, no-personality rich girl who 'hates poor people'. So, stop it! No more of this two-faced charade! Let's stop pretending that you're cool with me and admit that you secretly hate me. Come on. Admit it. Admit it. Hey Dani… admit it. Admit. It. ADMIT IT!"
Daniela held her arms crossed, glancing the trees ahead of her while avoiding eye contact, with the most uncomfortably tense face. "You… misinterpreted what I told Spencer—"
"NO, I DID NOT!"
"Okay, but dude, it was none of your business." Daniela looked down the pond, eyes turning red and watery but no tears flowing. "Didn't mean to hurt your feelings, but alright man. Whatever…" she muttered.
"You sided with… with… THAT FRAUD! Over me! Like, okay, no wonder you and Spencer didn't work out..." Kayla hissed pettily, now facing Emily. "Hope your happy now! I bet you were secretly smiling over our bickering. No need to continue the act anymore."
"You done?" Emily—or rather, Annika—flashed a smile. Amused, but no longer a forced smile.
"Oh-yeah, I'm done. Totally." Kayla retorted.
Arnold and Daniela both looked away from the center of attention, wanting to remove themselves away from the drama, but the hopscotch platform restrained them. Forced to witness the drama unfold...
"Okay." Annika shrugged, still smiling. "So, what now? Like you said, a little too late for that gotcha moment, don't ya think? Want me to spill how much of a 'horrible' person I am? You all want the truth coming out of my own mouth? Alright. Well-here you go; I stole your guys' belongings. Framed it on Hunter 'cause he was easy bait. I did all those things Kayla mentioned, just like it said on the tin. I let everyone implode as I sit back and watch. But ya know what? That's the game. The hustle. Survival of the fittest. Nothing personal, really. Me? I don't take it personally. Why? Because I don't care, and I want to win. I don't need new friends. Especially not on some reality show with millions of viewers watching. Why? Because I have plenty of friends back home and they are awesome." She crossed her arms, giggling. "But seriously, what are you gonna do?" She glared at Kayla, smirking. "See, the difference between you and me… is that I'm willing to do whatever it takes to secure the bag. Meanwhile, you don't have the balls to do whatever it takes to step up to the plate. But hey! Cheer up! This is a start—"
Suddenly, they were interrupted by clapping. Slow clapping from the smirking host. "ALRIGHT-ALRIGHT! CUT!" Hailee no longer wanted to stall, but the popcorn-worthy drama tempted her to keep it rolling. Still, she was a stickler for proper scheduling. "Look, I appreciate the juicy bickering. I see those TV rating numbers dancing before my eyes, and believe me, my cold heart desires more. But thanks to the long-winded diversion, we're behind schedule! Again! We no longer have enough time to finish the challenge!"
"Good." Kayla hmphed, crossing her arms. "Let's just, like, get it over with and let us answer your pretentious question and call it a day."
"No." Hailee remarked. "You're not in charge here. Who's the host of this show? Oh-that's right! Me!" She pulled out her megaphone, lips smirking. "Attention, campers! You may descend back down now! I have a better idea—"
Standing on the grass with no wobbly wooden plank to worry about, all four campers stretched out their legs, relieved that they no longer had to balance themselves on one foot, although still had to wear their uncomfortably sweaty catsuits. Puzzledly, it was less humid on the ground than high up on the hopscotch platform. A strange dichotomy that the swamp-like forest possessed.
Right beside the pond pit, the ferocious tiger laid asleep in the zoo cage. Almost dangerously near the edge of the pond. Still, even Tanner and Trevon had trouble pushing the hefty cage using their bodybuilder strength.
"Argh…" Arnold sighed defeatedly. "What pain will we endure next?"
Kayla, standing right beside Arnold, looked down her shoulders, rubbing her arms as she looked down the ground, visibly upset over Arnold's heartbreak.
Confessional:
Arnold: "I… I am a foolish, foolish pirate." He smacked his forehead. "Like Emily said proudly, that's just the name of the game. Makes me wonder… was Kayla usin' me too? Just when I saw Emily in a different light, when my pirate eyes morphed into smiling balloons, she… she popped them. Just like that. No pushback. Makes me wonder… I truly am alone now…" he stabbed the wooden wall with his cutlass, breaking the plastic tip. Sharpening the edge. "Maybe Emily's right. I've been doing this show all wrong. Maybe it's time for a change of mindset. Complete 180. No more foolish Arnold…" he glared the camera, dropping the accent entirely…
-static-
Kayla: "I-um… I'm not, like, a very confrontational person." She rubbed her thighs exhaustedly. "Maybe it was the awful humid air. Maybe it was the island screwing with my brain. Maybe it was the irritating catsuit. Maybe it was Hailee. Maybe I just reached a breaking point. But… it just… it felt so good. Like, like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders." She looked down the floor, nodding in regret. "Maybe I was too harsh on Dani, but like, I was just, like… so totally fed up with her. Like… oh-gosh, it was a long time coming. And… and I-um, I, like, feel so bad for Arnold. Before dropping the bomb, I was afraid this was gonna happen. Like, he's been through so much already and I was afraid he was gonna lose trust in me too. And, like, I need him. More than ever. I need him by my side to take down that little sociopath. Like, I can't do it alone. I need him…"
-static-
Daniela: "Am I surprised Kayla lashed out like that? No, not really." She crossed her arms, blowing her flowing hair out of her face. "Ya know, I kinda deserved it. I'll admit, this ain't my first petty drama. Kinda the reason why I don't have many friends and why I keep my circle small and close. Most of my homies were homies since freshmen year. And ya know what? Maybe Kayla had a point. Maybe… maybe that's why I wasn't good enough for Spence. Maybe that's why I only attracted the bad boys back home, ya feel?" She nodded slowly. "To all my homies back home? Don't worry. Ain't givin' up yet. Not a quitter. Remember that long-ass hiking trail we all went with Jorge? Didn't see me stop my jog, did ya? Like, dude, Christina can keep callin' me a lazy bum all she wants, but yo, I'm still the fastest in the squad." She laughed, then crossed her arms again. "Damn, the outhouse confessional really does get me confessing…"
-static-
"Arnold, no need to fret," Hailee comforted. "Since you and Emily are at a tied for first, you both will have the easier part of this final mini-challenge."
"And what challenge is that?" Emily raised an eyebrow.
"Feeding time." Hailee smirked, carrying four cat bowls stacked in two. All four filled with the same disturbing chunks of deer. "Except, you two will be feeding… Fang!" As soon as he heard his name, the shark rose out of the swampy pond water, waving at both Emily and Arnold with a mischievous smile.
"Ah? How is that easier?" Arnold retorted, hands on hips.
"Because…" Hailee continued, rolling her eyes. "All you'll be doing is attaching each meat on a fishing rod and feeding Fang from up here, one chunk at a time. NO feeding Fang without the fishing rod. Kayla and Daniela, on the other hand…" she pointed to the tiger. "As the two contestants tied for last place, your task will be to feed Baku—with your teeth holding the bowl—inside the cage."
Nothing but silence in response. Silence, with visible, irritated faces. Daniela's chill eyes became more and more exhausted by each passing second.
"Oh-great." Kayla huffed.
Confessional
Kayla: "Biased, I'm telling you…" she rolled her eyes.
-static-
Daniela remained silent by her ex-friend's remark. "So, do we go inside now?"
Hailee shook her head. "Each contestant will complete the challenge one at a time. You must empty your entire bowl. Not an inch of meat left over. Whoever empties their cat bowl the fastest, wins. The shark feeders will take the first feedings. Emily, as the shorter camper, you're up first. Here's your fishing rod." She hurled the rod towards Emily, catching it no problem. "Ready-GO!"
Emily dashed ahead, propping one chunk onto the rod, then flinging it onto the water. Immediately, Fang chomped on the meat, no questions asked. Easy, and out of danger, she thought. The clock continued ticking, and she continued feeding the smirking shark. Rinse, repeat. Rinse, repeat. After a few repetitions, she grew frustrated. Easy bullseyes, but no speed. Not fast enough…
Confessional:
Emily: "Still a heated from Kayla blasting me, but that's okay!" She smiled; eyes rested. "Just gotta… step up the gas pedal!"
-static-
Instead of attaching the rest of her chunks to the rod, she peeked down the pond, gripped onto the handle, and hurled the rod right inside Fang's open mouth. Bullseye. Unbeknownst to him, it was empty; no meat was attached.
Emily reeled Fang all the way up, flinging him onto the ground with as much force as she could, startling her competitors as soon as Fang walked on both legs. But the shark was not on land for very long; suddenly struck by the sticky heat, he chomped Emily's entire bowl out of her hands in a swift hurry, then jumped back into the refreshing pond.
"21 seconds!" Hailee stopped her wristwatch. The rest of the campers stood irritated by Emily's blatant eluding but were too exhausted to blurt anything out. "Abused a loophole, but whatever. We got no time left. Arnold! You're up! Ready-GO!"
The pirate in the catsuit dashed towards his bowl, flinging each meat down in a hurry, attempting to beat Emily's dodgy record without muttering a single word. Pure concentration. Rinse, repeat. Rinse, repeat. No distractions. No cheating. He wanted to win the challenge fair and square—
"Time's up! Over 21 seconds!" Hailee stopped, one hand in the air. Without arguing, Arnold obliged, dropping the fishing rod silently, standing near the edge of the pond while glaring at Emily with his arms crossed. Unfinished business, it seemed. "Alright! Daniela, you're up! Crawl inside the entrance. Don't leave until Baku finishes his entire meal. GO!"
Daniela dropped on all fours, lifting the cat bowl with her teeth while crawling her way inside the cage. Surprisingly calm, the tiger munched each chunk slowly. Perhaps a little too slow for Daniela's liking, having to endure Baku's heavy saliva and constant licking on her lips. Besides her 'are you kidding me' face, Baku's dinner went by smoothly. Gentle and happy he was.
Until…
"Hey Kayla!" Emily mumbled loudly, tapping her shoulders from behind. Kayla turned around, grunting.
"What?" She hissed, facing the conniving redhead, noticing her hands behind her back like a young schoolgirl. "Here to, like, rub it in to my face?"
"Even better…" She grinned, revealing the item covertly hidden behind her back: her slingshot. "Careful when feeding the cute, adorable cat. Don't want any accidents to happen. Would be a shame, if you catch my drift…"
As soon as Kayla set the mental pieces together, her heart raced. Gasped in horror for what Emily just implied. She could not believe it. She does not want to believe it…
Emily wanted her dead.
Daniela's bowl was almost finished. Upon realizing it, Kayla's heart had beaten faster and faster. Panic ensured. The longer she blankly stared at Emily's smirk and her slingshot tossed up and down in the air, the more she fidgeted. Everything around Kayla quickly became a blur, like shell shock silence. From her perspective, it was almost like the slingshot jumped up and down on Emily's hands in slow motion. If she wanted to survive, she needed to act fast. And she wanted to act now—
Lifting a sharp, fist-sized rock off the ground, Kayla—in a desperate attempt—hurled it as hard as she could, towards none other… than the tiger inside the cage.
And… bullseye. The tiger flinched. Furious by the sudden provocation, he chomped on Daniela's arm. Screams and screeching from the agony followed within seconds. The pain was immeasurable as Baku went full-on savagery inside the cage, biting all over Daniela's suit in a fit of rage.
All three campers gasped in shock. Frozen like statues as they helplessly observed Daniela being mauled away. Kayla could not take the graphic imagery any longer, looking away in full guilt as silent tears rolled down her cheeks. She hated her sudden, impulsive move. She hated Emily for pushing her to break. She hated what she became…
Hailee, however, was smiling.
"Looks like Baku will be out of commission for the rest of the day." The host announced. "Sorry Kayla, but your turn will be skipped. We are severely behind schedule." Kayla completely ignored her, one hand covering her face as she broke into tears. "Guys, relax. Daniela will be fine. Relatively speaking. These catsuits you're all wearing aren't just any regular catsuits. They're prototype suits made from experimental fabric harvested from this very island. These bad boys are capable of withstanding extreme pain and blunt force while providing superhuman capabilities through biological enhancements, courtesy of the Bakuhatsu scientists."
The campers continued glaring at Daniela's cry for help, unsure if they believed Hailee one bit. "Uh, she doesn't look fine to me…" Emily pointed out, surprisingly worried for Daniela.
"I said relatively speaking." The host fired back. "Her bones will be intact. No bite marks or anything. These suits work like magic. Although… she'll have to use crutches. Oh well…" She shrugged. "Emily! Congrats! You won by default!"
"Great!" She grinned; arms crossed. Arnold and Kayla, however, glared at her in disbelief. The fox got away with it…
Nighttime. Campfire. The final four sat around the fire, exhausted over the mess they endured throughout the entire day. Even Hailee was irritatingly upset that the challenge was ruined multiple times. Not a single happy mood was spotted within their vicinity. Just endless, grumpy faces. Grumpy and silent. Especially Daniela, who wore a giant chest cast with her crutches set over her lap. Shockingly, not a single bruise on her body. Suit worked like a charm. Although everyone now wore their regular attire. No more itchiness.
Confessional:
Daniela: "Holy. That was a lot to take in." She sighed, setting her crutches down the floor. "Do I vote out the one that blasted me on live TV? Or the one that poked the tiger? Em told me that Kayla was the one who threw a rock at him, but dude, kinda hard to trust someone who openly admitted to lying. Dude, she stole my phone! Invasion of privacy, why don't ya? Whatevs. Thought I saw Arnold just starin' at Em and Kayla like he did somethin' without them noticing. Will be keepin' an eye. Pfft, 'Kayla did it', yeah right! Like she's even capable of doing just that…"
-static-
Arnold: "Can't vote out Emily, even if I really wanted to." He rubbed his chin. "Hmm, don't really have another option. Not votin' out my good friend, Kayla, if that's what you TV enthusiasts are thinkin'. She's still a friend, right? Right? Or is Emily right and everyone here is out to stab each other in the back?" He crossed his arms, looking down the ground. "I was a fool for believing Emily's story…"
-static-
"Hey, Arnold?" Kayla tapped his shoulder, sitting right beside him. "Whatever happens in the ceremony? If one of us gets the boot, I would… I would like to remain friends." She whispered, smiling, extending her knuckles forward for a fist bump. "I'm… I'm so sorry that you were manipulated by that little demon. But not everyone on this island is, like, here to pounce."
"A little hard to believe." Arnold muttered back, refusing to face her, glaring down the fire in front of him. "I saw you hurl the rock at the tiger. Doesn't seem like something a nice person would do."
"Because… yeah, you're right." She looked down. "I panicked and it was my fault. Emily dangled her slingshot to my face, and I panicked. I just… she was, like… like, oh-gosh, I feel so stupid—"
"No, you're not stupid." Arnold held one hand on her knee, comforting her. "I… I saw what she was doing. Even from afar, I could see her snake mouth slither into that damn smile. I've spent enough time with two thieves on this show, and I can safely say… she definitely pushed you."
"I guess we were both manipulated then." She softly chuckled, raising her fist again for another attempt at camaraderie. "So… friends?"
Arnold finally broke his trance out of the fire, gazing at Kayla's tired face, nodding with a smile as he answered back with a fist bump. "I'm up for some sweet, sweet pirate revenge…"
"Alright, campers!" Standing alone without her assistants, she immediately tossed a marshmallow towards Emily's direction. "Since we're behind schedule, I'll make this quick: as today's winner, Emily has immunity and keys to the winner's cabin. Also, from now on, no roommates for the winner."
"Aww!" Emily looked down. "But I love spending time with people like—"
"SHUT UP!" Kayla blurted out, completely done with her ridiculous acting. "Like, no one's gonna believe a single word you spout, so good luck even reaching, like, the final two. No one's on your side from here on out."
"Sorry, force of habit." Emily smirked, hands on her knees in excitement. "But hey! Alright then! Fo-sho! I'm game, so bring it! But first, let's see if your pretty-little princess butt wins a marshmallow tonight."
"Ahem! Behind schedule, remember?" Hailee interrupted, glancing at Kayla, then at Daniela, and then at Arnold. "The loser taking a dive tonight is…"
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.
"Daniela."
Upon tossing the final two marshmallows to both Arnold and Kayla, Daniela carefully stood up, slowly walking away with her crutches towards the dock, too tired to even care.
"Whatever. Saw it comin' a mile away." She remarked.
Kayla stood up frantically, eyes almost watery. "Oh-my-gosh, Dani, I am SO, so-SO… so sorry for throwing the rock at the tiger! I… I didn't mean to physically hurt you! I was scared and I didn't mean for it to happen and I—"
"Was it you?" Daniela interrupted, dumbfounded by the revelation as she stood frozen on the dock. "Uh, I-uh… whatever, dude." She muttered back loudly, surprisingly nonchalant, albeit still annoyed. "Alright, High-Heels! How the hell am I supposed to swim all the way ba-AAAAH!" Before finishing her final goodbye, she tripped and faceplanted into the water, causing a splash onto the wooden planks.
"And… there goes the calm-and-collected chick!" Hailee concluded, eyeing the cameraman blankly. "What an... anticlimatic end for Daniela. Like I said the previous episode… things will only skyrocket from here on out! No more playing around! We are at the final three! Kayla, Emily—or Annika if you want to get technical—and Arnold! Who will stick to the very end? Who will taste the salty ocean water next episode? Find out on the next dramatic episode of…"
"Total!"
"Drama!"
"Bakuhatsu Island!"
Confessional:
Kayla: "Phew!" She wiped sweat off her forehead. "Final three. Oh-my-gosh, I never expected going this far! I was so afraid Dani and Emily teamed up against me for a tiebreaker, but like, I just had a really long day, and like, confronting Emily drained almost all my energy. It was tough." She smiled in relief. "But at least, like, I got it over with sooner rather than later. And now, Emily has no one on her side…"
-static-
Arnold: "Maybe I jumped the cannon a little too early…" He pondered, twirling his cutlass. "Kayla is a dear, sweet friend. Maybe not the pirate I envisioned, but dang, she has all my pirate respect for exposing that little fraud. Reminds me of when I stood up against Hunter. You know? Come to think of it? We're a lot more alike than I thought." He rubbed his chin. "Emily, here's a quick message from thy captain himself: you have… no shot. Final three, I'm bringin'… the big guns. The cannons."
-static-
Emily: "Not the outcome I anticipated, but that's okay!" She grinned. "I whispered into Dani's ear that Kayla threw a rock at the tiger but guess she didn't believe me. But… that's okay! It doesn't matter! Kayla's no threat to me. So, if it's gonna be a 2-v-1, then so be it. Believe me, I'm not a very cocky person, but they have no idea what I'm capable of, and they'll soon learn… it won't be an easy dog fight." She smirked.
The Votes
Arnold: (Daniela)
Emily: (Kayla)
Daniela: (Arnold)
Kayla: (Daniela)
Elimination Table
1.
2.
3.
4. Daniela
5. Spencer
6. Nanci
7. Oliver
8. Hunter
9. Soraya
10. Rashon
11. Kiara
12. Lily
13. Zane
14. Alexander
Remaining Contestants
Kayla, Arnold, Emily
We are at the final three! Right near the finale! Exciting stuff! I did not expect another lengthy chapter, but I felt like there were certain scenes I just couldn't leave behind. Also, this was yet another tricky chapter to write, more so because I had various revisions for the challenge and had trouble figuring out how to approach the trivia challenge without dragging the chapter. I'm going to keep this author's note short and sweet, so expect the next chapter to be released within a month. No more hiatuses for the rest of this season!
With Daniela, I felt like this episode was her time to go. More so because I had everything wrapped up for her, story-wise. Overall, I'm satisfied with her conclusion.
So, overall thoughts? Who do you think will be eliminated next? Did Kayla go too far? And what on earth is going on with the island's weirdness?
And as always, thank you to all the fellow readers and reviewers! Next chapter will be released very soon!
