A/N: I lost the game.
"Last time on Total Drama House Party…" Hatchet stood in the foyer for the recap. "The drama came in full force as everybody's scrambin' to take control of this here game. Ernie proposed an alliance to Kiki in order to take out Lauren, and surprisin'ly, the androphobe girl accepted. Meanwhile, Lauren also proposed an alliance with David in exchange for helpin' him try n' score with my niece. On Team Thunder, Chappy continued to suck up to Franklin in order to get him to vote for Bailey, and Judy started feelin' vulnerable when the rest of her team made it clear she was a target. Team Flame lost the challenge that night, and even though CJ started turnin' the obnoxiousness up to eleven, it looked like Erica was the one to go… only for Nolan to pull a surprise move which resulted in the gambler boy himself gettin' eliminated! I don't get that kid! Anyway, it's a new day for our competitors! Who's really in charge of Team Chill? Who's really the biggest target on Team Thunder? And will CJ ever get the heck out of here?! Find out, ya fool! Only on Total! Drama! HOUSE PARTY!"
Team Flame all went outside to the backyard.
"So… CJ… about what Nolan did…" Barry started nervously.
"That's okay," CJ said with a friendly smile. "It was an honest mistake. There's always next time. Anyways, I'm tired. Good night, friends."
As CJ went to sleep on one of the reclining chairs, Barry gave Rachel a concerned look.
"I'll talk to you later, sweetie," Rachel said in her faux-flirty voice, although her tone suggested she wasn't happy.
"So, is it true what Nolan said? That I was a target?" Erica asked.
"It is," Barry conceded. "But I voted for CJ, for… uh… obvious reasons."
"I see. Well, CJ's right. Best get to bed. No reason to prolong the waking moments of my miserable life," Erica said quietly as she went to sleep.
"I'm going to bed too, Barry," Rachel said as she rubbed her eyes.
"Friends? Could you keep it down? I'm trying to sleep," CJ said politely.
"Okay…" Barry said in a weirded-out tone.
Confessional:
Barry: I don't know what's scarier: CJ when she's angry and yelling at us, or CJ when she's calm and polite to us. I guess her being nice is an improvement, but still… I can't shake this weird feeling.
CJ: I don't know what Barry's talking about. I'm just being nice to my friends. Can you blame a girl for that?
Erica: Yesterday was kind of an eye-opening experience. Am I really any better than CJ? I mean, yeah, of course I am, but still. Maybe Barry's right. Maybe I do need to stop being so negative.
Team Chill went downstairs to the basement.
"Whew. Been a while since we've been down here," David pointed out. "There's even enough beds for all of us."
"That doesn't mean we can't still cuddle," Lauren purred.
"Yes it does," Kiki said firmly.
"Whoa, you're talking around boys now?!" Lauren gasped. "Were you ever really guy-o-phobic or whatever?"
"Yes, I am," Kiki replied sternly. "But I've come to realize that I have no reason to fear them. If anything, I should be afraid of you and your uncontrollable sex drive."
"Oh, it's controllable. I just choose not to unless we're, like, really good friends," Lauren snickered.
"You're despicable," Kiki spat.
"And yet you still willingly made out with me," Lauren added smugly. "So who's really the despicable one here?"
"You are," Kiki, David, and Ernie all said in unison.
"Well screw you guys too," Lauren said nonchalantly.
Confessional:
Lauren: Call me crazy, but I'm starting to get the feeling my teammates don't like me very much. Oh well. I'm still working on winning David over, and Ernie will probably come soon after since he doesn't really have any allies at the moment.
David: If Lauren wasn't helping me with my Yolonda problems, I'd be fine with voting her off. But now I'm not so sure. Maybe I can convince Kiki to lose Ernie first, assuming Lauren isn't done by the time we get to the vote. Or is that a dumb idea?
Ernie: Lauren's gross. But she's not, like, stupid. She probably still thinks I have no allies, and will probably, ya know, offer to take me in. Psh. Even if I did have no allies, I still wouldn't align with her. Okay, maybe I would, but only if I, like, really needed to as a last resort.
Team Thunder made their way to the first-place rooms.
"Are you sure this is the right way?" Chappy asked Franklin.
"Pretty sure," Franklin confirmed.
"Hey, since we'll be getting our own rooms, you can't really kick me out, huh?" Judy said jokingly. "That was a joke. I'm not bitter. I promise."
"Give it up, Judy," Franklin sighed. "You're going home as soon as we lose."
"Then I guess we're just going to have to keep winning," Judy chuckled.
"That's what I like to hear," Chappy smirked.
"While I'm all for winning challenges, you need to keep in mind that what you did was wrong," Franklin told Judy.
"Of course I'll keep it in mind. It's all I've been able to think about these past couple days," Judy frowned. "Besides, Bailey's forgiven me."
"Is this true?" Franklin asked Bailey.
"Please… leave me out of this…" Bailey said anxiously.
"Well, until Bailey confirms to me that she's forgiven you, I won't forgive you either," Franklin said coldly.
"Hey, we're here!" Chappy pointed out at the team found the hallway of first place rooms.
"Good night, guys," Judy said, only to earn no reply.
Confessional:
Franklin: I hold two things in very high regard: friendship and justice. If you harm one of my friends, you harm me, and you will be punished accordingly, no matter the intention. That's just the way the world works.
Chappy: I don't know if Bailey's really forgiven Judy or not, but any information she hides is good for my case. I need Franklin to not trust her, and the best way for that to happen is for her to hide information. So thanks for digging your own grave, Bailey.
Bailey: (she is reading from a paper) If you recall, I'm very averse to conflict, especially when I become a focal point of said conflict. It makes me anxious. That's why I chose not to own up to forgiving Judy: so that I may stay neutral and avoid getting any flack for potentially taking a side.
Rachel found CJ outside in the backyard, drawing something in her sketchbook.
"Good morning, CJ," Rachel greeted.
"Good morning, Rachel," CJ replied sweetly.
"How are you on this fine day?" Rachel asked.
"Why, I'm delightful," CJ smiled.
"I thought you were out of space in your sketchbook," Rachel commented.
"Oh, that? I lied," CJ said with a giggle. "What brings you out here?"
"Okay, I'll be honest to you," Rachel said. "This whole flirty girl thing? It's all an act. I'm actually the strategic mastermind of the team."
"That's interesting," CJ said genuinely.
"I have a deal for you," Rachel offered. "I can guarantee you'll go home by tomorrow."
"My, my. Do tell," CJ said.
"I'm going to help you throw today's challenge," Rachel explained. "On the contingency that you vote for Erica tonight."
"Vote for Erica? But I'm the one who wants to go home," CJ pointed out. "That wouldn't be very nice to her."
"No, it wouldn't, but she was supposed to go last night and she didn't," Rachel sighed. "The only way I can get her to go home at this point is if you help me and Barry vote for her. After that, we can get rid of you tomorrow. There won't be any more targets on this team, so there shouldn't be any funny business. Sound like a deal?"
CJ pondered for a moment. "That sounds absolutely lovely!" she exclaimed with a clap of her hands. "I'd love to do that."
"Wonderful," Rachel smirked. "Pleasure doing business with you, CJ."
"Likewise," CJ said with a sweet smile. "Oh, and the thing about you not being a flirt is safe with me."
"I appreciate it," Rachel nodded.
Confessional:
Rachel: If CJ wants to act civilly, I'm not going to question it. I'm going to use it to my advantage. I need Barry to stay by my side, and I can't do that if Erica's angsting her way into his heart. Erica needs to go. Now. I wouldn't be throwing a challenge if this wasn't important to my game.
CJ: Oh my, my first deal. I'm ever so excited for it. I hope nothing… goes wrong.
David sat at the breakfast table by himself when Yolonda brought him a bowl of cereal.
"Here you are, sugar," Yolonda said with a wink.
"Oh, thanks," David said with a weak smile as he accepted the bowl.
As Yolonda returned to the kitchen, Lauren joined David at the table.
"So, what does that mean?" David asked Lauren. "She gave me some cereal and said 'Here you go, sugar.' Only I'm pretty sure she calls everyone 'sugar'. Does she? I haven't been paying attention. Aw, geez, what kind of friend am I? I'm not even paying attention to what she's saying!"
"Whoa, bro, calm your tits," Lauren scoffed. "She's just doing her job."
"Oh. Right," David said with an awkward chuckle.
"Look, the problem is that she's been too busy for you, right?" Lauren asked.
"Yeah…?" David replied, wondering where Lauren was going with this.
"Then ask her when she's not busy and set up time for a date," Lauren continued. "It's not very difficult."
"I don't know. What if she doesn't want to?" David said unsurely. "What if she thinks I'm going too fast? What if she doesn't want to be my friend anymore?"
"Well you'll never know if you don't try," Lauren said, her tone growing more impatient.
"I know, but…" David started.
"Well, I won't be able to instruct further you unless you take this step," Lauren said angrily. "Just do it!"
"Alright, alright. Geez," David panted.
Confessional:
Lauren: Getting David on my side won't be easy by any means. I have to trust that he and Yolonda will end up in a happy relationship in order for him to want to join me. Which also means I'm sacrificing my own opportunity to hook up with Yolonda. I have no idea if she'd be into that, but it's like I said, you'll never know if you don't try. Heheh.
Yolonda: For the record, I'm very aware of what Lauren's trying to do to David, but one of the big rules for working here is that I'm not allowed to interfere with the game, which means no approaching David myself, as that could ruin Lauren's plan, and no telling him of her plan either. I don't agree with her plan, but it's the rule. I just hope the poor boy can get over his nerves. I'd love to talk with him.
Franklin and Chappy worked out in the mansion's gym together.
"You know what I found out this morning?" Chappy asked Franklin.
"No, what?" Franklin asked.
"Remember when Bailey voted for Susan?" Chappy reminded. "Turns out, she and Judy had made a side alliance, and they're still together, too."
"No offense, but I'm going to need some proof," Franklin said emotionlessly. "Innocent until proven guilty, you know?"
"Remember last night when you'd asked Bailey if she'd forgiven Judy and she didn't give an answer?" Chappy asked. "I think she was trying to keep from saying something stupid and blowing her cover."
"Or she could just be really shy and has trouble speaking," Franklin rebutted.
"Could be either one, really," Chappy shrugged. "All I know is that some people will do some underhanded things to win. Maybe she's faking the whole thing."
"I doubt it," Franklin replied.
"Look, all I'm offering is a side alliance of our own," Chappy continued. "I don't expect you to believe that your friend has been betraying your trust like that so easily, but it's the truth. If you convince Bailey to get rid of Judy, you'll be in two alliances, while the rest of us will only be loyal to you."
"You just assumed we might lose a challenge," Franklin noted.
"Yeah, well…"
"Maybe you really are growing for the better," Franklin said with a grin.
"I like to think so," Chappy replied with a grin of his own.
Confessional:
Chappy: Took me all night to come up with an airtight case against Bailey, but I think it's paying off. He might not mistrust her completely, but give him time. Of course, the part where I assumed we'd lose a challenge is only because Bailey's still on this team. Once she goes, Franklin, Judy, and I will cruise our way to the merge, and then to the final three.
Franklin: In this game, putting your full trust in anybody is foolish. I thought Susan was trustworthy, and she turned out to be crazy. So I don't trust Chappy or Bailey completely. I guess I'll just keep an eye on both of them, ahem, so to speak (he gestures to his one eye), and figure things out from there.
Barry found Judy by herself in the rec room.
"Hey, Judy, how's it going?" Barry greeted as he entered the room.
"Oh, hey," Judy smiled in return. "Well, I'd be lying if I said it was going great. But hey, how are you? It's been a while since we've had a conversation like this."
"That's because our teams seem to be keeping us busy enough," Barry chuckled. "I'm fine, more or less. So what's going on with you? You said you weren't doing great."
"Well, if you must know, my entire team seems to be targeting me," Judy said with a sad smile.
"Even Chappy?" Barry asked.
"Even Chappy," Judy confirmed.
"How'd that happen?" Barry asked.
"I made one mistake, a well-intentioned mistake, mind, and nobody seems to have forgiven me for it."
"Well, in the eyes of the Lord, you are forgiven," Barry said comfortingly.
"Yeah, well the Lord won't be casting a vote if Team Thunder loses," Judy joked.
"Do you believe in God?" Barry asked curiously.
"I believe in a creator, though whether or not it's the same god you believe in is beyond me," Judy explained. "What do you think I should do about my team?"
"Have you apologized?" Barry asked.
"Yes," Judy nodded. "I think Bailey, the person I actually wronged, has forgiven me, though I can't be sure. She's a sweet girl, but she does have trouble communicating."
"In that case, I'd just wait for the rest of your team to get over it," Barry advised. "If Bailey's forgiven you, then they should be able to forgive you in due time."
"Thanks, Barry," Judy said as she hugged her friend. "That did help a bit."
"I'm here to help my friends," Barry said.
Confessional:
Judy: Barry's right. I'm just going to keep biding my time by winning challenges until Franklin and Chappy forget about the whole notebook incident and focus on… I don't know. Getting each other out?
Barry: Everyone makes mistakes. I'm sure Judy's teammates have all done things they wish could be forgiven. Maybe if they put themselves in her shoes, they could find it in themselves to forgive her. It's not my place to interfere, though. This is Judy's trial to overcome. I'll give her advice, but the rest is up to her.
Ernie found Kiki in the ballroom once again.
"Morning," Ernie greeted.
"Morning," Kiki returned.
"I was told you, like, go here all the time in the mornings," Ernie said.
"I used to… go here for peace and quiet," Kiki explained. "Now it just seems like… this is just where people find me… for strategy talk."
"I'm not here for strategy talk," Ernie said. "Just wanted to chat."
"Really?" Kiki asked in surprise. "Why me?"
"Well, David, like, can't stand me or something, and Lauren's, ya know, obnoxious," Ernie shrugged. "Besides, we're in an alliance, aren't we? Since we're guaranteed to survive the next vote, I figured we might as well, ya know, get acquainted."
"I guess so," Kiki said as she rubbed the back of her neck. "What'd you want to chat about?"
"I dunno. I didn't think you'd say yes," Ernie admitted. "…So, when Jilly suggested I ask you to her stupid party thing, was that, like your idea?"
"Where's this coming from?" Kiki asked.
"I dunno. I was just curious," Ernie shrugged.
"It wasn't," Kiki answered. "She, Lauren, and I played 'Hot or Not' at breakfast once and she got me to admit I thought you were cute."
"Well, most people do think that," Ernie chuckled.
"I don't want to date you or anything. I just acknowledge that you're somewhat attractive," Kiki clarified.
"That's fine. I feel the same way," Ernie said.
"Cool," Kiki said with a small smile. "Just… keep your distance, got it? I may be able to talk to you, but I'm still androphobic."
"Whatevs," Ernie shrugged.
Confessional:
Kiki: I'm glad Ernie and I are able to get along, but I still need to stay wary around him. He could just be trying to gain my trust in order to manipulate me.
Ernie: Since, like, I'm not in charge of an alliance anymore, I guess there's no harm in talking to the leader of the alliance I am in. I could use as many allies as I can get, ya know?
Franklin and Bailey sat at the table on the balcony.
"Shame Nolan took his cards with him when we left," Franklin remarked.
"Indeed… I did, um, enjoy playing with you and… Susan," Bailey agreed.
"Ah, Susan. It doesn't seem like that long ago when she went crazy and had to be voted out," Franklin reminisced.
"That's because, um, it was only, uh, a couple days ago," Bailey reminded him.
"Ah, right," Franklin remembered. "So, I trust you're on board to vote of Judy if we have to?"
"I… um… I… um…" Bailey stammered. "I… I refuse to, um, take sides… on this debate."
"How come?" Franklin asked, somewhat surprised. "Why not support your friend? I'm only trying to help you. That's the whole reason I want Judy gone."
"Well… um… Judy's my friend too," Bailey admitted. "And, um, I don't want to have to, um, choose between you two."
"I see," Franklin said. "Well, if it comes down to a vote, you'll have to choose between us. Just to remind you."
"…I'm aware… of that fact…" Bailey frowned.
Confessional:
Franklin: Perhaps Chappy wasn't too far off about Bailey's side alliance with Judy. But then why would Judy read Bailey's journal like that? Still, Bailey did seem rather suspicious up on the balcony there. I may need to look into this some more. There's a good chance I'm being manipulated, but by whom I cannot say.
Bailey: (she is reading from a paper) Has Franklin forgotten that Chappy is also an option for voting? What makes him think that Judy and I are the only options? It may be possible that he has a secret alliance with Chappy. I pray that isn't the case. I've really grown to like Franklin. To be betrayed by him…
The twelve houseguests met in the foyer at Hatchet's request.
"Alright, maggots! Listen up!" Hatchet shouted. "Today is another Playground of Pain challenge!" He then turned to Lauren. "And I won't be getting' any back-talk today! Understand?!"
"Crystal," Lauren said. She then realized her mistake. "Wait…"
"As usual, I'll explain the challenge once we're there," Hatchet said. "NOW MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!"
The contestants all jogged for the doors.
Confessional:
Franklin: Another Playground of Pain challenge? I just hope this one's as harmless as the last one. …I realize I chickened out of the last one, but… you know what I mean!
CJ: I wonder what manner of challenge Mr. Hatchet has selected for us today. Hopefully something fun and enjoyable.
The contestants were all riding on the bus to the Playground of Pain.
"So, Ernie," Lauren said as she leaned in closely to the slacker. "How does it feel to not have any allies?"
"It's, like, whatever," Ernie shrugged. "I mean, as long as we keep winning, it, like, doesn't really matter to me."
"Yeah, but what if we don't win?" Lauren asked. "What if we lose this very challenge and have to vote for someone?"
"I dunno. I'll probably figure something out," Ernie sighed.
"Well, if you need an alliance partner, I'm always looking for more friends, if you know what I mean," Lauren offered.
"Ew," Ernie said flatly.
Meanwhile, Barry and Rachel had started a conversation.
"So, you voted for CJ last night, did you?" Rachel asked.
"I did. I won't lie to you," Barry admitted.
"Why did you go against the plan?" Rachel asked. "Do you know how dangerous that might have been?"
"Nolan went against the plan," Barry reminded her.
"Yes, and he's gone now," Rachel added. "But if Nolan's dice had decided to vote for one of us, then we'd be screwed."
"That's true," Barry conceded.
"That's why Erica needs to go home," Rachel said firmly.
"Why can't CJ go home? Why does it have to be Erica?" Barry sighed.
"Because Erica is dangerous for both of our long-term games," Rachel explained. "She's likely to betray us if she makes the merge, whereas CJ will remain completely neutral and keep voting for herself. She said so herself."
"I know, but…" Barry trailed off. "I don't want anyone to get hurt. Who knows how CJ's mind works? If we're not careful, one of us could walk out of this game with a broken bone or two."
"We can vote for her later. She's an easy target," Rachel said as she began to tug at her hair.
"Sorry," Barry apologized quietly.
"It's alright, just…" Rachel took a deep breath. "Stick with the plan. Please?"
"Okay," Barry said with a smile as the two hugged.
Meanwhile, Erica looked at the two from afar in disgust.
"We're here!" Hatchet announced.
As the contestants exited the bus, they noticed that the play structure this time consisted of three very tall, plastic rock-climbing pillars: one red, one yellow, one blue.
"Oh boy," Judy said out of intimidation.
"That's not going to be easy," David winced.
"This looks ever so dangerous," CJ commented.
"Indeed it is!" Hatchet shouted as he exited the bus. "This challenge is a simple one, but it sure ain't easy! All ya gotta do is get all four of your teammates to the top of your team's mountain! First team to do that gets first, second team to do that gets second, and the last team gets last! Challenge starts now!"
The contestants, startled by the unexpected start to the challenge, scrambled to run to their team's respective mountain.
Confessional:
Chappy: Rock climbing, huh? Of all the times for being overweight to bite me in the ass. I don't have Franklin's vote for Bailey locked yet! That's why we need to win this challenge. It won't be easy, but it's doable.
Erica: Whatever. At least I can sit out of this one. CJ probably won't even try, and if she doesn't, why should I? We're just going to get last place anyway.
Ernie: Aw, geez. This is going to be a pain. Ah well, might as well give it a shot. I, like, have no idea how the vote would go if we lost right now, and I don't like that, ya know?
As soon as Team Chill made it to their pillar, Ernie couldn't help but notice something.
"So, like, do we get harnesses?" Ernie pondered.
"I'm not seeing any," David said nervously as he scratched his head.
"Well that's just great," Kiki muttered. "Like we needed more about which to worry."
"Whatever," Lauren scoffed. "The longer we stand around being scared, the bigger lead the others will have, and I don't know about you, but I don't feel like putting my neck at risk of going home tonight."
"She does have a point," David admitted.
"Fine. But if I, like, break my neck or anything, I'm holding Lauren accountable," Ernie complied.
"Might as well get it overwith," Kiki shrugged.
"That's the spirit, guys! Let's show the other teams why Team Chill is so cool!" Lauren exclaimed.
With that, the four of them began to climb the blue pillar.
Confessional:
Lauren: Wow, who would expect little ol' me of all people to lead my team in the challenge? And here I thought my teammates didn't like me.
David: Yeah, the challenge was dangerous, but once you get the hang of what you're doing, it actually isn't so bad. And I didn't even look down… more than once.
Erica sat cross-legged next to her team's pillar.
"Hopefully the other teams hurry up," Erica grumbled.
"Hey, Erica. Aren't you going to climb?" Barry asked from a few feet up the pillar.
"Why should I? CJ isn't," Erica remarked.
"Uh…" Barry pointed behind Erica. She turned around to see CJ climbing up the pillar.
"Are you serious?" Erica sighed in contempt.
"Come on, Erica. It's fun," CJ smiled.
"What are you thinking, CJ?" Erica muttered under her breath.
"Come on, Erica! We're falling behind!" Barry called from higher up the pillar.
"Ugh. Fine," Erica grumbled.
Confessional:
Barry: I know Erica's going through a lot right now, but if she keeps this up, she won't stop being Rachel's target anytime soon, and it may come to a point where I won't be able to help her.
Rachel: Erica throwing the challenge would actually be perfect for me, since CJ and I will also be throwing it, plus it might convince Barry to vote for Erica.
While the rest of her team took their time climbing up the pillar, Judy was already a third of the way up.
"How are you so fast?" Franklin asked.
"I'm an athlete," Judy replied with a smile. "I've climbed my share of rock-climbing walls in my time."
"What's your excuse, Franklin?" Chappy asked. "Bailey and I are fat, but you're no slouch."
"Slow and steady wins the race," Franklin stated. "I'm not going to risk making a reckless move and plummeting to the ground."
This caused Bailey to freeze up.
"It's okay, Bailey," Judy encouraged from above. "If you take it slowly, you won't have to worry about falling."
"O-Okay…" Bailey said anxiously as she slowly continued climbing.
"Good job, guys. We have this," Judy said enthusiastically.
"We'd better," Chappy muttered.
Confessional:
Chappy: Seems to me like Judy's trying to get in good with the team. Fine by me. Despite what I told Franklin, I don't want her to be a target. She's a loyal ally and a strong player, and those are both things that can help me win.
Bailey: (she is reading from a paper) For the record, I do not appreciate being called fat. I'm aware that I'm a girl of size, but I could be a lot larger. I try to maintain a healthy diet, but my mostly indoors lifestyle and slow metabolism keeps me from being as thin as I sometimes wish I could be.
Lauren was the first member of Team Chill to make it to the top of their pillar.
"Yes! One down, three to go, guys!" Lauren cheered. "We can do this!"
"You'd better pray that we do," Kiki muttered. "Because if we don't, you'll be getting the boot."
"This challenge sucks," Ernie whined.
"It's not so bad," David smiled.
"I haven't had to, like, put any physical effort into anything so far in this game," Ernie continued. "This blows."
"You seem built enough," David said with a cocked head. "How's that work?"
"I mean, my parents make me exercise at home so I don't get overweight, but I haven't done that for well over a week," Ernie explained. "Ya know, since I'm in the game and don't have to do what my parents say."
"So your muscles have atrophied?" Kiki asked.
"I dunno. Probably," Ernie shrugged.
"Well, un-atrophy them!" Lauren called from above. "We have to win!"
"Sure, let me get right on that," Ernie grumbled. "Plebeian."
Confessional:
Lauren: Leading the team is kinda fun. Maybe if I keep it up the others will turn on Kiki and look at me as their mistress. Ooh, that'd be hot. Hehehehe.
David: I dunno, Lauren seems to know what she's doing. She did make it to the top first, after all. Maybe letting her lead us in challenges wouldn't be such a bad idea.
Both Barry and Rachel had made it to the top of the Team Flame pillar.
"Seems like we're making good time," Barry noticed. "The other teams only have one person at the top so far."
"I don't know. Erica started later than the others, which could hold us back," Rachel stated.
"True, but she's a tough gal. I think she can catch up," Barry pointed out. "After all, you made it up pretty quickly."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Rachel asked, taken aback somewhat by Barry's comment.
"I mean, you're not really all that athletic," Barry explained. "I thought you knew that."
"I do. But you're implying that I'm weak," Rachel frowned. "I am not weak."
"Sorry. I didn't know that'd strike a chord with you," Barry apologized.
Rachel sighed. "It's okay. I don't suppose you would know."
"You two are so cute!" CJ squealed.
Confessional:
Barry: I've hit rough patches with Rachel more than once today. I really hope I'm not messing things up between us.
Hatchet: Heh. I just realized. Rachel. Barry. Rachel Berry. Like from Glee. Now they'd BETTER get together! Uh, not that I watch Glee… or anythin'… WHY AM I EVEN MAKIN' THIS CONFESSIONAL?!
Judy had already made it to the top of the pillar, and Franklin had just now joined her.
"Whew. Hope I didn't hold us back by taking it slow," Franklin remarked as he finally made it.
"Even if you did, I don't think we'll be getting last place," Judy smiled. "Team Chill has Ernie, and he seems to be struggling with this one."
"I guess so," Franklin shrugged. "So, about Bailey's journal…"
"Look, I apologized and I spent a night away from the rest of you. What else do you want?" Judy sighed defeatedly.
"Nothing. I just wanted to know why you read it at all," Franklin said firmly.
"I told you. I just wanted to know what was bothering her," Judy frowned.
"You and I both know that's not true," Franklin said. "There are better, easier, less immoral ways of finding out."
"I tried talking to her, but she wouldn't say anything," Judy insisted.
"A likely story," Franklin said. "Another likely story, one which multiple sources have hinted towards, is that you and Bailey have a side alliance going on, and that the journal thing was all part of an elaborate plan."
Judy began to chuckle a bit.
"Am I amusing you?" Franklin asked harshly.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to laugh," Judy apologized with a smile still on her face. "Just the thought of Bailey and I forming some elaborate plan to trick you caught me off guard."
"I'm sure it would. After all, I wouldn't have had any idea if Chappy didn't tell me you two were aligned."
"Chappy? You trust Chappy?" Judy asked. "Since when?"
"Why else would he throw his own partner under the bus?" Franklin asked.
"Maybe Chappy's the one with the elaborate plan," Judy frowned.
"What are you saying about me?" Chappy asked as he pulled himself up to the top of the pillar.
"Oh, um…" was all Judy could muster.
"Judy here claims you have some elaborate plan. Care to, well, elaborate, Judy?" Franklin asked.
"Look, Franklin came and told me that you told him that Bailey and I were in an alliance," Judy explained.
"I did," Chappy confirmed. "I overheard you guys conspiring to get Franklin out by having him focus his vote on you with the notebook thing. That way, you two could vote for Franklin, knowing I'd vote for Bailey and he'd vote for you, and you two would come out in the majority."
"But I never-!" Judy started.
"Look, whosever goal it was to get me to not trust anyone on my team, they succeeded," Franklin interrupted. "As of now, I'm in an alliance of one. Chappy, our alliance is finished. Same with Bailey."
"Wait, you had an alliance with Chappy?" Judy gasped.
"I did. But now that I don't know who to trust, I can't risk being in an alliance with anyone," Franklin said.
Confessional:
Bailey: (she is reading from a paper) Yes, I heard that entire conversation. I wish I could have told Franklin that Judy and I were never aligned, but I have a hard enough time speaking as it is, and besides, he likely wouldn't believe me anyway. (she sighs) I suppose and alliance with Judy might not be such a bad idea after all.
Chappy: Well, my plan did succeed, in a way. He no longer trusts Bailey. Now I just need him to vote for her, which might be difficult considering he no longer trusts me either. I'm sure I can make it work, though. I have to make it work.
"Attention, everyone!" Hatchet shouted through a megaphone. "Each team only has one person left to make it to the top! You'd best hurry up if you don't wanna let your team down!"
True to Hatchet's word, Erica, Bailey, and Ernie all remained on their team's respective pillars.
"Come on, Ernie, you can do this!" David encouraged.
"You're almost there, Erica! Keep it up!" Barry cheered.
"You'd best hurry up, Bailey! I will NOT lose because of you!" Chappy called.
"This isn't good," Rachel whispered to CJ.
"Can we still throw this one?" CJ whispered back.
"Not that I know of," Rachel grumbled. "Can you think of anything?"
"Oh, Rachel," CJ shook her head before flashing a wide, toothy grin. "You're such a weak, stupid chink."
"Wait, what?" Rachel asked.
Rachel didn't have much time to react before CJ pushed her off the pillar. Before the flirt knew it, she fell twenty feet down to the bark below.
"OWWWWWWWWWWWwwwww…!" Rachel whined a second after landing.
"Hahahahahaha! Oh, that was great!" CJ cackled. "I can't believe you trusted me! I thought you were supposed to be the smart one!"
"CJ?! What in the world?!" Barry gasped.
"What do you mean 'what'?" CJ leered. "I'm trying to get my ass off this goddamn show! I'm just making sure that happens!"
"Holy crap!" Erica shouted to CJ as the former got onto the pillar. "We could have won if you didn't just kill Rachel!"
"She's not dead!" a paramedic assured the others as he checked on Rachel. "She's still conscious, but the likelihood of broken bones is very high!"
"We'll take care of her!" another paramedic assured as the two put Rachel on a stretcher.
"This… changes… nothing…" Rachel muttered.
"Well, since there's no real way Rachel can complete the challenge, Team Flame is in last place once again!" Hatchet announced.
"Anything else to say, Barry? You seem awfully quiet," CJ snickered.
Barry was speechless. He had a vacuous look on his face and he grew pale.
"Ah, screw you. You're no fun," CJ spat.
Meanwhile, Ernie made it to the top of his team's pillar.
"'Sup," Ernie greeted his team. "What'd I miss?"
"Team Chill wins first place!" Hatchet announced. "Bailey, since your team gets second by default, you don't hafta finish climbing.
"Oh. Okay," Bailey softly.
Confessional:
CJ: Rachel is such a dumbass. I can't believe she actually trusted me! Now they have to vote me out!
Bailey: Wow. There isn't much else to say but… Wow…
Lauren: That redhead girl has serious issues. I wonder if I could use that to my advantage…
Barry: …
When the contestants made it back to the house, Rachel was already in the infirmary. Barry had gone to the infirmary as soon as he could, leaving Erica and CJ to talk.
"You've really outdone yourself, you know that?" Erica spat.
"What? You did something not too different yesterday, if you recall," CJ sneered. "What makes what I did any worse?"
"Because Rachel didn't do anything to harm you!" Erica shouted. "You instigated me!"
"Who cares why you did it? The point is, you did it," CJ shrugged. "Besides, I thought you hated Rachel. After all, she gets in between you and Barry."
Erica clenched her fists. "Maybe she does. And maybe I don't like her for it. But I wouldn't actually harm her like you just did!"
"Sorry if I have trouble believing you," CJ said smugly. "Face it, you and I aren't very different. Both of us hate our current situations, both of us hate our teammates, and both of us aren't afraid to get violent. You're no better than I am and you know it."
"Yeah, well I'm going to make both of us happy by voting your ass out tonight," Erica growled.
"That's why you're my best friend," CJ said in a sweet voice with a sweet smile.
Confessional:
Erica: No. I don't care what you think, CJ, I am better than you, because unlike you, I have self-control! I could have creamed her right then and there, but I didn't.
CJ: I wonder if I can make Erica cry before I leave. I can't stand her. And yet she's my best friend. Ain't that poetic?
Barry knocked on the door to the infirmary.
"Sorry, sugar. They're putting her cast on. No visitors allowed yet," Yolonda informed him as she approached.
Barry fell to his knees and began to cry.
"Oh my," Yolonda said with a concerned look on her face.
"Why did I have to argue so much with her today?" Barry sobbed.
"Hey, it's gonna be alright," Yolonda assured him. "I spoke with the paramedics when they got here. She's gonna be fine in the long run."
Barry continued crying.
"I guess you need some time, don'tcha, sugar?" Yolonda figured. "Well, I hope the two of y'all get better."
Confessional:
Yolonda: Shame there isn't a rule against physically harming other contestants. But my Uncle wanted as much drama as possible, so he allowed it. (she sighs) I'm glad nothing like that is happening on Team Chill. If anything happened to David…
Barry: I guess this is a lesson God's trying to teach me. Treat everyone like it's their last day on earth, because you never know what might happen to them.
Yolonda knocked on the double doors at the end of the hall of first place rooms.
"Uncle?" Yolonda asked. "You have a minute?"
Hatchet opened one of the doors. "What is it?" Hatchet grunted.
"Um, I was just wondering if you would reconsider adding a rule about harming other contestants," Yolonda proposed.
"Look, I didn't include the rule for the sake of drama. You know that," Hatchet responded. "I can't go changin' the rules now. It'd look bad on me."
"It'd look bad on you if you didn't change this rule!" Yolonda insisted. "Rachel's parents could sue, you know!"
"They could try, but they'd fail," Hatchet snorted. "Rachel and her parents both signed a contract sayin' that we hold no responsibility for any injuries sustained on the show. We're untouchable!"
"Th-That's awful!" Yolonda gasped. "Don't you have any morals?! Don't you feel even a little bad?!"
"I'm not the one who pushed Rachel," Hatchet grumbled. "Don't go pinnin' this on me, you hear?"
Yolonda just looked angrily at Hatchet.
"Look, I know you're worried about David," Hatchet sighed. "But he signed that same contract. He knew what he was gettin' into. So did Rachel. That's just the way it is."
With that, Hatchet closed the door.
"I can't believe it!" Yolonda cried.
Confessional:
Yolonda: I can't believe my own uncle, my own flesh and blood, can be this heartless. I thought working on this show would be fun, or at the very least provide decent job experience, but right now, I'm seriously considering quitting.
Hatchet: Look, I get where Yolonda's comin' from. I've been in love too, believe it or not. But David's a tough kid. I know he won't be so easily broken. She has nothin' to worry about.
After Barry waited for an hour, the door to the infirmary finally opened.
"Mr. Flynn. You may visit Miss Valentine if you like," a paramedic told him.
"Is she alright?" Barry asked softly.
"Why don't you see for yourself?" the paramedic said with a smile.
Barry entered the infirmary to find Rachel sitting on a patient's bed with her right arm in a cast and sling.
"How is it?" Barry asked in deep concern.
"It's fine," Rachel said with a small chuckle.
"I can't believe CJ would do this to you," Barry said. "Good thing we can vote her out tonight."
"Barry, no," Rachel frowned. "Erica has to go."
"Really? After what CJ did to you, you still want her to stay?" Barry asked desperately.
"We can risk keeping her around for another round. Erica's dangerous. We've talked about this," Rachel frowned.
"That was before CJ seriously injured you!" Barry exclaimed. "Do you know how worried I've been about you?
"It's nothing. People break their bones. It happens," Rachel insisted. "Please just vote for Erica."
All Barry could muster was a sigh.
Confessional:
Rachel: I don't care if CJ breaks all my limbs one by one tomorrow, Erica needs to go tonight. I need Barry, and I can't have her taking him away from me.
Barry: I mean… UGH! What should I do?
The four members of Team Flame sat on one of the couches in the foyer. Hatchet came down the grand staircase carrying an ice box. He set the ice box down next to him as he stood across from the contestants.
"Team Flame. Welcome back to elimination!" Hatchet greeted. "Y'all know how it is. If ya get a soda, then you're safe! Now! Sodas go to…"
"Barry!"
"Rachel!"
This left CJ and Erica in the bottom two.
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"Erica." Hatchet concluded.
"Yes!" CJ cheered. "Eat it, c*ntflaps! Hahahaha!"
"Just get out of here," Barry said angrily.
"Gladly!" CJ exclaimed as she opened the Door of Shame. "Adios, biznatches! See you never!"
With that, she slammed the door behind her, causing one of the pictures next to the doorframe to fall and break.
"Hey! Don't go breakin' my house!" Hatchet objected.
"She couldn't if she tried," Rachel remarked.
"Hey, what's this about your house? I thought this was the McLean Mansion," Barry pointed out.
"That's it. Off to bed with y'all! To the backyard!" Hatchet ordered.
Confessional:
Rachel: (she sighs) I figured Barry would vote for CJ anyway. Oh well. I guess a part of me wanted her gone, despite how little of a game threat she is. I suppose we can always get Erica next time.
Barry: I can't have anyone on my team in danger. It's why Mac left before and it's why CJ left now. Why did I have to end up with such an angry team?
"Well, CJ finally got her wish," Hatchet said to the camera. "But will Rachel get her wish of bootin' Erica anytime soon? Will Lauren get her wish of takin' control of her team? Will Franklin get his wish of bein' able to trust anyone on his team? Guess you'll have to find out later. Next time! On Total! Drama! HOUSE PARTY!"
Votes:
CJ: I'm not even desperate anymore. I know I'm going home, and nobody can stop me.
Rachel: Injury or not, I need Erica gone more than I do CJ, so I vote for Erica.
Erica: Never before have I felt more satisfied in a vote. I vote for CJ.
Barry: Well, CJ. Was it worth it? You're gone now, but at what cost?
A/N: CJ, like Tucker, seemed to be pretty split among the readers, for very similar reasons. Those who liked her loved how over-the-top and desperate she was to get out of the game, and those who disliked her felt she crossed the line. Actually, I was originally going to give her a cliché development plot with Nolan, where she actually started playing once Nolan left, only to be booted right after, but I figured some good ol' fashioned sanity slippage might be more fun, as it's not something I've seen in this kind of character before. Either way, this is where CJ goes.