A/N: So, remember when I said I'd get back to writing ROTC? Well, I changed my mind. I'm enjoying writing House Party a lot more, plus I have a lot more of it planned out than I do ROTC. I guess you can say this will be my main project with ROTC updating every now and again if I feel like it. Sorry to the diehard ROTC fans, but hopefully this can tide you over until then.
"Last time on Total Drama House Party…" Hatchet stood in the foyer for the recap. "The three teams were given the task of writin' and starrin' in their own short skits. Good thing this wasn't Total Drama Action, because THEY WERE ALL TERRIBLE! Besides that, Team Flame decided to be all civil and nice to each other, or at least Barry did. Erica and Rachel still have some sort of rivalry goin' on or somethin'. On Team Thunder, Franklin refused to trust anybody, which left everyone else in kind of a tough spot. At least tough by their standards. ONCE THEY FIGHT IN A REAL WAR, THEN THEY CAN COMPLAIN! On Team Chill, Lauren kept on workin' to get David to flip, while Kiki worked to make sure nobody on her alliance flipped. Team Thunder got last place in the challenge, and in some kind of twist or somethin', Bailey became the second person this season to vote herself out of the game, this time for love or somethin'. Can Franklin stand up to Chappy now that he knows where the lines are really drawn? Can Barry keep up the friendly team he wants to have? Will David flip over to Lauren's side? Find out, ya fool! Only on Total! Drama! HOUSE PARTY!"
The three remaining members of Team Thunder went out to the backyard.
"Well, we may have lost the challenge, but we also lost Bailey, which is good enough for me," Chappy grinned.
"For you, perhaps, but not for me," Franklin retorted.
"Yeah, I'm actually not a fan of what happened either," Judy added.
"Well, it was either her or one of you guys, and both of you are still here, so be happy!" Chappy snapped.
"Nice to see you're not even trying to act like you're on my side," Franklin commented.
"I'm sorry, but I could have easily voted you off after you decided to shut us all out, but I didn't, so I figured you'd at least be grateful," Chappy grumbled. "Besides, Judy voted for you. If you should be mad at anyone, be mad at her."
"Um, but you voted for Bailey," Judy objected. "She was completely innocent in all this. How am I the bad guy here?"
"Because Bailey voted for herself too. She wanted to go," Chappy explained. "Franklin, meanwhile, wants to stay in the game, and you wanted to take that away from him."
"What's your damage?" Judy asked angrily. "Are you on my side or not?"
"I'm just telling it how it is. I'm not wrong, am I?" Chappy asked.
"Well, no, but…" Judy stammered.
"I rest my case," Chappy said.
Confessional:
Chappy: Look, the merge is coming up real soon, and I need to make sure I plan ahead for it. I'm getting Franklin and Judy at each other's throats. That way, they'll take up all the attention from the other teams, while I get to slip by. Besides, they're both challenge threats, so making them targets guarantees I should be safe for a good long while, since everyone's going to focus on them instead of me.
Franklin: Last night, Bailey voted herself out in order to keep me in the game. I shall not let her sacrifice go in vain, especially since it proved to me that she really was loyal all along. And if she was loyal, that can only mean that Chappy wasn't, so I'm going to make sure he goes next.
Judy: I'm so confused right now! Am I on Chappy's side or not? He keeps telling me he's telling me off like that to keep up appearances, but it's funny how him telling me off always gives Franklin decent fuel to go after me. Hopefully I don't have to vote anyone out soon, because I have no idea how I'd vote if I did.
The next morning, David awoke with a piece of paper on his face.
"What in the hell…?" David asked himself.
"Oh, good, you're awake," Lauren's voice said from across the basement.
"Ahhh!" David jumped. He noticed that Lauren was the only other person in the room.
"The good news for you is that I spent a good portion of last night writing what's on that paper," Lauren told him.
"What's the bad news?" David asked.
"…I actually don't know. There's probably some bad news coming to you at some point," Lauren shrugged.
David began to read over the paper.
"This is just a bunch of Judy's traits," David commented. "Why?"
"Well, think about it," Lauren said. "If I'm going to hook you up with someone, I have to pick the right one. Kiki likes Ernie, she told me and Jilly as much last week, so she's out. You're not the best kisser, and that's kind of a deal-breaker for me, so I'm out."
"Oh… really?" David frowned.
"Let me finish," Lauren pouted. "That just leaves the girls on the other teams. Erica hates everyone and probably won't even let you approach her, so she's out. Rachel and Barry are joined at the hip, so they're probably together, so Rachel's out. I saw Chappy, Judy, and Franklin eating breakfast together, so Bailey's been eliminated, so she's out. That just leaves Judy. You lucky bastard."
"But why list all her physical traits?" David asked.
"I don't know that much about her other than she's smoking hot, she likes sports, and isn't into girl-on-girl action," Lauren admitted. "And I needed to help you somehow, right?"
"Uh, I guess," David decided.
"You're welcome," Lauren smirked as she got up to leave the basement.
Confessional:
David: I mean, Judy's pretty, but I don't really know her all that well. And with the game constantly going on, she's probably too busy for a boyfriend right now. Heck, for all I know, she could have hooked up with one of her teammates and Lauren just didn't catch it.
Lauren: It's imperative that this works. My game is on the line, and if David doesn't get some nice girl and they live happily ever after, he's not going to vote with me. I think I heard someone mention that Nolan already found that hidden invincibility soda, so I can't use that. I guess all I can do until David gets lucky is keep encouraging him and keep winning challenges.
Barry and Rachel ate their breakfast together.
"Mm. Yolonda is an excellent cook," Barry commented. "I don't usually like French toast, but this is the exception."
"I just see it as something to add to this list of things I can't eat without help," Rachel joked.
"Oh, do you need help cutting it?" Barry asked.
"That'd be nice," Rachel smiled as she slid her plate over to Barry.
"So, how's your arm feeling?" Barry asked. "Does it hurt?"
"It's still kind of sore, but it's not as bad as it was a couple days ago," Rachel answered.
"That's good," Barry beamed. "Hm. I wonder where Erica is."
"Probably avoiding me," Rachel sighed. "For some reason she just cannot stand me."
"Still?" Barry asked sadly. "Have you tried talking to her?"
"I have, but she gets so defensive whenever I say anything," Rachel said. "She probably has it out for me."
"Why don't you try asking her some things about herself? Maybe you can find something in common," Barry suggested.
"Oh Barry," Rachel smiled in mock condescension. "You really have no idea how girls work, do you?"
"It's still worth a shot," Barry shrugged.
"It is, and I have actually been trying to get on her good side," Rachel admitted. "I'll see if I can chat with her later today."
"But first…" Barry slid Rachel's plate back to her. "Enjoy this amazing French toast."
"I shall," Rachel smiled.
Confessional:
Barry: Rachel's probably my best friend in this game, and I feel really blessed to have her around. I'll admit, I was afraid I would be judged for my beliefs going into this game, but nobody really seems to mind. It's a good feeling.
Rachel: You know, I'm kind of glad Barry's so gullible, and I mean that in the nicest possible way. If he weren't, we never would have become friends and allies. And he's quite the gentleman, which is always nice to have around.
Franklin was in the rec room, throwing darts at a dartboard.
"So my best ally… is gone…" Franklin said between tosses. "Hopefully… Chappy… is right… and we don't lose… any more… challenges."
"That sucks, dude," a voice said. Franklin turned his head to find that the voice belonged to Ernie.
"You're from Team Chill, right?" Franklin asked.
"That I am," Ernie nodded. "Trust me, I know what it's like to lose a close ally. Happened to me, like, a couple days ago."
"I didn't know you were that close to Tucker," Franklin commented.
"Eh, by my standards, we were practically best friends," Ernie shrugged. "I'm not much of a social guy, if you haven't noticed."
"So why are you talking to me?" Franklin asked.
"Tell me, do you, ya know, have any plans for the merge?" Ernie asked.
"Not really," Franklin admitted. "Win challenges?"
"You're going to need more than, like, challenge wins. Trust me," Ernie told him. "And even if you do win challenges, that'll only, like, make you a target."
"So then what do you suggest?" Franklin asked as he narrowed his eye at Ernie.
"I mean, I have an alliance on Team Chill," Ernie said. "I could probably get you in if we both make the merge."
"When do you think we'll be merging anyway?" Franklin asked.
"Hopefully, like, today, but if they're, ya know, bringing people back, it might not be for a while, what with the episode count and all," Ernie guessed.
"Bringing people back?" Franklin asked.
"Have you ever, like, seen an episode of Total Drama in your life?" Ernie asked. "Sometimes, especially in longer seasons, they'll, like, bring back a couple eliminated contestants at around the merge or so."
"Well, if they do do that, hopefully they bring back people I like," Franklin muttered.
"I'll take that as a 'no' to the alliance offer, then?" Ernie asked.
"I'll think about it," Franklin said.
"Gotcha," Ernie said as he left the room.
Confessional:
Franklin: Bringing people back, huh? I'm not an active fan of this show, but I have heard that the staff is kind of trollish, for lack of a better word. Knowing my luck, they'll probably let Preston and Susan back into the game.
Ernie: Eh, it's worth a shot. If the merge does, like, happen today, it'd be best if I had, like, the numbers on my side. Or, Kiki's side, I guess. Keep forgetting I'm, ya know, not in charge anymore. Whatever.
David was in the basement, pacing back and forth.
"I mean, Judy's cool, but do I really want her as a girlfriend? I barely know her," David said to himself. "She is pretty, but do we even have anything in common? Besides working out? I don't even work out as a hobby. I just do it to stay healthy. What if she feels the same way about metal? What if she doesn't even listen to metal? Aw, geez, why does this have to be so complicated?!"
David banged his head against the wall as Kiki came down into the basement.
"Whoa! David! What are you doing?!" Kiki gasped.
"Oh, hey, Kiki," David said woozily. "I was just… killing a spider… with my face… Ozzy Osbourne does it all the time. Yeah."
"You don't have any spider guts on your face, and I don't see a spider," Kiki refuted.
"It was one of those, uh, really tiny spiders. You know the ones," David lied.
"David, I know something's bothering you," Kiki said. "So, um, what's wrong?"
"It's… uh… none of your business?" David said unconvincingly.
Kiki raised an eyebrow. "Maybe it's just because I haven't spoken to boys in a while, but you're confusing me. Is this a normal thing guys do?"
"Oh, uh, yeah, totally," David insisted. "We do it all the time. Pay more attention, Kiki. Sheesh."
"Okay then…" Kiki said somewhat worriedly. "If you want to talk about it, I'm always here."
"Yeah, that's cool. Bye now," David said with an awkward grin.
Confessional:
David: Gah! I am a terrible liar. Which is why I don't usually lie. I hope Kiki doesn't catch on to my deal with Lauren. Lauren's really helping me out… I think… but I don't want to hurt Kiki's feelings either. This game is hard.
Kiki: Now I'm really worried. Not only is something bothering David, but I have no idea how to help him. David's my friend, but he's not exactly the smartest guy either, so if Lauren finds him and offers to help him, she could trick him into flipping. I know I should probably think more highly of my closest ally, but that's just the way things are.
Rachel found Erica playing Tetris in the game room.
"Hey, Erica. How you doing?" Rachel asked.
"Not now. Playing Tetris," Erica snapped.
Rachel then noticed Erica's score was in the sextuple digits.
"Wow. You're really good at this," Rachel said, impressed.
"Tetris is the only game I'm good at," Erica snarled. "Albinism doesn't just make me look like a freak. It also impairs my eyesight. Contacts are a pain in the ass, and I'm sure as shit not going to wear freaky glasses, so I just have to deal with it. The bright colors make it easier for me to tell what shape the blocks are, so this is the only game I'm good at."
"That's actually really interesting," Rachel complimented. "I don't know very much about albinism, admittedly."
"I wouldn't expect you to know very much about anything that doesn't involve sex," Erica spat.
"There is more to me than just flirting," Rachel told her. "A lot, actually."
"That's great. Why are you still here?" Erica asked, annoyed.
"Honestly?" Rachel asked, to which Erica nodded. "A lot of us think the merge is happening today. I'm trying to get you on my good side so I can offer you a spot in a three-person alliance with Barry and me. No offense, but I don't think anyone else is going to offer you something like that, due to your avoidant attitude. So are you in, or not?"
"Not bad. How long did it take you to memorize that?" Erica scoffed. "Did Barry write that out before you came here?"
"Okay, you know what?" Rachel leered. "I'm trying to help you not be the next to go, but you're making it really difficult. I'll have you know I'm a lot smarter than I let on, and I could easily convince the others to take you out."
"So why haven't you done that yet?" Erica sneered.
Rachel was visibly taken aback by Erica's question.
"That's what I thought. Now go, I dunno, do something that people with melanin do," Erica dismissed.
Confessional:
Rachel: Well, this isn't good. Hopefully she'll change her mind once she figures out what kind of danger she's in. Barry's a challenge threat and a social threat, and I'm a mental threat, so, unless we have the numbers, I don't see us lasting very much longer. I guess if all else fails, I can try to make Erica a target.
Erica: I don't understand why Barry hangs out with Rachel. I honestly don't. She's a condescending bitch who's so obviously using him. And the worst part is, I don't have any actual dirt on her, so if the merge really is coming up, it's not like I can convince the others to take her out. AGHHHHHH! Why does this game have to suck so goddamn much?!
Judy found Chappy pumping iron in the gym.
"Okay, we need to talk about things," Judy told him sternly.
"What else would we talk about?" Chappy quipped.
"I'm serious. Are we allies or not?" Judy asked.
"You ask this every other day," Chappy said, annoyed. "Yes, we are."
"Then why do you keep crap-talking me in front of Franklin?" Judy asked. "He knows we're friends, it's not like you have to hide it."
"It's all strategic," Chappy told her.
"How?!" Judy asked, exasperated.
"I don't wanna take the time to explain it," Chappy grunted. "Trying to work out here. Just trust me on this one."
"Look…" Judy said softly. "I know… I know winning means a lot to you, but you can't just expect me to know everything you're doing and just be fine with it."
"Well, if you're confused, then just ask me what's going on," Chappy said. "I know what I'm doing. I'm winning this game one way or another. Or else."
"I know, I know," Judy said as she put her hand on Chappy's shoulder. "And I'm sorry for everything that's happened. I'm sorry for doubting you."
"It's fine," Chappy grunted as he continued working out.
Confessional:
Judy: I'll admit I'm not the most strategically minded gal in the game, and I know Chappy really wants to win, so he's probably given everything a ton of thought. I just wish he didn't have to be so against me when Franklin's around.
Chappy: Judy's a cool girl. I'll probably take her side in the whole "Judy vs. Franklin" debate I'm trying to start in the merge. Of course, if she wins too many challenges, I may have to let her go early, but by then I'll probably have enough numbers to get away with losing her.
Kiki found Ernie leaning against a wall in the ballroom.
"Oh, hey, Ernie. What are you doing here?" Kiki asked.
"This place is, like, pretty quiet and stuff," Ernie smirked. "It's a great place to, like, take a nap."
"Were you napping before I came in? Sorry," Kiki apologized.
"I'm still napping," Ernie snickered.
"That doesn't make any sense," Kiki glared.
"That's because I was, ya know, joking," Ernie chuckled.
A silence filled the room.
"So, like, what kind of Asian are you?" Ernie asked.
"What kind of question is that?" Kiki asked, almost laughing at how out-of-nowhere the question was.
"The awkward-silence-breaking kind?" Ernie shrugged. "Just, ya know, curious."
"Well, since you asked, I'm Japanese," Kiki told him. "My grandparents on my mom's side grew up in Japan, and so did my dad. They all moved to British Colombia at different times, with the age difference and all. My mom was born and raised here in Canada, and eventually met my dad, and the rest is history. So what kind of white are you?"
"I have no idea. I was, like, adopted," Ernie shrugged.
"Oh. Really?" Kiki asked.
"Do you speak Japanese?" Ernie asked abruptly.
"I do," Kiki nodded. "My dad insisted that I learn. Watashi wa sore o hanasu koto wanai keikō ga arimasuga, watashi wa watashi wa shitai koto ga dekireba."
"Interesting," Ernie thought aloud. "Ore wa amarini mo sore o hanasu koto ga dekimasu. Ore wa ore no otakufēzu-chū ni jibun jishin o oshieta."
"Anta ga otakudatta!" Kiki laughed. "Watashi wa taipu no anta o totta koto wa arimasen."
"Yep…" Ernie said. "Sorry, I'm, ya know, a bit rusty."
"It's fine," Kiki chuckled.
Confessional:
Kiki: For some reason, I feel comfortable speaking with Ernie in Japanese. Maybe because I usually only speak it around my family. Either way, Ernie's a great ally and a good friend. I'm glad we were able to put our conflict of alliances behind us.
Ernie: Yeah, Kiki's, like, pretty cool, I guess…
Erica came across Barry in the hall.
"Hey, Barry," Erica greeted harshly.
"Oh, hey Eri. What's up?" Barry smiled in return.
"Eri?" Erica asked, confused. "Whatever. We need to talk."
"Okay. What do you want to talk about?" Barry asked.
"Rachel," Erica said. "She's a snake. She's totally using you, and you deserve to know it."
"Rachel? Nah," Barry disagreed. "She's a perfectly nice girl who has insecurities just like you and me."
"Excuse me?!" Erica scoffed. "Neither of you are pale-ass freaks like I am! You do not have insecurities like me!"
"Maybe we're not insecure about the same things, but we do have insecurities," Barry frowned.
"Whatever. The point is, Rachel is a fake-ass bitch who only sees you as a vote," Erica dismissed.
"That's not true," Barry said, the anger in his voice rising. "Rachel is my friend and I will not stand here and let you speak about her that way."
"I thought I was your friend," Erica sneered. "Or are you a fake-ass bitch too?"
"You are both my friends, and it pains me to see that you can't get along. I don't let her speak ill of you, and I won't let you speak ill of her. Do you understand?" Barry continued.
"You're just saying that because you think she likes you," Erica spat. "Newsflash! She doesn't! She is using you! How can you not see that?!"
"Because, unlike you, I like to see the best in people," Barry retorted. "You only see the worst in people, and that twists your perception of them."
"And being optimistic doesn't twist your perception?" Erica growled.
"It might. But it twists it for the better, I think," Barry answered. "Now, if you don't have anything nice to say, please don't say anything."
Erica's eyes went wide and her mouth fell open. She turned around and left the hall.
Confessional:
Erica: What the actual fuck?! Now Barry's against me?! I need to get that bitchface Rachel out of this game. Now. If the merge isn't today, I'm just going to bide my time until we do make it, and make sure Rachel's a target when it does hit.
Barry: I think I'm going to have to have some kind of mediation session with the girls soon. Rachel's being nothing but nice to Erica, as far as I know anyway, but Erica just refuses to believe that Rachel is anything but some she-demon.
Rachel: So, Barry was in the hallway, waiting for me to finish using the restroom, when Erica shows up and starts talking crap about me behind my back. Only problem is, I could hear her through the door. It's becoming increasingly obvious to me that Erica does not want to be my ally. Fine by me. She can go home as soon as she's not immune.
The ten contestants met up in the foyer at Hatchet's request.
"Alright, I'm about to tell y'all something y'all were never supposed to know, so LISTEN GOOD!" Hatcher barked.
"I knew it. You are a furry!" Lauren accused.
"Alright. JUST FOR THAT, YOU'RE SITTIN' OUT OF THE CHALLENGE!" Hatchet roared.
"Sweet. Mission accomplished," Lauren smirked as she left the foyer.
Hatchet glared at her as she left. "Anyway!" he continued. "The rest of y'all. Follow me!"
Confessional:
Lauren: So, now that I've broken off from the others, I'm going to search through Judy's things and see if I can't find something that will help David get some. It might make me a target, but heck, we haven't lost a challenge since Tucker left. I think I'll be fine.
Hatchet took the nine other contestants to what looked to be a dead end to a hall.
"Um, this is a nice… wall," Barry complimented, although still confused.
"This ain't what I brought you here for!" Hatchet shouted as he pounded on the wall six times in what seemed to be a secret knock.
Just then the wall slid by itself to the side, revealing it to actually be a secret door. The room on the other side was illuminated with all sorts of colored lights and had lounge music playing. There was a table with hors d'oeuvres and a hot tub as well. Lastly, there were three large boxes in the middle of the room.
"I think I'm going to like this challenge," Rachel grinned.
"I HAVEN'T EVEN TOLD YOU WHAT IT IS YET!" Hatchet responded. He cleared his throat. "Ahem. The hot tub in this secret lounge room is broken. Y'all's job is to build a new one. Couldn't be simpler. After a set amount of time, I'll judge y'all's hot tubs. Best one gets added to the lounge room, AND I'll let whoever's in first have access to this room from now on!"
"That's oddly generous of you," Judy noted.
"I HAVE MY REASONS!" Hatchet insisted. "TIME STARTS NOW! GET TO IT, MAGGOTS!"
Confessional:
Franklin: A hot tub? That's something I haven't experienced in a while. That'll make winning this challenge all the sweeter.
David: This room is totally sexy. The low lighting, the lounge music, the hot tub. We'd better win this one! Maybe then this whole "Lauren being a matchmaker" thing will hurry up and end already.
Barry: Hm. Maybe if we get first place, I can work on the girls in there. It's nice and secret, so nobody could barge in, and since the walls are so thick, nobody could hear us, and I just realized how sexual all of that sounded. I'd better shut up.
Franklin, Chappy, and Judy all unpacked their boxful of hot tub parts.
"Looks like it's all the stuff from the first season hot tub challenge," Judy noted.
"Then this shouldn't be an issue," Chappy grinned. "We've all seen Season 1."
"Yeah. Piece of cake," Franklin chuckled.
"Okay, Judy, you're fast. Go fill these buckets up with water," Chappy ordered as he handed Judy a couple buckets.
"Where do I get the water?" Judy asked, taken aback.
"From the bathroom or something. I don't care," Chappy shrugged. "Franklin, you get to work on building the tub itself. I'm gonna work with the heating system. Being a gamer, I know a thing or two about electronics."
"Uh, sure," Franklin said uncertainly.
"Good. Let's move it!" Chappy exclaimed.
Confessional:
Franklin: Like I said, I don't watch this show very much. The only episodes I saw were a couple episodes of the movie studio season. I have a basic idea of how the show works, especially now that I'm, you know, on it, but I don't know little bits of trivia like "who got voted off in season seven episode eight" or anything like that.
Judy: Okay, these buckets won't hold nearly enough to fill up the hot tub. I know I'm supposed to make multiple trips, but I kinda can't do that until Franklin finishes his job.
Ernie, Kiki, and David, meanwhile, had a few choice words about their teammate.
"Heh. Remember when Lauren, like, wanted to lead the team?" Ernie chuckled as he tinkered with the heating system. "Now, like, look at her."
"Seriously," Kiki scoffed as she returned with two buckets of water. "You'd think someone in her position would try not to make herself a target."
"I wonder if she's planning something," David thought aloud as he worked on constructing the tub. "She is kinda sneaky."
"Well, whatever she's planning is probably stupid if she, like, needs to skip the challenge to do it," Ernie remarked.
"Funny how she entered the game focused entirely on making out, and how here she is, scrambling for her life in the game," Kiki added.
"Probably because she, like, barely got any," Ernie guessed. "I mean, other than, ya know, those one times with you and David, which were, like, against your wills, has she even, like, kissed anyone?"
"I think she's snuck a few here and there, again, against the other parties' wills," Kiki answered. "But other than that, not really."
"Maybe that's why she's trying to stay in. She hasn't had as much action as she wanted… or something," David proposed.
"And she can't just do that after she's voted off?" Ernie asked.
"Honestly, who knows how that one's mind works?" Kiki shrugged.
"Amen to that," Ernie chuckled.
Confessional:
Kiki: David has a point. It's entirely possible that Lauren's up to something. Of course, Lauren's definition of "up to something" is probably something like hitting on Yolonda or searching through other people's bags to find their underwear.
David: I get the feeling Lauren's trying to find something on Judy so she can hook us up. Honestly, I'm not entirely sure I want to give her my vote. If it were Yolonda, then I definitely would, but Judy… it's just not the same.
Barry, Erica, and Rachel all went to work on their team's hot tub.
"So, can what's-her-face even do anything in this challenge?" Erica sneered. "Isn't she not supposed to get her cast wet or something?"
"Yeah, and I'm not sure how useful I'd be in building the tub or setting up the heating system," Rachel confessed.
"That's okay," Barry smiled. "Erica and I will work extra hard to make up for it."
"We will?" Erica said flatly.
"Of course. That's what friends do, right?" Barry affirmed.
"…Yeah… friends…" Erica said through her teeth.
"Wonderful!" Barry exclaimed. He turned his back to open up the crate. As he did so, Erica looked at Rachel and ran her finger across her own throat. "Now, Erica, why don't you get to work on building the tub? I'll hook up the heating system. When we're done, we can work together to fill up the buckets and fill the tub with water. Sound good."
"Whatever," Erica said uninterestedly.
"So, should I just sit here and cheer you on?" Rachel asked playfully.
"I suppose?" Barry shrugged. "Sorry you won't be able to help us out."
"Ah, no worries," Rachel smiled.
Confessional:
Rachel: Am I afraid that my broken arm will make me a target? Yes and no. Yes, Erica's obviously going to use it as an excuse to Barry to vote for me. No, I don't believe she'll be able to pull it off, because Barry is loyal to me. Besides, the merge must be soon, and when I do make it, I'll be a non-threat because of my injury.
Barry: It's kind of unfortunate that Rachel has to pay the price for something that isn't her fault, but there's nothing much that can be done about it now. It's up to me to protect her from elimination now, and protect her I shall, because that's what boyfri- friends! That's what friends do. Ahaha.
Judy had returned to Team Thunder with two bucketsful of water and began working on the tub with Franklin. Chappy continued to work on the heating system.
"You almost done, Chappy?" Judy asked.
"Just about," Chappy replied. "Just gotta hook this up here… connect that there… shut the lid… and I'm done."
"Nice," Judy grinned. "Franklin and I are almost finished with the tub, too."
"Yup. Just a few more planks and we should be good," Franklin nodded.
As Judy finished hammering a nail, she took a look at her hammer.
"I wonder if these could be used as weapons if they were a bit bigger," Judy thought aloud.
"They could be used as weapons with the size they already are," Franklin replied.
"No, I mean the kind of weapon that could kill everyone in the room with no chance of you getting hurt," Judy chuckled.
"Okay. In that case, I'm going to the bathroom. Try not to murder anyone while I'm gone," Franklin said as he got up and left.
"Wow. What a quitter," Chappy quickly said to Judy. "It's things like that that make me wonder how he got this far in the first place."
"Well, you've had your crosshairs on Ziggy, Susan, and Bailey this entire game. And Preston was a fluke," Judy answered. "He hasn't really had any reason to go."
"Well, now he does," Chappy said. "When the merge comes, he'd be a threat. That's why he should be our first target when that happens."
"What about having numbers and all that?" Judy asked.
"We can always team up with someone on the other team," Chappy shrugged. "They'd be stupid not to join up with us."
"If you insist," Judy chuckled.
Confessional:
Judy: Chappy's extra-confident these days, isn't he? I guess with a three out of four success rate of getting your target out, I can't really blame him. Ah well. A little confidence never hurt anyone in the winning challenges department.
Franklin: Is Judy usually that violent? I haven't noticed any of it before, but then again, she and I aren't super close or anything. Well, you know how I am with pain. Definitely sketchy.
Lauren, meanwhile, went out to the backyard and begun searching through Judy's bag.
"Let's see, shirt, shirt, pants, socks…" Lauren muttered as she rummaged through the bag. She then pulled out a pair of dark-salmon-colored panties. "Keeping this," she said as she looked around for witnesses and stuffed the panties in her pocket.
To her surprise, there was a witness: Yolonda looked at Lauren with an arched eyebrow from the other side of the glass door.
"Oh shoot," Lauren gulped as Yolonda came into the backyard.
"Lauren, what the hell are you doing?" Yolonda sighed.
"Um, espionage," Lauren lied. "Yeah. Turns out, Judy is a Neo Nazi who hid the plans for some… okay, I can't think of anything on the fly."
"Isn't this exactly what Tucker used to do?" Yolonda asked as she shook her head. "And you used to make him out to be gross and perverted."
"Oh, I still do. I voted him out for a reason," Lauren insisted.
"And yet here you are, going on panty raids," Yolonda pointed out. "By your logic, you're also pretty gross and perverted."
"No, it's sexy when I do it because I'm a girl," Lauren snickered. "Besides, I'm not doing this for me. I'm doing this for David."
"Ah, right, your stupid, pathetic attempt at getting votes on your side," Yolonda said with a roll of her eyes. "How is stealing Judy's panties going to earn you a vote?"
"Because… uh…" Lauren took a second to think. "If I do… and give them to David… he might find Judy more attractive… and be more likely to ask her out… meaning the chances of them hooking up is better… yeah."
"How you're still in the game is beyond me," Yolonda murmured as she left the backyard.
"Because I'm a sexy strategic mastermind!" Lauren insisted.
Confessional:
Lauren: I can't get voted out until I bang someone. That's, like, the goal I set for myself. I don't even care if it isn't Kiki at this point. Going solo just won't cut it. My libido is out of control and I need to get some! I'd even take Chappy! That's how desperate I'm getting. Oh, but I can't do David, because if I try, then he'll know something's up and vote me out! My life sucks, you know that?!
Yolonda: I just saw that last confessional. This girl is insane. She needs serious help.
While Barry left to fill up a bucket with water, Erica had returned to her team's hot tub with her own bucket of water.
"Ugh. This challenge sucks," Erica grumbled.
"I don't envy your position one bit," Rachel told her. "Heavy lifting has never been a strong suit of mine, even with both arms."
"Really? You'd think all that sleeping around would be good exercise for you," Erica quipped. "Guess you're just weak."
"I am not weak," Rachel insisted sternly.
"You are weak," Erica snickered as she emptied her bucket into the hot tub. "I could kick your ass right now if I felt like it."
"You wouldn't hurt a crippled girl, would you?" Rachel asked in mock fear.
"Oh, you're talking to me about crippled?!" Erica snapped. "I can't spend more than an hour in direct sunlight without risking freakin skin cancer! Check your privilege!"
"What privilege?" Rachel scoffed.
"Your non-albino privilege!" Erica snarled.
"Privileges are something to be earned," Rachel informed Erica. "I didn't earn a normal skin tone. It's just how I was born."
"I knew it! You do think I'm a freak!" Erica snapped.
"Don't you have a bucket to fill up?" Rachel sneered. "Actually speaking of which, I'm going to go check on Barry. He's sure taking his sweet time." With that Rachel left the lounge room to look for Barry.
"But- AGGH!" Erica shouted as she kicked the side of Team Thunder's hot tub, which was directly to her left.
"Hey! Kick your own hot tub!" Chappy snapped.
"Go eat a dick!" Erica returned.
Confessional:
Barry: Yeah, I slipped on a puddle and ended up spilling my own bucket of water. For a non-Playground of Pain challenge, I took quite a few falls. Hopefully we don't lose on top of that.
Rachel: Alright, it is kind of fun to push Erica's buttons. If she doesn't want to ally with me, there's no reason to act nice around her. It's not like I'm making her like me any less.
After a decent period of time, the teams began making their finishing touches on their hot tubs.
"That's a winning hot tub if I've ever seen one," Chappy bragged.
"I think we've got this one, guys," Kiki told her teammates.
"We can pull this one off," Barry said.
"A'ight! Time's up, maggots! Let's judge your hot tubs!" Hatchet announced as he entered the lounge.
Hatchet started by looking at Team Thunder's hot tub.
"Looks fine," Hatchet admitted. He dipped his finger into the water. "Water's nice. I think y'all might be safe, but let's not hold our breath."
Confessional:
Chappy: It's like I'd always said. Getting rid of Bailey will mean winning challenges for Team Thunder, and today proved that.
Hatchet then moved on to Team Chill's tub.
"Looks sturdy enough," Hatchet commented as he dipped a finger into the water. "Water's hot, just like a hot tub should be. Not bad."
Confessional:
Ernie: I'm fine with, like, the continuous good scores in challenges. I don't think it'll, like, make me look like a threat or anything, but it still, ya know, keeps me safe and stuff.
Finally, Hatchet moved on to Team Flame's hot tub.
"The build ain't bad and…" Hatchet dipped a finger in the water. "The water's fine. But it ain't filled up as deep as the other teams. That's gonna cost y'all some points!"
Confessional:
Erica: Leave it to Rachel to hold us back. She'd better freaking go home.
"A'ight, maggots! I've come to a decision!" Hatchet barked. "In first place…"
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"Team Thunder!"
"Hell yeah!" Chappy gloated.
"Y'all's tub is definitely fine enough for the lounge room. Now, in second place…"
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"Team-"
Before Hatchet could announce who had one, one of the hot tubs sprung a leak, causing the hot water to come gushing out of the tub.
"Well. That sure happened," Judy commented.
"Well, I guess things have changed!" Hatchet shouted. "In light of… that… the last place team is…"
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"Team Thunder!"
Chappy leered at Erica. "I know this is your fault!" he barked. "You kicked it! You weakened the tub! Swear on my mom, if I see you in the merge, you'll be the first one gone!"
"You don't scare me," Erica snickered.
"Anyway, Team Chill is now in first and Team Flame is in second," Hatchet continued. "Team Thunder, I'll be seein' y'all at elimination tonight."
Confessional:
Chappy: I can't believe this! Of all the contrived, pain-in-the-ass, last-second ways to lose… Whatever! Franklin's gonna go early! Who cares?!
Franklin: Well, unless I can convince Judy to turn on Chappy, I'm as good as screwed. My life…
Judy: Well, that was certainly unexpected. Franklin's probably going to be begging me for my vote, so tonight's probably going to be super stressful. This should be fun.
Not two minutes after the challenge ended, Franklin pulled Judy aside to the ballroom to talk strategy.
"Let me guess…" Judy said.
"Just let me make my case for why you should keep me, and I won't bug you again for the rest of the night," Franklin said desperately.
"I'm listening," Judy said expectantly.
"Look, it's obvious what Chappy's doing here," Franklin said. "You know how he's been talking crap about us in front of the other one, right?"
"Tell me about it," Judy mumbled.
"I think he's trying to make sure he doesn't get targeted," Franklin explained. "He doesn't care which of us goes as long as it's not him."
"That can't be true," Judy denied. "He told me himself that I was his true ally."
"He told me the same thing," Franklin lied.
"He did?" Judy asked.
"Yep. Said something about ditching you once the merge hit because you were a threat to his game," Franklin continued.
"You clearly know what you're talking about…" Judy thought aloud. "I'll give it some thought. Maybe talk to Chappy."
"You do that," Franklin nodded. "I'll see you at the elimination."
Confessional:
Franklin: I'm no stranger to lying and manipulation. In the environment where I live, it's practically a skill for survival. I'm not being malicious, I'm just doing what I have to do to stay in the game. You'd have done the same.
Judy: Crap, and just when I thought this vote would be easy. I don't think Franklin's the type of guy to lie, even if his game's in danger, so I'm going to talk to Chappy and see what he thinks.
Chappy and Judy met up in the gym.
"Look, you don't really have to tell me how the vote's going to go," Judy told her friend. "Not like I have much of a choice in the matter."
"I didn't call you here to tell you how to vote," Chappy said. "I called you here so we could talk… as friends."
"Oh. Really?" Judy asked.
"I know I've been kind of an ass and all obsessed with winning and stuff," Chappy sighed. "I mean, you know how much this means to me."
"I do, and if I don't win, I want it to be you," Judy nodded.
"But what the hell? Since the vote's all wrapped up already, who's to say we can't take the time to get to know each other?" Chappy smirked.
"Oh. Okay," Judy chuckled awkwardly. "Uh… you start."
"Well, let's see…" Chappy thought. "Like I mentioned before, I like video games, even though the only system I have is an Xbox 360."
"Okay. I'm not much of a gamer, personally," Judy told him. "I played a basketball video game at my brother's friend's house once, but I was terrible at it."
A silence filled the room.
"So, we're voting for Franklin, then?" Judy asked.
"Well duh," Chappy scoffed.
"Good talk. I have to use the restroom," Judy said as she left the gym.
Confessional:
Chappy: I think I'm making some progress. I'm not the most social guy in the world, but I'm getting the hang of it. Social skills will just be one more tool in my belt of victory.
Judy: Well that was awkward. And the worst part is, I have no idea if that was genuine or not. Can I trust Chappy? Should I trust Chappy? Can and should I trust Franklin? I'm sure one or both of them is lying to me. Chappy lost all his possessions, but Franklin has abusive parents… ugh, I'm going to ruin someone's life no matter what I choose!
Franklin found Chappy in the hallway.
"Ah, Chappy, there you are," Franklin said.
"Uh, yeah. So?" Chappy asked.
"I think there's something you should know," Franklin told him. "I approached Judy about changing her vote, because, you know, I want to not be voted out, and it turns out, she was going to vote for you all along."
"Oh really?" Chappy asked.
"Yeah. Said something about you getting too big for your britches," Franklin continued. "She thinks you're trying too hard and that you were the one holding our team back, not Ziggy or Susan or Bailey."
"She did not!" Chappy snapped in disbelief.
"Well, if you don't want to get voted out tonight, you could always join me in voting her out," Franklin said calmly. "She'll be a huge challenge threat if we let her into the merge, after all, so this benefits all of us, not just you."
"Yeah, whatever," Chappy sneered. "I'll believe it when I see it."
"Well then. Don't be too surprised when you end up having to walk out the Door of Shame," Franklin shrugged as he left the hall.
"I won't be surprised! Because it ain't happening!" Chappy insisted.
"Don't say I didn't warn you!" Franklin called behind him.
Confessional:
Franklin: The seeds of doubt have been planted. Now I just need to decide who to let go: the challenge threat that I can trust, or the challenge liability that I can't trust. What to do, what to do?
Chappy: Franklin, you are a dumbass. Judy's my friend, and I know she's for real. She's stuck with me this long, hasn't she? You're just being pathetic.
Judy sat by herself in the rec room, chin in her hands and a distraught look on her face.
"Ugh, I had no idea it would be this difficult!" Judy whined.
Just then, Judy heard a knock on the door. The door opened and Barry entered the room.
"Judy? Is everything okay?" Barry asked.
"Oh. Hey, Barry," Judy sighed.
"What's wrong? It looks like something's eating you up," Barry noticed.
"Something is eating me up!" Judy exclaimed desperately. "I honestly have no idea who's on my side right now and I have no idea who to vote off. I tried weighing pros and cons, but for each pro I found for one person, I found a pro for the other guy, and same with the cons."
"Sounds like you're in quite the conundrum," Barry told her. "You know, a wise man once said that any dilemma can be solved by the flip of a coin. When you flip a coin, one of two things will happen. It could land on heads or tails and decide for you. Or, when you flip it, you may find yourself suddenly hoping it lands on a certain side. The side you hope for is the side you should take, no matter the real outcome."
"Whoa. Which wise man said that?" Judy asked.
"Nolan," Barry chuckled. "Of course, he voted himself out, so who knows how wise he really is?"
Barry placed a coin on the card table by which Judy was sitting.
"Good luck," Barry smiled as he took his leave. "I'm going to get some dinner."
"Thanks, Barry!" Judy called.
Confessional:
Judy: Alright, the coin helped me make my decision. I know who I'm voting for.
Barry: I enjoy helping others quite a bit. Maybe I should do it for a living.
The three members of Team Thunder 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.
"I can't believe this," Hatchet said with a shake of his head. "Y'all guys really are tryin' to be the next Team Victory, ain'tcha?"
"If by that you mean we'll be victorious from now on, then yeah, we will be the next Team Victory," Chappy insisted.
"Yeah, whatever," Hatchet said with a roll of his eyes. "First soda goes to…"
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"Judy."
Judy breathed a huge sigh of relief. Chappy glared at Franklin. Franklin looked incredibly nervous.
"And the last soda goes to…"
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"Franklin!" Hatchet finally announced.
"Ohthankgod!" Franklin exhaled in one heavy sigh of relief.
Chappy didn't say anything. He clenched his fists as he turned to his two former teammates.
"Look, Chappy…" Judy started.
Chappy held up his hand, signaling her to stop talking.
"I don't know whose idea it was for you to vote me off, Judy, but that person will be dead the next time I see them…" Chappy growled before turning around and heading for the Door of Shame.
"Well he took that surprisingly well," Franklin chuckled.
Chappy flipped Franklin the bird as he left the house.
"Well, it's official. Y'all are on par with the Toxic Rats," Hatchet told Franklin and Judy. "Not that that's a good thing, mind you! Now get your asses to the backyard and get some sleep!"
Confessional:
Franklin: You see, Chappy, that's how you get two people to not trust each other. Granted, you still voted for me, but I'm still here, so I think it's clear who came out on top.
"Things sure are gettin' heavy, ain't they?!" Hatchet asked the camera. "Is Franklin turnin' into a villain? Is Lauren goin' crazy? Is Barry gonna have to choose between two friends? The answers to all these stupid-ass questions MIGHT come, next time on Total! Drama! HOUSE PARTY!"
Votes:
Franklin: Sorry, Chappy, but I no longer trust you, and I'm going to do everything in my power to take you out. No hard feelings, but I need the money more than you do.
Chappy: Franklin, you're pathetic, desperate, and most importantly, a dumbass. That's three strikes. You're out. Besides, I need the money way more than you do.
Judy: Well, I flipped the coin, and… my gut told me I wanted to vote Chappy off. He is kind of shifty, and Franklin's a pretty nice guy from what I can tell, so I think Franklin might have been telling the truth here. Sorry, but I vote for Chappy.
A/N: Chappy's another character that I didn't expect to be nearly as popular as he was. Of course, originally he was going to keep the OTTN shtick throughout, but I decided against it and ended up giving him a backstory, all while keeping him villainous overall. I think he might have been the most common guess as to who would win the whole thing, but now he's gone, so it seems like people will have to guess again.