Well, still at the Playa. Let's have some more fun! Thanks for reviewing, lordgemini and OmniIBIBUltraInstinctGodzilla.

The next week and a bit at the Playa was just as we expected. Of course, about five days after we got the footage of our episode, Lindsay trudged up to the mansion, her hair and makeup messed up, asking if Chef had dropped off her lip gloss and sounding off about how everyone was right about Heather after all, totally scamming her and Owen and talking Gwen into it, as well, and apparently now she was looking back at everything else Heather had done to her before telling her that same night that no, they were not friends and she didn't even like the blonde that much. We'd gotten another episode between that time, but no coconut with a face had arrived at the Playa.

I suspected that Bridgette was spending most nights in the same room as Geoff (who had his own room for the moment), because she offered Lindsay the second bed in her room almost immediately. In fact, everyone welcomed Lindsay and treated her nicely. Just about everyone knew that no matter how many evil things she'd done, none of them had been of her own choice and just as a sign of her loyalty to Heather. Now that was gone, she was happy to lounge around with everyone else and be friends with them all. She spent most of her time cuddled up with Tyler. I'd barely noticed them being close on the island, but they had gone off together during the dodgeball game, and I'd really not been all that close to Tyler, so maybe I'd just missed seeing their relationship.

My regular life was starting to feel like it had been an age ago. I could have been on Wawanakwa all my life. Maybe it was something to do with the people on the show – everyone had been picked for a reason, that being that they were extreme in their traits. Or maybe we were acting, but whatever the reason, this part of my life felt more real than my life back home.

The same day Lindsay arrived, Chris came with her. Apparently, he wanted the next episode to be a dare game, and wanted us to make up five dares for the final three to do. And I started thinking up what might be hard for Heather…but easy for Gwen and Owen. Not an easy feat, as all of them had some pretty major strengths that matched.

That's how I ended up putting a lot of disgusting food into the dares. Gwen had a pretty strong stomach, and Owen's was more like iron. Heather had determination, but I remembered she wasn't quite as good at the Brunch of Disgustingness as Gwen had been. I also added in "Roast yourself with at least five things and make at least two of them things you truly hate yourself for". I wanted to hear what Heather would say about herself if she got that, and I was a little interested in what Owen and Gwen might say, too.

As it was, a few afternoons later, after we'd gotten the footage for Lindsay's elimination, watched it and saw Chef's hosting duties being just putting the others in the woods and telling them to hike back to camp, we heard an earsplitting scream echo across the island.

At the time, most everyone was outside. Geoff and Bridgette, who had been making out, actually stopped and looked up. Izzy popped up from underneath the water, and just about everyone stared.

Leshawna, who had been lounging around on one of the lawn chairs while I was swimming (the pool had been drained and refilled recently, so I was pretty sure this was clean water), was the first to speak up. "Did that sound like Heather to any of you?"

A lot of us exchanged glances. Some people were grinning, others were looking sort of only half-pleased. No one wanted Heather to win, but nor did we want her at the Playa.

As it was, not only did we have Heather running up the dock and into the house the next second, screaming obscenities at Chef as the Boat of Losers drove off (apparently she'd only started on him once Chris was out of sight to yell at), we had her in the afternoon, long before dark.

But it didn't matter too much. As soon as we saw her pass by, straight into the house, just about all nineteen of us saw what she was trying to hide by running inside, and we started giggling together. Lindsay was laughing so hard she could barely stand. As soon as she'd stopped, she still had a grin on her face as she declared, "That'll teach her to threaten my hair!"

Although we'd only seen her for a few seconds, we all saw what a disaster Heather looked like. Her hair looked as if some kind of sheep had grazed on it. Some of it was untouched. Other pieces were jagged, with locks cut short. Everything else was a bunch of bald patches – it was so bad that she actually had to shave the rest off that same evening, although she did have a spare wig (don't ask me why).

It turned out, after we got the footage, that Heather's hair was all down to Lindsay, One of the dares she had suggested was for the contestant to allow Chef to shave their head. Heather had tried to kick the razor out of Chef's hand, and it had landed on her head, hence the uneven hair. But she hadn't accepted the dare – she'd tried to refuse it. And if someone refused their dare completely, they lost. So kicking the razor was enough to kick Heather out of the camp and out of a chance at a hundred grand.

Well, I mean, I'd wanted Gwen to be in the finale once both DJ and Leshawna were gone. And Owen was a nice guy. I couldn't have asked for too much more in the finalists, even if my first choices after I'd gone didn't make it. Gwen was an easy second choice – a close link as well as a good friend.

I discussed the finalists with my friends. "So I assume you guys are supporting Gwen?" I asked Leshawna and Bridgette. "Katie and Sadie said they were, and I definitely am."

"Of course I am!" Bridgette said firmly. "I like Owen fine, but we have history with Gwen."
"Yeah, me too," Leshawna agreed. "I won't be mad if Owen wins, but Gwen's gotta do it. Not to mention," she added with a smirk, "It would really piss off Heather if the 'weird goth girl' was the winner."

DJ was also rooting for Gwen, but when I asked Harold and, later, Noah, who they wanted to win, they both said Owen. "I don't get it," I said when Noah told me. "I thought you said he was a ticking time bomb of fumes or something."

Noah shrugged. "You don't know me. He's also like a happiness bomb. Positive. Some people can't get away with it without being annoying, but he seems to be able to pull it off. I have to respect someone who actually gets me to like them."

I smiled slyly. "Does that mean you respect me? Or are you just talking to me because I listen to you?"

Noah cracked a little smile. "The second you ask for clarification makes me wonder the answer. But as long as you're asking, I guess."

Harold was more clear-cut about his answer. "He's a cool dude. He's one of the guys and there's no reason not to like him. That's enough to make me choose him. No offense meant to Gwen."

I shrugged. "Can't argue with that. I guess opposing finalist sides won't tear us apart when both liking the same girl didn't."

The camp was pretty split, to be honest. It was about ten for ten of us who were supporting each finalist. None of us were hugely anti towards the other finalist – we were just glad Heather wasn't one of them – but we just liked one finalist a bit more. It wouldn't take much to swing the vote if it came to that. Even Heather's unsurprising partiality to Owen over Gwen wasn't hugely different. It's just that she really hated Gwen on a personal level.

But, less than 48 hours after Heather arrived at the Playa, it was time for all of us to return to the camp, where we'd watch the final two battle it out (wasn't it meant to be a vote?). We actually just had to hang out at the campground while the final two were finishing up final confessionals. They didn't actually see us because we had to stay around the back, but at least we were there. And one more thing:

We were allowed to help out the finalist we were on the side of, if we so liked.

I think the other contestants needed to know they could help, seeing as they did that quite a lot. It was a good way to incorporate everyone.

And everyone, please, please, please give my new fic "When I Die, Give Me Life" some love or reviews! It's tucked away in a fandom that isn't very active, but it's a timeslip story and has plenty of 80s nostalgia and some major events coming up. It's true one of the lead characters hasn't shown up yet, but he's not far away.