More Playa action, I guess. Thanks for reviewing, Gucci Mane LaFlare and lordgemini.
And the game went on. Before the week was out, Bridgette arrived at the Playa, sighing that trapping animals just wasn't what she liked doing to creatures, and she'd been nervous about going into the forest to find a deer, anyway. "But I got out of Chris' penalty for not catching my creature by being eliminated," she said with a smirk. "Heather had to clean out the bathrooms. I mean, she tried to make Lindsay do it, but she said it was too gross. She does seem to have more of a mind of her own now."
"Wonder what made her do that?" I said out loud. "I mean, I know I said something to her, but…"
"I tried, too, but I didn't think she listened that much," Bridgette admitted. "Maybe she did. As it is, I told Gwen and Leshawna to keep letting her know that Heather is just using her. Maybe she's already started to realize it."
As it was, I was quite pleased to see that when the animal-catching challenge happened that Heather was meant to catch a bear, and Lindsay got a raccoon, which did mess up her face a bit, but that would heal. Gwen won, caging her duck successfully before anyone else got their animal. Leshawna's frog kept tricking her into falling into metre-high puddles – I wasn't sure who to feel sorrier for, because that frog was mean, but I knew who was tougher.
At the beginning of the third week, Geoff arrived, and he and Bridgette started making up for two days apart by spending the majority of time making out in the hot tub. Sometimes Bridgette wore Geoff's cowboy hat, which actually really suited her. I wasn't so sure I was into Geoff's haircut, though.
As one point, I called out "Hey, Geoff! You've got to get your girl one of her own of those!"
Geoff grinned and said "Girl, you are so on the level! Already planning it!"
Anyway, the day after we got the tape for Geoff's elimination (a Tri-Armed Triathalon where, to my pleasure, Leshawna and Lindsay got paired up and Heather was stuck with Owen. Leshawna took every opportunity to be warm and supportive and every so often, hinting to Lindsay that she was a better friend than Heather – in fact, that both of them made better friends). Everyone had been in danger that night, but enough people decided Geoff was dangerously nice. As it turned out, Bridgette went for that reason, too – everyone liked her. It was funny, because with DJ too, it had been three votes in a row with the nicest people on the island. It was just Owen left who hadn't offended anyone, and Heather had spent the break between the first and second part of the triathlon cuffed to Owen when he really needed the bathroom.
Either way, the day after we saw the footage, Chris and a bunch of camera people arrived. "Hey, losers," he greeted us. "Hopefully you've been enjoying the five-star treatment, because it's not going to be for much longer. Just go about your day for a while – we'll be asking everyone about their experiences, then picking and choosing what to keep for the next episode. And we'll also be asking some questions about the final five."
It turned out that the final five were getting a break, while we were going to get filmed and interviewed. For the first hour, I hung out at the bar, but after Sadie got bitten by a swimming Izzy (she said she just had the urge to bite something), I decided it was time to get out, and I went to sunbathe on one of the recliners with DJ and Trent.
That was the point where the cameras focused on me. I'd been in a shot with Katie and Sadie, but this was the point where I was actually expected to talk. "This is totally the best resort I've ever stayed in. Also the only resort I've ever stayed in, but it's hard to beat a bunch of friends, sunny weather and the pool, with any food you want. It kind of makes me wish that if I had to get kicked off, that it was earlier. Then again, I'm pretty proud that I was in the final nine."
At least I finally found Harold – sort of. As I was reclining, I heard a voice whisper "Hey, Trent! Slide me some baloney?"
I turned at the same time as Trent, and caught Harold's eyes. I mouthed "Talk later?" and he sort of nodded, but he looked as if he wasn't sure of his answer.
As it was, Courtney found him about an hour later, and attacked him with a lamppost. No, seriously. Duncan was watching her, but he left her to it, just watching with appreciation. She had the whole thing wrapped around Harold by the time she was finished, but at least it looked as if she was done. Was her elimination really that big of a deal? Probably she thought it was. Yeah, it was unfair and it didn't really work in his favour, but I felt bad for my awkward friend, even so.
I returned to the bar when the camerapeople were asking what we got out of our experience. I smiled and said "I think I'm a little more confident. You know, not so shy. And I got friends. And my first-ever girlfriend."
Noah, who sat beside me, said he didn't get anything out of it at all. "It was completely and totally uneventful."
Izzy popped up from the water right at our feet at that moment just to add "He kissed a guy!"
…What?
For the first time, Noah seemed to lose composure. "No, I didn't!"
"Yes, you did," Izzy replied.
"Didn't!"
"Diiiid!"
"Did! Not!"
"Did, did, did, did did did did did did did did did!" Izzy sang.
Trent was sitting by the poolside at this point. "I can break this tie," he offered. "He totally did."
Noah looked completely beaten by that. "I have…no comment," he finally said.
The girls were still beside me so I whispered to Sadie, who was closest "Do you remember that?"
"Awake-A-Thon, I think," Sadie whispered back. "He kissed Cody."
I finally remembered. "Oh yeah…I think Bridgette told me about that. I think I must have missed that with anyone else who was still asleep at the time." She and Katie had been two of the first out, so they'd been able to wake up in time for the kiss. And Trent had seen it because he'd stayed awake almost as long as Gwen and Duncan had.
I know my opinions on the final five didn't all get aired, but some of them did, so I'll say what I thought. And naturally, I got Heather out of the way first. "How would I describe her? I guess I'd say she's programmed to be the mean girl stereotype. I know a few girls who are a lot like her, but none of them are as bad as she is. And she's also trying to play the game hard, so that makes it even worse. She could easily win if she's not eliminated soon."
I tried to be a little nicer about Lindsay. "I think she doesn't mean any harm. It's shocking Heather hasn't dropped her yet. I'm hoping she drops Heather first, but I'm not confident that will happen."
On the other hand, I didn't have to try about Owen. "I don't know him that well, but he was such a sweetie. I don't think he ever said a mean thing about anyone until he blew up at Heather last episode, and she deserved it, going on about Izzy being a danger." I thought Izzy was a danger, too, but Owen made it very clear that he liked her a lot and Heather went on insulting her, so it really hurt for him.
For Gwen, I said "She's cool. I didn't realize how nice she was until the merge. I wouldn't be sad at all if she made the finale. She's won a few challenges and she's definitely earned her place."
When it got to Leshawna, I blushed and looked down, but said "I'm voting her to win. And not just because she's my girlfriend."
I wasn't the only one who liked Leshawna. Harold still insisted she had to be his soul mate, and I gave him a significant look and he added "Soul friend, I mean. For now." We would definitely have to talk.
Courtney admitted that she couldn't think of anything bad to say about Leshawna. "And I excel at saying bad things about people."
Katie and Sadie agreed that Leshawna had the best style and was "so fetch", as Sadie put it. Noah said he'd vote for anyone who got the idea to lock Heather in the fridge. Even Bridgette said she'd vote for either her or Gwen to win.
Finally, the cameramen left us alone for a little while in the afternoon and didn't come back until sunset, when we were all told to position ourselves around the pool while Trent played his guitar.
"So," DJ spoke up, who was sitting beside me, "Who'd you want to win if you could vote right now?"
"Can I pick Sadie?" Katie asked, who was floating in an inflatable chair in the pool. Sadie was beside her on an identical one.
"Awww, you'd pick me and not you?" Sadie replied, smiling.
"Duh, you can't vote for yourself, that's tacky!"
"Okay, I'll vote for you to win, and you vote for me to win!"
"Girls?" Courtney finally cut in. "You have to be in the final five to get a vote, remember?"
Cody said he wanted Gwen to win, despite her rejecting him. "Gwen is my dream girl," he said brightly. "I'm just not her dream guy. But as long as she's happy, I'm happy."
That was cool of him. And now I thought about it, he had stopped checking me out after the first few days. Maybe I'd been a bit too fast to judge him as a creep. It wouldn't have been the first time – not even the first time in the last seven weeks.
"I can't decide between Leshawna and Gwen," Bridgette confessed. "They're both really cool."
"Leshawna, definitely," Harold said dreamily.
Courtney gave him a sharp nudge. "I'll get another lamppost for you, Peyton," she offered, her voice harsh and unyielding.
I shrugged. "I'll give him a talking to. But I can't blame him for voting for my girlfriend. He has good taste. And if it gets her another vote…"
Beth said she wanted Owen to win, and Geoff agreed. In fact, most of the guys said they were rooting for Owen. Well, he was a nice guy, but he hadn't really done much to deserve a win. But I couldn't argue with him being nice.
Predictably, no one said they wanted Heather to win. Well, no one said Lindsay, either, but I got the feeling that everyone, just like me, felt weird about the idea of having Heather's lackey win. Maybe it was just that no one could see it happening.
Finally, in a puff of smoke, Chris appeared right in the middle of the shot. "Okay, losers!" he said with his usual artificial smile. "It is time for the most unexpected twist of all time. Tonight, you will be voting the next camper off Total Drama Island!"
Chris went on to explain that he'd ask each person who they wanted to join us as a loser. Perfect! We could prevent my worry that Heather would win once and for all. Of course, she would have to hang out with us, but that couldn't be helped.
"Katie and Sadie," Chris went on, "Since you share a brain, I'll ask you both." I resented that remark. "Who would you like to vote for?"
"Oh, I miss Leshawna the most!" Sadie called out. Ding! Okay, maybe I didn't resent Chris' remark quite as much now.
And I took the resentment back completely when Katie added "It would be so much fun to have her here! Definitely Leshawna!" Ding!
Everyone else was staring at them. "Why are you voting her off?" Courtney demanded, "If you like Leshawna-" Ding! "-leave her in!"
"That's three votes, Leshawna!" Chris announced.
"That's not fair, Chris!" I spoke up. "You can't just make Courtney use up her vote because she said Leshawna's name! You know it wasn't a vote!" Ding!
I put my hands over my mouth, aware that I'd just fallen into the same trap as Courtney – and I'd known what the trap was. At least Harold, who started slap-fighting with Courtney, claiming she voted for Leshawna to spite him, didn't say her name.
It got worse. Izzy told everyone not to say Leshawna and said it herself. Then a parrot nearby started picking it up, and every time it said "Leshawna", Chris counted it as a vote. When Trent protested, he said it too. We'd all wasted our votes. By the time people started remembering to vote Heather, there were already too many votes to counter it.
I wasn't sure what I'd do when Leshawna arrived. Chris said they'd bring her over that same night. I didn't really want to admit I wasted my vote by defending Courtney, and I wasn't sure I wanted to deal with it until tomorrow, when I wasn't feeling so anxious or tired.
I gabbled out to Katie and Sadie "If-Leshawna-asks-where-I-am-just-tell-her-I-went-to-bed-early-and-she's-welcome-to-share-my-room-if-she-wants-okay?" Then I ran back in, got into my pyjamas and brushed my teeth and all those things in double-quick time before I went back to my room. It wasn't really late enough to go to bed – it was later than it had been when I arrived, but it was only eight-thirty. I just stayed in my room, but I couldn't resist looking out the window when I heard the voices outside. I could just about see the grounds, and so when I saw the little crowd just off the dock, I knew Leshawna had arrived. A quarter of an hour later, I heard a soft knock on the door.
"Peyton? Are you awake?" Katie's voice.
"Yeah, I'm still awake. Come on in," I called back.
Katie opened the door. "I think Leshawna's in shock," she said. "She hasn't spoken at all since she got here, and she has this weird stare. She's moving and she definitely listens and takes in what we're saying, but she's just not talking right now. I told her you said she can share your room and she sort of nodded and looked pleased but didn't say anything."
I felt anxious, but I said in a breezy tone "It's always a shock. It's probably worse for her because she got voted off because we all like her, and it was a mistake. I'm sure she'll get over it." I smiled a little. "In fact, she'll probably scream her lungs out at us for accidentally saying her name over and over."
As it was, by the time Leshawna came up, I was pretending to be asleep. I did watch her through slitted eyes, but I don't think she noticed. She didn't say anything, anyway, just got into her purple nightie (no, I didn't watch her undressing, okay?) and pulled up the covers. I didn't get a glimpse of her eyes to corroborate what Katie had told me.
The real test would be the next morning.
Remember the way Leshawna looked when she was voted off? That sort of vacant look of shock? Yeah, she was moving by the time she got to the Playa unlike in canon when she was frozen, but I imagine that she had those wide eyes all evening after she arrived. Also, unlike canon, everyone only got one vote except for the parrot. Basically, with Katie, Sadie, Courtney, Peyton, Izzy and Trent all having used up their votes, the parrot said "Leshawna" enough times to counteract the potential votes for Heather. And maybe one or two people didn't vote for Heather either?
