Finally, First Class!

It felt like ages since we'd last been in First Class, and my emails proved it. I had four – two from Lisa, one from Tasha, and one from one of Lisa's friends from Hillwood that she still kept in touch with – Lila.

I read Tasha's one first:

Steph, Steph! Major news!

I'm writing this just after we all watched the episode in London. So I guess you guys got our donations. Speaking of, that episode in Jamaica? Wild! And you know what? It's kind of a shocker that Alejandro was actually honest with you when he sabotaged DJ...poor DJ, by the way! And poor Noah too, getting kicked off simply because he knew too much.

Also...you probably know this by now, but someone broke the lock on the confessional door, and while Gwen was in there, Duncan came in, kissed her, and Tyler saw them! How is Courtney?

Remember, this season – no excuses! You are coming home with the moola.

Love Tasha.

Next, I read Lila's. It was bound to be full of her speech tics, and I wanted to get that over with.

Dear Stephanie,

It's ever so strange, watching you on TV and remembering that your family lived here for a little while. I've been emailing Lisa and she told me you were on the third season, and me and the rest of our grade watches a lot, so I figured it would be nice to let you know that we're thinking of you. Once we even cosplayed. I was hoping to get our favourite blonde couple to kiss when they showed up as Bridgette and Geoff, but no luck yet...I think they're closer, though. I dressed up as Gwen, because I'm oh so impressed with the way she plays.

Anyway, I feel that I should warn you about that Alejandro character. He's ever so sneaky, and you haven't seen his confessionals. The camera showed you confronting him at the start of the episode in Area 51 (it just aired) and his confessional afterwards – he said he underestimated you, but that your strength in treating the game as a game would also be your downfall. Keep on your guard.

By the way, Rhonda won that raffle on the donations for a dinner with DJ, by DJ. She said the dessert was fabulous, but the rest of the dinner left something to be desired. But apart from that, she says, DJ was a perfect gentleman the entire evening and listened to her most of the time, instead of saying much about himself.

By the way, there was a short scene with you trying to help Courtney. I think that's ever so nice – I feel so sorry for her right now.

Good luck!

Lila

My first email from Lisa was obviously just after she saw the Jamaica episode.

Steph,

How could you have let Alejandro do that to DJ? I know it's a game, and I know he told you he didn't want to hurt DJ, but you know what he said in the confessional? I just saw it, so I can remember: "I couldn't really care less about who left next, as long as it wasn't someone from our team. That's because I don't let my personal feelings affect my game, unlike most people on this plane. DJ has Chris to thank for his departure. Not allowed on my team, and no merge on the horizon? Bye-bye. Nothing personal." Then he started laughing. He's not your friend, Stephanie – he's only friendly towards you because you guys are teammates. When it gets to the merge, trust me, he'll stop. Bridgette and Leshawna weren't warned quickly enough – you are reading this, so don't let it happen!

Win!
Love Lisa

The second email seemed to have taken place after the Area 51 episode.

Stephanie,

Don't be fooled. Alejandro didn't mean most of what he said to you about liking you. He doesn't – he's just using your tendency to treat the game as a game against you. You make allowances that make it seem okay for him to play a cutthroat game and be absolutely heartless towards everyone. You play the game like a game too, but think about it. When did you lie to anyone in this game, or manipulate them? I don't count you playing along to cause DJ's downfall. But still...keep on your guard.

Poor Courtney! There's only been one clip of you comforting Courtney, but in one of the confessionals, she mentioned that she thinks of you as a good friend, so that wouldn't be the first time. Can't wait to see where you're going next! I checked through TV Guide and it says that the next episode is in Australia, but that's not coming for a few days.

About the rest of the family...Maggie says to tell you she drew you a picture from kindergarten. She asked me what you'd like and I suggested she drew her favourite competitor from TD besides you, so she drew Bridgette and you.

Bart hasn't failed anything in a while. He'll be at high school next year, no problem! He's happy that Duncan's back on the show, and has him on the rooting list, even though he's already won a season!

Dad's decided that he's going to root for Sierra, this time. I'm not sure why. I find her incredibly irritating. Mom does too...she hasn't chosen anyone to root for besides you.

As for me...well, besides you, I actually kind of want Heather or Cody to win. I know that sounds weird, but you haven't been around Heather that much this season, and she's not as bad as she used to be. She's still mean, but she hasn't pulled anything really unfair this season, apart from when she switched your team's baby carriage before you joined, back in NY.

Good luck! Look out for yourself in this game.

Love Lisa

After a while in First Class, while Duncan, Owen and I were scoffing down chocolate chip cookies, Alejandro went to the Economy Class section, presumably to continue drawing Courtney in. After a while, I followed, but stayed by the confessional, so if he came back, I could duck in there.

I could hear Courtney giggling. "I bet you say that to every pretty competitor." she was saying.

"Ah, but you are the only pretty competitor here." I heard Alejandro reply. There was nothing interesting in that conversation, but Courtney sounded like she was still playing up to the flirting, maximum, just to annoy Heather, so I figured she was all right at that moment.

Back in First Class, Owen and Duncan were having a conversation about the whole thing with Courtney. "Is that weird for you?" Owen asked.

"Whatever." Duncan shrugged.

"Yeah, it's funny," Owen said, "Cause Noah always said Al was into Heather big time."

I looked over at Owen. "What? When did he say that?" That would make a lot of sense, now I thought about it. I knew Heather liked him, because of how worried she sounded when he disappeared in London, but I'd never entertained the idea that it might go both ways. But did that mean...I sort of still wanted to believe he liked me, but I'd have to face the facts. If Courtney stopped her flirting with Alejandro, then maybe I could try to hook up with him myself, because he was hot and it would annoy Heather (not like it had to become anything serious). But if he liked her back, truly...whatever, that's life.

"What else did Noah say?" Duncan asked.

Owen's voice was casual. "Oh, just that Al's not what he seems, he's a slippery eel and I should never trust him because he's a male Heather." He sighed. "I really miss Noah."

I practically saw the wheels turning in Duncan's brain. "Yeah, me too. And the best way to show him what his friendship meant to us is to obey his dying words."

Owen freaked, spraying cookie crumbs as he spoke. "WHAT?! WHEN DID HE DIE?"

"He's fine, Owen!" I said quickly. "Duncan meant parting words. Remember? Noah said to beware of eels? Like beware of Alejandro?"

Duncan nodded. "My point is, if Noah thought Alejandro was the enemy, the three of us better stick together and do the same. It's what Noah would've wanted."

I nodded. "Especially since he pretty much got Tyler on his side and then got rid of him."

We arrived in Sweden halfway through the morning. It was...no other word for it...cold. Just cold. I shivered violently in my vampire T-shirt and skull jeans – despite popular belief, I wasn't as cold-blooded as those. Chris HAD ordered jackets in the Yukon, but we had to wait while he went to see what had happened with them.

I approached Courtney. "Things going all right?" I whispered.

"Much better since Gwen left." Courtney smiled. "And since I know you're going to ask...I'm not falling for Alejandro. I'm still playing flirtatious, though."

"Good." I nodded. "Just don't get too into the role. And keep ignoring Duncan."

Courtney continued to listen to me. At one point, Alejandro offered to help Courtney keep warm, and held her. All of us heard her soft, flirtatious reply. "Thanks, Alehunkdro." Not that it wasn't accurate.

Heather glared at Courtney, and then tried to get close to Duncan. "Mind helping me stay warm?"

"I kind of do, yeah..." Duncan was trying really hard to push Heather away, but she was making it really hard. In the end, I gave Heather a shove and replaced her. "No romantic overtones, but I'd kind of like a warmth hug."

Duncan gave an exasperated sigh. "Fine. Whatever. If I have to do this, at least it's not Heather."

Chris came back at that moment. "The jackets are here!" We all cheered. "In six to eight weeks!" We groaned.

But it was time to do the challenge. We were given a bunch of materials and had to build something out of it...when we had no idea what it was supposed to be or how to assemble it.

We got it done first, and surprisingly, it was Owen's comment on one of the pieces. "Oh, I wish I had some sauce cause this looks like a whale rib!"

"Whale?" I repeated, staring at the materials.

"Owen, you incredibly stupid genius!" Alejandro exclaimed.

"A compliment and an insult?" Duncan said. "Impressive." We managed to hide what we were building from the other girls and Cody. So while they built what appeared to be a sculpture of Gwen's face, we built what the materials were supposed to be.

It was time to sing. "As you sing," Alejandro said in a low voice, "Do not mention we're building a boat."

"We're building a boat?" Owen said loudly. The girls gasped, and we exposed our almost-finished boat.

"They're way ahead, so we've got to go!" Heather sang.

"We've got to build something to sail, something we can ro-ow!" Courtney motioned as she sang the words.

"It doesn't have to be a boat-" Sierra added.

"As long as it stays afloat," the girls sang. "Oh, why did we build Gwen's face?"

Alejandro and Duncan sang the next line. "It's almost ready to set sail!"

As Duncan finished it, I sang "Just hammering in the final nail, oh-oh-oh!" The other girls sang the 'oh' part with me.

"We really did this fast-" Owen sang,

"So we'll be back in First Class," our whole team sang, "Because they built Gwen's face!"

"We built Gwen's face!" The girls sang.

"We're gonna take first place!" our team sang over them.

"Because we built Gwen's face!"

"Oh, yeah, yeah..." Courtney sang on her own.

She and Heather sang together again. "We built Gwen's face!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!" Sierra finished.

We'd taken the lead, and as a result, we got...a bag of rocks? Oh well, knowing Chris, it would make sense eventually. Like Team Victory's divining rod and every other advantage.

Now, we had to drag the boat to open water and find Chef, who would give us our next challenge.

"I'll pull from the bow!" Alejandro offered, tearing his shirt off. "Stephanie, you pull with me."
"With your shirt off?" Duncan raised an eyebrow.

"Questions are for later!" Alejandro said impatiently, this time directing his other orders at the guys. "Actions are for now! Push like the wind!"

"He sure does talk pretty for a guy." Duncan muttered to Owen and I.

I glanced over to see Heather and Courtney staring. I looked back at Alejandro's ripped form, and immediately understood. It was not easy to stop staring at him.

I wasn't sure why Alejandro had asked me to pull. Maybe he was trying to hold me with the same magic of his looks that had made Heather and Courtney stare. And, although I tried not to, I couldn't help falling for it. And I couldn't help imagining what it felt like for Courtney when he had held her earlier.

It was Owen who actually helped us out. He'd been holding in a gaseous emisson since we arrived, and we were just lucky to get into the boat when he couldn't hold it any longer and ended up cracking the ice with the released pressure.

Well, it also helped us. Well, and Team Amazon, who had cut off the top of the Gwen head. As the ice broke around it and we sailed off, I heard Sierra give a squeal of "She floats!"

Still, tensions were high around us. Alejandro and Duncan were obviously vying for Owen's loyalty. Me? I just smiled and sat back, watching.

As if that was going to work. Soon, Alejandro and Duncan started vying for my attention, too. When we found Chef, and had to pick a captain to wear the Viking hat, Alejandro immediately said "Stephanie!"

"I was about to say that!" Duncan added.

"But you did not."

I looked at Owen. "You okay with me as captain?"

Owen shrugged. "Sure."

"Even though it means I get to wear the cool Viking helmet?"

Owen's face crumpled, but I patted his shoulder. "Listen, I'll wear it for the challenge, then I'll let you have it, okay?" He brightened up.

Duncan shot a glance at me, then mouthed "Still with me?"

I knew I was looking a bit guilty, but I nodded, looking towards Alejandro to make sure he hadn't noticed.

It was a pretty weird challenge. We were also given a cannon, and three Swedish meatballs to use as cannonballs. And the rocks we got...were flints. We would light the cannon with them, while Team Amazon would have to find their own way to light theirs.

Anyway, the aim of the challenge was either to sink the enemy's boat, or get the flag tied to a buoy. Owen wanted to sink Team Amazon, declaring "Vikings never turned down a fight!"

I shrugged and said "Okay, fine. Alejandro, keep steering us towards the flags. Duncan, help me turn the cannon around so we can shoot at the other team."

As it happened, this still slowed us down. We shot at the Gwen sculpture, tearing holes in it, but it kept afloat. In fact, Sierra jumped in front of the last meatball to stop it from hitting Cody. But then, the girls and Cody got to the flags first.

"Thanks for deciding to fight!" Courtney teased us.

"We'll enjoy First Class for you!" Heather added.

But Owen didn't give up. In fact, he insisted on using himself as a cannonball, and...well, yeah, he managed to sink the Gwen, and give our team First Class passage for the next flight.

I'd arranged to meet with Courtney again in the cargo hold that night before elimination, but when I approached, Courtney was outside. She shushed me and signalled that there was someone already in there.

"...I must make her believe no one else exists for me." It was Alejandro's voice. "If she is focused on us, you can blindside her. Believe me, Heather...the only woman I want to look at is you."

I heard Heather speak. "That's...you're so...whatever."

There was a pause, and then Chris' voice echoed through an intercom. "All losers please report to the elimination area, all losers!"

"Now go vote her off already." I heard Alejandro say.

"Go!" I whispered to Courtney. "We can talk after the elimination ceremony."

"If I'm still here..." Courtney said softly, but we scattered before Alejandro or Heather could come out and realize we'd overheard them.

Fifteen minutes later, Courtney and I were in the cargo hold by ourselves again (well...I was sure there was someone else here, but I might've been wrong). It turned out it had just been a reward challenge, so no one was voted off. So Courtney told me who Alejandro had been talking about.

"It was me." Courtney explained. "Alejandro was talking about manipulating me...you were right." She smiled shyly. "Thanks for warning me. If I hadn't remained on my guard like you told me to, I would've fallen for him in a heartbeat."

I smiled back. "While I don't exactly think Alejandro's the best person in the world, gotta respect him for his tactics. I haven't seen him do anything wrong on this show."

Courtney chuckled. "What about when he took the face plant on the hurdles race and ended up losing to Heather?"

"Oh yeah." I grinned. "Still, I don't think anyone on this show has done so much in fifteen episodes. I wonder what they're saying on the Aftermaths?"

Courtney's eyes lit up. "Hey, speaking of the Aftermaths, you saw the first few episodes on TV before you joined, right? Is there anything else you should tell me?"

I paused, thinking seriously about this. To be honest, there weren't many strategical things that Courtney didn't know, or had seen for herself that were in the first three episodes.

I shook my head. "No." Then I paused. "But...there is something I want to talk about. I think the teams are going to be merged soon. We've got about nine episodes left, and at least one of them will be an aftermath. What say we make an alliance again?"

Courtney's expression became thoughtful as she considered it. Finally, she smiled. "All right. Once the teams merge. But this time, no getting non-game-based favours from each other, all right? No counter-manipulating, and if one of us is close to winning, we don't stop to help."

"And no voting each other off." I added. "No problem. Although," I grinned. "I hope we don't have to sword fight like in the fairytale episode. You go all out!"

"I want to win." Courtney said simply. "Also," she laughed, "I wasn't nearly as tough on you as I was with D...with the sports challenge." I knew what she was going to say, but didn't press it. She didn't need to be reminded of the reason she was now single.

After that, I went to the First Class cabin, where the guys were all waiting for the reward for winning – Swedish massages. I had to shield my eyes.

"Um, guys?" I said. "Chris did remember there's a girl on this team, right?"

"Chill out, Stephie." Duncan said carelessly. "We're all wearing towels."

Well, I did have the pleasure of watching Alejandro being the first to get the reward...and despise it.

It took me forever to finish that chapter! Finally, we're done! Also, fun fact: I didn't plan Courtney overhearing Heather and Alejandro. I originally chose to have her and Stephanie talk in the cargo hold because people didn't go there much, and in this case, I knew they'd meet before elimination in case Courtney was gone. That led to her overhearing Heather confronting Alejandro about his advances, and therefore realize Stephanie's warnings were more significant than she'd thought. But it was all coincidence – just luck that this time around, Courtney managed to resist the most desirable male competitor on the show (yeah, I know, personality-wise not that desirable, but he's just so charming...)