Carrie rubbed her bruised nose as she walked with her team through the woods. Although the bruising had gone down over the last three days, it still hurt whenever she touched it.
They had been called by Chris to come to some new area of the camp located in the woods.
Soon, they turned a corner, and Carrie's eyes widened. Sitting in a small clearing in the woods was a large stage and two pairs of wooden bleachers set up in front of it.
Chris was onstage, waving his subjects to sit on the bleachers. Carrie obediently did so. As the rest of her fellow campers got themselves settled, she heard a small yelp from beside her.
She turned to see Cody had fallen in between the bleachers. He saw her looking, then adopted a cool as ice pose, as if he had planned this.
Carrie couldn't help it; she snickered. Cody began to snicker as well, as he righted himself on the bleacher.
Carrie looked to her left to see Gwen and Trent seated nearby, Trent having the same pose as he stared at Gwen.
Of course, thought Carrie, Cody was trying to impress his true crush, Gwen. She didn't believe Noah's claim that Cody had romantic feelings for her; nevertheless, this thought ceased her snickering.
"Today's challenge will be a summer camp classic.", announced Chris. "A talent show!" As Chris explained further about the challenge, Carrie fought the urge to roll her eyes. Great, another challenge I won't be able to help with...
Joining in with Ewen High School's annual talent show had never crossed Carrie's mind; besides, her mother had never allowed to attend it even as an audience member, citing the sinfulness prevalent in high school.
Once Chris was done explaining the process of choosing whom on each team would be performing tonight, he sent them all off with a wave of his hand. As Carrie walked off with the rest of her team, she noticed that most of the other campers seemed pretty happy with the choice of challenges today. This is probably what they were hoping for when they signed up for this show; a chance to show off their awesome talents in front of the viewing audience of Canada.
Minutes later, Carrie was seated with her fellow team members on the porch of their cabin. Heather had managed to procure a clipboard, and was smiling falsely at her team. "So, I nominate myself, Beth, and Lindsay to be the judges of who gets to represent our team tonight."
"I second that!", said Lindsay quickly, followed by Beth yelling, "I second that as well!"
"And what if we don't want to be judged by the likes of you?", said Gwen, hotly, from beside Carrie.
Heather scowled, but quickly brightened up when Trent appeared from his bathroom break. "Trent, you're cool with me judging who gets to be in the show, right?"
Trent shrugged. "Uh, yeah, sure, go for it."
"Awesome.", said Heather, giving a sneer to Gwen. "I hope that everyone will participate in this important challenge.", Heather continued, staring pointedly at Carrie.
"Hey, give Carrie a break, will you?", said a nearby Leshawna. "DJ practically took her head off with that dodgeball last challenge."
"Oh, puh-lease...", said Heather. "She just got a nosebleed, and Chris told her to come back as soon as she was better."
Carrie blushed under Heather's glare, as the latter motioned for them to begin the auditions.
The auditions pulled through until the late afternoon. Owen managed to burp his ABC's (Carrie was understandably grossed out by this, but Owen seemed pretty proud of himself), Heather performed a ballet solo (a solo so good that even Leshawna clapped), Izzy performed some sort of snakedance that would've made Momma's eyes pop out in shock, Trent sang and played his guitar, Beth performed some rather dangerous baton twirls accompanied with fire, and Justin... well, Justin didn't so much as perform as he did put out a fire caused by Beth.
However, most of the team's girls agreed that Justin could pull off some impressive modeling techniques at tonight's show. Carrie, who was more into the classic 'boy next door' good looks seen in Tommy Ross back home, still agreed that Justin could give us the win.
Carrie was about to slip quietly away (like Gwen had done a few hours previously) when the auditions seemed about over, when Heather turned to her. "Carrie, do you want to actually try something useful for once?"
Carrie stopped dead. She turned back to her team, who were looking at her expectantly. Carrie however dully shook her head. "I don't think so...", she said quietly.
"Oh, c'mon, Carrie.", said Trent, giving her a kind smile. "I'm sure you can really knock our socks off."
"Yeah, I've heard you singing in the shower once.", said Cody, then blushed like he had given too much away.
"I've heard you, too.", said Owen, walking up. "I'm not much for church hymns, but what you sang was really good."
Carrie blushed fiercely at all these compliments. She really didn't want to sing, but she knew if she refused she might be seen as a detriment to her team. So, breathing steadily in and out, she walked in front of the group.
Shakily at first, but gaining confidence when she closed her eyes, she sang a rendition of the 'Old-Rugged Cross'. Once she opened her eyes after finishing the song, she saw everyone looking at her in shock. Carrie backed away, ready for them to hurl insults at her, but they all began to clap.
"OK, well that settles it.", said Heather, walking up to Carrie, who was smiling uncertainly. "Me, Justin, and Carrie will be performing in tonight's show. Everyone OK with that?" As everyone nodded their heads, Carrie was in no way OK with performing in front of the rest of the camp.
She was about to talk to Heather about this, when Lindsay and Beth suddenly looped their arms around Carrie's. "Lindsay and Beth are going to take you to the bathroom to put some... makeup on you. Can't have you going up on stage looking like that can we?", said Heather, smiling a queer smile at Carrie.
"But...", began Carrie, only for Heather to silence her. "Don't worry, this is just to make up to you for how mean I've been over the last few days.", said Heather, still smiling a very strange, almost cruel, smile. "You really did impress me today."
"We're going to make you look so pretty!", said Lindsay, as she and Beth herded Carrie to the bathrooms. Carrie looked back momentarily at Heather. Her smile was almost predatory...
The crowd was cheering excitedly, as Justin walked backstage, dripping wet after his performance for some reason.
Carrie, meanwhile, was looking at herself in a mirror given to her by Lindsay. Lindsay and Beth had been good to their words in making Carrie look pretty. Lipstick shone on her lips, while her hair had been combed and glossed to perfection. Carrie had briefly tried out some subtle make up back home, but this amount would've caused her mother to have a conniption.
Carrie looked at her reflection with both interest and trepidation. Interest, because she had never seen herself done up like the Ultras back home. Trepidation, because she still did not know what Heather's game plan for was.
DJ hobbled back from the stage, his feet wrapped around his gymnastics ribbon. As Courtney and Bridgette both walked over to untie the gentle giant, Chris came back from onstage. "Carrie, you're next up.", he said, before disappearing.
Carrie gave a shaky breath, but got herself up off the stage and walked in front of the curtain.
Carrie breathed a sigh of relief as she reentered the backstage area. The song had gone really well with the audience and Carrie, despite herself, couldn't help smiling and feeling proud of herself.
"Great job, Carrie!", said a nearby Bridgette. "That song was really good."
As Carrie smiled gratefully at her (Courtney, however, softly reprimanded Bridgette for complimenting the other team), she sat back down on the stage, feeling for one of the only times in her life really good about herself.
Unfortunately, things were about to change for the worse. After cleaning up Bridgette's mess on the stage, Heather was next to go. She walked out onto the stage, dressed in her pink tutu, but didn't dance. She walked towards a small stool set up in the middle, and sat down.
"Tonight, I was going to perform a ballet solo for you all, but instead I'd like to celebrate our team with a piece written by... Carrie." She then held up a frayed book that Carrie immediately recognized: her diary...
She cleared her throat and began to read, but Carrie didn't stick around to hear the humiliating passage that Heather had chosen. She bolted from the backstage area, tears falling from her face.
Her makeup was undoubtedly smeared beyond salvage now. She had been crying silently to herself in the communal bathrooms for an hour now. And just when she thought things were looking up for her on this show...
The doors to the communal bathroom opened up and two pairs of feet stopped in front the stall Carrie had locked herself in. "Carrie, c'mon.", said Owen. "What Heather read wasn't so bad. Just come out now, and everything will be all right."
Carrie didn't answer. "Yeah, just because Heather did that, doesn't mean we aren't still fri...", began Cody, only for Carrie to shout, "Just leave me alone!" A single ceiling light suddenly flared brighter, then went out with a pop and some sparks.
Owen and Cody both jumped at the sudden shout and sparks, then left the bathroom slowly. It was just as well; Carrie did not have any friends, despite what Cody was attempting to say.
The doors to the bathroom creeped open, and a new pair of legs (these ones wearing black, combat boots) entered the building.
"Carrie, can you come out?", said Gwen from just outside.
Surprised by Gwen's appearance, Carrie shakily opened the stall and walked out.
"I'm sorry Heather did that to you.", said Gwen, her voice full of sympathy.
"It... It's OK...", said Carrie, looking at her dollar-bin shoes.
Gwen rolled her eyes. "No, it's not OK, Carrie! What Heather did was a very shitty thing to do!", she said harshly. Carrie glared at her, as she often involuntarily did when someone cursed.
Gwen's eyes flitted to Carrie's cross necklace. "Sorry.", she muttered.
"Was it... was it really bad?", asked Carrie, barely more than a whisper.
"It was pretty bad.", conceded Gwen. "She read some entries about... about how bad your periods have been."
Carrie winced. "Is it... true that you had your first one a few months ago?", asked Gwen.
Carrie nodded miserably. "And your mother... never told you?", said Gwen.
"My mother is very... opinionated.", said Carrie, fingering her cross necklace.
"Yeah, I'll bet.", said Gwen, darkly. "Look, Carrie, you need to stand up for yourself sometimes. Or, at least, not run off crying at every sign of trouble."
"There is one good thing that came out of this.", continued Gwen. Carrie raised an eyebrow. "Heather will be going home tonight. I've talked to Trent and Leshawna, and they're definitely voting for her. I can't see anyone voting for anyone else but her, besides Lindsay and Beth."
Carrie avoided the rest of her teammates (and, indeed, any living person on the island) all evening, leading up to the vote. Heather's brazen humiliation of Carrie, as well as Harold sweeping in at the last minute performing for the Bass, cost the Gophers the win and basically cemented Heather as the next person voted off.
Carrie, dressed in her bulky swimsuit and clutching a towel, dipped into the hot tub. It was nearing time for the elimination ceremony, and Carrie wanted a quick soak in the tub to somewhat relieve herself from the night's events.
She closed her eyes, only opening them again when another body slipped into the tub. It was Heather.
Carrie nearly jumped from the tub in astonishment, only for Heather to stop her with a firm hand to the shoulder. Heather glanced around, apparently checking that there weren't cameras being trained on them. There weren't, so Heather leaned into Carrie, her face just as predatory as before.
"Your nasty periods weren't the only things I read in that diary of yours. There were also some interesting passages about your mother. Stuff that would, unfortunately, have her thrown in prison. So, if you don't want that info to get leaked out, you're going to vote with me tonight... and perhaps the next few nights.", said Heather, in a low and quick murmur.
As Heather leaned back from Carrie, Carrie felt a cold chill run up her spine. She feared her mother, yes, but she also loved her. Even after all the horrible things Momma had done to her, did Carrie really want to put her behind bars? Heather stared at Carrie, waiting for an answer.
"The final marshmallow of the evening goes to... Heather.", said Chris, handing the treat to the queen bee, much to the empty-handed Justin's shock. As everyone stared in incredulous anger at a victorious Heather, Carrie stared once again at her feet in shame.
So, I'm guessing a lot of you are probably wondering: how did Justin get eliminated again? Well, let's go through the votes, shall we?
Heather, Carrie, Lindsay, Beth, and Izzy (who was convinced by Heather just like in canon) voted for Justin. 5
Gwen, Leshawna, Trent, Owen, and Cody definitely voted for Heather. 5 again; that makes it a tie.
Justin is the odd one out in this situation, but I couldn't come up with a logical reason he could vote for any other person than Heather.
So, after careful consideration, I've decided that Owen will still, like canon, be convinced to vote Justin by Heather, through the promise of sweet food.
I know this is somewhat a long shot in terms of logical storytelling, but this is the way I want the story to progress. Just repeat the MST3K Mantra (Just repeat to yourself, it's just a show, I should really just relax) and continue to enjoy this fic.