Ever since Chef resigned, the meals were much less strict, and much less horrible. There was no set time that the campers had to eat anymore. At every general meal time- unless there was a challenge the teenagers were at instead- some interns scavenged up a sort of food bar for any of them to drop by. None of it was tasteful, but at least it wasn't gut wrenching anymore. Usually if one wanted dinner, they had to get there before elimination ceremonies, and then it would close around when the losing team started voting.

But once word reached the Thrashing Trout about Alexandra- and just how horrible of a state she was in- it was quite the spectacle. Literally every camper on the island burst in, all doing their best to accommodate to her and get the girl back to health. All of this at the expense of the interns, as Chris didn't help at all as the contestants bullied them into cooking.

The sight of such a thing made Ace feel teary-eyed, sitting next to Alexandra as the others buzzed around trying to help. "I really thought I was alone in caring about your well-being." He sighed happily.

Alexandra wasn't really paying attention. She was absorbed in scarfing down everything in front of her, and her eyes never stopped being glossed over.

"I guess most just needed to see it to believe it, as bad as it sounds. I admit, I felt like complete crap when I saw how weak she actually was." Vera held her head in her hand, sitting on the other side of Alexandra.

"Mm- mm-" Alexandra rapidly dug into the basic mashed potatoes. In an ever-present thought that made its way through the thick fog of her brain, she muttered, "Ja... son. Wh- where-"

"Sshhh, shhh..." Vera put a hand on her back, pushing her worries away for now. "Eat first, you need it."

Alexandra silently complied. She'd most likely try to bring it up again in a few minutes, and Vera would calm her then, too. Vera was the only one patient enough to take that task.

"Here's some more-" Yvette approached the table. Alexandra yanked the cup out her hands the second it was in her reach. "W- water."

"Thank you." Ace smiled at her warmly. The girl beside him chugged and dropped the cup on the table in a matter of seconds.

Yvette gave a small smile as well, Chloe coming to her side proudly. "Took forever, but we finally got some green veggies!" She placed a bowl of such in front of Alexandra.

Ace watched as she ripped straight through the salad. "Yeah, I was thinking that maybe potatoes and cauliflower would only go so far."

"Uhh..." A voice muttered behind them. Ace and Vera turned to see that Marshall was standing there, holding a shaker and a measuring cup in a hand each. "It seemed like a good idea at the time, but I'm starting to think that maybe pure salt and sugar might not be the best thing to feed someone-"

Alexandra turned to him with wide eyes. "...Salt!?" She reached out, taking everything from the boy. Marshall was left only with shock.

Those around her watched in worry as she ripped off the cap of the salt shaker, then proceeded to pour all of it and the cup of sugar over everything she had. "Whoo... um, guess she has a craving for everything right now." Ace nervously chuckled. "Say, how's the meat coming along? She hasn't had much of it yet." Ace's job was to monitor what the woman was given.

"Williams is on it." Chloe thrusted a thumb to the kitchen window, her and Yvette moving out of the way of Ace's sight. The emo boy was in fact there, glowering at the cooks. "He said that he wants to make sure they cook the steaks right." Right then, Williams loudly huffed, stomping into the kitchen. "-OR he'll do it himself." Chloe smirked. However, it didn't take long for that smirk to fall sadly.

Yvette picked up the empty glass with a small, earnest smile. "I'll fill this up again." She stated, heading for the sinks behind the kitchen doors. Chloe stood there in pause, then followed Yvette without a word to the table.

"Hmm... hey," Marshall poked Vera's shoulder lightly. She turned to look at him. "Can I talk to you?"

Vera's expression was soft, and her mouth twitched oddly. "Of course- oh." After she had stood up, her sight caught on Alexandra again. Guiltily, she asked Ace, "Uh, could you...?"

"I got her!" Ace smiled. "Thanks for everything you've done." He said honestly.

Vera smiled at him, too. "I can do more, just give me a moment." She nodded at Marshall. She let him lead her to a corner of the room near the exit, and they turned to each other. "I..." Her eyes trailed down. Her fingers wouldn't stop fiddling with a strand of hair.

"No, it's- it's okay." Marshall held his hands out to her, motioning not to worry. "Sure it still sucks, but, hey." He cocked his head to the scene playing around them. Even Scott, for all he was, was in a heated argument with Jacque about if they should give Alexandra 1 or 2 percent milk. Scott stood firm that 2% would be the most nutritional, but Jacque refused to stand down from the notion that anything stronger than 1% would make her puke her guts out.

"Yeah, I didn't know we all had something like this in us." Vera said fondly.

Marshall stared at her with a content smile while she was gazing elsewhere. "So I just wanted to ask you," He spoke again, catching Vera's attention. "I know it seems hypocritical to say this now, but... I think that we should lay off of Scott- for the time being, that is."

Vera's eyes widened. "Marshall! He's done so many terrible things to you! I'm not just going to let him slide!" She argued instantly.

Marshall couldn't help a peaceful sigh at her words. "I know, I know, and I keep complaining about it all the time and trying to get the upper hand on him. But that's- that's just not working. He expects everything I do and does the worst possible thing he can to counter it! Yours allies on the Ants are dropping like flies- it's only a matter of time before things start turning on you..." He trailed off, because Vera's eyes were getting shiny.

She sniffed. "I- sigh." Her shoulders slumped.

Vera leaned forward and pressed her face into Marshall's shoulder, wrapping her arms around him. "Th- thank you."

Marshall pulled his lips tight as a blush took over his face, hands out in front of him awkwardly. He softly placed them around Vera. "Ha ha, it's just- ahh haha." He chuckled nervously.

Vera breathed in. "I wish I could have done something for you. I wish I could have helped. But I didn't do a thing." She rubbed her face deeper into Marshall's chest, and the boy was having trouble catching all of her words due to his own heart beating in his ears. "And tonight I've realized what else I've done. Yvette had to stand up to Tabitha on her own, and I had only been focused on getting both of them to help me instead of stepping in. Alexandra had been in such a bad position this whole time and I never cared to put any effort into helping her until it was shoved in my face. If I had never tried to lose, Casper would never have been voted off in the first place!"

Her grip tightened on Marshall's shirt. "I'm a terrible person."

"'Ey! Do not say that!" Marshall sputtered out. Though his nerves weren't working in his favor, Marshall rubbed her back with a flat hand.

Vera sniffed again, but it didn't feel like she was crying. "No wonder I was in a tie with Scott and Tab. If a token hadn't been used, there's a good chance I-" She didn't finish, figuring Marshall could fill it in. She steadied her breath. "I almost forgot how much I had riding on this. I don't have to win- I have no right to wish this- but I want to at least know I put in my best effort. I don't want to have to go home so early knowing that I was such a jerk who accomplished nothing."

"Y- you didn't do nothing." Marshall comforted. "Uhh... you've kept me in line." He offered, smiling shakily.

Vera paused, then raised her head so that she was staring him in the eye- noted that they are the same height, and are still hugging.

Marshall's head could have exploded it was so heated. Vera was blushing, too.

"Marshall, what do you need me for?" Vera giggled lightly. "You're so good at everything you do- I know you don't think so, but you are. If Scott wasn't always pestering you," She placed her forehead on his. Marshall couldn't possibly have gotten more red, but Vera did. "I doubt anything could stop you..." She mumbled.

The boy in her arms fidgeted at those words, like they had scratched an itch he couldn't reach on his own. Once he recovered, Marshall laughed airily, and his face actually got a little less red. "Let's be honest," He whispered, since anything more than that would be unnecessary. "If I wasn't in your way, you wouldn't have half of these problems. I was the one who pushed your ideas of losing, and Scott wouldn't be such a big deal if I could have handled a little pressure instead of complain to you every time. So please, please, don't think you're anything less of the angel you are."

Vera gulped in surprise. Her mouth pulled into a big smile despite of her, and she closed her eyes. "Oh... wow." She let go of the hug and put her hands up on his shirt, taking a step back. "Th- thank you, but the last thing I need is an ego!" She chuckled, borderline hysterical. "Oh god, there's something wrong with me right now!" She took another step back, waving hers hands at her face.

Marshall laughed, not really sure why. His sight caught on the two that had been arguing about milk not long before. Both were staring at their little display, as private as it had felt at the time; Scott held a typical condescending smirk, and Jacque was rolling his eyes moodily. Marshall turned his eyes to the floor, fully smiling. "I... think I'm going to go head to bed now, uh- I still wanted to tell you something. Tomorrow, maybe?" Vera nodded at him.

"Ugh." Jacque grunted, moving towards Ace. "Here," he handed a cup to Ace. "If she can handle this, let her drink that other guy's."

"My name is Scott." Scott informed, coming to the table.

"It's almost as if I didn't give a damn." Jacque said sarcastically.

"Good idea," Ace said, ignoring their ongoing argument. "Dairy: check! Now about those steaks..." He stood up over the wood bench, trying to see through the window to the back. "What is Williams up to, I wonder?"

In the back of the building, the interns now belonged to Williams, because he was on their cases more than any host ever could. He stood there at the stove, sizzling meat in front of him. "I said bring me the pepper, not this crap!" He shoved the box of black pepper back at the young man.

"B- but- but it is!" He cried hopelessly.

"An OPEN thing of pepper, bring me a new one!" The man scampered on his way, and the emo cast his attention over his other shoulder. "WHERE'S THE BUTTER!? If these start sticking to the pan, one of you is going to be put to sleep early tonight!"

The intern with butter was stepping out of the walk-in fridge, to be stopped by Ray. She danced on her feet in panic as he pressed her with, "Where do you guys keep the fruit around here? Alexandra's gonna contract scurvy if she waits for her oranges any longer!"

"Aaah- I- hold on!" She begged, dashing over to Williams.

"Vitamin C, people!" Ray yelled, smacking the back of his palm into his hand to rush them.

"Chaos, chaos everywhere." Chloe said, watching this all go on as Yvette filled the fourth glass of water.

"I think this'll do." She turned to hand Chloe two of the glasses. "At least they'll last longer than one!" She joked.

"Heheh. Hey, Yvette, not to dwell on things, but something isn't quite adding up to me." Chloe just couldn't keep her good mood for very long.

"What's that?" Yvette immediately gave Chloe her attention.

"So it really was Tabitha this whole time who did the hypnosis, right?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah, is was." Yvette answered, lowering the cups in her hands.

"And you said she did it by turning a pinwheel... thing... that she found in the caves?" Chloe inquired. Yvette nodded. "God, I can't believe it was that simple. When you finally stood up to her and she knocked you down, and Ace didn't do anything about it, I figured that there was something bigger going on that no one could have guessed in their right minds, like some kind of huge plot twist! But, it really was just Tabitha this whole time!?"

Chloe turned away, glaring at the ground. "Why did it take so long, then!? Why didn't you-" She turned to Yvette. She cut herself off instantly when Yvette's stance already started to break down. "No- no I'm not going to blame you." Chloe stated, taking a deep breath in. She gave a sad, apologetic smile. "S- sorry. Tabitha was a huge jerk, it's no wonder it was hard for you to stand up to her."

Yvette sighed shakily. "Oh, please don't give me credit." She begged. "I messed up a lot, dealing with this whole thing. I'm surprised nobody's cursed at me yet!" She placed the water cups on the table, bringing her cool hands to her face.

Chloe held a strong silence. Yvette peeked at her in concern. "No, it's nothing that you said." Chloe made sure to say. "I was just thinking- you know who did a lot less than you did? You know who you did better than in this whole fiasco?" Chloe waved her finger in the air.

Yvette shook her head. "It doesn't truly matter- it was such an odd situation, you can't blame too many people."

Chloe wrapped her arm around Yvette's shoulder, bringing Yvette to dart her eyes away. "I mean," Chloe clarified, "Ace, the one who cared SO much, didn't actually DO anything! Even when you and Tabbijerk were pointing fingers at each other in the middle of his meeting, he didn't DO anything about it!" Chloe scrunched up her eyes. "It was Tabitha. And after all the meetings he made, and for all he talked about it, you shined a spotlight right on the culprit and he didn't do anything! And do you know who's getting all the credit?"

Yvette squinted her eyes in uncertainty. "When you put it that way, I suppose Ace might be a little glorified. But, to be honest, if he hadn't stressed the importance of it all and went out of his way to make the meetings, I don't think I'd have ever found my courage! I'd have probably let it all slide and pretended it wasn't as bad as it was."

Chloe puffed up a cheek and let her friend go. "Okay, fine, I'll give him that one..." Chloe scanned around for listeners. "I- um, if I can be real with you..."

Yvette perked up, a sparkle in her gaze. "Chloe!" She grabbed one of her friend's hands, holding it firmly in both of her pale ones. "O- of course you can!"

A broad smile came to Chloe's mouth. "Alright, if you insist..." She turned her gaze down, not so happily. "Ugh, my blood is boiling! Once you said that it simply was Tabitha this whole time, I kept thinking back to how Jacque tried to pin it all on me. He's a grade-A douche, I know, but Williams was standing right beside him-" She glanced over to ensure said boy wasn't listening. "Williams was with me in the caves, he knows for a fact I didn't do it, but he didn't defend me! Ace apologized after Jacque had left, but he didn't do anything either! I think Marshall kinda tried to get in the middle of it, so at least there's that, but- but-"

Chloe deflated. "I don't even know! I'm so mad at all of them! Why did they let me take the brunt of all that stuff Jacque said? Ace is supposedly such a good person, but he didn't point at the obvious choice and instead left it up for interpretation that it might be me for some reason, and Williams kinda implied to me in the caves that he wants us to be friends! But friends stand UP for each other, like you did!" Chloe stamped her foot on the tile floor. "Wait- did you... only stand up against Tabitha during the meeting because... I was being picked on?" She turned her green eyes to Yvette.

The albino blushed, once again darting her eyes away. "Ah- heh- perhaps-"

"AUGH why can't everyone be as great you!?" Chloe pulled her in, giving her a full hug this time around the shoulders.

"O- oh." Was all Yvette thought of.

Chloe let go, and Yvette seemed pretty dazed afterwards. "Maybe that's the secret. They aren't my friends. Obviously I never considered Jacque to be, but Ace and Williams..."

"Screw 'em." Williams messed up on the last steak when he overheard that. It had flipped over the side of the pan, landing on the dirty stove top. His eyebrows curled sadly. Yvette and Chloe were already out the swinging door with their water cups when he turned around.

"Oh, hey, you done with those?" Ray asked as he walked by with a basket overflowing with oranges, mentioning the plate stacked with steaks.

"Oh, yeah." Williams replied, setting the plate on top of the fruit in his arms.

"Gotcha-" Ray started to say.

"Wait, you can't have ALL of the ones in stock!" The female intern that had fetched the butter earlier cried.

"Too bad! This is what happens when you make me find them myself!" Ray kicked open the door and ran out, oranges falling and scattering all over the floor as he went.

"Courtesy of me and Williams." Ray smugly smiled, plopping the basket of fruit and meat down on the table.

"Ah!" Ace clasped his hands together happily. "You all are the absolute best!"

"I'm full." Alexandra muttered. Ray cried out in disbelief. "I still want it," She gave a longing look to the basket. "I just don't think it'll fit in my stomach."

"You can save it for tomorrow." Vera said, picking it up for her. "You guys mind helping me take her to the cabin?" She asked Chloe and Yvette.

"No prob at all, Bob!" Chloe saluted. Yvette smiled.

Williams watched after her sadly, sighing as such when the girls left. Ace stood up happily. "Goodnight!" He turned to Williams and Ray. "Shall we?" He said. He stopped abruptly as soon as he turned towards the door. "Jacque? I thought you and Scott left already."

"I mean, I was, but then I realized that I'd be alone in the cabin with him." Ray and Williams snickered, Ace nodded. "I still think Marshall is a pussy that won't face his problems, but hell, I feel like sleeping under a tree too when I think about that creep watching me."

"We could all just lock Scott out of the cabin." Williams offered. The others laughed again, heading to their cabin.
*III*

"I c- can't stop sh- shaking." Alexandra muttered as she lowered on the mattress.

"A good night's sleep and a big breakfast will probably help with that." Chloe guessed, throwing herself from the ladder and onto her bed.

"Yeah, from the way Chris put it, it sounded like you didn't sleep very well, either." Vera pointed out.

Alexandra sat perched on her bottom bunk, staring at the wooden plank floor. "H- how long did you say it's been?"

"About three days." Vera answered.

Alexandra's face contorted in confusion. "It felt like- like months, how could it only be-!?" She was lost trying to figure it out.

"You could... feel, during that time?" Yvette spoke up, turning to Vera in confusion.

Alexandra nodded oddly. "K- kinda? I didn't feel like myself, I could hardly think straight, b- but I felt like I was floating, sorta. There were all these voices around me all the time, but I couldn't make them out. They were always planning, for months it felt like, tweaking with... something... then I'd look down and see you guys running around, and I w- wasn't able to tell it was you? Only one of the voices ever came to me- th- this little boy. He'd remind me of... whatever I was hypnotized to do, and that'd always send my real body out to do it. But I'd still be there in that void, floating. All I ever was, I forgot every time that kid spoke to me... I can't remember his face, but he sounded so young... Young."

"Little boy's voice." Chloe, up on her bunk, was sweating profusely. "That's some ethereal stuff right there, heh- I'm going to hit the sack on that one. Uh, 'night, you guys." She quickly wrapped the blankets around her, clocking in for the night.

Vera and Yvette stared at Alexandra. She might as well have told them a great ghost story, the way their faces looked.

"Young... wh- where is Jason?" Alexandra spoke up, already brushing off her horror story.

Vera and Yvette glanced at each other once again. Ace warned them about the last time Alexandra had been without her boyfriend. That sort of panic, if Alexandra could even muster it at this point, would be best avoided.

"If she asks, make sure she knows that he's safe. That's the big key." Ace had instructed them at some point through the night.

"The day you were hypnotized, you collected the most votes against you due to your condition." Vera recounted. "If you left the island, however, there would be no chance for you to be unhypnotized, because Chris said it had to be broken by the exact person who dealt it, and they were still on the island. So Young took your elimination for you."

Alexandra's weary eyes grew worried.

"So of course he has to be alright!" Yvette waved her hands out in front of her. "There'd be no reason for them to keep him somewhere unsafe!"

"That is to say, Young is in good hands." Vera added.

Alexandra stared at them with her tired stare. She nodded. "Right. I hope he knows I'm safe now, too. I- I miss him..." She muttered, painstakingly lowering her head to her pillow.

"I'm sure it must hurt her." Ace had mused sadly. "Being alone all of a sudden."

"He loves you." Yvette whispered. Alexandra, though she was mostly asleep already, quirked a smile.

"Also, if you girls could do one more thing, could you..." Ace rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Make sure she knows we're glad she's back?"

But Alexandra was already snoozing.

"What a day." Yvette laughed lightly. She finally pulled her eyes off Alexandra's sleeping form, blushing. "Goodnight, V-"

"Yvette, I need to ask you something." Vera whispered over to the girl. Yvette flipped over, eyes wide.

"O- oh! Anything you need!" She stuttered.

"I won't get mad at you, since I did so little for you while Tabitha was pestering you," Vera said, though it only made Yvette look worried. "But did you steal my double vote token?"

Yvette's face grew shocked. "Wh- what!? No!" She cried. "I would n- never!"

Vera turned her gaze to the wall. Eventually she said, "...Okay. Sorry, it just seemed like such a coincidence. Mine going missing, to have you turn up with one, y'know? Maybe I just dropped mine."

"N- n- no! I was given it by Chris McLean one day- Yuki won it for me in the Aftermath!" Yvette ducked her head over the side of her bunk, searching through the luggage she and Chloe had under it.

"So there is an Aftermath?" Vera repeated with interest. She looked at Alexandra. "We should tell Alexandra tomorrow, 'probably settle her nerves better."

"I agree." Yvette said, lifting back up with a paper bag in her grasp. She shook her head, dizzy after hanging upside down. "Here, Yuki wrote me a note with it." She pulled a card from the bag, handing it over.

Vera quirked a brow, smirking. "You don't need to prove anything to me." She said, taking the card.

"I- I know, but I don't want this confusion to be another thing to add to my list of mistakes." Yvette sat up, holding her crossed legs to her body.

Vera scanned over the short message. "She knew we were trying to vote out Scott, eh?" She spoke up.

Yvette's eyebrows shot up. "Er- yes, that's what she originally gave it to me for. I- I'm SO sorry that I didn't pull though with my promises to do so, by the way, I-"

"It's fine, Yvette!" Vera laughed, "It really is!" She turned the card over with a smile.

The albino gacked. "NO! Don't read that side!" She shouted, throwing her arm out.

Vera's expression lightened. "... Oh." She gave a quizzical look at Yvette.

Yvette whimpered, plucking the card from Vera's hands. "I'm SO SORRY-" She cried, balling the note on an instinct. "I should have told you- I should have told you!" She repeated, curling in on herself. Her attitude was completely changed, more pathetic and frantic than ever before. Like a depressed bug begging to be squished on the sidewalk.

Vera watched her, immediately concerned. "Woah, Yvette, it's... not a huge deal."

"Y- yes it is! I kn- know you think so, too-" She blurted out in hysterics. "I should have told you from the start, ever since we've had to share the same cabin together, b- b- but now you know how much of a freak I really am-!"

Vera eventually slid off her bed, crossing the room to Yvette. The girl kept yammering on about how disgusting she was and lots of things that sounded like a bad case of self-loathing, brought out of her only by accidentally coming out of the closet."Yvette." Vera clapped the girl on the shoulder, hushing her rant. She was still shaking more than a leaf in a hurricane, though.

Vera knelt down, smiling kindly. "You don't have to get yourself so worked up about it. You've been a real gentleman about it- or, gentlelady, whatever. I'd be the jerk if I started to hate you over this, since it's not like something you can control."

Yvette stammered in protest. "The least I c- could have done was tell you! N- now y- you know exactly what I've really been thinking, thoughts you must be disturbed by!"

Vera twisted around, sitting on the edge of Yvette's bed. Yvette flinched. "Ah... I guess depends on the girl. I don't particularly mind, like I said, you've been real good at keeping it to yourself." She smirked. "And it doesn't take a genius to guess that you didn't tell anyone in self-preservation. There are some people out there who won't take to it too well; no one can blame you for trying to dodge a bullet."

Yvette whimpered again. "I'm not the good guy here."

Vera chuckled. "What does this have to do with morality? You're you." She assured the girl.

Yvette sunk into her bedding. She didn't have a self-depreciating retort for that one. "Please, please don't tell anyone. I don't deserve it, and I've already spilled my guts to the rest of the world, but I want to be able to look someone in the eye and tell them the truth myself."

Vera nodded. "Sounds good to me. Maybe you'll make some gals out there swoon with your bravery." She joked.

Yvette squinted her eyes close. "Th- thank you so much, Vera. This m- meant a lot to me."

A wide smile stretched across Vera's face. "My sister and I had a conversation just like this once. I think she's really come into her own since then," She looked at Yvette. "I really hope you find that, too."

Yvette's smile was full of warmth and gratitude. "Th- thank you."

Vera turned away, standing up. "From now on, I'll be there if you need me."

"Thank you." Yvette said again, meaning it just as much as the first time.

Vera rubbed the back of her head. "Alright, it's sleep time." She nodded her head to her statement, and went to her own blankets. The two fell asleep after that, Yvette still wracked with nerves, but she wasn't crying anymore.
*III*

The next morning, Marshall's eyelids began to twitch while his waking brain registered sunlight hitting them. He stirred, sliding his hand over his face with a groan. Pinching the ends of his blanket over his chest, he leaned himself against the trunk of his tree, taking in the morning one step at a time.

"Is it really that comfortable out here?"

"AAUUGGHH!" Marshall jumped to the side, landing roughly on his rear end. He panted, half-heartedly glaring at the guy sitting in front of him. "Were you watching me sleep!?" He cried out angrily.

Williams leaned back on his hands. "I was waiting for a few minutes. Don't make it weird, man."

"You about gave me a heart attack!" Marshall defended. Williams let him take a few good breaths and calm down. Marshall rubbed his face once again, both hands this time. "Okay, I'll cave. What were you waiting for?" He said in a muffled whine.

Williams cleared his throat. "I want to start going by Jason again, my first name." Marshall peered up at him. "I didn't know if Alexandra's murder spree was by sight alone, or if having the name of an ex-Trout would make her hunt me or what, so I took the simple route and stuck with the nickname. Now there's nothing to worry about, so yeah. Call me Jason now."

"Might not sit well with the missus." Marshall pointed out, referring to Alexandra. Jason shrugged nonchalantly.

"She's not on my team." He responded with. "Don't see why I should hold back because her prince charming and I share the same name."

Marshall shrugged. "I guess that would throw her off her game some bit more. A good call on your part, I suppose. Strategic and all..."

Jason shook his head, pushing off his knee to stand up. "Not really. I just want to be called by first name again."

"Or... that. Understandable. But why wait for me while I was sleeping-?"

"'Cause I already told everyone else." Williams stated impatiently.

"Ah- oh! Everyone's up and at 'em?" Marshall jumped to his feet, arms swung out at his sides. He clapped his hands together to rub them in excitement.

Jason cast him a glance. "I heard you and Vera had a moment the other night." He assumed.

Marshall paused. "Ah ha, that we did, I'm more than certain." He intertwined his fingers nervously, smiling at Jason timidly. "Can you blame a guy for hoping for another moment?"

Jason inhaled deeply. "Girls, amiright? It's so hard to tell what you are with 'em."

"When you're me, that couldn't be truer." Marshall sighed. "I'm sure it's not always the case, though."

Jason frowned. Marshall became erect at it, but Jason just looked off in the woods. "...Don't you have a lady to be with?" He brought up irritably.

"Right!" Marshall took his chance to leave the conversation. Jason kept pouting at the trees.

As soon as he came to the cabins, he was waved and called to. "Oh, Marshall, won't you come over?" Alexandra called from the deck of the boys' cabin. Those sitting around her- the rest of the Trout, basically- turned their attention to him. The boy internally whined, giving a longing look to the girl's cabin, assuming that Vera must still be there. Reluctantly he came and sat on the stairs with his team.

"Mornin' Sunshine." Chloe greeted him with a smile.

Marshall returned a small one back, facing the center of their gathering. "What's up?"

"Basically she wants us to vote her off if we lose." Jacque, with his arms crossed, knocked his head towards Alexandra. The woman nodded.

Ace hung his head. "Alexandra, I just... you shouldn't give the game up like this, that's a lot of money to throw away." He spoke softly. "Are you positive that Young would want this?"

"Absolutely! We came here to have fun and win together, but that's not happening, so there's no reason for me to be a sea apart from him." She rested her arms on her crossed legs. "I won't hinder us for my own sake, though. I promise. You've all done me and Jason such a huge favor that I at least owe you what I can."

A sly smirk wormed onto Jacque. "Good. Won't repeat what the other team did literally the whole time you were out." He flicked his gaze over to the freckled boy, who reared back.

"Did they really?" Alexandra lowered an eyebrow. "Huh, been at it for awhile, I see."

"Ahem." Marshall stood up. Jacque watched him wryly and the others turned to him. "About that, I have to go talk with Vera. I'll respect your decision, Alexandra."

"Thanks Marsh." She smiled gratefully, nodding at him. He nodded back and headed for the other cabin.

"I will, too!" Chloe piped in, leaning forward with her hands spread out in front of her. "I'm so sorry that things ended up this way, so if this is what you want, then we'll get you two back together as soon as possible."

As Alexandra expressed her gratitude, Ace and Jacque exchanged unsure glances. "You got my vote." Jacque spoke up suddenly, nudging Ace in the side.

"A- and mine, of course!" Ace said after a bit of fumbling.

*Confessional: Ace*
"I know it's hard to be without your other half, especially in a difficult game show that makes you stay awake at night wishing you were able to be in your soulmate's embrace." Ace said to the camera. "But there's something just so... how to put it in a good light... empowering about going solo? I feel much better about myself after sticking through the trials I have, and in the end I think my relationship will be better for it at home! The way Alexandra and Young panic when they're apart, it's not- oh, now I just sound judgmental- but the point stands that I think I can help her, just a little, if she'll let me!" He held his arms out in a shrug the whole time, his expression pleading for the audience to understand him.
*Confessional: Jacque*
Feet propped up on the counter, Jacque explained, "I'm going to do what I've always done and go with who I think needs to get the boot. If Alexandra proves to be that person, then good. If not, eh." He shrugged uncaringly.
*End Confessional*

Alexandra was touched. "Okay, okay- to reciprocate, I'll do whatever I can, as if staying on this show still meant something to me. Hey, who knows, maybe I'll be able to help some of you in the aftermath!"

Ace perked in interest. "They're doing that this season?"

Chloe nodded. "Yep. It's how Yvette got a token." She stated blandly to him.

Ace rubbed the back of his head. "That's something to look forward to, I suppose."

"Not if they rub your loss in your face the whole time." Jacque pointed out.

"Mm." Chloe mumbled, moving her attention away. She caught sight of Yvette allowing the boy inside their cabin, to step outside herself once he walked past her. "YVETTE!" She called suddenly, sprawling to her feet and dashing over to the girl. The other three left on the porch watched as she came to the albino, standing in front of her in a friendly gesture. Alexandra and Ace laughed about it, while Jacque squinted his eyes.

"Yvette!" Chloe said once again, standing in front of her friend with a sad look. "I've been wanting to talk to you all day!"

"B- but the day's only just now started!" Yvette laughed.

"This is no laughing matter, bro!" She reached out and grasped Yvette's shoulders. "I heard you crying last night!"

Yvette's face grew dark. One could practically see the word 'doom' written on it.

"I was about to kick it into dream land, when I heard you so upset. I tried to rouse myself up, but by then I could hear Vera talking and you seemed to calm down. It seemed like a bad time to drop in and bother you more, so I just went back to sleep." She glanced at Yvette in concern. "So, are you okay?"

"Uuhhh..." Yvette took a step back. "I- I wanted to talk to you about it, actually. N- now isn't a good time, though, I don't th- think I could... say everything I need to yet. Or I might say the wrong thing."

"YvETTE..." Chloe whined. "You don't have to worry so much with me! I'm not going to judge you, I'm your friend! I want to make sure you're okay."

Yvette smiled warmly. "I- I will be. Give me... until the end of the day. I... I promise."

Chloe smiled too. "Sounds great." She made a mock sneer, holding her hand out snobbishly. "Then I'll finally know all your deep dark secrets!" She joked. Yvette giggled.

Inside the boy's cabin, Scott was in bed with Ray. Scott, once he had changed, woke up the other boy by taking his covers and sliding in himself. Naturally Ray scrambled out, and was currently sitting as far as he could manage, his legs awkwardly draping over Scott's, separated only by a blanket. Scott eyed him from the pillow end with a sleazy smirk, head resting on a fist as he laid there. "So, Mr. Bossy, what's the plan now?"

"Have I- really been so mean?" Ray laughed. He thought on it. "Now that you mention it, I may be a bit demanding. I'm so sorry, I don't mean to be."

Scott hummed fondly. "No worries at all." He assured melodically. He rose from his position, sliding his body out from under the covers. Now he laid on his stomach, facing Ray all that much closer. "You said I was good yesterday. I can be good for you again..." He rested his chin down on Ray's thigh. Ray's leg twitched and almost drew away, but through heavy consideration and will power, let it stay.

"That's... right!" Ray forced his hand to come down with some kind of pat on Scott's head. "Why don't... you come up with something this time, then?"

Scott closed his eyes, softly shaking his head. He did so while also rubbing his face into the jeans of Ray's leg. Ray's upper body squirmed in displeasure, easily mistakable if one wasn't looking at him, which Scott wasn't. "I think I like the way things have been going... we do our own thing in public, but at the end of the day we're always there for each other."

"Heheh..." Ray finally slipped out of... whatever Scott was doing. He threw his legs off the side of his top bunk, bending his knees over the edge, and flopped his back onto one side of Scott's shoulders. He regretted it instantly because it was uncomfortable, though anything was better than before. They were almost laying with the sides of their faces pressed together, but not quite. "Yeah, where would you be if I, say... were on Vera's side? Or if my vote wasn't to help you, so you'd be alone on it?" He paused. "I hate to think of it."

"What would you miss if I were gone?" Scott inquired, attempting to face the other, failing because his shoulder was pinned by Ray. It was a weird position to be in, but at least he could nuzzle into the boy's side.

"A lot of trouble, is what I'd miss." Ray stated firmly. Scott chuckled. "No, I- I mean it, Scott." He reached out and felt for the top of Scott's head. Once he found it, he raked his fingers down his hair. "I'd miss your trouble."

Scott's eyes filled with an odd mix of emotion, his nose/cheek area flushing. He shoved his face down into the mattress, ripping his head from Ray's grasp.

*Confessional: Ray*
"Was it really that bad?" He asked earnestly. "I've never done this 'flirting' thing before- that... is what we're doing, right? Either way, I'm trying to stroke his ego here. While keeping all my clothes on, mind you, if that's what's actually going on."
*End Confessional*

Ray sat upright, tussling Scott's hair this time. "Guess that settles it- we'll just keep doing what we've been doing."

"MMmmm... that does sound best." The other boy sighed happily, lifting his head into Ray's hand.

Ray nodded, though Scott didn't even have his eyes open. "Welp, 'guess I'll see ya in the next challenge." He then pushed off the bed, throwing himself over the edge. "OW! SHIT!" He screamed after a loud smack brought Scott to attention.

Scott scrambled to the edge of the bed, hissing down, "Why didn't you take the damn ladder!?"

"Sh- shut up!" Ray cried, stumbling to his feet. "I could've done it if I hadn't contorted around you for so long!" He shook a lame fist out at Scott.

Despite himself, Scott grinned at that wording. "We could have contorted in a much... better way."

"Not in such a tiny bed, we wouldn't." Ray brushed his clothes off. Scott frowned at such a simple answer. "Okay, I'm out." Ray said, heading out the door.

Scott lowered back into the mattress. "See you." He groaned unsatisfied once the other had left.

On the other end of the clearing, Marshall rapped his knuckles on the wall of the girls' cabin, bringing Vera to whirl around in surprise. "Oh, hey." She smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Time for that other thing you wanted to say?" She sat down on her bed, patting a spot next to her.

Marshall gulped, then gave into her demand and sat at her side. She rested her hands in her lap, staring at him fondly. Marshall kept his eyes on the floor in embarrassment. "R- right." He said. "So, we're not going after Scott anymore, right?"

Vera nodded, a humor in her eyes. "Yeah... after what happened yesterday, I wouldn't blame you if you forgot." She said.

"M- oh, haha..." Marshall pulled at his collar shyly. "Uuuh... so basically, it's in our best interest to make it to the merge together and join forces." He changed the topic back to strategy, not brave enough to go in the other direction. "So that means weakening whatever defenses our enemies have built for themselves while we can."

"Hmm... I'm not quite sure I follow." Vera admitted.

"Scott has to have a lackey or two keeping him from getting his comeuppance!" Marshall declared strongly. "You said it was a three-way tie, correct? That means two people had to vote for you, and it's no mystery that Scott was one of them. He took out Casper, and he's heading for you."

Vera brought her gaze down as well. "... I can't truly blame whoever the second vote was, however. For all I've done against my team, they have a legitimate reason."

Marshall snapped his fingers. "That's the fault! Giving the second voter anonymity and then assuming we know his motives. This is, after all, an every man for himself game in the end."

Vera looked at him. "It doesn't have to be." Marshall's eyes shot over to her, but she turned away. "I get it, though. Maybe someone hasn't been honest." She tilted back, thinking. "Yvette has been on Tabitha's case first, Scott second, but I could never see her working for him. Tabitha was my second voter last night, I know she was on my side at least then."

"I'm going to come right out say it, I'm more than certain Ray has been on his side for awhile now." Marshall clasped his hands on his knees.

Vera swiped some hair behind her ear again. "Him or Jason, but most likely Ray, yes. Jason was too happy to see Tabitha go to not have voted for her."

Marshall nodded promptly. "They have to have something going on. They don't look at each other the way they do anyone else. Like, they're constantly annoyed at each other when things aren't going well, which you have to admit seems sketchy."

Vera bobbed a foot. "Yeah. Even when we were making fun of Scott the other day, Ray was the only one who actually seemed angry. Sure it was anger towards Scott, but it was odd if you think of it in that sense." She turned to Marshall again. "So, you're saying watch out for them?"

Marshall nodded again. "And that you could focus on getting Ray out instead? That way Scott will have less, maybe even no helpers once we reach merge."

Vera tapped her lip worriedly. "I'll... think on it."

*Confessional: Vera*
"I want to put all my effort into helping my team today." Vera told the camera. "Sure that's going to bring a bunch of stuff I don't want to do- mainly having to play nice with that jerky flirt. I never gave much thought to Ray, just took his word that he hated Scott too, but thinking back... it's possible he could have hated me. I went with a strategy so bad that when Jason came on our team, he tried to fix it right away. As the new guy. Ray could have been playing me this whole time to try to kick me off because he thought it would be better." She turned away in confusion. "Or... wait, does that add up right? Why go to Scott for help- because it would be easier to target me?"
*End Confessional*

"Furthermore, about that lost token, perhaps it got stolen-" Marshall began.

"By Yvette? I already asked, and she didn't. She had proof and everything." Vera rubbed the back of her neck with a smirk.

"O- oh." Marshall said, biting his lip after that.

"It was quite the fiasco," Vera recounted, thinking back on it with humor. "It was this little note card that came with the coin, and it said she's a lesbian, and she was not ready for that to come out yet." She turned to Marshall with a broad smile. "Speaking of which-"

Marshall gulped, dread covering his face.

"-I really doubt I dropped the token." The boy released a loud exhale, and Vera laughed knowingly. "You don't think that whoever might have taken it used it already, but Chris never mentioned it because it wasn't effective?"

"Uhh... nah, Chris would probably want to shove it in their face that it didn't work. Man, these tokens are actually pretty tricky, aren't they? It's a little unfair." Marshall mused, a hand at his chin. His eyes trailed over to the girl, seeing that she was facing him still. "Ha ha... wh- what?" He asked with a nervous smile.

"Nothing. Was there anything else you wanted to mention?" She leaned forward, placing her head in her hands.

Marshall stared at her, eyes wide and nerve-wracked. Vera kept smiling at him, almost seeming amused.

"I'M BI." Marshall slapped a hand over his mouth the second he blurted that out. Vera giggled.

She placed a hand lightly on his leg, right below where he was holding his own knee. "Lucky me."

His other hand pulled away from his mouth, resting on his other knee. He stared straight at the wall across the room in a nervous blankness.

They sat there like that for a bit. Vera's confidence, what she still had after all her dropped passes, melted away. Her hand stayed on his leg, even after her gaze darted away. She moved her head to the side, freeing Marshall from seeing her face out of his peripheral.

His eyes flicked to her, then back to the wall, never relaxing from their wide-eyed stare. He shifted towards her, facing her ear. He took his hand from the leg she wasn't touching, mentally begged it to stop shaking, and touched her chin with it. Vera spun her head, taking in the boy with shock.

They stared at each other. Her lips pulled in embarrassment. His twitched in fear. They leaned forward and put them together.

Marshall's hand was stuck barely brushing against her jaw, and Vera's hand curled up on his pants leg. It was a super soft kiss, the polar opposite of two people ramming their faces into each other. It was also pretty twitchy, unsure emotions running through both of their heads.

Eventually Vera slid her head to a side, and Marshall almost completely took that as 'okay get off me now.' She threw up her hands, holding his face gently in a 'no I'm trying to make this better.' He made a muffled grunt after he understood, letting the kiss deepen, which was still pretty light considering how they'd only been brushing lips before. He moved his own arms slowly towards her torso, intending to rest them on her waist.

"Oh caMPERS~" Chris's MeLean's voice sang after a crack of the speaker pole outside. The two broke apart on instinct. "We're going to have ourselves a little meeting at the bonfire today, so snap to it!"

Vera pulled away quickly. She shot to her feet, throwing her hands in the air. "Boy oh boy do I love challenges!" She cheered to avoid any conversation. "They're my favorite thing in the whole wide world! I just HAVE to get there as fast as I can!" She bolted from the cabin.

Marshall stood up, alone. He started to chuckle, which came to a full-on laugh, and he was in complete hysterics when he made it outside. "I'm dying." He told Ace, falling down on the boy. Ace supported him in concerned confusion.
*III*

"I sure hope I wasn't interrupting anything." Chris teased pointedly, only two of the ten teenagers understanding.

Vera brushed her hair out from behind her ears so it could fall around her face, teeth clenched together in embarrassment. She was with the Ants on one side of the fire pit. Scott sat at the end closet to the center of the meeting, Jason at his side, Vera in the middle, Yvette at her side, and Ray sitting at the farthest end.

Alexandra sat in the middle of her team's sitting stumps, Marshall and then Chloe at the end closer to the center, while Ace sat next to Alexandra's other side, and Jacque sat next to him on the further end.

"Now, consider our little meeting right here not as a challenge per se-"

"Hold up. I gotta question." Jacque interrupted, lifting a hand lazily.

Chris paused. He stared blankly into nothing. "What can I... help you with?" He clasped his hands behind his back, regarding Jacque with confusion.

"The tokens." Jacque said simply. "Apparently there was another chance to find some yesterday, but I'm not a huge loser so I never have the chance to know until it's too late." Many on the other team looked displeased, having lost with no players left the day prior. "So I want you to come clean about what tokens are in play, 'cause there's no way to plan for anything when anyone can change the game as they please."

Marshall nodded at Jacque's points. "Yeah! Any strategy can be ruined and no one can ever know what to do about it!"

"There's being surprising, and then there's plain cheating." Ray crossed his arms and furrowed his brows in agreement.

The host was silent, shifting his eyes quickly between those speaking.

"Well- then what are they supposed to do?" Scott sputtered. "Come clean and let everyone know?"

"Wouldn't you prefer it that way?" Chloe questioned him moodily.

Scott scowled at her. "I'm just saying." He rolled his eyes away.

"I'd love to know as well, but Scott does have a point. It's not fair for them to have to expose their cards like that." Ace spoke up. Scott smiled at him, to which Ace looked away guiltily.

"Sure it's fair," Jacque argued. "In fact, I'll do it right now." He pulled his hand out of his sweatpants pocket, flicking up a red object. His teammates gasped as they watched him catch it in his palm. "Double vote token. What else?" He looked to Chris expectantly.

"Hey! That was mine!" Vera yelled, stabbing her finger in his direction. "You stole it!" She accused.

Jacque lowered a brow, leaning forward on his knees to stare at her. "No I didn't- I found it in the caves."

Vera blinked in surprise. Then she glared again. "No you didn't."

Jacque straightened his back with a grunt. "Fine. Yeah, I stole it right outta your pocket." He admitted as if it were nothing. He shoved a thumb towards Marshall. "Blame your little boyfriend for bragging about it to the whole cabin. You should consider yourself lucky I'm the one who stole it."

Vera became surprised at that, and Marshall sputtered helplessly. "He- he was testing me!" He defended himself.

"Anytime now, Chris?" Jacque ignored the others.

"Aahhh..." Chris stood there motionless, then squinted his eyes. "Right. Sorry. Uh, how's this... there's no real plans for the tokens, they were just an experiment. I'll cease the chances to find any in the future, and I'll let you know this: only one other is in play. A safety vote token found yesterday. Happy?" He asked not in his typical testy manner, more as if he wanted an actual answer.

The contestants looked to him silently, some nodding.

Vera furrowed her brows again. "I want my token back." Vera stated to Jacque.

"Hate to go by playground rules, hun," Jacque said with a lack a venom, "but finders keepers."

Vera groaned, turning away on her seat. "Whatever. Y'know what, my fault for not noticing. Keep it."

Jacque smirked at her.

*Confessional: Jacque*
"One would have a lot of guts to try taking this from me- organs they won't have after I gut them for trying. Nah, revealing this only helps me." He flung the coin up in the air over and over as he talked. "That other coin, though, could cause a bit of trouble. There's no doubt that it's on the other team, and Vera doesn't have it. The only one I could think of causing me trouble is Ray- 'doubt he forgot I have my eye on him. Maybe Pasty, if Chloe sticks her on me..." He caught the coin and started rolling it between his fingers, scowling in thought. "I'll just have to make sure I don't give them any votes to stack on me, which brings me to my plan."

*Confessional: Scott*
"Thanks a lot, Jacque." He spat. "At least Chris had the decency not to give out my name." He pouted, leaning his elbow on the counter in front of him. "I don't want anyone to know I have this guy," He briefly held up his blue token, to clasp it and shove it back in his jacket. "Especially not Ray. He'd get all up in my business about it, and having him tell me who to use it on is the last thing I need. Mostly because if word gets out about it then it'll be no surprise to the person I use it on." He laughed at the thought. "What can I say? I just love to sweep them off their feet."

*Confessional: Jason*
"Maybe Jacque'll hold onto that token until the merge?" Jason mused. He then shook his head. "Well, it's nothing for me to worry about right now. ...Unless if he targets Chloe, which isn't that surprising." Jason held his chin, worried at the thought. Then he shook his head again, annoyed. "What do I care about that for? She and I agreed not to get in each other's way, and I've kept to that since now! Why would she be- why is she mad at me?" He quickly grew worried again. "What did I do... or didn't do-?" His face lowered when he figured it out. He groaned, rubbing his palms in his eye sockets. "So she's mad at me, it doesn't matter." He told himself harshly. He hung his head with a begrudging sigh, "But it does."

*Confessional: Marshall*
"Jacque stole our token!? I can't believe Vera is letting that asshole keep it! He can, after all, use it on anyone on my team- including me!" He shouted in exasperation. His eyes shot open, and he began embarrassed. "Err... not to say that she should revolve everything around me, heheh. The safety token has to be on the other team, and Vera would have given it to me to vote off Scott with if she found it. So basically: I could very likely be in hot water, unless Jacque considers me a friend..." He trailed off. He looked straight at the camera after a bit, a huge smile on his face. "Oh, I forgot to say this earlier- Oh my god!" He shouted in excitement. "Oh my god." He said again, lowering his head in fear. He sprung up on his feet, suddenly triumphant. "Oh my GOD! I kissed Vera! Or- she kissed me! A collaborative kiss! Oooh what does this mean?" He bit a finger, a sudden case of insecurity coming on. "Can I just talk to her normally after that? Should I ask her out? Should she ask ME out?" His heated fit was silenced- partially- when he slid his arms out and he closed his eyes. "Be cool Marshall, just- just don't mess this one up."

*Confessional: Yvette*
"Oh Chloe, I really hope things turn out for you." Yvette cried sadly, her balled hands held up in front of her chest. "I wish Jacque just wasn't so mean to her! And with her giving Ace the silent treatment too, it's all spelling 'Disaster!'" She clasped her hands together, looking up at the ceiling of the outhouse. "The other token has to be on my team, and there's no enemies for her here, so please let her manage to steer clear of that double vote!" She begged to whoever may be listening. She looked to the floor afterwards. "...As for me, there's no token that can be used on my team. So unless everyone decides to off me... which is always a very real possibility...!" She began to squeak at the end, scaring herself at the idea.

*Confessional: Alexandra*
Alexandra was perked up in interest. "A double vote on my team, huh? I wonder if I could- no, asking him to use it on me would be too much. Since everyone's voting for me anyway and all." She deflated, bringing her hands to her lap. She perked up again. "Ooh! What if I made myself look so dangerous to the other team that I seemed like a super-threat? No... word's probably gotten out that I'm wanting off anyway." She bit her lip, rolling it around as she thought. She eventually stopped with a shrug. "Ah, I suppose I'm still in the same spot I always was. No biggie."

*Confessional: Vera*
"If I had stopped for a few seconds, I would have been able to figure out who stole it!" She faced-palmed her head. "Of course it was the one who was with me in a dark cave where I couldn't see him do it! UGH." She moaned, hunching over. "So for my own huge lapse of attention there, he can keep it. I sure don't deserve it. Now that safety coin? It could be anyone- but I have no idea who any of them would vote for. Well, except for Scott and Ray, they'd have Marshall in their sights for sure." She sighed longingly. "That boy better keep himself safe. If it wasn't obvious yet, I... kinda like having him around." She smiled sheepishly, holding her shy face. "I don't know what to do now. I shouldn't have made a move on him- now I can't look at him without doing some stupid face because I'll be trying too hard to not look stupid. Maybe I just won't look at him for awhile?" She shuddered. "That's going to be a toughie."

*Confessional: Chloe*
Chloe hung her head back, letting out a long, wavering groan. It lasted for an impressive while. She finally snapped her head. She was angry. "THIS ISN'T FAIR!" She declared, outstretching her arms to the sky. "I hate he-should-not-be-named, as there's no doubt he's going to disregard Alexandra and vote for who he feels like- Ace ain't gonna help me, he made that evident enough yesterday!" She clawed her fingers into her hair. "I hate hate hate hate it all!" She whined hopelessly. "Winning the challenge is the only hope I got left!"

*Confessional: Ace*
"Things just keep happening, as they tend to do." Ace drummed his fingers on the counter, seeming stunned. "Gee- I really don't want to vote Alexandra, but that leads to who I would vote for! I don't have anything against any of the others, so I'd guess the smart thing would be to team up with Jacque... right?" He held his chin in his palm. "He absolutely has a thing against Chloe, but I'd hate to send her off. Marshall's too good of an asset to vote on, though. It's not impossible to get Chloe and Marshall to help vote Jacque, but he's always been such a strong hold for our team! If only I could get to the bottom of what his deal is, maybe I could help him be less mean. The best thing to do from here is win, I suppose." He giggled, hearing that come from his mouth. "Wow, who would have guessed?"

*Confessional: Ray*
"That safety vote token has to be on our team- the first person on the other team to get tagged was Chloe, and Scott's account is that she wasn't even over the fence when the challenge ended. Vera can't have it, or Scott'd have had to do a tie breaker with Tabitha last night because Vera would undoubtedly have passed it on to Marshall. Tabitha obviously doesn't have it. Scott said he hadn't even touched the fence before the game was called. I don't have it. I'd love to, though, or convince whoever has it to vote on Jacque- preferably after he uses up his own token." Ray had been consistently tapping his cheek in thought as he talked, then finally put it to rest. "Yvette or Jason. Hmmm."
*End Confessionals*

The campers cast around some uneasy glances around. Chris smirked. "Now, on to what our meeting is about... let's talk backstories."

I- I can explain. You see how all of this chapter is before the challenge even starts? Well this chapter is like 10,000+ words of them all just hanging out and I'm a little embarrassed. But not fully because this is important enough stuff. AAAND BOY DO I HAVE A LOT TO TELL YOU GUYS.
First off, things look a bit different, huh? I took 'of the island' off the title, so this is now just Total Drama Regrets. The first chapter has been rewritten and replaced as of now, and I intend to fix up the chapters until chapter 5/day 4. I took away (or I should have, as I'm writing this before I actually do anything) that one A.N. and the joke chapter. But if you liked that chapter, fear not!
I'm putting it on the Regrets blog! What's that, you ask? I made a tumblr for this story! It's mostly for jokes and such, but I'm also making some profiles and stuff on there (I'm super slow at it, though.) Don't worry, it doesn't take any time out of me writing the actual story. If you want to ask questions or request anything on there, I would be totally cool with it! Or to just chat. I think I'll put the link in my profile, but you can also ask for me to PM it to you if you're interested.
I may or may not be able to have the actual Chris McClean read this fanfic in front of a live studio audience
OKAY BYE