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Being dropped from a plane and almost drowning in Niagara Falls was not how Alejandro expected his morning would go. With this show, you never know what you’re going to get. Falling out of a plane should be considered an expected occurrence by now. Still, it’s not the wake-up call that one looks forward to.
Chris says they’re going to a casino, and it almost sounds like fun. That is, until they find out they’re not going to a casino at all, and they end up in some concert hall, still soaked from their earlier excursion.
Then their host announces a competitor’s coming back to the show, and Alejandro can’t help but pull his face into a grimace. He’s had a helping hand in most, if not all , of the eliminations so far. Someone’s returning to the game, probably out for revenge, and soon he'll be walking around with a target on his back.
His competitors argue over the possibility of who it could be, mainly bickering over the possibility of Gwen coming back. Out of the others, he would prefer that option. She was a fearsome competitor, no doubt, and had almost won a season. But there was enough drama between her and the rest of the crew, so Alejandro could easily send her packing once again.
Chris flashes a dazzling smile, a knowing glint in his eyes. Alejandro catches his gaze and immediately feels his heart drop. Oh, he’s fucked.
“He’s a ball of cynicism wrapped into a scrawny package! You know him, you love him – everyone give it up for Total Drama’s favorite know-it-all, Noah! ”
“Ay, mierda!” Alejandro finds himself cursing under his breath as the soundtrack begins.
A platform raises on the stage, holding a rather large crate. The sides of the crate fall apart, and Noah’s left standing in the center. He clearly misses his cue to start singing, instead bending over and coughing up a storm. He definitely looks worse for wear, bags under his eyes, hair tousled, shirt and vest askew. He heaves over the sound of the music, and Chris signals for the crew to cut the track.
“Noah, dude, you missed your cue,” Chris states, rather annoyed. “Don’t tell me you didn’t rehearse the song. I made sure the interns got a copy to you.”
The teenager lifts his head, glaring. “You try being locked in a crate tied to a helicopter for eight hours,” he hisses, eyes narrowing at the host. “Rehearsing a musical number wasn’t exactly my first priority.”
“Fine, fine, we can still make this work,” Chris says, turning away. “We’ll just record it later. For now, everyone welcome back Noah!”
Alejandro watches as Owen rushes the stage, pulling Noah into a tight hug. He can feel his eye twitch at the interaction. Noah and Owen can be a formidable team when they want to be. Whatever. Alejandro got him kicked off once, and he can do it again. He just has to play his cards right.
“Ha! You’re back, little buddy!” Owen cheers, sweeping Noah into a hug and lifting him off the ground. Noah’s eyes nearly pop out of their sockets. “If anyone could win that comeback challenge, I knew it’d be you!”
“Owencan’tbreathe-” Noah rushes out in one breath, and then Owen’s gently placing him back on his feet.
“Sorry, dude,” Owen says while Noah catches his breath, grinning from ear to ear. “I’m just so happy you’re back! Can’t believe we’ll be on the same team again!”
“Not so fast. Owen!” Chris calls out, that dazzling host’s smile still plastered across his face. “Because as of right now, there are no more teams!”
They’ve made it to the merge. Finally. It’s both a blessing and a curse. Blessing because Alejandro will no longer have to carry his team to victory each week, and now he only has to worry about himself. A curse because now he no longer has a reliable team. Now’s the time for alliances, to get people on his side. Noah’s just another added obstacle.
The mask returns to his face, and he shakes Duncan and Owen’s hands, congratulating them on making it this far. He wears a fake smile on his face, promising good faith between the others. After all, he needs some allies if he’s going to win this. Best to get on their good side now.
He tries to ignore the glare that Noah’s sending his way. The teen has his arms crossed, and if looks could kill, Alejandro would’ve dropped dead. Instead, he sends a mocking grin Noah’s way, and revels in the reaction it gets him.
Their attention is drawn to the giant slot machine that Chef pushes out on stage. Chris starts going on and on about the honeymoon capital of the world and arranged marriages. The girls pull a lever, win a husband, and compete in the challenges together as a team.
“Noah, since we’re one girl short, you’ll be playing the role of a lucky bride today,” Chris grins, and Alejandro can’t help the bark of laughter that escapes him.
“Wonderful,” Noah drawls, eyes looking up and down the machine. “As long as I don’t have to wear the dress.”
Chris laughs under his breath, a manic look in his eye. “We’ll see about that…”
“What do you mean-”
“Alright ladies, let's get pulling!” Chris announces, and the rest of the men are shoved inside the giant slot machine.
They protest against one another as they struggle to fit inside the cramped machine. They stumble around in the dark, limbs slamming against the metal container. Alejandro’s got somebody’s back pressed against his face, and he’s pretty sure his elbow is jabbing Duncan in the ribs.
Then, the floor drops underneath him, and Alejandro’s left sliding through a chute. Just as he’s about to make it out the other side, the door is slammed before him, trapping his arm in between. He cries out at the pain while he’s sure he can hear Noah cackling from the other side. The door finally opens, and Heather helps him out while Sierra’s busy screaming at Chris.
Heather says she’ll take him instead, which causes some protest from Courtney, and a “better you than me” from Noah.
As she pulls him to the side, she leans into his ear to hiss, “You owe me for this.”
“Someone gonna take care of Bridezilla over there?” Noah asks, and the group watches as Sierra clings onto the lever, practically slobbering over the thing. Chef has to forcibly pry her away, sending her to the back of the line.
“Alright, Noah! You’re up!” Chris announces, and then Noah’s walking up to the machine, eyeing the lever in disdain.
“Who’s the lucky groom, chico?” Alejandro taunts, and Noah whips his head around so fast to glare at him that Alejandro thinks he hears his neck crack.
“Shut. Up,” he growls, and then he’s yanking the lever with so much force that Alejandro’s almost worried it’ll snap. The little icons spin and spin and spin until finally coming to a stop. Three little Owens fill the screen, and suddenly the man’s sliding down the shoot, screaming.
Shit. Owen and Noah together? Just what he was worried about. Noah had lacked the determination earlier in the game to really fight for the million, but now that he was back, he was bound to be hellbent on the money. The two had always worked well as a pair. If they really try, they’ll be a force to reckon with this challenge.
Alejandro shakes the thought from his head. Doesn’t matter. Him and Heather work just as well together. They just have to win this challenge and boot the others off. Easy as that.
Heather watches him from the corner of her eye, a strange look on her face. She rolls her eyes, muttering, "God, just kiss him already."
A clever retort is already on the tip of his tongue before he can stop it. "Jealous, chica?"
"Ugh! As if!" She snaps back, and that is that.
Still, Alejandro can't help the funny feeling in his stomach at the words. He casts a glance back at Noah, watching him help Owen off the ground. The two are chatting amicably, and the funny feeling in his chest twists a little tighter. Noah catches his eye, and Alejandro turns away, brushing it off.
He'll win this thing. No distractions.
Much to Courtney's dismay, she's paired up with Duncan – which is a much better option than a bear. Sierra finally snags Cody. The couples are set, and the first part of the challenge is ready to begin.
Noah takes one look at the course and immediately calls out, "I'm not wearing that dress."
"You will if you wanna stay in the competition!" Chris sings. "Be a shame to send you home after you just got back. Besides, Owen's not going to fit in any of those dresses…To be honest, we thought one of the girls would win the comeback challenge. This show, so full of surprises, huh? Only couples with a dress can continue. So get to it!"
Before the blindfold is wrapped around Heather’s eyes, she takes a minute to grab him by his shirt collar and pull him down to her level. There’s a fury in her eyes. “Don’t you dare blow this for me.”
Alejandro raises his hands in self-defense. “Ay, no need to get so violent. I’ll get you through the course, safe and sound.”
The same cannot be said for their other competitors. While Heather makes it safely to her wedding gown, the other competitors are a mess. Duncan seems dead set on leading Courtney to her doom. Cody’s apathetically murmuring directions into the megaphone, causing Sierra to blindly stumble her way through the course. Noah and Owen?
Noah makes it through the course relatively unscathed – if you ignore the cake smashed into the side of his face. He makes it to the dress, ripping off his blindfold in agitation. When he sees Heather struggling to hold her laughter back, he shoots her a glare.
“Not a word,” he bites out, narrowing his eyes.
Sierra comes sailing in moments later, practically launching herself at her wedding dress. The action makes Alejandro shiver. Maybe it’s a good thing he didn’t end up getting paired with her.
The second part of the challenge is set to begin. The girls (and Noah) get changed into their dresses. And Noah-
In all honesty, Alejandro can’t stop staring. The dress is ill-fitting at best, clearly made for a girl, or at the very least someone of a different stature. Noah looks like he’s swimming in it. He has to hike up the hem of it just so he doesn’t trip, muttering obscenities the entire walk over. Alejandro can’t help but let his eyes wander to the plunging neckline, eyes fixated.
Heather whacks him in the arm, drawing him out of his reverie. She scowls, eyes darting between him and Noah. “You better not mess this up for me,” she snarls. “I need your head in the game, and not focused on your little man crush over there.”
Alejandro feels his face burn bright red. “Hey, I’m not-”
“Puh-lease,” Heather scoffs, rolling her eyes. “You’re practically drooling over him. You’re doing a piss-poor job of being subtle about it, you know? Just keep your eyes on the prize, and not on Noah’s collarbones.”
He doesn’t even get a chance to defend himself before Heather walks away, making sure to step on his foot in her heels as she maneuvers around him.
_____________
“Oh, Jesus Christ ,” Noah hisses, balling up the fabric of the dress just so he can walk. He carries it in a bundle in his arms, trying not to trip over the skirt. Who’s idea was it to make a train this long anyways?
He’s been having a horrible day so far. This is just the cherry on top. He hadn’t even wanted to come back to this stupid competition. He’d gotten into the comeback challenge by pure luck and won simply by coincidence. If it were up to him, he wouldn’t be here. Instead, he got dropped in a crate and shipped off to Niagara Falls. Believe him, being trapped in a crate tied to a helicopter is not fun. Then, he ended up back here, stuck in some shitty wedding dress that didn’t even fit. Not his best day.
At least he got partnered with Owen. There were worse candidates, like Sierra. He suppresses a shiver at the thought. Or Alejandro . He’s pretty sure the guy’s still mad about getting called an “eel”. Whatever. Alejandro wanted competition? He’s surely got it now. If Noah’s being forced back into the game, he’s sure as hell going to win.
Speak of the devil, the man’s been staring at him the entire walk over. Noah squirms under his gaze, feels the eyes narrowed in on his neckline. Noah’s not sure what’s so fascinating. He doesn’t have the cleavage to even fill it out, so the fabric just sags, doing little to cover any part of his chest.
Noah swears under his breath as he trips over the dress once again, resigning to kicking a rock on the path out of anger. The minute the challenge is over, he’s ripping this stupid thing off.
“If it makes you feel any better, I think you look good in it,” Owen says aloud, watching as Noah stumbles for the umpteenth time.
Noah exhales, resigning to his fate. “Thanks, big guy.”
Finally, they make it to the falls. And Noah thought his day couldn’t get any worse. They’re expected to cross a tightrope over Niagara Falls. Noah takes one look at the raging water below and gulps. It’s not as if he’s particularly afraid of heights – after all, they’ve had to jump out of a plane how many times on this show? No, it’s the sharks that Chris insisted on having that are setting him on edge.
“No, no! I’m like a buffet to them!” Owen cries out at the mention of the shark-infested waters.
Noah pats him gently on the back. “That’s why we won’t fall, right?” He grits the last part out a little more aggressive than he means to, but the sharks are definitely freaking him out too.
The two gulp, peering over the edge of the platform. It’s a long way down from here.
Heather and Alejandro get the head start, and they take off across the tightrope. Alejandro walks with confidence, easily carrying Heather in his arms. Hopefully Owen will be able to do the same.
Sierra, the madwoman, swoops Cody up and takes off sprinting across the tightrope. Owen covers his eyes, fearful they might fall. Noah watches with a similar sort of anxiety. Still, Sierra races across the tightrope with confidence.
“Alright, big guy, let’s get this over with,” Noah mutters. He and Owen approach the tightrope, staring at it nervously. He lets Owen pick him up, and the two begin the long trek to the other side.
Noah keeps his eyes on the blue sky above, trying to distract himself. If he doesn’t look, he won’t panic. Owen slowly shuffles across the tightrope. If slow and steady is what it takes, so be it. He’d rather go slow than risk a fall.
“So, uh, what’s going on with you and Al?” Owen asks after a while, laughing nervously. Noah’s eyes flash downwards, and he squeezes them shut immediately after seeing the sight below.
“Is this a conversation we need to be having mid-air?’ Noah retorts, redirecting his gaze upwards.
“Well, uh-” Owen pauses to readjust his footing before slowly inching forward again. “You two have been staring at each other all day. I mean, maybe he’s just happy to have you back, but considering how you two left things off last time-”
“He’s just intimidated, that’s all,” Noah interrupts. “He’s scared that I’m back because he knows that if anyone’s going to get him eliminated, it’s me.”
Suddenly, they hear screaming up ahead. Noah lifts his head and watches two of the competitors fall from the rope before hitting the water with a resounding splash. He winces, squeezing his eyes shut once again. After a minute, he realizes who just fell.
He pries one eye open, looking at Owen. “Was that Heather and Alejandro?”
“Think so,” Owen forces out, continuing to inch across the rope. He holds onto Noah a little tighter.
Noah frowns. He knows Alejandro is skillful enough to walk across this rope and then some. There’s no way he’d just fall like that…unless he was throwing the challenge?
Eventually, they run into Sierra and Cody on the tightrope. They’d been “deported”, as Chef had declared, and had to start the challenge over again. Only problem was that Noah was not going all the way back to the starting line to let them through. They’re almost to the finish.
“Listen, crazy-” Noah begins, and apparently that’s the wrong way to start a sentence because it sends Sierra into a rage. The girl lunges for him, sending all four of them tumbling off the tightrope. Noah screeches, grabbing onto Owen as they plummet to the icy water below.
He loses his grip on Owen’s shirt as they hit the water. He kicks to the surface, spitting water out of his mouth. His hair is plastered across his face, obscuring his vision. The wedding dress is not helping in the slightest, weighing him down underneath the surface. Great. He’s going to drown or get eaten alive by sharks in a wedding dress. Not his greatest moment.
A hand reaches out towards him, and he immediately grabs it. It tugs him up to the surface and onto some sort of raft. He coughs, clearing the water from his lungs and brushing the wet hair out of his face. His eyes lock onto a familiar grin, and he can’t stop the groan that escapes from his lips.
“Hola, amigo,” Alejandro purrs, and Noah slaps his hand away without a second thought. “How nice of you to join us.”
There’s a group of them gathered onto Owen’s back. Noah sits pressed against Alejandro’s side, soaked to the bone. If he shifts any further, he’ll fall back into the water. Just his luck.
“Would you stop flirting with him?!” Heather calls out, whipping her head around to glare at them. “Owen, start swimming!”
Neither of them get a chance to protest before the sight of sharks draws near. The six of them scream, holding tightly to each other as the sharks approach. Owen begins paddling for dear life, swimming rapidly towards the shore.
_____________
He’s already got two guaranteed votes for Owen. He needs a third to make any sort of difference. Owen will be going home tonight, one way or another. He’ll make sure of it.
“Oh my gosh!” Sierra squeals, dropping Cody to the floor. The teen takes the opportunity to scamper off to who knows where, far away from Sierra. “I almost forgot about the witness part!”
“Yes, you did,” Alejandro agrees, a smile spreading across his face. “But I will help you. And there’s just one thing I need from you in return, as it were…”
He details his plan to Sierra. He’s already got his vote against Owen. Heather’s sure to vote alongside him if he guarantees she’s safe tonight. Duncan may or may not – he’s not known for being a man or his word. If Alejandro really wants his plan to go through, he’ll need another vote he can trust.
Sierra listens to his plan, nodding along. She seems in agreement for the most part. After all, it’s the least she can do after he played witness.
“Won’t that upset Noah?” Sierra asks, tilting her head. “After all, Owen and Noah are, like, totally best friends. You saw how upset Owen was when Noah was eliminated.”
Alejandro scrunches his eyebrows together in confusion. “What about Noah?”
Sierra’s eyes go wide. “Well, aren’t you two, like, a thing ? I thought it was pretty obvious. I mean, there was the whole challenge in Newfoundland, and after the London challenge, I thought the whole enemies-to-lovers arc was done for. But now he’s back! And you two were totally eyeing each other all day, and-”
He cuts her off, shaking his head with a laugh. Him and Noah ? Ridiculous. How come all their castmates seemed to have this preconceived notion that they were an item?
“Noah’s just a competitor, nothing more,” Alejandro rushes to explain. “Taking down Owen is the priority – one less person on the plane.”
Sierra eyes him skeptically but agrees nonetheless. “Alright, Owen it is.”
_____________
“I didn’t even want to come back to this stupid show. If it were up to me, I would’ve forfeited my spot, but Chris and his contracts…Look, if I’m here, I might as well try to win this thing. Half the competition is already gone. What do I have to lose? Besides, it’ll be nice to get revenge on a certain eel…Alejandro, you’re going down.”
Noah exits the confessional, heading down the hallway. He’s finally traded his soaked wedding dress for his regular clothes, but his hair hasn’t dried quite yet, and there’s still water squelching in his boots. As he turns the corner, he runs into Alejandro.
“You lost the challenge on purpose.” He wastes no time in getting to the point. “Come on. We both know you could’ve easily won that if you wanted to. Why’d you throw it?”
Alejandro raises a brow. “That’s one way to start a conversation…Well, if you must know, it’s all a part of my strategy. Ah, but you don’t want to listen to – what was it you called me – an eel dipped in grease?”
He brushes past Noah, continuing to walk down the hallway with a devious smile on his face. He pauses to turn back, sending him a wink. “And Noah? You looked rather charming in that wedding dress, cariño.”
Noah feels his face turn red, and only when Alejandro is out of sight does he scream into his hands.
_____________
“Interesting…really? Huh, who'd've thought?...wow.”
The eight of them are gathered together, waiting to see who will take the Drop of Shame. Noah’s hoping it’s Alejandro. Maybe Heather. Even Sierra would do. He waits for Chris to rifle through the votes, watching his surprised expression. How shocking can they be? Cody’s been voting for Sierra every chance he gets.
“Two votes for Heather,” Chris announces. “Two votes for Sierra. And four votes for…”
Noah crosses his fingers. Alejandro, Alejandro, Alejandro. He knows Owen voted for him, as did he. He’s hoping someone else comes in clutch. Maybe Heather? After all, he did throw the challenge for her. Even she could see that.
“Owen.”
“Are you kidding me?!” Noah finds himself shouting, standing up in shock. He shoots a glance towards Alejandro. The man’s grinning at him, eyes narrowed in malice. Noah tries not to let the look get to him, but it’s too much. He did this.
Owen reluctantly grabs the parachute, strapping it on. Noah can’t help but stare in disbelief. Owen had been nothing but nice to his fellow competitors. How did Alejandro manage to wrangle three other votes against Owen? What had he ever done to deserve this?
“Well,” Owen stands back, looks at his fellow competitors, “I’ll miss you guys.”
He bends down to pull Noah into a hug, sweeping him off his feet. He normally hates these bone-crushing hugs, but seeing as this is the last one he’s gonna get from the guy for a while, he tries to savor the moment.
“I’ll miss you most of all, little buddy,” Owen says, placing him back on his feet. He lowers his voice, murmuring to Noah with a smile. “Don’t let Al get to you, man. If anyone can win this, it’s you.”
The teen heads towards the exit, gives one last wave. Then, he jumps, and Noah’s last ally – last friend – in the competition is gone.
Alejandro’s smirking smugly from where he sits in the gallery. Noah glares at him while Chris records the outro. The cameras cut, and everyone starts to depart from the gallery. Noah is left alone with Alejandro.
“Why so sad, amigo?” Alejandro taunts, sauntering over. He’s got that mischievous gleam in his eye, and Noah just wants to slap the smile off his face. “It’s just how the game works, isn’t it?”
Noah grabs the man’s shirt collar with two hands, yanking him down to his height. Their faces are so close that he can feel the heat of the other man’s breath. In any other circumstance, Noah would be blushing, but at the moment he’s filled with such red-hot hatred for the man.
“Look, I don’t know how you got three votes against Owen,” Noah hisses, “but you’re going down. You wanted a rival? You’re going to get one. Fuck you, man. This is war.”
He storms away before the other man can stop him. Alejandro wants a war? Noah’s gonna give him one.
“Game on.”