Work Text:
Fiore was angry. She already expected this, you could say she was even surprised she made it this far, considering manipulation under a fake personality on international television was kind of a single use trick. But that didn't make being eliminated any less annoying.
She grumbled as she and Connor arrived at the losers' motel. This was a new thing for her, considering she was a finalist in the other season she competed, but she figured it'd be easy anyway. Connor went to reception, and she followed him as he spoke with the clerk. He then handed her the key to her room, indicating how to use it and how to find her room while the motel staff gave them the luggage Krystal took from them at the beginning of the season. As annoying as Connor was, she had never set foot on a hotel and needed the info, so she didn't complain much, just said goodbye dryly and went to her room.
The first night went by without much importance. She was thankful for a bed and a blanket, but nothing much happened.
The next morning, she woke up feeling more well-rested than the whole time she was at the camp. If being the first boot was not humiliating as hell, she'd wish she had taken James' place at the first elimination round. She went to have breakfast, noticing the glares Hunter and Miriam gave her. She ignored them and ate her food. It was not hard to do, considering the amount of practice she had ignoring her mother's hatred. She got lost in her thoughts.
She knew her mom had her young, a teenage pregnancy, actually. A broken condom during a party, her grandparents being against an abortion, a dad who wants no responsibility of the kid, and Fiore was born. Her mother made sure the kid was aware of the unfortunate conditions that led to her conception, and that her future was ruined thanks to that. Her grandparents weren't any better, always telling her that she was created by the devil, because God is testing their faith.
But Fiore didn't care. At least, that's what she told herself. The closest thing she had to a loving parental figure was Alec...
Fiore frowned. She knew how things ended with Alec and how he felt about her. She didn't want to think about it.
Fiore stood up and left, not hungry anymore. At least, she had almost finished breakfast by the time the regrets started.
The rest of the day was uneventful. No one wanted to talk to her, and she felt the same way. Fiore was bored in her room and went downstairs, where she found paper and crayons. She took them with her and locked herself in her room again, debating what to draw.
At first, she was unsure and started doing random lines and scribbles absent-mindedly. However, her mind decided to torment her some more, because when she concentrated herself again and saw the drawing, she tore it in half, cursing herself. In the paper, there were two deformed sketches that resembled Alec and her, together. Happy. Thanks, mind, she really appreciates remembering that she messed up her relationship with the only person that took her seriously and didn't call her a monster. Oh- wait... nevermind, he did that. And it was her fault entirely. The man gave her his trust and she threw it for a chance at a million dollars. For a chance at her biological mother, the person that hated her the most, to be proud of her.
She wanted to bang her head against the table. She criticized Grett for trying to win to prove her parents she was worth something and then she did the same.
Simply g r e a t.
Fiore sighed and threw the pieces of paper in the trash. She couldn't change what she did, just like she couldn't change how her family felt about her, million dollars or not.
She only wished she could let her guard down for five minutes, just to tell Alec how she really felt. But she knew she wouldn't. That would mean risking her heart being broken again, and, frankly, she didn't know how many more disappointment it could handle.