Chapter Text
Easy. Simple. Child’s play. Surviving the first challenge was something that even the dumbest of blondes could do, at least in her team. Heather couldn’t say much about the bass and their pathetic take on teamwork; honestly, it made her job so much easier. With the group in a good mood, she managed to apologize for her behavior, receiving quick forgiveness, and the damage to her social game was immediately repaired. It was a stupid move to make enemies so early, and the queen bee swore not to make the same mistake again.
She kept space between herself and those she wronged, because while they forgave her, vying for a friendship would only make her suspicious. Too eager and potentially desperate. Everything Heather was not. So while she will engage with small talk and not speak badly about them (to their faces), she’ll take a step back and observe.
Like herself, the cast were assigned titles. Archetypes they had to follow with their own little spins, dubbed the moment they sent their audition tapes. It helped distinguish each camper, and by proxy, allowed for the more calculative members to hypothesize how the game may pan out. The homeschooled boy, for example, seemed like an early boot from the start—his lack of awareness and backward thinking would ultimately cause his elimination. If they were on the same team, Heather would have voted him out, too. An emotionally charged want. The logical side of her argued how Ezekiel would be perfect to take under her wing, noting that his tank of popularity would make him dependent on her. The queen bee could have exploited it in another life.
Reality was another thing; he was in Bass, and she was in Gophers. There was no point in imagining scenarios when Heather had to focus on what was in front of her. Now that she survived the first challenge, the queen bee could continue her plot.
The plan was simple: Find allies, breeze through the competition, and win.
Inevitably, her plan would change once filming began, but the idea of having a foundation settled something in her paranoia's delusions. It worked in her favor, serving as a reminder to be cautious in her interactions and setting the stage.
Cliques were forming, Gwen—even with her supposed abhorrence of socializing—had become the most powerful person within the Screaming Gophers. A budding friendship with Leshawna and her clear-as-day crush on Trent, being her closest allies, and the little freak that followed her around, it was four votes in her favor. Joining them would not guarantee her safety, especially after the merge, so the queen bee was determined to make a group herself. With devotees who would place her above themselves. A difficult feat, but one Heather could accomplish. Had to accomplish.
The question was who could fulfill those positions?
Heather immediately ruled out Izzy, who easily traded her spot on Bass to Katie; she was unpredictable, to say the least. Too risky to make a long-term alliance with. By extension, Owen would be taken off the list of possibilities, who knew what his mouth would reveal. Frankly, being in the same vicinity as the blond was a challenge in itself; the obnoxious odor was nearly enough to make her vomit. It was a miracle she hadn’t already.
It left four people, enough to counter the gweliance, even if she were to lose a member. Lindsay, Beth, Noah, and Justin. While the former two would be easy to recruit, Heather couldn’t say the same about the boys. The male model was self-centered, nothing without his looks, and could just as easily be a pawn. Or swing vote. Noah, on the other hand, was a complete mystery. While the queen bee should have ruled him out, he proved to be a willing ally, if their previous chats were anything to go by.
I have no desire to win, so why would I try to blindside you?
While Heather would typically ignore such blatant manipulation, her peer seemed too sincere in his proposal. Noah had gone out of his way to find a space without cameras to confide in the queen bee, offering advice on how to reestablish neutrality between her and the forming gweliance, even noting the queen bee’s shortcomings when it came to her performance.
Make an enemy of Gwen and her devotees, and you will only be seen as a tyrant for leading.
If she were to advise the goth and make her lead them, the blame would naturally fall on Gwen. Heather had finished for him. And with the glue no longer there, the house of cards will fall, and the others will be susceptible to following the queen bee instead.
Ideally, this plan was perfect; however, Heather was not delusional. She understood the obstacles bound to block her path to victory, because even the greatest of rulers have had an attempt on their life. Who's to say she was free for being the team’s target? Her safety could be jeopardized on a whim; it would be naive if she hadn’t considered an inevitable betrayal or sacrificing a pawn for the better of her game.
“Stand there any longer and it might look like you’re sabotaging us,” Huffs escaped from Noah’s lips as he bent forward to perch his hands on his knees. “Why’d you stop?”
Heather scoffed half-heartedly, “Because I’m trying to sabotage us, obviously.”
“Sorry, I already called dibs.”
“Damnit,” They shared amused smiles before Noah let out a heavy wheeze, “How do you plan to survive the rest of the way?”
“I’ll probably pretend to pass out to get a ride.”
“Seriously?”
“It’s better than running in a fucking binder.”
Heather doesn’t feel the need to resort; instead, she crouched down with her back facing him. “Hop on.”
“Is it my turn to say ‘seriously?’” Noah snarked with no bite and climbed on.
Heather lifted herself, finding the extra weight not as troublesome as she imagined. “Look, it helps both our games. I’m seen as a team player, and you won’t be seen as a threat.”
“I’ll be seen as a liability.”
“You can fade into the background because no one will expect anything from you.”
“That doesn’t sound like a bad idea.”
“It sounds like you were underestimating my intelligence, Noah.”
“Why should I think otherwise?”
Heather groaned, tempted to drop the boy and continue on the run on her own. On the one hand, she would be getting rid of light baggage holding her back; on the other hand, she was the one who offered the ride to him. If she dropped him, there was no telling if he would make it before Bass. It was safer to keep him with her.
Noah’s body grew slack, whether he had fallen asleep or was merely pretending, Heather didn’t know. Nor did she care. She still had a long while till the run was done, and complaining would get her nowhere.
Just a little longer. She told herself.