Confessionals

1. Let the Games Begin

If you had asked me yesterday if I ever thought that I would be on television, I would've told you that it would only happen in my wildest dreams. I never thought that it would actually happen. When Scarlett and I had decided to go to Avarice, we didn't think that we'd ever become the stars of one of the most-watched reality television shows of all time.

    Scarlett and I had been best friends since grade school. We'd gone through every up and down imaginable and had come out on the other side stronger than ever. So when we started watching Confessionals (Scarlett's idea), it became a tradition that seemed to be unshakable. Every Thursday night, she and I would get together, pop open a bottle of pinot grigio, and crank up the volume on the TV, watching the contestants compete to become the final person left in the Confessionals Mansion.

    We quickly became the biggest fans of the show that we knew. So when I received a message on Twitter from the official page (@ConfessionalsAME) announcing that I had won two free tickets to watch the introduction ceremony for the show's eighth season, of course I immediately booked train tickets down to Avarice for us both.

    The line outside of the Confessionals Mansion was insane. Scarlett and I stood near the back, trying to peer over the crowd and into the windows of the picturesque white mansion that stood before us. My heart was pounding in my chest as I stood on the balls of my feet. "Can you see anything?" I asked.

    "Not over all these idiots in front of us," Scarlett replied.

    It had already been over half an hour since we had arrived at the venue, and still no one was letting us inside. I would've been starving if I wasn't so excited to watch a real live taping of Confessionals. There was something about being so close to the actual house where everything took place that was just so breathtaking.

    The show centred around thirteen people, men and women, who competed against each other to become the last person in the house. They would have to go through a series of challenges, sometimes in pairs. The contestant who won the challenge would win immunity for that week's elimination. The twist, though, was that the audience would also get to choose either a punishment or a reward for the least or most liked contestant for that week. These votes were taken into account from both the Confessionals website and various social media polls.

    Contestants would face a number of challenges that encouraged teamwork and alliances, but also some that relied on betrayal and sacrifice. Part of the fun of watching the show was seeing how, as the number of people left in the house decreased, friends would turn on each other, not to mention the messy break ups of some couples that inevitably formed during filming.

    When people were eliminated, they were sent to another house near the main Confessionals Mansion where ex-contestants would continue to watch the show and would ultimately help make the final decision of who would win the grand prize, which usually consisted of a hefty amount of money and a luxury vacation to a destination of choice (usually somewhere like the Bahamas or Hawaii or something cliché like that). I'd always poke fun at whatever vacation they chose, but I'd give anything to have a free week in Maui.

    With all the twists and turns on that show, it was no wonder it was the number one show on television. It was so easy to become attached to certain contestants, especially the hot ones. The producers never passed up an opportunity to get the contestants to show as much skin as was allowed on television. Those episodes always seemed to get the most views.

    Scarlett smacked me in the back of the head and squealed something almost incomprehensible while she pointed toward the house. A blond man in a black suit had just stepped out of the Confessionals Mansion, a bright white smile on his face as his eyes swept over the crowd. He waved at the crowd as it descended into a deafening chaos. Standing before the Confessionals Mansion was the host of the show, Brian Crestlake.