It didn't take long for the mayhem to return to the contestants after their short break. But it was long enough to where they got comfortable enough to put their guards down. Big mistake.
Early in the morning of their return, they were each brought into the cargo hold, one by one as they slept their troubles away. Once everyone was gathered, the floor vanished beneath them, making them fall fast toward the ground. Owen was the first to wake up from his twisted, candy-filled dream to see this, immediately alarmed by the sight of reality.
"Wake up, guys!"
Soon, everyone was wide awake and screaming as Chris called down to them from the safety of the plane.
"Hey, kids! You better get into your paddle boats!"
Two large swan boats began plummeting after them. The contestants gripped onto them for dear life and they crash-landed into the flowing water below. They all groaned with annoyance and slight pain as they crawled into the swan boats to try and regain some sense of what exactly was happening.
"I'm starting to question my mom's crush on Chris, just a little..." Sierra mumbled.
Owen looked behind him, his eyes suddenly going wide with horror as the panic took over him again.
"W-W-Water...!"
Courtney glared exasperatedly as he began to grip her for security.
"Yes, Owen, we know we're in the water."
However, Owen had a perfectly good reason to freak out, as did everyone else once they saw that they were headed for the edge of a gigantic waterfall.
"Wa...Wa...!" Heather gasped.
"Waterfall! Quick, paddle!" Alejandro exclaimed quickly.
"We're all gonna die!" Owen cried as everyone in their boat began to pedal their feet for their lives.
"If you let us live, I will tutor any brain dead who requires it, even Duncan!" Courtney prayed desperately.
"If we live, I'll forget she ever said that," Duncan answered.
"If we live, I'll let Sierra kiss me!" Cody yelled helplessly.
It was so helpless in fact that they stopped paddling for a second to stare at Cody with dumbfounded expressions.
"What? Like we're gonna make it!"
Sierra gasped, an uncontrollable urge and determination filling in her system.
"I. Want. My. KISS!"
With no time to waste, she took some rope, tied Owen up, and threw him onto the other boat. She began pedaling her feet at unmatchable speed, until both boats zoomed onto the shore, the force toppling them over. People flew onto the sand, coughing and groaning in discomfort.
At first, Miranda was personally groaning at the pain her head had faced from the impact, until she realized where she'd landed. That handsome smirk underneath her gave her a whole new reason to groan.
"You just can't keep your hands off me, huh, dollface?"
Miranda pouted, quickly getting up to avoid anyone else noticing.
Alejandro snickered, putting his hands on her shoulders.
"Don't give me that look. You know it's true."
"Yeah, yeah, keep telling yourself that."
Chris eventually met up with the group on the beach, presumably to begin the challenge for the day.
"So, Niagara Falls is pretty awesome, eh?"
"It almost killed us!" Heather glared.
"Like I said, awesome! The Falls are the jewel in Canada's crown, and one of the top ten natural wonders in the world. It's also known for its fabulous casino, which is where we'll be heading for the first part of the challenge!"
Upon hearing this, the once angered faces of the contestants lit up with excitement.
"Oh, man! Seriously?!"
But unfortunately for them, that excitement didn't last, as they ended up on a large stage, rather than a casino.
"Seriously?" Duncan muttered.
"Since you're all under gambling age, we had to move the challenge from the gambling floor to the far less exciting casino concert hall."
The only one who wasn't totally bummed by this was Miranda, who practically had stars in her eyes as they entered the concert hall. Riveria Theatre was a place she'd always wanted to see a show, it was one of the most beautiful venues she'd ever seen. The intricate details of the borders of the stage, the gorgeous, red velvet curtains, the dark wood on the stage floor, the twinkling chandelier framing the entire hall...It was something out of a fantasy to her. She would've sold her soul to sing in the breathtaking room, faces packed into every seat, up to the balcony and the sky boxes.
"Have you ever seen something so breathtaking...?" she swooned, making Alejandro grin sweetly.
"Ooh! I wonder if anyone is performing!" Owen exclaimed.
"You're in luck, Owen, my man! Turns out, you all will be! Each of you will be performing a song of your choice with the specific guidelines I give you. Your performance will determine who you'll be working with for this challenge."
"Why would we need to do that? We're already in teams." Courtney asked.
"Not anymore, because as of right now, there are no more teams!"
Courtney and Heather cheered. "Yes!"
The second Miranda heard this, she felt her body tense up. She'd been dreading this day since the beginning. Now, if she made a mistake, everyone could go after her. She no longer had the safety net of her teammates to fall back on.
Alejandro, on the other hand, was quite pleased that he could finally work alone without carrying others. He graciously shook hands with Duncan and Owen.
"Well, gentlemen, it's been an honor. I trust our brotherhood can continue in some manner?"
"Of course, man!" Duncan grinned.
"Oh, sure! We're buddies all the way to the end. Right, Dunc?" Owen agreed cheerfully.
Alejandro soon made his way to Miranda and grabbed onto her hand, without saying a word. But she didn't need him to say anything, she just gripped his hand tighter for stability.
"Since we are in the honeymoon capital of the world, I thought it'd be cool to drop some arranged marriages on you~" Chris chuckled.
Sierra squealed loudly as her dream was quite literally being fulfilled. Cody couldn't help but cower with anxiousness.
"I want each of you to sing the most romantic love song you can think of and perform it here on this very stage. Just so you can all get the singing requirement out of the way early. We'll have way grueling challenges for you later. First, we'll have the girls sing, then the boys. The rankings at the end will determine who your partner will be for today's set of challenges. You have ten minutes to brainstorm."
Everyone made their way onto the stage, trying to figure out songs to sing. Miranda sat by herself, scrolling through her phone for ideas. She wasn't quite sure what song in her library she considered the most "romantic". She knew a lot of love songs, but they were all more on the cutesy side.
She stopped on a particular song that made her stop scrolling and gasp. She hadn't sung it in ages, but it was a very entertaining song to sing, and the lyrics were more heartfelt than most. She played it back, remembering how hard some of the runs went. It was certainly not the easiest song in her repertoire to sing. But, any challenge with music was a challenge she was always willing to accept. Though she did request to go last, just so she could have a little more time to nail down every note.
Courtney, on the other hand, very eagerly volunteered to go first. She had picked a song called "Just Give Me A Reason". She seemed to have a strong stage presence, pacing back and forth across the stage confidently. Though Courtney's voice was fairly strong, it was nothing to write home about, in Miranda's opinion, anyway. She also couldn't help but notice how many times she'd grin over at Alejandro throughout her performance. It was threatening to take her out of her concentrated study session, but she snapped out of it after Courtney had finished.
Alejandro noticed this too, simply grinning politely when he felt necessary from the audience. Duncan would snicker at her, whispering insults to him about how desperate she was acting.
Next up to sing was Sierra, who went the obvious choice of "You Belong With Me". Safe to say, it was quite a comedic performance. Cody looked beyond uncomfortable the entire time, but Sierra seemed to have the time of her life up there. Miranda could respect her passion, to put it nicely.
However, not everyone was as nice to her, as Courtney and Heather were both chuckling from backstage.
"She calls that singing?" Courtney teased.
"She might just be worse than you, Courtney~" Heather agreed, snickering.
Speaking of Heather, she was up after Sierra, who was panting with exhilaration once she made it backstage, sitting down with Miranda. A familiar tune suddenly came over the piano, and Miranda couldn't help but roll her eyes as she recognized it.
"Can't Help Falling In Love? Ooh, how fucking original."
Despite the incredibly basic song choice, Heather surprisingly had a decent voice, it was quite smooth and rich in tone. But it lacked, heart, there was not a hint of affection behind that voice.
"What're you gonna sing, Miranda?" Sierra asked in an excited whisper.
"O-Oh, you wouldn't know it. It's called Strangers."
"Come to think of it, I've never heard you sing, like ever! Or, at least, not by yourself! I can finally add your voice description to my blog!" Sierra gasped with realization.
Miranda chuckled nervously. Anxiety was starting to build in her system as her turn approached. Not this again... She shouldn't be having stage fright. This was something she wanted nothing more than anything in the world. To perform on such a beautiful stage was a privilege, she should've been excited. But as always, her anxiety had to ruin everything for her.
Once Heather finished, Chris called her out onto the stage.
"Break a leg!" Sierra encouraged.
"Thanks, I'll try, I guess...!" Miranda put her phone on silent, and with one final breath, she made her way onto the stage.
The initial look out into the auditorium was always the worst, but she knew it would fade. She usually didn't have any problems with performing when she was in school. In fact, it was the one thing she could continuously look forward. Though this was certainly a step up from her high school stage, to say the least. She gripped the microphone stand and took a calm, deep breath. The intern played her backing track, melting away any last of her fears as she began to sing softly.
You see the me no one else sees
And I see the you, you don't show
You've read every page in my story
And I've read every chapter of your soul
There's no way I found you on my own
'Cause loving you's like breathing, don't you know?
She couldn't help but fixate her gaze on Alejandro, as that was something she did on stage to stabilize her nerves. But the longer she looked into those pretty green eyes, the more connected she felt to the lyrics she was singing. She didn't pick this song with him in mind, per se, but she was realizing fast that maybe she did it subconsciously. What she considered "romantic" was only conjured up in her mind by the experiences she'd had with him so far.
Meanwhile, Alejandro was slowly falling harder and harder into a daze. Miranda's gentle voice surrounded itself around him and held his attention in a cage. Though he was the only one actually familiar with the beauty of her voice, it continued to impress him every single time. And those little smiles in his direction were only fueling this blissful feeling. It wasn't much different than listening to her sing in Jamaica. That peaceful, angelic sound wrapped him up in its warm embrace. Duncan tried to snap him out of it, but Alejandro was in a total trance, smiling dreamily up at her. Owen couldn't help but snicker as Duncan smirked cheekily.
You're the first call I make when the sky falls
You're the hand that I'm holding when it's blue
You're the curtains closed when I need to hide out
You're the light when I need it shining through
There's always been something I'm running to
There's never been a time it wasn't you
It didn't take long for Miranda to notice that goofy grin on his face, only widening her smile further. It actually made her feel a lot more confident in her abilities, as the song racked up in difficulty. She was impressing herself with these higher notes that she was hitting. But even if she were to mess up now, she wouldn't have cared all that much. She was having way too much fun. Her heart hadn't felt this content in a long while.
How were we ever strangers?
Seems crazy to me now
Haven't I known you forever?
'Cause the thought of the days without
You and all your love
Have all but disappeared
I'll never be convinced, baby, that you weren't always here
How were we ever strangers?
Once the instrumental faded out to silence, everyone in the auditorium clapped and cheered, even Chris and Chef. Miranda smiled sheepishly, covering her mouth to attempt and cover her darkening cheeks. Once she had finished, she was left in shock at what notes had come out of her mouth. Sure, it had been a while since she'd sung that song, but it was definitely the first time she'd sung it that well.
"What'd I say? A talent like no other! It'll be quite the feat for the boys to top that! Men, you're up next!"
The girls eventually all sat down, and Miranda immediately was getting swarmed by the praise from Sierra.
"OMG! You were so amazing!"
"I'll admit, that was pretty impressive." Heather shrugged reluctantly.
"Trust me, even I'm impressed. Some of those notes are so difficult." Miranda snickered.
"Did you see the way Alejandro was looking at you? Ah, it was so cute!"
This remark got Courtney's attention, and not in a good way.
"What way?"
"Please, Sierra, it's not–" Miranda was quickly cut off by Sierra's bubbliness.
"He had the sweetest smile on his face! It was like he was in some sort of trance! Ah! How cute is that?"
Heather was chuckling deviously. "Wow~ Who'd have thought you of all people would turn the tables on him?"
The blush she was trying to suppress earlier was coming back with a vengeance.
"I-I mean, yes, I did see him smiling at me, but...There's nothing like that...between us."
Courtney glared at Miranda for a moment before turning away grumpily.
Speaking of him, Alejandro decided to go first for the boys' division. His choice was obvious from the moment the challenge was announced. The music cued up as he began singing with a voice smooth as silk.
You'd think for all the days I've known you
That I would have you memorized by now
With every question and answer,
Every single page turn
You just keep me on the edge somehow
Every day with you is still a mystery
The sweetest stories falling from your lips
And I hold on to every word,
Like it's the first one that I've heard
It's the only time I've ever felt like this
"What kind of music do you prefer to sing with that heavenly voice of yours?"
"I mean...I find it kind of embarrassing...but I've grown up on country music, and it's one of my favorite genres to sing."
"It's not embarrassing, especially when you sing it so beautifully. Any particular artists?"
"Well, I'm a huge fan of Taylor Swift, she's like, my idol. She writes the most captivating music and lyrics, it's unbelievable. But in terms of country music...I've been listening to Hunter Hayes ever since I was eleven. His voice is so unique, and the runs he pulls off are unreal. Plus his lyrics are just...so sweet."
Miranda was thrilled about his song choice. The fact that he'd remembered such a little detail and picked a Hunter Hayes song was incredibly flattering. It also helped that his voice was exceptionally pretty for a male voice. His notes were exceptionally clear.
Alejandro would often make eye contact with Miranda, who was quietly singing along to the song. It was sights like that that made it clear that these lyrics completely resonated with his opinion of her. It added to the passion in his voice as he sang.
I still reach for your hand because I need it
And your kiss is still the spark that lights a fire
You're still laughing with me,
And we're still making memories,
I'm still a fool for you, and there's a million reasons why
After every late-night street light drive
Every 'love you' 'miss you' kiss goodnight
Girl, your name is still my favorite
Always will be and I'm still wanting,
Still all in, I'm still fallin'
It was safe to say that Alejandro's singing was quite the hit with the women in the crowd, even if he only had his eyes set on one of them. Miranda, Courtney and even Heather were all hazily smiling up at him as his smooth voice bellowed through the microphone. However, the more often their eyes would meet, the more Miranda and Courtney realized where his gaze was fixated. One girl felt her cheeks flushing with flattery, and the other with anger.
And after every sunrise holding you,
After all the crazy we've been through
Every day and every minute
Girl, it's something new,
I'm still learning, still burning, yeah still wanting, still all in, still fallin'.
Still falling.
The song soon faded out and Alejandro was applauded. He took a polite bow and stepped off onto the wings.
"Oh, he is good~ Did you notice how he couldn't keep his eyes off me?" Courtney swooned confidently.
"I think you mean he couldn't keep his eyes off Miranda. So much for not having anything between you two." Heather scoffed.
"What?!"
"Think those smiles were intentional now, Miranda?" Sierra asked cheekily.
She received no type of response. Sierra turned to see Miranda smiling off into space.
"Hello? Earth to Miranda!" Sierra snapped her fingers.
Miranda flinched, blinking out of her daze. "Huh? What?"
Sierra chuckled playfully. "Seems like he's putting you in trances too~"
The heat of embarrassment rushed to Miranda's face and Courtney's anger continued to grow.
Owen was up next to sing, but he basically ad-libbed a song for his love of food. It was certainly entertaining, as to be expected, but nothing at all romantic.
Cody went next, singing "This I Promise You" by NSync. Safe to say, it was Sierra's favorite. She could hardly contain herself, biting on her arm to prevent herself from screaming over his performance. It wasn't like the others weren't impressed though. Cody had been in a band not too long ago, so he actually had a decent voice. Although the song choice wasn't quite a perfect match for him.
Finally, it was Duncan's turn, despite him trying for the past forty-five minutes to figure out ways to get out of singing. But, Chris wasn't having any of it, and he ultimately got onto the stage against his will. He ended up singing "November Rain" by Guns 'N Roses, which was surprisingly a wonderful song choice. His voice suited the melody quite well, leaving everyone quite impressed. Even Courtney seemed to be tolerant of the performance.
At last, the challenge ended after that. Chris and Chef took a few minutes to elaborate on the decision. Those minutes seemed to drag on for hours, despite the stakes being relatively low. Soon, Chris stood up from his seat and told everyone to get back onto the stage so he could announce the result.
"Well was that a musical challenge or what? Now, time for the results! We'll start with the ladies. The order from best to worst goes as follows. Miranda, Courtney, Sierra, Heather."
"Second place!? Ugh, you've gotta be kidding!" Courtney exclaimed angrily.
"How am I last!?" Heather scowled.
"You just weren't feeling it~ At least Sierra had some fun with it." Chris grinned cheekily.
"Ugh, whatever. Not like it matters." she scoffed.
"Now, for the men. Ladies, whoever has your corresponding rank will be your groom-to-be for today's challenge. From best to worst, the order is...Alejandro, Duncan, Cody, Owen."
"Are you serious right now!? You're sick, McLean!" Duncan yelled.
"Chris, nooo!" Cody cried as Sierra hugged him tightly, squealing excitedly.
Owen simply shrugged, while Heather rolled her eyes.
Alejandro had a silent, yet thrilled grin on his face, while Miranda covered her face, groaning to herself. She took a confessional about this result as well.
"Of course, I'm paired with him because the world hates me. Like, my dude, my homie, why you got to fuck me over like this?"
Alejandro went up to Miranda and charmingly took her hand, making her blush a bit more.
"Well, I can't say I'm displeased with the results. In fact, I'm honored." he purred.
"Wonder why she gets to take him?" Heather rolled her eyes sarcastically.
"No kidding, what's up with that?" Courtney scowled, taking her words to heart.
"Miranda's good enough for me~" Sierra cooed sweetly, still holding onto Cody.
Chris had his interns set up a large obstacle course on the stage, with four tall heart pillars. On the right side of the stage were four beautiful wedding gowns. All the boys were directed to stand on top of the pillars, while the girls were each handed blindfolds.
"Because a good marriage is based on trust and the ability to argue louder than your spouse, each groom will use a megaphone to guide his blindfolded bride safely to her gown. Only couples with a dress can continue. Go!"
As all the girls put on their blindfolds, Miranda hesitated. She pouted at the idea of not being able to see. Had she known about this earlier, she would've worn her glasses today. Her hesitation was interrupted by a whistle, making her turn around and look up at her partner.
"Dearest, I won't let anything happen to you. You know I always want you at your best."
"...Not like my reputation can get any worse," she mumbled to herself as she put down her blindfold and began walking.
"Duncan, we're on the same team, remember? No funny business!" Courtney glared.
"Trust me, there will be nothing funny about this!" Duncan grinned cheekily, completely ready to begin his derision of Courtney and her patience.
He started out by leading her straight into a pool of chocolate pudding, laughing hysterically.
"Cody? Cody? Could you please speak a little louder?" Sierra called.
"Now right! Hey, I said, right!"
"As if I'd believe anything your lying lips say!" Courtney argued.
"Mmm! Pudding!"
"Owen! Focus!" Heather yelled.
"Don't you hear all the progress they're making?"
"Hurry up, you fucking idiot."
"You're so dead if you don't win this."
"Alejandro's gonna vote you off."
"You're such a failure."
"WORTHLESS"
"Miranda, stop right there!"
The second Miranda heard his voice, she stopped right in her tracks, panting and gripping her head. She'd almost run into a large bell, which would've just made her aching head worse.
"Not...right now...please..." she whimpered quietly to herself.
Alejandro quickly noticed that she was getting overwhelmed by everything going on.
"Hey, hey, relax, dollface. I know, there's a lot going on, but just listen to me. Focus on my voice. You're almost there. Trust me."
She took a shaky breath, nodding because she knew he couldn't hear her quiet pleas for the voices in her head to stop.
"Excellent. Start by moving two paces to the right, then move straight for seven."
She began moving again, taking each step slowly and carefully.
"Good, good. Go a little to the right. Right!"
"Oh my God, I am~" She whined frustratedly.
"Too far! Left, go left!"
Miranda reluctantly obeyed, and within a few seconds, she ran into the mannequin with her dress on it.
"Yes, chica! We won!" Alejandro cheered.
She sighed with complete relief, removing her blindfold. Her eyes widened with awe at the sight of her dress.
"Oh my God, this is beautiful..."
She couldn't help but smile up at Alejandro with flattery clearly showing on her face.
"I guess you do have some good taste."
"I knew you'd be satisfied with that one." Alejandro winked.
Miranda soon saw Courtney run into a bell, making her laugh along with Duncan. But it wasn't for too long because Alejandro quickly spoke up.
"Courtney, it's me, Alejandro! I cannot watch this trainwreck for one minute longer. Simply walk two paces to the left, and then five paces straight ahead."
"Aw, come on, dude!" Duncan complained.
Alejandro put his hand over the megaphone. "We must remember strategy above feelings. I need you to remain in the game with me."
Duncan rolled his eyes as Courtney finally made it to her dress.
"Yes! Got it! Thank goodness there's at least one gentleman here!" she called.
As Courtney walked past Miranda, she took the opportunity to take a jab at her.
"Who should be with me."
Miranda huffed, balling one of her fists to suppress her frustration.
Heather also made it to her dress, albeit covered in vanilla cake. Soon, Chris announced to everyone that it was time to move on.
"Time to move on to the next challenge! Too bad Sierra, but–"
Sierra suddenly gasped, running through all the obstacles to leap onto her dress.
"Got it! Cody! I got the dress!"
Everyone was shocked by her speediness, especially Cody.
So, all the girls were taken to the dressing rooms to get themselves ready. They were told to look as good as possible for the next challenge. Although they weren't given a ton of time in Miranda's opinion. Thirty minutes wasn't going to cut it, especially when she got a bit distracted from jamming out to Taylor Swift while applying her makeup. It was almost like a ritual for her. Taylor Swift was a staple for glam sessions.
Sadly because she was strapped for time, she had to make the makeup much more minimal than she would've liked. Her eyes were highlighted by a champagne shimmer and her signature winged eyeliner, but where her eyes lacked, her bold, red lips made up for.
She just decided to give her hair a simple blowout, since she didn't have enough time to try anything new with it. Though to her, it was missing something, like a little accent braid.
She had just put on her beautiful white and gold dress when someone knocked on the door. But she was too distracted by admiring Taylor Swift's live vocals to hear it, swaying around the room and quietly singing along to her.
Turns out, it was Alejandro who had knocked on the door, and when he didn't get a signal to enter, he simply entered the dressing room. He found out quickly why Miranda didn't answer, chuckling as he watched her dance and sing around the room in her beautiful gown.
He couldn't help but feel his heart rate increase from the wholesome sight. She looked so in her element, much less tense than she was on the obstacle course. Not to mention she was dressed in the most enchanting white and gold gown. The soft fabric seemed to hug every single one of her luscious curves, while the skirt of the dress flowed gracefully down her like a waterfall. It gave off a gorgeous twirl too, but it was quickly interrupted once Miranda realized who was watching her act a fool. She gasped, nearly falling over at the sight.
"Oh my God, you can't do that~! You scared the shit out of me...!" she whined.
Once Alejandro saw her pretty face, he couldn't find a quip to throw back at her. Her makeup looked absolutely perfect, and his brain lost any sort of tact when it came to expressing that.
"Jesus, you are breathtaking..."
"Would it kill you to just knock next time? I'm not even ready, I still have to..."
Miranda suddenly trailed when she actually began to process what he had just said, turning back to him with confusion.
"...What?"
"I said, you look breathtaking, dollface. Absolutely beautiful." he purred.
He took no time walking up to her a putting a gentle hand under her chin to tilt her head up. Miranda's breath hitched at the sight of that dreamy smile, her cheeks heating up once again. She was left speechless, unsure how to respond to such a genuine compliment.
"Um...Would you happen to know how to braid?"
"I would, actually. Sit down."
She complied, sitting down as a new song came on shuffle. She decided to disconnect her headphones so Alejandro could hear it too. Music always helped her concentrate, so she figured it would take both their minds off of her embarrassing awkwardness.
"I'd love to play you some music I'm a fan of that's come from LA, is that okay?
This one came out in 1981
8 years before I was born and I love this song, it's called "Bette Davis Eyes"
Alejandro smiled, taking her soft, golden hair into his hands. "What kind of braid do you want?"
"Can you just...do a little dutch braid around the crown and let it hang off the side?"
He nodded, starting the braid. They were both silent for a while, the only sound in the room being Taylor Swift's voice and guitar with occasional cheering in the background.
Her hair is Harlow gold
Her lips sweet surprise
Her hands are never cold
She's got Bette Davis eyes
She'll turn her music on
You won't have to think twice
She's pure as New York snow
She's got Bette Davis eyes
Miranda was surprised to hear Alejandro softly humming along to the song.
"You know this song?"
"My mother had a guilty pleasure for the original version of this song. She visited Los Angeles in the eighties and she always said she heard this song often. So much that it got stuck in her head and never left it."
"Really? That's really cute." Miranda snickered sweetly.
"She was quite the wild one when she was young, at least that's what I've been told. But, she's always been a ball of sunshine. I wouldn't be where I am without that woman." Alejandro smiled fondly.
"That's how I feel about my dad. I got my love for music from him, my love for singing...Both my parents actually are pretty great. I hope they're doing okay without me."
"I'm sure they're proud to see you've made it this far."
Miranda nodded falling silent again for a moment, letting the music speak for her.
She'll let you take her home
It whets her appetite
She'll lay you on her throne
She's got Bette Davis eyes
"...Do you mean it?"
"Mean what?"
"...You really think I look good?"
"More than anything, dollface. This dress was made for you." he cooed huskily.
She looked at herself in the mirror, pouting.
"Ew, your makeup's so cakey."
"You overdrew your bottom lip."
"Why did you use so much highlighter?"
"Your eyeliner isn't even."
"Did you even try today?"
"...I just don't get what you see, sometimes," she mumbled.
He sighed. "It's quite a shame. I always get such a gorgeous view, you deserve to see yourself the way I do. You'd be happier that way."
Alejandro soon finished the braid, tying it into place. She couldn't help but grin at it, pulling the rest of her hair to the same side. Finally, she was actually satisfied with the way her hair looked.
"Was I lucky that you could braid or what?"
That smile was so lighthearted, warming Alejandro's normally cold heart.
"I think I'm the lucky one, actually, being paired up with the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on."
As she stood up, he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him. She snickered at his dreamy smile.
"You sound delusional. Are you sure you're feeling okay, ya Aries?"
"Never better, dollface. If only I could kiss you right now...but I'd just get red lipstick everywhere."
He smirked as her cheeks began to match her lip color.
"I mean, it's liquid to matte and transfer-proof, so it should be fine..."
He was quite pleased by that response, not fully expecting it, but definitely hoping for it.
"Are you implying that you want me to kiss you?"
"I...didn't say that. I was just saying...if you were to..."
He didn't need to hear anything else after that. He just pulled her closer and started kissing her, as the music continued to play and eventually fade out.
She'll expose you
And just knows you
Off your feet, with the crumbs, she throws you
She's ferocious and she knows just
What it takes to make a pro blush, aye, aye
All the boys think she's a spy
She's got Bette Davis eyes
But of course, the touching moment couldn't last, as the shuffle on Miranda's phone decided to switch up the atmosphere with a more upbeat song.
Don't blame me
Love made me crazy
If it doesn't, you ain't doing it right
Lord save me
My drug is my baby
I'll be using for the rest of my life.
Alejandro decided to take advantage of this shift in tone and deepen the kiss. He held her by the waist, gripping onto her leg that peaked through the cut in the dress. When they broke, he chuckled lowly, purring in her ear.
"As much as I love this dress on you, I'd also love to rip it off your body."
She whimpered at the sound of his husky voice, turning her head away from the ticklish breath on her ear.
"We don't have time, bastard..."
"Who says?"
"Me, that's who. We barely have five minutes."
He shrugged. "You know there's a lot I can accomplish in five minutes, doll."
"Can't we do this after we win?" she huffed.
"I don't know, dollface... Can you wait that long?"
"Try me." she pouted.
He snickered at her determined, yet irksome tone.
"Fine then, doll. Don't think I'll make this easy on you."
He soon backed off of her, and once she shut off the music on her phone, they walked out together to meet up with Chris and the others.
They were all then led to a huge tightrope over Niagara Falls. Across the way was Chef sitting in a booth with index cards. To say the sight was daunting from all angles would probably be an understatement.
"I'd like to call this next challenge, Till Death Do You Part." Chris grinned cheekily.
"It's times like these that we need stunt doubles," Heather argued.
"We escaped falling down Niagara Falls, just so you could make us walk over it? On a tightrope?!" Cody panicked.
"Even better! Each groom has to carry his bride across the gorge. And then, you've got to successfully clear customs! First pair to do so wins invincibility and a pimped-out wedding reception in First Class. Miranda and Alejandro won the challenge, so I'm giving them a headstart."
Alejandro smiled charmingly. "Ready, Mrs. Burromuerto?"
"As long as you don't drop me, Mr. Caramela," she muttered.
"I nearly forgot, because the falls weren't quite unpleasant enough, we stocked them with hungry, hungry sharks!"
People looked down to see three sharks piled onto a boat with nets, skewers, and a frying pan.
"Sharks!" Courtney cried.
"No! No! I'm like a buffet to them!" Owen exclaimed.
Alejandro rolled his eyes, turning to Duncan.
"I know you have a fondness for that...rotund individual. But such popularity makes him a threat."
"Yeah, alright, and?" Duncan scoffed.
"Join me in voting him off, and I'll let you pick who goes next. If it's Courtney, so be it."
He paused, thinking for a second. "Deal."
Alejandro smirked, his attention shifting to the girl holding onto his arm for dear life.
"I'll offer the same to you, dollface. What do you say?"
"As long as I live through this, fine." Her tone was noticeably shaky with anxiety.
"I have flawless balance. You'll be just fine. Even if I do fall, you'll have my protection."
She sighed, nodding. "That better be true."
He chuckled. "Come along, better half. Let us take advantage of our headstart."
He took Miranda into a bridal-style embrace, startling her. Still, she blushed and snickered at the sight of Courtney groaning with aggregation and jealousy.
"And remember, violence is never the answer. Except on this show. Go!"
With that, the other couples began to organize themselves onto the rope and make their way across the gorge.
Miranda buried her head in the crook in Alejandro's neck so she wouldn't have to look at that horrendous view. Normally, she had no problem with heights. But with the sharks licking their lips down at the bottom of the falls, she couldn't help but be at least a bit afraid.
Alejandro could definitely sense that she was tense, which he didn't exactly blame her for, but still wanted to remedy.
"So...Caramela? Is that your last name?"
She nodded slowly.
"It's a beautiful name. Is it...Italian?"
"Y-Yeah, I'm Italian, German...little Polish, I don't know..." she stammered anxiously.
"It's okay, dollface. Just relax, everything is fine."
"Anxiety and relaxing don't really mix well." Miranda whimpered.
"Well, perhaps I'll just have to take your mind off of the thought of falling... How ever will I do that?" Alejandro hummed playfully, already knowing the answer.
"Oh, that's right. I can simply tell you about everything we'll do in First Class after we win."
Miranda flinched, pulling away to look at that smug smirk to see if he was actually serious. Her cheeks darkened when she realized he most certainly was.
"What? Now? Are you insane?"
"What~? I know you'd much rather be under me right now so I can admire your angelic body."
"Y-You can't be serious right now." Miranda pouted.
"How else am I supposed to challenge you, doll? I bet you're just dying for me to kiss this pretty neck of yours~" he purred in her ear, making her face get even warmer.
"C-Can't you read the fucking room? This is a matter of life or death...!" Miranda whined.
"Not if you don't think about it. You have no reason to worry right now. I know you can think of more...pleasurable things, so to speak." Alejandro smirked.
"You really think I'm not being serious? I want to live before I think about anything else." Miranda was quickly starting to become frustrated.
"Stress is not the answer, dollface. You are perfectly fine right now. All I'm doing is distracting you from your fears. You are in good hands, I promise."
She just decided to ignore him and hide her gaze back in the crook of his neck, grumbling stubbornly. He knew she was getting angry, but that just fueled him to keep going. He had to get them to fall somehow.
"To think, once we win, you and I will be completely alone... in a room where no one will know what we're doing. Picture it, doll, being sprawled out on the couch while you're under me, my hands exactly where you want them...your hands in my hair, begging for me. And it'll all be our little secret, mamí~"
No matter how much Miranda tried to ignore those husky purrs in her ear, her cheeks just continued to burn. It got to the point that the heat made her whimper and grip his shirt a bit tighter. Alejandro hummed contently.
"That's it, dollface. Just relax, the wait's almost over. I intend to spoil my pretty girl tonight~"
She whimpered again. "You are so fucking annoying...~"
He laughed playfully. "I knew you wouldn't last, dollface."
She gently kicked her legs, as a means to combat him. However, he took this to his advantage and used that kicking as an excuse for stumbling.
"Be...careful!"
It wasn't long before the two went plummeting into the water with a loud splash, just like Alejandro had wanted. He took a confessional to explain his way of thinking.
"Of course, I fell on purpose! I am a gifted balancer. But, it would be unwise to appear too strong right now, with the teams just dissolved. I don't require immunity. Thanks to my alliances, with Miranda, Owen, and Duncan. So, I lay and wait like a cocodrilo. A devilishly handsome cocodrilo."
Miranda also took a confessional, clearly frustrated that his so-called promises of safety weren't actually fulfilled.
"I knew he was gonna do that, just tease me about that night we had...He's gonna keep using that, probably for the rest of the game...! Ugh, I think I just screwed myself..."
Shortly after they fell, Owen, Heather, Sierra, and Cody followed suit. They all grouped up in a pack to escape the sharks on the boat, screaming and pleading for someone to just end the challenge already. Meanwhile, Duncan and Courtney ended up winning the challenge, as bitter about it as they were. Then, and only then, were the others saved from the sharks by interns. Once everyone was out of the water, it was back onto the jet they went, soaking wet and frustrated.
Soon enough, it came time to vote. It was a bit of a foreign process, since the number of people eligible for the vote had increased. There were so many more options and so many new targets. It was around this time that people began to realize how far deep they were into this competition.
This was partly what made Miranda hesitate while she was in the confessional, stamper in hand and passports sprawled across the counter. She had really made it to the merge...it was quite remarkable in her eyes. She had to wonder if anyone would immediately target her, and Courtney immediately came to mind.
As much as she wanted to cast her vote for that nasty CIT, she was immune, enjoying her wedding cake in First Class, much to her dismay. So, who else was there?
She quickly remembered the deal she'd struck with Alejandro about voting for Owen. But, was that really the right call to make? Owen was one of the few kindhearted people left in the game. It felt purely evil to vote him off, especially since he was a former teammate. But, she did say that if they survived the challenge, she'd go through with it. She didn't want to know what would happen if she'd disobeyed Alejandro this late in the game. So, as much as it hurt her heart, she placed her vote and made her way to the elimination room.
Once everyone was finished voting and had gathered onto the bleachers, Chris began the ceremony.
"Duncan and Courtney have immunity. Everyone else is fair game. What's it gonna be?"
As he read the votes silently to himself, he'd put on a expression that vaguely seemed to mimic surprise.
"Interesting... Really? Who would've thought? Wow." he chuckled.
"Read them already!" Heather glared.
"Okay, okay. Hold onto your halter tops. Two votes for Heather."
"What?! Did Courtney vote twice?!"
"One vote for Miranda."
"Gee, I wonder who." she glared at Courtney.
"One vote for Sierra."
"I'm sorry, my name is Sierra-Cody now. It's hyphenated." she corrected while gripping Cody for dear life.
"And four votes for...Owen."
"What? Me?" His eyes widened with genuine shock.
Alejandro smiled deviously, the silent relief washing over him
"Owen, the gang has spoken." Chris threw him a parachute.
He took it, standing up and reluctantly heading for the door.
"Oh, okay... Well, I'll miss you guys."
"Bye, Owen. I'll miss you." Miranda grinned sadly.
"Smell ya later, man." Duncan waved with a smirk.
"I am weeping, on the inside," Alejandro said falsely.
"You can't do it on the outside, Al, just a little? I'd like that. Al? Al? Al! Al?"
His eye twitched as he bit his lip. Miranda soon stood up and went over to him.
"I need a hug before I get emotional."
Owen grinned, hugging her tightly.
"Hey, don't be sad! If we're placing bets, mine's on you to win the whole thing!"
Miranda's eyes widened, a shocked smile washing over her lips.
"I...thank you. I'll try my best..."
With that, Owen said his final goodbyes and attempted to jump out of the plane, only to get stuck in the doorframe.
He laughed. "Oops! Little help?"
Alejandro scowled, having enough of his nonsense. He quite literally kicked him out, coughing Owen's odor as he began to descend. Everyone was soon dismissed after that.
Miranda took a final confessional before deciding to try and get some sleep in Economy Class.
"Owen was one of the last kind-hearted competitors. Now, all that's left is Cody and...I guess Sierra. But, other than that, it's just a bunch of liars, cheaters, and sinners. And me, which is worse than all of those combined. Things are really gonna get ugly now..."
A/N(written in 2019) Awww god I love this chapter. It was one of my favorites to write by far. I love the changes I made to it, honestly. I think it's better to have Heather rather than Blaineley so I hope you guys aren't too mad that I had to take her out. (BLANERIFIC IS A BOP THO I'M SORRY I TOOK IT OUT.) Fun fact, keeping Heather in was one of the first points I thought of in my initial brainstorm of this version. Good times lol. Also, we're three notebooks down! I only used part of a notebook for this part, since I was using it for another story. Sharing is caring. There are only two left now! Yay!! (man this took 5? ok pop off). I hope you guys like this chapter too! Let me know in the comments below, if you want, it'll make me happy. No pressure. Stay tuned till next time, my dolls! ~Miranda
(yeah I'm so sorry this one is so late btw, motivation=dead. Tis the damn season ig. PoP should be coming on Monday as normal tho <3)