Despite the dreary setting he had woken up to, Alejandro couldn't remember the last time he'd slept so peacefully. No cringing at the sound of snoring, no screaming from turbulence, no obnoxiously loud bodily functions. It was a breath of fresh air to him, honestly.
The sun had just barely begun rising when he got up to stretch. He quickly noticed he wasn't the first one up, seeing Miranda typing on her phone across the way. She glanced up at him while he was stretching, just to acknowledge that he was awake, not to necessarily greet him. That is until he began speaking to her.
"Ah, what a beautiful morning, don't you think so, dollface?"
She couldn't help but scoff at the odd cheeriness in his voice. "...It's a little early to tell, isn't it?"
"Ah, but that's where you're wrong. There's a sort of... tranquility in the air. So quiet and peaceful."
He plopped down next to her, using her shoulder as an armrest. Miranda seemed to realize what his weird attitude was all about, crossing her arms.
"Oh, yeah, Owen's gone. That's why you sound like you've been frolicking in daisies." Miranda rolled her eyes.
He chuckled. "Oh, come now, doll. This isn't new behavior for me. I always feel like this when I see your pretty face, after all."
The sincere compliment threw her off guard, causing her to look up at him curiously.
"...I can't tell if you meant that."
"Oh? What makes you say that?" he snickered.
"I don't know, it just didn't sound... flirtatious."
Her blunt response made him laugh. "Mi, que linda eres."
She shook her head unknowingly, huffing and looking down at her phone once more. Later on in the day, she took a confessional about Alejandro's shift in character.
"I've never seen him so...annoyingly happy. Ugh, it feels so weird. I mean, yeah, he got what he wanted, no problem. But I can only hope that I actually get my end of the deal. Courtney better be enjoying her last day onboard."
Sooner or later, everyone else in Economy Class began waking up. Sierra was in a blissful daze while Cody sat as far as he could from her. Heather sat next to Miranda, who had been whispering to her.
"Who are you voting for next?" Heather asked quietly.
"Courtney, why?"
"What about him? Come on, I can totally help you vote off that jerk."
She pointed to the Spaniard next to her, who was trying to console Cody about his "marriage".
Miranda huffed at the queen bee. "As annoying as he can be... Courtney bugs me more. You of all people should agree with me on that."
"Sure, Courtney's a bitch. But, if it wasn't for Alejandro flirting with her, you wouldn't feel that way in the first place."
Miranda glanced over at him nervously, unable to respond to Heather's statement at first.
"Don't act like I'm wrong," Heather smirked coyly.
"...It was a big part of it, but I've always thought Courtney was annoying. This just topped it all off for me."
"And who's fault is that?"
Miranda was beginning to lose patience. She wished that Heather wasn't discussing this with her while everyone was around. If they were in a separate room, she could actually give Heather her two cents at a normal volume level.
"Yes, it's his. I completely agree with you. But, I'm not voting him off. Not yet." she hissed through her whispers.
"Oh, come on. Just because you've fallen for his stupid flirting doesn't mean–" Heather glared.
"W-What? That's not the reason...! Absolutely not. I just...haven't seen the golden opportunity to do it."
"You've had plenty of chances. You could've done it in Niagara Falls, 'cause he, you know, fell off the rope after he gave you his word. Don't you feel as though you were...maybe, betrayed?"
The sudden sadness that flooded Miranda's eyes brought Heather some quick satisfaction. It was exactly the button she needed to push.
"...Yeah, I do...But, I just– Listen, I really appreciate the advice, but I don't want anyone else gone before Courtney. As soon as she's gone, then yes, I will be totally on board with you."
"Okay, fine. First Courtney, then the handsome jerk. Deal?"
As Heather extended out her hand for Miranda to shake, Miranda flinched, unsure whether or not to go through with this at first.
"Are you insane? Listening to Heather is a literal death sentence."
"Wanting to be manipulated again, huh? Pathetic."
"If he plays dirty, you gotta play dirty."
"Grow a pair and shake her hand, dumbass."
After a moment of trying to shoo away those obnoxious voices, Miranda grimaced and shook Heather's hand. Soon, Cody's continuous whining and complaining finally got the attention of the two girls.
"She wants to throw a reception for us when we get home. She wants to get one of those cupcake cakes, and spend the whole day smashing icing into each other's faces!"
Alejandro wrapped an arm around his shoulder, snickering.
"They say it's always best for a husband to indulge his wife."
Heather rolled her eyes. "Except they're not married."
"But they are! I saw it myself!" Alejandro countered.
"There is no marriage certificate, no rings, no paparazzi photos..." Heather listed as Miranda nodded her head.
"No, that's true! That's true!" Cody smiled.
Miranda scoffed. "You two are about as married as Alejandro and I."
Alejandro's perked up as he smirked at her cheekily.
"Mi ángel~ I know you crave Alejandro like a baked chicken carves mole sauce, but marriage? Aren't you...rushing things?"
Miranda's cheeks flushed bright red, leading her to stammer out her response.
"I-It was sarcasm...! A-Aren't you one to talk about rushing things?"
"Your mouth says such, but your eyes say something else~"
Miranda rolled said eyes. "They say, shut the hell up."
She turned her back to him grumpily, leading him to scoot closer to her and whisper in her ear.
"I know they're only married in Sierra's fantasy. But, she needs me to say I witnessed it. And therefore, she stays on our side."
She knew exactly what he meant by the phrase "our side", however, that didn't mean she believed in it. It was his side, and she was the accessory to such. But accessories were good at going along with things.
"...Right. 'Our side'."
Alejandro immediately heard the doubt in her tone, putting his strong hands on her gentle shoulders.
"You may think it's foolish, but I'm just providing you with the protection you desire, my liege."
He tucked a piece of her dark golden hair behind her ear before standing up and leaving everyone to their own devices.
Heather and Miranda took this opportunity to scoot over toward the sulking husband on the other end of the bench.
"You and I seem to have a similar problem." Miranda snickered shyly.
Cody sighed tiredly. "So, which escaped mental patient are you married to?"
Heather jumped in to take the pressure off of Miranda.
"All she means is sometimes if you're too nice to someone, they get the wrong idea. Happens to me all the time."
"Not like this! She's making baby name lists! I don't want kids! She can't make me have kids, right?" Cody refuted frantically, putting his hands on Heather's knees.
She patted his hands reluctantly. "Just tell her that you will never ever be a thing. Ultimately, it's going to be doing her a favor."
"I mean, you don't have to be that rude about it. But, I do agree with the idea of rejecting her." Miranda added sheepishly.
Cody stood up and decided to think over the advice, leaving the girls alone.
The plane landed within the hour, overlooking a grand scape of green mountains, laced with the rammed earth and wood built centuries ago. The wall seemed to continue endlessly through the hills, making anyone attempt to fathom how long it must have taken to build, and when it would eventually end.
"Ni hao! Welcome to China, a vast country rich in history, culture, innovation, and delicious sauces! Our first challenge is torn from the pages of a rich history. In eight million B.C., King Dim Sum led a battalion of donkey warriors down this very great wall."
"Eight million B.C. was the Miocene Era. There were dinosaurs!" Courtney exclaimed, making Miranda scoff quietly.
"Yeah, what she said. We've provided a selection of vehicles to race to our mystery destination. They're first come, first served. It's the Chinese way. Ready...set...–"
As everyone braced themselves to start running, a cell phone started to ring, stalling the race further.
"I better get this. McLean here... Yeah, I'm trying to do a show here."
"Can we go or what?" Heather asked impatiently.
"Mhm, yeah," Chris mumbled, but it was unclear whether it was directed at the phone or the very ready contestants.
"Yeah? We go?" Alejandro questioned again.
"Yeah, can we do this later?" Chris scoffed, waving his hand dismissively.
"So, we go now?" Duncan huffed anxiously.
"Okay, fine!"
With that last supposed confirmation, everyone began to run up the wall, much to Chris's frustration.
"Hey, who said you could go? Yeah, well, watch out! There's a few things I was gonna warn you about, but...forget it!"
Miranda did hear this, taking a nervous breath. She was about to pop in her earbuds so she could just focus on running when Heather made her way up to her.
"Are you ready for some sabotage?"
"Depends on what that entails." Miranda panted.
"Just watch."
Heather ran up behind Courtney, smacking her down to the ground.
"You did not just do that," Courtney growled.
"I'm good, right?" Heather called as she and Miranda passed her, the latter snickering a bit.
Miranda ended up catching up to Alejandro and Duncan, who were the first ones to make it to the set of transportation options. Both of them seemed to be eyeing a mountain bike.
"Duncan, you do know that I think of you as my bromigo." Alejandro grinned courteously.
"Yeah, so? We gonna wrestle over this or what?" Duncan scoffed.
"If you want it, it's yours. I will, unfortunately, have to ride this skateboard."
Duncan smirked, hopping onto the bike. "Later!"
He rode off, but Alejandro effortlessly kicked the board into his hand, determined to catch up to Duncan.
Miranda looked behind him to see another bike, which she quickly claimed for herself. She finally popped in her earbuds and quietly rode passed Alejandro, trying to catch up to Duncan. Alejandro chuckled to himself as he took a confessional.
"A small price to pay for Duncan's loyalty. What I forgot to mention is that I won a gold medal in the South American skate Olympics."
He swiftly made his way up to Miranda, who was humming peacefully along to the music in her ears. Alejandro smiled softly at the gently content feeling she was experiencing. It always felt like a blessing to see that beautiful smile. It was getting harder and harder to bring about these days. He could understand this, of course, the stress of the game was beginning to set within her, he imagined. So, seeing peace washed over that sweet face was such a treat.
"You're so beautiful when you're like this. Are you enjoying yourself, my doll?"
She rolled her eyes, snickering. "As much as my legs will allow."
Alejandro snickered quietly as well. "This is quite a long ride we have ahead of us. We may as well spend it together."
"Ugh, can't you flirt with me after we catch up to Duncan? As nice as your offer sounds, winning sounds a lot better."
He smirked coyly at her confidence.
"Fair enough, chica. Then I'm sure you'll catch up with me later, yes?"
He started to ride passed her with a burst of speed, making her stammer weakly.
"H-Hey, I-I said we!" She started to pedal faster in order to catch up with him.
She couldn't help but admire the scenery as the race continued. The vast, green mountains, with tiny villages, burrowed in a few of them. It looked like a peaceful place to live, despite what she had always heard on the news. She could only wish the people in those villages were at least happy and well. It was just in her code to worry more about others than any discomfort she may be in, like the steady burning in her calves.
She did eventually catch up to Alejandro, who just so happened to have caught up to Duncan as well.
"Nice speed there, buddy!" Duncan called.
"Gracias! I hope gravity is also your buddy on this incline." Alejandro smiled.
"Thanks! Hope a wheel doesn't lock up and land you on your face!"
Just ahead of them, however, was a strangely shaped object, square in the middle of the path. Alejandro seemed to recognize it right away, hopping over it on his board.
"Hey, bro! What's that?"
Miranda took advantage of Duncan's uncertainly as swerved past him on his bike, also avoiding the strange object. Duncan ran right into it, the sudden impact making it explode. Miranda couldn't help but snicker as she heard the punk screaming behind them.
"We shouldn't see him for a while."
Alejandro chuckled. "Well, that's good to know. Now we can talk about our strategy."
"What kind of strategy?" Miranda pouted.
"Our strategy to getting rid of him. Duncan seems quite aware of our alliance, and I feel as though Heather is as well. In my humble opinion, just having one person's knowledge of it is too many, let alone two."
Miranda nodded hesitantly. "Yes, I agree. But, we have a deal, right? I get to pick who goes next. I helped you with Owen, now you have to help me with Courtney."
Alejandro huffed, shaking his head dismissively.
"Courtney is the least of our worries right now. There are much bigger threats we should be focusing on. Courtney will go, but not yet."
Miranda knew that he would try and pull something like this, like the spoiled brat that he was. Despite fully expecting his disapproval, she still refuted him.
"No, we had a deal, which I agreed to and did my share in. It's your turn to hold up your end. I will not go along with anything else."
Alejandro rolled his eyes. "Come on, dollface. I know you only want her gone just so I can give you more attention."
He skated in front of her bike, leaning towards that cute, grumpy face with a coy smirk lacing his lips.
"I know how much you love my attention~"
Miranda almost had to stop pedaling her bike out of pure anxiousness.
"Agh...! Move, dumbass, do you want me to hit you with the bike?"
He chuckled lowly. "See? I'm the only one you care about, isn't that right, pretty?"
"That is not true and you know it. If you're not gonna help me, I'm sure as hell not gonna help you." she hissed.
"Relax, dollface. If you really want her gone... I suppose I can help with that. Though Duncan should be the next to go." Alejandro conceded, swerving back to her side to ease her mind.
"Yeah, sure, whatever," She growled, the pout on her face growing.
"You seem awfully feisty this morning, dollface. Is something bothering you?" Alejandro asked curiously.
"...Lots of things bother me. You don't want to unpack it all."
"Well, we do have a long ride, if you'd be willing to elaborate." Alejandro shrugged, skating a bit closer to her.
He seemed genuinely concerned about what was on her mind, those curious emeralds solely focusing on her lacy blue agates, ones dulling more and more each day. Miranda huffed after a moment, trying to decide which of the millions of issues she should focus on. She just started saying the first things that came to her mind.
"It's just...Heather's trying to sway me to vote with her tonight. Sure, she makes valid points, but... I don't feel like I should...Like, I don't want to vote for–"
She cut herself off as she realized what she was actually saying, her cheeks burning with the sudden embarrassment. She looked up at Alejandro with completely worried eyes. Upon seeing this fear swirling in her eyes, he quickly acknowledged her seriousness.
"...Heather's a bigger threat than I thought. Has she threatened you? Or done anything to hurt you?" he asked cautiously.
Miranda shook her head. "No, it's just...ever since New York, I just feel like she's been trying to control me somehow, judging my every move, everything I say...being held against me. But, I almost want to think her intentions are good...I don't know what to do."
"Perhaps we should target Heather, then, if she's making you feel this way," Alejandro suggested.
Miranda quietly groaned. "But, Courtney...~"
"Courtney is harmless compared to her. If Heather's been getting in your way, it'd be the most beneficial to eliminate her, don't you agree?"
"Well, sure, but..."
"Miranda, do not let her infest your brain with more stress. You can end this whole ordeal now, or let her completely subdue you, the latter of which I don't want to see happen to you. She doesn't own you or your choices."
"I know that. I just...I think she's only trying to help me..."
Miranda looked wildly conflicted, the stress building up in her brain once more. Alejandro could practically see it on her face, her lip quivering a bit, her eyes narrowing with uncertainty. He didn't care to see her this way. He already missed the smile she just had minutes ago.
"But you don't know that. She could be simply using you for her personal gain." Alejandro refuted.
"It wouldn't be the first time."
"Either way, you're fucked."
"Time to dig your grave even deeper."
"You're such a fucking idiot for trusting either of them."
"WORTHLESS."
"PATHETIC."
"BRAINLESS."
Miranda remained silent, trying to remain focused on the road ahead of her instead of crying out in helpless pain. Alejandro persisted, however.
"I really don't want you to fall down this trap, Miranda. Please, let Courtney go for now, and let's dethrone this queen bee."
After a moment of trying to calm herself down, Miranda sighed weakly.
"I...I'll think about it, okay? To make a decision on the spot...it's overwhelming."
"That's alright, there's no rush. Just do what is best for you."
It was around this time that a confessional of Miranda's began to play, with her hugging herself protectively.
"I...don't know what to do anymore. I'm sorry, Heather, but...I can't vote off Alejandro. Not yet, at least. I know she's trying to get rid of the biggest threat, but...I'd honestly be so lost without him. Ugh, as much as that pisses me off. But, to vote Heather out because of this would be so cruel...! I've wanted Courtney gone for a while, so as long as nothing changes, she's getting my vote."
After this, Alejandro changed the subject in spite of her stress. He'd do unique tricks on his board to impress her and try to teach her how to do tricks on her bike. Sure, she was too nervous to actually nail them or anything, but it was taking her mind off of the heavy conversations from earlier. And it was kind of fun to have some one-on-one time with him.
"I can't...~ No, I'm scared...!"
"Trust me, you can do it. Just let my hands guide yours."
"But I'm gonna fall off!" Miranda whined through nervous giggles.
"No, you won't. I'll catch you, I promise. Just lean back and pedal in a quick burst."
With a bit of persistent persuasion, Miranda complied and started to lean back on the bike, lifting the front wheel off the ground for a split second. The sudden shift in position made her squeak anxiously, but Alejandro had his hands on hers and was spotting to make sure she didn't lean back too far. Although it was a brief trick, Miranda felt like she'd just achieved the impossible.
"Oh my God...~" she panted.
"See? You did it! You have no reason to fear." Alejandro chuckled.
"Yes, I did, that was scary as hell." Miranda teased.
"Aw, my poor doll. Is there anything I can do to make you feel safer?" Alejandro cooed.
Miranda blushed at the sweetness in his tone, humming sheepishly. But instead of answering verbally, she tapped her lips with her pointer finger. Alejandro chuckled, immediately catching on to what she wanted.
"Ah, yes, I think a kiss will do the trick."
Alejandro grabbed onto her hand and left a sweet peck on her lips. But it was over as quickly as it started, making Miranda pout at him, furthering his amusement. He placed his hand under her chin, lifting her head up delicately.
"My, aren't you needy today...You know this is no easy feat to do while skating. Perhaps after the race, I can further soothe your worries. Is that alright, gorgeous?"
The smooth purr made her breath hitch, the heat spreading across her face in a blaze. Something about that word sent chills down her back, but in the best way.
"...As long as you keep calling me that," she mumbled.
Alejandro smirked. It was the first time she'd actually responded so positively to a pet name.
"Oh, so you like me calling you exactly what you are, huh, gorgeous?"
Miranda nodded, trying to hold back the whimper stuck in her throat. She'd be lying if she said her mind wasn't drifting off to the feeling of his voice hitting her sensitive ears.
But her daze was suddenly interrupted by the sound of a new voice from behind them.
"Thought you lost me, eh, lovebirds?"
Duncan confidently pedaled past the two of them soot covering his face. This sudden arrival caused Alejandro to get his head back in the game and skate up to him.
"Glad you're okay, pal."
Miranda also started pedaling toward the boys to try and pass them.
"Hey! Your shoelaces are untied!" Duncan called.
Alejandro scoffed. "They're boots. Nice try!"
The boys were battling for the lead.
"Who needs to try?" Duncan grunted.
"Not me!" Alejandro panted.
Suddenly, Miranda's tire got stuck in a crack in the ground, bringing her to a halt. She squeaked at the force, wobbling a bit to regain her balance as she got off the bike.
"Come on..." she groaned, hopping off and trying to pull it free.
Alejandro looked back to see this, his eyes widening with concern.
"Bromigo, may we agree to stop?"
"Well, sure! If you want, if you need to catch your breath, but I got to–"
Alejandro cut him off, worry filling his voice.
"Miranda's in need of some aid!"
Both of them stopped upon him saying this.
"Oh, you want to watch her squirm for a while? Cool."
Duncan snickered at Alejandro's worried expression.
"A Mamacita in distress is a terrible thing! And by helping her, we could gain her loyalty!"
"Dude, she's not gonna have any of that! You said it yourself. You're a guy that's tried." Duncan rolled his eyes.
"You do what you must, my friend."
Alejandro ran over to Miranda, who was struggling to free her wheel.
"Are you okay?" he asked quietly.
She nodded. "I-I'm fine, you don't have to help me."
"But, I want to. Please, step aside."
She was hesitant, but she obeyed, letting him try to pull the bike out. But, even he seemed to struggle with it.
Duncan laughed at this display. "So, you can't do this yourself, blondie?"
Miranda put up her middle finger for him to clearly see. Of course, Duncan wasn't at all offended, in fact, he snickered at her.
"Come on, man, just leave her! Let her stew in her own stuck-up juices!"
But Alejandro took Miranda's hand, gently pulling her towards him.
"You know I would never leave you to stew in the juice, right? I would do anything to help you continue in this game."
The look of genuine concern in his eyes left Miranda breathless. Every day, it seemed like he was getting more and more believable with his emotions. She sometimes wanted to revert back to distrusting him, but that glint in his eye...How could she possibly disregard something so dreamy?
"...Thank you. I owe you one. If I can make it up to you..." she blushed.
Alejandro smirked at her offer. "Oh, I will remember that, gorgeous."
With one last strong pull, Miranda's bike was free. Alejandro kissed her hand, grinning proudly. Miranda couldn't help but grin at how overly chivalrous he was being.
With that, the three of them continued on with their race. It stayed like that for a while, until a fourth contender joined them, riding on a tricycle.
"Thought you lost me, you asshole?" Courtney glared at Duncan.
"Ugh, I was hoping that little crack would keep your whining at bay." He rolled his eyes, making Miranda snicker.
"Did she get stuck?" she asked, chuckling as he nodded.
Courtney glared at them. "You know, just standing around and insulting me while the race is still on only means one thing. You're a loser!"
"If annoying you is wrong, I don't want to be right," Duncan answered.
"Yeah, me too." Miranda nodded.
"Please! The three of you!" Alejandro interjected as he and Miranda drove around another mine.
"See? Even Alejandro–"
Courtney was immediately cut off by the mine sending her flying off into the air.
"Should we go back and help her?" Alejandro asked worriedly.
Miranda laughed out loud. "Hell no!"
"What do you think? I'm going straight to the finish line!"
Duncan smirked as he started pedaling again, with Miranda and Alejandro following.
Within a few minutes, the finish line was in sight, making the boys push themselves ahead of Miranda. They practically tied for first place, but neither of them would accept that result.
"Bromigo, I think I beat you!"
"No, bud! I edged you out big time!"
Chris came up from the wall he was hiding behind.
"May we check the photo finish?" Alejandro asked.
"What show do you think you're on? There's no prize for first anyway."
"What?!" The boys looked shocked.
"If you'd waited for me to say the rules, anybody who makes it over the line before the gong rings gets to join me for a very special lunch. AKA, the next part of the competish."
"I still won!" Alejandro pouted childishly.
"Go sit on some chopsticks!" Duncan argued.
Miranda parked her bike against the wall as Alejandro walked over to her and tapped her shoulder. She turned around, only for him to pull her into a protective hug.
"It's not a kiss, but it'll do for now, right?"
Miranda blushed, actually taking back his embrace.
"Mhm..." She mumbled in his shirt, resting her tired eyes for a bit.
Cody came riding in on a donkey, cheering at his arrival.
"Yes! We made it! I feel like I lost...What does Sierra weigh? Like, a couple hundred pounds?"
Heather came running in on wooden shoes not long after him.
"Can't stop! No traction!" She ran directly into the gong.
"Those shoes are a war crime!" she cried.
"You didn't have to wear them," Chris answered bluntly.
"What?!"
"If you had waited to announce the rules..."
"Just tell me I beat Courtney."
Duncan snickered. "Oh, yeah. I doubt she'll make it."
She kicked the shoes off, noticing Miranda between Alejandro's arms. She shot her a furious look that screamed in a similar voice to her inner demons.
"What the fuck are you doing?"
Miranda whimpered, burying her face in Alejandro's chest, only to see their feet on the ground. She could already hear Heather scolding her for this later.
"Okay, people! It's time to–"
Chris was cut off as Sierra approached the finish line on a pogo stick. Seeing this made Cody begin to panic.
"Ring the gong! Ring it!"
Chris did ring the gong, just as Sierra passed over the line.
"I made it!" she cheered, making Cody groan.
So, everyone except for Courtney was taken to a brand new location, which was a fancy restaurant with a long, low table awaiting. Everyone sat down with their legs crossed and no shoes.
"To win today, you'll have to eat more than everybody else at this totally awesome Chinese restaurant."
"Who doesn't love won tons? Last New Year's, I ate about a thousand of–"
Chris destroyed Cody's excitement by cutting him off quickly.
"Except, that this is the world's most authentic Chinese restaurant! You'll be enjoying real street food delicacies! Deep-fried grasshoppers, Kung-pow larvae..."
Alejandro's eyes widened as he gagged.
"You alright, dude?" Duncan questioned.
Alejandro scoffed confidently.
"I'm fine. Where I'm from, we eat barbecued guinea pig. This is...nothing..." he gagged again.
Chris's phone started to ring again, making him stroll out of frame to answer it.
"Yo, it's McLean... Yeah, I'm trying to make a show here."
Duncan called to him. "If it's Courtney, tell her she's a loser!"
As if on cue, Courtney entered, completely covered in mud and clearing her throat obnoxiously.
"Courtney! I am filled with relief!" Alejandro smiled.
"Oh yeah? Well, I am filled with rage! Do you know where I landed? In a pig pen! Do you know how thoroughly I got snouted? It's a good thing I have a very strong stomach."
That last sentence seemed to intrigue Alejandro greatly, his eyebrow rising in a devious manner.
"Ah, good to hear."
He took a confessional about the upcoming challenge here, expressing discomfort initially.
"I've been dreading the eating competition. Because my body is my temple, and what temple keeper would contaminate this?"
He ripped off his shirt, flexing his pecs while smirking at the camera confidently.
Miranda also took a short confessional about the challenge, more so Alejandro's reaction to it. It seemed to bring her a sense of eagerness.
"Finally, something he's not good at! Maybe I can actually beat him in something."
Chris eventually came back from his phone call.
"Okay, you have to eat each bowl of delish food, opening your mouths to prove it went down. If you're last to finish, or you puke, you go sit with Courtney on the loser bench."
"I am a C.I.T., I am not a loser," she growled bitterly.
Chef brought out bowls of what appeared to be tofu, but it had a foul, rotten odor to it.
Cody picked it up with his chopsticks, flinching at the strong scent. "What is it?"
His question was answered by the sound of a tiny bell chiming nearby.
"Allow me to begin today's number."
Chris grinned cheekily, as he began to introduce the challenge through song.
A little Chinese Lesson for you
Manman chi means
Enjoy your meal.
Manman chi it's no raw deal.
"I-Is it roasted eel?" Cody asked again nervously.
"It's donkey meat! Local delicacy!"
A lot of people gagged upon hearing that. Miranda smelled it curiously, taking a small bite. It actually wasn't the worst thing she'd ever put in her mouth. It kind of tasted similar to pork, which was something she was fond of. Keeping that mentality, she was the first one to finish.
"Done." she grinned, sticking her tongue out.
Alejandro came up from under the table, holding up the hair tie he had dropped.
"Dropped something." he stuck his tongue out.
Heather and Sierra both finished as Duncan tried to tell himself it was a bacon double cheeseburger.
"Come on, Cody!" Heather exclaimed.
He crossed his arms stubbornly. "I can't eat Ace!"
Duncan finished, opening his mouth. "Done!"
"Cody, you're out! Loser bench!"
He sighed in defeat as Chef brought out the next dish, containing live worms. Miranda was nowhere near as eager to eat this dish, feeling a wave of nausea wash over her the second she saw the bowls.
But despite everyone's discomfort, Chris continued to sing cheerfully.
Manman chi means bon appetit
Manman chi
What do we have to eat?
"It's still moving its feet! Its hundreds and hundreds of disgusting little feet!" Heather cried.
"Live mealworms! Local delicacy!"
Miranda took a deep breath, held her nose, and started to shove them down as fast as her gag reflex allowed. The texture was a complete atrocity, crunchy, yet slimy, it was just awful.
Alejandro once again came up from under the table.
"Oops, uh, my hair tie fell." he opened his empty mouth confidently.
Miranda regained her breath, still struggling to hold back a gag.
"How the fuck did you do that so fast?"
Duncan finished a bit after Alejandro, sighing with relief. "Done!"
Sierra also finished. "Done!"
Miranda and Heather were both trying to push through the nightmare, gagging helplessly.
Alejandro could see the visible pain on Miranda's face, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. He put a hand on her back, gently rubbing it.
"You can do this, doll. Relax, don't think about it."
She nodded weakly, easing up as much as she could, and soon, she did finish before Heather.
"D-Done...!"
"Heather, you're out! Loser bench!"
She puked on the table and sat down angrily. She quickly noticed Courtney chewing on something. The CIT was forced to swallow, coughing a bit to hide any suspicious actions. Heather was hardly buying it, though.
Manman chi, it's dinner for four
Manman chi, we've got room for more.
"I think I'm nearly done for!" Duncan sang in agony.
"Starfish on a skewer, local delicacy!"
As much as Miranda despised seafood, this didn't look nearly as bad as the worms.
When she took a bite, she confirmed that it was gross, but nowhere near as awful as the worms. It was more the texture that bothered her. The taste actually was alright, just a little peppery. After toughing it through the strange texture, she finished the skewer before anyone else did.
"Done." she smiled proudly.
Miranda then looked over to Alejandro, who snuck his skewer over to Courtney from under the table. She narrowed her eyes angrily at this. To have to suffer through these dishes alone felt like a betrayal to her, but she wasn't surprised by it at all. He played dirty, and always would, she presumed. She pretended not to notice him as his head popped up from underneath the table.
"I don't know why I'm having such hair tie problems today." he stuck his tongue out.
Duncan was struggling quite a bit, his face contorting with queasiness.
"Bacon...bacon..." he whimpered.
Sierra finished before he could pull himself together.
"Done!"
"Duncan, you're out! Loser bench!"
He immediately spat out his current bite, reluctantly plopping down next to Heather. He also noticed Courtney chewing.
"You're having a snack while you watch this? You are sick!"
The next bowl didn't even look edible, so much so that Chris even looked unsure what it even was.
"Yeah, we don't even know what that's called. It ain't right whatever it is."
Manman chi
Don't get the squirts.
Manman chi we'd rather eat our shirts.
Heather suddenly stood up. "Wait, stop! Why does Alejandro keep bending over while he's eating?"
Chris's phone rang once more, thoroughly frustrating him.
"Listen, man!"
"I got a better question! Why does old Courtney keep chewing her cud back here?" Duncan stood up too, looking angry.
"I do not!" Courtney glared.
Alejandro noticed something on her lower lip.
"You have a little something..."
She slurped it into her mouth, making them both smile nervously.
Heather looked completely furious, but her gaze immediately honed in on Miranda as she suddenly began to scold her.
"Miranda, why don't tell your boyfriend to stop cheating and play the game legit!"
Miranda was completely shocked by this sudden aggression from her, her voice trembling with a weak yet defensive infliction.
"W-What...?! Do you think I had any part in this...!? I-I'm not happy about it either!"
"Oh, so you knew he was cheating and didn't rat him out? Unbelievable!"
"I-I just noticed it like...a minute ago! I had no idea, please Heather, I didn't–" Miranda stammered.
But Heather didn't bother giving her the time of day, storming over to Chris.
"Chris, what are you going to do about all this crazy cheating?"
"Yeah, okay, budget, blah, blah, blah. What am I supposed to do?"
"Get off the phone and host the flipping show! Alejandro has been slipping his food back to Courtney, and Miranda is covering for him." Heather pointed.
"It is a lie!" Alejandro looked outraged.
"So not true!" Courtney argued.
Miranda's frustration was quick to boil over, causing her to raise her voice in a way no one, not even she was used to.
"Don't you dare, Heather!"
The anger in her tone seemed to even scare her, along with the others. She was finally starting to sound like those accursed voices in her head. That same yelling...that same ear-piercing wave of sound. She could hardly recognize her own voice. All she could do was grit her teeth and lower her head in an attempt to control her rage.
Chris soon spoke up over the discourse.
"Listen we gotta wrap this up. So, here's the dealio, one last round. Whoever wins has invincibility in tonight's vote, and they get to take the person of their choice up to First Class with them."
Sierra applauded, while Miranda lifted her head up, hope filling her previously furious eyes. It was a one-and-three chance she could end up in First Class. And despite her anger towards Alejandro and his cheating antics, she couldn't push away the eagerness to have First Class to themselves, just the two of them.
"Just move Courtney away from Alejandro." Heather pouted.
"Alright, fine. Courtney, put this on to prove you can keep your mouth shut."
He tossed her a huge dragon mask, which she halfheartedly put on.
"This is ridiculous," she grumbled.
"Let's get this done." Chris sighed.
Manman chi
Manman...chi...
They love to eat on the Yangtze
One sniff at the slop in front of them made Miranda immediately nauseous. She and Alejandro both threw up at the thought of eating it, kissing any dreams of First Class goodbye. But Sierra put on a brave face and actually ate it. Once she knew she won, her smile beamed. She climbed onto the table.
Cody's in First Class with me
And my love me tea!
Despite her complete misery after puking, Miranda couldn't be too upset with her placement. Tying for second was quite an accomplishment for her.
With that, everyone went back onto the plane, queasy and dissatisfied. That was an understatement for Heather, though. She was driven to the brink of her patience as she immediately pulled Miranda aside into the Common Area.
"You really have the balls to go against me, huh?" she hissed.
Miranda was not having any of this though, swallowing her pride and glaring up at Heather.
"Are you fucking crazy? If you'd listen to me for a damn second, you'd understand that I didn't do anything to go against you. I didn't know he was cheating. I was trying to win, you know!"
"A win for him is a win for you. And even if you did win, you'd still probably take him to First Class, just as he would've done for you. There's no benefit in ratting him out, so you didn't."
"For fuck's sake, Heather, I did not know." Miranda groaned frustratedly.
"Why do you keep letting him control your whole world? Are you fucking dumb? He's sent all of Team Victory packing, and you're going to be no exception. If you just follow me and listen to me, you wouldn't get caught worshipping a manipulator."
"I don't worship him! And why should I have to listen to you?! You're not much better, you know! I know full well that I am just an accessory to him, I've always known that! But I would so rather stay on his good side than risk getting eliminated by pissing him off! He's pissed at you and wants you gone. He's gonna prioritize enemies over allies."
"And what makes you think you aren't his enemy?"
Miranda paused, shaking her head dismissively. "...You don't know anything. You really don't."
"You're so pathetic. Letting him play such mind games with you. You are going to regret this. All of it. I can promise you that."
"Why do you care!? Why do you care about what I'm doing!? I'm not a threat to you! I never was!" Miranda yelled, her voice trembling with anger.
"Yeah, you're right. You're not a threat to anyone. But the more people Alejandro has on his side, the bigger a threat he becomes. You are literally leading him to victory. He has the vote advantage because of you! You're just letting him win!" Heather snarled.
Suddenly, Chris came over on the PA system, alerting everyone to cast their votes for elimination. The two girls huffed at each other and proceeded to walk out and wait in line for voting outside the confessional bathroom.
Duncan and Alejandro stood next to each other, waiting for Courtney to finish up. They both seemed to notice the tension between Miranda and Heather as they passed by.
"I assume you feel compelled to vote for Courtney. I do not blame you." Alejandro spoke quietly.
Duncan scoffed. "Yeah, well, you go ahead with your Heather vote. I won't miss her."
"I'm voting Courtney." he corrected.
Duncan looked confused. "But Heather busted you cheating."
"Ah, she only made a fuss because she wants Courtney gone. So, I will help her with that." Alejandro smirked.
"You believe that? Geez, dude." Duncan rolled his eyes.
Miranda wasn't surprised to hear this from him. Thankfully Heather was too preoccupied, ranting to Sierra to hear the boys' conversation.
From the discussion they had during the race about Heather, there was no chance Alejandro wasn't going to vote for her, especially after her behavior after today. Plus, Courtney had helped him during the eating challenge. There was no benefit for him voting for her, even if she was caught.
Courtney had been the person Miranda wanted out more than anything, but after fighting with Heather, and constantly feeling like she was sitting right on her shoulder, she snapped and decided enough was enough. It took quite a lot for Miranda to draw a line in the sand since was usually incredibly forgiving and patient with people. But if that kindness was completely destroyed, taken advantage of, and no longer felt worth it to her, her claws came out. Grudges formed, maps of hatchets were created, and no mercy was given.
Everyone soon gathered in the elimination room and Chris began reading off the votes.
"Heather, Courtney, Heather, Courtney, Sierra-y...Heather. And the final vote goes to...Courtney! It's a tie!"
Courtney cheered. "Yes! Prepare to go down, Heather! I am excellent in a tiebreaker situation!"
The phone rang again, but Chris threw it aside with little regard.
"The producer's breathing down my neck, and I'm getting a lot of flack on this budget stuff. So, I was thinking, why don't you both take off?"
"What?!" The girls were both equally outraged as they were tossed two parachutes.
"How is getting rid of me going to save money!?" Courtney asked furiously.
"Weight on the plane, food budget. I don't know. You're just both really annoying me."
Miranda couldn't help but be thrilled with this outcome. It was so efficient, killing two birds with one stone. Relief washed over her like a strong gust of wind.
"Prepare to hear from my lawyers! And Duncan, prepare for a personal defamation lawsuit while I'm at it!"
He smirked. "Buh-bye!"
Before they jumped, Heather quickly and nastily spoke up.
"Miranda, don't think just because I'm leaving that you can ignore what I said! You will regret ever trusting Alejandro. He is going to destroy you, break you apart, piece by piece. Don't say I didn't warn you."
"You wanna just jump off now? Chris, do us all a favor and get them out of here." Miranda hissed.
"I don't know, this part's kind of fun." Chris smiled.
"You know what would be fun? A new host! I'm sure anyone would kill for this–"
Heather was cut off by Chris shoving her and Courtney out of the plane. Once he closed the door, the room fell into the most awkward silence, which Cody decided to break.
"Is it really quiet in here all of a sudden, or is it just me?"
Everyone soon made their way out of the elimination room. But Miranda was struggling to actually walk out since the guilt of her words and actions began closing in on her.
"Wow, so you really are a bitch."
"Even for Heather, that was uncalled for."
"No wonder no one actually likes you."
"You're a monster."
Hot tears began to stream down her face as she banged her fist on the steel wall. No...she didn't want to believe it. She stood up for herself, she established boundaries, and she did the right thing...
So why did it feel so awful?
A/N (written in fall of 2019): Zàijiàn China! To be honest, I wasn't sure what I wanted this chapter to be. I probably could've done a bigger Miranda and Heather team-up, but meh (I kinda like this falling out though. It wasn't in my original draft, and I feel like it fits a lot better with Heather's character.) What's done is done I suppose. I hope you guys still like this! It's pretty similar to the original I think. Let me know what you think in the comments, I love to read comments. Okay, I'm tired. I'm going to bed. Goodnight lovelies! ~Miranda