Chapter eleven:
THAT'S ACTUALLY SMART
Y/N's team, along with Dj, were seated in first class in cozy chairs, each with cucumber slices placed over their eyes.
"Winning really is everything." Tyler smiled, stretching out comfortably in his chair.
"Mhm!" Y/N agreed, adjusting the cucumber slices over her eyes as she laid
"Says the two who frenched a cod." Noah quipped.
"And P.S. It was a tie." Dj nonchalantly added, cuddling with his fish tank.
Owen swiped a cucumber slice from Noah's eyes and munched on it.
"It's a facial, not a fruit plate." Noah groaned.
"Oh Noah. Don't you see, it's both!" Owen smiled broadly.
"Owen! These chairs are spring-loaded, watch this!" Izzy exclaimed, accidentally kicking Owen in the crotch as she pulled her chair all the way back.
"Why is it always the kiwis!.." he squeaked.
"You okay?" Y/N asked.
"Yeah... and I've made up my mind. I'm gonna break up with Izzy once and for all."
"Finally." Noah smirked
"Why?" Y/N questioned.
"I still like her, but she's so..." Owen trailed off.
"..Nutty? Has a 10-ton bag of pecans smothered in peanut butter, encased in a cashew the size of China?" Noah mocked, and the three turned to look at the ginger, who was now nibbling on the oxygen mask upside down.
"Tastes like shoe polish!" She giggled.
"Aww... she's happy!" Owen sighed dreamily, grabbing one of Y/N's cucumbers and putting it in his mouth. Y/N rolled her eyes, but then noticed Chris walking past them. Alejandro quickly rose up from his seat and rushed towards Chris. She began listening.
"Dj is the only remaining member of Team Victory, but we're prepared to welcome him as a full-time member of our team. If you allow it." Alejandro stated, blocking Chris.
"Looking for a bigger number advantage over Team Amazon, eh? No dice!" Chris laughed, making a move to leave.
However, Alejandro persisted, blocking the host once more. "What if Dj chooses to swap teams, like Sierra and Izzy did in Egypt." he suggested.
"No more swaps and that's final." Chris declared before leaving.
"It's okay, I'll survive. My curse is gone thanks to Irene! I even won the last challenge." Dj smiled, placing a hand on Alejandro's shoulder.
"Uh, tie!" Tyler spoke up,
"Exactly! If we keep it up, we might make it all the way to the finale together!" Dj exclaimed.
"I would love to see that." Alejandro simply said.
—
"Would have been nice to have some teammates again, but at least with Y/N and Alejandro. I've got two allies who's reliable, dependable, and totally trustworthy!" Dj said, his tone innocent and naive.
—
"Ahem! Attention passengers..." Chris said, pausing before letting out a scream through the speakers as the plane began shaking and plummeting toward the ground.
"We're gonna die!" Owen panicked as he was thrown from his seat and bounced around.
"Tell mama I love her!" Dj screamed, holding onto the glass jar with the fish for dear life.
Y/N gripped at the armrest of her seat, the constant shaking of the plane was all too familiar but didn't make her any less terrified.
Izzy grabbed a parachute and secured it around herself as she approached the exit door. Owen landed right beside her and quickly turned to her.
"Izzy..." Owen began, "We need to talk-"
"-Oo! You have to catch me first! Last one there is a rotten egg!" She said with a wink before swinging the door open and gracefully falling out, dragging Owen with her as he was quickly sucked out of the plane.
•---------•
"Two airports on the island the size of a postage stamp, and he misses both. But somehow, it's my fault!" Chris complained, turning to Chef and glaring at him.
"You blew our money for the season on Chris's work!" Chef retorted.
Y/N hurriedly rushed up to Owen and Izzy, who were trapped under the plane, and attempted to pull them out by their legs.
"Chris! Owen and Izzy need help." Y/N exclaimed, struggling to free them.
—
"No biggie, just a concussion." Owen said, looking all bruised and disoriented, "Can you parents my phone and worry them not to tell Santa?..." he paused momentarily before collapsing face-first onto the door.
—
The ambulance swiftly arrived, taking both Izzy and Owen, who looked seriously injured.
"Izzy and Owen are gonna be fine. Thanks to travel insurance, help is on the way!... In six to thirty-eight hours." Chris said.
"What about the rest of us?" Gwen said with her arms crossed.
"Well, we're out of gas, planes busted, and we're broke. But the show must go on! We can't waste any of this footage. Think of the hits we'll get on cliptube!"
"Where are we?" Tyler asked, glancing around.
"Jamaica mon." Chris answered, "We were supposed to land in Ochos Rio's, but since somebody forgot how to glide, we'll have to do the challenges here instead, and fast. Before whoever owns this dump shows up and asks for a location fee."
"Didn't you guys budget for the whole season?" Noah questioned.
"Some things cost more than expected. Airplane-ready hot tubs don't grow on trees, you know." Chris smirked.
"You must have an emergency fund." Heather urged.
"Spent it on our last fuel up." He answered.
"Which went so well," Noah said, unamused.
"Grab your board shorts and meet me at the waterfall!" Chris exclaimed.
•---------•
Everyone switched into their swimsuits and gathered at the waterfall for the next challenge.
"Pretty blouse!" Noah laughed, a grin forming on his face.
"It's a dashiki mon!" Chris replied, striking a pose.
"Yeah, a woman's dashiki!" Dj chimed in with a chuckle.
Chris blinked, taken aback. "What?!"
"Can we get to the challenge, please?" Courtney demanded, her patience clearly wearing thin.
"Alright, alright," Chris said, clearing his throat. "I like to call our first challenge; the treasure hunt of death! We were supposed to do this at Dun's River Falls, but this far more dangerous waterfall will have to do."
"Oh, it's another water challenge?" Dj asked.
"'Fraid so." Chris laughed, "Want to say a few prayers?"
"No need, I came prepared." Dj said, taking off his shirt, revealing a life jacket snugly wrapped around his neck.
"Your challenge begins with a dive off beautiful wherever-we-are falls into the lagoon far below."
"Which is full of what? Sharks?" Noah said, raising an eyebrow.
"Nope!" The host grinned, and a collective sigh of relief passed through the contestants. "Electric eels and sharks!" He revealed, eliciting groans from everyone.
"Players must tag team dives into the infested waters for as long as you can hold your breath to search the lagoon floor for pirate treasure! AKA, the gold chains Chef always wears on karaoke night. First team to bring me Chef's treasure wins a major advantage in the next challenge! So, good luck. Especially the team I Am Super Duper Mega Whopper Hot! With Izzy and Owen out of commish, you'll have to work extra hard to make up for their absence."
"No problem." Noah chuckled nervously. "Tyler, it's your lucky day. You get to do all the dives!"
"Yeah!" Tyler cheered before pausing, "Wait.."
—
"Luckily I don't need Tyler for his brain, I'm still not exactly sure what I need him for...but it's definitely not brains." Alejandro chuckled.
—
Tyler confidently approached the ledge, accompanied by Cody for Team Amazon and Dj for himself.
"Let's do this!" Tyler exclaimed,
"I've got it in the bag." Cody said smugly.
"Wish me luck!" Dj whispered to his fish, carefully placing the glass jar on the floor beside him.
"Ready steady ready, go!" Chris shouted.
All three of them dove into the water, searching for the treasure. Tyler quickly resurfaced.
"Woo! I got the chain!...oh no!" He said enthusiastically before realizing it was actually an eel. Y/N winced as she saw him get electrocuted by it.
Cody sprinted back up the hill, already tagging the next teammate. Which was Heather, and she was positioning herself to jump.
"You have beautiful form." Alejandro flirted.
"What?!.." Heather stuttered, slightly blushing. Flustered, she lost her balance and tumbled into the water with a painful splash.
"Nothing personal!" Alejandro called out after her.
Tyler sprinted back up the hill, and his team extended their arms to be tagged. However, he ignored them and ran past them.
"Best two out of four!" Tyler shouted as he dove into the water. He swiftly reemerged with just a tire in hand, the jock groaned as he went back under.
Minutes ticked by agonizingly slow, and the teams struggled to find the chain. Until Gwen resurfaced from the water,
"I got the gold!" She smiled triumphantly, holding up the chain. Team Amazon burst into cheers, but the celebration came to a stop as eels arose from the water, clinging on and electrocuting the goth.
Alejandro strolled up to Tyler, who had made his way back to the hill and tagged himself.
"Tag! I'm it!" Alejandro announced, diving into the water to rescue Gwen.
He emerged from the water, carrying Gwen bridal style, the golden chain dangling around his neck. Cheers erupted from his team, but suddenly, Heather ran down and snatched the chain right off him.
"Thanks for the delivery!"
"Hey!" Alejandro protested.
"Nothing personal." Heather laughed, sticking her tongue out and running back up to Chris.
Alejandro just rolled his eyes at the comeback.
"Here!" Heather panted as she handed it to the host.
"Team Amazon wins round one!" Chris said, prompting cheers from them.
Ughhh!
"Will Owen, Izzy, and Gwen recover? Will Chef fix the plane so we can leave here while I'm still young."
"I don't know, did we land in the '70s?" Noah joked, prompting laughter from both him and Y/N. However, Chris wasn't amused.
The host gave Noah a hard shove, causing him to stumble backward before falling off the cliff, letting out a high-pitched scream as he plummeted into the water.
•---------•
"Team Amazon! As winners of the first challenge, you've also won this advantage for challenge number two." Chris said, pointing at the helmet on Chef's head.
"Helmets? Great, now what?" Heather scoffed.
"Oh, just a little something I like to call; the bobsled of death! Tada!" Chris exclaimed, directing everyone's attention to the large coaster behind them. It was made out of scraps of wood and metal and looked like it was on the verge of collapsing.
"We can't afford bobsleds, so you're gonna ride longboards in teams of two, bobsled style! Down Chef's track and into the pool. Each team gets three runs. Fastest total time wins! Ready?"
Y/N hesitated, eyeing the makeshift bobsled track nervously. "Yeah, I'm not going up there. It doesn't look so safe."
"This is Chris we're talking about, so of course it's not safe." Noah joked, "But yeah, count me out too."
"Isn't this gonna be awesome?" Tyler beamed widely, excited as he scanned the rusty slide.
Y/N and Noah just exchanged puzzled glances, both surprised and slightly concerned by the jock's unwavering enthusiasm.
"I volunteered to go." Alejandro stated smugly. "And Y/N, I think it's best if you go too."
"What?! No way, let Tyler go." She protested. However, Alejandro quickly took her arm and led her away, leaving her with no choice.
As she glanced back at her teammates, Y/N caught Noah's playful smirk. She responded with a sheepish smile as her and Alejandro made their way up the hill.
Her hand slipped from his grip, and Y/N moved slightly away from him. "Seriously?" She scoffed, pissed.
"Have faith, it's in the best interest of our team. You'll play an important part." Alejandro assured her.
Y/N rolled her eyes, growing more frustrated with his vague responses. "Can't you give me a straight answer?"
"I have a plan, Y/N. A plan that requires both of us." he said cryptically, leaving Y/N with more questions than answers.
"What plan?" she pressed.
"Let's just say, our teamwork will be essential. And between you and me, do you really think the other members would handle it better than us?"
I can't tell if he's confident, or just arrogant.
"Well, the others will go eventually. But you still didn't tell me about the plan." Y/N sighed.
"Don't stress about it too much for now," Alejandro chuckled, his relaxed tone irking Y/N further. "All I'm asking is for you to be a little friendly to Dj. It's a crucial part of our strategy."
Our strategy? Yeah, and doesn't even bother telling me.
The two made it to the top where the selected players for their respective teams were: Cody and Sierra for Team Amazon, Dj and his fish for Team Victory.
Sierra had a huge smile on her face, completely focused on Cody, who clutched the surfboard tightly, visibly trembling as he stared down the slide.
But Dj was the polar opposite. He confidently held the surfboard in one hand and the glass jar with the fish in the other, wearing a calm smile. Seemingly unfazed.
Y/N took her team surfboard and her and Alejandro stood in front of Dj.
Be a little friendly, hmm...
"Wow, Dj! If only we were teammates. With Irene by your side, you'll be impossible to beat!" Y/N flashed a warm smile, turning to him.
"That's the plan!" Dj responded with a warm smile of his own.
Y/N kept her forced smile until Dj was distracted by Irene. She then turned to Alejandro, "...What good does being fake nice to Dj do? I don't see the point in pretending to be friendly." She whispered.
"It's better if Dj is misdirected. It'll be much more effective once we break the news." He grinned.
"Break what news?" Y/N questioned, her eyes searching for answers in Alejandro's confident yet secretive gaze.
But before Alejandro could respond, Chris's booming voice through the megaphone interrupted,
"Owen's back!"
"Vacation's over.." Alejandro sighed. Upset (for some reason).
"Round one! Team amazon! Ready?" The host called out.
Sierra and Cody swiftly settled onto the surfboard and positioned themselves.
"Ready!" Sierra confirmed with excitement. "Bobsledding is so cozy, EEK!" Her giggles filled the air as she wrapped her arms around Cody's waist, pulling him close.
The deafening sound echoed, signaling the start of the challenge, and the two went down the slide, screaming the whole way.
Y/N's stomach sank as she watched.
Oh...my...god...
Cody and Sierra shot out from the tube, tumbling into the empty pool and ending up lying flat on each other's backs.
"47.36 seconds is the time to beat! Team I Am So Hunky Dory Dreamy Hot!" Chris announced, and fear washed over Y/N as she carefully placed the surfboard down. Both she and Alejandro settled into their seats, with Y/N nervously taking the back and Alejandro calmly claiming the front.
Y/N's grip on the sides of the surfboard tightened. "Uh...I don't know about this," she mumbled, eyeing the unstable track ahead.
"Trust your instincts." Alejandro reassured, "Ready!"
The dreaded blaring noise rang, and the two began sliding down.
Y/N squeezed her eyes shut as they went quickly down and up and around. Fear, regret, and exhilaration all twisted inside of her as the ride went along.
The two shot out of the tube and landed in the empty pool with a thud. The impact knocked the wind out of Y/N, who sprawled face-down on the cold pool tiles.
"58.49! Team Amazon still leads by a healthy margin." Chris stated. Y/N grumbled at the result as she stood up, climbing out of the pool. "Team Victory?"
Dj laid flat on the board, pulling back, and when the sound played, he propelled himself into the course with incredible speed. His cheers echoed as he smoothly went through the twists and turns. He elegantly flipped over as he went out of the tube, landing on his feet.
"45.01 seconds. We have a new leader! Team victory takes round one." The host said into the megaphone, the volume causing everyone to wince.
"Uh, we're all here now. You don't need to keep using that!" Courtney groaned.
"Maybe I just like it." Chris smirked as he sank deeper into his beach chair, he casually reached for a sandwich from the small table positioned beside him. "Round two!" He said even louder in the megaphone.
Noah sighed, "Alright buddy, I guess it's our turn."
"Heh...do I have to?" Owen chuckled awkwardly, rubbing his sore shoulder. And to be fair, he looked a bit too injured to be back.
"Tyler could go, or Izzy. Wait, where is she anyway?" Y/N asked, looking around.
"Izzy got injured badly and got super smart that the military swooped in and took her away!" Owen explained,
"Aw, that's too bad. I hope she's okay." Y/N frowned, confused but saddened by the news.
"Tyler, how about you go?" Alejandro suggested
"Yeah!" Tyler beamed as he and Noah made their way up the hill.
•---------•
"Team Amazon! Ready?" Chris called out, and Courtney and Heather quickly positioned themselves on the board.
With the press of a button from the host's megaphone, the loud sound roared, and the two swiftly slid down. Their screams echoed all the way around and as they collided with the tube, propelling them out, causing a loud thud against the pool's tile floor.
Everyone winced as they watched them wobbly stood up and tried to walk it off.
"Let's hear it for the helmets people! The girls come in at 56.28, better than the boys plus Y/N first run but not by much." Chris said, "Team I Am So Wicked Wicked Hot!"
He pressed the button and the blaring noise echoed, Noah and Tyler quickly got on the board and slid down. Tyler was cheering while Noah was screaming for his life. Eventually, they both reached the end and were shot out of the tube.
"55.16 for Team Chris Is Really Really Super Hot! It'll take a miracle to get out of last place now." Chris said, causing Y/N to sigh. "Team Victory! Ready?"
"Ready!" Dj called out as he slid down the slide effortlessly and smoothly.
"Toast, yet again. How's it feel?" Heather taunted.
"I have no idea, I haven't been toasted yet." Y/N retorted, glaring at her.
Dj shot out of the tube and perfectly landed on his feet, with a huge grin.
"44.37! Dj beats his own high score and widens his lead even further! Round three!"
Sierra eagerly clung to Cody, leading him up the hill for their turn. Y/N sighed, realizing that both she and Alejandro had to deal with the challenge once again. But strangely enough, she saw Alejandro discreetly swiping a piece of the leftover sandwich from Chris's plate when he wasn't looking and casually crushing it up in his hand.
Weird.
"Let's go, mi amor." He smirked, leading the way as they made their way up the hill, reaching the top.
"We are so gonna lose this.." Y/N sighed, a touch of defeat in her voice. She scooped up the surfboard and hugged it close, seeking comfort for her pounding heart.
Alejandro's eyes darted from Dj, cooing to the fish in the jar, to Y/N, looking nervous, and down to the crumbs clutched in his hand. A sly grin gradually spread across his face.
He leaned in toward Y/N and whispered in her ear. She squinted as she listened, and her expression shifted from confusion to a shocked but mostly unimpressed look.
"Really?" She said, raising an eyebrow.
"Trust me, it will work." Alejandro whispered back, sounding confident.
Trust? Mhmm...
Y/N glanced at Dj, who was smiling down at the fish.
Well, hope it works.
"We're so gonna lose this! Dj and that magic fish are practically unstoppable! Especially ever since his curse has been broken!" Y/N said, saying it purposely loud so Dj could hear.
"Well, actually Y/N. His curse isn't broken, it was I who painted the symbol! To fool him into thinking it was over! But you seen how happy he is..." Alejandro revealed. Dj's smile faltered, a puzzled look settling onto his features.
"Wait, you mean Dj is still...cursed!?" Y/N gasped dramatically, playing along with the act.
"Irene...no!" Dj said, heartbroken. Dropping his board and clutching the glass jar close to him.
"Dj, you weren't supposed to hear that! Sorry, my friend. I was trying to help." Alejandro (fake) apologized, turning to Dj, who lowered his head. Alejandro couldn't hide the satisfied look on his face as he faced forward again.
"Team Amazon!" Chris bellowed through the megaphone. "Ready?"
"We're our only hope! You and me, it's destiny!" Sierra squealed as Cody and her sat down on the board. "Ready!"
The deafening sound rang, and the two slid down. Y/N watched anxiously, her stomach tied in knots.
Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and Alejandro smoothly took her hand, discreetly passing something into her palm before gently closing her fingers around it, shielding it from the others.
Y/N quickly looked around, ensuring no one was looking, before cautiously unfurling her hand just enough to catch a glimpse of the crumbs of what he stole from Chris earlier. It was just the crumbs from the bread.
"As we go down the slide, scatter these crumbs along the course," Alejandro instructed.
Y/N gave him a look like he was crazy.
"I'll explain it all later." He smirked, a confident gleam in his eyes.
"53.41 seconds for the three-run combined total of... 2 minutes and 31 seconds for the Amazons. Good, but will it be good enough?" Chris said.
Alejandro took the board from Y/N and positioned it on the ground, gesturing for her to take the front this time. She reluctantly took a seat at the front. Clenching the edge of the board with one hand, the other balling up the crumbs.
"Ready?" Chris called out.
"Ready!" Y/N said, the noise blared and they quickly set off down the slide.
As they sped down the course, Y/N's heart raced, and she gripped the surfboard tightly. She looked at her rolled-up fist and, with a sigh, unraveled it and secretly scattered the crumbs, creating a trail along the course.
Midway through the ride, a loud crack echoed, and Y/N turned to see Alejandro hitting a wooden plank, causing it to jut upward.
The course came to an end and the two both shot out of the tube, landing straight to the ground.
"Team Chris is Really Really Really Really Hot are in first place with a total score of...2 minutes and 35 seconds. Team Victory?"
Y/N and Alejandro quickly got out of the empty pool and reunited with their team.
"Yikes, you look like you've been through a hurricane." Noah teased. Y/N shot him a tired but amused look, patting her disheveled hair.
"Thanks, Noah." She sarcastically said, trying to fix herself.
Chris pressed a button and the loud sound played, signaling Dj's turn. Y/N turned to watch.
Dj's descent down the slide was accompanied by piercing screeches, his screams filled the air as he unexpectedly found himself ambushed by a flock of seagulls, swarming the entire course. The sudden realization dawned on Y/N, and she shot a glare at Alejandro.
That's what the crumbs were for?! That's just evil.
As Dj painfully sped down the course, his scream grew only louder as he was knocked out by the wooden plank sticking out earlier, propelling him off the course. Everyone watched as he soared through the air.
"Incomplete!" Chris announced, "Team I Am So Smoky Hot win! And Team endless non-victory goes to the elimination room one last time. You know...if he ever makes it back."
The last part made Y/N wince and a sense of guilt began to gnaw at her. Her team erupted in cheers, but she could only manage a strained smile,
•---------•
In the busy lobby back on the plane, each team sat at their designated table, Y/N's team all raised their glasses in a collective cheer as they sipped on their juice. But a cloud of guilt hung over Y/N. Her gaze fell on Dj, who was injured, had a cast on, and bandages wrapped around him.
All alone.
Y/N quickly stood up and made her way to Dj with an apologetic smile.
"I'm sorry, Dj." Y/N sighed.
Dj, despite his discomfort, responded with a smile, "It's okay! It's not your fault! You saw those seagulls, man. It was just my curse..." He let out a sigh of defeat.
"Oh...right!" Y/N said, giving him an awkward nod.
Yeah... curse..
"Well, I got to get going. Bye." Dj said gloomily, limping toward the elimination room. Y/N just gave him one final look before heading back to her table.
As Y/N sat at her table, the guilt etched on her face, she couldn't help but shoot a resentful glance at Alejandro.
"This is your fault. Dj got hurt because of your plan," she accused, her eyes narrowing as she whispered, ensuring only he could hear.
"Let's be fair. It's our fault, not just mine. You played your part and look at the result, we won. A necessary sacrifice for the team, wouldn't you say?" Alejandro said with that smirk Y/N hated.
"I never signed up for sacrificing someone's well-being." She shot back, her voice still a low, seething whisper.
"Mi amor, think about this. We needed Dj out, and Heather was trying to recruit him to her team. If Dj had joined them, the numbers would be unequal, and we couldn't afford that."
Realization flickered in Y/N's eyes, "...So, now the teams are equal."
Alejandro nodded, "Exactly. We needed to keep it fair, and Dj's departure accomplished that for us."
"But why did I have to go through the trouble of scattering the crumbs around, only for you just to hit the wooden plank, flinging him off the course and leaving him all casted? Seems excessive."
Alejandro leaned back, a look of satisfaction shining in his eyes. "I wanted Dj to leave the game thinking it was his curse rather than someone plotting against him. The crumbs, drawing in the seagulls, created the illusion that his animal curse was the cause of his loss, not us."
"That's... actually smart," she admitted, a hint of disbelief in her voice.
"Well, mi princesa. Brilliance is one of my many qualities." He responded playfully.
Y/N rolled her eyes as she began sipping on her juice, "Next time, try being straightforward for once."
Alejandro's smirk returned, "You know as well as I do that you wouldn't have followed if I explained everything."
"Maybe if the plan involves someone getting flung off the ride, of course, I won't follow," Y/N retorted, frustration creeping back into her voice.
"Your compassion might be an issue in this game, Y/N. We can't afford to let emotions get in the way of our strategy."
Compassion? Or just having morals?!
Y/N thought, as much as she hated the idea of just listening to him and following blindly, a creeping realization nagged at her, maybe he knew what he was doing. And maybe, following his lead will keep her out of harm's way.
Trusting Alejandro felt daunting, especially after what happened with Dj. Poor guy trusted her and Alejandro, and look how that turned out. Despite this, Y/N felt compelled to give it a try.
What's the worst that could happen?
⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢
Note:
Foreshowing? maybe...
I added the crumbs part to make more sense of why the seagulls were attacking Dj idk that's the only reasonable thing I could come up with 🤷♀️
I was about to proofread this whole book again and fix the mistakes but my laptop is literally broken now 😭😭
I might post quicker because of winter break and the fact I actually completed till chapter 14 (just need to proofread and add and change some stuff)
Didn't Proofread 🙃 wrote this whole chapter only at night so praying there ain't any mistakes 🤞
Who's your fave ship?
Word Count: 4,563
(2023-12-17)