𝗟𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦, 𝗖𝗔𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗔, 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 , 𝘁𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮
𝟯𝟰, unexpected visits
𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘢, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘬𝘺
𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴, 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮, 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘷𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘴
𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙥𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙖, 𝙩𝙖𝙮𝙡𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙬𝙞𝙛𝙩
THOUGH AN OFFER STOOD FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION IN A SECOND SEASON WHERE THERE WAS A CHANCE AT ONE MILLION DOLLARS IN EXCHANGE FOR YOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND, YOU INSTEAD SAID A SOMBER GOODBYE TO YOUR FRIENDS IN FAVOUR OF SAVING YOUR SIBLINGS AND YOURSELF FROM THAT HOUSEHOLD ONCE AND FOR ALL.
though a million dollars sounded like nothing you could compare to, the idea of risking your hundred thousand for another on in twenty two chance? it would be idiotic of you to accept.
and though you wished to spend more time with your friends who had been voted early on in the show, your desire to return to your brothers took precedence.
it was to no shock that when you returned home with seventy-five thousand in tow (gwen had insisted she could not take half, though you insisted you'd hold up your half of the deal, and so a half of half was decided), you had received the beating of a lifetime.
your father had insisted you give him the entirety of the moneyh for 'bills', and your mother had agreed, saying that 'the money would be so helpful'.
you who may have been once swayed by their attempts at guilt-tripping instead remained firm.
body broken and bruised, you escorted your siblings out in the dead of night and booked it to the furthest hotel, a momentary stay as you waited for the lease to an apartment to be approved.
your older brother, joey, handled all of that as he was above eighteen and the only one legal to process these things.
and then, finally, a year since your win, everything was better than it had ever been.
no more fear, no more hiding in rooms from shattered bottles and hardened fists.
instead, warmth flowed out of the small apartment in waves. though it was small, it held enough amenities for them all. though rooms were shared, there was an unspoken mutual agreement that everyone had their own space and would be allowed their own time.
in this environment, everyone simply propsered.
joey got himself a lovely girlfriend and well-paying job, and all of your younger siblings excelled in schooling, and though you had left your own school in pursuit of a job, you knew you were happier than you had ever been.
following the broadcast of total drama : action, you tuned into every episode, entranced with the drama and gobsmacked with the events, especially as gwen and trent's once loving relationship strains with the force of the game. and finally, shockingly, beth had emerged winner of the second season (something you had, no offence beth, never expected).
but regardless, you were happy for them all. your name was even mentioned a few times between the show itself and the popular talkshow hosted by bridgette and geoff. each contestant spoke (mostly) fondly of you and commented on your refusal to return to the show that season, and you smiled each time.
and then, on a simple sunny day in the [last name] household, there was a knock on the door.
you had blinked, and one of your younger brothers had jumped up instantly, "I'VE GOT IT!"
you just chuckle as he speeds to the door, joey rolling his eyes and slouching further on the lounge. being a sunday, this was one of the few days you all got off.
"there's a lady at the door looking for [name]!" your brother finally announces as you perk up, sharing a look with joey before shrugging and heading over.
though, as you face the front door, you find yourself halted in place, lips parted in shock.
"heather?"
said girl purses her lips awkwardly, fidgeting with her shorts as she averts her eyes.
"[name].."
you blink, then sigh slightly. "come in. tea?"
"water, please.."
heather steps inside, eyes flicking around the small but homely apartment as she averts her eyes awkwardly from the prying eyes of your brothers, all staring at her curiously as she shuffles. normally she would glare at them and snap, but she found herself unable to do so as these were your siblings.
"come" you beckon to the girl, passing her her water as you bring her to your room. being a girl, you had your own room as did joey, the other boys sharing bedrooms.
you take a seat on your bed, gesturing for heather to do the same as you sit cross-legged to face her.
"so.." you begin, "how have you been? i see you got eliminated pretty early on" you comment.
heather, of course, hadn't let up on her manipulative and skillful tactics in the second season, but you could also see they lacked the same harshness they had been dealt with in the first season.
"um.. good" she murmurs awkwardly, cheeks flaming at her inability to talk to you after all this time. since the day you won the game, she had been thinking of ways to do this. to apologise to you.
"[name], i.. i'm sorry" she says finally.
you blink in shock. you would have expected the words to pain her, but instead they were spoken with such sincerity you were genuinely surprised.
"on the show.. i was a bitch. i was so intent on winning that it didn't matter to me how i hurt others on my way there. i manipulated everyone around me, and i was particularly cruel to lindsay and beth. i don't.. regret my actions, persay, but i regret the way they made everyone around me feel. when you shouted at me, it dawned on me the severity of my actions and the actual consequences of them. [name], on that show.. you were the one person i truly considered my friend. and i apologise that i was the one who ruined that. i don't expect you to forgive me, i just wanted.. no, i needed to say this" she says finally.
you stare at her, emotions swimming in your [eye colour] eyes.
finally, a smile breaks on your face.
"heather.. thank you for your apology. i forgive you, but i'm also not the one you should be apologising too. apologise to lindsay and beth, and then i think.. i think we can be friends again" your smile widens as she blinks in shock.
"you.. really? you'd.. be my friend again? even after everything?" she whispers, hating how vulnerable she sounds but finds she can't help herself in your presence.
your smile warms, "of course i can, heather. just like myself, you were only trying to win. though your methods were often cruel and mildly unjust.. you were in the same boat as the rest of us. so, yes, as long as you apologise as sincerely as you have just now, we can certainly be friends again. proper, this time"
heather purses her lips tightly, willing herself to not cry, but the slight indicator of her eyes growing wet made you lean forward and clasp her in a hug, the girl startling for a moment before hugging you back tighter, your shoulder growing wet with her tears as she broke down.
heather didn't stay for much longer, but when you walked her to the door it was with another hug, sending her off with a smile and a promise to keep in touch.
then, when you turned around, you were met with joey's smug smirk.
"found yourself a girlfriend?"
you gasp, eyes wide but cheeks burning with something unfamiliar.
"what?! where did you get that idea?!"
you had never felt something like that for a girl before, let alone heather, but..
joey laughs at your expression and you huff, but you're both distracted by a second knock on the door.
"god, back already? she really missed you"
you swing your head to glare at joey once more before storming over to the door, opening it and sighing, "heather? what do you-"
"heather?" a familiar voice said, raising a brow.
you blink in surprise.
"hey, it's the gameshow guy!" your younger brother said in bewilderment.
chris huffs proudly and you roll your eyes, arching a brow at the older male, "what are you doing here?"
"what, i can't check in on my favourite contestant?"
you arch a brow and he laughs.
"fine, fine. well, me and chef have decided.. we want to host a third season of total drama! and we want you on it!"
you blink, face twisting in surprise.
"a third? really?"
"yup! the fans loved the second season, so a third will certainly get on the charts! sooo, what do you say?"
you breathe out, contemplating his words.
season one had been terrible, every turn something new and annoying, but at the same time.. you had met friends you never would have without the show, and going back would mean seeing them, wouldn't it?
you sigh, "you know what? sure"
chris grins.
"but only if you personally contact my work to tell them why i'll be gone, and you contribute my share of wages to the household as they would have come" you say pointedly.
chris just huffs with a smile, "done"
you blink in surprise, not having actually expected him to accept.
"wait, really?"
"of course! the fans loved you, andmaybeilikedyoutoo" he murmured something intelligble as you arch a brow.
"anyway, it'll be a real wow factor getting you back on the show. the fans will love it! so it's a win-win"
you sigh, smiling slightly, "okay, then. guess i'm going back on total drama"
"that you are! i'll send you the details promptly" he winks, turning on his heel to walk away but turning his head back once more, his smile now a little softer, a little warmer.
"i'm really glad to see you're doing well, [name]"
and with that he turned fully on his heel to leave.
date posted ; 6/10/25
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