None of the Total Drama contestants expected to be in the same vicinity as each other ever again. But here they were, standing in a silver lounge room, staring at each other like everyone was an alien.

"Well, at least the snacks look nice," said Owen after the first few minutes of awkward silence.

Sierra waltzed into the room with a styrofoam coffee cup in hand, and everyone shot daggers at her. She laughed sheepishly, clicking her red heels together. "Hey guys—I can explain."

"You better," LeShawna snapped. "I specifically remember you tellin' me in your email that you'd interview all of us separately!"

"And my word still stands!" Sierra stated. "While I interview you individually, the rest of you can stay here and mingle! Doesn't that sound great?"

"I'm not so sure," DJ replied timidly, eyeing Eva.

"Oh, come on! It'll be like a big high school reunion!" Chimed Sierra. "You can all play some fun catch-up games in here. And hopefully, by the end of these segments, you guys will actually participate in the group chat I made for everyone years ago."

"You made a group chat?" Noah asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Um, YEAH. Right after World Tour!"

"Oh no, how could I have missed that?" He deadpanned.

Sierra looked at him flatly. With a quick shake of her head, she averted her gaze back to the group. "You guys still want that money, right? I promise that the questions won't be invasive!"

Amongst the crowd, Duncan snorted. "So, what are you gonna ask us? What our favorite color is?"

"You'll see. It'll all be worth it," Sierra said. "Justin, you're first on my list!"

"Oh, alright," the professional model and pop star tried to hide his enthusiasm as he approached Sierra. "Wish me luck, gorgeous," he winked at a girl with long, wavy brown hair.

The young woman waved and blew a kiss. "I know you'll do great, honey!"

The cast members looked back and forth between them, mouths agape. "—Beth?" LeShawna blinked.

"Yes, it's me," Beth grinned, showing off her straight, whitened teeth. She wore a bubblegum pink dress with pale pink heels. Her chestnut brown hair curtained her face, making the "high school pushover" Beth look almost unrecognizable.

"Oh my god, you're, like, an actual model!" Katie—who stood next to Sadie by the snacks—commented.

"Thank you!" Beth chirped.

Everyone started circling Beth, intrigued by their former peer's new look. "Girl, I am so happy for you," LeShawna complimented. "You look so badass and confident now."

"It sounds sad and pathetic, but I've been waiting my entire life to hear those words," Beth laughed.

A tall blonde stumbled over her heels as she exited the restroom. "That's my best friend, everybody!"

Beth eagerly pulled Lindsay next to her. "I have to give Lindsay a lot of credit. She helped me achieve the best glow-up ever!"

"Awe, thank you, bff!" said Lindsay.

"Beth," LeShawna started, "no offense, but—Justin? Really?"

"Well, we ran into each other at Maple Leaf Coffee about a year ago. I guess I surprised myself," Beth shrugged bashfully. "He's still a bit egotistical, but he's much sweeter now."

"He really is!" Lindsay excitedly concurred. "And he's rich and famous! What more could a woman ask for?"

LeShawna raised her eyebrows. "I won't comment on that. You do you, girl."

"Thanks, LeShawna," Beth smiled, giving her a tight squeeze.

Duncan, who had been listening in, massaged his temples. "No fuckin' way, man. This is too much to process in one day. Are there any drinks here?"

"Yes! They have water and lemonade," answered Lindsay.

"Well, at least I know you never changed."

"There are drinks in the cooler behind the mini bar, dude," Geoff said with a cheeky smile. "I had to check."

"Thanks." Duncan was relieved he still had a friend from the show. He couldn't imagine how much more awkward this event would be if he'd cut ties with everyone.

Once Duncan grabbed a beer, the tension in the room eased, and everyone started snacking and talking in their own little groups. "Dude," Geoff told Duncan, keeping his voice low. "I nearly shit my pants when I saw everybody in here. It was like some kind of dream."

"More like a nightmare," replied Duncan. "Sierra's one crazy chick, but the money's calling my name. I just gotta make sure that I don't say too much when it's my turn."

"Me too," Geoff nodded. He turned slightly to his right to sneak a glance at Gwen. He wanted to talk to her when he arrived at the hotel, but she had given him a look that told him it was best to keep things as "on the down low" as possible. He wondered if he could tell Duncan about them, but he quickly discarded the idea. Geoff kept forgetting that Duncan was Gwen's ex, and he didn't want to start the most awkward of awkward conversations.

"Dude," Duncan stated, "how do you feel about, y'know, Bridgette being here too?"

Geoff's eyes went wide. Through all the other chaos, he forgot about his ex. "Oh, I'm totally good with that," he fibbed. " 'S all in the past."

Duncan gave him a crooked smile. "Good for you, man. I'm glad you were able to move on."

"How're things with Courtney?" Geoff asked almost immediately, wanting to change the subject.

"Eh," Duncan shrugged. "They're alright. I don't see her very often. Only for appointments. Baby's doing well."

Geoff cocked his head sideways. This was the first time his best friend had mentioned the baby. He didn't think Duncan would care enough to say one word about it. "That's good," Geoff nodded. "Must be weird to know you have a little dude with your DNA in there."

"Oh yeah," chuckled Duncan. "You have no idea, man. "I saw the baby in the ultrasound a few weeks ago, and I can't believe that tiny blob will be a fully developed human in less than seven months."

Geoff laughed. "Did you get to hear the heartbeat?"

"Mhm. It was pretty incredible. Never heard anything like it."

"Whoa. I can't picture being in your place right now. It must be awesome but scary at the same time, dude."

Duncan nodded. "It is. At first, it was just scary, but now it's starting to feel cool in a way."

"I'd suck as a parent right now," Geoff chuckled. "Or, in your case, a pre-parent. I keep forgetting that this baby's not gonna be yours."

Duncan pursed his lips. As much as he pushed the thought down, he was curious about how his life would go if he and Courtney decided to keep the baby. "Anything can happen, man. The thought of getting a girl pregnant had never even crossed my mind before this year. And here I am. Now that I think back on it, I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner. I was pretty wild in high school and college."

"Oh god, we were both wild back then. It could've been either of us!"

"Hey, at least you were in a relationship," Duncan playfully pointed out.

Geoff thought about who he would've been if he had never met Bridgette on Total Drama Island. Bridgette was his first...well, everything. His family loved her, and they were almost sure they'd get married. If it hadn't been for those seven years, Geoff probably would've been partying and flirting with other girls. He wouldn't know what heartbreak felt like. But he may have never gotten to this point—where he was now with Gwen. Geoff felt something more whole with her. He felt secure with Gwen, and his feelings grew more passionate by the minute. He hoped it wasn't just because he needed to get over the breakup.

On the other side of the room, Gwen nibbled on a miniature strawberry cupcake. She kept glancing at Geoff, a bit peeved that he was talking to Duncan. Who knows what Duncan would tell him about her if the subject came up? She trusted that Geoff wouldn't purposely tell him about their relationship, but he may slip up, as he was prone to spilling secrets.

She heard high-pitched laughter from one of the couches and turned to see Courtney talking to Heather. Gwen squinted at Heather. She found it strange that her former enemy was wearing a giant sweatshirt. It's not even that cold in here, Gwen thought. Heather wouldn't be caught dead in something like that. Am I in a dream or some shit?

"I need to get some water," said Heather. She got up and wandered off towards the minibar.

Gwen watched Courtney take out her phone. She remembered seeing her and Duncan on the news a few weeks ago. As much as she didn't like Courtney, she felt terrible for her. She found herself making her way towards the brunette.

"Hey," Gwen started with a small, awkward wave.

Courtney snapped her head up as if she scared her. "Oh. Hi."

Gwen swallowed. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about the situation with the news. I know what it feels like to have your private life blown up for everyone's entertainment."

Courtney paused for a moment. "—Yeah, it sucks. I wasn't ready to tell my parents who the father was yet because I knew they'd freak out."

Gwen eyed Courtney's ring as she twirled it on her left finger. Was she engaged to Duncan? Married a while ago in secret? "Well," Gwen cleared her throat, "congratulations on the baby. I hope everything goes well."

"Thanks, but I'm not keeping the baby," Courtney replied. "I'm—we're not ready yet. Duncan and I just got engaged, if you haven't noticed." She faked a smile, showing off the silver band. "We're actually going to reveal the big news during our interviews. I think the fans deserve to know."

The fans, Gwen thought, groaning internally. It was an unpopular opinion, but she thought it was exhausting to have fans. She always had to look her best, even if checking the mail.

And something about Duncan and Courtney's engagement didn't sit right with Gwen. First of all, Courtney was avoiding him like the plague during Geoff's New Year's party just a couple of months ago. Second of all, why wasn't Duncan sitting with her? Gwen figured that the engagement was fake and probably for their public image. Anything was more likely than Courtney letting go of a grudge—and in such a short period of time.

"Well, congrats on that, too," Gwen laughed. She was about to go elsewhere when Courtney spoke.

"Hey, I also saw those awful posts about you online. Whoever did that is just a huge dickhead. No one deserves that."

Gwen smiled. "Thanks. We've got it taken care of, though, so don't worry about it."

"I know, but still. Those pictures got millions of likes. They already did the damage."

Gwen sighed. "It was partially my fault. It was—one of my stupid exes. He probably had red flags all over him, and I ignored them for almost a year."

"That doesn't mean he had the right to expose you like that," Courtney said. "And if you ever need a lawyer, I know where to find the best ones. I'd take your case if I weren't still in law school," she joked.

"Really?" Gwen raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure you'd be the best," she laughed.

"Oh, I will be. I've come way too far to be considered mediocre."

"Law school sounds so difficult," said Gwen. "I don't know if I could stick it out for that long."

"It does require a lot of skill," Courtney stated. "And willpower."

"I have about as much willpower as a dead person."

"Courtney!" Sierra called in a singsong voice. "You're next!"

Taking a deep breath, Courtney got up. "Wish me luck."

"Good luck," Gwen smiled awkwardly.

Courtney timidly stepped into the tiny interview room with Sierra, who invited her to sit on the white leather chair across from her.

"OK, so all you have to do is answer some questions and look pretty!" Chimed Sierra.

"Sounds great," she feigned zest. "Just start rolling the camera, and I'll be ready to answer!"

"Oh, the camera's rolling right now," Sierra stated. "I'm keeping it on the whole time so it's easier to get people in and out. My editors will cut out everything else."

"—Oh," nodded Courtney. They better be great editors, she thought irately.

"Ok, first question!" Sierra scooched into her seat. "Courtney, how does it feel seeing everybody again after all these years?"

Courtney put on her best professional demeanor. "Well, Sierra, everyone's changed so much since I last saw them. And I'm happy they're all still okay and making their own way in life."

"Obviously, you're still close with some of your former competitors," Sierra giggled, crossing her legs. "How have things been with Duncan since those awful paparazzi caught you two together?"

Non-invasive questions, my ass, thought Courtney. She cleared her throat, already struggling to control her temper. Her hormones were out of wack, and she wasn't about to let Sierra humiliate her online. "Oh, it's no big deal. Duncan and I are engaged." She held up her ring finger.

Sierra gasped. "Oh my god! THIS is news! Congratulations, Courtney! This is so exciting! Thank you so much for letting us all know! When's the wedding?"

"January eighth," Courtney confidently answered. She and Duncan had spent a day planning exactly what they would tell everyone so they'd sound credible.

"This is so surreal! Do you have your wedding dress picked out?" Sierra continued.

"Um—I think it's best if I wait to show everyone when we take the pictures," Courtney gave the camera a tight smile.

"Oh, yes! That makes sense!" Sierra laughed. "I'm getting way too ahead of myself. You got me so excited about the wedding that I almost forgot what my next question was going to be!" Sierra flipped through her notepad. "Alright, next question: When you think about your time on Total Drama, do you ever wish you could take it all back?"

The question made Courtney freeze on the spot. Suddenly, she felt the pain in her chest when she heard about Duncan and Gwen kissing during World Tour. She remembered completely losing her mind and spending the night in the plane restroom...

*Total Drama World Tour, six years ago*

Courtney sobbed until her ribs hurt. There was nothing but the heavy sound of the plane engine accompanying her in the first-class restroom.

Deep down, Courtney knew that Duncan liked Gwen. She never wanted to admit it because she couldn't imagine her life without him—without the rollercoaster that came with their relationship. Duncan was the first person to give her confidence, and now, she didn't even know the meaning of self-esteem.

The event was all on television. International television. Courtney regretted the way she acted right after hearing the news. She knew the drama wouldn't stop after this season. Fans on the internet would be taking sides and talking about Courtney like they knew her. She'd constantly be reminded of the day her boyfriend cheated on her. The boy who changed her life for the better had also changed her life for the worse.

*Present moment, six years later*

Courtney snapped out of her daze. She swallowed the tight feeling in her throat and answered Sierra's question. "Sometimes. Sometimes, I wish I could slap my sixteen-year-old self in the face and tell her to run." Courtney knitted her eyebrows together. "—On the other hand, without that experience, I don't know if I would've learned the lessons I know today."

Leaning slightly forward in her chair, Sierra spoke, "That's very insightful, Courtney. We all need to learn, sometimes." Her grave expression turned into a soft smile. "Now, on a lighter note—do you have any baby names picked out?"

****

Duncan was the next subject to sit across Sierra in the intimidating yet homely room. He quickly flew through her questions as he had mentally rehearsed how he'd go about his and Courtney's "engagement." He had managed to keep up a nonchalant façade until one of the last questions.

"I asked Courtney this question during her interview right before yours," Sierra beamed. "Do you have any baby names picked out? Courtney said she had no idea yet, but I wanna know if you kept your ideas from her," she teased.

Oh, shit, Duncan thought. How did I not think of this? He foraged through his mind, open to any ideas, no matter how random. Then, it hit him.

*Two months before Celebrity Manhunt Reunion, six years ago*

Courtney and Duncan were looking through an old scrapbook that Duncan's grandmother kept since his mother was a baby.

"You know," Courtney began with a smirk, "I think you looked more like your mom when she was a baby in your baby pictures. You have the same teal blue eyes."

"Glad you took notice of the exact shade of my eyes, princess," Duncan teased.

"Well, they're hard to miss," she smiled. "Your Grandma Felicity has them, too. I guess you got the woman's gene," she giggled.

Duncan playfully rolled his eyes. "So? I can't help whose eyes I inherent."

"I know. I was messing with you." Courtney ruffled his hair. "But, if we ever get married, I want our baby to have your eyes. And her name will be Felicity, named after her great-grandmother."

Duncan raised his brow. "Uh—this won't be for a long time, right? Because I'm not taking care of any kid anytime soon."

"Of course not. I want to finish law school first and secure a job," Courtney stated.

"Thank god," he sighed in relief.

*Present day, six years later*

"I don't have a name for a boy yet, but I know that if it's a girl, I want her name to be Felicity," Duncan answered. His Grandmother Felicity had died three years ago, and since then, he wanted to do something in her name. Just like his mother, she was a gentle and understanding woman.

Sierra clasped her hands together. "Felicity ends with a Y, and so does Courtney," she laughed. "You two must be so in love!"

"Very," Duncan responded. His heart hammered his chest. He hadn't felt that rhythm in a long time, but he knew it like the back of his hand. And nothing made him angrier. He wanted to be over Courtney because he knew exactly what would happen if he wasn't.

Duncan walked back into the lobby, and Sierra called Beth in for an interview. Looking around, Duncan couldn't find Geoff anywhere. Must be in the bathroom, he thought. He sat at the minibar, watching Lindsay and Tyler stumble over themselves.

Duncan half-expected Courtney to ask him about his interview, but she kept chatting with Heather, not even looking at him. He didn't know why he cared, either.

A thump in the seat next to Duncan startled him. "Jesus, dude," he breathed out when he saw Alejandro.

"¿Qué?" Alejandro said.

"It's nothing. You just came out of nowhere," Duncan replied.

"Oh, lo siento," Alejandro muttered with his head hung.

"You alright, dude?" Asked Duncan.

"I've been better."

Duncan sat up in his chair. "What's up? I promise I won't judge."

Alejandro felt strange doing this. He and Duncan were never close friends, but he had no other friends here—apart from Courtney. And Alejandro didn't want to share what he had on his mind for the past few weeks with her. "Promise you will not blab to Courtney or anyone else about this? Especially Courtney?"

"I promise," Duncan reassured. "Hit me with it."

He took a deep breath. "I never thought I'd say this, but I think my life is falling apart.

"Man, I'm the perfect guy to talk to about that shit," said Duncan. "My life falls apart every other year."

Alejandro dragged his hands down his face. "No, I'm sure you do not understand. It's Heather. She's been acting unusual for the past month or so. It feels like she's avoiding me at all costs, and she'd rather text than see each other in person. At first, I thought she may be stressed about her job, but it's gotten so bad."

Duncan pursed his lips. "Well, shit, did you do something wrong?"

"Absolutely not. If I do anything to annoy Heather, she lets me know in the least subtle way possible."

"Huh. Well—" Duncan cringed. "When I was messing around with Gwen, I stopped talking to Courtney unless she talked to me."

Alejandro's lost expression turned into an angry one. "Heather would never betray me like that."

"Whoa, I never said she would," Duncan held his hands up. "I'm just telling you that maybe she's hiding something from you."

He let his shoulders drop. "That much was obvious. But it must be such a big deal since she's avoiding me. We promised to always be open with one another."

Duncan blinked. "I wish I could help you with this more, but I have no idea. Have you talked to her about it?"

"Yes," Alejandro said. "But that was weeks ago, and she just told me to leave her alone. What if she doesn't feel the same way about me anymore?"

"I would think she'd break up with you if she felt that way," said Duncan.

"We've been together for over four and a half years now, Duncan," Alejandro spoke, his voice trembling. "She could be scared to tell me because I'm in the middle of trying to get my master's degree.

"Hey," Duncan patted his shoulder. "Don't look into it that much, man. If you two are usually as open with each other as you say, then she'll eventually tell you."

"I don't know." Alejandro imagined what José would say if he knew all this was happening. "Looks like she finally got sick of you, hermano." Lately, his older brother's cruel voice played like a broken record in his head. "You weren't enough for her, Al. You were never enough."

"Again, I'm sorry, man. I hope everything turns out OK," Duncan said.

Alejandro felt a massive lump form in his throat at Duncan's words. He thought back to his call from his father a couple of days ago: "I have an important mission in Zagreb, so your mother and I are moving to Croatia in a month. We researched the University of Zagreb, which is exceptional in its political science program. If you're interested, you should come live with us and attend! It would be good for you to study abroad. It will give you so many career opportunities, hijo!"

Alejandro's first instinct had been to decline. Although the University of Zagreb sounded tempting, he couldn't start an entirely different school near the end of the semester. What was the point unless he planned to study there for months or even years? Alejandro couldn't leave Heather for that long. But on second thought, did Heather even want him around? So, instead, his final answer was: "I'll think about it for a few days."

"Alright, Alejandro!" Sierra chimed. Alejandro blinked. Just like that, he was sitting in the interview room across from the lively woman. "First question. How does it feel to be in the interview spotlight again?"

"I have to be honest. I wasn't expecting the sudden email from you," Alejandro improvised a chuckle.

"So, what made you want to come back and see everyone?" Sierra continued. "And don't worry—I've been asking everyone this question," she laughed.

*Two weeks earlier*

"Did you get that email from Sierra?"

"—Yes."

This instance was the only time Alejandro was ever disappointed with a phone call from Heather. She had left early in the morning after he let her stay the night when she wasn't feeling well.

"Are you going to the interview thing?" Heather asked.

Alejandro sighed. "I don't know. That wasn't exactly the first thing on my mind when you called."

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "I'm sorry I left without saying goodbye. I didn't wanna wake you up," she said.

"Are you doing ok? That's all I want to know."

"Yeah, I'm fine," Heather replied. "I hardly remember anything from last night besides getting to your house with Michelle."

"Alright," Alejandro frowned. "I wish you did because if someone did this to you—"

"Hey, let's not worry about it," she interrupted. "I'm ok right now, aren't I?"

"Yes, amor, but I don't want this happening again."

"It won't. It's never happened before, so it's probably not a medical condition. And if I was drugged, I won't take any drinks from people anymore," Heather said.

"There weren't any men at the party, were there?" Alejandro asked worriedly.

"No. And Michelle had my back, so I don't think anything else happened to me."

"Well, I think you should take a day off of work just in case."

"Alejandro, I'm fine," Heather groaned. "Can we talk about the interview instead?"

Alejandro had to take a deep breath. Not only was he concerned about Heather—he was frustrated with her. Lately, she'd constantly changed the subject whenever he asked a serious question. Alright. I'm going. I could really use that money."

"Me too."

*Present day*

"I think I owe everyone an apology for how I behaved in the competition," Alejandro answered Sierra's question. "And it's always great to reconnect with people you met in high school."

"Wow, you've matured!" Sierra beamed. "What happened to that scandalous playboy Alejandro?"

Alejandro wanted to cringe, but he kept a straight face. "I guess you could say that I've found the one."

"Awe!" She clasped her hands together. "Heather's very lucky to have you. Speaking of...people want to know. How's the relationship going?"

"It's been wonderful," he lied. "Our fifth anniversary is coming up in July."

Sierra leaned forward. "Are you planning anything special?"

Alejandro hated to admit it, but he wasn't sure if proposing was an option anymore. "We'll see," he smiled, trying to ease the deep ache in his chest.

**

Gwen felt awkward. At this point, she just wanted to get her interview over with. She couldn't talk to anyone around here without starting a gossip storm.

She made her way to the minibar and got out her phone. A text from Geoff had her slapping a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing: you think Sierra's actually gonna interview Cody when it's his turn?

You're nasty😂 Gwen texted back.

Geoff: I'm just bored. Wish I could talk to you :(

Gwen: Maybe if you talk to me every fifteen minutes when no one else is around ;)

Geoff: I like a woman who takes risks😏

Gwen shook her head with a smile. Yeah, this is a pretty big deal. Someone might call the cops.

Geoff: I'd risk it all for you, G

Although she knew he was kidding, Gwen blushed. In a way, they were risking it all.

"Hey, Gwen," Cody's voice interrupted her daydream.

Gwen looked up. "Oh, hey, Cody," she said.

Cody grabbed a beer. "How's everything been with you?"

"Oh, just—boring," she fibbed. "All I do is work."

"Ha, it kinda feels like that for me, too. The band and I are constantly on the road."

"I bet. How many concerts do you have to do this year?"

"We have about sixty," answered Cody.

Gwen's jaw dropped slightly. "Wow, for real? I would be so tired."

"Honestly, I think I'm more tired of being around Justin and Harold 24/7," he chuckled.

"Tell me about it," Trent cut in. "Justin's always complaining about something, and Harold half-snores and half-talks in his sleep about a bunch of useless facts."

Gwen took a moment to process that Trent was there. "That sounds about right. But hey, at least you all managed to stay together for this long."

Trent scratched his neck. "Well..." he began sheepishly, "this is the third time we've gotten back together, so I wouldn't bet on anything."

"But we are more successful," Cody pointed out, offering Gwen and Trent a beer, which Gwen politely declined.

"You're right, man," Trent nodded as he grabbed the bottle. "It's never us two that causes the problems. Maybe we need a fifth person—like a mediator."

"Natasha would be perfect for it, but she hates public attention," said Cody.

"True. Plus, it's an all-guy band. No girls allowed," Trent smirked.

"Hey, I think we can make an exception for my girlfriend."

Gwen blinked in surprise. "You have a girlfriend?"

"Yeah," Cody took a sip of his beer. "We've been dating for about a year now."

"I hope it works out for you, man," Trent told him, a hint of a frown on his face.

Cody patted his shoulder. "Dude, I'm sorry about what happened with Rachel. You know the boys will always have your back."

"Yeah, thanks," Trent gave him a quick nod. "It's alright, now."

"Oh shit. If you don't mind me asking, what happened with you and Rachel?" said Gwen.

"We had a falling out," he mumbled. "It was over something on the news."

"Ugh. The paparazzi ruin everything. I'm so sorry, Trent."

"It wasn't just the paparazzi. I guess she didn't trust me enough to believe me over them," Trent shrugged.

Gwen raised an eyebrow. "Wait, how long were you guys together again?"

"A little over two years." He hung his head.

"Fuck, that sucks. You deserve better than that."

"You need to write a breakup song, man," Cody said. "Get all those bad feelings out."

Trent looked up. "You think she'll try and sue me, though? I feel like she's the type of person who'd do that."

"Maybe, maybe not. Just don't say any names, and she won't be able to prove that the song's about her."

"That's a good idea."

"Gwenny! There you are!" Sierra grabbed her arm. "It's your turn for the spotlight."

Gwen stumbled out of her chair. "Could you not try to kill me?" She half-teased.

Sierra ignored her complaint and winked at Cody. "You're next, handsome."

"I'm still with Natasha, Sierra," Cody rolled his eyes.

"I know," she pouted. "I was just being nice."

Gwen gave Cody and Trent an awkward wave as Sierra dragged her to the conference room.

"I have some really good questions for you, bestie!" Sierra squealed.

"Please don't use that word," Gwen cringed, settling into the guest chair.

"Why not? I think it's cute!"

"Can we get to the interview?"

"Mhm." Sierra laid a thick, white binder on her lap and cleared her throat. "Gwen, so many people would DIE to be in your shoes! But you and I know very well that fame comes with a price. If you could tell any young girl aspiring to be famous anything, what would you say to her?"

The question forced Gwen to dig into the deepest, darkest chasms of her mind. At seventeen years old, she was trapped in the internet drama. It all started with Heather's video making fun of her vlogs. But the worst part didn't come until after Total Drama World Tour.

Gwen had naively thought she would have a carefree relationship with Duncan after the season ended and forget about what happened with Courtney. But the universe kept reminding her of her mistake through talk shows and magazines.

Whenever she opened an app, a new headline about her would appear. She'd complained to Duncan, but he always minimized it, telling her that as long as they had each other, nothing else mattered.

Nowadays, Gwen would agree that some internet hate was karma, but there were some downright cruel comments wishing death upon her. It got so bad that even looking at Duncan made her hate herself even more.

After All-Stars, Gwen thought that she was finally in the clear. A huge weight was lifted off of her shoulders when she broke up with Duncan, and she thought she cleaned up her reputation by denying that Courtney and Duncan were even together at the time. Again, the universe dumped more karma on her, which made her evaluate her entire mindset.

Changing her attitude didn't stop the hate—as seen in the news article about her stealing Geoff from Bridgette more than six years after World Tour.

Gwen couldn't escape, no matter how much better of a person she became. Some people refused to buy her art because of what she did at seventeen. She still beat herself up about how stupid she had been and how much better her life could be if she hadn't let that idiot punk kiss her. It tore her up inside almost as much as her dad's absence.

Gwen painfully swallowed, prepared to answer Sierra's question. "If you're a teenager, and you're watching this—take it from me, you can only afford so many mistakes. Focus on loving yourself, and when you run into a situation like I did, choose to do the right thing, no matter how much you feel like you want to do the opposite. You see—when you're famous, you don't get to move on. Some people will not let you look at your past as a lesson. They want to punish you for the rest of your life as if you committed a murder. Please, never take privacy for granted. You could ask any of the Total Drama cast, and even if they disagree on the outside, I guarantee they feel that being in the public eye has stolen their youth, their willpower, and their dignity. There are times when we aren't treated like people. They think we're all bulletproof vests, but we're not."

Sierra's jaw hung open, a look of shock and concern on her face. "Whoa, that was the longest speech I got so far. I'm sure this will inspire plenty of young girls! Now, onto the next question..."

Meanwhile, Bridgette made herself walk towards Geoff. She had been staring at him on and off throughout the entire event. Seeing him again brought out a range of emotions in her, and she wasn't about to let this opportunity pass.

Ever since Geoff blocked her everywhere, she felt empty and restless. She always needed to know how or what he was doing. A seven-year relationship was hard to shake.

Bridgette had to wait until no one else was around to tap her ex's shoulder. Geoff spun around. "Yo, what's u—oh, Bridgette, hey," he greeted apprehensively.

"Hey," she gave him a strained smile. "Do you mind if we talk for a minute?" Geoff scanned the room, looking for any excuse to bail. "Please?" Bridgette pressed. "Just this one time?"

Sighing, he caved in. "Yeah, sure." Geoff kept his eyes on the windows across the room.

"Geoff—I want to apologize for how the breakup went down. Liam and I broke up the other week, and I realized that I took you for granted. You were the most loyal guy I've ever been with, and I really miss you."

Geoff didn't know what to say. Did she truly understand how much pain she caused him? He wanted to lash out at her, but he was too tired. He had killed his anger weeks ago. Now, there was nothing but sorrow. "Bridgette," he began, "I know you might be lonely right now, but I can't take someone back who cheated on me twice."

"Twice? I never cheated on you with Liam," said Bridgette. "I could never do that to you again after the World Tour incident.

And there it was—Geoff's old friend, anger. "Then why didn't you tell me about him until months after you met?" He crossed his arms.

"Because," Bridgette frowned, "I started to have feelings for him, but I didn't want to leave you. I thought it would pass, but it didn't. And I feel terrible for keeping him as a friend without letting you know."

"You didn't regret it three months ago," retorted Geoff. "But now that he's not here for you, I'm your stable, second choice, huh?"

Bridgette's eyes watered. "No, it's not like that."

"Then what's it like? Because when your ex comes up to you to try and fix things after their breakup, it looks pretty bad."

"I know it does, Geoff." She took a moment and closed her eyes. "I was stupid and made a mistake. I learned my lesson, and I'll never do it again. I promise."

Geoff slowly uncrossed his arms. "Then I guess you can promise for someone else because I'm seeing someone."

Bridgette stared at him, flabbergasted. A sensitive yet selfish part of her hoped he'd never move on, but she knew he had to be happy eventually. She just didn't think it would be this soon. "Who is it?"

"We're keeping our relationship private," he answered.

It felt unnatural for Bridgette not to know every detail of Geoff's life. This drove her crazier than she could ever imagine. "Alright, that's fine." She held herself together. "I hope you're happy."

Before Geoff could respond, Bridgette marched off to the bar.

*A few minutes ago*

As Gwen walked back into the lobby, Sierra touched her shoulder. "Are you ok, girl? That speech you gave at the beginning was really emotional."

"Yeah," replied Gwen. "I haven't been on TV in a while, so I had a lot to say. Life's a bitch."

Sierra nodded. "Just let me know if you ever need to talk."

"Thanks." Gwen watched Sierra scurry toward the bar to grab Cody.

She looked around for the restrooms, and her eyes landed on Geoff—who was talking to Bridgette. With both eyebrows raised, Gwen pretended to be distracted. That has to be an awkward reunion, she thought. Relieved that she found the women's restroom, she walked towards it.

What Gwen witnessed when she opened the restroom door made her freeze. There, right in front of her, was Heather, kneeling at the toilet with her finger in her throat.

Gwen's first instinct was to walk out and pretend like she saw nothing, but her conscience couldn't take another blow. Even if she and Heather weren't exactly fond of one another, she had to say something.

"Are—you ok?"

After flushing the toilet, Heather weakly stood up. "I'm sick if you couldn't tell," she croaked.

Gwen furrowed her eyebrows at Heather. She could see her collarbone sticking out above the giant sweater she wore, and Heather's face was notably smaller than the last time she saw her a couple of months ago—almost skeleton-like. "Why were you doing that to yourself?"

"Doing what?" Heather shoved past Gwen to wash her hands.

"You know I saw you, Heather," Gwen told her.

Heather took a deep breath in the mirror. "Look, just don't tell anyone, okay? I'm dealing with it myself."

"Please tell me you at least told someone."

"Of course I did," she lied. "I'm getting help, so mind your own damn business."

"Ok, I will. But you don't need to do that to feel beautiful."

After Gwen left, Heather felt tears sting her eyes. She wished she could stop, but it had gotten to the point where she could hardly keep more than a snack down without feeling sick. It was as if her body was punishing her for depriving it.

Before Heather knew it, it was her turn for the interview. She tried not to think about the camera on her, showcasing her face and body to millions of people. Maybe this was a mistake. But it was too late to turn back now.

"Heather! I've seen you make so many headlines!" Sierra commented. "You're one of the most famous models in Canada. This must be your dream!"

Was this "the dream"? Was this what Heather really wanted? Had she known she'd be here, would she have worked her ass off to get her position at Flatter Allure? Would she even think about aiming higher if this was bound to happen?

If living the dream meant starving yourself for a job and possibly getting drugged by a coworker but not remembering enough the next day to know who it was, then Heather might as well have been in a fairytale.

"—Yes, it's wonderful," Heather spoke. "I've never been happier with all this success."

"And we're all happy for you," replied Sierra in the most superficial manner. "I have another question. You have the hottest boyfriend on the planet. So they all say, anyways," Sierra giggled. "Has Alejandro ever thought about modeling?"

Alejandro. Heather knew she was hurting him by keeping this from him. But she'd only hurt him more if he knew the ugly truth. He'd be so disgusted and angry with her that he'd leave. She couldn't bear to imagine what he would say.

"No, surprisingly not," Heather chuckled, folding her hands over her lap. "But he models for me plenty."

Sierra laughed. "That's cute."

In the lobby, Gwen texted Geoff her burning question: I saw you talking with Bridgette. What happened with her?

Geoff: She apologized and said she wanted me back, but I rejected her, of course. She can't come back into my life just because she and her boyfriend broke up

Gwen cringed and texted back: You've gotten your interview done, right?

Geoff: Yeahhh, I went right before Heather

Gwen: Wanna ditch this place for beer pong at your house?

Geoff: Hell yeah! Meet me at the apartment, babe ;)

Gwen: Where else would I be going?😂

Geoff: Ik, I'm just messing around😜

Bridgette had downed a couple of drinks at the minibar. It stung to know how much pain she caused Geoff—the one she vowed never to hurt again. He was the love of her life. They were meant to be. She was angry at herself and often dreamt about Geoff giving her another chance.

When Bridgette was with Liam, she was happy but always felt something was missing. The passion wasn't there like it was with Geoff. They didn't know each other like she and Geoff did.

"Hey," a smooth voice ceased her thoughts.

Bridgette snapped her head to the side and saw Trent. "Hi, Trent. How are you?" She put on her best smile.

"I've been better," Trent shrugged. "And it looks like you've been better as well. I never took you as a drinker," he chuckled.

"Yeah, I usually don't go for alcohol. It's just—the whole breakup with Geoff was tough. I thought I knew what I wanted, but the grass isn't always greener on the other side." Bridgette sighed. "Is that too cheesy? I'm sorry for dumping my relationship problems on you. You've always been so easy to talk to."

"Thanks," Trent gave her a sympathetic smile. "And it's no big deal. I've had my fair share of relationship drama over the past month."

Bridgette sat up straight. "What happened with you?"

"Ah, this girl I was with for over two years thought I was cheating on her because paparazzi caught me helping some girl with directions."

"Seriously? She didn't believe you?"

"Nope. I guess it's the price I pay for being in a boy band," Trent joked. "You know how our reputations get."

Bridgette laughed a little. "But still, you don't deserve that. I, on the other hand, deserve everything I've gotten. I basically ditched Geoff for this guy I only knew for a few months."

"Well—we all change our minds sometimes, right?"

"True, but it's ridiculous how your heart can just turn on the person you loved for so long to pursue some stupid fling."

"I've never experienced that personally, but I understand what it's like to miss the person you thought was the one for you," said Trent.

Bridgette nodded. "Yeah. It sucks."

"It's the worst feeling in the world."

Bridgette chewed on her bottom lip. "Let me know if this question's crazy, but...do you wanna go out sometime? It doesn't have to be a date or anything. Maybe we could talk to each other over coffee or lunch."

Trent blinked. "Oh. Um, yeah, I'm down for that. You've always been a great friend, Bridgette."

"You too," she smiled.

When Heather finished her interview, she didn't waste any time leaving the building. The mere thought of people laughing at her on Sierra's blog was unendurable. She could hear the voices now: "She's a manager for a prestigious model company? Ha! As if. She has to be lying. That bitch could never get anywhere in life."

Alejandro saw her rush out and didn't have the chance to catch up with her. Did something go wrong with the interview? Instead, he tried calling her, but she never picked up.

Frustrated, he stormed out into the parking lot. "Heather?" He called, searching for her red convertible. "Heather, please talk to me."

Alejandro got into his car, defeated. He couldn't live like this anymore. Sooner or later, he would have to take matters into his own hands.

A/n- Thank you guys so much for being patient!!

Next Chapter: Total Chaos