"Welcome back to Total Drama Island: Return to Wawanakwa!" Chris welcomed, "Before the break, the Wild Wolverines finally lost an immunity challenge, forcing them to vote someone out tonight! Let's take a look at what everyone has been up to since the challenge!"

--------

The cameras proceeded to focus on the girls' side of the losers' cabin, currently occupied by Laila, Amalia, Alejandro, and Daniel. With Alexander and Daniel getting into a physical altercation during the challenge, the team agreed to keep them separated as to keep them both out of harm's way.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Amalia asked as she gently tapped Daniel on his right shoulder.

"Bruised forearm, possible broken nose, but I'll be fine," Daniel assured as he readjusted a bag of ice on his nose.

"He's so out of control," Alejandro remarked.

"Understatement," Daniel corrected with a smile on his face, "But hey, I can't control him any more than he can control me, so whatever."

"Let's try and talk about a more positive topic," Laila suggested, "So you two are officially a couple?!"

"Yeah," Daniel confirmed as he wrapped his right arm behind Amalia's back.

"It's honestly so cute that Amalia and Daniel are a couple. They seem so compatible that you can't help but want them to be together. Now, if only Alejandro could take a step forward." *laughs*- Laila

"What's going on with you two?" Amalia asked, pointing to Alejandro and Laila.

"I mean...I guess we're going steady," Alejandro answered, a bit unsure.

"If that's what you want to call it, then alright," Laila commented before laughing.

"I didn't think that those two would hit it off, but hey, if I can find a boyfriend, then I guess they can find each other."- Amalia

"Y'know, this four here could actually make a good alliance," Daniel pointed out, "I mean, if y'all are up for it."

"I think that Alejandro and Laila being by my side over Alexander's proves where the lines are drawn. Alejandro and Laila are much more loyal to Amalia & I than they are to Alexander. This is an opportunity too big to pass up."- Daniel

"Look, we're the sane ones on this team," Daniel noted, causing everyone to chuckle, "Alexander is the reason why we failed. He pushed me into the barrels, and he's gonna tear this team apart if we don't get rid of him now."

"If we don't vote him out, he's gonna pick us off one by one until we're all out," Amalia insisted, "Or in Daniel's case, until he's dead."

"Yeah," Alejandro agreed, "Can't argue with that. I don't even know if I could hold him back."

"Hey, we could name this alliance 'Double Date'!" Laila noted, causing everyone to laugh.

"That's actually really good," Amalia admitted.

"It's settled then, we're the Double Date," Daniel declared, "Quick question, Laila: what was going on with Devin?"

"He genuinely thinks that I have the invincibility head, which I don't!" Laila replied.

"Do you still have your clue?" Daniel asked.

"Yeah," Laila confirmed.

"Mind letting me see?" Daniel questioned, "We can compare our clues."

"Sure," Laila agreed as she pulled out the parchment from her pocket and showed it to Daniel, "See? 'A secure place under a wet covering'."

"I have the invincibility statue that belongs to the clue that she has. But of course, she doesn't have to know that."- Daniel

"This clue is different from the one that I got," Daniel admitted as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the clue that he got from his first trip to Boney Island, "I got this one."

"And you didn't find it?" Alejandro asked.

"No," Daniel responded naturally, hoping that they'd believe him, "Honestly, there are way too many statues of Chris on that island."

"Amen to that, man," Alejandro agreed.

"Now, do you two mind if Amalia and I talked alone for a while?" Daniel asked, hoping for some alone time with Amalia.

"Daniel is asking for alone time? Yes! Yes! Yes! YES!"- Amalia

"Sure," Laila agreed as she stood up and tugged Alejandro's arm, "C'mon, let's let these lovebirds be alone together."

"Remember, there are cameras all around this place," Alejandro reminded as he stepped out of  the room with Laila."

"Trust me, we know," Amalia assured as she wrapped her arms behind Daniel's neck, "Now, how about we continue where you left off this morning...?"

"Hold on, Amalia," Daniel ordered as he slowly pulled her arms off of himself, "We need to talk."

"Okay...what about?" Amalia asked, confused.

"Alexander threatened to expose us if I didn't side with him; that's why I kissed you and that's why he picked a fight with me," Daniel explained, "I do care for you, Amalia, which is why I openly kissed you, but I don't want what we have to change right now."

"So...you don't want us to be a couple right now?" Amalia questioned, slightly hurt.

"I'm fine with keeping it up when we're around everyone else," Daniel clarified, "I do like you Amalia. Don't think of this as me not liking you. Think of this as a test run to see if a relationship can actually work."

"Alright, I guess..." Amalia agreed reluctantly.

"Hey, don't pout," Daniel insisted as he kissed Amalia on the top of her head, causing her to giggle, "C'mon, where's that smile?"

Seeing that Amalia had a slight smile, Daniel pulled her in for a hug, hoping to make her feel better. Feeling comfortable, Amalia locked eyes with Daniel, leaving her with a firm smile. Wanting to test the waters, Amalia pulled the two of them back so that they were laying down on the bunk, effectively cuddling each other. As she nuzzled her head onto his neck, she felt the most comfortable that she had ever been throughout the whole game.

"I get where Daniel is coming from. but I just wish that he'd be a little less uptight. I mean, at least he's willing to give it a shot, but I'd like it better if he just stopped worrying about how everyone else views him. But I guess a bit of cuddling makes up for it." *blushes*- Amalia

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While Amalia and Daniel reaffirmed their little relationship, Katelyn, Kiana, and Ellie got together in the gym of the mini-mansion to confirm their loyalties to each other. Being on a two-challenge win streak, they wanted to take any chance that they could to solidify any deals that were in place.

"I mean, I'm loyal to you two, and you two only," Ellie assured as she continued running on a treadmill.

"Do you not have any connection to the people on your old team?" Katelyn asked as she sat down at a leg press machine.

"I've pretty much been alone since Cassie and Callie were voted out," Ellie admitted, "You guys are my new team, and I'll do what I can to keep this team going."

"My teammates are my only real allies in this game. I haven't spoken to Amalia or Veronica in a while, so I don't know where they stand. My best bet is to simply stick by Katelyn and Kiana, and just hope that we can make it to the final 3."- Ellie

"We're doing well, and I really think that it's because we're a cohesive team," Kiana noted as she laid down on a bench, "We don't argue, we don't hate each other, and we'll always be here to defend each other."

"Eh..." Katelyn muttered much too loudly.

"What?" Kiana asked, curious as to why Katelyn was hesitant, "What's wrong?"

"I mean, us three are a good three; we can go far," Katelyn assured, "But...Devin's a bit...unpredictable, don't you think?"

"Well...he has a big mouth," Ellie admitted, "But I think that if we talk to him, he'll calm himself down."

"I don't think so..." Katelyn insisted, "He's a loose cannon."

"I originally wanted to keep Devin in the game because he seemed completely devoted to our alliance and I know that he'd take me to the final two. But with his outburst today, I don't know if he's as easily controlled as he was when we first met."- Katelyn

"I mean, he's on our team," Kiana reminded, "We can't afford to shun any more of our team members."

"Kiana, sometimes we have to put aside team loyalty and focus on alliance loyalty," Katelyn remarked, "If we end up losing another challenge, he should be the one to go."

"The way that Katelyn is planning kinda scares me. She made an alliance with Devin and I before she made an alliance with Ellie. If she's willing to dump Devin at the first opportunity, for all I know, it might not be long before she gets rid of someone like me."- Kiana

"We shouldn't throw a challenge, though," Ellie noted as she turned up the speed on her treadmill, "If we happen to make the merge, Devin is still a number for us."

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One important part of the game was the importance of numbers. Without a numerical advantage, it wouldn't be possible to eliminate who you wanted. There were different strategies to ensure that you had a numerical advantage; you could make alliances, side deals, or simply socialize in hopes of people liking you enough to vote with you. For the five members of the Chaotic Cougars, they took the free time in the mini-mansion to play games to learn more about each other. Right now, they were sitting around the dining room table and playing the game 'Letters of Lies'.

"I'm still saying that it's a lie," Aaron insisted, "There's no way that happened!"

"Believe what you want, but it happened," Veronica replied.

"I'm gonna have to agree with Aaron on this one," Rhythm added.

"Alright, I say it's true, everyone else says that it's a lie," Tory recalled, "Veronica, is the story true or false?"

"It's actually true," Veronica revealed, causing a rouse of shock from Rhythm, Aaron, and Matthew.

"No way!" Matthew exclaimed, bewildered.

"I don't see the big deal!" Veronica claimed as she leaned back into her seat.

"Knew it!" Tory shouted as he gave Veronica a high-five, "Finally! Someone who can drink as much as I can!"

"I mean, I was in Cuba, and in a nightclub, so I couldn't resist," Veronica explained.

"I'll admit it, I'm a bit of a drinker. Okay, maybe more than that, but hey, I'm eighteen years-old and hot; partying is a given!"- Veronica

"Alright, moving on," Aaron ordered, "Rhythm, you're next."

"Okay..." Rhythm replied as she thought for a few seconds before speaking, "I had my first kiss five months ago."

"It's true," Tory interjected quickly.

"How do you know?" Matthew asked, confused.

"It just seemed too natural; it has to be true," Tory rationalized.

"Alright....where did it happen?" Veronica asked.

"At a Valentine's Day party," Rhythm answered quickly.

"Who was it with?" Tory asked.

"My crush," Rhythm replied, "It was awesome!"

"How did it happen?" Veronica questioned, "Did he go to you? Did you go to him?!"

"We were playing spin the bottle," Rhythm explained, "I spun and it pointed at them."

"Lips or cheek?" Matthew asked.

"Lips of course," Rhythm responded without hesitation, "Everyone at the party kissed on the lips; it was a rule."

"Is he hot?" Veronica asked, curious.

"They're quite attractive," Rhythm confirmed.

"When did you meet him?" Aaron asked.

"We met in the seventh grade when they transferred to my school," Rhythm answered once again.

"Does he have a crush on you?" Veronica asked, almost sounding giddy.

"I hope that they have a crush on me," Rhythm asked.

"Y'know...I've got a gut feeling that it's a lie!" Aaron declared.

"I'm sticking with true," Tory added.

"I think it's true," Matthew agreed, "Seems genuine."

"I'm gonna say true too," Veronica remarked, "But I reserve every right to say 'I knew it' if it's actually a lie."

"It is..." Rhythm began before pausing for dramatic effect, "True..."

"Yeah!" Veronica cheered as she stood up from her seat.

"Knew it," Tory commented, smiling.

"Does he watch the show?" Matthew asked, curious.

"I've told them to watch," Rhythm answered.

"I'm gonna go get more soda," Tory declared as he stood up, "Anyone care to join me?"

"I'm in!" Matthew declared, followed shortly by Aaron.

"I'm gonna stay here for a bit," Veronica remarked as she watched the three guys walk towards the kitchen.

"That was such a fun game!" Rhythm exclaimed, turning to Veronica, "Thanks for teaching-"

"Okay, I need to ask something..." Veronica whispered as she slid her chair closer to Rhythm, "And I'm not trying to come off as rude when I ask this, okay?"

"Alright..." Rhythm agreed as she slowly nodded her head.

"I really hope that you don't hate me for this..." Veronica muttered to herself before turning back to face Rhythm, "Do you...um...like girls? Like...romantically?"

"Remember when I said that I have crushdar? I also happen to have gaydar. I get that it's a sensitive subject to talk about, but I think that it's something that I need to talk to her about. I mean, she's fourteen, and I'm eighteen; if I'm right, I want to give her a bit of wisdom."- Veronica

"Wha...?" Rhythm asked, confused, "Where did that come from?"

"I mean, whenever we said 'he' or 'him', you'd always say 'they' or 'them'," Veronica noted, "Forgive me, but it kinda falls into place; you're tomboy-ish demeanor, your frustration when Amalia and Laila revealed that they had male crushes, all while you described your love for your crush whose gender is still ambiguous."

"Um..." Rhythm muttered as she stood up from her chair, "I've...gotta go to the bathroom..."

"Wait!" Veronica called out as she watched Rhythm run into the nearest hallway and out of sight, "I'm sorry!"

"I'd rather not talk about it..."- *sniffling*- Rhythm

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An important aspect of socializing was ensuring that you're intentions were made clear to the person that you were talking to. Veronica did her best to let Rhythm know that she wasn't trying to hurt her, but it just didn't work out. Turning back to the losers' cabin, Alexander was trying to get his point across to Alejandro and Laila, whom he pulled into the room for a quick discussion.

"Honestly, I'm trying to look out for your bottom-line," Alexander insisted, "This is what's best for you guys going forward."

"My pitch to Alejandro & Laila is simple: if you eliminate me, and if the team loses another challenge, it'll be them two against Daniel & Amalia. The vote will go to a tiebreaker, and there's no guarantee that both of them will stay."- Alexander

"If you guys go with me this one time, it ensures that you two don't get split up," Alexander noted.

"Alexander, you have to understand that your attitude makes you very difficult to keep around," Laila reminded.

"I get that I've flown off the handle before, but it's only because I want what's best for the team," Alexander claimed, "I promise you that by making this deal, there's tremendous upside for you two."

"Question: why would you want us three to vote for Amalia if you are completely pissed off at Daniel?" Alejandro asked, confused.

"Sure, Daniel is a self-centred, ruthless, backstabbing douche, but I can't deny facts: he is a much stronger competitor than Amalia is," Alexander admitted, "At the end of the day, he's gonna be more helpful to the team than Amalia will."

"I don't know..." Laila muttered, "Can we have a few minutes to think about this?"

"Sure," Alexander agreed as he headed for the door, "I'll just wait outside."

"See ya'," Alejandro called out as he watched Alexander leave, "Okay, call me crazy, but I think we've got to go with him."

"Alright, you're crazy," Laila replied.

"Making a deal with Alexander is pretty much like making a deal with the Devil. He went way too far today, and I don't know if I can forgive him for that."- Laila

"I care for Daniel & Amalia; I think that they're genuinely nice people. However, keeping Laila & I safe is my number one priority. Even though Alexander is quite brash, he's got a point: voting out Amalia gives Laila and I a chance to survive. If we lose again, then we can side with Daniel to vote out Alexander, and if we lose another one after that, Daniel's gotta go. It's what's best for us."- Alejandro

"Alexander is the enemy!" Laila reminded, "He cannot be trusted! You saw him fight Daniel today! That could be us if he snaps again!"

"To me, the only downside to the plan is having to betray Amalia," Alejandro admitted, "Laila, I get that we came here to make friends, but we need to play this game for ourselves. I want what's best for us. And right now, our best hope of surviving 'till the merge is to side with Alexander once, and vote for Amalia. Are you in?"

"Umm...uh..." Laila muttered, very unsure as to what the right move was.

Laila was completely torn. She was caught in a bind between staying loyal to people who deserved to be in the game, and doing what was best for her own game. She really didn't want to admit it, but separating Daniel & Amalia would increase the odds of her and Alejandro staying in the game past the merge. At the same time, Daniel was the reason that her and Alejandro got together in the first place; separating him from his 'girlfriend' would be a complete slap to the face.

"Attention campers!" Chris called out from the loudspeakers, "It's time for the elimination ceremony! Please make your way to the campfire now!"

"Well...let's go," Alejandro stated as him and Laila stood up from their bunk, "We can use the time it takes to get there to make a decision."

Alejandro & Laila exited the cabin just to see Alexander and Daniel talking to each other. The couple was concerned that this would turn into another fight, and they both were ready to spring into action if needed. Luckily for them, this was purely a verbal exchange.

"So...it's time for the vote, eh?" Daniel remarked.

"Yes...yes it is..." Alexander agreed, staring at Daniel with a confident expression, "I just hope that you're ready for tonight. It's gonna be a bit of a shocker."

"I'm sure it will..." Daniel replied, brushing off the comment.

"Y'know Dan, we're not so different," Alexander noted as he took a step towards Daniel so they were less than a few inches away from each other, "But there is one big difference: I'm able to recognize that loyalty is the most important quality that someone can have in this game. You're about to realize the grave error that you've committed."

"Yeah, like you're the 'model player', or something," Daniel mocked, "You're not gonna last much longer."

"You shouldn't have turned your back on me, and you'll see why..." Alexander remarked as he began walking away, "Just saying: this vote will teach you that traitors get punished. You're dead Dan...you're dead..."

Daniel watched intently as Alexander walked towards the campfire, closely followed by Alejandro & Laila. He knew that Alexander was going to do whatever he could to make him miserable, and was prepared for anything that Alexander threw at him. It didn't matter how much Alexander threatened him; Daniel wasn't scared.

"So... I am the one that's dead?" Daniel repeated as he took his invincibility statue out of his pocket and gazed at it, "You should've picked your words more carefully..."

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It was that time again; the Chaotic Cougars and the Merciless Moose sat themselves on the sidelines, while the five members of the Wild Wolverines took their individual seats on the stumps by the campfire. After an explosive challenge, one could say that they were eager to finally settle the score. What many of them didn't know was that they were about to go through the most surprising elimination ceremony of the season so far.

"After a few hundred squirts of water, over a thousand feet of tape, and a ferocious brawl between Daniel & Alexander, the Wild Wolverines find themselves with the task of voting one of their own out of the game," Chris reminded, "But first, I need one volunteer from each of the winning teams to head to Boney Island. Reminder: you cannot volunteer two times in a row."

"Me!" Aaron shouted, "I mean, if you guys don't mind."

"Go for it!" Veronica allowed, followed by a series of nods from his remaining teammates.

"Guess I'm out," Devin rationalized, "Katelyn, how about you?"

"Uh...I was kinda hoping to get some rest after being sprayed with water for half an hour..." Katelyn claimed, hoping to back out, "Ellie? Mind doing it?"

"Eh, fine," Ellie agreed as she stood up from her seat.

"Alright then. Ellie & Aaron, please follow the path to the boat that will take you to Boney Island," Chris ordered, causing Ellie & Aaron to walk down the path together.

"I don't mind going to Boney Island. I'm pretty convinced that Devin just assumed that Laila found the head. Hopefully I can find it once I'm there."- Ellie

"Hopefully Ellie can consider this as a gesture of trust coming from me. I still need to keep an eye on Devin."- Katelyn

"Anyways, it's time for the Wild Wolverines to vote someone off," Chris reminded, "You know how it works: X-out the picture of the person that you want out, I'll check the votes, and I'll hand out the 'safe marshmallows'. Whoever doesn't get a marshmallow must walk down the Dock of Shame and leave the island on the Submarine of Losers. You may vote."

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This is what Daniel told me to do, and I really have to trust him on this one."- Amalia

"Daniel's gonna cry like a baby once you're gone." *sticks tongue out*- Alexander

"I've got to do what's best for me. Sorry."- Alejandro

"Man...I hope this works..."- Daniel

"I'm shaking...I don't want to vote for you, but it's what I have to do for my game. I wish that I could've gone farther with you, but I guess it wasn't meant to be."- Laila

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"Let's see how this vote turned out!" Chris declared as he picked up the first marshmallow, "The following people are-"

"Hold on, Chris!" Daniel interrupted as he stood up from his seat, resulting in a murmur of confusion from the other campers, "I've been made aware that a plan is in place to ruin my game, and I don't want that to happen."

The campers were shocked as Daniel pulled out a Chris McLean Head of Invincibility. Most notably, Tory was confused, granted that Daniel had told him a while ago that he didn't find an invincibility head. Alejandro & Laila were worried, now wondering if they made the wrong decision. However, Alexander was smiling, still content with what Daniel was doing. As Daniel walked towards Chris, Alexander marveled in the success of his plan.

"Daniel...so predictable..." Alexander muttered to himself.

"I've always wanted to use this," Daniel commented as he stared at Chris, who had his hand out, ready to take the invincibility head, "But...there's something that I need to do first."

Everyone was left in confusion as Daniel turned around and began to walk back to his team. Even Alexander was confused; he expected Daniel to just go and play an immunity head if he had one. So to see him turn around was confusing to everyone.

"Alexander, you're right. Loyalty is the most important quality that someone can have in this game," Daniel admitted, "And there is a difference between us: even if I am the one voted out tonight, I can go home knowing that I stayed loyal to the person that deserves to stay in the game."

With that statement, Daniel walked towards Amalia and handed her the invincibility head, leaving everyone even more shocked than when he stood up to play it. Even Amalia needed a little bit of prodding to realize that her 'boyfriend' was handing her the key to immunity. After taking a few seconds to take in what just happened, Amalia took the head, stood up, walked towards Chris, and gave him the head before going to sit back down. On the way back, she looked at Alejandro, Laila, and Alexander's faces; all of which were plastered with the emotions of regret, sadness, and shock.

"Nice! With that gesture, that means Amalia has immunity!" Chris declared as he threw Amalia a marshmallow, "And good play, Daniel; Amalia did end up receiving the majority of the votes!"

"Oh really?" Daniel remarked as he turned to face Alejandro, Laila, and Alexander, none of whom were looking at him.

"Thank you so much!" Amalia thanked as she gave Daniel a hug and kissed him on the cheek for two seconds.

"And...I'll also say that Daniel didn't receive any votes!" Chris announced as he tossed Daniel the second marshmallow, "As for you three, two of you didn't receive any votes and are safe, while the 3rd one received the final two votes."

That statement sent a chill down the spines of the three campers still in danger. Laila felt terrible, immediately regretting casting her vote against Amalia. Alejandro was worried, more for Laila's security than his own. Alexander was nearly defeated; he created his plan assuming that Daniel wouldn't play an invincibility head for Amalia if he had one. Now that his plan completely failed, he was ready to face his fate.

"The camper eliminated tonight with two votes is..." Chris began before pausing, wanting to maintain the dramatic tension, ".......Alejandro."

"WHAT?!" Alexander exclaimed as he caught his marshmallow, "What the f**k is going on!"

"Alejandro..." Laila muttered as she began crying.

"Um...wow..." Alejandro remarked as he pulled Laila in for a hug, "I...can't believe this..."

"What were you two thinking?!" Alexander exclaimed, staring directly at Daniel & Amalia.

"It was a choice that we had to make," Daniel claimed, "Had to happen."

"I didn't want to risk Alexander possibly having an immunity head and having him rub it in my face when he used it. I also wasn't 100% sure if Laila was telling the truth about her not finding an immunity head. Alejandro was the safest vote to ensure that this plan couldn't backfire because of the votes."- Daniel

"Sorry to cut the sobfest short, but this is a half-hour show. Chef!" Chris called out, causing Chef Hatchet to come in and pull Alejandro away.

--------

With the light of the moon shining down on him, Alejandro slowly made his way along the Dock of Shame, with his red duffel bag slung over his shoulder. Many of the campers were sad to see him go; he wasn't mean, or brash. He was just a guy who wanted to make friends, give his all to his team, and hopefully win a million dollars. Sadly, it wasn't meant to be.

"Wait!" Laila shouted as she caught up to Alejandro on the dock, "I'm gonna miss you, ya' know..."

"I know..." Alejandro replied as he brought Laila in for a hug, "You can make it to the end. I know that you'll make it there. Don't let this hurt you."

"Thanks..." Laila thanked, nearly crying, "Will you be here for me when I'm voted out?"

"I'll be here for you," Alejandro agreed, "Except I'll be at the finish line of the final race, watching you win the million dollar prize. Don't give up, okay?"

"I won't..." Laila assured as the two of them went in for a passionate kiss, "I'll get Daniel & Amalia out for you. I'll make sure of it. Goodbye..."

"It's not 'goodbye'; it's 'see you soon'," Alejandro corrected before letting Laila return to the rest of the campers, "Alright, I'm ready..."

The campers watched silently as the Submarine of Losers rode away and out of sight, carrying Alejandro with it. At that point, none of them knew what to do. If anything, this elimination ceremony reminded everyone that even if you have a plan in place, it doesn't guarantee that you're safe. The only things that guarantee you safety is winning an immunity challenge or an invincibility statue.

"When did you find that statue?" Tory whispered to Daniel, wanting an answer.

"I got it the first time I went to Boney Island," Daniel answered honestly.

"Alright campers, that does it for the night. You may head back to your rooms," Chris declared as the campers turned to return to their respective rooms.

As the campers walked out of sight, Chris took a few seconds to ponder over what the remainder of the game would be like. After the explosive challenge and the highly-strategic elimination ceremony, this all but confirmed to Chris that this season would be one to remember. This told him was that the show was back on the rise, and he couldn't be any happier.

"We've reached the end of a very memorable episode," Chris remarked whilst smiling at the camera, "How will Laila deal with losing her boyfriend? Will Daniel's gutsy play put a target on his back? And what will Aaron & Ellie do on Boney Island? Find out next time, right here, on Total...Drama...Island:...Return to Wawanakwa!"

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Votes:

Amalia: Alejandro

Alexander: Amalia (Voided)

Alejandro: Amalia (Voided)

Daniel: Alejandro

Laila: Amalia (Voided)