Chapter Text
Heather shook her head, stuffing the crumpled letter back into her bag. She hadn’t gotten into her choice of university. Hell, she hadn’t even gotten into her top five, so here she was; in a tiny college town, going to a school significantly below what she’d hoped for.
And it sucked.
Her parents had paid her tuition, but their cold and ever cruel nature meant they’d for the most part, cut all contact. Her so-called “friends” ceased contact long before her stint on reality TV was over.
Heather was alone.
With the minor exception of the last people she wanted to hear from, of course. Her old castmates kept bugging her, dozens of calls, texts and emails left unopened and unanswered. She’d failed at getting the one thing she aimed for- the million dollar prize, and not only left the spotlight broke, but also broken-hearted. The last thing Heather wanted was a reminder of all she’d almost had- and all she’d lost.
The building before her was grey, run-down and gloomy- much like the sky above. This was home for the next four years.
Struggling to carry her bags up the steps, her arms full and luggage slipping from her grip, she slowly made her way towards the dorm before unceremoniously slipping on a pebble, causing both herself and her possessions to scatter along the sidewalk.
Could this day get any worse? she thought to herself, rubbing her already swelling knee.
“Want some help?” Heather looked up to see her former rival with a hand outstretched, barely suppressing a giggle at her misfortune.
“What are you doing here gothy?” she said, ignoring Gwen’s hand and beginning to gather her things. “Are you stalking me?”
Gwen rolled her eyes, placing a hand on her hip. “I drew the short straw and had to come get you”
“Get me? Because I’d want to go anywhere with you!”
“Well, the mansion Beth bought is a hell of a lot nicer than this place- but if you don’t want your own room and a private ensuite” Gwen trailed off, turning to leave.
“Wait, what mansion? What are you even doing here?”
“Same as you. College. No where else would have me- you’d know that if you answered your phone for once”
“What makes you think I want to bunk in with you and that dork?” Heather asked, snatching a stray shoe out of the other girl’s hand.
“You won’t have to room with some random” Gwen sighed, exasperated. “And again, no communal bathroom. Also, it’s not just me and Beth, it’s almost everyone from the show.”
“And how do I know this isn’t just some ridiculous plot to murder me?”
“Please, if I wanted to kill you, Heather- you’d never see me coming. Now are you staying here or?”
“Whatever. I guess that sounds better than this dump. But if you think I’m going to be singing Kumbaya by the fireplace you’ve got another thing coming” she snapped, begrudgingly loading her things into the trunk of Gwen’s small hatchback.
—
“How did she even afford this?” Heather asked, eyes wide. The house was unlike anything she’d ever seen; A beautifully modern house resting atop a hill, expansive, blooming gardens surrounding it and a stream that passed through the grounds, glittering in the sunlight, reflections from the water casting multi-coloured light across the stone clad house.
It was open and airy, and looked like it had been pulled straight from a fairytale.
“She didn’t spend the money when she won- I think season two right? She invested it and made big bucks, and lucky for us, she decided she wanted to go to college here”
“So, who’s actually here?”
“Pretty much everyone from the first three seasons- I think the only ones who aren’t are Duncan, he’s still locked up; Justin is modelling somewhere in France, Zeke is still feral, so they’ve got him in a rehabilitation centre. Oh, and Blaineley- since she’s like thirty.”
“And everyone that is here is living in this house?” Heather questioned.
“Yes.”
“Everyone?”
“Yes Heather” Gwen replied, rolling her eyes.
“Even- “
“Alejandro?” The goth cut Heather off. “Yes, your little boyfriend is here, and he’s a really good cook, even if he is an evil snake”
“That- Jerk” Heather stuttered “Is NOT my boyfriend”
“I thought you guys got together last season?” she questioned
“I don’t want to talk about it”
Gwen eyed her, skeptical and focused her attention on the road, and pulled into the driveway, before climbing out and making her way towards the house.
—
Gwen had already disappeared by the time she made it through the front door, and the ‘welcoming’ committee wasn’t very, uh-welcoming. It seemed like most of her castmates had better things to do, Beth and Sierra being the only ones giving more than a hello before retiring to different parts of the house, the purple haired girl enthusiastically taking her bags fromher hands and pulling her down the hall.
Heather had never really enjoyed Sierra’s company, between her knowing far too much about everyone on the show and her Cody obsession, Heather often found her unbearable.
Since the show had ended however, Sierra had mellowed out- her happy go-lucky attitude and ever present energy were still running high but she seems more centred and less obsessed with those around her; after all- she was one of them at this point.
“So much has changed since last season- I’m seeing someone new! Last week they surprised me with a trip to my favourite restaurant and the movies, and we even held hands! I think I’ve finally found my fairytale ending” Sierra sighed, clutched her arms to her chest, smitten with her new suitor.
“Sure, super cute” Heather deadpanned, continuing to follow her into a hallway marked with various names
Sierra stopped at the last door in the expansive hallway, and gestured to the room behind it
“This is your room, I hope you like it; I helped Beth with the planning”
Heather placed her bags at her feet, stepping into the room. It was bigger than her room back home, lush cream carpet lining the floor with walls to match and a red feature wall behind the large four-poster bed, complete with a black bedspread and satin pillows.
The room took the breath from her lungs. It was her dream bedroom, the luxurious décor catching her eye, the mahogany furniture embellished with detailed designs, small cherry blossoms carved into the wood, the light of sunset pouring in from the large bay window opposite to the door.
“I- I love it” she breathed.
“Well I have to go, gotta get ready for tomorrow- I’ve got my first class at 8am”
Still in awe, Heather was left alone in her new room, taking in every detail as she began to unpack her belongings. The room was beyond a dream, miles better than any dorm room she would have gotten.
Once she hung the last shirt in her closet, Heather sat on the bed and pulled her laptop from her bag. She had not even pressed the power button when a figure appeared in the doorway.
“Dinners ready in five Heather, and it’s DJ’s turn to cook so you know it’s going to be good” Owen exclaimed, drawing out the end of his sentence. “The dining room is the third door to the left of the foyer”
The large blonde skipped away, and Heather sighed, her day had already been tiring, and now she was dreading an awkward dinner with people who didn’t even want her at the table.
“Let’s get this over with” She muttered to herself, following the directions she had been given to the dining hall.
—
Dinner was awkward. So awkward, in fact that the tension brought by the uneasy silence of the group could be cut with a knife; a few notable absences only building it further. The only positive thing was the food, and she sat stirring her pasta, head in her hand.
The only chatter came from Beth and Lindsay, who were discussing their timetables for this semester, along with Geoff and Bridgette, who were canoodling at the end of the table.
“Soooo, what’s your major?” Heather asked her former teammate, Courtney who was sitting next to her.
“Corporate law of course” The brunette answered, flicking her hair behind her shoulder “Honours. You?’
“Business and International trade”
“Cool” Courtney replied sharply, their stout conversation coming to an end.
Heather returned to her food, slowly pushing it around her plate, largely ignoring the rest of the table. She felt queasy- here she wasn’t in a competition, she was just Heather, and the uncertainty of how this would go turned her stomach.
Soon after she finished her meal, the rest of the group was done, and started to collect the dishes, as if it was routine. Heather followed suit and followed her castmates into the kitchen.
Once again, Heather was taken aback by the kitchen, sure she had been dazzled by the dining hall, but she’d been to many banquets served in high-class establishments, and that was nothing new, but this was different, it felt more like home than any place she had lived before.
The kitchen was adorned with marbled benchtops and an aqua splashback, assorted racks holding spices and herbs, a corkboard with scattered notes and photographs pinned to it. Complete with retro style appliances, the room gave off a modern, but homey vibe. Posted on the fridge was a chores list, Courtney’s neat handwriting easily recognisable, showcasing the daily, weekly and monthly chores they each shared in. Heather scanned the rota for her own name, discovering she already qhad a list of chores to her name, and took a photo for memory.
After she had done her bit in helping to clean after dinner, Heather decided to take a stroll around the house, the bright chandeliers lighting the otherwise dark corridors. Every part of the house filled her with wonder, it differed greatly from her childhood home, which had been an old mansion filled with antiques and the ghosts of generations past.
Here, she felt at peace with the ornate designs and the modern furniture. It was new and felt like a fresh start, even if it was the things she was trying to run from that brought her here.
As she strolled the corridors, she discovered that half of the contestants were in the west wing of the house, as opposed to her room, which resided in the east. In the centre of the two wings, was a large library where several wooden desks lined the back wall, partitions separating them and bookshelves covering the other two. At the centre of the library were a cluster of sofas surrounding a coffee table, a matching kitchenette next to the doorway.
Alongside the library, there were two living rooms, complete with TVs and fireplaces, a home theatre and a soundproof music room. Heather was sure that she hadn’t seen the entire house when she came across a door with an all too familiar name printed on it.
‘Alejandro’
She paused at his door, standing outside it for several minutes, contemplating whether to knock.
You know you can’t Heather. Not after what happened
Heather started to walk away, it was late, and she was exhausted. She knew that eventually they’d run into each other, hell she agreed (kind of irrationally) to live with him and the other castmates.
Why did I agree to this? She thought to herself, shaking her head.
About halfway down the hallway, the door she had been standing in front of creaked open, and there he was, his perfectly toned body glistening with water and his hair damp. In the few years after All-Stars had been filmed, he had changed, his hair longer and he had gotten taller once again, stubble lining his face. Heather stood there, staring at Alejandro, frozen as if her feet had forgotten how to move.
What are you doing Heather? You agreed not to get distracted by him again
Heather thought back to the promise she made herself and shook herself out of her trance.
“Heather?” He inquired, locking his gaze to hers, stepping out of his room, clad only in a towel. “I thought I heard someone out here”
Remember, no distractions.
“Alejandro. How Err- nice it is to see you.” Heather stammered her words but kept her posture stoic and stiff.
“Look- Heather, I think we need to talk about what happened”
“Oh, do you see what time it is? Nearly midnight, geez, I better go to bed” Heather nervously excused herself, breaking into a full sprint in her efforts to get away.
Heather was never usually this nervous, and if she was, she never showed it- she always kept her confident persona on, but after opening up to Alejandro about her past, and with the way things ended she couldn’t face him, she wasn’t sure she ever could.
—
An Alarm wasn’t something Heather was used to waking up to; her father’s booming voice usually took care of that, and then later, whatever form of inhumane toture Chris had up his sleeve did the honours.
Disgruntled, she reached over to shut the device off, stretching over to the other side of the bed. Sitting up among the lush sheets, she started to take in her surroundings, slowly recounting the previous day's events; and how she came to wake in this unfamiliar setting, rather than a drab dorm room.
I’ll never get used to this
Swinging out of bed, she spread her toes into the soft carpet, stepping over to the window and throwing open the curtain. Taking in the picturesque view, she could spy Eva on her morning jog- and Tyler trailing behind her, struggling to keep up with her swift pace and tripping over himself.
The sun had barely peaked over the horizon by the time Heather had completed her morning routine, brushing the last knots out of her hair before tying it back in her signature ponytail and placing her laptop in her bag.
Checking the time as she turned her speaker off, she grumbled to herself “Why in the world did I choose 8am classes”. Sighing, she locked her bedroom door and stepped into the freezing halls.
It may have only been half past five in the morning, but the house was bustling with activity.
As she approached the kitchen, Heather could muffled chatter, masked by the clanging of pots and pans that rang through the halls. She inhaled deeply, preparing herself for whoever was behind that door- there weren't many of her former castmates she could tolerate, or that tolerated her.
Inhaling, Heather could smell a divine mix of flavours, her mouth starting to water at the thought of food.
Pushing through the doors, she could see DJ and Bridgette moving in perfect sync, tossing ingredients to each other without a word. Turning her attention to the kitchen table, a large spread of gourmet dishes was laid out before her.
The cooks murmured a distracted greeting, their attention clearly on the task at hand. Heather piled her plate high, loading a plateful of pancakes and bacon, and proceeding to take a seat at the breakfast bar, rather than where Owen and Geoff were currently inhaling their food.
She scrolled absentmindedly through her phone, taking small bites of her food, revelling the taste.
“Soooooo Heather…” Courtney trailed, leaning on the counter ”You really need to be more considerate of your neighbours.”
“Huh?”
“We heard you running through the halls last night. The west wing? Not the best place for a late night jog” Gwen added.
“Buzz off” Heather rolled her eyes, focusing her attention back on her phone
“Why were you making such a ruckus anyway?” Courtney raised her eyebrows, taking a sip of her coffee.
“I don’t have to- wait a minute; isn’t your room on another floor?” Heather snapped back.
The pair blushed, looking away, as if trying to find an excuse. “We were trying to study” Courtney answered “Not that it’s any of your business”
Heather eyed her former teammates “ Hm. That’s odd seeing as no classes have started yet. But that’s none of my business, just like how me taking a run is none of yours” Heather stood, grabbing her bag. “You guys always have to ruin a good thing, like my breakfast”
Leaving the girls at the bar, Heather rose, and sped out of the room. Maybe living here will be more challenging than I thought. Waving a half-assed thankyou to Bridgette and DJ.
—
True to form, it was raining when Heather got off the bus. The bitter cold was biting through her jacket, chilling her to the bone. Unfortunately, it wasn’t cold enough for snow, but the rain proceeded to drizzle, small pieces of sleet crashing to the ground among the puddles of water.
The campus, matching the weather, drab grey buildings towered over browning grass and dying gardens. She sighed, she’d been hoping for so much more, only for her dreams to have come crashing down around her,
Heather ran into the large building, shielding her hair from the rain with her bookbag. Pulling out her campus map she had received in the mail, she checked she was headed in the right direction. As she set off across campus, the rain continued, and Heather saw a familiar face, he was strolling in the same direction as her, as if headed to the same lecture she was.
He can’t be in the same class as me. Heather thought to herself, praying that she wouldn’t have to put up with him outside of sharing a house, as the thought of it crossed her brain, he turned into the classroom she had made a beeline for.
The bus had been late due to the weather, and when she entered the room the only seat she could see was directly beside him , the cramped desks leaving little room for personal space. She scanned the room, hoping that the small lecture hall would have another place for her to sit, but instead she found herself quietly sliding into the only seat available.
“Hello Chica” he whispered as Heather reluctantly took the seat beside him, angling her body towards the front of the room, attempting to ignore his presence.
After a pause, Alejandro tried again “So, you aren’t talking to me now?”
“I’m here to learn Al, I’d appreciate it if you let me do so” she threw back at him, tone cold as the rain that was still falling in sheets outside.
“Carry on then” Alejandro sighed in resolve, turning back to the lecture.
The next two hours were torture. She could feel him, his warmth, his presence, she could smell his cologne. It kept her acutely on edge; unable to focus in such proximity, shuddering at every accidental touch.
I’m never going to be late again. She thought This is bullshit
Heather tried her best to not let herself be distracted, but her mind wandered elsewhere, reminiscing on the few short weeks where his warmth had been welcomed, how safe she had felt being held in his strong embrace, but also how she let her guard down, how vulnerable she had been when they were alone.
They were fierce competitors- it started with the show, they were perfectly matched rivals, and it had been clear from the start that they were destined to be the final two. They;d also been fierce lovers, they constantly bickered, in perfect sync with one another. They’d have been an unstoppable force- if only they had realised it sooner.
Of course, daydreaming about the good eventually led to the gut-wrenching way it had ended- the messy, painful break up that swept her heart out from underneath her.
From everything to nothing in a matter of minutes.
Remembering how she felt when it ended didn’t stop her heart from fluttering every time he accidentally brushed against her, nor when his warm voice snapped her out of her daze.
“Heather? Can you move?”
“Oh, Sorry.” Heather murmured, shaking her head slightly, as if trying to remove any thought of the past with her movement, before stepping to the side to let him pass. The class had ended whilst she had been among her thoughts, students filing out in waves of chatter.
Gathering her things, she pushed through the large doors, only to realise that the drizzle from earlier had turned into a full-blown downpour, trees whipping in the wind and rain hammering down, echoing off the tin roof.
Bracing herself before running through the courtyard, she made her way to the sanctuary of the small bus shelter, checking the timetable for her ride home. An hour away? Just my luck. She thought, begrudgingly taking a seat on the wooden bench.
She’d been trembling on the bench for a few minutes when a luxurious red SUV rounded the corner, the passenger window rolled down, and Alejandro leaning over from the driver's seat.
“Want a lift?” He offered
“L-l-like I want a ride with you” she trembled in response, clutching her arms tightly
“Heather,” He Sighed “always so stubborn.” Rolling the window up, Heather kept her eyes on him as he climbed out of the car, proceeding to walk over to her, taking his jacket off in the process
She eyed the fur-lined leather, recalling how it was the same jacket that she borrowed constantly while they were together. He tentatively wrapped the jacket around her shoulders before taking her bag out of her hands without a word and placing it in the back seat of his car.
“Get in the car, you’ll get a chill”
Reluctantly, Heather ducked into the passenger seat, happy to be out of the cold, autumn rain. Angling her body towards the window, she continued her best efforts to ignore him, observing the rain roll down the tinted glass.
Glad to be out of the rain, she leant against the window, yearning for a warm showering and wishing literally anyone else could have picked her up.
“How are you liking college?”
“It’s the first day.” She answered bluntly “And just because I got in the car, does not mean I want to talk to you.”
“You’re talking to me right now” He quipped, and Heather’s quizzical look turned into a scowl “Hey, hey Chica, no need for the sour look- why can’t we just chat?”
“Because I have no interest in chatting with you.”
“Why not?”
“Because I-” Heather faltered, looking down at her knees, a wave of nausea settling over her. This was possibly the last thing she wanted to talk about; with the last person she’d want to discuss it with. She couldn’t admit how much he’d hurt her, not to herself- and especially not him “Because I don’t want to.”
“That didn’t answer my question Chica”
“Stop calling me that”
“Ah, you always did hate that” Alejamdro sighed, a mischievous glint in his eyes “My apologies”
“Shut up Al” She smirked, feeling him shudder. She returned her gaze to the rain drops racing down the window.
The rest of the drive passed quickly, and Alejandro made no further attempts at conversation. Arriving back at the house. Heather moved at an almost comical speed, snatching her bag from the backseat in a race to escape him before he had a chance to follow her.
Flopping onto her bed, she screamed into a pillow, frustrated and exhausted. Heather couldn’t tell whether her body was shaking from being in such close proximity to her former lover, her drenched clothes or the warm dry jacket that still strongly smelled of him.
Dragging herself from her bed, she forced herself to change, staring longingly at the jacket the moment she took it off, slipping it back over her shoulders in a moment of weakness before collapsing once again, basking in its familiarity.
—
Gwen attempted to push ahead of her, eager to get off the crowded bus, growling back at her rival, Heather brushed off the goth’s jab at her newly bought hair extensions, peering over her sunglasses.
As she took them in, the other contestants didn’t impress her. The cast was the same as the last two seasons- she knew them in and out.
They were predictable at every step of the game.
She’d knew they’d follow the same patterns each and every time, making them easy to beat. This was her season- she had it in the bag. She joined her fellow contestants, standing silently at the back of the group. The incessant chatter joined the howls of the wind on the breezy runway, watching as Chris introduced each of the cast members to the camera.
“And now to mix things up and keep it all fresh, we're adding two new competitors! He's an honour-roll student with a diplomat for a dad and an amazing ability to charm the pants off most species. Alejandro!” The host's voice echoed among them; the chatter had grown silent- none of them had realised that there were two extra bodies on the ride here.
Now this, this was a wild card. This ‘Alejandro’ that stepped off the bus entirely fit his introduction; tall, tan with long, luscious hair that almost glowed in the sun. She was taken aback by his charming smile as he helped Lindsay and Bridgette to their feet- there was something else about him, something that she couldn’t quite place.
He was trouble. She knew it from the first time she laid eyes on him- a wild card, completely throwing a spanner into the works of her brilliant plan, always seeming to be a step ahead of her at any given point
They’d quickly become the biggest on-screen adversaries that the show had ever seen, perfectly matched and constantly at each other’s throats- both during the competition and even in the ‘comfort’ of the plane.
Heather couldn’t stand him. He was arrogant, manipulative and practically perfect in every way. In one moment, she could see right through him, the next she’d be left blindsided. Heather managed to maintain an indifferent facade towards the beginning, however as time went on and the cast became smaller, tensions rose.
They’d occasionally find themselves with no company but each other, away from the prying eyes of the cameras and those moments were different, to the rest.
He’d compliment her on her strategies, and they’d chatter about topics irrelevant to the game- like constellations and their favourite childhood cartoons. They just were two young people sharing a moment of solitude in the crazy world of the spotlight that they’d found themselves in.
From the outside, it may have seemed like a rich friendship was growing; but it only made the fire of rivalry burn deeper inside of Heather. The moments of peace were rare, few and far between; they were vying for a crown- and they couldn’t afford to show any weakness, not to their team and certainly not to each other.
It was late in the competition- and she’d gotten herself wedged in a goddamn hole. With no one but various crew and cameramen for miles, Heather felt her entire world crumble around her.
She wouldn’t die- the crew would fish her out once the challenge was over; but everything she’d worked so hard for- everything she’d sacrificed would be gone. She was going to lose the competition, and by extension her dignity.
Feelings of disappointment and failure plagued her mind, quickly turning to rage as she heard a warm laugh fill the air- his laugh to be exact.
“Don’t just stand there, get me out of here!” She ordered, eyeing him as he inspected the oil slick she had discovered “And don’t even think about it Alejandro, that barrel is mine!”
Heather had barely finished her sentence when she heard the familiar ding of the song bell, accompanied by their ‘gracious’ host. Groaning, she threw her head back as Alejandro began the musical number, ignoring her disgruntled and struggling under the boulder.
“ I left Bridgette stuck to a pole; robbed Leshawna of her fabulous soul; made even Courtney lose control- now I’m gonna leave you, wedged up in hole!” he taunted her, bursting into a powerful chorus. “This is how we will end it- this game we have played. This is how we will end it- your bill must be paid!”
Fury swelled in her chest, Heather choking back a scream that she wanted nothing more than to release (along with shoving him off a cliff, if she were able). She had to sing to stay in the game; even with what slim chances she had of that, she did not come this far to be eliminated by a song.
Joining the ballad, Heather fell into rhythm with him, hastily making up the lyrics as she went along “ Shouldn’t’ve mocked you for having to dig, help me out and I’ll be your human drill rig-“
“You think I’m gonna fall for that- it ain’t a tea party- it’s combat” he turned on his heel- ignoring her plea, before launching into chorus again.
As someone who rarely showed her true emotions on her face, Heather couldn’t help her stony persona cracking as she felt it all crumbling beneath her. She had hoped, that even in their rivalry that those few moments of fondness would spark a hint of compassion in Alejandro- surely if he’d been in the same hole he would have wanted to save her not just because of the few moments they’d shared- but knowing that losing like this- in such a shameful way, would be shattering,
She sang her thoughts, watching him flinch slightly, as if he were pondering the same thing over. On one hand, he had the opportunity to eliminate the only real threat to his victory, but it wouldn’t feel true- it was beneath him.
Heather cleared her throat, locking onto his gaze with pleading eyes “Please, Alejandro. You and I have been the greatest adversaries this game has ever seen! Is this how you wanna win it? Because I got jammed into a pit by a stupid rock? Is that the victory you want?”
She could see his cold and uncaring resolve falter, his eyes softening under her stare as he began to sing once more.
“ I left… Bridgette stuck to a pole,
Robbed Leshawna of her fabulous soul,
Made even Courtney lose control;
But- I can’t leave you, wedged in a hole” Heather smiled at his change of heart, clapping as he lifted the rock from above her
“This is not how we’ll end it- this game we have played! This is not how we’ll end it- but there’s a bill to be payed” lifting her out of the hole, he drew her close, locking eyes as he stopped singing.
“Could you… put me down?” she asked tenderly, ignoring the feeling of his strong grip around her waist,
“You will never, never, never vote for me.” He stated, his face hardening
“Of course not, there’s only like two votes left anyway” she assured him, stroking his cheek to reassure him.
“Promise?”
“I promise, now can you cut the King-Kong act and put me the ‘Heller’ down?” As Alejandro set her down, she reached for her pickaxe- turning to dig for the barrel she had earlier found, when she felt him catch her arm once again.
“Uh-uh, now you will help me dig up a barrel, we will finish this challenge together”
The pair set upon a search for a second barrel, rolling them back to the plane, noticing a third barrel already by the cargo hold. They’d already lost, but he reassured her that they’d best the others in a tiebreaker, as long as they voted together.
Heather found herself in the confessional not long after the challenge, to first and foremost clear up that she hadn;t enjoyed him holding her.
Which she had.
A lot.
But she couldn’t let her feelings get in the way of the game- she wouldn’t. Heather was here to win; and she wouldn’t let herself fall prey to his tricks as she had watched others do.
She was here to win.
By the time had come to vote, she was conflicted- on the one hand Sierra was a threat. She’d managed to get both herself and Cody to the final four; flying under everyone’s radar- voting Cody off would destroy her.
On the other hand, Alejandro was a threat. A big one at that. He’d managed to weasel his way under her skin when no one else could; and was great at everything (withholding any eating challenges of course, which Heather secretly was praying for)
Sierra- who had been out for Heather’s blood all day had found a photoshopped picture of Heather snuggled up with Cody (something that sickened Heather to even think about) had agreed to vote Alejandro out- the falsified picture being the final straw.
Heather knew if she voted for him, he’d be a goner- simple, done and dusted. But a nagging voice at the edge of her mind told her not to.
Pushing the thought aside, she stamped his passport, laying a finger on the photo.
“Goodbye Alejandro”
Her plan had been simple. Eliminate Alejandro, win the game.
But of course, Sierra had to go and blow up the plane. That really threw a spanner in the works.
And the worst part was, that during the explosion, Alejandro’s first instinct wasn’t to dive out of the way or shield himself. He threw himself in front of her, willing to sacrifice his own body-his ‘temple’ as he had called it to save her.
Guilt washed over Heather, her stomach turning. What had she done? Sure, she hated him. Despised even. But within her hatred, she realised that her passion ran a bit deeper than rivalry.
Heather was falling for Alejandro.
Catching her breath, she pushed the thought from her mind; running to Sierra’s aid. Alive, but burnt to a crisp; but still thankfully breathing.
Chris was screeching, poking through the rubble of the plane in mourning- and declaring that Sierra was the one to be eliminated. The realisation of what she’d done settled over Heather.
The passports.
Running back to the fire, she scooped the passports off the ground hastily chucking them in the fire. Alejandro couldn’t find out what she’d done. None of them could.
—
A knock at the door woke Heather from her slumber, lifting her head from where she’d fallen asleep. She laid eyes on Cody, who was awkwardly lingering at the door, unsure whether she was about to bite his head off.
“What do you want?” she growled, face planting back into the bed.
“Uh- it’s our turn to do the laundry”
Oh. She’d forgotten about that- it was one of the conditions of her board. Disgruntled, Heather dragged herself from her bed, running her hands over her crumpled clothes in an attempt to smooth them, before following Cody down the hall to the laundry room.
If you’d told Heather that she’d be peacefully chatting with her castmates while folding laundry a year ago, she’d have laughed in your face, but things had changed since then.
Living in a house was completely different than living with them on the show, while she still had rocky relationships with most of her now housemates(Not that she exactly blamed them, what with the way she acted on the show), there seemed to have been an unspoken understanding that they at least were civil to one another.
This was mundane compared to the competition, Heather found herself lazily throwing around jokes with Leshawna and Cody, the latter of whom she’d managed to strike up an unlikely friendship with since the show had ended, tending to band together at media appearances and the like as neither of them had had any true friends on the show
“So, girl. You gotta tell me- what is the deal between you and the devil incarnate?”
Heather lifted her gaze to meet Leshawna’s, feeling her skin pale at the question. “Who?”
“You know exactly who I’m talking about.” Pausing to place a towel in a basket, Leshawna flicked her braids over her shoulder, placing a hand on her hip. “ Your Latino lover? Alejandro? You keep avoiding him like he’s diseased. Meanwhile, he’s chasing you like a puppy dog.”
“ Uh, well-” Heather Stammered. “It’s complicated, things ended badly between us”
“He seems sorry”
“Yeah well, he’s lied before. He got you good before”
“That was in the game” Cody piped in, looking between them.
“In any case, I’m done with him- I’m here to get my degree, not get distracted”
“Mm-hmm.That’s exactly what you said on the show. Wait- Isn’t that his jacket?” Leshawna raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying Heather’s story. And honestly, she didn’t blame her, she’d never been perfect at hiding her feelings for him- even if they were buried under layers of hurt.
She chose to ignore the question, quietly changing the subject as they finished the chore, idly chatting as the time went by. As she turned to leave, Heather removed his jacket, leaving it on the counter for someone else to find and return.
She wandered the corridors for a bit, noticing that the earlier rain had ceased and the sun had begun to set over the horizon.
The gardens that surrounded the estate were breathtaking, unique to the once she’d had back home- no matter how many walks she’d taken through the gardens of whatever manor her father’s latest business venture had dragged her to, she never felt quite as taken away as she did here.
Basking in the blissful sunset and then the gleam of the moon, Heather allowed herself to lose track of time, settling underneath an old oak tree and gazing up at the stars. Pulling her knees up to her chest, she leant back against the root of the large tree, shivering slightly as the chilly breeze passed by.
Heather wasn’t sure how long she spent under the tree, but the sun was truly set when a familiar voice filled the air
“You know, if you didn’t want the jacket, you could have at least returned it”
Heather turned her head to glance up at him, staring blankly.
“Still not talking to me?” He sighed, taking a seat beside her. “Stubborn as always Heather.”
The wind picked up, the Autumn air sending another chill down her spine. Saying nothing, Alejandro put the jacket around her shoulders, as he had earlier that day. They sat there for a moment, both looking up at the stars as they once had when stranded in Jamaica.
“You know, it’s two in the morning. No one had seen you since sunset, not that anyone else cared enough to come look, they figured you’d take care of yourself.”
Heather’s reply came in the form of a question.
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why won’t you leave me alone?”
“Well,” Alejandro paused, as if considering his next words “I don’t believe in giving up, and I certainly don't want to give up on you”
Heather looked down at where he had moved his had to cover hers, pulling away from his arm touch
“Well, you’re wrong. You can’t just slither your way back into my life” She stood up, brushing the grass off her legs. “Thanks for the jacket.”