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After a rough second elimination of Amelie, most of the people felt relieved that they didn't get voted out first in the team. Aside from Hannah, for obvious reasons, and Benji, for unknown reasons.
But speaking of Hannah, as the team walked back to their cabin, she sat down on the rock, trying to take in how the team voted her friend off the game. Many people were not happy with the outcome of today's elimination, even Trevor himself. But she is taking it the worst out of everyone, and she only feels one type of feeling she hasn't felt in ages.
Anger.
She was annoyed, frustrated, angry. Anything like this. All because of the new alliance she found out about just today. She is even like that because poor Benji isn't involved, but she doesn't care as much as this stupid elimination of today and that stupid alliance.
She reminded herself how one of the people called Amelie 'Hostile'. Hostile of all things??? She will show them who is hostile.
Just wait.
She got up and walked up to the small beach that was near their shelter while anger was still written on her face. That is one of the things that can make a little kid frightened.
Things will escalate with how she approached the youngest contestant of the season.
Tristan was sitting in the dark, enjoying the peace and quiet. They always go to the beach at night before going back to the shelter, so that is why the team told them to be the ones to check if the shelter is closed properly before going to sleep.
Speaking of so, they got up to do so, only to be faced with one of their teammates. They would gladly say hi, but she looks like she is on a mission to threaten someone.
"Hey, can we talk?"
"Huh?"
Hannah was standing with her hands on her hips and staring at Tristan slightly angrily. They freaked out a bit, admittedly, but they had never seen her very mad before. She looks like a younger Amelie without a French accent.
But should they be scared of her? She seems like a nice person-
"I asked if you are ok to talk?" Her tone seems to show annoyance, creeping Tristan out a bit.
"Umm... I mean... Sure... Uhh... What's up???"
"You really think Amelie is 'hostile'?" Hannah asked, making them freak out.
Tristan, trying to calm things down, decided to explain themselves. "Look, I know you two were tight, and I am sorry she is gone, but-"
"No! You aren't sorry because you voted for her!"
"Like we had a choice! Someone had to be voted out!" Tristan defended themselves. "Plus, out of anyone on our team, she was on top of my list because of her bossiness."
"She changed though!"
Tristan, without thinking, sighed. "Thankfully, she was creepy-"
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!"
"Sorry," Tristan whispered, regretting the choice of words.
But it is too late because Hannah, not thinking straight, pushes Tristan harshly, causing them to trip over a big rock.
This caused them to hit their head hard on the ground, and with it being sand, this is worse. Thankfully, they were still conscious.
"Wha- what was that, Hannah!?!"
"Can't fight, eh?" Hannah mocked, freaking Tristan even more.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" They shouted while backing away, fear written on their face. "Please don't hurt me."
"That will teach you a lesson, you-"
"Woah, woah!!!! Guys!!!"
Zaid, Diego, and Benji, thankfully on time, ran over to stop the chaos before anyone got hurt. This gave Tristan an opportunity to sprint away from Hannah, not caring that they hit their head. Before she could do anything, Diego and Benji caught her.
"Tristan! Come back!!" Zaid sprinted after them.
"Let me go!!!" Hannah shouted, struggling to get off Diego's and Benji's grip.
"No, amigos! You will hurt Tristan! And we can't let you do that!!" Diego answered as the rest of the red team walked over to the chaos.
"What the hell is going on here?" Spencer asked with his British accent.
"I don't know, man, but whatever happened freaked Tristan off!" Benji answered as he tried to hold Hannah.
"Where are they???" Ivy demanded to know, only to be pointed in the direction they went off. "I will go check if they are ok."
Ivy ran off, while Jade spoke to Hannah.
"Watch what you are doing if you don't want to end up like Amelie."
"I hate you! You all in that one giant alliance and excluding me and Benji out!"
"We are not- and how do you know that?"
"I overheard you-"
"And what do you think the alliance is for? Definitely to not be tripping people over." Jade said with her tone serious.
"But how-"
"What would Amelie say if you saw you like this???"
"I-"
"Hannah!"
Out of nowhere, Amelie walked up to Hannah, with Emilie guiding her there.
"And what is she doing here!?!" Benji asked, surprised.
"And that is a plot twist only in dreams... Or in a nightmare," Spencer said while Hannah watched in shock.
Amelie approached Hannah with a disappointed facial expression that got the whole team except Hannah to back off.
"You have any ideas what you have done?" Amelie asked in a tone no one would recognise. "Look what you did."
She pointed over to where Zaid ran over, looking more terrified than ever.
"Help! Tristan stopped running when I caught up to them and they just collapsed!!"
"What?"
Hannah, speechless, whispered while the whole team, aside from Amelie and her, ran off to help.
"And this is why you imbeciles supposed to listen to me when you could."
"But didn't you-"
"Didn't I what? I didn't do anything, unlike you! And here are the consequences for not cooperating."
Hannah, shocked by everything that was going on, started running, only to end up surrounded by everyone, including the hosts and Emilie.
"Look what you have done!"
They all said in unison while everything in the background disappeared, leaving only the sand and the night sky.
"I-I didn't- I-I..."
"Look what you have done!"
Hannah felt more fear than she ever did for a long time. The last time she did was when the doctors dragged her away when her mum passed out for the last time.
"Look what you have done!"
Hannah stood there, but no one was surrounding her anymore. But she was witnessing Tristan on the floor, unconscious.
Freaking out, she ran over to check on them. "Tristan! Wake up! Please!"
"It's too late!" Amelie said, appearing beside her. "Why did you let your anger and sadness control you this time?"
"I-I don't know. I'm sorry. I really am."
"This will not reverse time. You need to grow up! Your childish behaviour won't help you be like your mother."
"I-I..."
"W-What happened?"
Tristan opened their eyes slightly, noticing how Hannah was holding them. However, like everyone else, they started to disappear. Their expression of shock is unforgettable.
"H-Hannah... What did you do?”
That was the last thing they said before they were gone, and Hannah was alone. No Amelie. No friends. No family. Only her on the beach. Alone. Forever.
All she could do was scream.
"NOOOOOOOO!!!"
"AHHH!!!"
Hannah woke up in the shelter, freaked out and sweating bullets.
Confused and freaked out, she looked around, seeing everyone asleep. Most of the people at least, because someone was missing, but she wasn't focused on that.
Turns out, this was a nightmare, which explains everything. Thankfully, no one is hurt and there is no tension in the red team.
Anger. She was really angry. She can't even recognise herself in this nightmare. This is rare to remember her nightmare, but she doesn't care. It is just bad enough she feels awful for pushing Tristan and scaring them, even though that never happened.
She thought to check if they were not there it was when she noticed that they were not there.
Panicked, she went outside while making sure no one woke up because of her and walked to the only place she thought they might be.
Meanwhile, Tristan was on the beach, attempting to draw an outfit on the sketchbook they brought with them. Being a student means waking up and going to sleep time is a mess, and they end up not being able to go to sleep anytime soon. At least they didn't wake anyone up when they walked away from their sleeping bag and the shelter.
They smiled, recalling how their former student tutor, Ellie, taught a good thing or two about how to design. But before she even left, they brought their vision to life and created very unique gender-neutral clothes.
Now they thought to make up outfit designs for their whole team. They just need an idea for Hannah and Amelie, and they will be done. Only the issue is that they don't know what to do for them. They barely know them and their style.
The reason is that Amelie changed from the woman she appeared at the start to the woman before she left. It was because of Hannah for sure. This makes Tristan more interested in talking with her about something.
But unfortunately, as Tristan reminded themselves, they, along with their alliance, voted her friend out, which might have made her mad at everyone. Rather not risk annoying her more.
Tristan sighed as they continued brainstorming. However, they didn't notice the same girl they thought about coming up towards them.
Hannah walked up to Tristan, but not in the cheerful and cool way she usually is. They guess it is because of the elimination, but that might not be it either.
"Hey, Tristan. Can I sit beside you?"
"Sure. Why not?" They answered as she sat down beside her. "Couldn't sleep or what?"
"I should be asking you this. It is 3 am, but you are sketching away. Can you see anyway?"
Tristan chuckled before answering. "There is a lamp that is just there, shining away. This is why that is my favourite spot to be at."
They pointed at the lamp, which Hannah just realised was there. That wasn't in her nightmare. She stared at the lamp like she was hypnotised.
Tristan looked at Hannah worried. "Are you... Ok?"
"Umm... Yeah. Just having a bad day... Or evening... Or morning... I don't know." Hannah answered, tensed, concerning Tristan.
"Was the elimination ceremony really bad?" Tristan asked, which made Hannah cut the eye contact they had.
"Bad is an understatement. But I didn't come to vent, but to see why you were missing." She said that Tristan looked at her with a reassuring smile.
"Trust me, you can vent all you want with no worries about it." They reassured.
"Thanks. Usually, I am the listener, so it is great to talk for once." She said before pausing. "Are you sure though?"
"Hey. From under 20s person to person, we all need to chat about stuff. I chat to my friends all the time, even the unimportant things... Well, only unimportant things... But whatever. Chat away. I'm all ears."
"Not gonna use that against me."
"That would be just cruel and I rather if people trusted me. I won’t tell a soul."
"Well... You convinced me enough." Hannah chuckled before she began. "It all started with how we went to the sleeping bags, and I must have passed out quicker than anyone else."
"I saw- sorry, continue."
"It's fine, Tristan." She said, smiling, before that faded away. "Well... I had a nightmare. I was angry, like really angry. Like I am at the bar, ready to beat the crap out of someone."
"Uh-huh... Sorry, if those sounds annoying you, then I can stop."
"No, it's fine. Anyway... I was really, really annoyed and frustrated about the elimination... But also sad... Cause my friend was voted off." Hannah answered sadly, getting Tristan to pay her back.
"Yeah... She was bossy and rude, and a lot of stuff that I won't say cause that will make your mood even worse... He, he. But she did seem to change her ways afterwards... I heard after the elimination that she apologised to Jade."
"Yeah, she did thankfully. I didn't want her to end up as many other people that I met in the bar." Hannah admitted. "It is only sad she couldn't show that to you all before you voted her off... But no big deal... Right?"
Hannah had tears forming in her eyes, which made Tristan feel empathy for her. The elimination got to her well through and this must be breaking her. Thankfully, she didn't plan to beat them up or something like that. That would have been just sad... Unless.
Nope. Not today, Tristan. No exaggerating thoughts for today.
Tristan, shaking off the thoughts, decided to grab Hannah into a hug. "I am very sorry for voting Amelie off... And for calling her 'hostile' a few good times to my friends... And that you are feeling like crap at the moment."
As they babbled away, Hannah smiled. Tristan is a good person, trying their best to make everyone feel great, even if it is impossible. True, their insults about Amelie were hurtful, but it doesn't anymore now that their perspectives about Amelie have changed.
"Thanks, Tristan... But it wasn't your fault Amelie is gone. Nor anyone's actually. It is just a game. True, me and Benji are on our own... But... Umm..."
"Yeah... Zaid, Ivy and I are just a trio if that makes you feel better..."
"Not exactly to be honest, but I appreciate your efforts," Hannah reassured, smiling as they let go of the embrace. "Thank you for not laughing at my problems."
"Are you kidding? Who would laugh at that?" Tristan asked, surprised.
"Well... After my mum passed away... I was on my own and people tend to laugh at my 'bad luck' and my 'bartender anger'."
"Dang... That sucks." Tristan said, feeling pity for Hannah. "You know... If you need to chat again, I'm all ears. Or if you want to hang out after the show, I'm happy to give you my number."
"Sure thing." They smiled at each other for a split second before Hannah thought. "But be careful... I am worried Amelie had some fair points about Jade. I don't believe it fully, but just keep an eye on why you Ally with."
"Never fear, I know exactly what I am doing. Thanks for the tip though." They said as they fist-bumped each other before Tristan got up and offered a hand. "But we kinda need to go to sleep now. We need energy to be able to defeat the blue team and get our streak back."
"Yeah! I don't want to return to the elimination ceremony anytime soon." Hannah said happily before hugging Tristan again, who gladly accepted. "Thank you again. I am so sorry I made you hit your head by accident in my nightmare.”
"Umm... Apology accepted?" They said, confused, not bothered to check deeper for details.
And that was before they ended up more confused and flustered when Hannah gave them a peck on their cheek.
"I...I am gladly accepting this... Embrace." They said sheepishly.
"That's a French thing Amelie taught, which is used as either greeting or to thank them. I guess that is right... And that I did it correctly." Hannah said before they both shrugged it off and walked back to the shelter.
Hannah may have not said everything about her nightmare, but Tristan will be confused by the end of the day anyway, so she won't dive deeper. Besides, they cheered her up with their support and she hopes they will be able to get to know each other even more.
But in the morning, Zaid and Ivy caught them sleeping while hugging each other.