Chapter 4 Season 1, Episode 1 “Pilot”
“Pilot”
Upon landing in the Caymans, we were greeted by perky, curvy Mary Peach (her God-given name, she swore) and Clem Cooper, a grizzled veteran of daytime soaps whose penchant for conspiracy theories prompted Arjun to nickname him “Papa Cuckoo.” They would be our showrunners, as much lead producers as head counselors.
We were last to arrive, completing Endeavor’s inaugural roster of nineteen reality stars and one washed-up college athlete.
The seaside villa we’d inhabit was a stunning terra-cotta palazzo drenched in vivid blues and greens.
I was so entranced walking up that I didn’t realize we’d begun filming, accidentally crashing into some poor sound guy.
I pleaded apologies as Mary Peach swooped in, her walkie blaring chatter.
“Crew can’t speak to cast, honey,” she explained.
“It’s network policy to guarantee you only interact with the other on-camera talent. Keeps the storylines clear.”
“Um, okay… Am I allowed to talk to you?”
“Bless your heart, you can always talk to producers,” she said, her warmth sincere. “Now, grab a bed before the best ones get taken. Then you’ll meet Drew!”
I nodded dumbly. “Right… Who’s Drew?”
Drew Ecklund swaggered in soon enough. He was the show’s host, a young white guy in head-to-toe FUBU who embraced Arjun while mumbling something about “hustling and flowing.”
Arjun laughed, so at ease in the circus. “Drew’s harmless,” he promised.
Imogen was less convinced: “If that man puts a grill in his mouth, restrain me…”
“I’ll do better,” I replied. “I’ll help you bury the body.”
We were divvyed into Team Green and Team Blue.
Barnes, Imogen, and Arjun were all assigned to Team Blue.
I waited with bated breath, but thankfully I too went Blue, Barnes clapping loudest. Arjun meanwhile kept cool, like no other outcome had been possible, and Drew Ecklund outlined the game exactly as Arjun had prophesied, even down to the Tribulations and Trials.
After filming some goofy shenanigans on the beach for the opening credits, a night of carefree partying followed.
The next morning, our first Tribulation was a glorified water polo match in the villa’s Olympic-sized lap pool.
On the sidelines, I fidgeted with my T-shirt, dreading the idea of displaying my tattered body.
It was like I was back at School in the Sticks, waiting for Mr. Adamson to strip me, until Imogen appeared, squinting at the pool.
“I can wear my shirt too.”
“We’ll get weighed down,” I sighed. “Probably lose.”
“So we lose one Trial.”
“Tribulation.”
“These dumbass names.”
I chuckled. “No, I’m good. Don’t worry about me.”
“Then I’ll see you out there.”
I didn’t fully appreciate until later the gift she’d given me. I wasn’t just doing it for me now; I was doing it for her. Off came the shirt, and I leapt, the cool water swallowing my damaged torso, exposed publicly for the first time since my accident.
I swam to my assigned position by Barnes.
He’d tried to corner me the previous evening, but each time Arjun unfailingly squired me elsewhere.
However, Arjun was now consigned to be goalie, and Barnes had me all to himself.
“I hope we’re filming in locations other than this one tacky house,” he huffed, floating closer to me. “So, ready to deliver the beatdown?”
“Mary said no contact.”
“Yeah, that’s not why they hired you.” He adjusted his glaring neon swim trunks.
“Those are very green.”
“Bright colors get the focus on camera. I might not have the body of a Greek god, but I refuse to be the pasty-faced white kid bobbing in the background.”
“You’re really experienced with this TV stuff, huh?”
“Burned in my brain.” He drifted nearer, our shoulders inches apart. “So if you’re looking for an alliance, I’m in. The two gays winning this thing? People would go nuts.”
“That… would be something.”
“Right? We can totally get some numbers together and run the votes.”
“Well, I really like Imogen,” I volunteered, which elicited a groan. “What?”
“Nothing, she’s clearly sporty. She’s just not a heavy hitter as far as her Q rating goes with the network. There’s zero pull there. Besides, she hasn’t given me the time of day.”
I raised an eyebrow. “You really gave her a chance at the airport.”
“Fair enough,” he said grudgingly. “I’ll smooth it over. I was just… distracted.”
“Cool. Plus, Arjun’s awesome too. Maybe we do something the four of us?”
His eyes dimmed, though he summoned a hollow smile. “Totally. Arjun’s great.”
The whistle blew, and for the first time in months, a ball was in my hand.
I’d forgotten how natural it felt, my body launching into a fray.
Two men from the other team barreled at me, and I could have cried with relief: no ache in my legs, no lingering claws of the accident tearing in my muscles and bones.
I juked them handily to find Barnes begging me to pass, but Imogen swam rapidly beyond him.
I sent the ball soaring over Barnes, and she seamlessly caught it to score our first point.
Soon enough, Imogen and I had almost single-handedly won the game, swimming laps around the cast while Arjun hollered praise from our goal.
“I was open, like, ten times!” Barnes protested later, but there was no room for him. I’d found my team.
“LuMoJun for the win, America!” Arjun cheered into a camera after, arms around us.
“What the hell is LuMoJun?” Imogen asked.
“Our trio name. Trust me, we need to get a jump on the edit.”
“Okay, you actually shouldn’t name anything ever,” I laughed, and with Arjun’s arm tightening around my waist, I truly forgot my scarred body was being filmed from every angle.
That night, before we determined the men bound for the Trial, Arjun cornered me and Imogen. “We have to convince the team to vote in Barnes.”
“Thoughts?” Imogen asked me. “You talked with him today.”
“More like he talked at me,” I replied, trying to ignore the Caymanian cameraman to my immediate left. I also didn’t want to belabor that I felt guilty targeting the only other gay kid.
“Luke, you don’t have to be a diplomat,” Arjun pressed. “Can we please do this?”
“He’s looking to start trouble,” I finally answered, baffled this had become my decision. “Vote him in.”
Barnes would be eliminated in Endeavor’s first Trial, an uneven wrestling match over a coconut (ah, the days of the island theme).
When he hobbled off, he gave me a sad smile.
Even though I trusted Arjun’s instincts, I pitied Barnes.
It was humiliating to be first out. Besides, it’s not like I thought I’d ever see him again.