Chapter 9
We get back to the tribe beach pretty soon after that.
Once they see us coming, our tribemates stop what they’re doing and run out to meet us, excited to see what we’ve brought them.
Most everyone seems pretty pleased by our haul, although Joe mutters that he would have preferred something to keep us dry.
I don’t really mind. You can’t please everyone, and I’m confident we made the best choices we could have.
If anything, I’m even more convinced when dinnertime comes and Cole, true to his word, somehow makes rice and beans taste like a world-class meal using the spices.
Honestly, I don’t know if it’s actually that good or if I’m just starving, but at this point I couldn’t care less.
From my tribemates’ expressions, they’re not questioning it either.
Marina even pronounces it to be almost as good as her abuela’s Moros y Cristianos, which makes Cole flush with pride.
Besides that, we spend some time over the next two days using the tools from the toolbox to improve the camp.
The scissors are very useful for cutting palm fronds to size so we can weave them into bowls, and Beck uses the hammer and some wooden nails he carved to make the shelter more structurally sound.
Meanwhile, Rhonda grabs the needle and thread as soon as Cole and I get back, and within a few hours, has repaired all the holes in our clothing.
“I just wish I had more fabric so I could make a blanket to keep us warm at night,” she says as she hands me back my socks.
“But somethin’ is better than nothin’, I suppose. ”
Of course, we can never truly forget that we’re in a game, so there’s always strategy talk that goes on while we work.
Even though we come together to eat and sleep every day, there’s still a clear division in the tribe between the two alliances.
The five members of my group discuss who should go home next without coming to a consensus.
Meanwhile, I assume Beck, Jing, and Joe are trying to figure out how they can get back on top.
Barring a twist or someone flipping, they don’t seem to have much of a chance, but I’ve seen enough episodes to know that’s not always a given, so I keep my ears and eyes open.
If we needed any further reminders, Neema and her confessionals would do the trick.
It’s a little bit annoying when she interrupts me having a chat with someone to pull them aside, but ultimately, we’re at the mercy of production.
At least we all have to go through the same thing, so we can all joke about it.
My turn comes just after we finish eating breakfast on day six, when Neema grabs me and takes me to a spot on the beach, where she has me lean against a boulder.
“So, Ryan,” she says, once everything’s set up. “You were in the majority in the last vote. How are you feeling about your position in the game?”
I smile inwardly, even as I keep my expression blank.
She’s obviously giving me a chance to brag about how powerful I am right now, but I’ve seen too many contestants be overconfident and then immediately get voted out to fall for that trap.
“I’d say I’m feeling pretty happy about where I am,” I reply.
“I mean, I’m in the majority alliance, so that’s good.
But anything could happen between now and our next tribal council, and I’m not counting my chickens before they hatch. ”
“Fair enough. In that case, who would you vote for if you do go to tribal tonight?”
“If we go to tribal, I’d definitely vote for either Beck, Joe, or Jing. But as for which one of them specifically, I don’t know. I’d have to come to a consensus with my allies first.”
Neema’s wearing sunglasses, but I swear I can see her roll her eyes anyway, and I can guess what she’s thinking right now: Stupid lawyers and their lawyer answers. “So, you trust your alliance, then?”
“I’d say I trust my alliance about as much as I can, under the circumstances. I’d be happy to go to the final five with them, and Rhonda and I have a deal to go to the final two together.”
“And do you intend to keep up your end of that deal?”
“I wouldn’t have made it if I didn’t intend to keep it,” I answer, with a shrug. “But in the end, only one of us can win the game, and I want that to be me. I’m trying to keep my options open as best I can to make that a reality.”
“What about Rhonda? Do you think she’s telling the truth about wanting to go to the end with you?”
That brings me up short. “I … guess I’m not really sure,” I finally say. “I mean, I hope she is, and she sounded sincere, but she could be trying to fool me.”
Neema nods. “You’ve gotten pretty close to Cole recently, haven’t you? Do you think you might want to go to the end with him instead of Rhonda?”
I frown at that. Have I really gotten close to him?
“I could see going to the end with Cole,” I reply.
I did go to the pirate ship with him for the last reward, but I wouldn’t really say we’re close.
Maybe she’s just trying to make it seem like we’re buddies or something for TV purposes.
“But then, I can see myself at the end with Katie, or Marina, or whoever. A lot can happen between now and then, and as long as I’m the one who gets that million-dollar check, I don’t care how I get there. ”
“Wise words,” Neema says. She signals the cameraman, and the red light turns off. “Thanks, Ryan. That’s all for now.”
At her signal, I get up and take off my mic, returning it to her before heading back to my tribe.
As I walk, I mull over the last thing I said in my confessional: that I don’t care how I win, as long as I do.
Before I left the States, I told myself that I would do anything to win—lie, cheat, steal, whatever.
I’m sure Arielle wouldn’t be happy if I told her that, but I’m the one out here, not her.
I don’t want to hurt anyone, and it’s harder to imagine myself backstabbing my allies now that they’re real people instead of imaginary strawmen.
Unbidden, an image of Cole comes to my mind, his eyes shining as we walked down the beach yesterday, returning to our tribe with our rewards from the pirate ship.
Could I really betray him—or Marina, or Katie, or Rhonda?
They’ve all been nothing but good to me, and I’m sure they have their own families, their own reasons to want the million dollars.
But I shake my head, dispelling those thoughts before they can take hold.
I may not want to hurt my allies, but only one of us can win.
If there comes a time when I need to backstab someone in my alliance to get further in the game, I’ll do it, no matter how much it would pain me to see Alex snap their insignia in half.
I’m here to make Arielle’s life better, and I won’t let anything get in the way of that goal.
Day 7
We have our third immunity challenge the following day. This time, we walk into the arena first. When the Sikas arrive, Alex announces that Model One, whose name was apparently Lauren, was voted out two nights ago. We all do our best to pretend to be shocked.
Next, Alex explains the challenge to us.
“This one is simple,” he says. He gestures away from us, where sixteen raised platforms, like miniature balance beams, sit, half blue and half purple.
Each platform has a six-foot-long bamboo pole on top.
“Each of you will stand on a narrow wooden beam, carrying a heavy pole. Every five minutes, we’ll add twenty pounds to the poles of everyone remaining in the challenge.
If at any point you fall off your beam or you drop your pole, you’re out of the challenge, and your weight will be distributed among the remaining players.
As you can imagine, those poles will get heavy very quickly.
The last one standing will win immunity for their tribe, as well as a reward in the form of fishing gear.
” He pauses, a glint in his eye. “It sounds simple, but there is a twist to this challenge.”
I turn and share a look with Katie; she looks as I imagine I do, cautiously excited. We all knew there would be twists—anyone who’s seen an episode of this show would know that—but what exactly those twists are, as well as their timing, is, of course, a mystery to us.
Alex waits for the news to sink in, then reaches behind the podium where the immunity idol sits and pulls out a covered tray, the kind you’d see a waiter carrying at a fancy restaurant.
“I’m sure you’ve all gotten very hungry over the past week.
” He pulls the cover off the tray, revealing the most appetizing thing I’ve ever seen: a hamburger and fries, the latter still glistening with oil.
“Any contestant can choose to sit out of this challenge,” Alex continues.
“If you do, you’ll eat a full meal while the others compete.
However, there is a downside, because the rest of your tribe will still have to bear your weight.
Oh, and if your whole tribe sits out, nobody eats, and you lose by default.
” He gives us an almost predatory grin. “I’ll give you all a moment to think about what you want to do, and then we’ll see who’s competing and who’s sitting out. Make sure you choose carefully.”
His last word is met with dead silence as we all consider our strategy.
It’s not an easy choice, at least not to me.
Sitting out would be a bad look, and the tribe members who compete might resent those who don’t.
But at the same time, I’ve barely eaten since we landed on the beach, and I don’t know if I’ll have another chance like this.
Besides, it’s not like I’ll be of much help in this challenge.
It might be better for us if I fuel up while the Sikas tire themselves out, even if it means we lose this one challenge.