BLANK SLATE || the challenge: spies, lies, and allies

09 - fire at will.

What pissed Roxanne off the most was the faux-kindness she was shown when everyone returned to the house after the Daily. Suddenly, everybody wanted to talk to her, and she wanted absolutely none of it. Especially from Fessy, Amanda, Josh— the ones who had tried to get her out last elimination. 

The biggest pro of winning a Daily after being betrayed like that was that her options were more open. But, the biggest con was also that her options were more open. Instead of sticking with the alliance, putting in rookies, she felt like straying, doing to them the same thing they had done to her.

There was also a looming thought that Tommy, after the implied injury (or injuries) he suffered during the challenge, may be forced to leave. But she'd figure that out when everything was cleared up; she needed a plan anyway.

After all the fake-kindness "oh my god, congrats, don't put me in" bullshit she received from essentially everyone, she regrouped with CT, alone outside of the house. It was a comfortable silence, enjoying each other's company and the win for a moment before one of them had to inevitably speak.

"What are you thinking?" CT asked, looking at Roxanne, who kept her eyes ahead.

"What do you think I'm thinking?"

"Josh."

"Fucking bingo."

CT sighed. "And if Tommy can't play?"

"Then we'll figure it out." Roxanne shook her head, looking at him, finally. "I need him gone."

— — — — — — —

"This is where I come to a crossroads." Roxanne sighed. "CT and I are two very different players. He thinks with his head. Logical. Calculated. I... I try." she laughed. "I try to, but my heart always overtakes my head and right now, um, my heart's still a little pissed."

— — — — — — —

"You need to think game, Roxy. What's best for you?"

"Getting rid of Josh."

"Why?"

"Because he wants me gone."

"Okay. Say we get rid of Josh. Successfully." CT leaned against the wall to the house. "What happens to the alliance?"

"It's done."

"Right. What happens to you?"

"Everyone comes for me."

"Right."

"But I still want him gone."

"Listen, baby, listen," CT put a hand on her shoulder. "We can cross this bridge when we get there. Okay? We still don't know what's up with Tommy. We may not even have the option to get any guy out. We have to wait, and see who the house vote is, and decide it from there."

"I know. I know, I just..."

"I know." CT sighed, pulling her into an embrace, kissing the top of her head gently. "I'm angry, too. But we gotta just wait and see. Okay?"

"Yeah. Okay."

— — — — — — —

"Even if I got nobody," Roxanne smiled. "At least I got him. And sometimes, that's all I need."

— — — — — — —

Something something, people learn from their mistakes. 

Especially grown adults.

You fuck up, you learn from it, you don't do it again.

All of that, apparently, unless your name is Josh Martinez, and you have exactly two and a half functional braincells in your entire big, square head.

At least, that's what Roxanne realized after her and CT parted ways for the time being. Not like it was shocking; obviously, Josh was not the sharpest tool in the shed by any means. But she didn't expect him to make the same mistake twice.

Walking towards her shared room, she heard Josh talking to who, assumably, was the same group from the first time. She stopped, took a second, and listened.

"Safe to say we're fucked." he said. "But we can convince her to do the rookie thing. She's so easy to manipulate. And she's never gonna make it to the end anyway. She doesn't even have a chance."

Roxanne calmly entered the room and went towards her bed, taking her sweatshirt off and tossing it with the rest of her stuff as the room fell tensely silent. She didn't even look at them, keeping herself busy as she spoke.

"How many finals have you been in, Josh?"

No response.

"It's not a rhetorical question."

Josh's tone was harsh, yet awkward. "None, yet."

"Oh. Yeah. That's what I thought. Well, I've been in three, so maybe build that up more and then you can talk shit about how I won't make it very far. Okay?"

Again, no response.

"Alright. Good talk."

And she left, absolutely fuming, ready to disregard not only everything CT told her, but TJ's "no fighting" rule as well.

Somebody was going to die.

— — — — — — —

"Fool me once, shame on you." Roxanne chuckled, shaking her head. "But, unlike him, I never make the same mistake twice. This is war."

— — — — — — —