in which i clumsily attempt a jab at some conspiracy theories, r/fuseboxgames it’s ya girl, colorkiller.

i don’t know what’s going to happen next, but hey, give my girl something to work with, eh? c’mon.



















Your phone rings out, and even as you’re calling out “Guys, I’ve got a text!” Everyone is funneling in around you to see what’s on your screen. You clear your throat, making the sign of a bubble around you, and they all back off.



“MC, the public has voted for the person who most needs some time in the pod. Please head on up, as you’ve been voted in! #SecretsRevealed”.

Your heart is pounding. Your mouth is dry, and you swallow hard. What could it be? Secrets revealed? You turn your eyes to Bobby, and he shrugs, smiling at you. He mouths ‘Nothing to hide,’ at you, and you jump off of the lounger you’d made your home and race off to the villa.

“See ya!” You call behind your shoulder. Settled in to a chair, alone, in front of a screen, your nerves are back. You’re shaking, why are you shaking? Surely nothing bad will come of this?

Words flash on the screen. ‘Important information will be imparted to you. All we ask is that you do not share with anyone you cannot trust.’ You bite your lip, wondering just why they picked you. Why were you the one who could be trusted? What were they about to show you?

The screen fades in on Noah and Hope chatting idly on the daybeds. “I just don’t know about them, babe,” she says, and Noah nods. “Are they really strong? I think they’re a threat to us.”

“You’re right, they are.” He’s nodding, and then the scene switches. You see Bobby’s smiling face, but there’s someone with him. Lottie? They’re sitting uncomfortably close, but not quite touching. She’s laughing at a joke he’s just told. Where was I? You wonder. Lottie touches his arm, playfully, and even though it’s an intimate gesture, you notice that Bobby isn’t blushing. At least, not the way he would if it were you making that move.

‘Why are they showing me this?’ You wonder, as it switches to another scene, this time, Bobby sits with Priya. Again, they’re uncomfortably close, but Bobby draws away when he realizes their knees are almost touching. It switches to another scene, Ibrahim speaking with Jo on the rooftop terrace. They’re holding hands, smiling broadly.

“I hope I don’t get dumped off anytime soon,” he says, cupping her cheek.

“You won’t! I’m sure you’ll think of something to make yourself stand out from the others, you’re so smart and creative!” She’s going off a mile a minute, but Ibrahim looks like a lightbulb has just gone on when she says “stand out from the others” and your heart is racing.

Was it all just a plot? You’re suddenly more suspicious of that relationship than you were in the beginning (which was marginal, to be fair) and to think that you helped him put it together? No wonder he’d said yes!

It fades into another scene, this time Lottie and Chelsea, sitting by the pool with their legs in. Chelsea is running through her list of the most faithful boys.

“What do you think of Bobby?” you hear Chelsea ask, and Lottie snorts.

“Please, he’s only had eyes for MC since the beginning.” Lottie retorts, and Chelsea giggles.

“They’re so sweet together! But you really don’t think he could have his head turned?”

Lottie raises an eyebrow. “Why? Are you thinking of trying?”

Chelsea flushes deep red, and you can’t tell if it’s because she was thinking of trying, or if the thought causes her too much stress. “No! Why would I do that?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Lottie says, studying her fingernails. “It might be fun to flirt with him and see where his head is.” She shrugs.

“That’s not very girl code of you, Lottie!” Chelsea admonishes, and Lottie throws her hands up.

“I didn’t say I would! Only that it’d be fun!”

The scene fades to another, one where Lottie is blatantly flirting with Bobby in front of your face. He’s not really responding to it, but he’s also not shutting it down. And you’re there, acting like this is fine, but you remember how not cool you were feeling in that moment.

It fades in to the heart rate challenge, where first you grinded on Noah (and damn did you ever look good doing it) and then you moved to Bobby. Wait til you told him just how good you both looked! He was going to be so jealous. You can even hear him whispering in your ear afterward, and you feel a blush heat your cheeks.

Then, it flips to Jo dancing on him, and as it continues and you see his wide eyes on screen, you feel hot fury briefly. He did look like he’d enjoyed it, but not as much as he’d enjoyed your dance. And, from the way he’d had eyes for you and only you when he’d ‘danced’, you still felt secure.

“We have to play our angles, babes,” you suddenly hear Hope’s voice, and see her on the screen. This is some time before Casa Amor, you think, maybe right before the disaster coupling. As you see yourself walk by on the screen, you recognize the outfit and know that this was the day of. Weird to think that they were talking so normally that day. “We might not end up together, and I don’t want it to affect–well, we have a plan,”

“I know, I just hate it that we might end up apart for it to come together.” He groans, and she pats his thigh.

“It’ll all work out.”

The scene switches to the disaster recoupling, and you wonder why it’s going back and forth like this. Hope looks pleased, Noah impassive, and everyone else in varied states of shock. Her speech falls in line with that she had a plan. You recall that Bobby refused to meet your eyes in that recoupling, and when Lucas stands up to pick you, it zooms in on him, and you swear he looks like he might cry. Or…is he smiling? It’s hard to say, because in the next moment, you’re in the shot, telling him you’ll get back together.

Suddenly, there’s a scene where Marisol is lying in Graham’s arms, but they’re quiet, dozing off. It jumps to Marisol and Elisa, holding hands on the terrace, leaning in to kiss each other. ‘Good for her,’ you think, but know this is important. Graham doesn’t know.

A shot of Elijah and Chelsea in the pool. “Are you happy with MC?” She asks, and for a change, there’s a wrinkle in her brow and she looks utterly serious.

“I don’t know,” he says, hugging himself. “It seems like her heart is elsewhere.” He locks eyes with Chelsea.

“What about yours?”

He leans in closer to her, and she leans in, too. They kiss, and even though you know he was in a couple with you at the time, you’re happy for Chelsea.

“I…” she hesitates.

“You want me to pick you at the recoupling?” He asks, and she nods, beaming. “I think I can do that.” He winks, and the scene changes.

Lottie and Bobby again, but this time they’re sitting on the loungers, talking about all sorts of things.

“It’s hard for me to open up,” he says, and she nods, eyes half closed against the sun. “I’m really trying, but it hasn’t worked out well for me before, in a romantic sense.”

“Take your time, babes,” Lottie says in an offhand way, and Bobby sighs.

“We don’t have a lot of time in here, and you know it,” he says petulantly, throwing a towel over his face to signal that he’s done talking. The scene switches to Bobby sitting on a workout bench, watching Rahim do pull ups.

They’re talking about the same thing, it seems.

“I want to trust her, but it’s hard, you know?” Bobby sighs. Rahim drops to the ground, picking up some weights and sitting next to Bobby. “It’s hard, on the one hand, I feel so close to her, but on the other, I feel like she’s the only one in here who could really hurt me.”

“I know what you mean,” Rahim says. “Have you talked to her about this?”

“Not yet, do you think I should?” He frowns. Rahim shrugs.

“For what it’s worth, I think she’s a total catch. I don’t think she would go out of her way to hurt you.”

“It’s been ages since I felt this way about anyone,” Bobby says. “She’s worked her way into my heart without even trying.”

“You’ll figure it out, mate.” Rahim nods, and it fades to another scene.

Lucas and Bobby talking in the kitchen. “I don’t think she’s all that into you, mate,” Lucas says coolly. “We really hit it off before they left.”

‘Ugh, that’s not true,” you think.

“What are you saying, then?” Bobby’s frowning, and you’ve never seen this look on his face before.

“I’m saying that I think I have a real shot with her, and I’ll do what it takes to see it through.”

“So cosying up with some other girl is the path that gets you to her?” Bobby shakes his head.

“I don’t think she’s being honest with you. Ask anyone. I think she’s just playing the game.”

“And you aren’t?” Bobby demands, and Lucas just shrugs, laughing harshly.

“We all have to, don’t we? I’m trying to stay safe, and I’m sure she is, too.” he shrugs and walks away, leaving Bobby standing in the kitchen, mouth open.

The next scene is Bobby and Gary by the pool. Gary’s on one about cranes, and Bobby’s only listening half heartedly.

“What’s the matter, mate?” He asks, and Bobby shrugs. “You’re worried about the girls, aren’t you?”

“I tried to graft, but my heart’s not in it, and we’re all just going to say that’s what Noah did…I’m not happy with the way things have gone.”

“I know you miss her, mate, but just try to enjoy this!” Gary’s voice is lively, and Bobby’s is a stark contrast, dull and listless. You’d never seen him that way. A couple of beautiful girls sit down next to them, and Gary cracks a cheesy joke. One girl winds herself around Bobby, and you can see him fighting to enjoy it. You feel a pang in your chest, partially because someone had tried to steal him away, and partially because he looks so down.

He smiles, and it fades away. The screen is dark for a moment, before it starts showing glimpses. Hope and Noah kissing, Lottie and Gary kissing in the bathroom (and what a kiss, you think), Marisol and Rocco kissing, Marisol and Graham, Chelsea and Elijah, you and Bobby, Hope and Carl (several times, and you’re a little shocked) and then, one that defies belief, Bobby and…Hope?

The screen goes dark again, and you sit in utter shock. Bobby…kissed…Hope? When was that? Why was that? Your heart is pounding again, and even though you’re now armed to the teeth with secrets, this is the one thing you never wanted to see. You sit in stunned silence for a long time, utterly confused and unsure of how to proceed. Was that one of the sneaky kisses? Or did that happen while they were coupled up? Either way, you were furious, but in the scary quiet way.

Finally, you exit the pod, tweaking your hair and makeup in the dressing room before heading out to the loungers. You plop down next to Chelsea, who is just dying to know what you’ve seen.

“Bits and bobs, nothing worth phoning home about,” you say in such a calm voice that it positively scares you. She huffs, rolling her eyes.

“What a ripoff!” She exclaims. Hope moves in to sit in the lounger next to yours, and you get up before she can speak.

“I think I fancy a work out,” You say and move off without a backward glance. Ibrahim is the only one making use of the gym at this moment, but honestly, he’s a welcome face.

“Alright, MC?” He nods, and you smile wanly as you set about your routine.

“Alright, Rahim,” you say, and he notices you’re moving faster than usual.

“Something on your mind?”

“Suffice to say I am still processing what information I’ve just been fed,” You say. You’re just about at the end of your workout when Bobby walks over.

“MC, I’ve been–”

“I’m off to take a shower,” You say icily, not meeting Rahim nor Bobby’s eyes. Bobby looks as though you’ve just knocked the wind out of him, and Rahim is a study in abject confusion.

In the shower, alone with your thoughts again, you consider how you’d like to proceed. You can’t realistically give Bobby the cold shoulder forever, and even if so, you don’t want to. But for now, you need space to think, to figure out how to feel, and maybe if you just ask you’ll find out everything you need to know.

When you finish showering and throw on a fresh bikini, Hope is waiting in the dressing room.

“Bobby told me you’d be here, and we need to talk,” she says, and you shake your head.

“No, we really don’t, Hope,” You say, folding your arms across your chest. “But I’ll indulge you. I guess by now, you realize what I’ve seen in the pod.”

“I can explain.”

“No, you can’t. You’ll only make it worse if I talk to you before I find out from Bobby,” you say, and her eyes widen.

“What?!” She’s frantic, suddenly. “MC, you can’t let anyone know, you just–”

“You made your bed, Hope, don’t you want to lie in it?” You smile slyly as you push past her, willfully ignoring anything she’s saying to you as you move on to find Bobby. He’s in the kitchen, staring into a mug of tea despondently. He looks up as you stand before him, and he frowns.

“We’ve got to talk,” You say, pointing toward the rooftop terrace. He follows you, uncharacteristically quiet, and you settle in on the benches. “So, nothing you’ve said to me meant anything, did it?” You ask, and his eyes widen.

“What did you see?” He asks.

“Well, a lot of misdirection, honestly. Between us, and I mean it, they’re really trying that player angle with you. But that’s not why I need this talk,” you say, hesitating. “You kissed Hope.”

The words sit in the air between you heavily, and for a time you both just sit and stare at your hands. Now that that’s out, you don’t know where to go, or what he has to say to redeem himself. You don’t even know how you feel about it, or why it happened.

“Yeah,” he finally says, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “I’d honestly forgotten about that.”

“No excuse,” you say firmly. He nods, one hand bunching up the fabric of his swim shorts.

“No, you’re right. It happened during Operation Nope, and I should have told you, and I’m really sorry I didn’t. I was going to, I swear, but I’d forgotten completely. So much happened–but that’s not an excuse. I thought, after we’d all talked, that maybe someone should try to turn Hope’s head, and you’re not going to believe this–”

“Bobby,” you say, shaking your head sadly. “I really wish you’d have told me.”

His face falls. “She kissed me, MC.”

Your eyes widen in shock. “I’m sorry?”

“I didn’t even do much, I was just being friendly to her, and I’d actually abandoned my plan–but, well, I hugged her and when we pulled away she kissed me!” his face is flushed, and he shakes his head at the memory. “I pushed her away and told her that it wasn’t fair to you, and she said ‘well, she doesn’t have to know, does she?’”

“Bobby, I…” you pause, looking around as though someone might be listening. There’s no one, but you drop your voice anyway. “Bobby, I trust you completely, but you cannot tell anyone I’ve told you this.”

“I pinky swear.” He holds out his pinky, and even though you’re still so goddamn mad at him, you’re more angry with Hope, and you pinky swear with him as though your life depends on it.

“From what I saw, I know Hope and Noah are playing the game, and I have reason to believe Hope is trying to sabotage me.” You tell him, and his eyes widen.

“This is huge, MC.”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I’m not mad at you, Bobby!” you retort suddenly, and he leans back, eyes even wider.

“Darling, I’m really sorry I hurt you. I’m really sorry I didn’t tell you about that. It makes me look really shady, but I promise you I didn’t mean to hide it. I just didn’t think about it, but that’s beyond the point now. How can I make it up to you?” He’s got that vulnerable look in his eyes, and you melt.

“I’m sure we can figure something out,” you say, giving him a sultry look. He perks an eyebrow, and you laugh softly. “Breakfast in bed every morning for the rest of our time here!”

“Your wish is my command!” He hops to his feet and bows deeply.

“Oh, and, maybe something else,” You wink as you teasingly pull his head down to your lap. He looks up at you and grins before giving your thigh a sloppy kiss.

“I think those are agreeable terms, MC,” he says into your bikini bottoms, and the vibration makes you giggle as you push him away.

“Why can’t I stay mad at you!?” You exclaim, and he falls to his knees, throwing his arms around your waist, pressing his face into your midriff.

He mumbles something that almost sounds like ‘probably because I love you’ into your belly, and you coax his chin up.

“What?”

He blushes deeply before saying “Probably because you love me!” He teases, and hops away from you. You chase after him, giggling.

“Who says?”

“I do!” He grins as you run back to the poolside. You shove him in, and he catches your ankle, pulling you in with him. You shriek and pretend you might dunk him, but he catches you in his arms, planting kisses on your neck. “Are we good, MC?” he asks, and his eyes are full of sincerity.

“We’re good.” you reply, and for a moment all is right with the villa. At least, it will be until you have to speak with Hope, you think. That can wait.