Chapter Text
Week 2, Day 8
Will sits in the nomination chair next to Eddie, as the entire room is engaged in lively conversations, waiting for Julie Chen-Moonves to begin the live eviction. To his left is Robin, who has decided to hold his hand throughout the live show. On the couch next to her are Lucas, Max, Stacy, El, Mike, Chase, and Erica. Everyone else is seated on Eddie’s side, with Jake and Angela seated the closest to the living room television.
Will tries his best to distract himself from the voting by talking to Robin, but he knows that any moment, Julie Chen-Moonves will be checking in with them, and his fate will come ever closer. There’s a pit in his stomach, telling him that he’s leaving, but all he can do now is leave the power in the hands of his allies.
“Hello, Houseguests.” Julie’s voice is commanding, and everyone quickly sits up in their seat, putting on a big smile as they greet her back. “Well, everyone, it is time for the first live vote of the season.” Her words send chills down Will’s back, and he grips onto Robin harder than before. “Eddie. Will. In just a few moments, your housemates will cast their vote to evict. Live.” Will breathes in deep. “But, before they do, you each have a final chance to sway their votes with one brief statement. Eddie. You’re up first.”
Will watches as Eddie stands up next to him, and all eyes in the room fall on him. He feels his hands getting clammy, and wants to let go of Robin’s hand, but keeps it there anyway.
“Hey, guys.” Eddie’s voice is booming like always. “You know I just want to say, neither one of us wanted to be on the block this early, nor do either one of us want to be the first one going home. I’ve had a great time this past week with all of you, and if you can keep me, we can keep this party going!” They all laugh at his declaration. “Regardless, I respect your guys’ decisions, and I hope you make the right one.”
The houseguests clap at the end of Eddie’s speech, and Will does too. Julie says, “Thank you, Eddie. Will, it’s your turn.”
Will gets to his feet, wiping the sweat off his hands as he prepares to speak. “First, I want to thank you all for this lovely time here, it’s been one of the best experiences of my life, and I’m so grateful to have met you all. Second, I may be on this block, but I have not played this past week like I’m going home. I have a lot more game left in me, and I implore you to keep me here so that this game can get shaken up.” The houseguests clap again, and Robin reassuringly pats him.
“All right.” Everyone turns their attention back to Julie. “It is now time for the live voting to begin. Jake. As the current Head of Household, you are not allowed to vote.” Jake nods. “Neither are the two nominees. One at a time, the rest of you will enter the diary room, and cast your vote to evict. And remember, it takes seven votes tonight to be evicted. Angela. You’re up first.”
Will watches with bated breath as she walks into the Diary Room. He’s not sure if he can trust her since she’s working so closely with Jake. The only votes he’s counting on are his allies’. He’s not sure what he’d do if they backstab him, so he pushes the thought from his mind.
Angela returns, and Chad enters to vote. Then Chrissy, Dustin, El, Erica, Jason, Lucas, Max, Mike, Robin, Stacy, and Suzie. As each person enters and exits the Diary Room, Will can feel his heartbeat picking up, senses its thumping in various parts of the body, nervousness taking a hold of him. He can barely breathe, and has to remind himself to do so. His eyes are to the floor, incapable of looking anyone in the eye as they return from the Diary Room. The short moment Robin is gone feels like agony, like Will is all alone on an island with no help.
Julie’s voice startles him, and he sits back up. “Houseguests, the votes are in. When I reveal the vote, the evicted Houseguest will have just a few moments to say goodbye, gather his belongings, and walk out the front door.” Julie pauses for a long moment, and Will wishes she would rip off the bandage. “By a vote… of 10 to 3… Eddie, you are evicted from the Big Brother house.”
Will is almost too shocked to stand up, but he forces himself to. Eddie turns to him, embracing him and congratulating him on staying. Will tries to catch his breath at the realization, he feels like he’s come back from the dead and experiencing life for the first time. Eddie begins hugging the other Houseguests, and as he does this, Will makes his way to the front door, where his and Eddie’s duffle bags of belongings sit. He grabs Eddie’s bag, and waits for his housemates to begin walking over to the front door. Eddie begins giving his last hugs, and Will can’t make out any of the words he’s exchanging, the world all a blur in that moment. He hands Eddie his duffle bag, and opens the door for him to return to the real world. Will’s housemates cheer for him as he leaves, and Will feels bad that he didn’t properly say goodbye to Eddie.
⏿⏿⏿
Will doesn’t get much time to revel in the fact that the house chose him to stay. Once Eddie was out of the house, Will’s housemates surrounded him, giving him hugs and congratulating him just like Eddie did. Their conversations are shallow though, since they have a Head of Household competition they need to prepare for.
They all stand in a long series of booths, each with their names above them. Jake sits outside of the booths, with the HoH key hanging around his neck, watching the rest of the housemates. In front of Will is a small wheel, one half blue, the other red, that he can turn easily. Also by the wheel is a small chalkboard with a broken piece of chalk. Will assumes it’s the same for the other people.
“Houseguests.” Again, Will straightens at Julie Chen’s voice. “The power is up for grabs. Jake, as outgoing Head of Household, you are not able to compete.” Jake nods from his seat.
“Now, in the Big Brother house, the HoH rules. But, in tonight’s competition, the Majority Rules . Each of you is standing in your own private booths. I’ll be asking your opinions on the different Houseguests, and life in the house. However, when you answer, don’t give us your own personal opinion, but instead, what you think the majority of the group’s opinion will be. The Houseguests that answer with the majority will advance. Those who respond with the less popular answer will be eliminated from the game. The last player remaining will be the new Head of Household.
“Remember, your answers are based on what you think the majority might say. You will answer red or blue , using the wheel in front of you. But, do not reveal your answers until I say, ‘Answers, please.’ Does everyone understand the rules?” Everyone yells in response, and so does Will. “Alright, let’s begin then.
“First question. Who does the majority think is more likely to send flowers after a first date: Mike or Jake? Please answer red for Mike or blue for Jake.” Will turns the wheel to red. “Answers, please.” Will reveals his answer. “The clear majority thinks that Mike is more likely to send flowers after a first date. Chad, you’re the only one who got it wrong. Please step down and join Jake. Everyone else please reset to yellow.”
Will is relieved to still be in the game. He wants to win HoH to secure safety, especially after a rocky first week.
“Next question. Who does the majority think is more intelligent: Dustin or Will? Please answer red for Dustin or blue for Will.” Will thinks quickly, and feeling presumptuous, chooses himself. “Answers, please. The majority thinks that Will is more intelligent.” Will smiles at that fact. “Suzie and Chrissy, please step down. Everyone please reset.”
Three down with twelve people left, Will felt good about his chances thus far. And it also meant that everyone in The Party was still in the running.
“In the first Head of Household competitions, what does the majority think is the harder competition: Picturesque Picnic or Flower Frenzy? Please answer red for Picturesque Picnic or blue for Flower Frenzy.” Will thinks back to the two competitions, and although his competition was challenging, the 3D puzzle and running seemed harder. “Answers, please. Everyone thought that Picturesque Picnic was harder.” Will sighs in relief. “Everyone got it right, everyone stays in the game.”
“Next question. Who does the majority think is more likely to dress their pets in clothes: El or Angela? Please answer red for El or blue for Angela.” Will doesn’t have to think for this one, and chooses Angela. “Answers, please. Once again, everyone got it right, everyone chose Angela. Please reset.”
“Next question. Who does the majority think is more likely to secretly read a boyfriend’s text messages: Stacy or Chrissy? Answer red for Stacy or blue for Chrissy.” Will goes off of his interactions with Stacy and picks her. “Answers, please. The majority thinks that Stacy is more likely to secretly read a boyfriend’s text messages. Sorry, Angela and Stacy, you got it wrong, please step down.” The words are like music to Will’s ears, because those two are the ones he felt the most uneasy about.
“What does the majority think is more annoying: Houseguests who don’t wash their dishes or Houseguests who don’t wash their clothes? Please answer red for dishes or blue for clothes.” Another simple question, Will answers dishes. “The majority think that Houseguests who don’t wash their dishes are more annoying. Everybody got it right, please reset.”
Will thinks they must be nearing the end of the questions, and with nine people still playing, it could all come down to a tiebreaker if they run out of questions.
“Who would the majority rather be stuck in an elevator with: Max or Erica? Please answer red for Max or blue for Erica.” Will chooses Max primarily because she’s in his alliance. “The majority would rather be stuck with Max.” Will breathes a sigh of relief. “I’m sorry, Lucas, Mike, El, and Max. Please step down, everyone else can reset.”
Will thinks quickly about who’s left: Dustin, Erica, Jason, Robin, and himself. He feels good with everyone left other than Jake, and in his head, hopes that anyone else can pull out the win.
“Next question. Who would the majority rather visit their hometown: Lucas or Robin? Answer red for Lucas or blue for Robin.” Will picks Lucas for the same reason he picked Max. “Answers, please. The majority would rather visit Lucas’ hometown. I’m sorry, Robin, you got it wrong. Please step down, and join everyone else.”
Will watches Robin take her seat, and as she sits, she gives him a nod, like she’s encouraging him to keep going. He has a twenty-five percent chance to win, and a seventy-five percent chance of being happy with the winner.
“Everyone, please reset, but we are moving on to our tie-breaker, the final question. I’m going to ask you to write down your answers on the boards provided.” Will prepares his board. “The person who comes closest to the correct number without going over will be the new Head of Household. If everyone goes over, the person who is closest to the correct number will win HoH” Will takes a deep breath to prepare himself. “Here we go. How many total balls were correctly sunk into a safety net during the competition The Right Course ?” Will tries to think back to a week ago when Max and others played the competition. Will had watched so carefully, but now, he couldn’t imagine how many balls made it. He knows at least ten did, since that was the winning number, and he figures another person got close to ten, so without a second thought, Will writes down twenty on his board. “I need everyone’s answer now. Hold up your answers, please.” Will raises his board high, and waits for Julie to confirm who won. His hands are shaking, scared of the fact that he might have gotten close to winning but just missed out on the title. “The correct number is twenty-three. Congratulations, Jason, you are the new Head of Household.” Will’s stomach drops. “Jake, please hand over the HoH key to Jason. Congratulations again, nice job, everyone.”
All Will can do is clap alongside everyone, making his way up to Jake and Jason, where the new HoH is grabbing his key. And as everyone takes turns congratulating him, Will can’t help but feel nervous about what Jason has in store for the week.
⌂⌂⌂
Week 2, Day 9
“How are you feeling?” Lucas asks.
After the Majority Rules HoH competition, it was announced that the four last placing Houseguests were now the new Have-Nots, meaning the Have-Not room was replacing Lucas, Dustin, Mike, and El with Chad, Suzie, Chrissy, and Stacy. Lucas chose to move into the same room as Will and Robin, and Will couldn’t be more happy to have him around.
Waking up in the morning, after Jason unlocked his HoH bedroom, and after everyone shifted places, with his two allies in the same room as him, reaffirmed to Will that he was still in the game and still had a path forward.
Will faces Lucas as the boy packs his clothes into the same drawer he and Robin use. “I’m fine, I don’t know.”
“What’s bugging you?”
“I’m feeling a lot of emotions right now, honestly. I mean, ten people voted to save me! I was expecting, you know, The Party to vote for me, but ten people is crazy, and it just… it makes me feel good moving forward.”
“That’s good, you should feel that way. And it’s like we said, there was no way we were gonna let you go home so soon.”
Will begins whispering, even though there’s nobody around. “You’re right, but now I got the on-the-block stench on me, and with Jason as HoH, I don’t think it’s improbable that I can go back up.”
“Why do you think that?” Lucas asks in a whisper.
“I’ve been trying to think about who’s in alliance aside from us. And I’ve assumed that Chad, Stacy, Angela, and Jake are in one…”
“But?”
“But only four people is too small of a number this early in the game.”
“So, you think Jason is a part of it?”
“Yeah. Mostly because he seems like the most likely candidate out of everyone left.”
“I understand your reasoning, but you can’t get paranoid just yet. No one knows what he’s gonna do, so we have to be prepared for anything.”
Will sighs. “I guess you’re right. I just really don’t want to touch the block again.”
“I know what you mean.” Lucas finishes unpacking and looks at Will straight on. “Later today, go up to his room, and just talk to him.”
“That’s what I did with Jake, and look where that got me.”
“Let Jason lead this time, and don’t give him any names, no matter what the question might be. Try to suss out what he wants to do, if you need to make a deal, make one, and then base your actions accordingly on that conversation.”
Will breathes in deep. “You’re right, there’s nothing to worry about just yet. Not until those keys are pulled out of that Nomination Box.” Will gives Lucas a quick hug. “Thanks, Lucas. You’re the best.”
“No problem, Will. Like you’ve said, you’ve got a lot of game left to play.”
Will smirks. “Thanks.” Will thinks quickly, and decides to lock in with Lucas. “Final 2?”
Lucas laughs. “Say less.”
⏿⏿⏿
In the backyard, Will sits with Robin in the hammock, watching Mike and El playing around in the pool, while Chad, Jake, and Stacy utilize the pool table. They share a small bowl of strawberries, talking about the game and where it might be heading.
“I don’t trust those two.” Robin says, as she finishes chewing a strawberry in her mouth.
“You mean Mike and El?”
“Mhm.”
Will doesn’t like that Robin is questioning his allies, afraid that it might lead to her targeting the two of them. But, with their proximity to one another, Will doesn’t blame Robin for being wary. “Why do you say that?” Will asks, trying to humor her.
“You can’t tell anyone this, promise?”
Will would decide after hearing what she wanted to share, and says, “Promise.”
Robin leans in nonchalantly. “I think I caught them kissing last night. After the live show.”
Will thinks back to his conversation with Dustin, about how he was worried about the two of them becoming a Duo. He wasn’t even thinking about them becoming a showmance. “You think?” Will questions her wording.
“Yeah. I didn’t see anything, but I walked into the bathroom, right? And I see them pulling away from each other, like they were trying to hide how close they were to each other.”
“You really think they could be dating?”
“They could be, I mean look at them.” Will watches as Mike and El sit close together, his arm over her shoulder, talking quietly and looking into each other’s eyes. “We’ve got to be worried about whatever groups may be forming. The two of us could easily be picked off.”
Robin’s words make Will squirm a little, but he plays it off. He bites into a strawberry as he asks, “You think they see us as a Duo?”
Robin laughs. “I think, right now, they see nothing but each other when it comes to this game.”
Will doesn’t want to reinforce any of her ideas, and swiftly changes the topic of conversation. He looks over to the pool table, and asks, “Where do you think Angela is?”
Robin looks over. “Why’re you asking? Because she’s not with her friends?”
“Yeah, I mean, she was attached to Jake’s hip all of last week. Now, she’s nowhere to be seen.” Robin is quiet for a moment. “I bet she’s up in the HoH room with Jason. Trying to work him over.”
“You really think he’d work with her?”
Will looks at Robin. “I don’t know. But he’d definitely work with Jake and Chad. I mean, Chad is practically his twin. And that would mean Angela’s just one degree of separation from Jason.”
Robin regards him for a short moment. “You’re worried about nominations.”
“Absolutely.” Will lets out a sigh of stress. “You’re not.”
Will watches as Robin clearly tosses around an idea in her head, thinking over what to say next. “Jason came up to me after he won HoH, and he promised me I’m not going up on the block.”
Will’s mouth is agape. “Seriously?”
“I wouldn’t lie to you.”
“And you believe him?”
“Look at it this way. Either he’s telling the truth, and I’m not going up, or he’s lying, and when he puts me up, he reveals his cards a little.”
Will follows, but he isn’t sure how much information he’d reveal by putting her up. “I think I should go talk to him.” Nominations were later that day, and he hated how nervous he felt. He wanted some type of reassurance, even if it was false.
“You’ll come back down?”
Will is on his feet. “Yeah.”
Will makes his way across the yard, pulling open the backyard door. In the kitchen are Lucas and Erica, their backs to him as they talk by the sink. It’s obvious that their conversation almost halts due to his presence, but Will didn’t want to think about what that meant. Instead, he takes the stairs to the second floor, where he walks briskly to the Head of Household room. He knocks on the door, and waits for a response.
When he walks inside, Will’s suspicions are confirmed, when he sees Angela, sitting on the couch in front of Jason’s bed. It tells Will something immediately: that Angela was not as close to Jason as she was with Jake, since the last time he was here, she was seated on Jake’s bed, as if it was her own.
“Hi, Will.” Angela says.
Will tries to smile. “Hi, Angela.” Will sits down and looks at Jason. “Congrats, again, Jason. I really thought I had that tie-breaker question.”
“Thanks, Will, you know, you really gave me a run for my money. Angela was telling me how close you were.” Jason says, and Will hates knowing that they were talking about him.
“Yeah, Will, wasn’t expecting that out of you.” Angela says, and the smile she gives him is devilish.
“Thanks.”
“I guess you’re here to talk about nominations, right?”
Will spins his head to focus on Jason, and tells himself to keep focus on him, regardless of what Angela might say. “That obvious?”
Jason laughs. “You’re not the first, and I don’t blame you. I’d be doing the same thing if I were you.” Will laughs along with Jason, trying to get on his good side. “So, here's the deal, Will. I’m not going to put you up on the block, as long as you promise me that if you win HoH, you won’t put me up.”
After a rocky first week, Will was all about self-preservation, so, hearing that he could buy himself another week with this promise, he was ready to jump on the offer.
“Are you sure you should be promising this, Jason?” Angela asks suddenly, and against his own words, Will looks at her.
“Angela…” Jason says through gritted teeth, which Will takes note of.
“I’m just saying, it’s like Julie says, expect the unexpected. Who knows what might happen later on in the week.”
Will looks at Jason, seeing how exasperated he looked, like he and Angela had been having that conversation for a while now. There’s a tension between them, and Will wants to seize the moment, to undermine Angela in some way, so he begins to show Jason a level of trust that Angela wasn’t giving him.
“Look, Jason, I hear you.” Will pulls focus away from Angela. “And that’s something I could do. If I win HoH, I won’t put you up. You can trust me on that.”
Will puts out a hand, and Jason receives it. They shake on it as he says, “Thanks, Will. I’m counting on you.”
Without anything else to say, Will makes his exit, feeling accomplished. It was like Robin said, either Jason is being truthful, and Will won’t be going up, or he’s lying, and Jason has to reveal the deck of cards he’s playing with. But, Will knows that Jason’s deal was about self-preservation, on both ends, and it made Will believe that Jason would stick to the deal.
He heads downstairs, thinking about whether or not Robin had to make the same deal, and wanting to tell her about the underlying tension between Jason and Angela, so they could talk about what to do with that information moving forward. He’s about to head back outside when overhead, a voice comes on that says, “Will, please report to the Diary Room.” Without much of a choice, Will does so, ready for the time to reflect on what’s going on around the house.
⏿⏿⏿
Will sits at the dining table, with Mike to this left, and Angela to his right. It’s weird yet satisfying seeing a seat empty, signifying Eddie’s exit from the game. Even though he took no joy from Eddie losing, it meant that Will was one step closer to winning, and he couldn’t help but feel good.
Jason carried down the Nomination Wheel, setting it down on the lazy susan on top of the table. In the wheel were 12 keys slotted, shining underneath the kitchen’s lights. Will thinks back to the first Nomination Ceremony. His key was in the wheel, and even though it didn’t guarantee safety, Will hoped it would be in the wheel once more.
Jason stands at the front of the room, ready to begin his duties. He takes a deep breath, and begins speaking. “This is the Nomination Ceremony.” Jason’s speaking voice sounds more controlled than Jake’s was. “One of my duties as Head of Household is to nominate two houseguests for eviction. I will pull the first key, and that person is safe. That person will pull the next key. So on, and so forth.”
Without any pregnant pauses, Jason leans over, and pulls out the first key. “Jake, you are safe.”
Jake thanks Jason, and puts his key around his neck. He leans over, and pulls out the next key. “Chad, you are safe.”
Hearing Jake and Chad called out first confirms Will’s suspicions that the three of them are working together in some type of way. Whether that meant they were in an official alliance, Will assumes that he shouldn’t mention any of their names to them.
“Angela, you are safe.” Chad says, and Will expected her name next.
Angela receives her key, and she begins pulling out the next one. Before Angela hears it, Will assumes it belongs to Stacy. “Stacy, you are safe.”
With the first four keys out, Will was still not safe, nor was any of The Party or Robin. Will tells himself not to think about it, to focus on just his own name being called. He can’t stand the anxiety of being on the block again, so he tries to manifest actual safety this week.
Stacy puts her key around her neck, and reaches for the next one. “Robin, you are safe.”
Will lets out a sigh of relief when he here’s her name. He watches as she puts her key around her, and smiles at him. She pulls out the next key. “Will, you are safe.”
He wasn’t expecting his name to be called out so soon. The other Houseguests turn the lazy susan, and Will hurriedly puts his key around his neck, swallowing the saliva in his mouth. Will grabs the next key, and reads the name on it. “Suzie, you are safe.”
Seven keys were pulled out, leaving only five more. With seven people left, there was a possibility of all of The Party members staying safe, which would leave Erica and Chrissy on the block. Will hoped for that as the outcome, but mentally prepared himself for the worst case scenario.
“Max, you are safe.” Suzie says, sitting back down quickly.
Will was relieved to have another alliance member safe, but he couldn’t help the dread he felt when Max read out the next name. “Erica, you are safe.”
Chrissy, Dustin, El, Lucas, and Mike were left, meaning that one of the alliance members had to sit on the block. Will gulped, thinking about who he’d rather see safe. The first two he thinks of are El and Lucas. He especially wanted Lucas safe because of the Final 2 deal they had, and because Lucas seemed the biggest threat out of the people left.
“Mike, you are safe.” Erica says, and Mike smiles immediately.
Two boys and two girls were left. With Eddie evicted, Lucas half wonders if Jason is trying to even out the new gender imbalance. In the seasons Will loves, guys like Jason often did this out of fear of the girls working together.
“Dustin, you are safe.”
Mike’s words are like Will’s worst nightmare. No matter what, one of the two people he trusted the most would be up for eviction. And, in the worst case scenario, they could both be on the block.
The final key was lodged in the Nomination Wheel. Dustin has his key hanging around his neck, and with a deep breath, pulls out the last one. Will has his head in his hands, preparing for what he might say. “Lucas, you are safe.”
Will looks at El instantly, breathing deeply. Her eyes - and Chrissy’s, Will assumes - are on Jason at the front of the room. He looks sure and determined as he begins to speak. “I have nominated you, Chrissy, and you, El. Chrissy, last week you went around to a lot of people, making deals to try to keep Eddie in the game.” This information was news to Will, and he wasn’t expecting information like this to be shared at the Nomination Ceremony. “I can’t see you as trustworthy when you spiral for a vote that isn’t even your own.” Jason looks at El. “El, you are a very sweet girl, and I’ve enjoyed my time with you. But, that’s the reason you’re on the block. I feel like everyone else might feel that way, and you’d be hard to beat at the end.” Chrissy and El nod, but Chrissy looks like she wants to kill Jason. “This Nomination Ceremony is adjourned.”
Jason begins taking the Nomination Wheel away, and as everyone else crowds around the nominees to reassure them, Will decides to do the opposite. He follows behind Jason closely, entering the storage room with him. Will wants to show his support, and to get in Jason’s head before anyone else does.
“You did great out there.” Will says, embracing him once the Nomination Wheel is set down.
“Thanks, Will. It was a tough decision.” They pull away.
“I wasn’t expecting those two, honestly.”
“Yeah, I feel like they get along well with everyone. I’m probably the only person who would put them up right now.”
Will tries to be supportive, even though El is at risk. “You made a good choice. Don’t let anyone tell you differently.” Then, Will decides to add, “Not even Angela.”
Jason gives him a knowing smile, and it tells Will that the tension he felt earlier was real. “Yeah, I just hope the Veto doesn’t get used. Ideally, one of them goes.”
Will primarily wanted to ask which one he wanted to go, so Jason bringing it up is perfect for him. “Who do you want evicted?”
Jason shrugs. “Honestly, either one. I don’t trust either of them.”
Will’s about to continue the conversation, when the storage room door opens, and Chad walks in. He decides that it’s best for him to leave then.
“I’ll talk to you later.” Will says quickly.
“For sure.” Jason says as Will exits.
Will makes his way back to the dining area, where he finds the remaining Houseguests. He joins them in comforting the nominees, but at the back of his mind, Will begins planning what to do about the vote.
⌂⌂⌂
Week 2, Day 10
Robin and Will stood in the kitchen, preparing themselves breakfast. They woke up early enough that the house was quiet with everyone else asleep. They had planned to do so, so they could talk before the Power of Veto competition. Robin flips pancakes, while Will scrambles some eggs, and they begin to talk candidly about the game.
“He said he wants one of them gone by the end of the week.” Will says in a hushed tone, paranoid that someone might sneak up on them.
“What if one of them gets taken off the block?” Robin asks, adding bananas into her pancake batter.
“He didn’t bring that up. I don’t know if he’s planned for that.” Will cracks two eggs into a pan. “Who do you think would stay between them?”
“Hard to say.” Robin flips a pancake. “But my money’s on the Veto getting used.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I mean, El’s got her little boyfriend or whatever, so, if she gets Houseguest’s Choice, and she picks Mike, she’s got a good chance of getting the Power of Veto.”
“You really think they’re a showmance, huh?” The first batch of scrambled eggs comes out well, and Will smiles.
“They’re not the only ones, if you ask me.”
Will was intrigued. “Who else do you suspect?”
“So, it’s Mike and El, but I definitely saw Jake and Angela kissing in the hammock last night, and Dustin and Suzie spend way too much time together.”
“You saw them kissing?”
“Full on tongue-on-tongue battle, it grossed me out, not gonna lie.”
Will was excited to learn this piece of information. “And those other couples are what, intuition?”
“You saw how Mike stayed by her side after she was nominated. Followed her wherever she went.” Robin has a large stack of pancakes, and continues making more until her batter runs out.
“I guess you’re right about that. But, I don’t know about them being a showmance.” Will finishes his second round of eggs, and begins pouring them glasses of orange juice.
“Showmance or not, they are definitely Duos. And the whole reason I brought this up was to get you thinking: what if we voted to evict El?”
Will nearly drops the glasses he’s carrying over to the dining room table. “I know what you’re gonna say.”
“Since she’s a Duo with Mike,” she brings their prepared plates over, “It might be best to isolate him now. I mean, who else does he have?” Will knows he has a whole alliance, but he follows her line of thinking. “Because, if they get too far, they could get too powerful.”
“But, they’d be really big targets in front of us if they make it that far. No one would want to go to the end with them.”
“You’re right, but one opportune competition win and they could easily make it to the end.” She begins slicing into her pancakes. “Just think about it, okay?”
As he eats, Will does think about it, and comes to the conclusion that if Robin is thinking this, then other people might. It hardens his resolve, and Will decides that if he gets chosen for the Power of Veto, he’d try his hardest to win, and pull El off of the block.
⏿⏿⏿
Veto selections took place not long after Will and Robin’s breakfast together. Everyone got ready, putting on comfortable clothing that they could easily change out of if they were picked for the Power of Veto competition. In that time, El doesn’t come up to Will to talk about the Veto selections. In Will’s mind, there is a collective subconscious between The Party, and they all understand that El would pick one of them - most likely Mike - if she gets Houseguest’s choice, and if any more get to play, they have to play to win to keep El safe.
There was an inherent trust built within them now that they have voted together. Before that, the alliance could have dissolved at a moment’s notice, but since they all worked collectively to keep Will, it was like their bond got stronger, and they knew what needed to be done to help them all get further in the game.
At the front of the living room, Jason stands behind a podium, like Jake had done the previous week. Will assumes that he has the same cue card that Jake had too, and that in any moment, he’ll begin explaining the rules for the Veto selection. Everyone else is seated on the couches, with Chrissy and El sitting in the nomination chairs. Will looks to Chrissy.
She had come up to him before they were all gathered into the living room, asking him if he would use the Veto on her. Unlike before, when he told Erica he was unsure what he’d do, Will decided to be honest with her, and told her flat out that he wouldn’t. She didn’t take it well, and as she sits in her chair, she’s never looked more determined.
Will’s attention is pulled back to Jason. “Only six people will compete in the Veto Competition, the Head of Household, the two nominees, and three other players selected by random draw. Will the nominees please join me up here.” Will watches El and Chrissy join him. “As HoH, I will pick first.” Jason puts his cue card in one hand, and with the other, he digs deep into the Veto box, pulling out a chip. He reads it and says, “Lucas.” Will can see the excitement in El’s eyes. Lucas isn’t just an ally, he’s also a good competitor, meaning there was a good chance that he could win and keep her safe.
After Lucas joins them, Chrissy reaches into the box. “Houseguest’s Choice.” She says this with a smile. “I pick Erica.” Chrissy’s choice is interesting to Will. He’s unsure who Chrissy was closest with now that Eddie was evicted, but hearing her call out Erica’s name was unexpected.
El proceeds to dig for a chip. “Angela.” Will doesn’t like Angela being picked. In his eyes, she’ll keep the nominations the same, and Will is hopeful that she doesn’t get that chance.
Jason finishes reading off the cue card. “Big Brother is to inform us when the Veto Competition is to begin… Good luck!” They all clap and Will is instantly on his feet, trying to hype up all of the Veto players.
⏿⏿⏿
Will sits on a wooden bench, sandwiched in between Stacy and Mike. In front of them are six lanes, similar to the ones used in the previous Power of Veto competition. The players stand at one end, where they have a button, and a podium with four slots in it. On the other end are three tanks full of blue balls one would see in the ball pit, and the Power of Veto symbol hangs above each tank. The lane itself has a small incline to get into the tank, and in the middle of each lane is a large and round hurdle, decorated to look like a log, that’s at least a quarter of each player’s height.
Off to the side is Chad, who has a cue card in his hand, as well as the Golden Power of Veto. Like Angela, he’ll be reading the rules of the competition for everyone to grasp, and will be commentating everyone’s progress.
“Here at the BB Lodge, we’re all about protecting our wildlife!” Chad says, the most enthusiastic Will’s ever heard him. “Unfortunately, some of our ducks on the campgrounds have gotten in the water before they were ready to swim, and they need your help! This competition is called Best of Duck , and here’s how it works. On my go, you’ll race down your lane to the tank of balls at the other end. There, you must dig through the balls and retrieve four rubber duckies, and bring them back to the start, one at a time. The first Houseguest to bring back four ducks, return with the PoV symbol, and buzz in, will win the Power of Veto.” Chad pauses for dramatic effect. “Does everyone understand?” They all cheer, excited to see how the competition will play out. “Then get on your mark. Get set… Go!”
In an instant, they all begin running across their lanes. Lucas and Jason have the lead, but Lucas is able to jump over the hurdle in front of him with ease. El and Chrissy land on top of the hurdle before getting over it, meaning they’re slightly behind everyone else as they jump into the tanks.
They all begin digging around, looking for their ducks. Lucas is the closest to where Will is sitting, so he keeps his eyes on him as he searches. They all virtually sink into the tanks, meaning that it was deeper than Will suspected. As they search, the blue balls move around, revealing a multitude of yellow ones underneath, most likely there to confuse the players with the color of a rubber duck.
Will’s attention is pulled to Jason, who is getting out of the tank, a rubber duck in hand. He watches him run back to his podium, as Chad calls out his progress. Will looks back to Lucas, and he has stepped out of the tank as well, and briskly jumps over the hurdle in front of him to place his duck. “That’s one for Jason, and one for Lucas!” Chad calls out, and Will’s heart really begins to pump.
Jason and Lucas return to their tanks before anyone else finds their own duck. Will looks at El, who was obviously struggling to find a duck because of how deep the tank was. She disappears from his line of sight each time she digs deeper, but Will encourages her by shouting out her name, spurring her to keep digging.
Will watches Angela jump out of her tank, a rubber duck in hand, but at the same time, Lucas emerges, and quickly catches up to her. They both place their ducks in their slots as Chad says, “That’s two for Lucas, one for Jason, and one for Angela!” Without hesitation, Lucas jumps over his hurdle again, continuing his search.
As Lucas jumps back into the tank, El flops out of hers, a duck in hand. She gets to her feet quickly, and tries to jump over the hurdle. Will can tell she’s using a lot of her energy, as she looks visibly tired, but he admires that she’s still sprinting across her lane.
Like a domino effect, Erica, and Chrissy find their ducks. Chad yells out, “That’s two for Lucas, and one for everybody else.” It’s a much closer game than Will thought it would be, and he sits with bated breath, hoping Lucas or El can keep up the momentum.
As he thinks that, Jason climbs out of the ball pit, and briskly returns to the podium, where he ties up the score with Lucas. And before Jason can return, Angela finds her second duck, and impending dread starts to grow. “Lucas has two ducks, Jason has two, and Angela has two!” Chad’s words feel like a curse to Will. If Jason or Angela won, they’d keep the nominations the same, and Will desperately wants El to be safe.
Lucas however dashes that dread by emerging with his third duck. He places it on the podium, and by the time he returns to the tank, no one else has found another. Will’s breath becomes faster as they near the end of the competition, and he puts all his energy in cheering Lucas on.
Angela dashes out of her tank, but closely behind is Lucas, with his fourth and final duck. Chad yells out, “Lucas is now on the home stretch!” Will stands up, cheering for Lucas, and he watches as his ally makes his final trip to the tank, where he hurriedly grabs the Veto symbol. The other competitors are an afterthought to Will as Lucas makes his way back to the podium, and slams his hand down on the button. “Congratulations, Lucas, you have won the Power of Veto.”
Chad runs up to him, as do Will and everyone else, and he puts the Veto around Lucas’ neck. Will feels like he can breathe again, and instinctively runs up to El, embracing her because he knows that Lucas will be pulling her off the block.
⏿⏿⏿
It’s late into the night, as Will is brushing his teeth, and almost everyone is asleep, when Lucas enters the bathroom. Will had thought he had gone to sleep much earlier, so seeing his ally approaching him makes him jump.
“Can I talk to you?” Lucas asks.
Will nods, and quickly finishes brushing his teeth, rinsing his mouth, and puts his toothbrush away. Will looks at Lucas, and notices the serious look on his face, and it makes Will worried. “Here, let’s sit down.” Will says, gesturing to the seats in the bathroom.
Lucas sits, and lets out a deep sigh. Will matches his posture. “I wanted to run some things with you.”
“Okay.” Will isn’t sure where the conversation could go.
“If I used the Veto, it would obviously be used on El.”
“Right.” Will thought that was the plan from the beginning.
“Say I use it, who goes up in that case?” Lucas asks evenly.
“I hadn’t thought about that.” Will doesn’t think Jake, Chad, Angela, or Chrissy would be nominated.
“Right. I think based on who Jason’s working with, another member of the alliance could easily go up if I use the Veto.”
“So, what? You think you shouldn’t use the Veto?” Will doesn’t like the sound of that.
“If another member of The Party goes up, then we’d be back at square one.”
“But what if Jason puts up someone besides the alliance, like Suzie, or Erica?”
“I think the odds aren’t in our favor, we’re in a really big group, and I wouldn’t doubt that Jason puts up someone like Mike in El’s place.”
“You really want to keep the nominations the same then?”
“I do. We saved you last week, and we could save El this week, and really build up the trust in our alliance.” Lucas says, and Will follows his reasoning. “Plus - and this is selfish on my part - but I think I could build trust with Jason by keeping the nominations the same.”
Will regards Lucas quietly. “Did you make a deal with Jason?”
“No. Did you?”
Will decides to be truthful, mostly because he doesn’t see Lucas getting mad at him. “Yeah, he said that if he doesn’t put me up, then he expects me to do the same if I win HoH.”
Lucas thinks for a second, then says, “Do you know if he made the same deal with anyone else?”
Will thinks back to Robin, and how Jason promised her safety. He’s unsure if they made the same deal that he had made, but tells Lucas anyway. “I think he promised safety to Robin.”
“Well then, I definitely shouldn’t use the Veto. Think about it, if he made all these deals with certain people, then this makes the pool of renomination smaller, and he could put up someone from The Party.”
Lucas’ reasoning is what seals the deal for Will, and he agrees that using the Veto may be pointless in the long run. “Okay, okay. Say you don’t use the Veto, are we sure that Chrissy is going to go?”
“El needs seven votes to stay. We have the votes from The Party, right?” Lucas holds up five fingers. “I think Suzie will probably vote with Dustin.”
“You’ve seen how close they are right?” Will probes before they continue.
“Oh, yeah, they’re not subtle at all.” Lucas holds up another finger. “So, that’s five votes to keep El, and I can guarantee you that I can get Erica to vote with us.”
Lucas’ words make him think back to when he saw the two of them talking in the kitchen, and it makes him raise an eyebrow when Lucas finishes speaking, but he decides not to question their relationship. “Okay, but that’s only six, meaning it’ll tie and then it’ll be up to Jason.”
“Well, can you get anyone to vote with us?”
Will has been hesitant to mention Robin to any of The Party. He wants to keep their relationship a secret, and to that he needs to conceal how close they actually are. But in this moment, to make sure the plan goes off without a hitch, he has to reveal his hand a bit.
“I think I can get Robin.”
“Okay, then that’s seven votes, and El will stay.” Lucas puts another finger up, and then puts his hand down.
“Isn’t that cutting it a little close? I mean, it’s like Jason said, El is a threat. What if someone decides to flip at the last minute and vote to evict her.”
“Look, I know why you’re worried. We really need to keep our numbers up, and this can be a close vote, I get that, but this game requires some risk. But, if we get to work, and try to sway the house, we can really keep El in this game.”
Will sighs, uneasy with the plan, but he trusts Lucas, and that’s what he tells himself to focus on. “Okay, I’m with you. But Lucas, if this plan fails, you need to have a game plan for the fall out.”
“I hear you.” Lucas stands up. “I gotta tell some of the others.”
“I’m the first one you talked to?” Will was surprised Lucas didn’t speak to Max first.
“Yeah, I figured you’d help me think of this plan. And it’s like we said earlier, right? Final 2?”
Will smiles. “Final 2.” He stands up, and walks out of the bathroom with Lucas.
⌂⌂⌂
Week 2, Day 11
In Will’s mind, he’s been calling the other side of the house - the alliance of Jake, Angela, Jason, Stacy, and Chad - The Socs. To him, they give off the same air as the socs from The Outsiders , and because of that, it was easier to refer to their group as that.
Because there was an ‘other’ side of the house, it made Will think back to other seasons he’s seen on the show with similar house dynamics. In them, the people that make it the farthest are those not just well centered in their own alliance, but also well ingratiated into the other side of the house. When he woke up the day after the Veto, Will knew he had to begin working with them in some type of way.
To Will, he had the best relationship with Jason, which was great the current week, but would mean nothing next week. So, Will goes down the line of The Socs, and eliminates Chad and Stacy. They’re like an iron wall that stops any type of communication between him and them. With Jake and Angela, even though he was put up by Jake, and there’s friction between him and Angela, since they’ve actually had conversations, he thinks it best to try talking to them. Specifically, he begins speaking to Angela.
Will has grown accustomed to making breakfast for everyone. His mom taught him how to cook so that he can stand on his own, and it was definitely coming in handy for Will. Today, he made Angela’s favorite breakfast meal, an omelet full of vegetables, protein, and spice. Granted, he made specific omelets for everyone that asked, but he made sure to go out of his way to make a special one for her.
She appreciated it, Will could tell. Even if it seemed innocuous, Will knew the nice gesture could pay off in the future. But, he knew acts of service couldn’t be the only thing he enacted. So, when noon arrived, and he saw her out in the pool by herself, Will took it upon himself to join her.
As they sit in the cool water, they talk about various topics: what they studied in school, what season of the show they liked the most, why they decided to join the show. In it, Will is able to bond with her because he finds out her mother pushed her to audition, just like his mother encouraged him to do. He still didn’t trust her fully, but in Will’s eyes, it humanizes her a little, and he hopes it does the same for him in her eyes.
“How are you feeling this week?” Angela asks.
Will eyes her, and says, “I mean, I feel better, considering I’m not on the block.”
“What about Veto?” Angela asks. “What if Lucas uses it?”
Will realizes his mistake. He came off as secure, even though the nominations weren’t set in stone. He thinks quickly, then says, “He could, but Jason promised me he wouldn't put me up. Remember?”
“Hm.” Unlike Will’s game conversations with Lucas, with Angela, their words come out cold and calculated, like they’re both sizing each other up. “That man, I tell you.”
Will senses the tension he felt before, and tries to dig deeper. “What, you don’t trust him?”
“I mean, I trust him.” Angela says, but Will feels like she’s lying. “Just don’t think he’s handling this HoH well.”
“Why do you say that?”
Angela is quiet. She’s considering her words, and Will waits patiently for her to begin speaking again. “Well, I just think it’s a little hypocritical of him to put Chrissy on the block for making deals all last week, when he essentially did the same this week, trying to save his ass in the future.”
Will bites his lip, because he understands her feelings. “You’re right, I guess.”
“And I get it, he’s trying to get far in the game, but playing fast and loose like that can get him targeted really easily.”
Will knows that the only reason she’s worried is because she’s aligned with him, and if Jason were to get taken out, she’d be down an ally. Still, the animosity between them spurs Will to make a subtle move, to influence Angela in some way, because he knows that sooner or later she will come for Jason, and he wouldn’t mind seeing The Socs going after one another.
“Yeah, especially with how flippant he’s been talking about everybody. I can see it coming back to him.”
Will can tell his words catch Angela’s attention because she leans in closer. “What did he say?”
Will begins to exaggerate the truth. “I was talking to him earlier, and he just seemed annoyed with everyone. I mean, I mentioned you briefly, and he like, visibly tensed up. I don’t know what that means, but he didn’t do that when I brought Jake or Stacy.” Angela is regarding him deeply. “I think he was annoyed with how much you interfered with my conversation with him.”
“That jackass.” Will knew then that he said the right thing. “I told him to come out and tell me to back off if I was being too aggressive. Of course he was too afraid to actually buck up to me.”
“Yeah, but you’ve got to see it from his perspective, he probably didn’t want to ruffle any feathers this early on. You see he’s already trying to secure safety in the future, so it makes sense he just wants to be the peacemaker, so to speak.”
Angela is thinking again, and Will can tell she’s annoyed. “That guy better not screw anything up this week. With how cowardly he’s playing, I have to make sure he doesn’t make any more mistakes, like talking about me behind my back.” Her words are thick with threat, but Will decides not to comment on it, and hopes that this doesn’t blow back on him. If he guessed Angela’s and Jason’s relationship out, then there would be a good chance she wouldn’t run to verify what he’s said.
⏿⏿⏿
In the bedroom El occupied, Will was laying down with her, talking about the game, since The Party wasn’t able to meet up in the past few days. They no longer occupied the Have-Not room, meaning there was no meeting place they could go to without fear of getting caught. Like Lucas had done the night before, when he met up with Will in the bathroom, the members of The Party were forced to talk one on one to avoid suspicion from other players.
“You’re in a good mood.” Will says. He had seen the way she was moving about throughout the day, playing pool with Suzie, Max, and Erica, talking to everyone she could, energy in every action.
“Well, yeah.” El begins whispering. “What’s there to worry about if I’m not going home? It’s an easy week.”
“I take it Lucas told you then, huh?”
El makes a strange face, one Will can’t make out. “Tell me what?”
“How he’s not using the Veto.” It comes out more like a question than a statement.
“Wait, what?” El’s voice spikes, and Will jumps.
“What? What’s wrong?” Will asks, confused about her reaction.
“He’s not using the Veto on me?”
“Lucas didn’t tell you?”
“Would I be this shocked if he had told me already?”
“Right, dumb question.” Will watches as she drops her head into the blanket they’re laying on, and before long, he can hear her sniffling. “El? El, it’s gonna be okay?”
With her face against the blanket, she says, “How am I supposed to believe that?”
“El, I trusted you guys to keep me last week, it’s practically the same thing this week.”
El turns her head. “Will, I can’t just trust that. Last week, you were a renomination, so there wasn’t anything we could do. This time, we can. Lucas can take me off the block, and he’s just choosing not to.”
“El, trust me when I say that Lucas and I-”
“And, after the Nomination Ceremony, you literally ran to Jason instead of comforting me, like somehow you agreed with what he did.” Her tears haven’t run yet, but Will can tell she really wants to let them fall. “What else am I supposed to think except that somehow you guys are okay with me going?”
Will considers his words carefully. “El, I didn’t know you felt that way. I’m sorry, really. I should’ve come up to you, just like you did when I got nominated.” Will holds one of her hands and continues speaking. “But, you have to believe me when I say that we’re not plotting against you. I mean, you were one of the first people to have my back. I wouldn’t turn against you like that, you have to believe me.”
El rubs her eyes. “I do believe you, but it’s just all so stressful. First, people think you and I are siblings, then, people think Mike and I are in a showmance, and now, my ally isn’t even going to use the Veto on me. I can’t help but feel like somehow I’m going home.”
Will embraces her. “I understand you, completely. I was where you are now, I thought I was a done deal.” Will pulls away. “But, just like last week, we’re working to keep you here, it’s not a lost cause.” He can see that his words touch El. “I think you should talk to Lucas. He’ll explain everything, and once you know the plan, you don’t have anything to fear.”
“You’re right, Will.” El leans in and hugs him again. “I’m glad to have you here.”
Will returns the sentiment. He’s so happy to have made friends with people like El, Lucas, and Robin. It made the experience all the more sweeter, and spurred him to keep playing.
⌂⌂⌂
Week 2, Day 12
Will and the rest of the Houseguests sit outside in the backyard, waiting for Lucas to start the Veto Meeting. Unlike last week, Will felt much more secure with this meeting. He knew what the plan was, and trusted that Lucas wouldn’t blindside him and use the Veto suddenly. Even if Lucas does use it, Will trusted that Jason would keep his word, and keep him off the block.
When Lucas calls them all into the house, Will shuffles in behind El, putting his hands on her shoulders, reassuring her about the whole process. El makes her way to a nomination seat, as does Chrissy. Will finds a seat on one of the couches, and he sits between Mike and Stacy.
At the front of the room, Lucas stands, with the Golden Power of Veto hanging around his neck. Will notices the anxiety that was in Lucas, who was usually so confident and sure of himself. It was a new sight to Will, and he hoped that Lucas could lead the meeting without any trouble, and with trust in the plan they thought up.
“This is the Veto Meeting.” Lucas begins. Lucas gestures to Chrissy and El, as he says, “Chrissy and El, Jason has nominated you both for eviction. But… I have the power to veto one of those nominations.” Lucas is quiet for a moment, and it makes Will feel like he might actually use the Veto. “I have decided… not to use the Power of Veto.” Everyone is quiet as Lucas steps to the Veto box, where he takes the Veto off of his neck, and places it in the box. As he closes the lid on the box, Lucas says, “This Veto Meeting is adjourned.”
Lucas begins to walk away, and the housemates begin to get out of their seats. Will watches Chrissy walk quickly out of the house, and Robin follows behind her, the only one to do so. Everyone else hugs El, reassuring her once again. Most of them leave, even Mike, but as El sits back down in her chair, Will decides to stay with her, wanting to pick her brain.
“What are you thinking?” Will asks.
“I don’t know.” El looks off in the distance, obviously gathering her thoughts. “Just trying to figure out what to do now that the nominations are set.”
Will nods. “You talked to Lucas, right? You know the plan?”
“Yeah, I’m just worried about the votes.” She leans her head on her hand.
“It’s cutting it a little tight, I’ll admit.”
“You really think you can get Robin to keep me?”
Will reassures her. “Yes, I have no doubt about it.”
El sighs, a stress Will has felt before. “What do you think I should do now?”
Will was surprised to have El asking her for guidance. He tells her to do what he did. “You need to campaign. Whether that’s just talking to people, or having actual game conversations, you need to do that. Specifically with the other side of the house.”
“Like, Jake and his friends?”
“Yeah. You know you have The Party’s vote, you just need theirs.” Will can see the trepidation on El’s face. “Look, Jason was right. You are a big threat, because everyone likes you. But, in this moment, that could be your greatest strength. Make The Socs like you, and they’ll keep you. It’s still too early for them to completely write you off as a non-ally. You get what I mean?”
Will is surprised to see El stand up from her seat. “Guess it’s time to pull myself up by my bootstraps, huh?” She begins to walk away, and looks back at him. “Thanks, Will. I’ll talk to you later.”
Will feels good about the way he handled that conversation. Usually, Lucas is someone guiding him on how to play the game, so Will feels like an inferior player when that happens. But knowing that he can do the same for someone else makes him more sure in his own choices, and shows that he can make the right calls.
Will is smiling to himself as Robin walks back into the house. She makes her way back to the living room, and sits in the chair just occupied by El, sighing as she sits down.
“What did you guys talk about?”
“Hm?” She asks, looking at him.
“When you followed her outside? What did you guys talk about?”
“I just tried giving her some words of encouragement, I guess. No one else followed her, so I thought she’d appreciate someone talking to her.”
Will wonders if there were any ulterior motives to Robin’s actions. Although he trusts Robin, and they’ve been working together, they rarely talked about any of their other allies. Will wonders if he’s projecting his own actions onto her, but he decides to ask her outright.
“Are you working with Chrissy?”
“No.” Robin smiles. “Are you working with El?”
Will lies. “No.” They size each other up, seeing if either one of them backs down and retract anything, but Will doesn’t take anything back. “I don’t mean to distrust you or anything. It's paranoia, honestly.”
“I know what you mean. I can already feel this house getting to me.”
Will lets the silence sit for a moment. Then he says, “We need to nip this bud right now, and promise each other that we’re taking each other as far as we can.”
“Like, a Final 2 deal?”
Will already had one with Lucas, and he may be spreading himself too thin, but he rationalizes to himself that he wants to cover all his bases. “Exactly.”
Robin sits up in her seat, and puts her pinky finger out. “Pinky promise?”
Robin’s actions make Will smile, and he feels like a little kid again, but he obliges, and places his own pinky finger around hers. “Pinky promise.”
And before they get caught, the two of them pull their hands apart, and Will feels good about himself. With a full week off the block, he wanted to continue building his relationships with everyone, planning for the game ahead, and he feels like he’s set himself up well. All he has to do now is maintain that position.
⌂⌂⌂
Week 2, Day 13
Will feels like a weight is off his shoulders the day after the Veto Meeting, like he can move about the house without any real worry about his own game. As the day progressed, Will noticed both El and Chrissy going around, talking to different people. It’s what Will instructed El to do, and he hopes that her actions are taken positively, since Chrissy’s actions last week were taken poorly by Jason and some of the other people in the house.
He can tell the conversations are taking a lot out of El, especially since she mostly talks to Mike, and if she wasn’t talking to him, she was talking to Erica or Max. But the fact that she took his advice, and was putting in some work, proved to Will that she was a player, and could be a great asset to keep in the game, even if she wasn’t a part of The Party.
Currently, Will is playing pool with Max and Dustin. He wasn’t doing well at that game, but it didn’t matter to Will, since the whole activity was a ruse for them to talk about the game. Thankfully for the trio, they were the only ones outside.
“Have there been any updates about the Sibling Twist?” Max asks suddenly in the middle of a regular conversation.
“I haven’t really thought about it. I feel like it’s slipped my mind since El was on the block.” Will responds.
“Are you serious?” Dustin asks. “Suzie and I have been coming up with so many theories about who it could involve.” Max and Will give each other a look at the mention of Suzie.
“Well, then, who is on the hit list?” Max asks, and Will is glad she did, because he wants to know.
“Okay, full transparency here. It’s not like we were talking about this as if to take them out.” Will and Max nod, and Dustin continues explaining. “Suzie and I ruled out Eddie and Mike as brothers, because our thinking was that if they were brothers, then Julie would have announced the end of the Sibling Twist when he was evicted.”
“I guess that makes sense.” Will says.
“Right? So, then Will, you are on the list. Mostly because everyone thought you were siblings with either Jake or El.”
Will then asks, “You both thought that too?”
“I didn’t.” Max says.
“Well, we ruled out you and Jake, since he put you on the block.” Dustin syas. “Unless it was some weird power move to get us thinking of anyone else but you two. But, we didn’t rule out you and El, sorry.”
Will rolls his eyes. “Whatever.”
“Then, of course we have Chad and Jason, since they’re basically the same person.”
“I don’t believe that one either.” Max interjects.
“Okay, well then the only options we thought of are Robin and Chrissy,” Robin’s name catches Will’s attention, “And, now Max, don’t get upset, but there has been some talk about Lucas and Eric being siblings.”
Will doesn’t want to think about Robin possibly lying to him about something so big, so he doesn’t continue the conversation. Instead, he lets Max pick up the mantle.
“You really think that Erica and Lucas are siblings?” Max asks.
“I don’t know.” Dustin says. “I haven’t thought about too much, and I haven’t really seen them talking together.” Will knows that he’s seen them talking before, earlier in the week, but he doesn’t bring it up. “But, if they are, then it may be a good thing that Lucas is part of our alliance.”
“How so?” Will asks, trying to take part in the conversation.
“Well, if they are siblings, that basically means we have another number for the alliance. And if we all make it to the end together, they’d be the obvious targets.”
“I don’t like that last part.” Max says. “Let’s just drop the topic, okay?”
Will shares a look with Dustin, the same type he shared with Max earlier when Dustin mentioned Suzie. Even though he was in a Duo, he tried his hardest not to bring Robin up, so it was surprising to see people mention their allies that he already linked them with. It painted targets on their backs, and with Dustin and Max as his allies, he was hoping they weren’t as flippant with other people.
The trio try continuing their game. Max was winning against Will and Dustin. Even in a recreational activity, Max’s prowess was noticeable. It made her a strong ally, and it made Will glad that he was so close to Lucas. Since Max was also close to him too, Lucas could influence her to keep him safe if he wanted. But, his mind couldn’t help from positing that Lucas could choose her over him, so Will had to keep an eye out for her, especially when the numbers begin to dwindle.
They’re almost finished with their game when the backyard door is pulled open. Will watches as Chrissy makes her way over to them. They all stand up straight, and Will imagines she’s here to talk to them about the vote. It made Will smirk, because until now, he rarely had a conversation with her. A part of him felt evil for hearing what she had to say, knowing that he was going to vote her out come Eviction Night.
“Hey, guys. Can I talk to you for a minute?”
“Sure.” Dustin says.
Will shares another look with Max, and they both are prepared to stand their ground against Chrissy’s campaign to stay.
“Look, I just wanted to ask you guys to think about saving me.” Chrissy begins. “I know we haven’t really gotten the chance to talk all that much, but I promise you if you keep me that I will be gunning for Jake and Jason.” Will does like the sound of that, but he holds his poker face. No one says anything, so Chrissy continues. “And if you do keep me, then I promise you that I won’t put any of you up. I swear it.”
Max begins suddenly. “How many other people have you offered this deal to?” Will was thinking it, but he’s glad that Max was the one to ask.
“Max, it’s like I said, the only people I would want to nominate are Jake and Jason, for obvious reasons.”
Max interrupts. “So, you win HoH, nominate them, then one of them wins Veto. What happens after that?”
Chrissy begins stumbling. “I m-mean, I don’t know, I-I didn’t really…”
“I can tell.” Max says. “Look, this isn’t to be mean or anything, but you’re juggling, and you’re dropping your balls.” Will laughs under his breath. “It’s not good gameplay, and it just doesn’t convince me to keep you. You need to try harder than that.”
“Max–”
Will interrupts Chrissy. “Look, it really sucked hearing Jason say that you went around to everyone, making deals to keep Eddie. You didn’t even try working something out with me if I did stay, which means you wanted me gone. I’m sorry Chrissy, but seeing you try to make more deals last minute just doesn’t convince me to have faith in you.”
At this point, Chrissy can’t look them in the eyes, and before she can hear what Dustin has to say, she begins walking away. “I guess I’ll just go fuck myself then.”
Once back in the house, Dustin turns to Will and Max. “That was a little harsh, don’t you think?”
“Whatever.” Max responds.
“No, seriously. What if she ends up staying? She’ll have a reason to target us, you guys should’ve at least lied and told her you would vote to keep her.” Dustin argues.
Will sees his point, but he stands with Max. He looks at Dustin and says, “Look, El is staying. We can’t put out into the world that Chrissy is staying. We are locked in, so it doesn’t matter that we made Chrissy upset. She’s going home, and that’s that.” Will then turns to Max. “But, Dustin is right. Moving forward, you and I both need to be careful about how we speak to other people, especially with Jury on the horizon. Fine?”
Dustin sighs. “You’re right.”
Then Max says, “I guess you’re right.”
Will smiles. “Good. Then let’s finish this game, the sun’s starting to go down.”
⌂⌂⌂
Week 2, Day 14
Will finds El sitting in the hammock in the backyard. Will finds it an odd sight, since earlier in the week, she was so inseparable from Mike. But ever since she was nominated, it was like Mike didn’t want anything to do with her. Will wanted to know more about their relationship, trying to get a better feel of the house dynamics. So, Will sits down with her, wanting to talk to her about the house in general before digging for the actual information he wants.
They begin talking casually, with Will checking in on her feelings, but before long, Will is surprised when El begins talking about the game unprompted.
“How does it feel not being a part of a Duo?” El asks.
Will wasn’t sure if El was just not the brightest, or if this was sentiment felt throughout the house, because he feels like, even with all of his precautions, that he and Robin always talk and are always seen together.
But, Will plays along with El’s perception. “I feel alright about it.”
“You don’t feel like someone might target you since you’re alone?”
“I don’t think that would happen. I think most people would take out a Duo, since they work so closely together and would feel inclined to bring each other to the end.”
“I see.” El’s quiet, then adds, “But, I just feel like there are so many Duos already, but nobody’s made a move on them.”
Will wants to know how El sees the house and asks, “Who are the Duos in your mind?”
El begins counting using her fingers. “Chad and Stacy, Angela and Jake, Max and Lucas, Dustin and Suzie, and Mike and I. You’re right about what you said. We’re all targets.”
“You’re worried about your relationship with Mike?” Will asks, looking for details.
El looks away, then says, “When I got nominated, I told Mike to stay away from me. I thought maybe Jason would put us up together after the Veto Meeting since everyone thinks we’re together. I mean, I don’t want to go home, you know?”
“But everyone still sees you guys as a couple.”
El groans. “Ugh, I know. All that work trying to stay away from him, and what was the use?”
Will asks outright. “What is your guys’ relationship?”
El blushes, something she tries to hide, but Will catches. She tries holding back, but eventually says, “I like him and he likes me. It’s as simple and as complex as that.”
Will laughs, because he understands exactly what she’s trying to say. “Well, if that’s the case, I don’t see why you would want to separate yourself from him. I mean, it’s like we talked about, everyone still sees you two as a Duo, why fight it when he can just be your closest ally?”
El thinks it over. “I know what you’re saying, but I can’t put all my eggs in one basket, you know what I mean? I need to diversify who I trust.” Will nods, because he understands what she’s saying. “I mean, right now, the people I trust the most are you and Mike.”
Will smiles to himself. In his mind, he has a Final 2 deal with Lucas and Robin already, and with how the conversation may go, Will thinks he can make another deal, centering himself well, just like he wanted.
“I trust you a lot too.” Will says. “I feel like you and I could really go far, you know.” El smiles at Will’s words. “And if you’re really unsure about working with Mike, you can work with me.”
“To the end?” El asks
Will puts the onus on El. “If you want to take that far, yes.”
El sits up. “I do, Will, I’m so worried about Mike and I, and I really need someone like you going to bat for me.”
“Then, it’s a deal.”
“Deal.”
Will feels great by the time they finish their conversation. They go back to talking about topics outside of the house, bonding over having one father growing up, and Will appreciates it, because it doubles as both strategy and making a friend. Although, with three Final 2 deals, he can’t help but wonder how his emotions might affect how he moves about the endgame.
But, for now, Will is entirely focused on El, and after he finishes talking with her, Will goes around, talking to people that should be voting to keep El. They all echo back his sentiment without Will having to be overt in his words, and that puts a lot of faith in him.
The last person Will talks to is Mike. After his conversation with El, Will thought about his relationship with the other alliance members. For him, Lucas was number one, the most trustworthy and active member, involving Will in everything. Second, was El, primarily because of their fresh Final 2 deal. And like he said to El about her and Mike, Will figures that if people like Dustin thought Will and El were siblings, it makes sense to work together if they can’t change the Houseguest’s minds.
For Will, Max and Dustin were equal in his mind. They talk often, about the game and about innocuous topics, but they’re bonds have not been solidified with any type of deal. And when it came to Mike, he was the one Will felt the least amount of connection with. They had talked before, especially after Will was nominated last week, but this week, Mike was under the radar, barely making any moves to talk to him.
But because any of them can be taken out, Will decides as he goes to bed, to try talking to him more. Will was able to get three deals by the end of the week, and if he maneuvers his way well with Mike, he’s sure that he can create a great bond with him throughout the game.