Superfan

Close To The Sun

Sierra spent every minute at school counting down until she would be able to leave. She had been bullied ever since she was young by not only her peers but the adults around her. Her hair was too "wild" and her mannerisms were too "cringy". The only person in her life that tolerated her was her mother. The rest of her family didn't keep in touch after her parents divorce so Sierra often spent time alone with her mother.

Her first ever memory was her and her mother watching an old movie featuring Chris McLean. The years after were filled with every movie, show, and song Chris was in. Her mom's obsession with McLean was something Sierra never understood. Sure, she had a tendency to fixate on things but never a person themselves.

One day, her mother came home from work squealing like a schoolgirl. "Chris' new show comes out tonight! Are you ready to watch?" her mother asked but Sierra knew it wasn't optional. So that night they settled onto the couch as the show turned on. Sierra's mother was bouncing in her seat as Chris spoke, writing in her journal after every comment. Meanwhile, Sierra was online on her personal blog, barely paying attention. Until Chris explained the premise. She raised her eyebrows and focused on the screen.

As each teen was introduced, Sierra felt herself becoming more and more intrigued. Her thoughts ran rampant in her head and her heart raced. Halfway through the episode, she was fully immersed, chatting with her mom non-stop. "Do you think they're going to vote out Courtney? That challenge was crazy! Who's your favorite player?" When the episode ended, Sierra retreated to her room to go through her nightly routine.

She closed her computer, got ready for bed, and laid down to sleep. But instead of drifting off, her mind ran in circles. She couldn't stop thinking about Total Drama. Her theories and opinions kept her up for hours. When the dawn came with Sierra still awake, she sat up in her bed and grabbed her computer.

After quickly signing out of her personal blog, she created a new account. Sierra then spilled out every thought she had in the past few hours. She combed the internet for information on the contestants and other fan-made content. When the time for Sierra to get ready for school came, she had only increased her enthusiasm for the show.

Over the next couple weeks, Sierra's life revolved around Total Drama. She considered the cast her friends and her best friends were Izzy and Cody. Izzy delighted Sierra with her goofy energy and surprising skills. But Cody was her favorite. A few episodes in she realized why her eye was always drawn to Cody. Not only was he her type, he reminded Sierra of herself. Awkward and nerdy, but positive nonetheless. Soon she was fantasizing about him winning the game and meeting her. After an entire life of watching her mother obsess over a guy, she had now fallen into a fantasy as well. And the worst part was that she was okay with it. She loved her new life, friends, and boyfriend.

With every new episode, she was sitting on the couch and live blogging her every thought. To her surprise, other people liked her blog. She had gained followers like never before. This attention only spurred her on. She created more accounts with more to say, taking in the popularity and attention she had never received before. Each new episode meant new followers and new content to discuss.

When Cody was eliminated, Sierra was devastated. She had become addicted to the feeling she felt when he was on screen. She took to the internet, letting her frustration flow freely. This is when her obsession became more intense. With no new Cody content, she was forced into researching him to feed her addiction. Sierra memorized every fact about him on the fan sites. Then, she took to tracking down his family. The only number she could find online was his aunt. After a thirty minute call where Sierra tricked Cody's aunt into revealing information by pretending to be a weirdly invasive telemarketer, she felt the aching need in her heart subside.