After India Ferrah's bombshell allegation on last week's RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, Alexis Mateo is on shaky ground.
After finishing at the bottom of the pack for the fourth consecutive week, India made one last attempt to remain in the race, revealing to the week's top all-star, Shea Couleé, that Alexis and Mayhem Miller had mounted a secret campaign to oust her from the competition, which Alexis denies.
Ultimately, India was eliminated anyway. But needless to say, things are painfully tense between Alexis and Shea in the first act from this week's episode, exclusively debuted by PEOPLE.
Gathering after India's exit, the remaining queens turn to a visibly upset Alexis, who says she's "embarrassed about the whole situation."
"It hurts me because India was my friend," she says. "And this was like, a desperate moment for her to stay in the competition."
"I got really close to picking your lipstick, I'm not going to lie," Shea replies. "This imagery that India created in my head of you going to all the girls in secret telling them to pick my name, it just like, really shook me. But even though there were doubts, it wasn't reason enough for me to send you home."
"Did I think you were competition? Yes. Did I campaign against you? No," Alexis insists. "I know how voting works. If I wanted you to go home, I needed to talk to all of you. Did I talk to any one of you?"
Everyone shakes their head no, and a peek at the group vote confirms that it was four for India, and one for Alexis.
"I thank you guys for believing in me," says a tearful Alexis.
But Shea still has her guard up. "One thing growing up that my dad always said: Whatever is done in the dark will come out in the light," she warns. "And if there were shady dealings, if there was stuff going on, it will eventually come out."
The others are similarly suspicious.
"I feel like the right person went home tonight — India was in the bottom four times in a row," says Blair St. Clair in a confessional. "But, like, with the India-Alexis drama, no one really knows who to believe. Alexis is still here. It's hard because you want to trust her, but that doesn't mean I'm not watching from afar. Always watching."
As for Alexis? She's well aware that the drama has left her in a vulnerable position.
"After this stunt, nothing is sure for me any longer," she says. "This feels like when nobody wants to play with you in the playground, and they all pick up their toys and don't let you use them. I'm kind of worried that the competition is ruined for me. And now I have to be perfection, because the girls are going to vote me out as soon as they have the chance. Hands down. It's a scary place to be right now."
But the show must go on. Up next, the top five head into this week's maxi challenge: a Charles Family Backyard Ball.
"In all my travels across the country and around the world, the most important thing I've learned is this: Happiness is in your own backyard," says host RuPaul, explaining that the queens must serve up two looks.
"The first look, tapping into my family's colorful Louisiana roots: country cousin realness," he explains. "You'll create an original play cousin persona and crash the party with a comedic backstory. Second look, starting from scratch, y'all need to whip up some high fashion worthy of the main stage."
But there's a twist — the queens must use items typically found in a backyard, like tablecloths, lawn chairs, picnic blankets, hammocks, barbecue sauce and more.
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars airs Fridays (8 p.m. ET) on VH1.
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