Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Walking through the blistering heat of the approaching sun, a eager man waited in the air conditioned halls for his turn to speak. Roughly five and a half feet tall, the man wore a turquoise colored collared shirt with cargo pants and roughed up sneakers. Compared to the other producers and executives in the studio, he was not considered the most handsome though he would have something to say to those claims. He paced outside of the main producer's office with a stack of papers in hand, flipping through them with an eager grin. He perked at the sound of footsteps approaching and saw a younger girl in her early twenties and, her clothes mostly comprised of a overly large hoodie and sweatpants. She carried a small case that seemed to be stuffed with papers and equipment, and her long hair was tied to a neat bun.

"Mister Mclean, I presume?" The girl asked offering a hand. The man gave a wide smile and took the handshake.

"That's me! And please call me Chris. You must be the new intern I hired. Linda?" Chris Mclean tapped his chin, only to wince when the girl shook her head.

"It's Lydia but I'll take it. So what am I supposed to do for the upcoming show? Camera work? Footage editing? Cooking?" Lydia listed off the options only for Chris to repeatedly deny them. The noises from the producer's office only grew louder as multiple voices overlapped one another.

"Nope! You'll see soon enough though. All I need to do is get the confirmation on our chosen contestants. You can go meet up with Chef outside and he'll give the tour. Okay Lydia?" Chris said shuffling the sheets together.

The new intern simply nodded before heading down the hallway. Chris internally hoped Chef would go easy on her unlike the others. It took a lot of explaining to the parents while their children had come back with broken arms last time. That thought was followed up by irritation on the meeting going longer than expected. The voices reached their peak before the door slammed inches from his face, making him stagger back as a angry blonde woman in a vibrant red dress stomped her way through the hallways to the broadcast room. Two resigned voices called him in and he plopped the paperwork on the desk. The older of the producers tapped his glasses rhythmically with a tired but small smirk, but the younger producer glanced at Chris with a wild look as if he drank too much coffee. If it weren't for the wiry hair spread against the wall, he would look even younger than Chris himself.

"Chris Mclean, it has been a while since you came in here. We went through the details of each contestant and just wanted to make sure you have everything on set under control before we get started. First off do you have a place in mind to set the show...Total Drama I believe you called it?" The older producer, Wolfe, looked through the documents.

"Yes sir! I have decided to host it on a small island down in Muskoka. I have all the necessities and camera crew waiting to get started. And I promise you that what I have planned is sure to make this show the most talked about thing in no time!" Chris eagerly said while remaining unmoving.

"Hopefully not as disastrous as your last show." The younger producer, Russ, gave a smug smirk and Chris had to bite back a retort and only smiled.

"I never look back. I don't want to mess up this face with wrinkles you know?" He responded. Russ seemed like he wanted to respond again but held it back as Wolfe organized the papers. Every couple of pages showed a picture of a teenager with a personal profile, a small videotape, and some with doctor recommendations.

"Enough. Let's look at what we got here..." Wolfe flipped through the files and Chris settled in with a neutral look. Russ rolled his eyes and opening his phone to text something, though the two other men could care less.

"Hm. First one you have is Beth. Sweet girl, comes from a farming family closer down south. Doesn't have a lot of experience with socializing in public. And commonly humiliates herself by trailing boys like a lost puppy. And it seems like her best friend and 'sibling' is her pet pig Big Bertha."

"Wow, that is just sad." Russ laughed and Chris chuckled slightly only to catch himself at the older producer's gaze. He gave a sheepish smile through a cough and straightened a little.

"She does have astonishing art skills and even won an Art Achievement award in her high school. She created a full scale Sphinx replica made out of macaroni, felt, and glue. Other than that, there is nothing too special about this girl. Are you sure you want to include her Mclean, especially when it comes to what you are planning with your show?" Producer Wolfe only rolled his eyes and looked back at the file.

"It is a bunch of teenagers that want to win 100,000 dollars, not famous celebrities with a colorful history. Regardless of her popularity, I'm sure her oblivious romantic feelings is bound to create drama. And ratings for the hopeless romantics out there, am I right?" Chris grinned. Wolfe looked at him and then to a nodding Russ before moving on to the next teenager. The next teenager was a pleasant looking girl with long blonde hair tied in a ponytail, a thin sky blue hoodie, and a large surfboard covering her lower half.

"Bridgette: a local from the west side of Canada. She seems to be pleasant enough, though it does state she excels at anything water related. On top of that, she is very Earth and animal friendly, kind to everyone she meets, and has extended history of travelling out of the country. No doubt you will be creating challenges just to throw her off." With no more of a reaction from the man, Wolfe moved on to the next few contestants. One of the files was a small boy that barely appeared like he reaches the show's age requirement. He had fair skin with chestnut colored hair split down the middle to create barely visible bangs, and teal eyes trying too hard to appear confident in the photo. His sense of clothing style was not great as his most prominent feature was a pale yellow shirt with maroon and dark green stripes.

"Cody Emmett Jameson Anderson. He is the son of a wealthy professor and a psychologist, and is a student of the Upper Crust college studying mathematics and music theory. He has great piano skills, plays video games, and in his words 'wants to find a way to swing with the cool chicks'. From what his profile says, the Albert Einstein Fan Club in his school thinks he is the most trendy person they know."

"Oh dear god, he is a LOSER. Honestly Mclean I thought you would have more taste than this." Russ laughed.

"I have reasons for my madness." Chris made a tight smile but refused to cave in.

"Courtney. Daughter of a lawyer with plenty of connections in the legal system. Has an incredible competitive streak and strives to have connections to all adults of authority. Her prime reason for wanting to be on the show is because if she could 'beat a mini-version of the real world', then she could beat anything. And she has a personal motto of "if you don't come in first, then don't come in at all"." Wolfe continued on looking at a picture of a Hispanic girl with neat brown hair and a nice smile.

"Well at least that girl is more in tune with your line of thinking." Russ muttered. To both of the men's surprise, Wolfe's eyes widened as he gazed at a tanned boy with a white bandana and a soft look in his eyes.

"I recognize this boy! I went shopping a few weeks ago and saw him pushing over eighty carts in the parking lot. Pretty impressive for someone of such a young age." Wolfe marveled from the memory. Chris whistled in astonishment while Russ's eyes became large.

"I'm sorry...EIGHTY SHOPPING CARTS???" The younger producer interrupted, but no one bothered to indulge him.

"His name is Devon Joseph, but is just called "DJ" by friends and family. Originally born from Jamaica, he and his mother moved to Canada when he was four years old. From all of the information, this boy is the epitome of big guy with great strength but a bigger heart. And his only dream is to take his mother back to their home one day. That is something I can sympathize with the young man." Wolfe's expression softened as he put the file aside, and Chris almost had done a double take. He had never seen the old producer with a face like that.

"Oh please. He's a momma's boy." Russ scoffed, only for a phone to hit him in the face. He reeled in pain as Wolfe picked the device back up.

"If only you were taught empathy, then you would understand such love between two individuals. But you are only a callous shell of a human being." Wolfe glared.

"But the POINT is having a key muscle man in the show would be great! And the audiences love a softie! So momma's boy is staying! Who is next?" Chris interrupted the incoming debate and the two producers promptly back off.

"Right. Anyways," the three looked at the next teenager and were shocked to see his file was thicker compared to the others, "Duncan has quite the history. Comes from a long line of cops but he seems to have broken the cycle by creating a life of delinquency."

"Really? What kind are we talking about?" Russ asked seemingly interested for once, and Chris's grin became more genuine.

"Well despite recently turned sixteen, he has been kicked out of at least twelve schools. Has a documented case of setting a park on fire. Set fireworks in a building at the age of twelve. And he's been to juvie at least three separate times. Apparently he's so well known in his town, his best friend is his own parole officer." Wolfe nodded off each of the crimes, slowly becoming more invested the longer he stared at the list. Russ had his mouth open at what had been shared by the elder and Chris looked as if he had hit the jackpot. The two looked at each other before giving an enthusiastic handshake.

"Chris Mclean, I believe you hit a goldmine with that one! With the type of shenanigans you have planned, that kid will be a perfect contender!" He laughed.

"No need to thank me. I already talked to his parole officer about removing him from juvie. If he ever decides to go too far during the competition, it will only take one phone call for him to be put back in there. So he'll need to watch what he does around me." Chris said with a mischievous squint.

"You are sick. I like working with you."

"Funny how you only mention that when we are with Wolfe." Chris scoffed and Russ dropped his smile.

"If you two are done with boosting your already inflated egos, I have read through three more profiles. Katie and Sadie. It seems as if they are the same person and not really anything fascinating about them. But I suppose they can be easy fodder early on in the show. Owen seems to be a good pick though I notice a lot of his information involves either food or emitting gas. From both the front and back end." Wolfe cringed at the last part and Russ couldn't help but shudder.

"And any respect I had has died with that pick." He murmured.

"I am not sorry." Chris said.

"Tyler and Lindsay don't seem like bad picks for contestants either. I can see why you picked Lindsay though. Mclean." Wolfe's voice went dangerously low as he stared through Chris. Mclean looked away with an anxious expression.

"I swear it's not that sir!! She was an excellent contestant for all of the preppy girls that would tune in for our show! It's not my fault she chose to send that outfit photo in her profile!" He defended himself. It took a few moments before the elder producer hummed and put the profile away. Mclean exhaled and glanced at Tyler's photo and burst into laughter. "I just chose Tyler because I find it funny he is a "jock" yet can't do any sport at all. There is no doubt he will provide a lot of comedy to the show!"

"How the hell are you a jock yet fail at the very foundation of being a jock?" Russ questioned.

"I don't know and frankly I don't care." Chris finished.

"At least you are honest with the reason you picked Justin." Wolfe introduced several photos of a beautifully tanned boy with toned muscles and eyes as deep blue as the ocean. Even his teeth were perfectly white and straight glistening into the camera. While Chris simply nodded to each of the photos, the other producer scanned the photos for several seconds with a unreadable expression.

"There is no way that is all genetics. No human can be that naturally handsome, especially at sixteen years old." He stated.

"Regardless, every reality television show has one handsome contestant. And I had went into extensive research to find good ol' Justin. Apparently he already has experience being in the model business, so it was easy to convince his mother to let him in." Chris flipped his hand around.

The three men went through a couple of files with no real opinions. There was a teenager boy with a pale green shirt imprinted with a five fingered hand seemingly playing a guitar. Other than a couple of interesting notes, they did not see any reason to make a note and moved to a girl with pale skin and dark hair dyed a specific shade of blue. She wore a bored look as she was surrounded by multiple macabre objects and drawings.

"Ooooh. She is a emo." Russ nodded.

"It says she is a goth like apparently that is a difference. But she seemed like a good pick with such a "likable" personality." Chris snickered.

"This Noah boy seems to be something else."

"Oh you think so? I just had to accept him after his profile. Check it out: he has the second highest IQ out of all of the participants and he has the attitude to back him up. I'd like to see how he'll get far in the show, or if he'll manage to piss off everyone first! And maybe he'll give you some pointers about your competency Russ!" Chris laughed with the young producer responding with a cold stare.

"I hope you get leeches all over your face! Is there anyone left of note sir? We are losing track here and I need to get Blainely in here to be the host of the show." For the first time since he came in here, Chris's eyes bulged as he grabbed Russ by the collar. The young producer looked annoyed at the creases on his suit.

"Hold on a minute!! I never said agreed to have fricking BLAINELEY on MY SHOW!! Who allowed that to be an option?!" He exclaimed.

"Easy Chris. We need somebody with experience and you haven't had any experience with hosting reality tv shows yet. Plus you are already the main writer, background designer, and director of the whole thing. What more could you want?" Russ argued.

"Have you SEEN Blainely with kids?! She'll rip them to shreds, or more likely Duncan or god forbid Eva will get their hands on her! I would rather keep the show off of a mature rating! Just let me do this man since I have put so much work into this."

"Maybe we can reach a compromise. Chris, you will be allowed to host his show on the promise that you will have someone designated as the co-host in case you are needed out of the show. It doesn't matter who it is just as long as it is not family or someone who just reached legal age to work. You will also split the producing between the three of us. Russ and I will assist in creating any challenges you hand in mind, making sure they fit your tastes while making sure they are survivable. But everything else will be yours."

"I'll even get to have personal accommodations?" Chris perked up.

"If that is all you ask, then yes." Wolfe agreed.

"YES! I knew there is a reason you are my favorite Mr. Wolfe! I promise you will not regret this." Chris shook the elder's hand eagerly, but hesitated with Russ before going through it.

The next thirty minutes were discussing the detail of Chris's new reality show, from the living conditions to the choices of meals both legal to eat but still unappetizing. The contracts for each contestant had been finalized and the new host walked out with a satisfied grin. Not far from the door was a giant dark man with a worn down chef hat on him, who was conversing with the new intern Lydia. While the intern seemed eager but nervous from the giant man, the latter showed a neutral face that bordered on permanently annoyed.

"Chef!" Chris called out. The man turned to look at him and seemed to know what the new host was about to say.

"Time to get the crew ready and call some parents, because the show is ON!" 

Chapter Text

The summer heat had quickly overwhelmed Chris as he waited for an intern to set up the camera. Sweat clung to his collar and he continuously brushed his hair aside looking out to the dock. He could barely make out a dozen boat-shaped dots slowly approaching the mainland to pick up the contestants. He didn't know whether it was hidden anxiety or giddiness at the slowly approaching vehicles, but he wanted to get started on the show. As well as get out of the heat.

"Does my hair look okay?" The host turned to a young man with an orange bandana holding his brown hair back.

"For the last time sir, yes! And I've been trying to tell you that the camera has been ready for five minutes!" The intern rolled his eyes. Deciding to ignore the snappy comment, Chris readied himself as the red button flashed and the film started. He flashed a smile and made a slight bow to the camera.

"Yo! We are coming at you live from Camp Wawanakwa located somewhere in Muskoka, Ontario! I'm your host Chris Mclean, and I am here to drop the newest reality tv show that is guaranteed to draw you in!" As Chris continued talking, the intern and half of the camera crew followed him and were introduced to each part of the camp. Farther inland from the coast were several buildings such as badly designed cabins, a dining hall, and two decently sized communal bathrooms. The bandana intern gagged quietly at a smell emitting from the smallest building closest to the forest. 

"So the main deal is twenty-two campers have signed up to spend eight weeks of their summer in this crappy campsite, where they will be facing each other in various gross challenges. Every three days, one member will have the chance to either win an award in the form of a marshmallow at a campfire ceremony, or they will watch one of their team members be voted off and walk the "Dock of Shame" and leave the show for good. After all of the betrayal and challenges, only one teenager will reign superior to the others. That winner will be awarded will cheesy tabloid fame and a special award of...100,000 DOLLARS! Though we can face the facts, these teens will probably blow this in less than a week. Personally, I would give it three days." Chris unveiled a fake chest with cheap-looking gold and gems to give an impression of it being full of riches. The camera nodded at each other to edit it later to look more impressive.

"To survive in this show, these teenagers will have to through grueling fates that they will never have experienced before! Annoying insects, potential grizzly bears, DISGUSTING CAMP FOOD lovingly provided by our chef, and worst of all...each other." Chris couldn't help but snicker at the last part with smirks from the other crew, "We will have cameras posted in every possible place to have the best footage. Who will crumble under all of the pressure? And who will become the ruler of the camp and take home the prize? Find out now on Total. Drama. ISLAND."

"And cut!!" A crew member shouted. Half of the camera crew walked away to prepare the film in another part of the camp, while the other half stayed with Chris to prepare for the unfortunate teenagers to arrive.

"I know it is not my place to say, but are you sure about introducing freshwater sharks to the lakes on top of the grizzly bears-" The bandana intern started.

"Possible grizzly bears." Chris interrupted.

"Yes, possible grizzly bears. My point is the chance that these sharks could do something horrible to those teens...it is concerning." The intern continued. Chris glanced to the side before waving his hand.

"That is why we have Lydia working at the medical tent. And besides the sharks will only attack if the teenagers flail around too much."

"Which is a notable connection to panicking for their life." The intern responded with more urgency.

"I didn't ask for details. Now quiet. They are coming now." Chris finally cut the conversation as a camera on a dock post activated. The intern quickly fled as the host readied his smile.

"Alrighty then, welcome back to Total Drama Island folks! It is now time to introduce all twenty-two of our campers that will be staying in this crappy camp. We had told them before coming here that they would be staying at a five-star resort. So if some of them happen to look ticked off, chances are that will be the reason!" He chuckled. The incoming boats were lined up several feet apart, and the first boat docked for the first three teens. One contestant was a short girl with long pink pants clashing with a sea foam green shirt, and a lighter green sash holding several pins and buttons. Her comically large glasses almost distracted him from the thick braces lining her teeth, and her brown hair tied into a wild ponytail. The second teenager was a dark-tanned boy who towered both the girl and Chris and seemed to have enough facial hair to support a small beard. Not only was the boy tall but he had well-built frame that showed he could hold some weight. A white bandana covered the top of his head and his moss-colored shirt only had an orange "D" signature. While the boy was focusing on grabbing his two large duffel bags, the girl wasted no time to hug Chris. The host jolted from the sudden contact but kept a cool face.

"Hey Beth! What's up?" He said.

 "It is so incredulous to meet you, Chris!!" She exclaimed only to look over his head. Did he have hair sticking out or something? "Wow...you are a lot shorter in real life." She stated bluntly.

I'm sorry what?! I am not even that short! I'm 5'8" at least!! Chris's mind was whirling and his smile faltered to an uncomfortable look. Beth didn't seem to be fazed and walked to the other side of the dock.

"Um...thanks. Anyways!! DJ, how are you doing buddy?" He gestured to the dark-tanned teen, who flashed a warm smile with both duffel bags in his hands. Now that DJ was side by side with him, the host had to admit the kid was taller than he expected. Regardless, the teenager offered a high five which he quickly accepted.

"Yo Chris Mclean! How's it hanging? I can't but notice that this place seems different from the application form. I don't see the hot tubs." DJ waved to the whole island.

Oh, this kid is adorable. Chris thought and chuckled outwardly.

"Sorry kid, but this is the place. Welcome to Camp Wawanakwa. Try not to act too excited."

DJ seemed unsure as he walked to the side with his duffel bags. Beth shared an awkward smile his way which he returned as the next contestant showed up. Chris instantly recognized the desaturated blue dye on the pale girl's hair, her clothes keeping a gothic aesthetic. In contrast to DJ and Beth, her expression seemed to be a mix of confused and pissed.

"Hello Gwen." Chris smirked.

"You mean we are staying here?" Her voice, although starting neutral, pitched to a slight whine at the final word. Chris smirked and shook his head in a teasing way.

"No, YOU are staying here. MY crib will be an airstream with air conditioning on the other side." He pointed to the far side of the island, but he only saw Gwen's irritated face inches from his own.

"I did not sign up for this." She stated. He predicted that outburst and showed her a stack of papers. Sure it was mostly blank sheets with the first few pages being her file, but she doesn't need to know that.

"Actually, you did-" Chris started but was shocked to see her snatch the papers, her smug expression as she ripped them to pieces. Right. He could already tell this was going to be a long summer. He returned her smugness by showing another stack of papers. "Do you want to know what the best part about lawyers and television producers is? They make A LOT of COPIES."

"I am not staying here." She tried to grab her bags but he put a hand on her shoulder.

"If that is the case, then I hope you are a strong swimmer. Because....your ride just left." The large boat honked at the two before speeding away into the horizon. Gwen glared at the television host and murmured a silent curse. As the goth girl retreated to the other contestants, the host turned to the next boat arriving. Partying all around the dock was a lean blonde boy with an oversized beach hat, jean shorts with sandals, and a bright unbuttoned pink shirt showing his chest. Next to him was a beautiful blonde girl with her hair held back by a bright bandana, a bright red top shirt and orange skirt, and stylish leather boots. The final girl contrasted the two's bright smiles with an annoyed frown. Her dark long hair and Asian features blended with her mud brown top and pale green button shorts. She wore sunglasses that covered her eyes squinting at everyone. The blonde partying boy leaped from the ship onto the dock, much to the blonde girl's delight and joy. He gave a thumbs-up and approached Chris with a very enthusiastic high-five.

"Chris Mclean! Sup man! It is an honor to meet you man!"

"Sup Geoff! Welcome to the island man!" Chris matched the boy's glee.

"Thanks man!" Geoff smiled.

"If they say "man" one more time, I'm going to puke." Gwen groaned to DJ, who looked unsure what to say. Without anything else to say, Geoff moved and the blonde girl was next.

Oh thank god she chose a reasonable outfit. Chris thought.

"Everyone, this is Lindsay. Welcome to the show."

"Hiiiiiii. You look so familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?" Lindsay gestured to the host. He seemed unsure of what to say. Did she not sign the contract to be here? And her profile she sent to the producers? How did she not recognize him?

"I'm Chris Mclean? You know...the host and creator of the show?" He questioned her but she seemed to be more lost. Luckily, Geoff stepped up to her and gestured between the two of them.

"He's the reason we are out here for the summer." The partying teen specified. It seemed a light bulb went off by how bright her eyes became.

"Oh THAT is where I know you from." She grinned happily.

"Forgive her man. She is not doing this on purpose." Geoff nodded to Chris, who only nodded back before the angry Asian girl walked past all three of them.

"Good to meet you too, Heather." Chris stated. The girl made no response and only grew visibly disgusted when Beth started spraying spit attempting to talk to her. He had to agree that it was disgusting to look at. The girl could at least swallow before talking. Suddenly everyone heard a speaker blaring punk music as the next boat carried a single teen. While everyone was either wearing colorful and friendly clothes or desaturated color pallets, every part of the boy kneeling on the speaker screamed he was ready to fight someone. Piercings crossed his left eyebrow and ear, a good portion of his hair dyed and swept in a mohawk, and a shirt had a skull imprint. The only colorful clothing on him was his bright red sneakers and cobalt jeans. Much like Heather, the teenager had a frown as he hopped off the boat with his bag.

"Duncan." Chris greeted.

"I don't like surprises, you got it?" Duncan dropped any form of greeting and raised his fist slightly. However, the host remained unfazed by the vague threat.

"Yeah, your parole officer had warned me ahead of time. He also was kind enough to tell me to give him a call if you were to step out of line. If you severely injure any contestants or me," Chris stopped to gesture to himself, "it only takes one call to dump you right back into juvie. So try not to do anything stupid. Okay?"

Duncan seemed to contemplate before shrugging with a smirk. "Okay then." The delinquent passed by mostly everyone only to stop at Heather with a dirty smirk. "Meet you at the campfire gorgeous."

"Drop dead you skeez!" Heather spat, "Screw this! I am calling my parents! You cannot make me stay at this hellhole!"

In the middle of Heather's rant, Gwen glanced over at Chris with a knowing look and the host flashed the same stack of papers, letting them know they have no power in the future. It is what they signed up for after all. While the host chuckled, he didn't notice the incoming teenage water skiing on a rapidly approaching boat. The boy was covered in a red jumper and sweat pants of the same color, a red and white head keeping his wind-swept hair together. The teen had a bright grin as he waved to the group.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let's welcome Tyler to the-OH GOD!!" The host interrupted himself as the boy managed to somehow disconnect from the boat and was barrel rolling across the water's surface. They all watched as the boy collided with the edge of the dock, propelling himself to fly over them and crash into the suitcases. One suitcase ended up pushing an already livid Heather into the water, drenching her from head to toe. Although no one seemed to pay attention to her cries instead cringed at Tyler's collision.

"Wicked wipeout dude! But save it for the competition okay?" Chris heard the slight groan of affirmation by the boy before turning towards the next boat. Lindsay, who had witnessed the boy crash into the post first, ran to the suitcase and pulled him out. She looked worried as she helped him up.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay? That looked like it really hurt." She stammered. The jock seemed to slowly stop seeing stars and gazed at the girl holding his hand in comfort. He smiled to ignore the incoming bruises and squeezed her hand.

"I'm good. It didn't even hurt, but thank you. I'm Tyler." The teen smiled, and for a moment Lindsay felt her heart lift.

"Lindsay."

The two teenage boys that were in the boat Tyler rolled away from approached the group. The first boy had messy reddish hair barely overlapping his green-tinted glasses, a blue shirt with a space burger imprint with light pink sleeves clashing with long green pants and barely laced shoes. The boy had a few facial hairs and a keyboard at his side. The second boy wore a pale green and cameo shirt partially tucked in his black pants with an imprint of a fabled five-fingered hand, and sneakers around the same color as the shirt. His black hair was swept in a way that seemed fashionable but not too crazy to be noticeable. As he pulled a guitar-shaped case, he didn't notice Gwen glance at him more often than at the first teen.

"Welcome to camp Harold. You can save your sighing for later." Chris remarked. However, Harold continued to glance at the place with intense scrutiny much to the group's discomfort.

"Wait, so you're telling me that this show is at a crappy summer camp and NOT on some big stage or something?" Harold asked too calmly.

"That is correct." Chris affirmed. To his surprise, Harold grinned and fist-bumped himself as he walked away.

"Nice! That is so much more favorable to the skills I possess." Chris had a feeling that one was going to be a handful but kept his composure as he turned to the other boy. The boy kept a calm smile as he offered a fist bump.

"And our ninth contestant to our group is Trent. Nice to meet you, buddy."

"Hey, good to meet you Chris. I saw you on that figure skating show a couple of years ago. You did a good job on that." Trent responded. Chris's smile widened as the teen recognized him immediately. He was starting to wonder whether he was unpopular or something.

"Hey, thanks man! I KNEW I rocked that show!" He laughed. Take THAT Russ! The show was NOT GARBAGE.

"Wait, he was on a figure skating show?" Gwen questioned, though Beth immediately raised her hand to confirm.

"Oh yeah, I saw clips of it! One of the guys had dropped his partner on her head REALLY HARD. The girl was so mad that she ended up throwing one of the judges right on top of him. So they ended up getting immunity that week." She said gleefully.

"Lucky. I hope I get dropped on my head like that." Harold spoke up and Gwen looked at him like he was crazy.

"Me too!" Lindsay perked up oblivious to what Harold said.

"Uh not in that way Lindsay." Geoff tried to explain to her.

"So is this it?" Trent questioned as he gestured to the other contestants and the island. As Chris nodded, the boy simply shrugged as he took his place with the rest of the campers. He briefly caught Gwen glancing at him and he waved to her. The goth did not say anything and simply looked away, but Trent was not able to catch the smirk the goth had on her face.

The next boat arrived and the two contestants could not be any more different. One was a blonde girl with a long tied ponytail and wore a sky blue surfing hooding with mid-length jean shorts and casual sandals. She carried a colorful surfboard taller and wider than herself with barely any effort and had a tranquil smile on her face. The boy sitting on the dock with his legs barely hand out seemed to be of Indian descent, with his dark hair sticking against his face from the heat. He was hunched over reading a book with a permanently uninterested look in his eyes.

"Hey. What's up?" The blonde girl politely greeted as the boat stopped.

"Say hello to our surfer chick Bridgette." Chris showed her all of the other contestants. Geoff seemed to have an awestruck look in his eyes, while Duncan scoffed in an unimpressed manner.

"Nice board. This ain't Malibu honey." The delinquent gestured to her board.

"I thought we were going to be on a beach." Bridgette answered honestly as if Duncan's remark did not faze her.

"I mean we are. Take a look." Chris showed her the coastline. There was scattered trash and a poof seagull that seemed to have a plastic ring wrapped around its neck, though it made no effect to remove it. The host nervously smiled as the surfer chick turned to him both unamused and slightly upset.

"Great. I will be cleaning that up you know." She simply said.

"Alright then, it's time to introduce our n-" Chris jolted as Bridgette's surfboard collided with his skull as she leaned down to grab her bag. "OW! Darn it! That hurt!" He grunted afterward.

"H-Hey..." Geoff called out to her and she turned to him ignorant of Harold, Duncan, and Trent ducking out of the way of her board. Harold tried to say something but was drowned out by Geoff's sentence. "I really like your surfboard. Is that a hybrid groveller and performance shortboard with foam cores?"

Bridgette's eyes glinted as she showed off the board. "Yes. I'm surprised you recognized one."

"I saw one over at my hometown! You must be really good at what you do!" Geoff complimented her again.

"I can show you sometime during the show if you want." Bridgette offered.

"Okay, we all have met surfer girl now. Can we get on with the show already?" Heather intruded on the conversation with a scoff. Most of the contestants grew instantly annoyed and wanted to say something. However, another voice made another remark.

"It looks like someone missed their double caramel cappuccino macchiato this morning. Need your daddy's credit card too?" 

Heather looked ready to fight someone as she whipped around. "WHO. Said that."

None of the other contestants said anything, but the Indian boy with his suitcase raised his hand with a neutral look. In contrast to Heather's angry expression, the boy was calm and collected with a posture that dared her to say anything. The girl only huffed to cool herself down.

"That's an interesting fashion style." Lindsay said to herself. And they couldn't blame her for thinking that. The boy was wearing a maroon sweater vest on top of a blue collared shirt, which was covering a long-sleeved white undershirt. His shorts and sneakers were wildly different from the shirts. This was summer, so how on Earth was this kid not sweating yet?

"Anyways," Chris muttered while still clinging to his head, "Our next contestant is Noah. Great to meet you kid."

"I don't know you enough to agree. Did you get my memo about my life threatening allergies?" The boy, Noah, casually stated.

"Yes we did, and we made sure to make accommodations for anyone with allergies. Rest assured none of you will be dying on this island." Chris put his hand over his chest as some kind of oath. Noah did not look impressed but didn't say anything.

"Cool. Is this where we are staying?" Noah gestured to the group. 

"No, it is your mom's house and we are throwing a party." Duncan said with a threatening grin. The other boy remained unfazed and even seemed annoyed by the delinquent for simply existing.

"Cute. Nice piercings original, did you make them yourself?"

Duncan seemed to drop the grin and gripped the sarcastic kid's face to go for the lip. "Yeah, I did. Do you want one?"

"Preferably not from you. Can I have my lip back please?" Noah said through a partially open mouth. Realizing the kid was not going to crack, Duncan pushed him away only receiving a sarcastic thanks. Chris smiled. Only a few minutes and they already hate each other. The drama is going to be great.

The next boat was carrying three girls all celebrating being on the show in their own ways. The first girl was curvy with her dark skin complimenting the light colored shirt and pants. Her long hair was tied into a luscious ponytail. Meanwhile, the other two girls had matching outfits of bright pink shorts, black and white striped tops, pink slip on heels, and pink bands to bunch their hair into ponytails. However one of the girls was darker tanned, taller, and slimmer compared to the other.

"What's up y'all! Leshawna's in the house!" The first girl exclaimed as the boat stopped. Chris could hear a gasp come from behind as he high-fived Leshawna and she walked to the group. "Hey, how ya doin? You all are free to quit now and save yourselves the trouble because I came to win!"

DJ was the first one to approach her with open arms and her expression softened to a tender look. "Aw what is up big guy! Give me some sugar baby!" The two gave a bear hug until Harold walked up to her.

"I've never seen a girl like you in real life before." He stated. Everyone, including Leshawna, gave him a weirded out look.

"Excuse me?" She asked.

"You are real big and loud." He responded while making a gesture that seemed to create a "big" image. Duncan gave a disgusted look, while Bridgette, Tyler and Lindsay looked appalled by what the dweeb stated. Noah glanced up at his book and imitated someone in a coffin. Beth had covered her mouth in shock, Heather looked like she was imagining several ways to kill Harold right there, Geoff looked uneasy, and Trent and Gwen were nervous seeing the upbeat Leshawna quickly turn livid.

"What did YOU just say to me?! Oh no you did not! You have not seen anything yet! You wanna see big?! Get over here!" She was ready to charge only for DJ and Bridgette to hold her back. Harold tried to create an intimidating stance, but Duncan laughed at how ridiculous he looked.

"Leshawna please! It is not worth it!" Bridgette attempted to calm her.

"Sweetie, he asked for it! Let me teach him a lesson!" Leshawna argued.

"Alright settle down campers! I don't want to send someone to the ER within three minutes of getting here." Chris stepped in. One by one each teenager had calmed down enough to let go of Leshawna. Harold gave a cheeky grin but immediately gulped at her killing glare.

"Katie and Sadie. Welcome to your new home for the next eight weeks." The host gestured to the nearly identical girls. The two girls looked to the camp and squealed so loudly that most of the group had to cover their ears.

"Oh my gosh Sadie. It is a summer camp just like you said." Katie said.

"Okay. I ALWAYS wanted to go to summer camp!" Sadie squealed.

The girls said nothing else before skipping away hand in hand with one another. The next arrived with two boys again. One boy seemed to not have a bag or suitcase with him, while the other carried a decent sized backpack. The first boy had a warm hat covering most of his dark brown hair, a moss colored hoodie jacket with accompanying heavy shoes, and slightly dirty jeans. The second boy was shorter than the first, had lighter chestnut hair, freckles around his face and arms, and a cream polo shirt with two different colored stripes overlapping with a darker undershirt.

"Ezekiel! What's up man?" Chris greeted the first boy. Ezekiel seemingly looked to the sky with an innocent look.

"I...think I see a bird!" He said in a thick Canadian accent. Chris could hear the snickers from half of the contestants behind them. He sighed before putting a shoulder on the boy, bringing his attention away from the sky.

"Okay look Zeke, I know you don't tend to get out much. You have been homeschooled your whole life. You have been raised by freaky prairie farming hermits. You have more than likely never seen a city or cars before you came here. Just don't say much and try not to get yourself eliminated too early. You got it buddy?" He said. Zeke nodded and walked away keeping eye contact.

"Yes sir!"

"That is...wow. He is something." Gwen murmured.

"And next off...we have Cody! Or should I say the "Codester!" The "Codemeister" even!" Chris made finger guns at the chestnut haired boy, who quickly returned the gesture with a cocky smile. They high fived as Cody quickly skipped over to the group, closer to the girls than the guys.

"I am so psyched to be here! And I see the ladies have already arrived!" Cody cheerily said as he stood next to Leshawna. He glanced over and opened his mouth before the girl quickly shushed him.

"Save it short stuff. You're cute but not that cute." Even though the words sounded mean, she had a smile that caused Cody to simply shrug in lighthearted defeat. The next girl to arrive was tall with a mole close to her mouth and a unibrow stretching across her forehead, giving her a resting angry face. Her clothing from her shirt down to her shoes looked like they were made to work out and stretch her muscles. She didn't say a word to Chris as she carried a duffel that make a racket with every step.

"Eva. Glad you could make it." Chris smirked. Cody, in the spirit of good sportsmanship, offered a hand for a high five only for Eva to drop the bag on his foot. Some of the others, notably Harold, Katie, and Sadie winced at the loud sound from the bag and the chestnut haired boy held his foot in pain.

"Ow! Wh-What's in there? Dumbbells?" He asked half in pain and curiosity.

"...Yes?" Eva raised her eyebrow in a mix of annoyance and genuine confusion as if the boy asked the dumbest question in the world.

"She is all yours man. Good luck." Duncan glanced over to DJ, who seemed more confused than anything else.

A scream of joy suddenly startled everyone as a large blonde boy started dancing around the dock. Other than the size of the guy, he had a white oversized shirt with a Toronto Maple Leaf logo, lime green shorts and shoes. Chris didn't have time to move out of the way before he was given a bone crushing hug. "Chris! What is happening?! This is awesome! I can't wait to see who will be on my team!"

"Oh I cannot wait for it to be me." Gwen said sarcastically.

"Owen. Space. Need. Air!" Chris barely squeaked.

"Oh, sorry man. I am just so psyched to be here." Owen apologized as the next contestant reached the dock.

"And now..." Chris inhaled, "Here comes Courtney." The girl, Courtney, had Hispanic features with a grey and while formal top with long green pants and strap heels. She gave a friendly wave as she stepped off the boat and towards the group.

"Hi. You must be the other contestants. It is nice to meet all of you." She spoke softly. She was surprised to see Owen leap for her hand and shake it with almost too much enthusiasm.

"Hi! How's it goin?! I am Owen!" He exclaimed.

"Nice to meet you Ooooooooo....wow." Courtney started to greet him only to look to the next and drone off. She seemed to be in a daze as everyone looked where she was looking.

Standing on the next boat was a dark tanned boy with perfectly smooth skin, a defined jawline and eyes as blue as the deep ocean. His shirt was enough to define the muscles underneath, and his black hair blew in a way that seemed photographic. He flashed a perfect smile at the group, his teeth glinting like the purest white stone. Most of the boys were either indifferent or acknowledging the good looking teen. Most of the girls were fanning themselves over the sight before them, and Owen seemed to have stars in his eyes. Noah, DJ, and Ezekiel seemed to be not affected by the boy's beauty, with Noah in particular almost seemed annoyed by the reception the guy was receiving. 

"Everyone, this is Justin. Welcome to Total Drama Island kid." Chris fist bumped the teen.

"Hey Chris, thanks for the opportunity." Justin said.

"I just want you to know that the producers and I had picked you based entirely on your looks." Chris said honestly. Justin didn't seem to be affected as he walked past him, only to be stopped by Owen.

"I-I-I like your pants!" The big teen exclaimed, "Because they...look really worn out. Did you buy them like that?"

"Uh no. I've just had them for a long time. But thanks anyway." Justin rolled with the awkward talk and simply walked by each smitten girl.

"Oh uh...cool. Stupid me!" Owen slapped himself for embarrassing himself. In the far corner of the group, Noah rolled his eyes which Leshawna took notice of.

"Smooth." The sarcastic nerd murmured.

"Come on sweetie, you gotta admit the guy's got the looks." Leshawna said.

"I would agree if I didn't have standards. But you do you honey." Noah remarked.

"Wow, quite the tongue you've got on you. You might want to be careful what you say around here." She responded with surprise. Without a further response from the boy, the group turned to the final boat approaching. On the final boat was a girl with wild, fiery red hair and bright green eyes. Her outfit seemed to be the most wild out of everyone with a green choker top and yellowish green skirt that appeared to be made and put together multiple times.

"And here is our final contestant Izzy!" Chris announced the teenage girl, only to be surprised when the girl ran to the edge of the boat in manic glee. As the boat jolted, the manic girl fell off the deck and her chin collided with a sickening crunch. Everyone cringed at the noise and Tyler emitted a nervous laugh, feeling the ghostly pain of the similar event that happened to him previously.

"Guys! She could be seriously hurt! Are you okay?" Courtney lectured the group as she dragged Izzy out of the water. The redhead shook the water off of her similarly to a dog and groaned.

"That. felt so...GOOD!" Courtney grew quickly uncomfortable by how overjoyed the girl was at being hurt. "Well except the part where I hurt my chin! Is this the summer camp Chris?! If so, this is so cool! Do we have paper machete here? Better yet, are we having lunch soon!?"

"I like you already!" Owen grinned and pointed at Izzy.

"Woah calm down everyone. First off we to get a group photo for the promotions. Then we will talk food and housing. Everyone meet me at the end of the dock!" Chris hopped on the final boat's deck as every contestant got into position and posed for the camera. While some looked vaguely uncomfortable at the closeness, others seem to embrace and bring them closer together. As the second tick by, their expressions drop slightly.

"Can you hurry it up? My face hurts." Leshawna said.

"Sorry. The lens was covered. Alright in three, two, oooooooonnnnneeeeeee..." As Chris dragged the final countdown, the boards of the dock started to creak dangerously. By the time any of the contestants noticed, the floor gave out and sent the twenty two teenagers into the lake's waters. Some flailed around in a panic while other simply floated across the surface.

"Alright! Everyone dry off and meet me at the campfire ceremony in ten minutes! No excuses!" The tv host could only laugh as he heard various curses and groans from the drenched teenagers.

Oh yes. This was going to be quite the summer.

Chapter Text

Most of the teenagers were still fighting the cold lake water as their television host went towards the campfire ceremony. While the girls were wringing their hair and the guys simply laid against the sand, Bridgette was gracefully helping the smallest teenagers to shore. She dove again towards DJ in a dolphin pose to Geoff's astonishment. However, as she reached the teenager, she found he was wasn't struggling but instead holding a piece of wood holding a trembling Ezekiel.

"Is everything okay?" She asked calmly.

"I am fine," DJ smiled glancing at the shaking Ezekiel, "But this guy refuses to let go of the plywood."

Bridgette's face softened in concern as she swam closer to the homeschooled teenager. "Hi. It was Zeke right? Is there something wrong?"

The boy continued to clutch his hoodie in a way to comfort himself. "I...I cannot swim."

"You can't swim?" The surfer girl repeated to confirm what she heard while trying not to pull the plywood under. Zeke nodded in embarressment.

"My pa said swimming was pointless since we lived in deep country. There are no lakes or rivers. So I never asked anyone." The homeschool kid explained slowly having been transfixed by the water. Bridgette took a breath before gently grabbing his arms. Zeke jolted upon feeling the water and started to breath heavily.

"It's okay Zeke. It is only scary when you make it that way. Just breathe slowly and take your time kicking." She said reassuringly.

"R-Really?" Zeke murmured as water filled the rest of his clothes. DJ was close behind as the two headed to the shore. The homeschool panicked slightly as he felt the water on his neck, but calmed quickly as he kicked. The more he kicked and stayed afloat, the less he was reliant on holding Bridgette's shoulder.

"Yeah. And I'll hold on until we are at the shore." She affirmed. Zeke smiled sheepishly as he kicked with more rhythm and strength, then quickly used one arm to further paddle. By the time the two reached the shoreline he was using all limbs to swim decently. Bridgette clapped in reassurance as the homeschool boy silently joined the others.

Most of the teenagers where either still half soaked or wringing the seawater out of their hair as they reached the campsite. Everyone took a seat in no particular order, with the exception of Geoff, DJ, Heather, and Owen who stayed standing. Chris approached them and waited until a camera clicked.

"Alright everybody, this right here is Camp Wawanakwa. Otherwise known as your new home for the next eight weeks. The campers sitting around you will be your cabin mates, your competition, and maybe even your new friends! The camper who manages to stay on Total Drama Island the longest without getting voted off will get an award of 100,000 dollars! You dig?" Chris greeted everyone while recapping the summary of the show. Duncan suddenly sprang from his seat to be next to Heather.

"Excuse me! What will the sleeping arrangements be here? Because I would like to request a bunk under her." He pointed to the shocked Heather with a smirk.

For the first time since she arrived, Heather had a different expression aside from a permanent angry frown. She grew uncomfortable as she murmured, "They're not co-ed, are they?"

"No," Chris stated firmly, "Girls get one side of each cabin and the boys get the other side. No exceptions."

"Excuse me Kyle," Lindsay raised her hand with a smile that briefly caught Tyler's attention, "Can I have the cabin with the view of the lake since I am the prettiest?"

"Okay to your credit, you are...but that is not how things work around here. And another thing, my name is CHRIS. Not Kyle." Chris denied her request with a slightly annoyed tone at his name being incorrect.

"I HAVE to live with Sadie or else I will die." The slim preppy girl Katie stated while holding Sadie's hand gently. Sadie gripped her best friend's hand protectively as she glanced over to the tv host.

"And I will break out in HIVES without Katie by my side! It is true!" Sadie specified, much to the others teens' growing annoyance. Everyone had only been here for thirty minutes but the two girl friends were getting on their nerves with the squealing and constantly exchanging sentences with each other.

"This cannot be happening." Gwen murmured with Tyler nodding along to her. Suddenly both of them felt their necks squeezed by a excited Owen, who didn't seem to notice their blue faces.

"Aw come on guys! It'll be fun, like a big old sleepover!" The big boy exclaimed.

"You're lucky Gwen," Tyler gasped, "At least you aren't forced to sleep next to him." His eyes to Duncan a few feet away. The delinquent had not only managed to grab a full grown buck, but had it in a headlock while giving it a harsh head rub. Chris pulled out a list filled with names as he scanned the crowd, nodding or shaking his head as he stared at each teenager.

"Alright! Now here's the deal; I'm going to split all of you into two teams. If I call your name, go stand on the other side of the campfire. Gwen. Trent. Heather. Cody. Lindsay. Beth. Katie. Owen. Leshawna. Justin. And Noah. You all will be named the "Screaming Gophers". Congratulations." Chris stated. The ones who had their names called glanced at one another and exchanged a proper greeting. Gwen approached Trent and gave a handshake, while she made a nod towards Leshawna who happily reciprocated. Cody seemed to be staring at Gwen for longer than she felt was comfortable. Owen hugged Lindsay and Beth enough to avoid hurting them both, but the two girls seemed to remain drawn to Justin adjusting his hair with a flirty smile. Noah scoffed at the teenager before he glanced over at Katie's worried expression.

"Wait a minute. What about Sadie?" She asked.

"About that...the rest of you meet up beside me. Geoff. Bridgette. DJ. Tyler. Sadie. Izzy. Courtney. Ezekiel. Duncan. Eva. And Harold. All of you will be called the "Killer Bass"." Chris finished the list as the teenagers greeted each other in the opposite team. The only exception was Sadie, who seemed to quickly go into hysterics upon realizing she was on the opposite team.

"B-But Katie is a gopher! I have to be a gopher! Can't you change it?!" She begged the tv host.

"Nope. Sorry. All choices made by me are final!" Chris denied with a tense smile as she was seconds away from bawling. He felt like he was growing tired of these two already.

"But this is-!" Sadie was cut off by Courtney who tried to look supporting.

"Sadie right? Look it will be okay. Let's get your stuff ready in the cabin." Courtney gently guided a hysterical Sadie calling out to her best friend, who almost seem to become a mess as well.

"I'll miss you Sadie." Katie called out.

"Are you serious? You two are not going to be halfway across the country. You can visit her after the challenges." Noah stated and Katie seemed shocked by his lack of care.

"You wouldn't get it." She murmured and the cynic contemplated before nodding in agreement.

"You're right. I don't."

"Alright campers, here is the rest of what you need to know. Every day of the competition, you and your team will be on camera in all public spaces aside from the bathrooms for obvious reasons. These cameras will be active from the early morning to late at night. You will also have access to the confessional, where you can share your inner thoughts on video diaries. Let the audience back home know how you really feel." The tv host pointed toward a smelly outhouse at the edge of the campsite.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Confessional: Gwen)

"Okay...so far this whole thing sucks." Gwen stated with no emotion.

(Confessional: Lindsay)

"I don't get it. Where is the camera guy? Is he in the walls?"

(Confessional: Ezekiel)

"I thought I was supposed to be the tough one, but that surfer girl Bridgette was the one who saved me instead. It almost feels weird to say that." Ezekiel wrung his hoodie dry.

(Confessional: Owen)

"Hey there everyone, I've got something very important to say to all of you." Owen started with a serious look only to smirk let out of fart, laughing all the while.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Regarding your sleeping areas, the Screaming Gophers will have the East cabins while the Bass have the ones in the West." Chris gestured to each cabin. The girls for the Gopher's dragged their bags into the cabin, and Heather recoiled at the interior. There were three adult bunk beds side by side with each other, a slightly cracked mirror, and a built in coal fireplace.

"Ugh. Isn't this a little...summer camp?" Heather asked.

"That is the whole point genius." Gwen brushed past her with bags in hand while holding an annoyed look.

"Shut up, weird goth girl." Heather spat matching the goth's energy. Gwen was about to create a worse insult when a boyish voice came from behind, startling her enough to drop the bags.

"Wow. You are so smart. I feel that." Gwen whipped around to see Cody standing less than a foot away. It took a few seconds to realize he followed them before her eyes narrowed.

"Aren't you supposed to be in the boy cabins?" Heather and Gwen stared at the boy intently as he gave a sheepish smile. Meanwhile from outside the cabin, Leshawna was busy carrying her heavy bag up the steps. Suddenly, the cabin door flew open as Cody flew out horizontally yelling in surprise. Leshawna could only cringe as the boy literally ate dirt and a clump of grass was stuffed halfway into his mouth.

"Sorry bud, but you did deserve that." Trent smiled at the downed boy. Chris joined in by chuckling at Cody's face before Lindsay peaked out from the girl's cabin.

"Where are the outlets? I have to plug my straightening iron." She asked.

"There are some in the communal bathrooms just on the other side if you really need them." The host pointed in the other direction.

"Communal bathrooms? But I'm not Catholic." She questioned. Some of the contestants grew concerned on how oblivious the blonde girl really was.

"No. Not communion. Communal." Chris corrected.

"It means we shower together, idiot." Gwen bluntly stated.

"Aw no. Come on." She silently cried as she walked back inside.

"Wow. I'm glad we get to have our own cabin with just guys together, am I right?" Owen laughed nervously, only to become more nervous at the judgmental looks from the other guys on his team. Noah seemed unimpressed as he retreated into the boy Gopher cabin while Trent continued to stare.

"N-No! I-I didn't mean it like that! I LOVE CHICKS! I just don't want to sleep near them!" He attempted to explain but now Cody and Justin seemed to feel uncomfortable and retreated into the cabin next.

"NO! I mean I just feel more comfortable sleeping with guys than girls! I-I-I MEAN-!"

"Owen. Bud. For everyone's sakes and your dignity, maybe just stay quiet for now okay?" Trent patted his shoulder before joining the others. The big boy stuttered for a few more seconds, before ultimately deflating and joining the boys to unpack.

"Excuse me Chris," Geoff grabbed the host's attention, "Is there a chaperone of any kind on camp?"

Chris seemed surprised by the question and only shrugged. "You are all sixteen years old. About as old as any counselor in training in a normal summer camp. Other than myself, you are completely unsupervised and can do anything you want."

"Sweet!" The surfer teen grinned.

"Now if you'll excuse me, if have tapes to look at! All of you unpack and get some food, and meet me at the main lodge in about half an hour!" Chris called out loud enough for every camper to hear. Suddenly a scream erupted from the girl's Gopher cabin that grabbed the attention of Duncan, Harold, Leshawna, Gwen, DJ, Tyler, and Heather. The group of teens rushed to the entrance to see Lindsay on a small desk, shaking at the sight of a small cockroach.

"Oh man, that white girl can scream." Leshawna said with confidence.

"Wh-What is it?! Kill it!" She shivered at the skittering cockroach. DJ screamed as well from the insect and leapt onto a lower bunk. Unfortunately, the bed cracked from the sudden weight and caved slightly.

"Dude. That was my bed." Gwen murmured in a defeated tone.

"S-Sorry." DJ apologized before the cockroach started to skitter at a blinding speed. While Heather had jumped onto the top bunk with Beth to avoid it, Lindsay joined DJ's side while screaming like she was being stabbed. Harold and Leshawna attempted to either corral or squash the insect to no avail. Gwen did nothing to help the situation and simply watched the chaos unfold with a unsure Tyler. The jock briefly looked to Lindsay as if he was trying to figure out the best course of action. Suddenly, Duncan had returned from the outside with a axe and raised it high. The teens went silent at the sudden appearance of the weapon before he swung down and obliterated the cockroach.

"Well I guess that's one way to kill a cockroach." Gwen smirked fully impressed by the turn of events.

"Hey Lindsay, are you okay?" Tyler approached the blonde.

"I-I think so. That cockroach was really freaky. H-How come you weren't freaked out?" Lindsay turned to him while holding her shaking shoulders.

"Oh. I uh...have fallen enough times to pick up bugs like that with my teeth. You get used to it after a while. But hey if you ever get freaked out by something again, just let me know okay? I can take care of it...without the axe I mean." He smiled sincerely and the blonde's sparkled with admiration. She grinned and nodded slowly as the jock left the cabin.

"They always for the jocks, I swear." Duncan scoffed still holding the axe.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Confessional: Tyler)

"Okay that is a little bit of a lie. My dad had me clean up several popcorn stations a couple summers ago. The workers in charge of cleaning sucked! There were so many freaking cockroaches everywhere!! I just got used to seeing one after the fifth station."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

After the whole cockroach fiasco, DJ, Harold, Duncan, and Tyler retreated back into the Killer Bass boy cabin. Surprisingly Ezekiel had laid out a small sleeping bag in the corner of the room instead of the bunkbeds, much to Geoff's confusion.

"Whatcha doing little guy?" DJ pointed to Ezekiel where the homeschooled kid jumped.

"What?" He asked absentmindedly.

"I told him he could choose any bunk he wants, but he said he was comfortable with the floor." Geoff shrugged passively.

"Cool. I'm taking a top bunk. Any objections?" Duncan watched everyone's reactions where no one objected. "Good."

DJ waved to Ezekiel again to grab the boy's attention. "I'm sorry if this is rude, but is it true that you have never seen the city before? You never went for a doctor appointment or even for a movie?"

"Oh yeah, eh? My parents told me the outside world was not our own, and they took it on themselves to teach me everything I needed to know, eh? Shoot animals for food. How to build weapons, buildings, farm crops, and cook. My mom is the greatest." Ezekiel nodded away as he listed off some of his skills.

"Not great enough to teach you how to swim." Duncan cut in and the homeschool's expression darkened for a second.

"It is hard when our "water" are slurry pits, eh?" Zeke tried to justify himself.

"Ew, slurry pits." Harold's face scrunched up in disgust. Geoff waved his hand to join in on the conversation.

"Well moving on from messy water pits, what made you want to come here man? I can't imagine coming all the way out here was your first choice for an adventure." The party dude smiled. Harold was busy unveiling his red ant farm and nunchaku while the other guys were interested in what the homeschool kid said.

"Doctor's orders. My dad fought them really hard to keep me at home, but the doctor said he would call CPS if they didn't comply. Said something about my vitamins, eh. I'm just happy to get to see something new other than cows and pigs."

"Well welcome to the party, dude! If you stick with us, maybe I can introduce you to one of my old fashioned parties. I'll even tone it down for your first time." Geoff grinned with a thumbs up.

"And I can make some of my mama's old fashioned dishes. Quick question, do you have any specific allergies I need to watch out for?" DJ offered.

"That is if he doesn't drown himself within the next three days." Duncan smirked.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Confessional: Ezekiel)

"I...don't like that Dunk-man dude, eh? He's really mean and I don't like it."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ten minutes quickly passed by before everyone came into the main dining hall. The structure was nothing too special with two long tables with benches stretching most of the inside space. Standing behind the counter was a towering black man with a filth covered apron covering a pale shirt, and a chef hat on top of his bald head. The man had a unibrow giving a constantly pissed look and a tooth gap in his upper jawline.

"Alright listen up you little rats! I serve food three times a day! And you will eat it three times a day! If you miss a meal, then you should be ashamed of yourself for being slow and disgraceful brats! Now grab a try, get your food, and sit your butts down NOW!" The man, introducing himself as Chef Hatchet, shouted loud enough to almost shake the building's interior. Beth and Harold were the first ones up as they received their food. The two glanced at each other and cringed at the sight of the soggy meat on their burger buns and thick looking oatmeal.

"Excuse me? Will we be getting all of the major food groups? Because there seems to be a lack of fruits or vegetables in this." Beth questioned failing to notice Chef twitching angrily.

"Yeah," Harold added obnoxiously, "PLUS I get hypoglycemic reeeaaaal bad if I don't get enough sugar. Do have anything more sweet to eat?"

Suddenly Chef slammed on the counter startling everyone. Beth ran away as if she had a tail tucked between her legs, while Harold looked frozen at the angry man. "Oh you think you're funny?! You don't got no hypoglycemia boy! I have been told so! So shut the hell up and sit down!"

"Sorry!" Harold shouted as he hastily took his seat.

"Geez, have a cow." Owen whispered with a smile. However, Chef whipped around glared holes into his skull making the big teen immediately sweat.

"What was that?! Come closer fat boy! I didn't quite hear you!" Chef made a threatening gesture to Owen, who instead grabbed his plate and nervously backed away.

"I-I mean I didn't say a-anything important s-sir! S-Sorry!" The big teen sat down.

"Oh I'm SURE YOU DIDN'T. I'm not afraid to cut your meals if you're talking like that!" The chef spat. As the next few people took their meals without any complaints, Noah felt someone grow closer and turned to see Cody creeping closer to a chatting Gwen and Lindsay. The chestnut haired boy was within three feet before he glanced to see the Indian boy staring. He straightened and stood directly behind him again.

"Y-You didn't happen to see that, did you?" He nervously said.

"Kind of hard not to with you acting like a stalker." Noah replied. Cody blushed slightly as they grew closer to a still agitated Chef.

"I wasn't stalking. I was just...admiring them." He murmured.

"Their calves or their butts?" The bookworm asked in a half mocking tone.

"C-Can we move on from this please?" Cody seemed partially ashamed.

"Fine. You're lucky the cameras didn't catch that though. Knowing the type of show this is, Chris is more than legible to hover that over your head if he wants."

"Wh-What? He can't do that can he?" Cody's eyes were wide.

"This is a reality tv show. Anything is possible for ratings and views." Noah concluded his point. The two boys grabbed their plates without another word until the booming voice of Chef startled the both of them.

"Scrawny kid. Freckles. Come over here." Chef commanded. Cody tried to play cool despite his palms growing sweaty, while Noah seemed mildly interested in the man's request. The two approached slowly before the man pointed to their trays.

"I had been informed of your dietary needs and allergies before coming here. So!" The man grabbed their trays and threw them over his head. The two watched as the splattered against the walls, the gross looking meat sliding down like watered down tomato sauce. Chef then disappeared out of sight and quickly came back with new trays with a different assortment of food. "You two better be grateful. I did overtime for this."

"Oh. Thank you?" Cody said in uncertainty.

"You can thank me by sitting down!" Chef returned back to his normal shouting voice. With nothing else to say, the two took their specialized trays and sat with their group. The final two to get their trays were Lindsay and Gwen, with the latter looking disgusted by the twitching burger meat.

"Excuse me, but my nutritionist said I needed to avoid any brown sugar, white sugar, white flour or anything dairy." She stated politely.

"I don't think that will be a problem, princess." Gwen whispered to her, and the blonde girl smiled before walking off leaving the goth with the stone faced man. "Okay look, I don't want to be cliché and complain on the first day but I think mine just moved."

Chef pulled a small mallet and obliterated the meat along with the buns in one swift motion. Gwen, now covered in splattered food, only muttered a nervous thank you as she settled with her group as well. It was a uncomfortable lunch throughout the dining hall. Most of the teenagers kept to themselves as they poked their burgers. Geoff was attempting to swallow only to gag the food back up. To their surprise and slight disgust, Ezekiel, Bridgette, and Izzy seemed to be digesting the food just fine. Izzy was more so combining the weird food into grosser combinations before wolfing it down. Bridgette took small bites to grow used to the taste.

"It's actually not that bad once you have the third bite." She hummed.

"You can actually swallow this? I think I can feel it twitching in my mouth." Tyler gagged not caring if the chef was glaring into his skull.

"Oh! That is just because the meat is fresh, eh! Like really fresh! The remaining nerves are just making it spasm and will die the more you bite into it!" Ezekiel said cheerily as he chomped another bite out of the burger. The rest of the Killer Bass gagged or looked at the voracious teenager in disgust, before resuming to poke at their food.

"I see you all have met Chef Hatchet. He will be your cook and co-host, so try to treat him with respect yeah?" Chef entered the lodge with another smile and camera on him.

"Yo man, can we order a pizza-" Geoff turned to ask only for a meat cleaver to pass his head. It lodged halfway into a wall as some members of the Screaming Gophers ducked underneath the desk. "I-I-I mean it's cool G! Brown slop and moist burgers are cool! R-Right guys?!" He nervously laughed.

"Cool. You all have gotten accustomed to how things work around here. Now your first challenge begins in one hour! Be prepared to get properly dressed."

"What do you think he is going to make us do, eh?" Ezekiel asked having finished his food.

"I mean it is our first challenge. How hard can it possibly be?" DJ attempted to be reassuring.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

About an hour later would every teenager receive that answer as they looked over the edge of the tallest cliff ever jutting just across camp's bay.

"Oh...shit." DJ uttered out.

Chapter Text

"Oh...shit." DJ uttered out so loudly that it caught the camera crew a good distance away by surprise. His and the opposite team nodded silently as Chris presented himself forward.

"Okay! Today's challenge is split into three tasks. Your first task is to jump off this cliff into the lake!" He announced with a grin. While most of the Killer Bass seemed unsure, Bridgette bumped Tyler playfully as she tied her hair back.

"This should be a piece of cake."

"If you look down, you will see two target areas. The wider part of the area represents the part of the lake that holds our favorite freshwater sharks! Inside that area is the safe zone, and that will be your target area. Also we are about eighty percent sure our sharks will not intrude in that area." Chris added. As he relayed the information to the various teenagers, Geoff tilted his hat as a sort of fidget to break the tension in his muscles. DJ and Trent looked at each other trying to see if this was some kind of prank, only to slowly piece together it was the real deal. Eva lifted a eyebrow in a "are you serious" manner, while Noah and Cody looked like they were going to get sick. Though Noah returned to his neutral look to scan the crowd of their reactions.

"Excuse me?!" Leshawna gawked at the first task.

"For each member of your team that jumps and makes it to shore, there will be a crate of supplies waiting for you below. Each crate will be filled with supplies that will be needed to complete your second and third task. Building a hot tub!! The first ones to complete their hot tub and have the best one will get to have a wicked hot tub party tonight! If you happen to not be able to jump, or you don't want to, then you'll be given THIS CHICKEN HAT and will take the path down the cliff. Alright then! Killer Bass, which one of you will be going first?"

"Oh wow. So who wants to go first?" Bridgette asked the team. While everyone was figuring out who was the first to try, the Screaming Gophers glanced at one another as Owen laughed.

"Don't worry guys! I heard that these shows always have the interns do the stunt first to make sure if it's survivable!" The big teen said.

Chris glanced away tugging at his collared shirt. If only they knew...

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(A few days before)

"Come on Chef, we need to test the stunts first before the teens get here! You know that!" Chris complained to the co-host. The dark man was reduced to his pink swim shorts, an inflatable vest, and small goggles.

"Do I look like an intern to you?!" Chef argued.

"No but Kyle is currently getting his broken leg treated for another stunt, Molly sprained her wrists, and Lydia hasn't been here long enough to have medical insurance. So just jump you big chicken!" To add insult to injury, Chris hunched over and imitated a chicken in Chef's face.

"I don't get paid enough for this." Chef murmured before jumping off, screaming all the way until he hit the water. He gasped as he looked around to see that he was okay.

"Hey, I made it! I made it man!" Suddenly, one of the freshwater sharks brushed against his leg and the man quickly lost his composure. A dorsal fin appeared in front of him and the man panic swam to shore, barely missing the agitated sharks be mere feet.

"Hm...that should be safe enough." Chris checked off the site on a clipboard.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Come on wimps. Who is going first?" Eva was quickly losing her patience as the Killer Bass had yet to choose the first jumper. 

"Ladies first." Duncan smirked while looking away from the cliff. Ultimately, Bridgette sighed and approached the edge.

"I'll go then. Besides, it is only just jumping off a cliff into a lake full of freshwater sharks." The was a hint of sarcasm dripping from her voice as she jumped into a graceful diving formation. She remained focused as she rapidly descended into the waters, ultimately successful in hitting the safe zone. The moment she resurfaced, a boat pulled up and a intern girl offered a hand. The girl had baggy dark green jeans and a white sleeveless shirt, as well as her swept black hair resembling spikes contrasted by soft brown eyes.

"Come on up!" The intern, Molly, called out.

"Thanks!" Bridgette said.

"Haha, she did it! I'll go next!" Tyler shouted and charged off the cliff before anyone could say anything. However unlike Bridgette, the cheers quickly turned into a yell of pain as the jock collided with a buoy lining the inner circle. Both the surfer and the intern cringed at the boy sliding off the buoy but floating in the safe circle regardless. His head bobbed in the water before he turned around and gave a weak thumbs up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Confessional: Bridgette)

"For a second, I actually thought Tyler paralyzed himself. Hitting metal from that height had got to hurt!"

(Confessional: Tyler)

The jock was tending to a bruise spreading across his entire chest, whimpering at every touch. "I'm good...I think."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

As soon as Tyler got on the boat, several more Killer Bass members jumped off in rapid succession. Geoff cheered himself on while clutching to his hat, Eva was warning anyone of her incoming descent, and Duncan seemed to keep a straight face with his body as stiff as a board. DJ watched from the cliff as the three teenagers landed in the safe and carried away by boat. His teammates waited for him to jump for a minute before the gentle giant shook his head.

"Nuh uh, man. I-I can't do this. I'm not jumping." He said to Chris.

"Scared of heights?" The tv host asked.

"Ever since I was a kid." The Jamaican confirmed in embarressment.

"That is okay big guy. Unfortunately that still makes you a chicken, so down the loser path you go! And take your customary chicken hat!" Chris smiled as he put the silly hat on DJ, clucking to himself as the giant sadly walked down the path. Ezekiel jumped down with a confident cheer even as he started barrel rolling midair, and he successfully landed in the circle to the applause of his team.

"Yes!" Harold psyched himself up as he jumped with his legs spread out. However, he collided with the water so hard that Geoff and Bridgette cringed at the sound of the boy's balls being destroyed. Eva shivered slightly as the boy emitted a loud scream that startled birds surrounding the lake. Even the freshwater sharks down below gained a bit of sympathy for Harold as he slowly floated to shore holding his "kiwi" areas.

"Ouch! You hate to see that happen huh?" Chris smiled so tight to avoid cringing at the sight. Courtney, who was the only Killer Bass aside from Izzy and Sadie left, looked at the water uncomfortable.

"Excuse me Chris. I have a medical condition." She stated matter-of-factly.

"What kind of condition?" Chris asked confused. He was pretty sure she had no medical conditions in her profile.

"A condition that prevents me from jumping off cliffs." She seemed to avoid providing a solid answer. Some members of the Screaming Gophers seem confused or annoyed at the holdup, and the Indian boy of the team watched the scene unfold.

"Then why didn't you say anything in your profile? Or better yet have a medical note?" Chris smirked deviously. When the Hispanic girl refused to give in, he shrugged and offered a chicken hat, "You can chicken out if you want but it might cost your team the win. And they will HATE you." He finished.

"It is a calculated risk. I've seen the other team and I don't think any of them will bother jumping." She gestured to the rival team with a confident smirk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Confessional: Leshawna)

"Oh it is going to be like THAT, huh? I'll show that girl! No one dares to call ME a chicken!!" Leshawna pointed at the confessional camera with determination.

(Confessional: Gwen)

"Not. Cool."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Courtney still kept the smirk even when Chris put the absurd hat on her. He looked through each names on the Killer Bass accordingly, "Here is your chicken hat! And now the results are...wait a minute. We have only eight jumpers and two chickens. We are missing one and...Sadie?" The tv host's expression lowered. Izzy only glanced back as Sadie was holding onto Katie like a lifeline. The girl looked barely consolable as the two gave pleading expressions.

"I am NOT jumping without Katie!" She stated defiantly.

"We have to be on the same team Chris! Please?!" Katie added on. The girls started pleading to the television host, jumping around as their voice's reached new pitches. Chris was losing his patience quickly. Just how dependent on each other were these girls?! Izzy raised her hand politely as she cut through their pleads.

"I'm willing to switch teams with them." Izzy stated.

"Okay FINE!" Chris shut the three girls up. "Katie and Sadie, you are both on the Killer Bass now! Izzy, you'll be in the Screaming Gophers."

"Freaking finally. If it'll get those two to shut up for once." Heather said loud enough for one of the girls to hear. While Sadie screamed in happiness, Katie's smile faltered as she let Heather's work sink in. She looked at the Screaming Gophers as they all unplugged their ears or rubbing their temples in agitation. She grew more hurt as Izzy shrugged the host off and joined the team, who seemed more welcoming to her while not acknowledging the other two. Even as her best friend gripped her hand, she looked distant as they looked away.

"Come on Katie! Let's go!" Sadie grinned.

"Oh...yeah. Let's go!" Katie shook off the hurt into a equally happy smile. The two jumped off the cliff with their hands intertwined and joined the rest of their team.

"So now that's nine jumpers and two chickens. Screaming Gophers if you manage to beat that score, we will even add a bonus cart for you to carry your crates!" Chris recovered from the girls' squealing.

"Nice! So who is going first?" Trent looked to each member of the team. Similar to the Killer Bass team, no one was willing to step up first. Heather crossed her arms and was prepared to walk up to Chris.

"Um, what do you think you're doing?" Leshawna stopped her but the girl narrowed her eyes.

"There is no way I am jumping." The mean girl huffed.

"But why not? We need to beat them." Beth spoke up confused.

"Hello? We are on national television. I'll get my hair and makeup wet." She said in a way that made Beth's question sound like the stupidest thing spoken. Gwen looked at her in disapproval.

"You have to be kidding, right?" She asked incredulously.

"I understand that. If she is not doing it, then I won't do it either." Lindsay joined in but Leshawna got between the two preppy girls.

"No offense girl but stay out of this one," She said more softly to the blonde chick before glaring harshly at Heather, "YOU ARE going to JUMP."

"Says who?" Heather challenged.

"Says me! I am not losing this challenge because you cannot handle a little water, you spoiled little daddy's girl!" Leshawna grew angry as the two got in each other's faces. Lindsay started to realize the growing hatred between the girls and backed away in fear. Noah was far away from the group watching the scene unfold, with a small smile slowly creeping in as Leshawna became more aggressive. From the bottom of the cliff, the drying Killer Bass team heard the beginning of the argument and the raised voices of the two girls.

"Excuse me?! Back off you ghetto glamour, two tight pants wearing, rap star wannabe!!" Heather spat. Gwen quickly lost her apathetic composure at the hateful language and Beth backed away closer to Owen.

"I would rather be that than some shallow mall shopping, ponytail wearing, teen girl magazine reading, peaking in HIGH SCHOOL Rina Bacon prom queen like you!" Leshawna countered with more aggression and sassy head shaking.

"At least I am popular in my school and not a slum filled neighborhood." Heather smirked. Most of the contestants gawked at the final sentence, with Gwen surprised at the sheer audacity to say that to someone. Cody glanced over at the boys in concern of what was about to happen but noticed a smiling Noah looking a few seconds away from laughing. The cynic slipped a small chuckle but glanced away once he saw the freckled teen staring.

"Oh you are dead." Justin looked away from his handheld mirror for a moment before admiring himself once more.

Seconds after the sentence was spoken, Leshawna whipped around and wrapped Heather's tied hair around her wrist. The mean girl yelled in pain and she was dragged across the ground towards the edge of the cliff, to the surprise and slight fear of everyone else. The girl screamed as Leshawna lifted her up and threw her down the cliff, emitting a loud splash after a few seconds. Heather spat out water and lifted her bangs to eye the girl above and shouted a threat.

"Hey, I threw you into the safe zone didn't I?" Leshawna smiled before preparing herself. "Now here's hoping I can hit it too." After a few seconds, Leshawna had joined Heather in the safe zone in the lake. The mean girl glared at her harshly but Leshawna only smiled as she swam to shore.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Confessional: Harold)

"That was amazing." The geeky boy looked lovestruck while still holding his "kiwis" still hurting from the incident.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Well Lindsay, since Heather has technically jumped you have to as well!" Chris chuckled.

"I thought this was supposed to be a talent contest!" Lindsay whined scared out of her mind as the other contestants lined up behind her.

Chris laughed before nudging her enough to make her fall. She flailed around with Cody following closely behind doing the same. Gwen simply yelled with her eyes closed and curled up tightly as a ball. Izzy made a skydiving pose as she laughed maniacally like she was enjoying the chaos too much. Justin mimicked a diving formation that showed off his muscles, but missed the safe circle his teammates occupied. Two dorsal fins sliced through the surface towards the pretty boy as both teams were yelling at him to swim.

"Paddle boy! Paddle!" Leshawna called out. The sharks showed their maws ready to claim their prey when they saw Justin's beaty on full display. Justin smiled at the beasts and they instantly calmed down enough for him to hold onto a dorsal fin, and the sharks pulled him to shore.

"How is that possible? No seriously how is that even possible?" Cody asked to which no one had a clear answer.

"I...I can't do it. I'm too scared. I'm sorry guys!" Beth called out to her team on the bottom.

"Are you freaking serious?! I get thrown off but she gets a slap on the wrist!?" Heather yelled agitated.

"I'll go next! See you two at the bottom!" Trent nodded to Noah and high-fived a frozen Owen before jumping off. He yelled in excitement as he landed in the safe zone, sending out a victorious fist bump in the process. Gwen couldn't help smirking at the goofy gesture.

"What about you Noah? Are you going to chicken out, or do you have any allergy to this challenge as well?" Chris teased.

"I actually do have another allergy, and it is triggered by bullshit excuses. I'll do it." Noah replied with a dead stare. Owen didn't seem to respond as he was overwhelmed by the cliff's height.

"Ooookay, I'm gonna have to cut that out of the footage but you made your point! Take the jump dude!" Chris bit back a laugh as the cynic jumped without any noise. The boy landed a few feet from Trent and the guy gave a thumbs up of approval. "Okay campers, there is only one person left. You guys need this jump for the win. No pressure, dude. OKAY THERE'S PRESSURE!"

The other Screaming Gophers, aside from the swimming Noah and Trent, were cheering on Owen in their own ways such as Izzy screaming her head off or Cody pumping her arms. Only Heather seemed to stay pissed as she yelled for him to jump instantly. Leshawna whispered words of comfort to herself, and the rival team looked on with mild curiosity and worry. On the cliff's edge the big teen was wrapping his arms with inflatables and taking deep breaths.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Confessional: Owen)

"I'll admit I was pretty nervous doing this! The thing is...I'm not that strong of a swimmer. That is more of my brother Gavin's thing."

(Confessional: Geoff)

"I was looking at this guy with the floaties and thinking...there was NO WAY he is going to make it."

(Confessional: Gwen)

"I actually thought that if he jumps this...he's going to die."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The big teen clenched his fists and shouted a war cry as he plummeted down the cliff. The war cry quickly turned into a scream the faster he approached the water. The freshwater sharks begun to scatter as the boy was a dozen feet off the ground, and the splash created waves several feet high. All of the other teenagers, as well as the sharks, were sent flying against the shore. One of the sharks ended up in a tree and realized where it was before slowly flopping back to water. After a few minutes, Owen popped out of the safe zone cheering to himself and his team soon followed. 

"And the winner is the Screaming Gophers!" Chris called out with a megaphone.

"Nice work dude!" Trent complimented the big teen only to notice the redness creeping in the cheeks. "What's wrong?"

"I um...think I lost my bathing suit." Owen admitted. The cheers devolved into sounds of disgust from all of the teenagers, much to the tv host's delight. Suddenly, the phone in his pocket started ringing and opened to see one of his producer's names. He sighed and answered the call.

"What is it Russ? I am in the middle of something." He addressed the young producer. To his surprise, Russ started shouting through the speaker as if they were next to each other. 

"CHRIS! TELL ME WHY YOU HAVE THAT GIRL IN YOUR SHOW!" The producer yelled.

"Uh which one? Gotta be more specific than that." Chris responded with the phone kept at a safe distance to save his eardrums.

"Izzy! Who else would I be talking about?!" Russ said irritated.

"Izzy? Her profile had her described as the perfect amount of crazy for my show, with an IQ to prove it as well. Plus her methods of getting what she wants is chaotic but calculated, such as stalking her prey. She stalked a crush of hers for a week before randomly throwing him into a sewer for crying out loud. You can't tell me with a mind like that, ratings won't be through the roof." Chris explained.

"I know that." Russ's voice went dangerously low as if he was gritting his teeth, "She stalked me for three weeks to get onto the show! THREE WEEKS MCLEAN!"

"Oh. OH WAIT! That was her you were talking about?!" Chris's eyes went wide before bursting into laughter. He heard the producer hitting something in the background, which only made him laugh harder. "That is hilarious! Why did you not tell me?!"

"Because I had destroyed the tape and issued a restraining order! I thought that was the end of it!"

"Well I had another tape of her before the meeting. Either she tracked down all three of us or sent another tape predicting that you would do that." Chris shrugged with a pleased smile. "Since she is on the show anyway, I figured this is the perfect time for her to show her insane skills. Unless of course you want me to kick her off. Then she can spend all of her time tracking you down, and stalking you for giving me information that promptly got her eliminated."

"Don't you dare Mclean!" Russ said in angered desperation.

"I can't hear you! We are going through a tunnel!" Chris imitated a connection being lost as he pressed the end call button.

Down at the shoreline, the entire Screaming Gophers team were singing together while pulling the crate filled carts except for Gwen, who was humming to herself. Halfway through the song, Lindsay noticed a beautiful conch shell and picked it up before joining her team. On the other side, the Killer Bass were struggling to push their load. Eva was leading Geoff into pulling their crate with ropes, while DJ carried both his and Bridgette's crates with ease. Duncan resolved to just kick his crate across the beach, Tyler and Harold were making painful kicks and punches to move their load around despite the constant groans of pain, and Ezekiel quietly kept to himself as he handled his. Sadie was chatting the entire time while pushing a crate with Katie, but failed to notice the girl was answering quieter than normal. Courtney gave a crate a light push before jerking back to look at her hand.

"Ow. I think I just got a splinter." She said.

"So you have a piece of wood stuck in your finger. Big deal." Eva grunted before lifting the crate over her head with ease, startling Courtney as she set it back down. "Now shut up and keep pushing. Chicken." She gestured to the absurd hat.

"Hey, I am the only one with CIT camping experience. You need me." Courtney tried to argue but Eva glanced over at DJ who shrugged with Bridgette.

"What the hell does that even mean? Just carry the load." The brutish girl waved the complaining girl off. Suddenly Tyler stopped punching the crate and looked to the girls.

"I need to take a whiz." He said politely before walking in the brush.

"I need to go too." Katie quietly joined in.

"Oh my gosh, I do too!" Sadie went side by side with Katie as they went in the opposite direction.

"Hurry up guys! We are already behind!" Eva called out to them. Right behind her, she heard Courtney complaining about a black fly biting her eye and arms. She had a feeling if this camp wasn't going to kill her team, she would do it herself.

The Screaming Gophers managed to finish their song as they reached the cabin areas. Izzy jumped into action by tugging at the crate to open it, and everyone split into teams of two. Noah got paired up with Trent, Beth was clinging to Justin's side like a lifeline, and Gwen unfortunately was paired with Izzy continuing to pull on the rope and even moved on to chew on the corners. Leshawna was about to burst open her crate before she caught Lindsay and Heather walking up.

"Hey. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for calling you a ghetto glamour, rap star wannabe. And I really like your earrings." She smiled while pointing at the girl.

"Straight up?" Leshawna questioned and smiled back, "Well I'm sorry for throwing you off the cliff. Are we cool?"

"Yeah, we're cool." Heather fist bumped the girl before walking off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Confessional: Heather)

"Hell no I didn't mean any of that junk! That ghetto girl is going down by my hand, and those earrings were the ugliest things I have ever seen in my life! But with these types of shows, it is important to keep your friends close and enemies closer. That prize money is going to be mine!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Okay guys. We got the pool liner, wood planks, and tools for the hot tub! Now we just need to put it together. Lindsay, Beth, and Owen will help hold the planks together while Heather and I nail them together. Noah, Cody, Justin, Gwen, and Leshawna will gather the water and bring it to the tub. Izzy will make sure there are no flaws with the structure during the process. Is everyone cool with that?" Trent looked to his team and was satisfied when no one responded. As the first five teens got to work on the hot tub, the other gathered enough buckets and made their way to the lake. However, they crossed an exhausted and slightly miffed Killer Bass carrying their crates.

"Finally! We made it!" Harold exclaimed.

"Hold up, aren't you guys missing a couple of white girls?" Leshawna asked the team. The boys seemed to be confused while Eva looked ready to lose her mind and Bridgette sighed in defeat.

"They went to the bathroom and squatted in poison ivy." She explained. Echoing in the distance were the agonizing screams of Katie and Sand mixed with the hysterical laughter of Chris who just realized what was happening.

"Apparently they could not go on any longer and left us to handle another two crates." Courtney added with a bulging eye from a black fly bite. Ezekiel looked annoyed at her but Harold dragged him off before he could say anything.

"Well okay. Good luck then." The team wished them luck as they headed to the bay.

The progress of the hot tub could not have been any more different. On the Screaming Gopher's side, the hot tub's construction was civil and stable with Trent adding the finishing touches on the rim. Lindsay precisely added the pool liner on the inside and Owen adjusted the circulation pump. Meanwhile, the remaining Gophers formed a line scooping buckets with water. Noah would hand the first bucket over Cody with a small smile, who then handed it over to Justin grinning at a flustered Gwen before Leshawna walked with several buckets to the tub. Meanwhile, the Killer Bass's construction was a disaster. Harold and Geoff tried to arrange the boards but the tub ended up resembling a poorly stable Jenga piece. Duncan appeared to give Tyler the hammer for nails, but ended up fighting over it until the tool flew into Harold's head, knocking him out cold. Courtney had ultimately used duck tape to seal the last of the holes, but their version still looked horrible. As the sun started to dip, Chris made his appearance and the teens joined their respective teams. He glanced over at the hot tub and gave a smile at its construction.

"Now this is an awesome hot tub!" He cheered along with the rest of the Gophers. When he turned to the Killer Bass, his smile dropped at the leaking sight. He tapped the edge once and water immediately erupted out before all of the wooden pieces fell apart, carrying a small seagull out of the area.

"No!" Courtney exclaimed.

"I say we have a winner: congratulations to the Screaming Gophers! All of you are safe from elimination and will have a free hot tub for the rest of your summer! Killer Bass, I know it sucks to be you right now. I'll see your sorry butts at the campfire ceremony tonight." Chris pointed at the loser team and walked off. 

"So...what do we do now?" Katie had the courage to speak up.

"We have to figure out who is going home." Courtney sighed while tending to her swelling eye.

"Personally, I think we can all agree it between either Princess over here or the Brickhouse." Duncan gestured to Courtney, who gasped in offended shock, and a guilty DJ taking off the chicken hat.

"What?! B-But why?!" The girl shouted which briefly cut off the Screaming Gopher's celebration.

"Because, unless I'm mistaken, you two are the only ones with chickens on your head. But if we need the extra muscle later, I like our chances with the big guy over here." Duncan glared at the CIT girl's chicken accessory. However, he showed more friendliness and willingness to keep the tanned boy on the team with most of the Killer Bass nodding in agreement.

"But you guys need me too! I'm the only one-" Courtney tried to defend herself, but Bridgette rolled her eyes in rare annoyance.

"Yes we know. You were a real CIT at some point. But that is not good enough in this competition." The surfer girl pointed out.

"And you still have yet to tell me what that actually is." Eva added. Courtney fidgeted around at the eyes starting through her, looking for a way to change the subject. She settled on Tyler, as well as Katie and Sadie who finally resolved their poison ivy issue.

"Well, what about him? Or one of the girls for that matter?" Tyler's eyebrows raised in confusion from the sudden accusation, and their an added exclamation from Lindsay behind them. The Screaming Gophers looked at her in confusion as she dodged it by saying something out of pocket. He looked back and gave an appreciative smile, and turned back to Courtney with an accusing look. 

"What?! Why us?!" Katie and Sadie gasped in shock and clung to each other.

"Because if you hadn't gone to the bathroom, then you wouldn't have spent the entire challenge scratching your butts and sitting in the lake! We needed the help!" Courtney exclaimed, but she jumped at Eva slamming the pile of rubble with her foot.

"Like you were of any help either! All you did was chicken out of jumping off the cliff and complaining about a splinter and stupid bug bite! How does a splinter hinder you so much that you cannot bother to push a box?!" Eva somehow growled like an animal and backed Courtney into a corner. Geoff and DJ were ready to jump in at the heated argument.

"Honestly, the girls should have just sit back and let the guys handle everything. Then things would have gone better." Ezekiel murmured under his breath. However, the homeschool kid didn't realize that his entire team was close enough to hear every word. Even the people with great hearing on the other team made out his sentence and were surprised by what he implied. The look in the CIT girl's eyes darkened and awakened a cold rage as she faced the boy. He didn't realize until he heard the cracking of Eva's wrists that he say everyone staring at him.

"What. Is that supposed to mean?" Courtney said eerily calm, with a type of anger that was boiling yet calculative.

"Uh what?" Ezekiel questioned.

"No NO. You don't get to dodge this homeschool! Enlighten us on what you said!" Eva got up in the boy's face barely restraining herself from gripping his neck. Bridgette looked confused mixed with anger and sadness in her eyes.

"Well all that most of the girls did was complain and whine all day, and the guys were the ones that did most of the dirty work. If the guys were able to go faster, than most of the work should be handled by them." Ezekiel stated in the most matter-of-fact tone, as if the previous statement wasn't obvious enough. Duncan glared intensely with balled up fists.

"He's dead, isn't he?" Cody murmured.

"Definitely." Leshawna and Noah synchronized.

"Zeke." DJ spoke. In contrast to the rest of his team, there was no trace of anger or offended tone in his voice. Only pure disappointment at the boy's obliviousness.

"Oh man, he did NOT just say that!" Geoff laughed, but the laugh was hollow with no real joy in it.

"You really think that about girls?" Bridgette murmured. 

"I mean...my dad always says to look out for the girls, eh, in case they have trouble keeping up." Zeke only added fuel to the fire until a hand clasped around his throat. The team exclaimed in surprise as Eva started to squeeze the homeschool boy's throat. The girl was seeing red even as the boy flailed to try and remove her. Both Courtney and Bridgette tried to move her to no avail. Geoff and Duncan stood to the side until DJ leapt forward but shoved her with with enough force to send the three girls flying. He created a barrier around Ezekiel as the latter recovered from the quick choking.

"You. are SO GONE!!" Eva shouted as she retreated back to the cabins, with the other girls following in miffed silence. Duncan scoffed and harshly shoved the boy to the ground, with Geoff silently walking away as well. Only DJ remained with the boy who could only look on in confusion.

"But I was...what did I say?" He asked.

"Oh little man, you have a lot to learn about the real world." DJ murmured neither angry nor sad.

As the last of the sun left the horizon, the losing team had taken their seat at the campfire ceremony. Most of the girls were making death glares as Ezekiel, who was attempting to make himself as small as possible. Chris looked at all of them before presenting a plate of fresh marshmallows. "Killer Bass, every night after a challenge the losing team will be waiting for your name to be called for a marshmallow. At a normal camp, these sweet treats are simple snacks for s'mores. But at this camp, marshmallows represent life and another chance to stay in his competition. There won't be enough marshmallows for all of you, and the only one that doesn't get one must immediately walk to the Dock of Shame, and to catch the Boat of Losers. Once that happens, you’re out of the contest and you can’t come back… ever." He eyes seemed to settle on Ezekiel at the last word for much longer before moving on.

"To give you a taste, please come up when I call your name. Geoff." The party teen grinned and ran to receive his marshmallow.

"Tyler." The jock yelled joyously as he plucked his sweat treat.

"Katie and Sadie." The girls cheered to themselves as they grabbed their rewards together.

"Bridgette. DJ. Harold." The three said nothing as they took their respective marshmallows.

"Eva." The girl looked back at the homeschooled boy and made a "I'm watching you" gesture before clutching the treat.

"Duncan. And finally..." The delinquent took the marshmallow without another word. The final marshmallow on the plate made the final two contestants anxious. Zeke shook with anticipation while Courtney had her hand to her mouth. The silence went on for too long before Chris looked to the CIT girl.

"Courtney." The girl smiled before glaring at the teen beside her.

"Bye homeschool. Should have kept your mouth shut." Eva scoffed at the boy. 

"Normally I would agree Eva, but no one is being eliminated tonight." Chris stated out of nowhere.

"WHAT?!" Most of the Killer Bass shouted in surprise and anger.

"But we voted and everything!" Courtney complained.

"Yes. But the first challenge was a non-elimination round. Today's challenge was simply to show all of you how things work around here from here on out. The viewers out there are free to check. I NEVER said the loser would be going home tonight. So Zeke, you get to last for another three days. Though judging by your teammates, that seems more of a punishment in itself." Chris smirked before walking away and the camera clicked off. Eva looked ready to strangle the surprised homeschooled kid as she stomped her way over.

"You little brat!!"

"Eva enough! He's not worth it! It's...not worth it." Bridgette's voice was frighteningly loud that managed to surprise the brute girl, as well as the boys next to her. Courtney went quiet and looked the other way. Ezekiel wanted to say something, but the saddened and hurt look in the surfer's eyes made him stop.

"Bridgette?" He murmured. She only looked away and started to walk away to the cabins.

"Look just stay away from me, okay?" She spoke softly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Confessional: Ezekiel)

"I messed up didn't I?" Zeke asked to the camera while kicking his legs sadly.

(Confessional: Gwen)

"Yep, this camp pretty much still sucks. But, now that I’m here, I guess I might as well actually try to win."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile on the other side of camp, the Screaming Gophers were celebrating their victory in their new hot tub. Gwen remained in her normal clothes and leaned against the tub. Lindsay, Trent, Heather, and Justin were relaxing in the warm waters while Cody raised a juice bottle as if it were a alcoholic drink. Owen had finished with his time in the water and put his shirt back on while Noah was reading his book in peace.

"To the Screaming Gophers!!" Cody proclaimed.

The rest of the team cheered before Leshawna came forward, sweeping the cynical nerd up from the ground. The boy exclaimed as she started to dance and sling him around. The members chilling in the hot tub smirked at the scene before them, with Heather laughing at Noah's dumbfounded face while Cody had a brief smile took a sip of his juice. Owen took his turn and threw him up too before handing him back to Leshawna, before Noah got into it and kept himself stable around their dancing. He smirked and let out a small cheer as the three shouted in triumph at their first challenge. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Confessional: Noah)

"I guess I might as well do this. The others can enjoy their victory all they want, but I know it is going to get harder after this. But I have got a plan. And if they follow my lead, this competition will be a piece of cake. Trust me."

Chapter Text

"It has been two days guys. Don't you think you are going too far?" DJ asked with his arms crossed. It had been two days since Ezekiel made his comments about the girls after their failure in the first challenge. After the campfire ceremony, Duncan had went into the boys cabin and threw out the homeschooled boy's sleeping bag. Anytime Zeke tried to come back in, the delinquent would push him in the ground and slam the door. As a result, the boy ended up sleeping in the trees at the edge of the camp. The following day was not great either as Eva would deliver killing glares to the boy whenever he was in her line of sight. The other girls barely acknowledged him or scoffed at him. One incident were Zeke tried to approach them lead to him getting hit in the face and subsequently fleeing into the woods. Courtney even went to Chris to give a formal complaint about the comments, though there wasn't much the host could do since he didn't technically injure anyone. It was more of him injuring himself.

Though DJ felt pity for the guy. The comments were out of the pocket and should never have been said, but the punishment was going too far. Starving the boy and forcing him to sleep in the same unregulated areas as bears and badgers was going to get him hurt. He believes in karma, but this was bordering on cruelty. And his mama did not raise a cruel boy.

"Hey, dude deserves a little bit of punishment big guy. It's not my fault he can't handle a little pain." Duncan shrugged as he carved into the bed post with a pocket knife.

"This is not karma anymore man. This is just cruel. The guy could be devoured by bears at some point if we keep this up."

"I wonder if he prefers the bears over Eva's temper. I would take the bear too." Duncan continued to carve.

"You know what? I'm going to bring him some actual food and escort him back here. With or without your help."

DJ didn't bother to listen to the guys' protests as he entered the main lodge. He politely asked for some warm oatmeal and started to carry the bowl into the woods, the distant grunts of Eva jogging around the lake. Every tree seemed to look the same and he wasn't sure where to start. Suddenly there was giggling circling him but he couldn't see anyone on the ground. His eyes darted around to try and find anyone watching him until a stick bopped his forehead. Dangling from a vine was the crazy girl Izzy with a bunch of twigs and leaves tangled in her red hair.

"Izzy! What're you doing out here?" DJ asked a little startled.

"DJ! My man! Are you here to escape the all seeing eyes too? Here to vent out to the primordial god that surrounds this island? To appeal to their needs?" Izzy laughed while swinging around the trees like a squirrel.

"What? No I'm...how long have been out here?" DJ tried to make sense of the girl's craziness but remembered the bowl of oatmeal in his hands.

"I have been here the whole time! Becoming one with the eyes. Must become the insanity to survive its own insanity, you get it?"

"Right. Look Izzy, I'm looking for Ezekiel. Did you happen to see the guy around here?" He asked sincerely. The girl's grin dropped slightly and her crazed eyes became more thoughtful.

"Hm...the boy with the heart of the wild has joined the inhabitants for quite some time, but his soul remains weighed by the guilt of words. Such shallow things, and yet have caused a pain he is not yet aware. You shall find the boy in the opening ten minutes away, but be aware. He remains confused by the world and as such may give answers you are not ready for." The girl responded in a cryptic fashion before disappearing into the canopy.

DJ stared confused before walking in the instructed direction. Halfway through the hike, the scent of smoke and cooked meat weaved through the trees and got his attention. He could barely hear a song humming and logs being rolled around. DJ suddenly saw Zeke hovering over a makeshift fireplace with speared fish and rabbits cooking, his sleeping bag leaning against another tree. Despite being covered in mud and smelling like he hadn't bathed in days, the homeschool boy looked oddly resigned.

"Zeke?" He called out, and the boy jumped with a scream. He quickly calmed down when he saw the gentle giant.

"Yo DJ! You scared the life out of me, eh!" He responded.

"Sorry. I didn't expect you to be out here like...never mind. I brought you something to eat but if you are good right now-" The giant presented the bowl of oatmeal. To his surprise, Zeke's eyes went bright and hopped over to grab the bowl. Despite a lack of spoon, he started slurping the dish like soup and DJ had to restrain himself from cringing. The boy already said he lived in the country his whole life. There was a chance he was never taught culinary decency.

"Thanks! I didn't expect you out here, eh." The boy continued flipping the cooked in-between slurps.

"Well I couldn't let you stay out here anymore." The gentle giant said rotating the roasted rabbits.

"Oh. Does that mean the others have calmed down now?" Zeke perked up with hope only to shrink at the look on DJ's face.

"No. Eva, Courtney, and Duncan are still pretty pissed at you. But I cannot handle the knowledge that you're stuck out here by yourself while everyone else is enjoying themselves. It is not right, no matter how bad you screwed up two days ago." DJ fiddled with the grass. Zeke glanced to the side and slurped the last of the oatmeal.

"I don't understand what I did wrong, eh? I only said the truth. The girls really were just complaining and whining all day, except for Bridgette and Eva. And the guys were doing most of the work for them. Things really would have gone better if the girls just swallowed their pride and let the guys do everything." The homeschool removed the fish and rabbits from the fire, and brought out a makeshift knife with a carved rock and tied stick. DJ cringed at the sentences spoken as the scales and head were cut off.

"It wasn't the sentence that made them mad Zeke. Everyone was upset with Courtney's complaining. It was what you insinuated." DJ tried to explain, but Zeke's face went blank with the last fish cooked and cut.

"What?" The boy uttered.

"Okay let's reword the question. Do you understand what sexism is?" DJ asked while bringing more attention to the horrible word. To his horror, the homeschool's head tilted in a curious manner.

"No? What is that?" Zeke sat attentively with a type of innocent ignorance that made DJ feel even more pity. He really did not know at all.

"Look Zeke...for a long time, men had believed that women were only worthy of being subservient to them. To appeal to every one of their needs. They would put them down all of the time, tell them to stay out of their way, and force them to let men do all the hard work and get credit for it. A lot of horrible things happened in history from people with that mindset that I don't think you are ready to know. Women have tried their hardest to prove that they are just as capable of being reliable and as strong as men for years. And it took a lot of time, but they eventually succeeded. But whenever they hear stuff like what you said, it makes them feel like you think less of them. That you don't think they can do incredible things. And that hurts their feelings. A lot." DJ explained in a firm and informative tone, careful to explain the heavy topic in the best way possible. As each sentence was spoken, Ezekiel's ignorant look softened as it swirled in his brain. The events during and before the first challenge intermingled with DJ's lesson, and he started to feel guilt and sorrow in his heart. He sunk into his hoodie and only the crackling of the fireplace was left.

"Oh." Was all he muttered.

"Yeah." The gentle giant agreed.

"I messed up everything, didn't I?" Zeke's started to quiver as he peeked from his hoodie.

"A little. But we can try apologizing to them. Katie and Sadie might hear you out since they were quite scared of Eva choking you out. Speaking of Eva, maybe we should wait until her temper has mostly cooled down. You can stay with me until that happens. But Bridgette might be most comfortable talking to you, but I would have to talk to her first to explain." DJ listed off each girl.

"Why aren't you mad, eh? Like Duncan or Geoff or Harold?" The boy asked as he grabbed a thick honeycomb wrapped in dried rabbit skin.

"I guess I understand the ignorance of others, and the difference of those who do it to hurt and those who simply aren't aware." DJ assisted in smothering the meat in thick honey.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, I wasn't actually born in Canada. My family and I are locals in Jamaica, but my moms moved to Canada for business opportunities when I was four. I was often bullied for my looks and the fact I wasn't from here at all. Some schools would not accept me at all, and my mama had to fight for me to attend. It was hard for most of my childhood, but I was taught to always remain open to people's mindsets. Sometimes those who didn't know any better immediately apologized once they really got to know me and my family. And they became better people because of it. Others didn't, but they were not important in the end."

"Wait. You aren't from Canada? I thought you were just really tan." Ezekiel said with a blank face. DJ was quiet before he chuckled a little.

"Nope. This is straight melanin buddy."

"Wow." Zeke marveled.

"The point is that I can tell you didn't mean what you said. You are ignorant about the real world, but you aren't malicious about it. You were just taught by someone you trusted, and unfortunately is stuck in a world not like ours. You just need to get out a lot more and meet other people. You know?" DJ smiled but the homeschool kid seemed unsure.

"I tried to do that once. It was for a spelling bee that I won first place. But my dad...didn't approve of me heading out into the "wide world". He tore up the farm real good when I got back. My ma told me to stay in the woods for a week until he calmed down, but he still wouldn't look at me for a while." Zeke hummed.

DJ felt his heart stop at how casually he was explaining the incident. "How often does your dad react like that?"

"Hm. I'd say about twice a month. It's usually if either an animal destroys our crops, or if I learn something that did not come from him or my ma. On really bad days, we would leave the farm to him so I visit the other folks on the other side of the woods. Ma eventually had to hide the shovels so he wouldn't swing in the wrong direction." Zeke counted on his fingers.

"Oh my god. Zeke, that is not okay." The Jamaican muttered. The homeschool boy shrugged with a saw gaze.

"I'm piecing it together, but I don't know yet." He started to bite down on a glazed fish, before handing DJ his own fish. The two boys smiled as they chowed on the cooked meat. 

"You can talk to me if something seems confusing to you. I can be good at translating things to be more...understandable. This is really good by the way." He added the compliment to the fish.

"Thanks, eh! It is simple but a good combo." Zeke smiled and finished the last of the meat in record time. Another pair of approaching steps caught their attention, and Zeke quickly hid behind the gentle giant afraid it was one of their angry teammates. To their surprise, it was a worried Katie that seemed relieved at seeing the homeschool boy behind DJ.

"Oh! You two are okay. Chris is starting to argue with the team about Ezekiel being missing. He believes Duncan and Eva buried his body, and Izzy mentioned something about you two being in the woods. So I thought..." She smiled but slowly grew quiet as she explained the situation back at camp. Zeke peaked around the giant's shoulder to look at her closely. She didn't seem to be as angry as he thought.

"Sadie is not with you?" DJ asked noticing the larger best friend not by her side.

"She did not want to see Zeke. I think she is still mad at him."

"And you?" The Jamaican added.

"I...wanted to see him myself." The girl muttered. Ezekiel grew the courage to approach her and noticed how the normally cheery girl seemed unsure about him. Her pose was defensive, but her eyes remained focused as if she was forcing herself to not turn away. She gasped in surprise as he bowed his head in a polite and apologetic way.

"I'm so sorry about what I said after the first challenge. I wasn't thinking about what it meant to you and the other girls, but I know now how hurtful it was. If you still want to hit me then you are free to do so, eh?"

"Why would I want to hit you?" Katie asked genuinely confused.

"Well..."

"Are you truly sorry over what you said?" The preppy girl asked again. Zeke flinched before slowly nodding and was surprised to feel the girl giving a light hug. "Then I'm sorry for almost letting Eva choke you out."

"Oh uh...okay."

"We should probably head back to camp. If Chris really is causing a ruckus, then it's best not to keep him waiting." DJ finished his fish and grabbed the homeschool's sleeping bag. The teens scooped dirt into the campfire and walked through the same path. Other than the awkward glances between the three, it was a comfortable silence of singing birds and skittish rabbits. Zeke had wiped off any honey residue on his chin as they reached the camp. Chris was surprisingly close against Courtney's face as the two continued to argue, Duncan being apathetic to the whole thing. It wasn't until Bridgette gasped and pointed at the trio that everyone else noticed the homeschooled boy was alive and intact. Eva and Duncan's looks darkened while the others seemed unsure of what to say.

"Oh good! Ezekiel's okay! I thought I was going to have to do a search!" Chris chirped.

"Great. Just what we need-" Duncan started but grew surprised when DJ nudged him against the ground. The gentle giant had a protective gleam in his eyes and pulled the knife dangling off of the delinquent's fingers.

"I get that you are still angry over his comments, but he is sorry for what he said whether you believe it or not. And he is not sleeping in the woods for the entire competition. He is our teammate. He will eat with us, and sleep in our cabins instead of being outside like an animal. Okay?" DJ finished each sentence with a snappy attitude. The rest of the Killer Bass went quiet as Katie nodded to Sadie, with the girl friend reluctantly agreeing. Duncan glared but quickly lost his edge as the brickhouse teen refused to cave in, ultimately scoffing and moving out of the way.

"Fine. But keep him far away from me." Duncan pointed to Ezekiel before walking off.

The Killer Bass dispersed as Katie rejoined Sadie's side, giving a kind wave to the homeschool before disappearing. Only Zeke and DJ were left in the cabins as the giant rearranged the sleeping bag so it was hiding close to his bunk. That way the other boys wouldn't be staring daggers into him, and Zeke could have his peace without a threat of being strangled.

"That went better than expected, eh. Though I do not think the others will be as forgiving as me as Katie. Especially Bridgette. I hurt her so much." Zeke murmured thinking of the surfer girl.

"Don't count yourself out yet. Bridgette seems to be very mature for our age. You just got to find the right time and talk things over." DJ smiled as he patted his shoulder. Zeke wished he had the same optimism. But after the history lesson and two days of hiding in the woods, reality was crashing hard on him. He never felt more unsure about anything in his life, but he put faith in DJ's words as he settled for his first comfortable sleep.

Chapter Text

As the morning sun peaked through the trees and the humidity started to increase, Chris walked towards the cabins with an airhorn and microphone. He plugged his ears and aimed the horn into the microphone. The noise shook through the trees as the Killer Bass boys as Duncan and Geoff shot up from their beds, Harold attempted to use his nunchaku only to knock himself out again, and Ezekiel pounced up like a startled cat. On the Screaming Gopher's side, Leshawna had risen so fast that she collided with the top bunk.

"OW! It is seven in the morning!!" Chris heard her yell before she stomped to the window. "Do I look like a FARMER to you?!"

The television only chuckled as each camper erupted from the cabins still in their pajamas. "Everyone get dressed and come out in 15 minutes."

In the Killer Bass cabins, the girls silently got their stuff together. Bridgette tied her hair into a neat bun and switched into her morning hoodie, Eva's Mp3 player and headphones blasted heavy rock, and Courtney was practicing her "game" face. After the startling wakeup call, the boys took their turns to grab their clothes and clean up before leaving without another word. 

In the Screaming Gophers cabins, the girls were spending most of their time putting their makeup on and ignoring Heather's complaining. The boy's spent the first ten minutes pushing Owen's big body to get him to wake up. Cody was jumping on top of the boy's belly, while Trent and Noah were tugging at the legs. Justin, however, was too busy moisturizing his skin to bother helping.

"Do you mind helping us, your highness?" Noah groaned while Owen remain unmoved.

"I do not want to know when the last time he washed his hands. You're doing great though." Justin flashed a smile in a way to distract the guys. The cynic nerd scoffed and resumed the activity before Trent suddenly grabbed his guitar.

"Plug your ears everyone. And tell Owen I'm sorry ahead of time." The musician said. Everyone did as they were told as he created a screeching chord within the cabin. Owen screamed as he clutched his eardrums, unknowingly knocking Cody off in the process.

"GREAT CLEOPATRA!! What was that?!" The big teen looked at the cabin mates in confusion.

"Morning big guy. Chris needs us outside in five minutes." Trent smiled before exiting the cabin.

"Cody." Noah started.

"Yeah?" The freckled boy responded oblivious of his position.

"Get off of me?" Noah gestured to their position as Cody lied on top of him.

"Oh. Yeah. Sorry."

After a few more minutes, every teenager had surrounded the tv host with various amounts of fatigue. The only one who didn't seem to be affected was Eva, who continued to blast music through her headphones. Cody, who had recovered from the fall, noticed the Mp3 player and marveled at it. He wasn't used to seeing one before since they started to become unpopular in his city. He inched closer to see what song was playing but a inhuman growl quickly caught his attention. He backed away in time to avoid Eva whipping her arm toward him, and he kept a sheepish smile as he gained distance.

"Good morning everyone! I hope you all slept well." Chris smiled to the contestants.

"Hi Chris, you look pretty buff in those shorts." Heather complimented from out of nowhere.

"Uh thanks? Anyways I hope you all have gotten properly dressed. Because your challenge officially begins in one minute!" Chris felt off about the comment from the sixteen year old before pointing at his watch. Owen's half-tired eyes snapped wide open as he raised his hand.

"Excuse me!! I'm pretty sure that is not enough time to have breakfast!" The big boy exclaimed. Chris couldn't help himself laughing as he patted his shoulder.

"Oh you will get breakfast Owen trust me! Right after you do a twenty kilometer run around the lake!" Chris gestured to the lake a fair distance from the cabins. Half of the boys groaned in dreadful anticipation, while the girls smacked their faces to wake themselves faster.

"You think this is funny?! I'll show you funny!" Eva exclaimed angrily as she tried to punch the tv host. Chris jumped back as Geoff and Duncan held her by the arms. Courtney quickly grew annoyed as she approached the brutish girl.

"Eva! Will you at least try to control your temper for five minutes?!" The CIT girl whispered harshly.

"You are enjoying this, aren't you?" Eva took a deep breath and swallowed her irritation, leaving behind a strained question through gritted teeth. Chris gave a nervous smile and turned to the other contestants.

"A little bit. Anyways, thirty seconds until the run! Get your muscles stretched kids!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Confessional: Courtney)

"That girl Eva has got to get control over that temper of hers!! She has only been here three days and she's already nearly choked out a teammate, thrown her suitcase out of a window, and broken a lock on one of the bathroom doors. She is not going to make it far in the competition if she keeps this up." Courtney listed off each of Eva's angry tirades in succession, growing increasingly judgmental the longer the list went on.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You okay there Zeke?" DJ turned his head to see a nervous Ezekiel hiding behind his back. As most of the Killer Bass passed by, he unveiled himself and took a position on the far side of the line.

"Y-Yeah. I guess it is not safe for me to approach her yet, eh?" The homeschool boy turned away from the irritated Eva.

"Um...I'm gonna say no." DJ scratched his head while kneeling into a jogging pose.

"How am I supposed to apologize without risking getting my neck snapped?" Zeke asked while crouching into a comfortable pose.

"We will find an opportunity buddy. Until then, you can stick with me."

"Okay runners! On your mark! Get set! GO!!" Chris adjusted his watch as everyone got into positions. Some looked antsy to get moving while others looked seconds away from falling asleep upright. The teens darted away as the host finished counting down. However, he noticed a certain jock not moving yet and approached him.

"Uh Tyler? Go?"

"Right. Give me a second." Tyler winced and jogged more slowly in a slouched position. Chris looked on before shrugging and meeting up with Chef in the main lodge. The co-host needed all the help he can get for the second part of the challenge.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Confessional: Tyler)

"So I can't really run right now because of my bruise. Lydia at the medical tent said it will get better, but I need to do my minimum best for another week." The jock lifted his track suit to reveal the full bruise. The injury was across his entire chest with the edges a light yellowish green in color. However most of the bruise remained a deep blue to black color, and Tyler winced as he rose up too fast.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The contestants were able to keep a solid run for the first thirty minutes, but some started to slow down as the morning humidity turned horrible with the afternoon heat. Gwen, who would only wear dark gothic clothes, took it slow and steady as she watched the others pass her. Harold was wheezing for several minutes clutching his chest as if his heart would burst out. Katie and Sadie were side by side to no one's surprise, though Katie seemed to be spaced out as her best friend chatted away about all the new ice cream flavors they should try to invent.

"Do you know how much longer we have left?" Harold complained as Bridgette and Justin ran past them. He went too close to Gwen to the point that the goth could feel sweat vapors off his clothes.

"Personal space dude." She murmured as she nudged him away. Harold rolled his eyes as she decided to jog slightly faster, but just enough so she could breath.

"So I was thinking that we could invent another flavor called the "Nice-landic Mint"! OH or the "Velve-licious Cherry"! Or some combo of the two! What do you think Katie?! It would be so much fun!" Sadie gave a small squeal.

"I'd love ice cream by now." Harold added in. Sadie quickly realized Katie was not looking at her and squeezed her arm.

"Katie? Are you listening?" She asked.

"Huh? Oh, I think I like the "Velve-licious Cherry" idea Sadie. It has got a nice ring to it." The darker tanned preppy girl snapped out of it, giving a delayed smile as well.

"Are you okay? You have been a little off since we got here." Sadie hugged her friend while walking, the complaining Harold quickly falling behind.

"I'm fine Sadie. I'm just thinking about something."

"What is it?" Sadie urged as she hugged harder.

"Katie! Hey!" Both of the girls perked up at seeing DJ and Ezekiel run by, with neither of them breaking a sweat.

"Woah! How are you two not sweating or gasping?" Katie was astonished by their stamina.

"It is a type of running form to keep your breath stable! You want to give it a try?" DJ asked with a smile, looking back as Ezekiel continued to hop around to keep the blood flowing.

"I don't know. I only have pink heel wedges." Katie sheepishly said.

"It's okay! It's less on the legs and more on rhythm! You have to time your inhales and exhales with your feet! Come give it a try!" DJ insisted.

Feeling hyped up by their enthusiasm, Katie giggled and joined them. She quickly timed her steps with each exhale and inhale, slowly turning into a comfortable pace. With any other technique, she would have passed out after only a few minutes. But she felt like she was flying at this moment. The Jamaican remained ahead by a few feet with the homeschooled boy close behind, but she laughed as they continued to egg her on. Sadie called out for her as she struggled to find her own pace, but was slowly catching up regardless. The four inevitably brush by Heather, who didn't have time to move. She scoffed before cringing at the sight in front of her. Owen was in a pathetic state of licking water out of a small creek like a dog, panting and shaking all the while.

"Do you mind?" She said.

"Can't. Catch. Breath. Must. Have. A Condition!" Owen slurped the water before flopping into the cool currents.

"Yeah! It is called overeating! Look into it pudgy!" Heather scoffed.

"Oh yeah?! What's your excuse? You skinny...annoying...agh, I am too hungry and tired for a proper insult." Leshawna, who had stopped to lean against a tree, started to spit back at the mean girl before her legs grew shaky. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Confessional: Heather)

"I DO NOT RUN. And I especially do not run in high heel wedges!" Heather explained while squinting her eyes in a offended manner.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Pick up the pace people! If you are not back by dinner time, you don't eat at all!" Chris suddenly drove by in a jeep while talking through a microphone. The other remaining teens could not say much before he drove to the other side of the lake.

"I. Hate him. SO MUCH!" Heather spat and climbed over Owen, making sure to stomp her heel into his back as she started to jog away.

"Fine! Go on ahead Rina Bacon." Leshawna called out to her. She then turned to the twitching Owen who continued to pant wildly.

"Go on without me!" The big boy complained as he started to see dots in his vision.

"No, come on big guy. You got to have some strength left." Leshawna had a saddened look.

"I don't know..." The two teenagers didn't notice how Noah, who had managed to find an acceptable pace, watched them when Heather walked off. Other than tripping the girl when he had the chance, he was calculating the best approach to the situation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Confessional: Noah)

"Owen is super friendly, almost to an annoying degree. Leshawna is tough and talks a lot of smack, but she has a competitive edge and always makes sure everyone on the team contributes. In order to get them both moving, there needs to be a common factor that triggers them...ugh, I am going to regret this." The cynical nerd groaned.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

He started to force himself to hyperventilate and clutching his chest as he stumbled a few steps. He shook his head as if he was trying to cool down before imitating gagging noises. Both Leshawna and Owen turned just in time to see the teenager fall forward with a hard thump, his body remaining still.

"NOAH!?" Owen yelled in surprise and terror as he found the strength to jump back up. Leshawna gathered herself as she bent down, holding the unconscious boy in her arms. Sweat was streaming down his face as his breathing continued rapidly.

"Are you alright string bean?! Crap, I think he just had a heatstroke!" Leshawna exclaimed as she felt his forehead, gasping at his horribly high temperature.

"What do we do?!" Owen paced worriedly.

"We have to get him back to the lodge and seek medical help! Owen, wait!" Leshawna didn't get to finish before the big teen scooped the smaller boy in his arms. The black girl was close behind as they ran as fast as possible to the main lodge. Even as the heat was getting to them, they had enough strength to burst down the door. Most of the Screaming Gophers, including Chris, screamed in surprise as Owen clutched Noah's body.

"Clear a table immediately!" Owen yelled as the Gophers cleared their table.

"Woah, is he alright?! Are you two alright?!" Trent asked as Leshawna quickly wiped the sweat off her hands.

"We are fine! Just let us tend to Noah." She said as Owen started to do chest compressions on the cynical teenager, "No, you do not do chest compressions for a heatstroke! You'll crush his ribcage! Beth, Cody, get some rags from the kitchen and dunk them in cold water. I'm going to have to remove some layers."

"Shouldn't you ask him first?" Sadie asked from the side. More Killer Bass members came through the door and were surprised to see the sight before them.

"He is unconscious! What permission is there to give?!" Leshawna snapped. Cody and Beth came back with the rags and handed them to Gwen. "Gwen, apply it firmly to his head."

As the two girls tended to their teammate, Harold and Justin were the last Killer Bass members to enter the lodge. Justin rubbed his bruised chest to try and ease the pain of breathing, while Harold was gasping while clutching his chest. The jock was the only one to take notice of the Gophers tending to Noah on the table, and he was quietly worried.

"What took you two so long?! We just lost the challenge!" Courtney exclaimed refusing to look at the resuscitation scene behind her. 

"I'm having heart palpitations! Give me a break, gosh!" Harold argued back. The more attention was brought to Noah, Gwen started to notice how the nerd slightly shivered as the cold water dripped down his face. And as Leshawna was removing the maroon vest from his many layers of clothing, it looked like he was cringing for a moment. She hummed thoughtfully before smirking and looked at no one in particular. 

"Wait a minute, if we have everyone here and they lost...that means we won the challenge!" She shouted loud enough for everyone to hear. The Screaming Gophers cheered momentarily, which quickly grew louder when Noah spontaneously "woke up". Leshawna was mixed with surprise and embarressment as the nerd took his vest back.

"Woah hold your horses guys! The run wasn't the entire challenge!" Chris laughed and everyone went silent.

"What did you just say?" Gwen asked suspiciously. The host only grinned as he unveiled a covered table in the corner. The cloth lifted to see a buffet table filled with delicious food. Everyone's stomach growled in unison as they stared like crazed, starving animals.

"Who is hungry?!!" The host exclaimed. Suddenly, all of the teenagers jumped towards the table and tore through it at astonishing speed that left the host surprised. So this was the power of a starving teenager, let alone twenty-two. Horrifying and mildly disturbing, but also impressive.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Confessional: Gwen)

"After three days of eating brown sludge, I almost cried seeing that buffet on display." Gwen answered mildly pleased with herself.

(Confessional: Owen)

"And then I saw the buffet table. It was like seeing heaven in physical form! It was beautiful! A honey glazed stuffed turkey, an entire basket of breakfast bars, baked beans and mashed potatoes with spices, homemade biscuits, a fruit and vegetable salad, and stacks of waffles with maple syrup. C-Can I have a minute?" Owen started out happy, only to grow emotional at describing the beautiful dishes. He ended up covering his face as his eyes welled with tears.

(Confessional: Cody)

"I'll admit I probably overstuffed myself a little. But I needed to get all of the natural sugar for my hypoglycemic diet. N-Not that I need to follow a diet! Cool guys don't have a specified diet! Right?" Cody panicked upon realizing his slip up before running out of the confessional.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

After an hour and a half, all of the teenagers were groaning from their overstuffed stomachs and soreness from the run. Leshawna in particular laid across the floor nearly passed out. The table was nearly destroyed and every dish only held crumbs left. The extra large turkey was nothing but bones and bits of skin. Chris wasted no time to hop on the destroyed table. "Okay campers. Time for the second part of your challenge!"

"I thought eating the buffet was the second part of the challenge!" Owen complained with a partially stuffed mouth.

"What more do you want from us? You already starved us for most of the day." Gwen joined in the complaining as she held her stomach.

"Freaky goth girl is right. Haven't we been through enough?" Heather agreed with Gwen for the first time while rubbing her stomach to ease the pain.

"Nope! It is time for the Awake-a-thon! The team with the last camper staying awake wins the challenge!" Chris answered.

"Wait a minute. So the twenty kilometer run and the buffet feast were part of a plan to make it harder for us to stay awake?" Gwen glared at the host. One by one the stuffed teenagers realized the stakes and almost wanted to pass out right there.

"Correct Gwen." Chris nodded. 

"Wow. You are evil." Gwen stated, to which Leshawna and most of the girls nodded in agreement. The host urged everyone to move to the campfire ceremony to begin the Awake-a-thon.

"So how long do you think it will be before everyone is out cold?" Trent asked Gwen in a queasy voice.

"An hour, give or take. Maybe less." Gwen calculated in her head before adjusting the answer upon seeing Owen already starting to become sleepy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the first six hours passed, the teenagers tried to keep themselves distracted through small talk about their favorite subjects. Noah had ended up paying attention to his book most of the time, and Cody played a game on a handheld console. Tyler and Eva had several rounds of arm wrestling but eventually stopped after Tyler almost sprained his wrist. However by the time the sun had risen again, everyone had noticeable eye bags and Owen was fidgeting like a mad dog.

"We are now twelve hours into the Awake-a-thon, and all twenty two campers are still awake." Chris murmured to the camera as they scanned the tired Gopher team.

"Woohoo! Stay awake for twelve hours! I can do this in my sleep!" Owen screamed to himself only to grow quiet. The team looked over to see him fall over and immediately fall asleep.

"Make that twenty-one." Chris corrected himself.

"Thought he would never stop cheering." Heather yawned.

"This is officially the most boring thing I have ever done in my life." Gwen groaned and Trent glanced at her.

"I mean it could be worse." The musician said.

"How?" Gwen questioned him.

"I could be stuck in this without a cool girl to talk to." He smiled and readjusted his position.

"Thanks." Gwen smirked and briefly glanced away. She was aware that everyone else around her had started to become buddies over the course of a few days. Lindsay and Beth had quickly bonded over different types of makeup to use when they weren't focusing on Justin. Owen and Izzy seemed to bone over the most random topics, though it usually came back to the weirdest food combos. But she was one of the odd ones out. She needed to find a way to remain in the team's good graces and fast.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Confessional: Heather)

"Since everyone is starting to become buddy buddy now, I need to come up with a strategy to stay ahead of the game. I'm thinking of taking two contestants to form an alliance with me until we reach the final three. All I need to do is find someone who is desperate or dumb enough to even partner up with me. Goth girl and Trent are off the table, that geek Cody will be too distracted trying to talk to girls, Izzy is too much of a wildcard to be considered, all Owen is good for is complaining when he does not have food, Justin's good looks are not good enough to make up for his lack of intelligence, and Leshawna...absolutely not. That leaves Lindsay and Beth."

(Confessional: Noah)

"I had already pieced together an alliance from the moment we arrived. Easily manipulated minds are a good choice...if you're a novice. Sooner or later, the dumb, deaf, and blind will outweigh their uses. I need the strongest and most willing teammates to help."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Lindsay, what on earth are you doing?" Gwen exclaimed as she saw the blonde forcefully keeping herself upright. 

"Trying to get the blood to rush to my head. I heard it's supposed to keep your eyes wide open." Lindsay explained with a smile as she swayed back and forth. 

"It's also really bad for your health." Trent added in, though the blonde didn't seem to care.

"Can I try?!" Beth butted in.

"Sure!" Lindsay let her join the strange activity. However, only fifteen seconds passed before Heather approached the two girls.

"Lindsay, Beth, can I talk to you two for a second?" The mean girl demanded more than asked.

"Okay!"

"Don't go too far campers! I don't want to catch you cheating!" Chris called out before returning back to his book. Noah glanced up and watched Heather, Lindsay, and Beth round the corner on the other side of the boulder. Once they were out of reach, he hears Leshawna sigh as she sat down beside him.

"You weren't having a heatstroke earlier were you, you little turkey bone?" The black girl looked at him.

"Guilty as charged. I had to do something to get the big guy moving." The nerd shrugged as he put the book down.

"In any other circumstance, I would be pummeling you. But it did work so I commend you for that." Leshawna sighed and patted his back. He winced at the ferocity of the pat and turned to look at her.

"Didn't expect you to lean very hard into the caretaker role though. You were ready to take my clothes off." Noah's tone went strangely light as if he was joking. The girl blushed slightly as she pushed him slightly harder.

"Just a layer! And I thought you were in critical condition! So shush your mouth!" Leshawna argued but had a smile.

"Seriously. You were ready to bring me back without question. You even knew what condition I was pulling off." Noah brought back focus to the moment, and the girl sighed messing with her ponytail.

"I volunteer at a community center in my part of town. Lots of unfortunate kids, and most of them see me as their sister. I'm in charge of tutoring and caring for them. That includes knowing what to do in medical emergencies." She explained. Gwen and Trent slowly silenced their own conversation and turned to listen on the discussion.

"So that's why you have such a strong personality." The goth added, and Leshawna looked touched by the words.

"If I didn't know any better, you could have great leadership potential." Trent nodded along.

"I wouldn't say I'm a leader sweetheart." She joked.

"Trent has a point. You are one of the most focused individuals in our team, and you've got attitude to back it up. You have shown enough of that with Heather. As far as I can see, you could create a strong team to get to the top with no problem." Noah started to bend the conversation. Leshawna dropped the smile and gave him her attention.

"Are you saying we should be a team?" The girl asked gesturing to the two of them.

"An alliance more appropriately. At least until most of the competition is gone."

"And if were to say yes, then what would you provide in our team? No offense turkey, but you don't exactly have the muscle to back yourself up." Leshawna gestured to his body.

"You think I would propose a team up if I didn't consider myself an asset? I'm hurt," Noah rolled his eyes before continuing, "A team, no matter how much muscle you have, is inefficient without a mind to consider all possibilities. And I have been keeping track of everyone for the last few days."

Leshawna seemed to catch on to what he was saying, "So you know the weaknesses of the other team?"

"And more."

"Hm. What the heck. We are here to win, so I'm in. You two in on this as well?" She gestured to the goth and musician still listening to the conversation. The two looked at each other and smiled with a nod.

"What other choice do you have? Heather?" Gwen snarked, leading to the girls chuckling among each other. The team of four nodded in unison to confirm the new alliance as they went back to trying to stay awake.

Meanwhile on the other side of the boulder, Heather dragged the sleepy Lindsay and Beth with a devious smile. "I have a plan to get me and two other people into the final three. And I have decided to choose you guys. You should know that this is a very big deal. I am putting my trust in you, and trust is a two-way street."

"That sounds...wonderful! We are going to the final three Beth!" Lindsay cheered while lightly shaking Beth's shoulders with a smile. Heather was surprised at how simple the alliance building was, but immediately hid it behind a joyful mask.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Confessional: Beth)

"Oh my gosh, Heather is taking me into the final three! I'm going to the final three! I'm going to the final three! I wonder what will happen by then?"

(Confessional: Leshawna)

"I was hesitant at first. But if Noah has a plan to get us to the top of the competition, I'm not complaining. Though if he tries anything, I am sure I can beat him in a physical challenge." Leshawna smiled with confidence. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You know who I would really like to be a part of the alliance? That Tyler guy..." Lindsay blushed as she looked over to the jock resting against a stump. The boy had finally managed to be in a comfortable position for his chest bruise, and didn't seem to be bothered by the lack of sleep.

"Oh no! You can not date him!" Heather pulled her back harshly.

"What? But why not?" Lindsay was saddened by the declaration.

"Because he is on the other team! You can't inter-team date, that is against the alliance rules Lindsay. Unless if your feeling any doubts about being in this alliance, then I'll let you go. But I can't guarantee your safety from being kicked off." Heather explained. She faked concern for the blonde as she pointed out potentially kicking her out of the alliance. That knocked the girl out of her pouting and looked at her pleadingly.

"I want to be in the alliance!"

"Then it's settled." Heather finished the conversation and went back to the campfire with a tired Beth. Lindsay frowned but gasped seeing the jock staring back at her. Tyler smiled a little and gestured a way to silently ask if she was okay. She smiled and nodded before joining her team.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Confessional: Lindsay)

"Heather said I couldn't date him. She never said I couldn't like him." The blonde had a proud smile as she straightened her chest.

(Confessional: Tyler)

"Lindsay doesn't seem so bad. She's kind, funny, and looks beautiful even when half-tired." The jock had a flustered look at realizing what he said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Night time had arrived before the contestants knew it, the sounds of crickets and owls surrounding them in a calm ambience. On the Screaming Gopher's side of the campfire, Leshawna had fallen asleep maintaining her seating position while Izzy curled herself up like a wolf making bizarre noises the other thought a human was incapable of doing. Noah was halfway through his book, though it seemed like he was slowly losing concentration. Gwen and Trent were conversing and getting to know each other, and Cody was running out of battery on his handheld gaming console. Justin stood in a perfectly straight pose with his eyes wide open.

On the Killer Bass side, three members had also fallen asleep. Katie and Sadie leaned on each other in an effort to keep warm, while Bridgette was curled up facing towards the campfire. However, she continued to shiver even as the fire's heat blew in her direction. And while most of the Killer Bass sat on the stump chairs, Courtney paced in place in a last ditch effort to remain conscious.

"I forgot how cold our summer nights are. Aren't you cold?" DJ asked the homeschool boy.

"No. My ma made this hoodie very thick. It's colder up where we live." Zeke shrugged but looked back upon seeing the surfer girl whine from a sudden breeze. He looked down at himself and inhaled nervously as he stood up. Duncan immediately scooted away and Eva glared before turning back as the homeschool weaved through the half awake team. He took off the hoodie, leaving only a thin shirt as he draped it over the sleeping Bridgette. The girl's whines died down as she quickly warmed up and smiled contently. Zeke looked back at the Jamaican, who left a thumbs up in approval. With nothing else said, the two sat side by side again unaware of the suspicious party teen who had watched the entire thing.

"Congratulations campers! You have made it to the twenty- four hour mark! Unfortunately, we need to kick things up a notch. So Chef...if you would." Chris gestured to Chef walking out in a ballerina outfit. Despite how funny he looked, nobody had the energy to laugh at the sight. The tv host then brought out several fairy tale books.

As the host began to drone on in boring fairy tales, Chef proceeded to dance around with his hands behind his back. As he approached each team, he threw a powdery substance from his hands, which scattered all over the team. The powder immediately made most of the Killer Bass more sleepy, with DJ falling off a tree after trying to escape the powder. Once the powder fell over the Screaming Gophers, Lindsay and Beth immediately lost consciousness and fell over. Cody looked up from his game only to receive a bunch of powder, but managed to avoid inhaling it.

Chris and Chef kept up the fairy tale show for a few hours before they called it night, leaving the teenagers to stay up the following day. The competition still managed to go on until the next night, where most of the Killer Bass with exception to Courtney, Duncan, Eva, and Geoff were still awake. By the 40th hour, Cody, Gwen, Trent, Heather, and Justin  remained on their own team. Trent and Gwen were exchanging their favorite subjects while Cody simply stared into the fire.

"Okay, what is your favorite song past the 90's?" Gwen asked the musician.

"Hm..."She Would Be Loved" from Lake Moon 9. Such a beautiful tale of unrequited love packed into a four and a half minute song. You should listen to it sometime." Trent responded thoughtfully. Gwen made a note in her head to put the song in her playlist, "My turn. What is your favorite color? But you have to point out a shade, not just a color."

"Um...midnight blue." The goth responded.

"Oooh, mysterious yet tranquil like the dark sky. Why is that blue your favorite?" Trent asked with a soft smile.

"My mother works at a hair salon. I would help her pick hair dyes for the women, and that color just called to me." Gwen explained.

"You help your mom out at work?"

"Yeah. You're going to think this is weird." Gwen started.

"Try me." Trent dared her and the goth shook her head.

"My mom often spends long hours of her day to get enough money to support me and my younger brother. She's often not around, so I help out with stuff at home and work to take the stress off her shoulders. I...I'm hoping the 100,000 dollars in this competition will help give her time to relax with us." Gwen had a longing gaze in her eyes as she leaned back to stare at the stars. Trent blinked in wonder as he lied down opposite to her.

"Wow. That's very kind of you to do for your family. Your mother must be very proud of you."

"Sometimes. She mostly wants me to spend time being a "teenager." Bleh, right?" Gwen stuck her tongue out causing Trent to laugh.

"I get that. All my dad wants me to do is become an accountant like him," Trent stopped by the sound of Gwen snickering and making a slit throat gesture, "I know right? He's tried everything. Father-son work days, finance classes, even a whole presentation made by himself. But that is not my calling. I would rather travel across the country with my motorcycle and guitar in hand, like one of those cheesy road trip movies."

"You have a motorcycle? You just gained some coolness points." Gwen complimented.

"Hey thanks. Speaking of movies, what is your favorite movie moment?" Trent continued with the conversation.

"I really liked the ending of that road trip movie involving the three girls. You know the moment where they bury the wishing box?"

"Oh I know that one! I didn't know you were a fan of road trip movies."

"I also like the macabre gory movies. Like Bloodbath 2: Summer Camp Reign of Terror." Gwen added her favorite movie before her, Trent, and Cody saw something that they would never forget. Owen, who had managed to undress himself from shirt to underwear, walked pass them naked and sleep walked into the forest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Confessional: Owen)

"So embarrassing fact about me. I end up sleepwalking if I eat baked beans. If you saw that on camera, then I am so sorry." Owen apologized with his face beet red.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I did not want to see that." Cody rubbed at his eyes profusely before deciding to look beside him. Noah, who had fallen asleep close to his leg, had a book still in his hands. The freckled teen remembered the cynical nerd kept that book by his side for most of the challenge, despite how heavy the thing seemed. What was so special about that book anyways? Curiosity took over as he carefully removed the book from the boy's hands. The book was thick seemed very detailed. He flipped the book to see the cover, titled "The Count of Monte Cristo."

"Hm. What is so great about this?" Cody asked himself as he started to read from the beginning.

In the first hour of reading, the freckled kid still found it difficult to sit through. By the third hour, he got drawn into the story and laid in a comfortable position next to the sleeping nerd. By the fifth hour, he was fully invested and making tiny comments to himself about the story's twists to Trent's amusement. However, the lack of sleep eventually caught up to him and he dozed off with the book tucked against his chest. He quickly went into a deep enough sleep where he didn't notice a pair of arms pull him closer into a comfortable position.

"You still awake Gwen?" Trent asked the goth girl.

"Yeah. I think I've gotten so tired that I am not tired anymore. Does that make sense?" She asked the musician.

"I am too tired to think of a clear answer. Which one is the Little Dipper again?"

"Do you see the Big Dipper? Follow the handle to the bright North Pole star and you will see it." Gwen traced the constellations in the sky, but Trent wasn't looking at the sky. He stared at the goth's face and could see the stars reflecting off of them.

"Oh yeah. I see them now." He smiled.

"Look at Mr. Model over here." Heather said, which caught the two's attention. She stood in front of Justin still standing confidently with his eyes wide open, "Over fifty hours, and he has not moved a single muscle. Hey! HEY! Are you even listening!"

Trent scratched his head at the unnatural pose and came up behind the model teen. "Hey dude, are you okay?" He poked his shoulder. To their surprise, the teen jolted and opened his eyes. They gasped as Eva sprang up pointing at them.

"His eyelids are painted! I saw it!" The brute girl exclaimed.

"Shut. Up. I have GOT to see this!" Chris set his book down to take a closer look at the cheating teen. Justin smiled nervously as the paint around his eyelids started to chip away with each blink. "Okay, that is pretty cool. But you are still out!"

Another day had passed by as the competition reached 85 hours. Only Eva, Duncan, Gwen, Trent, and Heather were left as every camper was either sleeping or just waking up from their slumber. Bridgette had woken up surprised to see a hoodie that wasn't her own draped over her body, then looked over to see Ezekiel without his thick hoodie. She put things together and her gaze softened as she put the hoodie next to him. Katie and Sadie woke up simultaneously and started to readjust their clothes and hair. A lot of the contestants retreated back to their cabins or bathrooms to clean up.

Cody was still in the middle of deep sleep smiling from the sun's warmth, only for a scream to pierce his ears. Whatever peaceful dream he had shattered as he screamed in response, shooting upright and colliding with someone's head. He gripped his skull in pain as he saw Noah scramble up and run off into the cabins. As his ears recovered from the tinnitus, he wondered what had caused the cynical teen to scream. He looked to the area where Noah had slept with his position on the ground, and then realized his back was warmer compared to the areas where the sun hit his skin. Almost like body heat. The full scenario clicked in his brain, and his heart kicked into overdrive along with his face exploded red. He ran off without another word potentially to go dunk himself in cold water.

On the Killer Bass side, a still awake Duncan lifted up an unconscious Harold's hand and dunked it in a bowl of water. The glasses nerd sighed and Duncan laughed out loud. "Oh my god, it actually works! The dude peed his pants!"

Harold's eyes shot open as he looked to his pants to see he wet himself. He gasped in horror as he attempted to cover his crotch area. The remaining five teens looked dead inside as they stared at the dead fireplace.

"I would kill for a coffee right now." Gwen commented. Her wish seemingly came true as Chris walked over with a espresso cup.

"What the hell? You five are still awake? It's been eighty-five hours! Come on, fall ASLEEP ALREADY." The host said half-annoyed and partially concerned at the teenagers' states. He grew worried as Gwen desperately reached for the coffee.

"You gotta hook me up man. I'll even eat the coffee grinds! Just give me anything!"

"Alright. You five stay with me, and the rest of you go clean yourselves up. Shower, brush your teeth, anything! Because my god you stink! And who smells like piss over here?" Chris added the last comment as Harold ran off to the bathrooms.

As soon as the loser contestants, Chris drank the last of the coffee and stared at the remaining members. "I did not want it to come to this. I even said that to Chef last night. But darn it, you kids are persistent! So I decided to come up with the most boring, sleep inducing activity I could find."

"Oh come on! What could you possibly do to us now?" Gwen complained. Her answer came in the form of another pop-up book that Chris proceeded to demonstrate.

"The History of Canada: A Pop-up Book. Chapter 1; the Beaver, national symbol and a "damn" fine hat." The host ready slowly and soothingly much to teen's dismay. As he continued on to the following chapters, Eva soon fell asleep and her music player fell out of her pocket. Heather could feel her energy nearly gone, and quickly snatched the Mp3 player with the last of her willpower.

"You know that girl will get pissed if you take that, right?" Gwen yawned.

"That...is the...idea..." Heather responded before she collapsed and fell asleep. Gwen rolled her eyes before she heard someone starting to fall over. To her horror, Trent had succumbed to sleep and fallen over.

"Trent! Don't leave me." She grieved over her friend's demise. Now she was the only one left against the only Killer Bass member. Duncan looked like he was painfully holding in the need to go to the bathroom.

"Okay. Small bathroom break. Any takers?" Chris paused reading the book.

"I've held it for this long, sweetheart. I could go all day." Duncan teased despite the pain in his eyes.

"Yeah, but can you hold it for another 10 CHAPTERS?" The goth smirked while crossing her arms. Duncan seemed to contemplate if the pain was worth it before reluctantly heading towards the bathrooms.

"You've got five minutes. As long as you don't mind a little company." Chris at the intern holding the camera, though to the viewers it seemed as if he was breaking the fourth wall.

"Fine! But stay out of the stall!" He stared at the intern behind the camera. Five minutes had passed by quickly and Gwen was barely holding onto reality as her eyes were heavy, and her breathing became heavy. The host tapped at his watch wondering what was taking the delinquent so long. Suddenly, Kyle the intern rushed to his side and whispered something. The host bit back a snicker as he cleared his throat.

"It seems like Duncan's taking a dive on the can, if you know what I mean. Which means the official winner of the Awake-a-thon is...GWEN!! THE SCREAMING GOPHERS WIN AGAIN!! Gwen sent a lame thumbs up before collapsing on the ground. Chris bent over to lift her hand in congratulations, while the camera crew gave applause in the background. The cameras cut as some of the crew helped her up to take her back to the cabins.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, the Killer Bass sides of the cabin was violent chaos as Eva's screams exploded within the living quarters. Every member, except for the passed out Duncan, cowered as multiple objects both their own and the brute girl's were thrown out of the window with frightening speed. Katie hid behind an annoyed Courtney as another item was thrown, while Tyler was crouching to avoid the random guitar.

"WHERE IS MY MP3 PLAYER?!?!" The girl screamed. She popped out of the cabin with veins popping from her neck. Her lack of sleep made her already short temper worse as she bore holes into the remaining members. Ezekiel walked behind them and was confused by the scene before him.

"Okay guys, whoever has the thing better give it back to her before she destroys the whole camp!" Courtney turned to her team.

"But it wasn't us."

"Uh...maybe it was not us at all-" Zeke was about to ask but Eva saw red upon seeing him.

"One of you must have stolen it!! I need my music! NO ONE is going anywhere until I get my MP3 player back! Especially you!" Eva snapped.

Then in one impulsive move, she threw a five pound dumbbell disk at astonishing speed. For most of the Killer Bass, they were able to avoid it in time. However, Zeke was still missing his hoodie from giving it to Bridgette a few nights ago. The disk slammed into his chest and forced him to skid across the grass. The smack made Bridgette, Katie, and Tyler yell in horror at the sheer volume of the sound. DJ was like a deer in headlights as Zeke gasped for any air before trembling with welled up tears. His hands hovered over his chest but didn't do any more as if he feared he would shatter. Heather walked by half dazed to the scene before her, and Bridgette finally ran to the homeschool's side to check him.

"Hey guys, what on earth happened here?" Heather smiled.

"Someone stole Eva's mp3 player." Courtney explained.

"Oh. You don't mean this, do you? I found it over by the campfire. You must have dropped it." Heather presented it to the team with an innocent looking smile, and Eva's temper seemed to dissipate immediately. She snatched it in a desperate manner and held it like the most valuable gem in the world.

"Thank you so much!" The brute girl thanked her.

"Sure thing." Heather shrugged before walking off. Eva heard a cough and turned to see the entire team look at her angrily or disapprovingly. 

"So um...sorry about the whole...destroying the cabin thing. Guess no one stole it after all." She tried to apologize only to see them glance down. Bridgette held Zeke by the shoulders as the homeschool was trying to breath with glassy eyes. The surfer chick glared at the brute girl before having a sympathetic look to the boy.

"He needs to go to the medical tent." She said to the team.

"I'll take him! I need to have my checkup anyways!" Tyler volunteered without a second thought. Careful not to move Zeke's chest too much, the jock held him in a buddy sling position and made a decent run towards the medical tent. Eva stared blankly at the homeschool's state and then back at her mp3 player.

"Okay...I went a little overboard."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Killer Bass sat around the campfire as Chris brought the plate of marshmallows. Ezekiel was hunched over alongside Tyler, who could look at him sympathetically as any effort to move made him whimper. Bridgette watched in the corner with sorrowful eyes, with any disdain for the homeschool boy permanently gone.

"You have all cast your votes and made your decision. When I call your name, come up and claim your marshmallow;

"Duncan. Bridgette." The two contestants took their marshmallows without another word.

"Courtney." The CIT girl speed walked to get her treat.

"Katie and Sadie." The girls tiredly hugged each other before taking the marshmallows.

"Tyler."

"DJ." 

"Geoff." The party dude threw the marshmallow into his mouth.

"Harold. And finally the last marshmallow..." Normally Chris would extend the suspense for entertainment purpose. But considering all of the campers were tired beyond comprehension, and one of them was clutching his chest in pain, he decided to speed it up this time.

"Goes to Ezekiel. Eva, the Dock of Shame is this way." The host gestured to the dock as the brute girl's eye twitch slightly.

"Nice! Who needs this stupid show anyway?!" She exclaimed. As she went past the host, she delivered a light kick that made him wince sharply.

"OW! Have a good night all of you, for you are safe for tonight."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Confessional: Courtney)

"See I told you. You can't act like a raging psychopath all of the time and just expect people to forgive you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Maybe take some anger management classes Eva." Courtney called out. Eva whipped around and threw a marshmallow stick with a ferocity that made it lodge in a tree. The other Bass members looked at the stick in fear.

"Touchy." Harold muttered.

Without any exchanged words, the brutish girl entered the boat and sped off into the distance. It was a quiet moment among the team until Ezekiel's whine caught the girls' attention.

"I'm...going to go get treated." He quietly muttered. He didn't catch Bridgette reaching out in worry as she watched him walk back to camp. DJ held her hand back and shook his head.

"He'll be okay." He reassured her. She hoped he would be right.

Chapter Text

After the announcement of Eva being voted out, everyone had retreated into their cabins to catch up on sleep. Meanwhile far closer to the woods a freckled boy had been laying in the creek's cold waters for hours. He stared at the stars as the icy currents brushed across his face and chest. His cheeks had lost their overwhelming heat an hour ago, but his heart still felt seconds away from jumping. Cody would have preferred to stay there all night if he didn't hear everyone heading to bed. He sighed and swallowed the last of the embarressment down coming out of the creek. Maybe it would be safe to head to bed. Sleep off the event and take the three days to calm himself. And perhaps no one will ask him about it presuming they didn't see anything. He wrung as much water out of his clothes and approached the cabins. A loud snore came from the Killer Bass cabin before it was cut off by a teenager exclaiming in pain.

"For the love of God Harold, be quiet!" Someone shouted but Cody couldn't tell who. The boy quickly shuffled closer to his cabin. Just a few more feet and this whole thing can be over.

"Hey." A voice on the edge of sarcasm and uneasiness approached from behind.

"Gah!" Cody exclaimed before slapping his mouth shut, his heart skipping two beat as he noticed a certain cynic leaning against the cabin stairs. The nerd didn't look amused by the geek's near heart attack. "Jesus Christ dude!"

"Where have you been? I have been waiting for several hours." Noah rolled his eyes as he used a seagull feather to bookmark his novel. The freckled boy looked everywhere for a possible escape. The situation was already feeling uncomfortable, but there was no one in sight. What could he possibly say that would ease the tension? Would the cynic even like the truthful answer? Would he pick up on a lie? Cody decided to go for a lie that felt closer to how he has presented himself.

"Oh you know...talking to some girls. Practicing some one liners to try on Gwen. I wonder if she'll like them." He smirked and made some finger guns. Noah scanned up and down the geek's body which made his smile falter.

"You know if you're going to lie, try not to have a physical indicator that gives you away. You are soaking wet."

"I was swimming?" Cody felt his stomach drop at how quickly his lie was uncovered.

"And all of the girls are sleeping." The nerd added and Cody sighed in defeat. There really was no way to avoid this conversation.

"Look if this is about the whole incident from this morning, I wasn't going to say anything. I have been avoiding everyone all day in case it was brought up. So if you don't want to say anything about it, then we can-" Cody started but stopped at Noah jabbing the book in his chest.

"What do you know happened?" Noah cut in with any indication of playing along completely gone. His brown eyes stared at Cody as if he was planning to burn holes through him.

"Aren't the cameras on? This could be caught on film if we..." Cody looked around to see if anyone was watching.

"Do not dodge the question Anderson. What do you know?" Noah repeated more firmly. Cody blinked in surprise before signing in resignation. He might as well just rip the metaphorical band aid off.

"I remember everyone doing the challenge and then you fell asleep. You had your book in your hands and I decided-"

"I can figure that out." Noah cut in.

"You going to let me finish?" When Noah responded with a frown but didn't say anything else, Cody continued, "I decided to read your book for a while. And then I fell asleep. And then I woke up to the sound of you screaming. I'm sorry for hitting your head by the way." Cody finished explaining. Noah didn't seem to believe him as he close enough to wedge the boy again the stair rails. 

"Are you sure?"

"Well, I kind of pieced together why you screamed. And...I am not weirded out by it." Cody finished by glancing away. The answer seemed to stun the nerd out of his interrogation. He took a step back, nearly falling backwards in the process. His eyes were wide as he processed what the geek said.

"You're not?" Noah asked.

"Well, I can't really say it was your fault. We were naturally close together, so I guess the possibility was always there. It did kind of catch me off guard but I'm not going to get on your case on it."

"Huh. You are either really naïve or really stupid..." The nerd sighed in relief, which only made Cody more confused.

"Why do you say that? Would you want me to be on your case about it?" The freckled boy tilted his head.

"No. Everyone is going to be against each other at some point in the competition. Anyone will gain advantage if they get even a tiny fragment of gossip about another person. The fact that you are willing to drop this at all and not blackmail me...it surprises me is all." Noah felt unsure of how to continue, his hands gripping around the book tightly.

"Dude, I am really okay about it. I am not the type for that kind of stuff. I cannot even make a good lie on the spot," Cody jabbed at his chest, and it looked like Noah smirked for a second, "If you want to leave it at that then we will. But if makes you feel better, I don't the others would find a big deal at all."

"Oh yeah? And why do you think so, Anderson?" Noah raised his eyebrow curiously.

"Who would be rude enough to make a big deal about boys cuddling in their sleep?" Cody countered the nerd. There seemed to be uncomfortable silence as the stared at each other.

"Cuddling?" Noah repeated.

"Yeah. We were cuddling each other in our sleep. Honestly, it was nice. But if it really bothers you that much, I won't bring it up." Cody put up his hand to imitate some kind of oath.

"Is...is that really all you know?" The nerd's eyebrows raised in disbelief.

"Uh yeah? What else would you have done?" Cody was getting really confused as the nerd seemed to avoid eye contact and murmuring to himself. He repeated an incomprehensive sentence repeatedly while staring at the floorboards. He was about to open the door when Noah looked back up.

"Wait," Cody stopped and looked back, "Let's just move on from this. Don't bring it up to anyone and we move to the competition. Got it?"

"Cool." Cody agreed with a double thumbs up. He quietly opened the door as Noah went back to reading the book. "Hey man."

"Hm?"

"Do you mind if I read that book after you're done? I really like the story." Cody asked. Noah's head perked up but did not turn around.

"The Count of Monte Cristo? Didn't think you would be the type of guy to like it." Noah's head perked up but did not turn around.

"Is that a no?"

"...I'll think about it. See you in the morning." Noah spoke softly before returning to the book.

"Good night Noah." Cody closed the door and flopped onto his own bed. He didn't know when the nerd decided to come in for bed, but he was long asleep with his mind and heart finally calmed down.

Chapter Text

It was early in the morning for all of the contestants, with the Screaming Gophers chatting happily to each other. Owen snickered about a joke while inhaling their moist oatmeal, Justin showing off his smooth skin to a flustered Beth, and Cody making references that made Noah smirk for a second. Heather glanced back at their opponent team with a smug smirk at their sorry state. Most of the Killer Bass had either fallen asleep into their oatmeal slop or barely stayed awake with horribly deep eye bags. Duncan in particular looked a few seconds away from snapping a neck to silence the noise.

"Duncan! You look like crap, dude!" Chris nudged the delinquent's shoulder with a smile. The boy rolled his head to the side and halfheartedly bared his teeth.

"Stuff it old man." He spat before rolling back to stare at the floor.

"Sheesh, what's gotten all of you so snappy? I told you to get some sleep." Chris had to bite back his disgust at being called old.

"We tried! But Harold snored all night." Courtney whined biting back a yawn. Katie and Sadie nodded in agreement as they slowly leaned against each other. Chris rubbed his head as laughter came out impulsively, which only further angered the exhausted Duncan.

"Oh wow! Four nights with no sleep! How much are you hurting bud?" The host laughed.

"Do you really want to find out?!" Duncan snapped and all of the Killer Bass instinctively retreated under their table. Chris put his hand against the teen's face to further stop any potential fighting. 

"No no, it's cool. It's all cool."

Suddenly, the door slams open startling everyone both sleeping and chatting. Harold walked into the main lodge with confidence unaware of the inked out mustache across his upper lip. The Gopher team stared at the boy for a minute before snickering at the look. The Bass team couldn't help themselves and devolved into a sleepy laughter, confusing the ginger dweeb even more.

"Okay, what are you all laughing at?!" Harold exclaimed.

"Someone messed with your face, dude. Look." Geoff pointed to Harold's face with a tired smirk. Katie opened a personal mirror and tilted enough for the boy to see his face. Most of the team expected him to be embarrassed by the look, but he only smiled and poked at the work.

"Hey...whoever did it has great tracing." He murmured.

"Hey, Gwen's here!!" Cody sprang from his seat as the goth stumbled into the lodge. The rest of the Gopher's erupted into cheers and clapped for the girl flopping between Lindsay and Justin, with the blonde absentmindedly asking why everyone was clapping. Courtney glared at the celebrating team and started to chew faster to drown out the noise.

"I am so tired. I cannot feel my face." Gwen muttered in a pain filled whisper as she plopped against the table.

"But you got sleep. You should be all good." Beth spoke up.

"With how long she has been up, twenty-four hours is not nearly enough to recover from the severe insomnia." Noah pointed it out to her and quickly moved as the goth brushed her bowl of oatmeal aside.

"Please just keep it down for a while." Gwen whined holding her head.

"We got you Gwen. Just take it easy." Trent comforted her with a small squeeze on the shoulder. Beth felt an impatient tapping on her shoulder and turned to see Heather towering over her. The mean girl grabbed her arm and dragged her to the other table corner with Lindsay before either could say anything.

"So, let’s go over the rules one more time. Number one, I am the captain of this alliance, so I get to make the rules. Number two…?" Heather listed the rules, and looked at Lindsay for her to finish the sentence. The blonde pondered for a moment before smiling.

"Breaking the rules can result in getting kicked out of the alliance?"

"Good. Number three, I can borrow any of your stuff without asking, but my stuff is strictly off limits." Heather finished the rules and the other two girls gave unsure glances.

"Um. I don't know about that last one. Doesn't that seem unfair?" Lindsay spoke up, but Heather gave a simple smirk and shrugged.

"That’s cool. I can change it. I can also find someone else to take to the final three with me." The two girls immediately shook their heads and gave in to the Asian girl's demands. Satisfied, she turned to the Killer Bass and stared Courtney down. "Good. Now watch this...hey cod brains! Way to kick out your strongest player this early in the game! Why don’t you just give up now and save us all the trouble?"

Courtney's eye twitched as she scooped a large amount of oatmeal and chucked it like a catapult. Heather moved to the side, letting the slop slap into Gwen's face. The gross food dripped in chunks like vomit, but the goth didn't have the energy to move or talk more than necessary.

"Missed me." Heather smiled.

"Ow." Gwen murmured in a dead tone.

"Okay campers, listen up! Your next challenge begins in ten minutes! And be prepared to bring it!" Chris interrupted while pointing at his watch. The sleepy Bass team snapped wide awake while half of the Gophers seem confused.

"Wait hold up. I thought challenges occur every three days! You advertised the show as that!" DJ raised his hand.

"Originally yes. But some of you had stayed awake for so long, that now we are running behind schedule. We are going to have speed things up for the next few days. Now get ready in ten minutes!" Chris explained before leaving the main lodge.

"This cannot be good." Trent murmured while removing oatmeal chunks from the unconscious Gwen.

After each teenager hastily finished their breakfast, they followed Chef around the beach line. Noah had already grabbed his book between eating and meeting with his team, and Lindsay glanced over at Tyler with a friendly wave with the jock returned. Gwen had to be partially carried by Owen during the first half of the walk, while Duncan was too tired to catch up and dragged behind. To everyone's shock, a glass cube was covering a chunk of the beach away from the main camp. Within the cube were built in benches similar to the ones associated with high school gyms, and a well polished wooden floor with sketched out red lines. Above each side of the benches were the team's respective flags proudly showing off their colors. After a few minutes of marveling at the structure and Chef changing into a referee outfit, Duncan tiredly burst through the door and slumped against the bleachers.

"Wake me up, and it’ll be the last thing you do." He glared at each of his team members as sleep quickly overtook him, and he was out before anyone said anything. Courtney rolled her eyes before getting into Harold's face.

"This is all your fault, you know! You and your stupid snoring face!" She exclaimed pointing into his glasses. The dweeb was unfazed, however, and just pressed his face even further into hers.

"How many times do I have to say it? It is called A MEDICAL CONDITION. GOSH!!" She grimaced in disgust as spit got on her. Everyone calmed down as Chef blared a whistle by Chris's side. The host played with a dodgeball as he looked towards each teen.

"Today’s challenge is the classic game of dodgeball. The first rule of dodgeball is…" He started.

"Do not talk about dodgeball?" Noah interrupted with a smirk. Owen seemed to chuckle, though it was mostly out of nervousness over everyone eyeing the nerd, and by extension himself who chose to be by his side, suspiciously.

"Wait, how do you know that movie? Isn't that an R-rated movie?" Cody approached him curious over the reference.

"How do you know it is a R-rated movie Anderson?" Noah raised his brows and the freckled geek started to stumble over his words. Courtney and Lindsay looked confused at the two boys before Cody retreated behind Gwen and Owen.

"As I was saying…if you get hit with the ball then you are out of the round." To bring up the point Chris threw the dodgeball into Courtney's stomach, making her stumble a few inches. Some of the contestants chuckled as the girl gasped and glared harshly at the host.

"Oof! Ow! You can’t do that!" She threw the ball hard towards the host, hoping to hit him back. To her displeasure, the man caught the ball with ease and moved on to the conversation.

"Yes I can! If you catch the ball, the thrower gets sent out and the catcher gets to bring in another team member out on the court."

"So our task is throwing each others' balls around. Gee, another mentally challenging test." Noah said sarcastically.

"I know, right?" Lindsay said in a mournful manner. The cynic's eyebrows raised and Owen glanced at him sharing the awkward energy. Nobody knew whether the blonde was kidding at this point or not.

"Okay now Geoff, try to hit me." Chris threw a dodgeball over to the party teen. The boy looked a little too happy as he prepared to throw it back to the host, "If you’re holding a ball, you can use it to deflect a ball, but if it knocks the ball out of your hands, you’re out."

"So what do I do if the ball is coming at me again?" Lindsay asked as the ball was thrown.

"You dodge!" Chris said harshly as he smacked the incoming ball with another ball. Unfortunately, the rebound made the ball crash directly into her face. She landed with a hard smack which earned several gasps and oohs from the other teenagers. Chris shared the sentiment as he cringed at the impacting sound. "OH! Lindsay, you were supposed. To DODGE."

"Right...sorry." Lindsay groaned as a bruise started to form across her forehead.

"Wait a minute. Where is Ezekiel?" Bridgette glanced around the crowed quickly noticing the homeschool boy was still missing.

"The interns at the medical tent said that Eva's dumbbell did more damage than we thought. So he's not available for this challenge in order to recover." Chris explained with a nonchalant tone, completely ignoring how the surfer girl's face paled. She looked past the clear walls in the general direction of the medical tent. Courtney caught her stare and rolled her eyes with a scoff.

"Why are you so worried? You were mad just like the rest of us for what he said." The CIT girl said.

"That doesn't mean I want his ribcage crushed by dumbbells!" To the Bass's surprise, Bridgette whipped around with a angry glare. Before the two girls could get closer to each other, DJ and Tyler held them back until the surfer calmed down enough to turn to the host.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Confessional: Bridgette)

"The lack of empathy coming from my team is concerning. Aside from DJ and Katie, no one seems to be concerned about Zeke's potential broken bones. And I...I saw he left me the hoodie during the previous challenge. Even after everything. I'm still hurt, but I almost feel like this has gone on long enough. Maybe I should give him a visit. Talk things out. Mother Earth knows he probably needs it right now."

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"Interrupting now! You have one minute until game time. Gophers, in order to make things fair to the Bass, you’ll have to sit one person out each game." Chris and Chef were quickly setting up the court as the teams took their respective spots under the banners.

"Okay. The Killer Bass are going to be trying extra hard to beat us. And obviously I'll be team captain. So who wants to sit out with sleeping beauty over here?" Heather pointed towards the bleaching with a braindead Gwen leaning against them. Most of the team seemed to be indifferent on whether to bench until Noah nonchalantly raised his hands. He sat by Gwen's side and already opened his book to an available page.

"If you insist, then I'll volunteer. Let's see you keeners get on out there and dodge." To add insult to injury the nerd made finger guns and imitated a gun shooting noise. Leshawna watched as Justin, Cody, Izzy, and Trent joined the rest of the benched members.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Confessional: Leshawna)

"What is string bean doing? We are supposed to be a team here, and half of ours are benching themselves. I can't blame Gwen though. I swear if that nerd doesn't explain himself or step up, he's going to wish he did."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

For the first round of dodgeball, the Gopher's team was consisting of Heather, Leshawna, Beth, Lindsay, and Owen. Meanwhile the Bass team had Courtney, Tyler, Harold, Katie, and DJ watching them competitively. Chef sat on an elevated seat as acting coach while Chris was the commentator below him.

"Bring it on, minnows. Otherwise, winning three in a row will just be embarrassing on all sides." Heather taunted the Killer Bass, and Leshawna wanted to strangle her. If the enemy team wants to take them down more than ever, than you should not taunt them any further!!

"Oh! You’re going down! We’re gonna bring the dinner to the table, and then we’re gonna eat it!" Tyler shouted in response. All of his team caught on to his horribly translated phase and could only slap themselves.

"Both teams ready? Best of five games wins! Let’s dodge some balls!" Chris announced the start of the game and Chef blew the whistle.

Beth decided to go first and throw the ball towards Tyler, but he dodged and glared at her. She gulped as the jock spun in place and randomly released the ball, but he only managed to hit Sadie cheering them on from the bleachers. The preppy glared at him harshly as Chris chuckled.

"That’ll smear the makeup." The host smiled.

"Nice. Very nice. Now let’s see if you can hit someone on THEIR team!" Courtney shoved the ball into the jock and proceeded to yell the last two words in frustration. In the midst of the tense scene, no one predicted Owen charging forward and throwing a dodgeball into Tyler's stomach. The boy was pushed with such intense energy that he collided against the opposing wall several feet behind. The boy gasped for air and clutched his stomach tightly while slumped against the wall.

"Ow! Darn it! Right in the bruise too!" He winced in pain with tears welling up.

"Is he okay?" Lindsay put her ball down beginning to approach the wounded jock. However, Heather harshly pulled her long hair and shoved the ball back into her.

"Focus Lindsay! Forget about him!" The mean girl shouted, startling the girl to drop the dodgeball again. Chef blew the whistle signaling the jock was out of the round. Tyler clutched his stomach as Geoff gently guided him down, and Sadie couldn't help the smirk from the boy's karma.

"Time to unleash my wicked skills." Harold came up next full of confidence, though it seemed to wane when Leshawna stepped in as well.

"Bring it on string bean! I've been waiting to get you back for that "big" comment!" She challenged him. He winced at her remembering the awkward interaction when they first came to the island, and then started to imitate fancy ninja poses. After a few seconds he yelled and slammed the ball, but the object rebounded in a awkward vertical allowing Leshawna to grab it easily. She glared at him and the tension in the court felt freezing. Harold had sweat dripping as he let out a high pitched scream before the ball slammed into the back of his head. He slid across the slick floor and collided against the clear walls. Chris cringed at the collision and the Screaming Gophers all cheered on their teammate as Harold was declared out.

"And that's how we roll!" Leshawna pumped herself up.

"Can someone remind me what I'm supposed to do with this again?" Lindsay asked her team before a ball thrown by a competitive Katie slammed into her face. Chef blew the whistle as Courtney and DJ high-fived the girl. Lindsay clutched her swollen cheek and glanced at the benched Killer Bass, briefly smiling at Tyler giving her a thumbs up. Unfortunately Heather caught sight of the interaction and threw a ball into the jock's unmentionables, causing him to jolt from the pain. Though he seemed to recover quickly when Lindsay made a horrified gasp.

"What the heck was that?! Ref, he was not even on the court!" Courtney exclaimed while glaring at Chef. When the mean girl shrugged, the CIT girl got angry enough to impulsively throw the ball only for Owen to catch it in time. Chef blew the whistle calling for a disappointed Courtney to return to the benches. Heather laughed only for Chef to blow a whistle at her too.

"Disqualified for off bench attacking! Someone switch out!!" Chef declared. Heather wanted to snap back until Chef's glare made her clam up. She stomped over to the benches and looked over to her team.

"Well you heard him. Get up goth girl, you are going up." She pointed to Gwen. Noah had looked up from his book to raise a brow.

"Send the one who is so tired, she has no functional brain cells. You are such a genius." He spoke up.

"Well someone has to." Heather scoffed.

"Then send someone who hasn't been useful yet." Noah took a jab at Justin. The pretty boy looked around to see who had outed him before returning back to his mirror. Heather narrowed her eyes and made a slimy smile.

"Good idea Noah. Get up there now."

The nerd was shocked to feel Heather harshly pull him by the arms, forcing to drop his perfectly good book on the dirty floor. His stomach squirmed at the sight along with a flickering hatred towards the mean girl. He managed to swallow it down as he approached the court, knowing very well he was going to suck. He was a sports guy at all. Suddenly a hand gripped his arm, and he was ready to see Heather's ugly face again only to see Cody's bright blue eyes and freckled face.

"Hey uh...I can take over for you. I'm actually pretty good at dodgeball." Cody smiled with an innocent confidence.

"Really? Mister Hotshot wants to impress the ladies?" Noah raised a brow.

"No! Well maybe a little bit...not the point though! I'm good at dodging things thrown at me, so let me take over. I've even put your book higher on the benches so Heather won't bother you!" Noah glanced over at the benches to see Cody did keep his word. The book was placed higher right above Gwen's placement, conveniently away from Heather and Justin. Cody hopped in place as he waited for an answer, which only grew more joyful when the cynical nerd sighed in resignation.

"Alright Anderson. Show them your skills."

Heather was displeased to not only see Noah return to the benches, but going higher to avoid her orders. She resorted to tapping her foot impatiently as the first round went on. Beth had gotten hit in the back of the head by DJ, while Katie managed to hit Owen hard enough to make flop backwards. The Jamaican swept the girl in his girls, making her cheer them on. Sadie looked on sadly as Katie didn't look her way and turned to last two Gophers standing. The two nodded and converged on Leshawna, with the Gopher managing to block the first ball but left herself open to a ball in her gut. She huffed in defeat as Cody was the last one standing. He gulped nervously as the Bass members grabbed their balls.

"It is an easy out, guys. Just hit him good." Courtney called out to her team members.

Cody controlled his breathing and made a weird hand motion to imitate a frame. He threw the ball past DJ's side only for the ball to make a sharp curve backwards, hitting the Jamaican in the butt. The Killer Bass and Gophers watched in surprise as Chef blew the whistle. Katie shook out of her surprise and threw her ball but the geek ducked out of the way. He smirked and rubbed the ball rapidly against his shirt, causing the projectile to buzz with electricity. He threw it and Katie tried to dodge only for the ball to follow her. The Bass could only watch as the ball propelled her into the wall. Chef blew the final whistle to indicate the Gopher's winning.

"Oh come on!" Courtney called out in dismay.

"Hey," Cody halted his cheering to turn to a wincing but still smiling Katie, "Good game Cody."

"Thanks!" The geek smiled exposing his tooth gap.

"Katie! Are you okay?! Do I need to check for bruises!? Tell me what hurts!" Sadie ran up to her friend and checked her arms and face. However, Katie's smile dropped and held her friend's hands firmly.

"Sadie, I am fine. Really." Katie said reassuringly.

"But you got hit!" Sadie argued.

"That is the meaning of dodgeball. I'll be okay, I promise." The girls shared no more words as they sat back down on the bench.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Confessional: Courtney)

"We are so sucking right now! Okay so Eva was a psycho! But at least she was an ATHLETIC psycho who knew her strength! If I knew that this would be our next challenge, I would've told everyone to vote off Zeke instead!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Guys, we can do this. We just have to believe in ourselves!" Harold tried to give a speech to the Killer Bass during the intermission. His team did not look inspired and Courtney gave a killer glare at the dweeb.

"I believe. I believe you SUCK!" She shouted at him. "I mean seriously, what the heck was that on the court?! You do all those fancy moves but can't get a ball to move more than three inches!"

"You threw like a girl." Tyler added in but felt nervous by the glares he received, "I-I mean the bad kind. Katie did great." Katie stopped glaring with a proud smile from her performance, even if they inevitably lost.

"You don't have the right to talk smack Tyler. You weren't much better." Courtney interjected.

"It was a warm up throw. I promise you that I can dominate this game. Just give all of the balls to me. Please?" The jock pleaded to the others. Sadie did not look convinced and even shook her head at Katie. Geoff and DJ remained neutral while waiting for Courtney's output. The CIT girl wanted to keep arguing but seemed to give in to the genuine look in the jock's eyes.

"Alright fine. Just try to hit the people on the other side, okay?"

On the Gopher's side, Trent and Izzy were already chosen to be on the next team. Leshawna had cooled off and put Gwen on her side for some proper sleep, and Noah continued to read from his book. Or at least he would be if Heather wasn't continuously grabbing his book.

"I'm serious Noah. You better go up there now." Heather hissed.

"I don't know. I mean you guys were doing a well enough job on your own. I don't want to mess with your streak, so if you don't mind..." He didn't finish before swiping the book and going higher on the bleachers. Heather grew more pissed when Justin waved his hand and approached Lindsay, Beth, and Owen.

"I had just recently gotten a facial treatment and can't risk it being cracked right now. Could you be darlings and take over for me instead?" He charmed the girls by shining his smile and eyes. Beth turned red in the face as she rushed to the court. Lindsay blushed and clutched her cheek as she quietly joined the group. Owen looked like he had stars in his eyes as he jogged to the court.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Confessional: Noah)

"Complete bovine excrement," Noah said to avoid swearing, "There isn't a salon around here for miles. Justin is a complete piece of work that is wasting everyone's time. And that is what is needed right now." He finished with a smirk.

(Confessional: Owen)

"There are two syllables for hot; Jus- and -Tin! That man is so hot I could kiss him!" Owen turned beet red as he backed against the camera, "B-Because he is a good teammate! That's why! God, what is wrong with me?!"

(Confessional: Leshawna)

"I need an explanation from that bookworm. NOW." Leshawna glared as she walked out of the confessional.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the teams met up on the court, Leshawna snatched the book from Noah's hands. She was unfazed by the nerd's glare as she sat down with the book a fair distance from them.

"What are you doing? We are supposed to be a team and you're too busy reading a novel." She whispered to not catch Heather's attention.

"I know that." Noah nodded.

"If you keep this up, everyone here will be gunning to take you out. And I'm reaching that limit as well." She continued. However, she was surprised when Noah smirked and reached over to grab his book.

"I know what I'm doing. You just need to play the part."

"How can I trust you at this point?" Leshawna still questioned him.

"I told you I keep up with everyone's weaknesses. That includes Heathers. And she is about to make an impulsive decision." Noah murmured returning to his book.

"What do you mean?" Leshawna raised her eyebrow. Noah smiled and gestured her to watch the round.

The second round of Screaming Gophers were comprised of Trent, Izzy, Beth, Lindsay, and Owen. The Killer Bass team were comprised of Bridgette, Geoff, Tyler, Katie, and Sadie with Tyler holding all of the team's dodgeballs. The jock started to spin around and release each ball randomly. One ball landed roughly in Chef's lap, and one flew by Chris's face which the host voiced his hostility to the teenager. One ball was flying toward the benched Gophers, and they all hit the deck to avoid the projectile. The last ball went at blinding speed into Lindsay's face and the jock's face paled. Chef blew the whistle indicating her being out.

"Oh my god! Lindsay I'm so sorry!!" Tyler yelled as he ran towards her.

"Freaking finally!" Courtney yelled to the ceiling. Tyler ignored his team calling him as he gently clutched Lindsay's hands, helping the groaning girl stand up as she hung her head.

"Ow...Tyler? Oh my gosh my face. H-How is my face?" She lifted her head towards Tyler. The jock's mouth gaped open but he closed it quickly to avoid hurting her feelings. Her face was starting to swell at the jaw, with the sides of her cheeks turning a light blue from colliding against the floor. Her forehead had a large dark red marking that spread down to her nose. The worst injury was her blackened right eye, which had swelled to the point of blocking her sight. The girl tried to force her eye open but tears began to well when she did.

"Don't do that. It will make it worse." Tyler murmured clutching her bruised cheek.

"Oh it is bad, isn't it?" Lindsay's voice quivered.

"We can get it healed and everything will be alright. And besides, you still look beautiful regardless." Tyler comforted her, while glancing at Trent at the same time. The musician looked at his ball and the jock repeatedly before quickly getting the message. He nodded and slowly approached the jock.

"Really?" Lindsay's eye shone through the bruises.

"Yeah. Really." Tyler smiled as Trent gently threw the ball where it bonked him on the head. Chef blew the whistle for Tyler to be out, and Katie and Sadie couldn't help but awe at the adorable scene before them. Courtney gawked and slapped her forehead while Heather gasped at the teenagers. "You want me to help you get that treated?"

"Okay!" Lindsay shouted without hesitation. The two dimwitted teens held each other's hands as they left the court.

"Get back here Lindsay! You are so close to being out of this alliance! Lindsay! LINDSAY! Turn around when I'm talking to you!" Heather looked ready to blow a fuse as the blonde vanished into the campgrounds.

"Jeez easy there Rina Bacon. She's just going to get her face treated." Leshawna sighed.

"When she is with HIM it is a problem! Lindsay! Lindsay!" Heather spat back. The mean girl's face went red as she burst through the doors to chase after her alliance teammate. Nobody seemed to care about her leaving as Leshawna growled under her breath.

"At least she's gone." She sighed, but was surprised to see Noah put down his book and stand in her place. His expression was no longer filled an apathetic energy, but a focused and chill air as he looked at the team. "Bookworm?"

"Hey big guy," he called out to Owen who looked seconds away from becoming mad, "So the Killer Bass have repeatedly hit our poor teammate several times! And they are going to keep doing it until everyone is black and blue! And Lindsay was close to crying. Are you going to let them get away with that?"

"That. Is. IT!! GAME ON BASS!" Owen's face went red with rage as he grabbed each ball from the other Gopher members. He threw the first hard enough to push Katie and Sadie simultaneously to the ground, the second ball hit Bridgette hard enough to make her ears ring, and the last ball made a comically loud slap against Geoff's cheek.

"Oh wow. I have got to see that in rewind." Chris chuckled.

"Holy shit! He dropped it like it was hot!" Leshawna rotated between cheering and laughing at Owen's sudden competitiveness. "I see what you're doing now bookworm."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Noah rolled his eyes as the Gophers cheered on Owen, who sheepishly comments on how out of nowhere that was.

"I'm sure you don't." Leshawna smirked but said nothing else.

"So that is now 2-0 for us. It is no use isn't it?" Harold murmured.

"It is not over yet guys!" Courtney encourage her team while also putting Harold in a headlock.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Confessional: Courtney)

"It is so over." She sighed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile on the other side of camp, Tyler held Lindsay's hand comfortingly as an intern gently touched her face. The blonde winced as the largest bruise was given peroxide for any potential scrapes. No one said anything in the comforting silence as bandages were wrapped around her forehead.

"There. You should be good to go Lindsay." The intern, Lydia, smiled with a thumbs up.

"Is it over?" Lindsay asked briefly touching her face.

"The bruises will recover in a couple of days, but you need to not damage them any further. The more they are damaged, then the worse they will get. And that goes for you too dude!" She finished by pointing at Tyler referencing his own bruise.

"I'm sorry okay! I was slammed!" The jock apologized.

"You should be! I cannot spend the entire summer tending to one teenager!" The intern huffed in a lighthearted manner. As she turned to put the medicine on the counter, the two teenagers glanced at one another nervously.

"So...thanks for checking on me." The blonde thanked the jock, whose eyes began to shine.

"It's no problem. I'm sorry for, uh, throwing the ball at you." Tyler rubbed his head nervously.

"It's alright! You didn't mean it...right?"

"No! I would never! You are the nicest girl I have met at this camp! But I have to admit this isn't the worst thing I have done to someone." Tyler glanced away in embarressment, making Lindsay tilt her head curiously.

"Really? How so?"

"Never invite me to a petting zoo. If I see a bird, then I'll start squawking like one!" The jock stated blankly but his voice felt teasing. The blonde chuckled lightly as they shared the comfortable silence. Suddenly, the tent's opening flew open as a livid Heather showed her face. Lindsay felt sweat flow down her face while Tyler looked more confused than ever.

"What are you doing?! This is SO against the rules!" The mean girl glared as if she was ready to kill.

"I'm sorry Heather. But I couldn't...or I did not...um..." Lindsay tried to defend herself but stammered as her leader quickly grew closer. Tyler wrapped a arm around her which only seemed to make the mean girl angrier.

"Hey chill out! Your teammate needed some help! Is it bad to want to help someone?" Tyler snipped at her.

"It IS when it's you! She has no business being anywhere near you." Heather snapped back as she circled around him slapping at his hand. Tyler simply held her hand instead causing Lindsay to lightly blush at the gesture.

"Maybe not. But you definitely have no business being in here either." He countered. Heather seemed to be taken aback from the comeback, her fists tightening as she grabbed a medicine box. She threw it hard enough to bounce off of his head, and he shouted in pain but still refused to let go of Lindsay's hand. Heather was ready to grab something else until a pinch on her neck made her stop. Her muscles tensed and she couldn't move as Lydia came from her side. The intern had a hardened look as she glared into Heather eyes, tugging the hair with enough force to bring her outside of the tent.

"If you are done with your tantrum, how about you head on back to the challenge and not waste my time? I don't need some preppy girl throwing around hundreds of dollars worth of equipment. You two head out as well. I have already tended to you." Tyler and Lindsay exited the medical tent with silent nods as the three headed back to the dodgeball court. Heather took the opportunity to grab Lindsay's hand and walk faster to get away from the jock, though she failed to notice the two waving at each other with red faces.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Killer Bass team were grouped up together on their benches, while the Gophers were busy tending to each other's bruises and Noah conversing with Leshawna. Courtney gripped her hair as looked to each of her teammates. "Okay, this is really bad. If we lose one more game then we lose the challenge. AGAIN! I am not going to see us lose for the third time!"

"But none of us are strong enough to bring our team back. Katie is good at the game, but I don't think she can hold all of us up." Bridgette answered honestly but Katie didn't seem to be offended.

"So we need to find someone who is strong and mean enough to crush those Gophers into the ground!" As soon as Courtney finished she glanced over at the sleeping Duncan. The rest of the Killer Bass paled looking at the delinquent.

"I don't know about this. The guy already seemed pissed this morning." DJ spoke against the idea of waking the sleepy teen.

"Oh come on, it is not like he is going to kill us. He wants to win too after all." Courtney rolled her eyes.

"Courtney has a fair point. Duncan has enough fierceness to win the game for us." Harold pumped his fist in determination.

"Glad to know you agree, Harold. Wake him up." Courtney suddenly pushed the boy closer to the delinquent.

"What?! Why me?"

"Because other than Tyler, you are the worst at dodgeball. And if he does kill you, then you are the only one we can afford to lose." Courtney explained. Harold shoved himself back into her as he backed away from the benches.

"I am not doing it!" He clutched his chest.

"Harold so help me, I will force you onto the court with no dodgeballs so you will get pummeled! Wake. Him. UP." Courtney threatened him with a cold stare that he finally caved in and approached Duncan's sleeping form. He tapped the teen's forehead several times before doing a deep poke at the cheek. Suddenly he gasped as his hand was held in a crushing grip, the now awake Duncan glaring daggers into his soul.

"You BETTER have a good reason for waking me up freak." The delinquent said threateningly quiet. Before he could corner the dweeb teenager, Courtney wedged herself and stared him dead in the eyes.

"Look, I understand that you need a little bit of sleep. Especially because of him," she paused to point at a cowering Harold, "But our team is down by two rounds. We need your help." 

"Oh yeah? Why should I even help you darling?" Duncan mocked the CIT, to which the girl returned the mocking look that made him wince.

"Because I can personally guarantee that if we lose this challenge, you will be the one going home. Darling." She added on the last word to rub it in. Duncan's shoulders slumped as the vague threat was taken into consideration.

"Fine. I'll play. But you all must do whatever I say with no questions." He stopped to see all of the Killer Bass nod in agreement, "Okay. There is this strategy I picked up from my first visit at juvie. We liked to call it "Rush the New Guy."

Back over to the Gopher's benches, Noah looked over his teammates to pick the next members. Leshawna had offered to join the court along with a very enthusiastic Izzy, but Justin was still adjusting his hair and adjusting his clothing.

"Alright Justin, go out." Noah called out to the model teen. Justin seemed to look unsure as he looked over to the rest of the benched Gophers.

"Um, can't you call out someone else? Like Cody or Trent?" The teens in question glanced over for a brief moment.

"You are the only one that hasn't played yet, and I can't risk having our most valuable assets gone too early. Besides, don't you want to impress your adoring fans?" Noah cringed as he glanced at Owen and Beth on the court.

"But my face." Justin blanked.

"Looks are not everything. Get out there." 

"I am not-"

"Will you just go already? I'm trying to sleep." Gwen snapped with her eyes still closed. The model teen fidgeted nervously as he joined the court, but not before sending a glare towards a apathetic Noah watching the scene.

The third round had DJ, Katie, Geoff, Duncan, and Courtney for the Bass team while the Gophers had Izzy, Beth, Leshawna, Owen, and Justin. While the Gophers seemed to have pleased smiles as they handled their dodgeballs, every Killer Bass member had hardened stares as they just stood in place. Chef blew the whistle and each Gopher threw as hard as they could. To their surprise, all of the Bass members dodged with ease until every one had all of the dodgeballs. The Gophers grew scared as the Bass grinned and threw their dodgeballs at once, with every projectile pounding into Owen like a gatling gun. The big teen saw stars as he flopped against the floor, and the whistle was blown to signal him out. The Bass cheered themselves on with Duncan looking like a coach secretly proud of his students.

The next four outs on the Gophers happened in less than five minutes. Leshawna tried to duck out of the way only to receive two balls to the face, which resulted in her laying on the floor for a few minutes. Izzy and Beth stood in shock from the turn of events, which led to them being easily out. Justin was sweaty in the face as he tried to find some way to flee, but the balls were too fast and repeatedly assaulted his face. He yelled in distraught as he ran to the bleachers to retrieve his mirror. Upon seeing the scrapes and minor bruises, he started to hastily clean himself.

"The Killer Bass win their first round! Careful Gophers! You might need to actually work this time!" Chris laughed.

"Okay. That was a bit of a flub." Leshawna groaned with her bruised head. "What's the plan Noah?"

"We need to try again," Noah said and gestured to the others, "Come on people. We need a little more effort."

"Count me out! Look what you did to my beautiful face!" Justin shouted poking at his cheeks. Gwen's face cringed while asleep while the Bass were quickly returning to the court. "Owen, Beth, be dears and take over for me!"

"But we already went." Both of the teenagers groaned.

"I cannot be seen on national tv like this!!" The model argued.

"Fine. Leshawna, Owen, Beth, Trent, and Izzy will be up. But get your act together man." Noah rolled his eyes successfully suppressing the smirk threatening to spill. Justin glared harshly as he repeatedly murmured while tending to his face. The fourth round was not much better with half of the Gophers being taken out within three minutes. The cynical nerd could feel the tense atmosphere as Justin's complaining was quickly getting on Gwen's nerves, and Cody seemed to scratch his arms nervously. The door to the court thrust open as Heather was dragging a saddened Lindsay by the arm. Noah quickly retreated to the bleaches and pointed at Cody for his book, to which the geek handed it without a word. He flipped to a random page and leaned against the seat.

"Now sit down and stay there." Heather ordered Lindsay who sadly complied before turning to the book reading nerd, "How are we doing?" She asked with perfect timing as the Bass's methods sent Beth flying into the wall. Despite not looking up from his book, Noah could sense the horror on the mean girl's face and was soaking it up.

"Sports. Not my forte, remember?" He said.

"You know, you could give it a shot and actually PRETEND to care." Heather growled at him but the nerd refused to budge. Chef made a final whistle as Leshawna landed on her back, declaring the Killer Bass's second win and a tie between the two teams. Heather's eye twitched as she stomped in place. "This is so unacceptable!"

Tyler quietly returned to his team's bleachers as a happy Courtney quickly turned to him for questions. "Where were you?"

"I was uh..." The jock tried to explain but could only glance at Lindsay on the other side.

"You were with that blonde Gopher chick, weren't you?"

"Her name is Lindsay. And what if I was? What's wrong with that?" Tyler defended.

"Tyler! She could have been trying to spill all of our weaknesses to her." Courtney gestured to the blonde, who was busy innocently playing with her hair and hands. She glanced at the jock and blushed, to which the boy smiled back but glared at Courtney.

"She wouldn't do that. She was more worried about being hurt. And I can handle myself." He told the CIT girl and returned to silence.

"This is it everyone! The final tiebreaker game! Gophers, Bass, let's send this sample to the lab and show them what you are made of!" Chris announced to all of the teenagers.

"Go team go." Noah called out to the Gopher team.

Everyone was trying to see who would go up first, but Justin made it pretty clear that he refused to go up to the court. Even with Heather's insistence, he nudged Beth to take over for him and avoided every chance to go up to the playing field. The Gopher team ended up being comprised of Cody, Leshawna, Beth, Heather, and Trent. However, each team member that was hit had to switch out with another team member at least once. Cody was one of the first to be counted out when a dodgeball collided with his stomach, resulting in him switching out with Izzy. As the chaos between the teams played out, Justin continued to pressure the other teammates excluding Lindsay into taking over for him.

"Hey Noah, how far in the story are you?" Cody leaned over to glance at the book.

"Nearly done. You really like it that much?" Noah whispered to not draw attention to himself.

"A little. Never found books interesting until that one." Cody shrugged as the groans of both Gopher and Bass members echoed in the court.

"Eh, it's a little overrated. Still better than a lot of books nowadays." Noah shrugged as well turning to the last few pages.

"Really? Do you got any recommendations?" The geek smirked and the cynic seem to contemplate for a few seconds before a ball slammed into his face. Cody cringed as Noah fell backwards into the space between the bleachers.

"Noah?! Are you okay, dude?!" Cody gasped.

"...sports..." Was all the cynical nerd said in a defeated tone. The match went on for several minutes as each teenager, with exception to the sleeping Gwen, were pelted repeatedly in the face with balls. Finally the last of the teenagers joined the bleachers leaving Harold as the last Bass, and Owen was the last Gopher standing. Harold gulped nervously as the Gophers' cheering grew louder and louder. The Bass gasped in horror as Owen starting to taunt the dweeb with the dodgeballs.

"Sorry dude, but you are going down. Big time." Owen grinned.

"We are dead." Duncan slapped himself.

Owen started to look crazy in the eyes as he whipped the dodgeballs at incredible speed, the projectiles whistling as they approached Harold. Harold suddenly inhaled with a calm smirk and began to dodge with flexible moves. He spun around the next two balls like a ballerina, did an almost perfect split on the fourth ball, and committed to a perfect horizontal pose. The final ball missed the top of his hair by a few inches as he hopped back up. The Gophers were in disbelief and the Bass looked like they witnessed something out of this world.

"What?" Noah murmured dropping his book.

"Time out! Ref, please give us a timeout!" Courtney called out to Chef. The burly man shrugged and called a five minute timeout. Harold approached his team as Bridgette offered water and DJ rubbed his shoulders.

"You have got some dodge man! Where did you learn to move like that?" Duncan asked vaguely impressed.

"Figure skating." Harold stated swallowing some water.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Confessional: Harold)

"I wanted to impress my mom when I was ten and signed myself some lessons for two years. She said I looked like a star. But I started seeing stars myself after too many collisions. Ice is slippery, okay?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Harold my man, that was awesome! But dodging is not going to be enough in this game." Geoff pumped his fist but retreated into a glum look from glancing at Owen.

"Geoff is right. In order to win this you either have to throw him out-" Courtney started.

"Which we all know you can't do." Duncan interrupted mid sentence.

"Or catch the ball. Can you do it?" Courtney finished and the dweeb gave a confident smile.

"Yes!"

"Then get out there!" Harold faced Owen again as the whistle blew. As the big boy started preparing himself with the court's final dodgeball, Harold kept his gaze perfectly straight with no word. Owen yelled a random word and the ball felt like a bullet with the other teen slamming against the wall. The Bass team watched in worry as it seemed the boy was unconsciously clutching his stomach, but a smirk poked through as he presented the caught ball. The Gopher team sighed in defeat as Owen was officially declared out and the rival team had secured their victory.

"And the Killer Bass win their first challenge!" Chris announced with a grin, uncharacteristically overjoyed by the outcome.

"I-It's impossible! WHY?!" Owen yelled in anguish.

"You did a nice job, skater nerd." Duncan patted Harold's shoulder only to shove him away seconds later, "Don't get used to it."

"Screaming Gophers. What happened out there? You all were doing so great." Chris walked up to the Gophers. No one had a clear answer until Noah decided to speak up.

"I guess one would call it a dumb stroke of luck." The cynic shrugged.

"More like blatant targeting! You ruined my face and kept forcing onto the court! You didn't even do anything!" Justin glared at him through his handheld mirror. Suddenly Gwen snapped awake and slammed her goth boots into the bleachers, startling everyone else by the dead stare in her eyes. She got uncomfortably close to the model teen's face as she threw the mirror on the other side of the room.

"Will you shut it already?! At least he was not complaining about his dumb face every two minutes!" She gritted her teeth as she left the room in a huff. Cody, Noah, Trent, and Owen left quickly after her without another word from Justin or the other teammates.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Confessional: Harold)

"I wonder if I'll be seen as a role model after I've won the dodgeball competition. Maybe I'll make an autograph or two after the show is over." Harold muttered through his munching on a bag of chips.

(Confessional: Leshawna)

"Okay, that fool Harold definitely got some moves on him. I'll give him that. And now we are even so no more bad blood between us." Leshawna smiled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The moon had already reached its peak as the campfire ceremony commenced. Chris quietly brought out the plate of marshmallows as everyone watched with anticipation, with exception to Noah who was finishing the last of his book attempting to ignore the glares from Justin, Heather, Beth, and an unwilling Lindsay.

"Screaming Gophers, you’ve already placed your votes and made your decision on who will be leaving the island. And can never come back. Ever. When you hear me call out your name, please come pick up to take a marshmallow."

"Owen." The big teen called raised his arms triumphantly as he plucked his treat.

"Gwen. Cody." The two teenagers said nothing as they walked besides each other to grab the marshmallows.

"Trent." The musician sighed in relief as he jogged up to his marshmallow, and Cody caught the fond look Gwen was giving the teen.

"Heather. Beth." Heather smirked and winked at Beth to join her, to which the braces wearing girl complied without question. Lindsay looked a little said before Chris muttered out the next three names.

"Lindsay. Leshawna. Izzy. And the final marshmallow goes to…" As Chris dramatically held the suspension. Izzy plucked two marshmallows like a spider and gently plopped one into the blonde's hands. Heather tapped her foot impatiently, Justin smiled nervously while Noah finally put his book down for the end result.

"Noah. Congratulations kid." Chris finished. Justin and a bunch of the Gopher's mouth were gaped open as Noah smiled with a marshmallow thrown onto his lap. Just out of the camera's viewpoint, Leshawna smirked at seeing the nerd approached the rest of the group.

"What? But he didn't even go onto the court. Who prefers his company over mine?" Justin complained. 

"You need to learn that in this world, looks aren't everything honey! Move along now!" Leshawna called out to him. Justin looked like he wanted to say more things before Chef gripped his shoulder.

"Alright fine. You ladies lost the one who brings most of the ratings in." Justin murmured as he quietly left towards the Dock of Shame. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Confessional: Heather)

"How did that annoying prick not get voted out? Beth and Lindsay's votes were easy, and Justin already agreed he needed to go. Owen followed Justin's example without question. There is no way everyone here is insane enough to keep him around." Heather murmured to herself as the sounds of the other Gopher's filled the outside.

(Confessional: Owen)

"I feel a little bad for voting for Noah, but Justin...he is just so...I don't wanna say anything." Owen looked away.

(Confessional: Chris Mclean)

"Okay, so it may not have been the most dramatic campfire elimination. But I still get paid so who really cares?" Chris laughed a little.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the rest of the teenagers fell asleep within their cabins, Bridgette walked quietly towards the medical tent with a hoodie neatly folded. While most of the lights in the camp were off, a soft glow lit the tent inside casting shadows of multiple equipment and two figures moving around. The surfer girl sighed and slowly opened the tent flaps, and she immediately bit back a gasp at seeing Ezekiel's bruise all over his chest. The bruise was a ugly shade of purple and black and the homeschool boy was quietly applying some cream to the edges. The other figure was an intern with a overly large hoodie jacket who quickly took notice of Bridgette's presence.

"Oh hello. Do you need something?" Lydia asked. Ezekiel jolted upon seeing Bridgette and dropped the cream.

"No thanks. I just...would like to talk to Ezekiel for a minute." Bridgette spoke politely and the homeschool glanced back and forth nervously.

"Sure thing! I needed to get some supplies anyway. I'll be closing up the tent in about fifteen minutes, okay?" With a confirmation nod from the two teenagers the intern promptly left the tent. The tension felt simultaneously cold and warm with Zeke refusing to look at the surfer girl, his cheeks red with embarressment. However, Bridgette only kept looking at the large bruise and how his breathing hitched when he took too big of a breath. Her looked softened fast as she presented the hoodie.

"Does it hurt?" She asked softly. Zeke looked up surprised at the level of concern, and his eyes grew brighter at seeing the hoodie.

"A little. Though it was worse this morning, eh." Zeke took the hoodie but did not put it back on.

"I see." She murmured. Neither of them moved a muscle, Zeke more so to prevent further wincing. She took a breath to finally get thoughts out but Zeke seemed to beat her and looked straight into her eyes.

"I'm sorry Bridgette. I didn't realize what I said had such a mean meaning, eh! I've wanted to talk to you about it but I couldn't find the words. But I understand if you are still mad at me. Eva already was and probably still is. If you want to hit me then I won't stop you." He murmured the last part and Bridgette had to take a moment to realize what he said.

"What? Ezekiel, why on Earth would I want to hurt you? I was upset but I wouldn't have your ribs be crushed like this."

"You wouldn't?" Ezekiel blinked in surprise.

"Of course not. I was just getting on our team's case for not caring about your injuries. It's why I'm here. I wanted..." Bridgette took another breath, "I wanted to say I'm sorry for getting mad at you like that. Even if what was said was wrong, Eva almost choked you. Her and Duncan were starving you. DJ was the only one who thought about you. And I didn't do anything. You should be the one mad at me."

"But you were only responding to my statements. I'm not mad at you for it." Zeke said with a reassuring smile.

"I know, but I wanted to make amends."

"Well I forgive you, eh." Zeke blurted out firmly. Bridgette blinked in shock at how quickly the homeschool was willing to forgive everything that happened. But seeing the genuine thought in his eyes and his past few actions made her realize he was being real. She smiled back.

"I forgive you too." She said. The two stared at each other before she started to open the tent flaps to exit. She briefly heard Zeke put the hoodie on and him shuffling off of the table.

"Yo Bridgette," she turned back to him as he called to her, "I, um, understand if you want to sleep but could you stay to talk for a little bit? I haven't talked to anyone today." He played with the cuffs of his hoodie. Bridgette smiled as the humming of the cameras clicked off.

"Sure Zeke."

Chapter Text

In contrast to the previous day, Chris had not woke any of the contestants in the early morning. As a result, most of the teenagers woke up closer to brunch time and managed to do small activities to keep them busy. The boys passed the time playing with their instruments or other items to ease boredom, while the girls took longer organizing their messes. For Gwen it was like heaven for a few hours. After yesterday's dodgeball challenge, she immediately crashed into her bed and had not moved for the remaining night or morning. She must have gotten over two days worth of sleep by now and she felt both heavy and refreshed stretching across the mattress. Unfortunately the sound of Lindsay nervously muttering made her permanently snap awake.

"This is bad. This is so way beyond bad." The blonde said while sorting through her makeup bag.

"What are you on about, Lindsay?" Gwen groggily responded, with her hair fluffed up on one side and smashed against her cheek on the opposite side.

"Gwen. I'm all out of fake tanner." The blonde gave a sad pout as she displayed a empty handheld container, a vaguely orange colored cream dripping out of it. The goth raised an eyebrow making it clear she didn't get the reason for the reaction.

"Oh wow. That is tragic." She sarcastically stated.

"I actually have to tan in the sun now. Do you understand how shriveled and wrinkly your skin can become doing that?" Lindsay gestured to her arms and face with a tone that seemed like she was stating the obvious.

"I mean we become shriveled and wrinkly regardless." Gwen shrugged. Lindsay, upon seeing the messed up hair, offered a handheld mirror for the goth to use. Gwen took it without a word and began sweeping hair into a presentable condition. The two shared the mirror a few more times before the screech of the camp's megaphone erupted outside.

"Attention campers! If you are still asleep, it is about time to get your butts up and moving! It is time to show the world what you are made of." Chris's voice announced. Any teenager that was still stuck in bed complained getting up before joining everyone else. Farther in the forest in a big opening was a homemade amphitheater that seemed to have been brought over in a single night. Most of the hanging lights were dangling over a couple of wooden planks, and generators were just pass the cameras hooking to several theatre stands. The stage itself was the most organized part with heavy colorful curtains and a light colored painted floor. 

"Oh my gosh, are we going to be in a musical? I love musicals! Especially the ones where they dance and sing." Lindsay gushed to herself, much to Heather and Beth's confusion. 

"I like the musicals that can handle more blood. Once I stuffed my suit with bags of tomato juice and jelly to imitate being stabbed, and then I ran up to one of the actors during the performance. His face was so funny as he actually thought I got stabbed by how much I screamed. Though he laughed afterwards, I'm pretty sure!" Izzy grinned at her but the blonde seemed unsure whether to be impressed or uncomfortable.

"That's...cool Izzy."

"Hey Gwen! I managed to save you a seat!" Trent called out to the goth while patting next to him. Gwen approached him with a smile and gave a thanks in return. Heather glared at her but didn't say anything as she got distracted by Lindsay and Tyler nonverbally communicating across the bleachers. Both Trent and Gwen failed to notice Cody scooting closer to them, his eyes flicking between them with pinkish cheeks. He tried to imitate Trent's leaning posture only to end up falling backwards and wedging between the bleachers. He tried to recover only to deflate on seeing they didn't notice him.

"Welcome to our state-of-the-art outdoor amphitheater! Today's challenge will be a very simple one and a summer camp favorite: a talent show contest! Each team will have eight hours to choose three of their most talented teammates. The chosen three will represent their respective teams in the show tonight. Anything is possible for the demonstration, but as long as it is LEGAL. Looking at you Duncan." Chris explained the challenge with a cheery smile only to drop it at the last sentence. He glanced over to the delinquent with a "I'm watching you" gesture before resuming his explanation.

"Dammit." Duncan muttered.

"For the judges, you will be judged by our resident talent scout and former DJ, VJ, and rapper Grand Master Chef! He will show his individual approval through the Chef-O-Meter. Don't matter if you can't see it, the people watching it will be able to. The team who ends up with the lowest overall points will be voting off another teammate tonight! Good luck to all of you." With the last of the explanation Chris walked off the stage into who-knows-where. The two teams immediately join up to discuss potential auditionees. Before any of the Gopher's could say anything, Heather blew a whistle while holding a clipboard with everyone's names.

"Where did she get that?" Noah murmured to himself to which no one provided him an answer.

"Okay. Since I am the team captain, here is how things are going to work around here." Heather announced but Gwen stood up with her journal.

"Hold on. Who signed YOU to be the team captain?" The goth narrowed her eyes in accusation.

"Beth, Lindsay, and I took a vote and I won. No else said anything so it is final goth girl." Heather remained undeterred and looked over to each of her team members.

"Threatening them to vote for you is the least democratic thing ever." Gwen continued to argue as Trent approached the team with a small plate of blueberry muffins. Cody and Owen immediately withdrew from the conversation to grab a treat.

"Whatever. Trent, you cool with me being the judge?" Heather smiled innocently to the musical teenager, who nodded in a confused manner.

"Sure? But why did you-?" He attempted to ask but was cut off with a wave of dismissal.

"Then its settled. Beth, Lindsay, and I will be the judges in this case." The two girls cheered on both sides of Heather as they were sucked into their roles. Half of the team chewed on their muffins, while the other half rolled their eyes at Heather's "judges" and their willingness to bow to her needs.

"Whatever. What is the muffin for?" Gwen gestured to the final muffin in Trent's hand.

"Oh. I managed to snag you and some of the others extra muffins at the lodge." The musician snapped out of his gaze and handed it to her with a small smile.

"Oh thanks. Is that blueberries? I like blueberries." Gwen took a bite of the muffin and she smiled at the taste of the berries. Trent stared for a little too long and had to glance at the ground to break the tension.

"Yeah it is." He smirked.

On the Killer Bass side the first teenagers to audition were Sadie and Katie, with Courtney and Bridgette chosen to be the pickers. The girls wanted to demonstrate their duet dancing skills, and even blasted their chosen song through a vintage boom box. While the song choice was cheesy at best, the girls attempted to be in sync as much as possible. Thought it seemed as if Katie was adding additional moves that caused her to become off sync with Sadie, such as shaking her fists when she was supposed to do a side-step and finishing in a squat pose opposing Sadie's splits. However, the darker tanned girl looked over to Courtney and Bridgette and felt herself falter. While Bridgette seemed more genuine with her smile and thumbs up, Courtney had slapped herself in the face from the performance. 

"Not that great?" Katie muttered.

"No no, it was good girls. It's just not what we are looking for. Who is going next?" Courtney murmured.

"Katie, what is going on? We have done that dance plenty of times. Why did you suddenly decide to go off beat?" Sadie questioned her as they stepped to the side.

"I guess I was having too much fun. Sorry Sadie."

"Is that all? I feel like you aren't telling me something." Sadie pushed on but Katie looked at her firmly.

"It is. I am sorry, okay?" Sadie hummed to herself and kept quiet.

Back at the Screaming Gophers, Owen had quickly grabbed a liter bottle of soda and was chugging it down as fast as possible. The rest of the team waited for him to finish as he continued to drink. Cody leaned against the cabin stairs with uncertainty, Gwen looked disinterested before Trent passed her a glance. 

"Are you going to audition?" The musician asked with interest.

"Unless everyone can handle my "artistic liberties", then I am not going to bother." Trent looked satisfied with the answer until Gwen stared at him with a smile, "You should give it a try. I've heard you play your guitar at the dock, and you're pretty good at it." She said softly barely hiding the pink blush coming through the white face paint. 

"I can play the keyboard pretty well!" Cody perked up from the bleachers and scooted closer to the two teenagers. Gwen immediately scooted back from the freckled teen's close proximity, while Trent seemed unfazed. He appeared interested from the sudden fact presented to him.

"Oh you can Cody? How long have you played?" He asked the freckled teen.

"About three years. You?" Cody said a little too confident. Trent remained unfazed as he reminisced on his first time playing the guitar.

"Four years on the guitar. My mom had gifted it to me on Christmas. She and my dad would say it was the brightest I had ever looked at receiving a gift." Trent smiled at the memory and even Gwen's face softened at the thought of a loving mother and father. However, Cody had a look as if he had been shot in the heart as his smile quivered, his hands gripping his sleeves creating creases in the fabric.

"...Cool, that's cool." He said with a small smile but looked away to watch Owen again.

"Did I say something wrong?" Trent blinked in surprise.

"I have no idea." Gwen shared the sentiment before the thud of the soda bottle grabbed everyone's attention. Owen raised his finger before he started to burp the alphabet from "A" to "Z". His performance lasted ten seconds before he held the last burp note. Cody and Trent cheered the big teen for the performance, while Lindsay and Beth watched with a mixture of awe and disgust. Izzy simply rolled her eyes and Noah gave a silent nod of approval. Leshawna and Gwen glanced at each other with blank expressions, but Heather looked completely appalled.

"That is both gross and awesome Owen!" Trent walked up to high five the teenager.

"You are NOT doing that during the contest! That is disgusting!" Heather scoffed and scratched the boy's name off of the list. Owen seemed to be deflated by the blatant refusal until Trent hugged his shoulder in comfort.

"Have you ever met someone that was capable of burping the entire alphabet in one sitting?" The musician defended.

"I can also fart to Beethoven's Fifth. Want me to try?" Owen grinned and started to bend down. The cacophony of voices screaming at him to stop was loud enough to scare the team on the opposite side of the camp. The big teen sheepishly stood up and stepped back as the girls' faces were beet red.

"I swear you are just vile!" Heather huffed in disgust as she uncovered her eyes. As she uncovered her eyes, she managed to see Gwen sneaking away from the team with her journal, "Hey, where do you think you are going?"

"Anywhere but here preferably." The goth stated while clutching the journal to her chest.

Meanwhile on the Killer Bass side, Tyler was up next with his yo-yo trick demonstration. The first few minutes went well as the jock was able to create simple but effective tricks, with some of the team members clapping in applause. However when he tried to create a pyramid formation, the yo-yo ended up going fast that it wrapped around his entire body. Before anyone knew what happened, the boy was trapped head to toe in tight string. However Tyler seemed used to it as he responded with a small shrug.

"Man that is some weak stuff." Chris pointed out as he walked by.

"Will you leave us alone?" Courtney sighed in frustration, with the host shrugging and walking away.

On the Screaming Gopher's end it was Heather's turn to show her talent. Everyone was surprised to see the mean girl in a beautiful ballet outfit as she danced around in a entrancing formation. Her form was perfect as she leaped across the air and landed on the tips of her shoes. Contrast to her permanent mean smirk, the girl had a content smile as she finished the dance and looked towards her teammates. Even the people that had negative opinions on the girl couldn't help but clap in applause at the performance.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Confessional: Leshawna)

"I still don't like her, but that was some genuine talent there. And I've never seen Heather look so happy before. It is almost unnatural."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You are soooo cool! I vote for Heather to be in the contest." Beth dragged on as she clapped longer than anyone else. She glanced over at Lindsay and made a motion to agree in the sake of the alliance.

"I-I second that!" Lindsay blurted out.

"Thank you. So I guess I'll be in for the contest. Why don't we all take five?" Everyone else split off to either grab a small snack or use the restroom. However, Heather quickly grabbed Lindsay's arm to get her attention. "I need you to do something. Can you keep a secret?"

"Definitely! My sister had gotten diarrhea once on a date, and I had to bring her toilet paper because the restaurant was all out. She ended up stuck in the bathroom for over an hour and I promised I wouldn't tell a soul about it." Lindsay smiled proudly at the memory only to see Heather glancing at a camera off in the distance. The device continued to beep indicating it was still running. Her face went white before she waves at the camera with an apologetic stare. "...O-Oh...Sorry Paula." 

"Gwen's being all mysterious and I want to know what she is up to. I need you to follow her and report back to me immediately." Heather shoved a walkie talkie into the blonde's hands and pointed towards the goth's main direction. Lindsay looked confused by the command but went into the woods regardless.

Meanwhile, DJ was in a white skin tight suit performing some ribbon dancing techniques. With exception to Courtney watching with the professional expression, everyone else marveled as the ribbon encircled around the Jamaican. The gentle giant finished into a graceful split and bowed, the other teens applauding with overall positive response.

"So cool, eh!" Ezekiel proclaimed, with Katie agreeing with him.

"Come on Courtney. DJ's a good pick!" Bridgette nudged the CIT girl, who seemed to contemplate before sighing in resignation.

"Fine. Sign him up. Who is next?" She looked towards her team.

"Let me try! I can whistle an entire song through my nose!" Bridgette demonstrated by playing "Old Macdonald" through her nostrils. She pinched her airway to create higher notes and finished it decently.

"Okay that'd be cute if you were a monkey. But I don't think that is enough to impress the judges. Next!" Courtney rolled her eyes. Ezekiel hopped in front of the Jamaican and surfer girl with a big grin.

"I'll go, eh!" The homeschool started by grabbing something behind him. However, the CIT girl glared at him and waved him off.

"Next!" She said.

"But I didn't even-" Ezekiel's heart dropped upon seeing most of the team look at him dismissively. DJ offered him a pat of sympathy and joined his side as the next few auditionees went.

"We'll try another time, Zeke." The gentle giant murmured in comfort.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Confessional: Ezekiel)

"I am really trying, yo. I really am. But no one is willing to give me a chance, eh. How am I supposed to do anything if Courtney shuts me down?" The homeschool muttered with his face halfway inside his hoodie.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Okay. So looking through everyone's talents, we will go with Geoff's skateboarding skills, DJ's ribbon dance, and your violin solo." Bridgette said to the CIT girl who beamed with pride at her being the final person chosen for the talent show.

"This is awesome! I'm going to be on tv, man!" Geoff glanced over to Bridgette with a wide smile.

"You...are already on tv, Geoff. That's what the whole show is for." The surfer girl pointed out with a confused smile.

"Oh, right." The party dude blinked owlishly but managed to recover by calling out his family to the camera. On the Screaming Gophers side Beth was twirling two batons enveloped in fire, with the rest of the Screaming Gophers watching on either side shielded by the tables.

"Girl, are you sure this is safe?!" Leshawna said nervously. Heather couldn't hide her own fear as embers flew in every direction.

"Definitely! I have been taking classes!" Beth said with careless joy. She threw one fiery baton in the air and followed with the other. To everyone's horror, the two batons collided into a big fireball and was rocketing towards the ground. Beth dove behind one of the tables as the spot she previously stood exploded into a brief fireball. It quickly dissipated into a dark smoldering spot and frail husks of the batons.

"Clearly not enough classes. You set the bush on fire." Noah pointed out with an eye roll.

"You are so mean." Beth puffed her cheeks at him before huffing away, but the cynical nerd didn't seem fazed by the childish motion.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Confessional: Noah)

"One; it is called the truth. Deal with it. Two; she needs to come up with better comebacks. I have heard better from seven-year-olds."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

It took several people kicking up soil, a couple of water bottles, and waterlogged shirts to put out the fires Beth created with the batons. Everyone panted as Heather straightened herself together. Although Beth had a hopeful look in her eyes, she deflated on seeing Heather brush past her. "So I guess we will settle with me, Trent, and Izzy. Any objections?" No one objected and went separate ways to relax for a couple of hours.

Gwen sat a little farther from the cabins writing in her small diary, contemplating each sentence in great detail. So many topics ran through her mind, and yet she couldn't seem to find the right words for it. When a final thought seemed to stick, she smiled and wrote it down as quickly as possible before it disappeared. The quiet moment seemed to disappear when Cody appeared in the corner of her eye, seemingly peeking over to the diary. She hoped that was not the case, or otherwise she would be kicking his butt for silence.

"Hi Gwen. Is that a journal?" The geek smiled at her with bright blue eyes.

"Beat it Cody. I'm not in the mood." Gwen told the geek without looking up from her writing. To her displeasure the geek ended up sitting close to her but keeping his gaze to the ground.

"Oh it's private. Yeah I, uh, can understand that. I'm cool with that." Cody tried to imitate a "cool person" accent, but it ended up making him sound like a jock. The goth rolled her eyes and continued to write. However, Cody shuffled closer until his breathing almost touched her hair. She glared at him again and slammed the book closed, the harsh action causing him to back up slightly.

"What part of "beat it" do you fail to understand?" Her voice grew defensive. 

"I just wanted to know how you were doing?" The geek murmured quietly with a light tint of pink across his cheeks.

"Better if you minded your business." Gwen warned him and backed further away.

"Oh...okay. Sorry." Cody got the message and slowly got up with a saddened gaze. He was prepared to walk away back to his group when a hidden rock up to his shin caught his shoe. He fell over like a light breeze blows a leaf, and his body landed on top of Gwen. He groaned before realizing his face was inches from the goth's chest, and his face grew flustered. A growl of anger flooded his ears and Gwen smacked him away with his book. She started to stomp away at a brisk pace, ignoring the pleas of the geek attempting to catch up to her. "G-GWEN I DID NOT-!"

"What is wrong with you?! Are you some kind of freak!?" She snapped as she walked faster towards the camp. Trent and Noah sat on the benches surrounding the black spot of scorched earth, the musician strumming random chords into a nice melody and the nerd reading an entirely new book with a content smile. Their peaceful moment was interrupted by the goth cursing under her breath as she saw the burnt spot.

"Do I want to know?" She looked to the two with a tense gaze.

"No." Noah shrugged.

"Gwen! Please hear me out! I swear I did not mean to!" Cody hurried towards her until they both were at the door to the girl's side of the Gopher cabin. Heather and Lindsay watched the scene from the fencing, the mean girl smirking at the drama unfolding.

"Oooh, looks like we got the first hook up of the show." Heather teased, and Gwen's fists balled as she grabbed the doorknob with enough strength to dent it.

"AS. IF." She gritted her teeth as she thrust open the door and slammed it. Cody sheepishly approached the door only for it to collide into it with enough force to send him across the cabin. The goth quietly exited with her bathing suit and towel, not even bothering to acknowledge anyone else. At least until Trent followed by her side.

"Hey, are you okay?" The musician asked with worry.

"I just need a swim." She sighed. As soon as the two disappeared towards the docks, Heather dropped her smirk and looked to a oblivious Lindsay.

"So you swear she was writing in a diary?" The mean girl demanded rather than asked.

"Yep! Not that interesting." Lindsay shrugged with a smile. She grew surprised as Heather entered and exited the cabin with Gwen's diary.

"We'll see about that."

On the Killer Bass's side, the team lounged across the amphitheater stage doing a variety of activities. Courtney was practicing her violin solo with her song displayed on a stand, Geoff was attempting to adjust the skateboard's wheels, Harold was clearing the fog on his glasses, and Duncan was playing a form of blackjack with DJ on a empty crate. Katie and Sadie were talking amongst themselves, while Tyler was nowhere to be seen. The team had guessed he went to get out of the yo-yo string. Bridgette smiled at the serenity but noticed Ezekiel sadly tying string around a decent sized branch. He continued to make several loops before pulling the stick back to tie the other end. Her eyes widened on seeing the decent sized bow and makeshift arrows the homeschooled boy created. Even still, Ezekiel had a hurt expression that quickly disappeared as the surfer girl approached.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"I really wanted to show everyone what I can do. I can shoot through ten hoops with my bow and arrow easily, eh!" Ezekiel demonstrated the makeshift bow and arrows to the group, to which DJ and Harold marveled at its quality.

"Really? Can you show me?" The surfer girl sat in a comfortable position with all of her attention on the homeschool boy. Zeke was surprised as Harold and Katie joined her, clapping in anticipation. His heart fluttered as he steadied his aim, holding the string until it hurt before releasing its energy across the open area towards the hand-made hoops. To the group's awe, the arrow shot through the hoops with ease before lodging into a tree's bark far enough to be stuck.

"Yeah!" Harold pumped his fists.

"That is great Ezekiel!" Bridgette cheered while clapping.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Confessional: Ezekiel)

"Bridgette seems to be cool with me, eh! I'm just glad we buried the shovels! Maybe I can make some friends after all!"

(Confessional: Geoff)

"I don't get it. Bridgette was so keen on keeping Zeke away from her for several days. And now all of a sudden they're cool? Like he didn't insult her and the girls a while ago? No punishment at all? It's not right."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Yo little man, I bet you can't do it from the other side of the stage." DJ looked up from the card game and Zeke's grin grew wider.

"I bet I can, yo!"

"Try not to hit any of us though." Katie interjected and Sadie glanced at her with a unreadable expression.

Zeke ran farther from the stage until he was at the edge of the open area. The group egged him on as he aimed for the hoops. He exhaled sharply as he released, but the arrow did not go through the hoops. In fact, it missed all of them as it whizzed past the stage and hit a light post. The post toppled over and pulled on a loose rope connecting to a skylight that hovered over Courtney. The team screamed her name as the light detached and fell at a frightening speed. The CIT girl gasped and leapt out of the way, but her violin shattered under the skylight's heavy weight. The girl stared at the broken instrument as the team surrounded her, and Ezekiel's face went white.

"Oh shit!" Duncan shouted as he lifted her up.

"Courtney, are you okay?!" Katie and Sadie asked at the same time. Courtney ignored them as she silently picked up the pile of crumbled wood and bent strings that was her violin. Her eyes went glassy at the realization of the state of her instrument, then she whipped around to Ezekiel almost shoving the wood in his hands.

"Y-You killed my violin!!" She threatened with a mix of fury and sadness.

"It was an accident! I swear! Maybe I can fix it." Ezekiel grabbed the wood and tried to click the pieces together. Unfortunately, the last few strings holding the neck together snapped and the instrument was nothing but destroyed metal and wood. Courtney broke down as she sobbed against the floor. Duncan and Sadie looked at the homeschool boy with death glares and he could do nothing but silently scoot away.

Down as the docks, Gwen breathed slowly with her feet dangling just barely above the water. Trent approached her slowly and sat by her side, not noticing the brief pink blush on her cheeks. "Hey, are you okay Gwen?"

"No. I just needed to get away from all of them." The goth sighed.

"They can't be that bad, right?" The musician tilted his head in confusion. He didn't expect this kind of a reaction from the goth girl.

"Well...no. I mean Leshawna and Noah are okay, but everyone else just grinds my gears. Owen is just so disgusting. I get that he loves food, but there is only so much farting, belching, and jokes about said farting and belching I can take in a single afternoon. Heather can go suck it, and Beth and Lindsay kissing up to her is not helping. And Cody is just so...I don't even know how to describe him." Gwen ranted while keeping her voice low enough to not be heard by anyone else, while Trent listened intently. While he didn't share the share sentiments with a lot of the contestants, he let the girl vent out her frustrations. He nodded to each of her points until she reached Cody's name where he became confused.

"What did he do?" He asked.

"He landed on top of me while I was writing, after I told him repeatedly to leave me alone. His face landed on my chest!" Gwen finished it by sheepishly pointing at her chest. Trent gawked at what he was told and coughed to take his attention off of the gestured area.

"Oh. That is bad." He murmured.

"And now he's probably going to be chasing me even more. I don't know how much of it I can handle." Gwen rubbed her temples in frustration. Trent drummed his fingers against the dock floorboards to think of a proper answer.

"I'm not saying I'm defending the guy, but maybe you should hear him out. He sounded pretty embarrassed about the whole thing."

"More like embarrassed that he got caught." Gwen scoffed but glanced up as Trent's fingers brushed over her hand.

"I'm serious. Sometimes the little guys mess up their words." He pointed out.

"Maybe. I just want to have some peace and quiet for a little bit." Gwen smirked.

"I get it."

"CANNONBALL!!" The docks started to shake as a panicking Cody was being held hostage by Owen stripped to his bathing suit. The big teen clutched to the geek tightly as he ran towards the edge. Before Gwen and Trent could move out of the way, Owen leaped into the water creating a tidal wave that washed throughout the dock. While Trent was soaked from hair to his shoes, the saltwater had washed away Gwen's face paint. The white face paint was dripping into her black bathing suit, and the black mascara resembled tears as Gwen breathed erratically.

"I HATE THIS PLACE!!" She yelled as she hastily ran down to the cabins to clean up. Trent tried to call her back to no avail, which he sighed turning to the boys floating in the water. Owen appeared shameless but Cody hoisted himself realizing who had ran away.

"Wait, was that Gwen?" The geek murmured nervously.

"Yes it was. And now she's even more upset. Way to go guys."

"Yeah. Nice going Cody." Owen said pointedly at Cody, who simply gawked before smacking water into the big boy's face.

"What?! But you dragged me into this!!"

Back at the stage everybody was preparing their stunts in the next few hours with an exception to a sad Courtney. DJ and Izzy were stretching in different positions, Trent was adjusting the last of his guitar strings, Heather was applying some chap stick, and Geoff was balancing on his skateboard. Ezekiel was eating a bag of cookies while watching Bridgette console Courtney and wrapping some bandages on her forehead.

"Okay, I know you are still mad about your broken violin, but Ezekiel is good at his archery so he could take over for you. That way we still have DJ's ribbon dancing and Geoff's skateboarding. Just give him a shot." Bridgette suggested much to Courtney's reluctancy. Heather smirked and approached the three Bass members.

"Oh hey guys. It's too bad about the accident with Courtney's violin. I guess you are going to get your fifteen seconds of fame after all, huh homeschool?" She gestured to Ezekiel who stopped midway of his tenth cookie.

"Yo, what do you mean?" His voice was muffled by the crumbs.

"Well no one would naturally sabotage their own teammate, unless they were feeling threatened. Or already didn't think of women as something to be thought of highly. Isn't that right?" She smirked widely as Ezekiel looked like he was shot, crinkling the bag in his grip.

"Hey! What happened with Zeke and Courtney was an accident! Sabotage and talking bad about others might be how your team operates, but the Killer Bass have more class than that! We are a team, and teammates don't go around sacrificing others for petty things!" Bridgette quickly got in the mean girl's face and pushed her back.

"Well I guess you'll go down as a team too. And tell homeschool to be easy on the cookies. You don't want that hoodie to rip, do you?" Heather chuckled. Ezekiel, who had been hiding his face in his hoodie, stood up red in the face and pushed her harshly. Heather scoffed at the gesture and strutted away, with Zeke glaring through her.

"You are so nasty, EH!" He shouted.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Confessional: Bridgette)

"That was completely uncalled for! If Heather was on our team, she would have been gone just for that!" Bridgette huffed while red in the face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Everyone managed to find their seats as the sun finally disappeared within the horizon, welcoming a blanket of stars and a waning moon in the night sky. Chris walked up to the stage in a confident stride. Duncan remained slouched over in a glum mood, while Cody silently watched a pouting Gwen farther down the bleachers. "Welcome to the TDI Talent Extravaganza!! Tonight six campers will showcase their greatest skills and desperately try not to embarrass themselves. First up for the Screaming Gophers, it is Izzy!"

"Go on Izzy!" Owen cheered on the orange haired girl as she ran up on stage.

"Show them your crazy, girl!" Leshawna clapped for her until everyone settled down.

Izzy went stiff as a board as she closed her eyes, making the others wonder what she was doing. Suddenly, the lights started to flicker as she snapped up. She suddenly started to contort her body, her double joined elbows allowing her crouch in what would be a uncomfortable positions. Lindsay and Beth gasped as she twisted her back to have her head nearly do a 180 angle. She jolted and audible pops rang throughout the stage, with the joints of her legs, shoulder blades, wrists and fingers falling limp. The Killer Bass shuddered or gagged at the sounds, while the Screaming Gophers continued to watch. Like a puppet she slowly rose from the floor, and some of the teens had wide eyes watching the joints reconnect like blocks. With each connection Izzy imitated a puppet moving, with her doing a backflip to reconnect both shoulder blades. She finished with a spinning flip and bow, a sick but proud grin on her face. The Screaming Gophers erupted into applause as Chris hesitantly patted her shoulder.

"I have no idea what half of that was, but you've got some freaky skills Izzy! And Chef seems to agree with seven points towards the Gophers!" Izzy bowed and back flipped off of the stage. "And now the first one from the Killer Bass: DJ!"

"Go on DJ, yo!" Ezekiel cheered him on along with the other auditionees. DJ made a graceful leap on stage with the ribbon unfurling across the floor. To everyone's awe, the ribbon flowed like fire as the Jamaican danced around with beautiful agility. He finished it by wrapping the ribbon around his arms and bowing, even it ended up causing him to fall slightly forward. The Killer Bass applauded him and some of the Gophers whistled in encouragement.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Confessional: DJ)

"To my mama and brothers down in Jamaica, Mi luv wollah you!."

~~~~~~~~~~

"Dainty but masculine! What does Chef think? Apparently not much. Four points." Chris gestured to Chef off of the stage. While DJ and the Killer Bass seemed hurt, the Jamaican stepped off the stage with a final bow. "So far the Screaming Gophers are screaming ahead! Let's see what Trent has to demonstrate! Take it away bro!"

Trent approached the stage with a stool and guitar in hand. He adjusted a string or two before acknowledging the awaiting crowd. "Thanks. This is an original I came up with for a special someone here at camp. I hope they like it." He smiled as he strung the chords.

They say we only got summer, but I say that it's a bummer

We'll swim in the sun

Have some fun

It'll just be the two of us.

Nothing to do, but that's just rude

So let's talk some more before we go back soon.

Hanging around, games or just lounge

For there's a love in you that I have found.

So let me say only this, before we miss,

Just stick around for one lovely kiss.

Gwen had a relaxed smile across her face, while the other girls awed or squealed at the song. The boys nodded in approval as everyone erupted into applause. Chris ran up the stage to pat the musician on the back, who only glanced over to Gwen with a wave. "Nice work! I like your style dude, and Chef can certainly agree with eight points to the Gophers! Next up for the Killer Bass is Ezekiel!"

"Alright buddy! You are up." DJ patted the homeschool boy on the back, who was looking around for his items of choice.

"Where is my bow and arrow, eh?" The teen asked everybody. Suddenly Geoff appeared with the smoothed out bow and arrows.

"Right here little man. Go show your best." The party teen nodded to Ezekiel. 

The homeschool teen hugged the bow and arrows close to his chest as the hoops were set up across the stage. The first attempt was two hoops. He drew the arrow close enough to his face to create strain, then released as the projectile passed through and lodged against a tree. The Killer Bass applauded as the Gophers looked on seemingly impressed. The second round was five hoops, to which he managed to pass it again. However, he smelled an odd scent coming from the arrows and bow. As the last of the hoops were propped up, Ezekiel was beginning to draw again but suddenly stopped mid-draw. The auditionees backstage looked on as Zeke started to tremble and losing grip on the bow, which fell with a clank. The Gophers and sitting Bass looked worried as the boy wheezed.

"Is he okay?" Katie murmured from the bleachers as he stood up.

"Z-Zeke?" Bridgette reached out from the curtain. Ezekiel suddenly fell over and gagged as he gripped his throat. He turned to look at the Killer Bass, who gasped at seeing red blotches on his neck. Bile started to build up in his throat as he pushed the bow and arrows away.

"Is...Is th-this p-peanuts?! I-I c-can't-!" The homeschool boy wheezed before toppling over.

"Oh god! Zeke! Breath buddy!" DJ ran to the teenager's side. Unfortunately, Ezekiel couldn't hold it anymore and vomited bile the stage. The girls exclaimed in horror as DJ hastily dragged the boy off stage and the two vanished from sight.

"Cleanup on aisle three, four, five, and six! We are going to take a break to hose down the stage and check on our contestant!" Chris quickly ran up the stage pinching his nose, waving at the camera crew to cut the footage.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Confessional: Heather)

"The Bass are a bunch of losers. Riling them up is so easy that it is almost not fun. And even then, they just end up embarrassing themselves."

(Confessional: DJ)

"What happened to him?! Did he have an allergic reaction to the cookies?! But even then, I'm pretty sure those cookies were gluten free!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Well this is interesting so far." Cody hummed.

"If having an allergic reaction counts as interesting." Noah added though a glint of worry briefly peaked through.

"Welcome back to the TDI Talent Extravaganza! Okay, so a strange turn of events has led to Ezekiel having a peanut allergy attack on stage despite no peanuts in sight. Regardless, Chef apparently found the archery impressive enough for a couple of points. However, it is still not enough to pass the Screaming Gophers with their massive lead due to Trent's love song. So without further delay, here is our last Gopher auditionee of the day. Heather!" Only Beth and Lindsay applauded as Heather came on with her ballerina outfit. However she only sat down on the stool and looked over to Gwen, who seemed to be confused by the sudden attention.

"Originally, I was going to simply dance for you. But today, I wanted to celebrate the team spirit with a little...collaboration." She unveiled the book with a devilish smile on her face.

"She wouldn't." Gwen seemed frozen in horror as the book was opened.

"She didn't!" Leshawna gasped with her hand over her mouth.

"Oh no she would." Cody murmured flinching at what is currently happening.

"And she is." Noah finished with an unreadable expression.

"So with words by Gwen and performance by me, enjoy: Okay, I'm trying to keep my feelings about this as quiet as possible, but I just can't seem to get him out of my head. On top of being patient with me, he is one of the better looking guys I have ever seen in my life. I never thought ebony black hair and light green eyes would be a good combo on a guy, but I was wrong. If they custom ordered a guy to be a distraction for me, it would have been "McHottie"." Heather read out the diary entry with a tone that sounded like a lovestruck girl in a romance movie. The two teams could only watch as the inner feelings of the goth girl was broadcasted on national television, and there was nothing to stop Heather from continuing.

"Heather no..." Lindsay murmured in horror as she glanced at Gwen. The goth looked seconds away from screaming and crying at the same time.

"I didn't expect to become so connected to him. Out of anyone on this stupid camp, I feel like he is one of the only few I can relate to here. I know this is a cliche thing to say, but I would totally date the kind of guy who is both musically gifted and has a motorcycle. I hope I can keep this to myself until I have enough guts to tell him how I feel. And that is all. Thank you." Heather finished by snapping the book shut, satisfied of her little show.

"Wow..." Chris murmured in shock.

"What the hell is wrong with you, girl?!" Leshawna shouted in anger as the Asian girl walked off stage with a smug expression.

"Who on earth says that? On national tv?" Owen talked to himself.

"Where did Gwen go?" Cody looked around to see the goth no longer sitting, to which everyone else quickly took notice.

"Where do you think?" Noah answered him by glancing towards the dock. 

"That was so uncalled for." Katie whispered to Sadie in horror of what had occurred.

"Absolutely." Sadie agreed immediately.

"Well that is the last act for the Screaming Gophers. With Heather's little...performance, the total points towards their team stacks to twenty-five points. Can Geoff's mad skateboarding skills turn it around? I seriously doubt it." Chris announced to the camera and walked off-stage once more.

"Uh dudes? I have a problem. My skateboard broke backstage." Geoff peaked through the backstage with a guilty glint in his eyes.

"Great! Now what do we do?!" Courtney exclaimed in frustrated horror of the situation. Bridgette grabbed her hands to avoid pulling hair out and readjusted their positions.

"We need to send someone out there! But Katie and Sadie's dance is horrible, Tyler is bound to give himself a black eye, and Duncan can hardly do anything that is vaguely legal. That leaves only...Harold, come up here!" Bridgette called out to the dweeb teenager, who walked up the stage without question. He held a neutral face as everyone wanted to see what secret talent he had.

"Just go for it Harold. What else have you got to lose?" Courtney shrugged.

Harold started but making a random pop noise, that was quickly followed by more random noises. However, as he continued to make more noises it slowly turned into a beatboxing sound. He added more vocalizations until it smoothed into a song that caught everyone off guard. He finished the impromptu beatbox with a bow and smirk. Both the Killer Bass and Screaming Gophers erupted into applause, which made the dweeb smile in joy.

"Wicked beatboxing dude! And Chef has given you the highest score out of your team of nine points! However I have to sadly declare that the Killer Bass were behind by the Gophers by ten points. So the Screaming Gophers officially win the challenge. Killer Bass, you will have to pick your favorite loser to walk the Dock of Shame." Despite the small victory, the team backstage sighed in resignation at the thought of voting off their second teammate.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Confessional: Heather)

"Everyone on my team believes I was mean to Gwen. Freaking whatever. We are not here to be on everyone's good graces. Drama is what got us points to win. They'll be thanking me when this is all over."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Gwen! My sister, where are you?" Leshawna called out as her and Noah walked around the campus grounds. The black girl was more so dragging Noah by the arm, but the cynical nerd was not complaining as they continued to loop around. Suddenly they heard muffled sobs and heavy breathing coming from behind the Gopher cabin. They glanced over to see Gwen with her face buried into her knees, her dyed hair frizzled all over and black mascara running down her cheeks. Her eyes were red as the two sat on both sides of her.

"Hey, are you okay?" Leshawna whispered softly rubbing circles on the goth's back.

"What does it look like?" Gwen said with no malice in her tone, choking up from the gentle comfort.

"If it makes you feel better, a lot of the others are pretty pissed at Heather for that stunt." Leshawna didn't bother to hide the anger in her voice from saying the Asian girl's name, and Gwen's eyes briefly flickered in rage.

"She had no right. She had NO RIGHT for that shit! I hate her! I hate her so much!" The goth shouted into her legs and punched the ground several times. Neither Leshawna or Noah bothered to stop her with the black girl hugging the crying girl's head. Noah softly gripped her shoulder and gave a small squeeze as his own form of comfort.

"I know girl. Let it out. We won't judge." Leshawna whispered.

"I want to fight her. Let me get a few punches in." Gwen gritted her teeth.

"If you do that, then we can call the alliance off." Noah spoke up. Both girls looked at him in shock, and anger briefly flickered in the goth's eyes as she stared at him.

"Are you serious Noah?! Did you not hear what she did?" She said.

"I am not saying to forget what she did. But if you let your anger control you and get us in deep water, then you will be more of a danger and liability to us and yourself. Channel it all you want, but don't let it fester into something problematic." Noah explained calmly and brushed the hair sticking to the goth's face to the side.

"Really?" Gwen blinked in acknowledgement.

"Yes. Channel it with thought." The Indian boy nodded and stood up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Confessional: Gwen)

"If that snively, evil little cow thinks she is getting away with this, then she's got another thing coming!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Kudos to all of you for trying your best to make an entertaining talent contest! Dancing, music, and drama! So much drama! There is only marshmallow left to give amongst all of you. And unfortunately the loser going home is...Ezekiel. I'm sorry dude. I personally think this is very wrong due to your...unfortunate circumstance. But the votes have decided. Time for you to catch the Boat of Losers kid." Chris walked around the fireplace handing over each marshmallow as he talked. Ezekiel, who still had noticeable but controlled blotches on his neck, deflated at the mention of him being voted off. The ceremony was quiet as he walked across the docks and the Boat of Losers slowly approached.

"Ezekiel!" A group of voices called out to him. He turned around to see Katie, Harold, Bridgette, and DJ running to him. 

"Huh? Yo, what is this?" He asked shocked. To add onto the shock, Bridgette gave him a tight hug as the boat drew closer.

"I'm so sorry that happened to you. I don't know what happened there." The surfer girl murmured.

"It is okay Bridgette. I know it must have not been any of you."

"I promise you that once this whole competition is over, I will teach you so many things I have learned on my travels. I'll even show you some advanced swimming skills." Bridgette held a small smile as she readjusted his hat. 

"Yo really?" Zeke's eyes grew bright and DJ patted him on the back.

"Yeah man. And I'll teach you all of my family's recipes!"

"I'm sorry you are going away Zekey. But at least you tried your best." Katie messed with her ponytail before giving him the final hug.

"Th-Thanks guys. Good luck on the competition, eh?" Ezekiel smiled as he hopped onto the boat, which already began to drive away as the other continued to wave.

"See you Zeke." They said in unison until they were sure the homeschool boy couldn't hear them anymore. Harold suddenly sighed in a confused manner that caught the other's attention.

"I'm still confused about one thing. What gave him the allergy attack? Those were chocolate chip cookies, not peanut butter cookies. He shouldn't have had a reaction."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Confessional: Geoff)

"Dudes...I fucked up."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the rest of the Killer Bass headed towards their cabins, Harold suddenly felt a tapping on his shoulder and turned to see Gwen. Even with the goth looking down, he could the red tint in her eyes from crying. 

"Didn't you say you owned a red ant farm a couple of days ago?" The goth murmured.

"Yes. Why?" The dweeb answered honestly.

"I need it for something."

"Revenge?" Harold questioned.

"Yes."

Later in the night, a scream echoed throughout the camp as a horrified Heather panicked as she ran out of the Gopher cabin. Red ants were crawling all over her skin and pajamas, biting at every chance they got and bumps already spread across her face. She continued to scream as she ran for the communal showers, yelling curses all of the while. Meanwhile, Gwen had a bright smile on her face as Leshawna turned over to her with a equally joyful smirk.

"Feel better girl?" Leshawna whispered.

"Much. Sweet dreams everyone." Gwen giggled as she turned over to sleep. Leshawna shared a chuckle before she fell asleep as well, the pained screams of Heather becoming a lullaby for the girls throughout the night.

Chapter Text

Nobody knew what was going on when they all woke up and did not hear Chris or Chef walking around. They all silently got ready throughout the morning, but there was no outdoor activity aside from the crickets and birds loudly chirping. Both the Gopher and Bass teams glanced at each other as they entered the main lodge. To everyone's shock, all of the tables and the kitchen were filled with covered bowls simmering on a low burner. Burger patties laid on a warm rack with small bowls of sliced lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and other condiments surrounding them. To the left of the rolling hot dogs was a fresh mashed potato salad wrapped in a plastic covering, a long plate of sliced watermelon and cantaloupe wedges, and five pounds of glazed ribs. Deeper in the kitchen were sounds of Chef and another intern cooking and exchanging small talk.

"What is happening right now?" Gwen murmured. Suddenly, a cough startled everyone into turning around, and Chris looked at each of them with a smile. But it was not the smile typical of the show host they've seen so far.

"Morning campers! Normally, I would be saying that we are doing another challenge to keep up the schedule, but you all get a special surprise. Since today is our beloved Canada Day holiday, you all have a free day off! All of the areas we used for the previous challenges are free for you to use, which means you can use the outdoor gym court, the cliffside beach, and the amphitheater to your heart's content. The main lodge will be hosting an all-you-can-eat buffet all day and night, and there will be a fireworks display at 9:30 tonight!" The host announced to the group of teenagers before turning around and disappearing around the corner. A good number of the teens had their mouths open in astonishment, while others seemed skeptical, and a few did not believe him.

"He...he is joking. He has to be joking." Leshawna blinked and turned to see the dishes again.

"It is real kids. You'd better take advantage of this. Do you have any idea how hard it was to get all of this stuff for the day?" Chef grunted from the kitchen. Cody and Owen started to have stars in their eyes the longer they stared at the food.

"We have the entire day off?" Trent asked himself in disbelief, and a smile crept onto his face.

"We are free to do whatever we want!!" Tyler pumped his arms, with half of the Bass team followed him.

"As long as it is legal," Chef added.

"Damn it!" Duncan stopped cheering and glowered. The teens immediately started taking their shares of the buffet tables. Owen had almost taken half of the rib platter for himself before Heather and Courtney had to push him away. Everyone else had passed each bowl and exchanged a few pieces of food, with the more picky or allergic people choosing the foods themselves to avoid cross-contamination. By the time an hour had passed, everyone had stuffed themselves to the brink with food.

"What do we do now?" Katie asked everyone.

"We have the entire day off. Teenager stuff, I guess?" Noah shrugged. 

"I'm going to go to the beach near the cliff. Maybe there will be some decent waves." Bridgette decided for herself and went to change into her bathing suit, with Geoff, Lindsay, and Tyler following close behind her. Everyone had either quickly fallen into their groups or decided to go somewhere on their own. Noah had quickly gathered his stuff to an unknown area of the camp, while Bridgette's group was quickly making their way to the cliffside beach. DJ decided to stay in the main lodge along with Owen, Leshawna, and Izzy, who resorted to perching on the ceiling like a squirrel. Heather was giving death glares to Gwen from across the table, with Beth glancing between the two and giving the goth a poorly replicated glare. The mean girl's body and face were covered in red bite marks and lumps, with the greatest concentration on her cheeks, mouth, and forehead. The goth glared at her back before noticing Trent slowly approaching with a hesitant smile. She quickly got up and sped walk out of the lodge, leaving the musician confused and slightly defeated. Heather scoffed and went to the showers to tend to her ant-riddled body with Beth following her closely.

"Katie, I want to go swimming!" Sadie stood up abruptly upon seeing her best friend approaching their cabin. 

"Sure Sadie! I was going to go to the beach with the others. We can meet them there as well!" Katie flashed her smile, but Sadie's grin dropped at what the best friend implied by their not going to being alone.

"Oh. Okay." Sadie attempted to keep her cool.

"Let me just get my swimsuit and I'll be out!" Katie softly closed the door as the sound of shuffling was heard.

"...Sure."

"Alright! I'm good to go! Sadie? Where did she go?" Katie burst through the door in joy and her hands raised high. However, she noticed Sadie was not at the entrance or anywhere near their cabin. She glanced over the railing to see if her best friend was hiding, to no avail. Cody, who was briefly passing by, noticed her searching and could only shake his head about seeing the other girl.

"Maybe she got a bad stomach ache?" The geek hypothesized.

"Hm. She never gets that. Could you tell her I'm at the beach with the others?" Katie hummed. Cody nodded with a thumbs up as she headed down to the beach towards the first group. He then caught Gwen speed walking towards the docks and hesitated on whether to join her, before ultimately going the opposite direction.

"Okay. Scallions. Tomatoes. Onions. Bell Peppers. Where is the...oh there it is. There should be enough to cook for at least ten of us." Leshawna and Owen had started to eat the chocolate-covered kabobs when the former heard DJ chopping in the kitchen. She peeked to see the Jamaican organizing chopping fruits and vegetables into small bowls on the side of a cutting board. A larger bowl was holding two dozens thawing fish in plastic bags.

"Enough of what honey?" Leshawna asked, catching the gentle giant's attention.

"I'm planning on making a dish for everyone today." DJ answered with a smile.

"You don't need to do that DJ. The staff are providing us with enough food to last a few weeks." Leshawna tried to explain while Owen peeked over with drool slowly dripping from his mouth. Izzy continued to sit on the ceiling pillars with her head tilted like a curious animal.

"I know. But my mama would make this dish all of the time for me and my brothers back home every holiday. I figured to make it myself to celebrate." DJ shrugged, wiping the cutting board of any tomato juice.

"You are too sweet. Let me help you." Leshawna smiled and offered to take the knife, to which the Jamaican handed it without another word.

"I can be the taster!!" Owen hollered.

"And I can be the animal wrangler!!" Izzy added, hopping onto the big teen's shoulder.

"That won't be necessary Izzy! I already have all of the cod fish we need!" DJ exclaimed.

"You guys are no fun!" The redheaded girl pouted with her arms crossed.

"So what is this dish called?" Leshawna asked as she started to pull the fresh fish out of their bags.

"Ackee and Salt Fish."

Meanwhile at the cliff where the teenagers did their first challenge, the wind and geography of the lake were creating decent tidal waves to surf. Geoff and Lindsay were closer to the shore to get a deep tan, while Bridgette was instructing Tyler and Katie on their respective surfboards. While Katie was focusing on keeping her hands on the flat part of the board, Tyler seemed to be wobbling as he slowly caught a wave alongside the surfer. "You are doing great Tyler. Make sure to keep your hands flat and don't put your knees on the board itself, or you'll lose your balance." She explained calmly.

"Okaaayy, I think I got it!" The jock grinned. Despite his legs initially shaking, he seemed confident as he rode the smallest wave.

"Me too!" In contrast to Tyler, Katie was moving her arms around and not paying attention to where she was going.

"Don't flail your arms too much Katie! You need to flow WITH the waves, not fight against them! And keep where your eyes are going, or you will wipe out easily!" Bridgette shouted over the roaring of the waves.

"Oh okay!" Katie shouted back and stiffened her arms. As the teenagers tried a few more waves, Tyler seemed to catch the largest wave out of the three and quickly panicked from the power of the tide. His knees buckled as he quickly fell off to be swallowed by the freshwater. To the relief of Bridgette and Katie, he emerged on the shore and slicked his hair back to give a thumbs-up.

"That looked hot," Lindsay spoke to herself as the jock went back in the water to retrieve the floating board. To her embarrassment, Geoff glanced over at her, having heard what she said.

"Huh?"

"NOTHING!" She shouted with a bright blush. The two blondes continued to watch the cute scene happening among the surfing students before Geoff took a deep sigh. He turned to Lindsay and made a light cough to catch her attention.

"Hey Lindsay, I need to ask you something. Just as a hypothetical." Geoff spoke quietly so the other teenagers would happen to hear them.

"Sure. What is that?" Lindsay asked but the party teen continued.

"So, say someone on your team said something that made someone you care about really upset. And it made you upset to see them so upset. So you want to get back at the guy that made them upset, but it goes horribly wrong, and it almost makes them extremely sick. And not only do you almost make them sick, but it seems as if there was never any bad blood between the first two, and they've forgiven each other without your knowledge. So now it seems as if you are the bad guy even though it was for a...decent reason. How would you feel if that were to happen?" Geoff explained as cryptically as possible, waving his hand nervously towards Bridgette with a small smile. Lindsay gasped dramatically and shook her head so hard, her tied ponytail was smacking her face.

"I would totally die of embarrassment! I could never forgive myself for doing that to someone!" The blonde exclaimed in an almost devastated tone.

"R-Really?" Geoff gulped as she continued to rant, growing increasingly nervous when her voice got louder.

"Yes! I would be ashamed of being the most selfish person on the planet! To hurt someone without knowing what's going on! I would want to get along with everyone, even ugly people." Lindsay smiled at the last part as if she were proud of making that statement.

"Even if it was for a good reason at first?" Geoff didn't know whether it was from him tanning for too long or the blonde's exclamation, but he started to feel a pit in his stomach.

"What good of a reason is there to make someone purposefully sick? You are just a jerk regardless. Period!" Lindsay huffed and crossed her arms to prove her point.

"...Okay. Th-Thanks Lindsay." Geoff finished the conversation and looked towards the waves.

"You're welcome! Um, for what exactly?" Lindsay responded before looking confused again. An exclamation caught their attention as Bridgette dove underwater and reemerged with Katie spitting up water. The girls' surfboards floated next to them as Katie tied her waterlogged ponytails.

"Oof! You okay Katie?" Bridgette giggled.

"Yep! All good!" Katie gave a thumbs-up.

"...Man." Geoff sighed with his face in his hands.

Over at the main lodge kitchen, DJ and Leshawna had removed the scales from the fish and bits of bone. The two's synergy was unmatched as they handed each other what they needed without anything more than a 'thank you' and 'I need that'. They put the shredded fish into a large bowl as Leshawna added oil to a large skillet. The two had put all of the fruits and vegetables in the skillet when they heard a shuffling behind them. DJ turned around in time to catch Owen about to grab a handful of flaked fish, and snatched the bowl out of the big boy's hands. "Owen! Stay away from the cod! We need that!"

"Please just one bite? It looks delicious!" Owen whined with a pleading look, only to grow scared at the Jamaican's hardened look. DJ was not about to lose a crucial ingredient to a beloved meal his family held dear.

"Honey, he's telling you to stay away! And didn't you eat over five dozen chocolate-covered fruit kabobs?" Leshawna joined in as she pushed the big boy forcefully out of the kitchen.

"Well yeah...but-" Owen tried to defend himself, but the two cooks refused to cave in as they blocked the door.

"I'll keep him distracted! Here, big guy..." Izzy waved one of the remaining ribs in Owen's face, who quickly forgot about the cooking dish and ran after the redheaded girl. The two stayed by the kitchen entrance until they disappeared past the camp.

"The boy is sweet, but I swear that stomach is going to get him into trouble one day." Leshawna sighed with DJ nodding in agreement, "So what do I do now?"

"I just need to prepare the ackee fruit and chop the bonnet pepper. Start stirring the rest gently..." DJ continued to direct her through the instructions, though he started to pick up the pace. He knew there was only a limited time before Owen came back, and he didn't think Izzy would be able to hold him back twice.

Cody had reentered the Gopher cabin silently intending to retrieve his handheld game console. While he wanted to spend some time with the others, the craving of a video game was too tempting. To his surprise, Trent was on the floor messing a with an old DVD device while Noah was spread across his bunk bed with his eyes closed. "Oh! What're you guys doing here?"

"Becoming hermits," Noah murmured through the blanket. Trent bopped the cynical nerd's shoulder with his fist without turning around.

"No. I found this old DVD player in one of the closets and I'm trying to get it to work. But it seems busted." Trent continued to mess with the device. Cody's eyes sparkled as he was handed the player.

"Oh! I can give it a try." The geek grinned.

"No need to be a tryhard." Noah murmured but opened an eye to look at Cody puffing his cheeks. A smirk briefly cracked through his apathetic face.

"I am not. I'm good with gadgets like this." Cody defended himself.

"Go on ahead Cody. By the way, did you happen to see where Gwen went? I haven't seen her since this morning." Trent watched as the geek popped open the cover, exposing the innards of the DVD player. Cody then slowly pulled the tray out and looked at the dust-covered wheels and belt.

"I...I did. But after yesterday, I don't know if she wants to talk to either of us." Cody mentioned the goth as he slowly wiped the dust from the DVD player. He quickly tuned out the musician as his tongue poked through his tooth gap.

"I see. Well once the DVD player is fixed, do you guys have any good movies?" Trent moved on from the conversation. Suddenly Harold, who had been silently looking through his bags while nobody noticed, plopped several DVDs in the middle of the circle.

"Here! I have the "Masters of the Spheres" trilogy extended edition, "Bludgeons and Beasts", and the first "Bellora Quest"." The dweeb teenager sniffed proudly as Trent looked through the labeled disks. Noah turned his head to the side as the last name was announced, and almost seemed judgmental of Harold.

"Hold on. Animated or live action for the last one?" The nerd asked with a raised brow.

"Animated! Gosh, you make it sound like I am uncultured!" Harold exclaimed with a hand over his chest.

"Okay you gained a few points." Noah nodded in approval as he rose out of bed.

"What're you looking for, Harold?" Trent asked.

"Some paper." Harold continued to search through his bag and the closet. Trent shook his head as he ripped a piece of paper out of his songbook and handed it over. The dweeb teen smiled as he snatched the paper. "Thanks Trent! Bye!"

"Weirdo. Oh, you got it working." Noah rolled his eyes but perked up upon seeing the fully functional DVD player on Cody's lap. The geek seemed pleased with himself as he presented it like a valuable jewel.

"Told ya! You guys want to go watch it at the amphitheater?" Cody offered as he pointed out the door. Noah and Trent glanced at each other, then back to the geek with barely any expression change.

"Sure. I'll bite." They agreed in sync.

"Alright. Just add the ackee and bonnet pepper and stir, but not too roughly to destroy the fruit. I'll start with the rice and prepare the desserts!" DJ directed Leshawna with a pleased smile as the Ackee dish was mixing with the flaked and shredded cod fish. The dish simmered on low heat as a pot was brought out, and two pounds of rice were added. Far away from the vegetables and bubbling carbs were maple leaf-shaped graham crackers with a large bag of marshmallows, along with a large watermelon with special cutters.

"Got it! This smells delicious, that I could almost eat it myself." Leshawna felt herself growing hungry staring at the almost finished dish. She continued to stir gently as the rice slowly absorbed the water. Suddenly, the two felt the ground shake as the main lodge entrance was slammed open. DJ instinctively covered the door as a manic Owen attempted to bypass him, his eyes wide and hungry like an animal. Luckily, Izzy burst through a few seconds later and wrapped her arms around the big boy's neck.

"I SMELL RICE AND COOKIES! LET ME IN! LEEET MEEE IIIINNNN!!!" Owen hollered as he was in a pushing and tugging match with both DJ and Izzy. Leshawna could only watch the scene as she stirred slightly more quickly.

"Izzy! Hold him back!" DJ exclaimed while leaning all of his weight against the pudgy teen's belly.

"What do you think I am doing?!?" Izzy shouted pulling Owen back with all of her might.

"Do something else!" The Jamaican pleaded.

"Alright!!" Izzy reeled her arm back and karate chopped into Owen's neck with a loud pop. The ravenous boy went instantly quiet as his eyes rolled back and he fell backwards as stiff as a board. DJ looked at her in fright as she rubbed her wrist. "What? That is my alternative."

"DJ, I am all done!" Leshawna called from the kitchen.

"Okay. Izzy, you can help us cut some watermelon." DJ sighed in relief.

"Oh fun!" The redhead grinned as she entered the kitchen, leaving the knocked-out Owen on the floor. By the time the sun had its last rays touch the sky, each group of teenagers had returned to camp to clean themselves up. Bridgette, Tyler, Geoff, Lindsay, and Katie took turns borrowing the communal bathrooms to wash out the lake water. The boys let the girls go first before they grouped for their showers. Over at the main lodge, DJ had put the last of the shaped watermelon slices in an organized display and handed it to Leshawna. Izzy volunteered with the rice while he carried the main dish. Gwen had returned from the unknown parts of the woods with her sketchbook in hand, still keeping a fair distance from Heather. Noah, Trent, and Cody were the last ones to arrive at the camp, chatting away about their favorite parts of their chosen movies. Suddenly, everyone smelled something sweet yet spicy slowly approaching them.

"What is that smell? It smells delicious!!" Katie cheered with a hungry smile.

"Yeah, what is that?!" Lindsay joined in.

"Hm. I smell pepper, scallions, some kind of fruit I can't put my finger on...and a whole lot of fish!!" Owen, who had slowly recovered from the knockout, mumbled to himself.

"Quite the scent tracker, big guy." Noah glanced over at the big teen. A whistle caught everyone's attention as they saw DJ, Leshawna, and Izzy approaching with large platters of food. While the redheaded girl was carrying the rice like an oversized bomb, Leshawna carried a plate of maple leaf-shaped watermelon slices with popsicle sticks in one hand and bags of crackers and marshmallows in the other.

"Here you go everyone! A good old family special of mine! Though it is a little spicy!" DJ presented the ackee and salt fish dish. Katie, Lindsay, and Gwen immediately took their portions of the Jamaican dish, with Katie exclaiming at the sudden spiciness. Noah briefly asked if there was shellfish in the dish, then proceeded to take a portion after DJ confirmed there was not. Leshawna plopped the desserts on an available stump as the campfire started.

"And for all of y'all's sweet tooths!" The black girl smiled as more campers snatched up the sweet treats.

"I am in HEAVEN." Cody was shoving the s'mores in his face with rapid succession. His face looked like it could barely hold more than three at a time, but he continued to make more. It was only when he was at his sixth s'more did Trent step in to take the bag of marshmallows. The geek pouted but the musician refused to relent.

"Easy Cody! You'll give yourself a stomach ache! Here, have a watermelon pop." The musician handed the geek a small watermelon pop. Despite Cody wanting the sweeter options, he sucked on the fruity juice to help with the sticky marshmallows inside and outside of his mouth. On the opposite side, Owen grinned and handed a jumbo s'more to a reluctant Noah.

"I am not really into s'mores." The cynical nerd attempted to deny the offer.

"Come on, Noah! It is part of the summer camp experience!" Owen offered the s'more with a little more enthusiasm. Noah stared blankly before taking the treat while glancing away.

"...Fine."

The teenagers were in a peaceful silence, munching on the special dishes when Lindsay erupted from her seat. She enthusiastically pointed towards the sky as boats lined the horizon. "Oh! OH! The fireworks are about to start!"

Gwen looked up from her sketchbook in time to see the first fireworks explode. Tyler and Lindsay stood beside each other, with the jock slowly reaching for her hand with a gentle grip. Lindsay didn't look down, but her faint blush was visible between exploding fireworks. Owen continued to munch on the rice and watermelon pops, Trent started to play a song to add to the mood, and Noah finally put a book down to watch the colors fly by.

"Here's to Canada, dudes!!" Geoff lifted a glass of juice in the air, and the teenagers hollered in response.

Chapter Text

The midday sun beat down on the teenagers as Chris approached the campfire ceremony area. While most of them were indifferent about the incoming challenge, a few had negative emotions directed toward others. A bite covered Heather was looking at Gwen with utter disgust, and the goth faced the woods with her arms crossed. Sadie glanced over at Katie in a manner of trying to get her attention.

"Campers! Today's challenge will be testing you survival skills with the outdoors! I'm not going to lie...some of you may not come back alive." Chris pointed out with a smile. The Gophers, with exception to Izzy who grinned, gasped in shock at the news.

"You are contracted to keep us alive-!!" Courtney argued but was interrupted.

"Yes Courtney, I know! Jeez, you can't take a joke can you?" The host spat back with an annoyed glare. The CIT girl grumbled but let him continue, "Back to my point, all you need to do is spend one night in the woods with your team. Everything that you need will be at your team's designated spot. The twist is you have to find it and walk there yourself."

The host pulled out two topography maps and compasses, tossing them to each team. Courtney reached out for hers only for the items to land on Duncan, to which she looked peeved as the delinquent's smile. She snatched the map and compass back without another word and the two exchanged glares. Heather caught her map and compass but glared when she saw Gwen turn away from them. "Oh yeah. Just in case, we will be having Chef and Molly tour around the trails out of reach. We have been getting sightings of a bear in the area so if you see one, feel free to scream for us. First team to come back to the main lodge tomorrow morning wins!" Chris added with an airhorn for good measure.

"Hold up. Please tell me he didn't say they were BEARS in there..." Leshawna's voice slightly quivered as the team began their trek.

"Don't worry Leshawna! Bears are rather giant overgrown raccoons! This one time a bear was eating out of my family's garbage, and he had old spaghetti covered in sauce dangling off of his chin and teeth! It looked like blood and guts, and the meatballs he munched on looked like eyeballs!" Izzy pranced around the group with a smile, imitating a bear with sticks to represent the spaghetti. While Lindsay took her time to follow the conversation, Leshawna felt her stomach grow weak.

"Izzy, I don't need to know that!" The black girl exclaimed while covering her ears.

"I wasn't finished! My brother and I thought he was eating the stray cat Simba, but it turns out the little guy was lost for a week. We ended up feeding the bear frozen fish afterwards and he walked off. Quick question but you didn't eat spaghetti before I said that, right?" Izzy turned to Lindsay, who shook her head 'no'. "Alrighty then! LET'S GO!" The redheaded girl hollered and ran ahead of the rest of the team.

(Confessional: Leshawna)

"I swear that girl is missing more than a couple of screws. She is missing the whole damn motor!"

"Gwen! Can we...talk for a little bit?" Trent approached a glum Gwen who was keeping her gaze on the forest floor. The musician reached for her shoulder only for the goth to lightly shake it off.

"I'm not really in the mood Trent." Gwen murmured. 

"Hey, if this is about the diary, I am not that affected. I-" The musician tried to ease into the conversation but Gwen turned around to keep eye contact while walking.

"Trent! Just...please?" The goth's voice went quiet as she noticed Heather glaring daggers. Trent noticed it as well as sighed, stepping back enough for her to walk ahead a couple of feet.

"...Okay..."

Meanwhile the Killer Bass were in a comfortable silence as Courtney led the way to the campsite. Harold was examining two different pine cone samples, Bridgette was talking to DJ, and Duncan had grabbed a small piece of wood and actively carving into it. Katie was a little bit behind stretching her arms, but was still within sight of the team. Suddenly she felt a light tug and looked to see Sadie pulling her towards a large bush. The bush was covered in miniature wild blueberries, and Sadie gasped in joy before shoving a couple of the fruits.

"Katie look! Blueberries! Let's eat some together!" The best friend exclaimed, presenting Katie with a fistful of berries.

"But we need to catch up with the others for the campsite." Katie murmured noticing the Bass were not stopping. She didn't notice the frown that briefly crossed Sadie's face before she smiled wider.

"Come on Katie, please? We haven't talked much and I miss talking with you!" Sadie pled.

"I...well okay." Katie sighed and began eating small quantities of blueberries. Sadie tried to start a conversation about their childhoods and their favorite foods, but stopped when she realized Katie was barely listening. In fact, she was only eating one corner of the berry bush while looking back towards the path. The preppy girl pouted and ate the berries faster without any further conversation.

(Confessional: Sadie)

"Katie and I are BFFFL's: Best Female Friends For Life! We have done everything together! We even got the chicken pox together as little kids! I gladly scratched the little scabs on both of us! I thought that we would never have to worry about anything as long as we are together! But ever since we got here, she has been totally avoiding me. She doesn't join in on my sentences anymore, or look in my direction when I'm talking, and didn't even invest in my ideas for ice cream. She's interacted more with DJ and...Ezekiel more often than me. What is going on?" Sadie poured her feelings out within the confessional, with her expression growing frustrated the longer she talked.

(Confessional: Katie)

"I don't want to make it seem like I'm ignoring Sadie. But being on this camp has made me realize a few things. I like making friends other than Sadie. DJ and Bridgette are so kind and thoughtful, Tyler and Harold are pretty funny, and even Ezekiel is cool ever since he apologized. I still love Sadie so much, but I want to branch out a little bit. But I don't think she's taking it well at all. How am I supposed to explain it?" Katie fiddled with her hands as she stared at the confessional floor instead of the camera.

"As soon as we get another loss, she is so gone." Heather growled as the Gopher team continued to walk to their destination. Most of the team glared at her, but Trent had the courage to confront her.

"Who are you talking about?" The musician asked with a tone that implied he already knew the answer.

"Her! Who else?!" Heather pointed towards Gwen, who continued to walk ahead silently. The mean girl scratched her arms aggressively as the heat made them worse, "She dunked Harold's entire red ant farm into my bed! I am still itching from the venom!"

"Yeah, I remember that. I also remember you reading her personal diary to the entire world. We all watched you do it, and you were so smug about it." Trent glared at her as the entire team glared at her except for Lindsay and Beth. But while Beth seemed to share a sympathetic look to Heather, Lindsay seemed more upset than angry or defensive.

"That is, like, the one rule between teenage girls you don't break! Diaries are a sacred object. We never read each other diaries." The blonde meekly explained.

"Whose side are you on Lindsay?!" Heather whipped around with an angry glare. Lindsay winced at the girl's outburst, but grew more scared when Leshawna came up against the mean girl's face.

"Girl, you got what was coming to you! You gotta be messed up to where you think you can get away with something like that!" She spat. Half of the team nodded in agreement, causing Heather to scoff angrily and walk slightly faster.

"Guys, knock it off. She did bad things but so did Gwen." Beth spoke up trying to relieve the tension. Unfortunately, no one listened and continued on during their trek.

"Sweetie, she deserved it. Stop defending her." Leshawna argued.

Katie and Sadie had finished the last of the blueberry bush, with Sadie's mouth dripping with juice and Katie rubbing her hands against the grass to cleanliness. Sadie looked pleased with the results. "Wow, that was better tasting than I thought! Can you believe how yummy this is?" She glanced over to her best friend.

"Sadie, we really need to get going. The others could be...guys? Team? Where did you go?" Katie sighed before realizing the rest of the Bass were not on the path. She stood up and looked farther down the forest, but there was no sign of their team. Not even of bright red from Tyler's track suit or Duncan's bright green mohawk. The reality of their situation seemed to sink in faster for Katie than it did for Sadie.

"Oh my gosh, this feels just like how we were lost in the mall when we were 7. We ended up wandering around and looking at all of the toys and slides together. And you started to get worried and I cheered you up by playing with our haircuts. It was so much fun! And our moms ended up needing to be called by security to pick us up, and they ended up so mad. But it was still one of my greatest memories." Sadie reminisced while clutching Katie's hands with a smile.

"I remember Sadie. It was a sweet moment. But this is not that moment. Killer Bass, where are you guys?!" Katie held her hand but continued to call out to the team, and frustration started to build up within Sadie as they ventured into the woods in an attempt to find their team.

The Gophers had reached their campsite within an hour, but Owen was the first to notice only a overly large tent and a couple of sleeping bags. "Guys, there is no food here? What gives?!" The big boy exclaimed.

"Hold on big boy. This is a survival task, which means we have to do everything on our own. Set up tents, go hunting, find food...am I connecting the dots for all of you?" Noah explained while tracing the soil with a stick. He glanced over at an irritated Heather as he droned on the last sentence.

"I really hate you." The mean girl said pointedly.

"And I hate your existence." The cynical nerd responded with equal amount of displeasure.

"I wonder if there are any bears around here! Wouldn't it be funny if we made some bear sounds and they came?" Owen laughed to himself, and starting to make a convincing impression of a territorial bear. The growls and roars reverberated throughout the camp as he sounder louder and louder until Heather bopped his belly.

"No! Why would you think that is even remotely funny?!" The mean girl gasped.

"I'll go look for some food then! It will be just like old times with my grandpa!" Owen recovered from the interruption and disappeared into the woods, hollering all of the while. The rest of the team prepared the sleeping bags and attempted to start the campfire.

"You go do that big guy." Noah called out to Owen to the closest effort of shouting.

"Well on the bright side, this will be easy on my diet." Heather rolled her eyes while folding the map.

Katie and Sadie had started to grow tired of walking through the woods after two hours. Their ponytails were slowly coming undone and sticking to their faces, and Sadie winced while shuffling small pebbles out of her heel wedges. She sighed and made a short glance at Katie. "You don't know where we are, do you?"

"I...um...no. I don't know how Zeke did this. Every tree looks the same." Katie pathetically sighed while glancing at the trees around them. It almost appeared as if they went in circles with the patterns of trees looking vaguely familiar.

"When did you talk to Ezekiel about directions?" Sadie questioned her best friend, and her voice dropped as she mentioned the homeschooled boy's name. Katie heard the different tone and felt both offended by the condescending tone and nervous by the tense atmosphere.

"Um...sometime ago. Look I'm sorry about getting us lost, but could at least stop saying his name like that?" The preppy girl asked.

"Like what?" Sadie acted innocent but her tone did not seem to change.

"That. So full of contempt. That's all you have been sounding like that for the past couple of days." Katie pointed out with a judgmental glare. 

"So not true!" Sadie gasped at his best friend. To her surprise, Katie continued to walk past her.

"Let's just keep walking. We have to find somebody eventually."

Back with the Screaming Gophers, the group had made a circle around the makeshift campfire waiting for Owen. Gwen was the furthest away from the group, with only Trent being the closest to her but not turning around. She sketched away in her book, trying her best to ignore Heather's complaints about hunger.

"Never would I think I would meet the day that my stomach devours itself. But today's the day!!" Izzy joined in as her stomach growled loud enough to rival a bear. Meanwhile just far enough away from the campers was Molly the intern, carefully watching through the camera for any signs of hostile wildlife or potential dangers. Suddenly, Kyle the intern walked towards her with two pizza boxes.

"Hey Molly, I have the pizza!" He exclaimed and she was instantly away from the camera.

"Thanks Kyle! Pepperoni with extra cheese?" She asked and the boy nodded as they dove into the baked food. The Screaming Gophers heard Owen's whistling as he erupted from the brush. They were surprised to see three decently large bass strung together by some vines.

"I have brought-eth the fish-eth!!" Owen declared. Heather exclaimed in disbelief as the rest of the team rushed to the big teen.

"Owen, you are awesome!" Trent said.

"I LOVE FISH!" Izzy reached out to the largest of the bass. To everyone's surprise and disgust, the redheaded girl bit down on the dead fish and its scales were stuck between her teeth. She was about to bite again to pierce flesh until she noticed everyone's expressions. "Oh, I guess you all want yours cut and cooked first?" She giggled nervously.

"How do you of all people know how to fish?" Heather said in a accusing tone.

"My grandpa taught me all kinds of things while camping throughout my childhood. My record for fish caught is three lake trout, seven walleyes, a black crappie, and a mud shark! I even have a scar on my thigh from where the shark bit me!" Owen pumped his chest out while handing everyone the fish. He lifted his leg slightly to expose the faint scar right before his butt.

"That is so awesome." Izzy marveled.

The evening sky had turned dark with the moon slowly erupting from the horizon, bathing the island in a pale but bright light. Deeper in the woods, Katie and Sadie had resorted to camping down in a small cave-like opening, as the former deemed it unsafe to continue in the dark. It was an awkward silence as the girls struggled to get a campfire going. Sadie finally did a light cough to get her best friend's attention. "So Katie, how has the camp been going for you? I have been seeing you moving around a lot. Without me." She said with the last part being quiet enough that Katie couldn't hear.

"Oh it has been so much fun. DJ made a gourmet Jamaican dish for Canada Day and it was so delicious. I have never tasted something filled with so many spices! I wish you had some but I couldn't find you. And Bridgette was teaching Tyler and me how to surfboard. You should have seen how I completely fell off, but it was so exciting! And the fireworks were beautiful as well!!" Katie had a smile on her face as she explained the last couple of days.

"That is...great." Sadie said tensely, rubbing the sticks together rapidly but ineffectively.

"I wonder if the others were able to celebrate Canada Day without us? With Justin and Eva being his company, I wonder if Zeke had fun." Katie added. All of a sudden, the sticks in Sadie's hands snapped loudly. She looked up to see Sadie with a frustrated look almost turning angry.

"You always talk about him. And if it's not him, then it is the others. You never want to talk to me anymore." Sadie spoke.

"But I do talk to you? After the challenges?" Katie was confused. Why was Sadie acting this way? She didn't feel like things had changed with them that much, because they were still at each other's side.

"Not like before! We only talk every once in a while now! You get to have all of this fun, while I am left all alone without you!" Sadie threw the sticks away and turned to Katie with a glare.

"What has gotten into you? Just because I decide to hang out with someone else a few times, it is a problem for you?" Katie asked astonished but felt frustration quickly rising to the surface. The frustration got worse when Sadie scoffed at the mention of hanging around with 'someone else'.

"It wouldn't be such a problem if it wasn't with those...those people! Ezekiel is a sexist! He hasn't once apologized to any of us, and yet you kept hanging around him and encouraging him to damage others more! He destroyed Courtney's violin and stole her spotlight!" Sadie ranted angrily, speaking Ezekiel's name with so much displeasure that it shocked Katie to hear her so disgusted. She pointed at Katie while pointing out everything the homeschool kid did as if she were lecturing a child. As if Katie was a child. The tanned girl felt her heart pounding and blood boiling as she stood up in defiance.

"One; he did apologize! Two; It was totally an accident!!" Katie spat in anger.

"Or Tyler hitting me in the face with a dodgeball! He felt more sorry for the girl on the opposite team than us, and you didn't even say anything!" Sadie pointed at herself when mentioning the jock. 

"Again! It was an accident!!" Katie defended Tyler with more aggression, but Sadie was not backing down. "Are you just going to be talking bad about everyone I have been hanging out with?!"

"It just feels that ever since we came to this camp, you have been a totally different person! Roughing around and hanging out with all of these bad people instead of your BFFFL!" Sadie gestured to herself as their argument started to echo down the cave opening.

"I am capable of choosing who I want and don't want to hang out with! And I am just as capable determining who people really are! And another thing; YOU were the one who wanted to come to this place! I agreed because you said it would be fun!" Katie argued. She lightly jabbed a finger into Sadie's shoulder as she pointed out the reason they were even on the island to begin with.

"I wanted to have fun with you! But you are hanging out with people you have only known for two weeks over me!" Sadie seemed to grow hysterical in her argument.

"Maybe I just wanted to do something on my own for once! To just have something to call my own without you! Even if that was just having some friends! Why is that so hard to ask for?!" Katie finally exploded and vented out her true feelings. The exclamation was loud enough to echo down the cave for several seconds, and the forest was quiet with only owls and crickets for company. Katie panted and cleared her throat to see Sadie looking both betrayed and enraged, hot tears welling in her eyes.

"Without...me?" Sadie murmured quietly. Before Katie could respond any more, the girl turned away and leaned closer to the cave, "You know what? Once we get back to camp, we are so done as BFFFL'S." Katie didn't have any retort and just closed her eyes as the emotional outburst exhausted her to sleep. Meanwhile the rest of the Killer Bass were finishing up establishing their campsite. Harold was rubbing a thick stick against the fireplace to light it up, Tyler shuffled through the bags for any last supplies, and Courtney was pitching the tent alongside Bridgette and Geoff. The party teen glanced at Bridgette straightening out of the tent and smirked nervously.

"You know Bridgette, you pitch a tent like a guy." He pointed out. To his dismay, the surfer girl turned to him confused and slightly offended.

"Excuse me?"

(Confessional: Geoff)

"What the hell did I say? WHY the hell did I say that? WHO the hell says that?"

"Um, what I meant to say is that you are not afraid to get dirty like a lot of girls I know." Geoff attempted to recover from the awful flirtation attempt.

"Gee thanks." Bridgette raised a brow but said nothing else.

"So what's for dinner woman? I'm starving over here." Duncan said to Courtney. The CIT girl frowned and kicked the delinquent in the shin, causing him to kneel over and groan in pain.

"I seriously hope you weren't thinking you could get any more of a response than that." She responded with a tense face.

"Aw come here little guy!" The team heard the delighted voice DJ as the gentle giant emerged from the woods, holding a tiny rabbit barely the size of his hand. Bridgette looked awestruck as she rushed to feel the bunny's soft fur. 

"Oh cool. I never had rabbit stew before, but there is a first time for everything!" Duncan approached while unsheathing his knife. He almost got within three feet before DJ covered the bunny with his body.

"Hey! Hands off of him! This is my new pet, Bunny!" The Jamaican pet the rabbit gently, causing the small creature to click its teeth together in happiness. 

"You couldn't find any food other than a rabbit? Then I guess we'll be eating nothing but grubs and berries for dinner." Courtney groaned at the bitter result of their food search. The attitude only grew worse from what Duncan said next.

"Has anyone seen Twiddle-dufus and Twiddle-dumbass around?"

"On top of that, WE LOST KATIE AND SADIE???" She exclaimed to the sky.

"There we go! The fire's hot, the fish is cooking, and the tent is tenting." Owen had impaled the skinned bass on a stick and slowly rotated the meat over the fire. Despite the lack of spices and oils, the smell was causing most of the Gophers' stomachs to growl. 

"Nice going Owen. You are pretty knowledgeable about this stuff." Trent acknowledge the big boy's handiwork.

"Thanks man. I owe it all to grandpa." Owen had a nostalgic gleam in his eyes.

"I still find it hard to believe you and your grandfather fought a bear. Care to elaborate on that?" Noah said, but his tone was more curious than disbelief or anything hostile.

"Well, it was more of my grandpa fighting one," Owen sat down and every team member had their attention towards him, "I was barely five years old when it happened. We were just walking across the woods and my grandpa was looking for some deer to hunt. I was just minding my business playing with pill bugs, when all of a sudden a bear over ten feet tall erupted from the shrubs. I dubbed him the "Great Beast"! The beast charged at me so fast that my blood ran cold. My grandpa, without a word, grabbed his shotgun and aimed it perfectly with the beast's forehead. BOOM! One shot and the creature was dead. It was an unfortunate death for the beast, but he had to do it to protect both of us."

"Yeah right. Ten foot bears don't exist." Heather rolled her eyes with a scoff.

"Actually they do. Just specific species like the Kodiak bear, though they don't live anywhere near Canada. Owen most likely is talking about the Grolar bear, which is a hybrid cross of the Grizzly and the much larger Polar bear. They are rare in nature but not impossible, and they can be ten feet tall on their hind legs." Noah corrected her.

"Shut it. Wait a minute, has anyone seen crazy girl?" Heather looked around the group and noticed Izzy was nowhere to be seen.

"I think she needed to pee." Lindsay added.

"But that was over an hour ago." Trent shot down the suggestion and quickly grew worried, with Cody and Gwen quickly joining him. Every Gopher searched the borders to their campsite, with Owen repeatedly shouting Izzy's name.

"I think I hear her over there?" Beth pointed towards a large bush. The bush started to shake aggressively and Owen laughed as he approached it.

"Oh thank goodness! I thought we lost you for A-GREAT PYRAMID OF GIZA!!!" Owen screamed as a deep growl erupted from the bush. The Gophers screamed at the same time as a small brown bear stood on its hind legs. Trent shielded Gwen from the sight, and Cody froze in fear as the bear came closer. Leshawna hugged Lindsay close as they attempted to back away slowly. To their dismay, Owen continued to scream in circles and shout repeatedly about their imminent death, which only further agitated the bear. Heather finally had enough and kneed the big boy in the legs, sending him to the ground.

"OWEN, SHUT UP BEFORE YOU FREAK IT OUT FURTHER! Wh-What do we do?!" Heather quickly returned to panic. A whistle caught everyone's attention as they saw Noah climbing up a tree with Cody not far behind.

"Don't run! Go up the trees! Trust me!" The nerd ordered them and the group followed without hesitation.

"Oh! What was that?!" Bridgette fidgeted as she heard a distant roar through the forest.

"It's okay Bridgette. I'm pretty sure it is only an owl." DJ reassured her while petting his new rabbit companion.

"S-Sorry. I get so freaked out in the woods." The surfer girl murmured.

"You know this reminds me of a story a fellow juvie mate told me once, before they had to isolate him." Duncan suddenly spoke and the implied story immediately caught Geoff's attention.

"Wow really? What is it about?" The party teen asked curiously.

"Are you sure you want to know? From what the guy told me, it is not for the faint of heart." Duncan raised a brow as he straightened his back.

"Ooooo, I bet we will be sooooo scared." Courtney rolled her eyes and mocked the delinquent.

"Alright. But if you start crying and get startled by every sound, then I have every right to mock you for the night." Duncan shrugged and began his story.

It had started decently with a prologue stating how the setting was like their situation. But as the story continued and the teenagers became more invested, the details grew darker and horrifying that it made DJ and Bridgette lean on each for comfort. Bridgette had her hand softly gripping Bunny's fur to ground herself, Geoff and Harold looked like they were going to vomit, and Courtney seemed squeamish as Duncan seemed unfazed with the storytelling. "...suddenly they heard this tapping on the side of the car. The girl that was with him started to freak out before he finally jumpstarted it on his own. He stepped on the gas and drove all of the way back to the girl's house with such great speed, the transmitter was almost wrecked. The girl had opened the door and screamed upon seeing the knife lodged in the outside hull of the car. The guy told me they never found the man chasing them through the woods. He says there is a chance that the guy is still alive and looking for him to finish the job. And even take out any of the accomplices if he needs to, maybe even the ones passing around this story. The guy could be anywhere by now. In any city, town, island, and alley. He could be even right HERE!!!"

He suddenly pulled out a knife and did a fake charge towards his teammates, making all of them scream in terror. Courtney, Bridgette, and Harold leapt behind DJ for protection while Tyler and Geoff were frozen. A few seconds passed for the shock to disappear, and Duncan burst into laughter as he sheathed his knife. Geoff and Tyler joined in the laughter as the scare quickly disappeared.

"HAHAHAHAHA! OKAY, THAT WAS BETTER THAN I THOUGHT!!" Duncan hollered.

"DUNCAN! That was so NOT funny!" Courtney fumed while stomping up to his face.

"Oh that was hilarious! Miss CIT damn near fainted over here! I just wish it was on camera. Oh wait...IT IS!!" Duncan had a wide grin as he gestured to the surrounding camp. He may not know where the cameras were, but he was pleased to know the footage was recording.

"You are so vile! Do your parents even like you!?" Courtney snipped at him.

"I know my dad doesn't. My little brother is waiting for me to finish my time though. I promised I would teach him how to carve a blade." Duncan shrugged with the insult failing to affect him. A loud call suddenly echoed through the camp as made Courtney jolt. She impulsively leaned against him with her squeezed shut. Duncan was about to mock her for being easily scared, but quickly stopped noticing her shaking. His look softened as he patted her back. "Easy Jumpy McChicken. It is just another owl."

"I knew that!" Courtney quickly recovered and moved away from him.

"So what do we do now?" Trent said while holding Gwen steady on one of the tree branches. The bear below all of them scratched at the tree bark while also pacing between the tree and the cooking fish.

"How should I know?! Owen, what do we do?!" Heather exclaimed and looked at the big boy on a higher branch.

"Why are you asking me?!" Owen yelled while hugging the main bark like a koala clutching to its mother.

"Your grandpa hunted a bear!" Leshawna argued with her arms crossed.

"And I'm just supposed to know everything he did?!" Owen argued back.

"This is your fault! If you hadn't been shouting so loud and making all of those growling noises, then he wouldn't have been attracted to us!!" Heather pointed at the chubby teenager with a accusing finger, clearly remembering all of the times he was being unnecessarily loud and imitating bear noises. 

"Well excuse me for living!" Owen complained only for a pine cone to be hurled at his face.

"You are not excused! We are going to die!!" Heather spat.

"How come you're not freaking out, Noah?" Cody looked over to the mentioned nerd. While they were positioned on the highest stable branch, the geek was surprised to see the nerd completely calm while his own heart was pounding.

"Panic never helps. You just die scared and irrational. Besides, the bear is not even looking at us. It is looking at the fish." Noah pointed out, gripping the geek's chin to make him pay attention to the bear's movements. The beast had left the tree alone and was sniffing the fish in curiosity and hunger.

"Huh. You're right." Cody hummed.

"We just need to remain quiet and let it take what it wants." Noah concluded and the geek seemed to agree with him.

"HEY! Paws off of the fish!!" Heather suddenly yelled to the bear, startling it back to paying attention to them. Lindsay then screamed about Izzy's apparent fatal fate as the teenagers clutched to the tree tighter.

"Why do I bother saying anything?" Noah groaned.

Suddenly the edge of the branch Leshawna was sitting on snapped cleanly, and the girl fell to the base of the tree almost directly in front of the bear. Lindsay and Beth averted their eyes, and Heather looked ready to scream in horror at the scene. Gwen and Trent hugged each other as they refused to look down. Cody covered his ears, preparing to hear the screams of pain with Noah hugging him close so neither of them would fall.

"Dear Abby, she is going to die!" Owen declared as began to cry.

"N-N-Nice bear! SOMEBODY HELP ME!" Leshawna screamed as the bear hovered over her helpless self. She huddled into a small ball ready to feel excruciating pain, only to feel nothing as the bear stood on its hind legs. The beast's expression went still as it stepped back. But the way it stepped away seemed too human for an animal.

"Woah jeez, are you okay Leshawna?" A muffled voice erupted within the bear.

"D-Did the bear just talk?" Leshawna stuttered as she straightened up. The "bear" nodded as its claws reached for its neck. To everyone's shock, the head popped off to reveal Izzy in a realistic bear costume. The redheaded girl smiled as she pulled Leshawna onto her feet. While everyone was slowly recovering and letting go of each other to slide down the tree, Leshawna cried out in relief that the scare was simply because of a cruel prank.

"Yup! Sorry guys, but I thought that would have been funny!" Izzy chirped happily, ignoring Gwen and Heather's disapproval.

(Confessional: Izzy)

"Can you believe there was just a random taxidermy bear stuck in the woods? Their reactions were so funny! Owen was running all over the place like "Rah! There is a bear! We are all going to die!", like I could actually eat human flesh! Bleh! Let me tell you something though; human flesh is not tasty at all! Too many variables for different taste. Not worth it at all!"

(Confessional: Noah)

"Izzy is either psychopathic or just a crazy bird. The line is thin and almost non-existent."

The Killer Bass had formed a sleeping circle inside of the large tent. Most of the members were wide awake unable to get any sleep, Bridgette was fidgeting constantly from the noise outside, while Duncan was peacefully dozing off. "Duncan, will you stop nudging me so much?" Courtney whined to the delinquent.

"Speak for yourself peaches. I'm perfectly content." The mohawk teen said without opening his eyes.

"Are you okay Bridgette? Do you need to go to the bathroom?" DJ asked the squirming surfer girl.

"Like crazy, but I'm scared to be alone." Bridgette nodded in embarrassment.

"Do you want me wait outside with you?" DJ offered.

"I can come with you." Geoff joined in the conversation.

"To watch me pee?" Bridgette asked uncertain, and Geoff blushed realizing what he offered. He sheepishly put his head back down as she stepped out of the tent. As she took a few steps, a squirrel randomly jumped from the top of the tent and latched on her face. She yelled in panic as she tried to pry the mammal off, unknowingly flailing towards the fireplace. The squirrel just off of her in time with her kicking up charred embers towards the tent. Her face paled when the tent caught on fire, and the screams of her teammates became clear as they exited one-by-one. The tent smoldered into charred fabric and foul smelling wood.

"Sorry guys." She murmured nervously.

"Thanks for the raw fish, Noah! Munch Munch!" Izzy exclaimed happily as she tore through the scales and thin bones, slowly picking out the tasty meat underneath. Heather and Lindsay gagged as the faint smell of the organs.

"Go at it Fera-Izzy." Noah waved her off. Suddenly the bush the redheaded used herself started to rustle aggressively, grabbing everyone's attention once again.

"Uh guys? Did you hear that?" Cody shot up from his position. A larger brown bear slowly approached from the pile, and it started to sniff Izzy's costume. It huffed annoyed as its claws scrapped dirt underneath and saliva dripped down its chin upon seeing the fish. Its thick muscles twitched slightly as it glanced at each teenager with its dark eyes showing no emotion. Noah and Izzy's eyes shot open as they were the first to back off, with Trent and Cody following suit seeing how quickly they fell silent.

"Nice try Chris. We know this isn't a real bear! Boop!" Owen laughed in a mocking manner and nonchalantly walked to the bear until his was three inches from it. To the smarter contestants' horror, he whacked the bear's nose with decent strength and its dark eyes flared in anger. Its sharp canines slowly became visible in the dim moonlight.

"Owen...I'm pretty sure that one is real." Gwen gulped and hastily scooted away.

"You know...C-Chris DID say there was a bear along the trails..." Heather was speechless as she quickly yanked Lindsay away to the rest of the group. Owen rolled his eyes with a cocky smirk as he patted the agitated bear.

"Oh come on guys! They are just trying to see if they can punk us twice! But this is not a real-" Owen cut himself off with a scream as he felt a burning pain from the bear snapping its jaws close to his wrist. The force was not enough to crack the bone, but his arms trickled with blood as the bear quickly stood on its hind legs. "OW! IT IS REAL! RUN!" The big boy screamed in a mix of pain and terror. The teenagers fled back up the original tree and the bear made no effort to climb after them. However, it remained at the tree's base and watched them as the hours slowly went by.

"Real nice Bridgette! Thanks to you, we have no food and nowhere to sleep!!" Courtney screamed at a guilty Bridgette as they rest of the group wiped the soot off of their clothes. The CIT was ready to continue ranting when Duncan wedged himself between the two girls.

"Drama queen, take it easy on her! She obviously didn't mean it." The delinquent attempted to calm her down with a calm but stern look.

"Are you serious?! Things cannot possibly get worse!!" Courtney said annoyed by their circumstance. Suddenly, as if the universe was playing a joke, a few fallen droplets quickly turned to a torrential storm. The storm quickly put on the campfire and washed away the remains of the destroyed tent. While DJ quickly snapped a life tree branch for the team to use as cover, Courtney looked ready to blow a gasket.

"You broke the cardinal rule." Duncan teased with a smirk, and the CIT finally vented out her frustrations with a shriek.

The Screaming Gophers were stuck in a tree as the storm rolled by throughout the night, but the tree's canopy allowed more cover than the bare ground. With most of the area being dry enough to doze off, they slowly put themselves in a position to allow sleep and stability to avoid falling off. Trent allowed Gwen to lean on him for support, Izzy was sprawled across the branches like a cat, Beth and Lindsay leaned on Leshawna like a neck pillow, and Noah and Cody managed to share the same space against the main part of the tree. The bear was less agitated as the night went on, but it left by the time everyone had fallen asleep. The morning was quiet as the Gophers slowly descended from the tree. The tent had been torn to shreds and the rest of the supplies had been scattered or thoroughly searched. 

"Wake up everyone. The bear is gone." Trent announced to the team.

"Along with our map." Gwen added on holding the soggy map.

"Raccoon spines must be made of rubber, because that tree made me so stiff." Izzy stretched her way out of the bear costume. Heather gave her a death glare but said nothing as the group slowly made their way back to the main camp.

Meanwhile, the Killer Bass had created small cuddle piles between each other around the pit fire. DJ and Tyler were mostly awake acting like bodyguards, with Bridgette and Geoff leaning on each other with small smiles. Harold was sleeping in a coffin-like formation still knocked out. And Courtney was laying against Duncan's chest, who seemed to be amused by the CIT's subconscious affection.

"Morning sunshine." The delinquent smirked as the CIT snapped awake. When she realized who she was on, she recoiled in disgust and pointed at him accusingly.

"Oh my god, ew! You were cuddling on me!" She scooted away.

"I don't know whether you are blind or something, but I was just lying on my back when you moved to cuddle on me." Duncan explained calmly while flashing a smirk, and Courtney's eyes darted around the area trying to save face.

"Not true!" She blushed.

"Actually Courtney, it is. I watched it happen." DJ interjected as he had been staring at the two ever since he woke up.

"You are such an ogre!" Courtney tried to insult him, only for him to shrug.

"I've been called worse. Try better next time, princess." Duncan chuckled and Courtney slapped herself out of her stupor.

"Whatever. Let's get back to the camp! Quickly!" She order the half-awake team as they started to jog back to the main camp lodge.

(Confessional: Courtney)

"I just want to say for the record that I was unconscious at the time of the alleged "cuddling" with the neanderthal. So if I was not aware, it was not my own choice. Therefore it never happened in my eyes." 

Back at the main camp, Chris was busy stuffing chunks of logs into the pit for the campfire ceremony humming a song. Suddenly, several pairs of footsteps and panting caught his attention as he saw the Killer Bass rapidly approaching. The Screaming Gophers were not far behind them by several seconds.

"Yes! We are the first ones back!" Courtney cheered.

"No! They beat us here! This is all YOUR fault!" Heather exclaimed in anger. She whipped around and shoved Owen to the ground, much to Izzy's amusement. However, as Heather was about to push Izzy as well, the redheaded girl's smirk dropped to a cold stare and the light in her green eyes disappeared. Heather felt a chill run down her spine as Izzy jabbed her finger slowly at the base of the mean girl's neck.

"Try to touch me. I DARE YOU." She whispered.

"What the hell are you?" Heather spoke meekly as she rapidly shuffled away from the redhead, who quickly returned to her carefree smile.

"Not so fast Gophers! It seems as if the Killer Bass are missing a couple of members." Chris announced while addressing the Bass team.

"Katie and Sadie? I'm pretty sure they got eaten by a bear last night." Courtney said dismissively.

"Darn shame I say." Duncan nodded to her statement.

"Well without your two members, your team is incomplete. Therefore you have lost." Chris finished. The team groaned as two pairs of footsteps and panting quickly approached the two groups. Sadie panted heavily while Katie looked frazzled beyond recognition.

"Oh thank goodness we're back! Guys, I am so sorry!" Katie exclaimed to her team with a apologetic stare.

"Where did you two go? You vanished into thin air for all of last night." Courtney crossed her arms, with a tint of worry at seeing the two's conditions.

"It was nothing. Really." Sadie glanced away trying to brush off the events of the previous nights. Unfortunately, Katie did not do the same thing and approached the team leader like a confession.

"It's not just nothing. We got lost because Sadie wanted to talk about me making friends without her. We ended up eating some blueberries for a long time and ended up lost in the woods."

"You are the one bad with directions! We both know that!" Sadie whipped around and started to argue with old best friend once more. Courtney, who had shared some worry on the girls' conditions, now looked annoyed as the reasoning behind their loss became apparent.

"But you were the one who kept pressuring me to have some blueberries in the forest instead of following our team! And you kept speaking bad about our teammates because I wanted to be friends with them!" Katie argued back.

"I still wasn't wrong about you choosing them over me!!" Sadie huffed.

"I am not choosing anyone over you! You are twisting my words!" Katie glared before the two girls felt their shoulders gripped by a calm Courtney.

"If you two are done with your little spat, I would like to kindly inform you that because of you we LOST the CHALLENGE!"

"Everyone calm down. Killer Bass you must have the worst luck possible, because you need to decide which one of your fishy butts are going home. As for the Screaming Gophers, you all get the privilege of going to the Tuck Shop! Snacks and candies will be waiting for you there!!" The Screaming Gophers hollered in joy as they ran off to get treats and candies. The Bass gasped at their loss before glancing over at the girls, who no longer looked at each other.

"You girls..." Courtney groaned.

"Sorry. Really." Katie said genuinely.

(Confessional: Katie)

"In all of my life, I never would believe the girl standing next to me used to be my BFFFL. Maybe I should have told her about me wanting to make some friends, but she didn't need to act so mean about it. She called my friends bad people! But they have been nothing but kind. It...It is like I never knew her. And she is all I can remember of my childhood. It really stings..."

The Screaming Gophers were relishing in their victory as Owen, Heather, Cody, Izzy, and Trent chilled in their hot tub passing along snacks. Cody was almost completely submerged with his head barely bobbing above the surface. Beth leaned against the base of the hot tub with her eyes closed, while Gwen and Noah were on the opposite side with the goth giving a side glare to Heather.

"Oh my gosh, I never thought I would miss the bland salty flavor of chips! Pass me the Choco-Dots Izzy!" Owen finished his second bag of chips and started to shove the sweet treats into his mouth. Bits of chocolate were floating along the tub's surface, causing Cody and Trent to become uneasy.

"Owen careful! You are getting snacks all over the water!"

"That is so incredibly gross." Heather squinted her eyes.

"I thought I told you to not let your hatred fester." Noah spoke quietly enough for only Gwen to hear him.

"Easy for you to say. You didn't have your personal feelings announced to the entire world without your consent." She grumbled quietly as she crouched by his side.

"Theoretically more of the country than the world. Hard for countries to get access to Canadian television." Noah rambled a little but relented on seeing the goth's gaze turned somber.

"You know what I mean."

"Hey can't blame a guy for trying. Like Trent trying to talk to you all day today. Seriously, the tension is so thick I could power a chainsaw and it still wouldn't move." The nerd rolled his eyes as he imitated choking himself out.

"Let me just think on this okay? I'll get my act together." Gwen sighed with a small smirk.

"Yo Noah, are you going to join or what?" Izzy peaked over the edge of the tub with wild eyes.

"Hard pass."

"Alright, all of you cast your votes pretty quickly tonight. The camper who does not receive a marshmallow must immediately head to the Dock of Shame, board the Boat of Losers, and get the heck out of here. And there is no going back. Ever. Now I can see you are all very tired and kind of agitated, so for your sakes I'll just toss them to you." Chris prepared each marshmallow as he glanced at each tired or frowning contestant.

"Courtney." The CIT girl had a wide grin with bright eyes, only to grow quiet as the next marshmallow landed to the delinquent sitting beside her.

"Duncan."

"Bridgette. DJ." The two gentle souls smiled as DJ grabbed both as handed one to the surfer girl.

"Geoff." The party teen caught the marshmallow with his hat.

"Tyler." The jock grinned without another word.

"Katie." The preppy girl silently caught the sweet treat, and Sadie quickly realized she and Harold were the only ones without a marshmallow.

"This is the final marshmallow of the evening...Harold." The marshmallow bopped Harold in the glasses, but the dweeb was still able to recover the treat.

"What? You all really voted for me?" The chubby girl gasped.

"From what Katie said, you are just too much of a high maintenance asset to be on the team. Not to mention you cared about eating berries and distracting our own teammate more than the competition. It just made sense to all of us." Courtney shrugged with no hostility in her words. Only calculated thought.

"And you trash talked about us." Harold added in with a little glare of disapproval. 

"Katie?" Sadie looked to Katie, who seemed more heartbroken than she was herself.

"I just...need space for a little bit." The preppy girl murmured.

"You know what? That is just fine with me, you little marshmallow eating freaks! Have fun with your new BFF's Katie!" Sadie's eyes with tears as she ran down towards the docks, leaving a devastated Katie to wipe at her own eyes.

"It's okay Katie. I think she just needs some time to calm down." Bridgette moved down to soothe the girl rubbing circles on her shoulder. As the rest of the team dispersed into their cabins or to the outhouse, Courtney was attempting to swat away the plume of black flies around her face. Suddenly, she felt a tap on her shoulder as Duncan came into her view.

"What do you want now?" The CIT sighed to herself.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry for scaring you with my juvie mate's story." Duncan glanced away with a soft look and slight frown. The CIT girl scoffed and held her head high with arms crossed.

"I was NOT scared! It was completely circumstantial. And your little juvie friend's story was completely made up." She affirmed herself.

"Maybe you're right. OR ARE YOU?!?" Duncan whipped out the knife and shouted loud enough to startle the girl into screaming. After a few seconds, Courtney glared at him and stomped away from the cabins.

"I HATE YOU!!" She exclaimed while pointing at him.

"She's fun to mess with. ACK!" Duncan spoke to himself as he messed with the knife, ultimately accidently grazing his finger against the sharp end.

Chapter Text

It had been over thirty minutes since Katie watched the boat disappear across the dark horizon. She gazed into the black water with a hollow gaze, with the waves gently splashing against her heel wedges. Her ponytails were slightly undone from the breeze brushing along the shoreline. She heard a pair of footsteps approaching but she did not look back until a slight cough came after. "Katie, are you okay?" Bridgette asked.

"Yes. No. I don't know." The preppy girl murmured.

"I'm really sorry about what happened with Sadie." The surfer girl crouched to meet her eyes. 

"I know." Katie responded but did not look behind her. It was an awkward silence as she heard Bridgette stand back up. She was prepared to hear her walk away, but instead felt a comforting grip on the shoulder.

"Do you want to come sit with us? We are roasting our marshmallows." She offered. There was no response for a few seconds until the skinny girl retreated from the dock's edge, with the marshmallow slightly melting in her hand.

"Yeah, okay."

The emotions within the Killer Bass were glum as the two girls took their spots. Harold handed them a large stick to which they started to roast their sticky treats. While most were able to burn them to a blackened exterior, Bridgette and Harold were able to perfectly cook it to a toasty brown. Several pairs of footsteps quickly approached the campfire, and the Bass were surprised to see the entire Gopher team with a plate of gelatin and several bags of gummies.

"What do you all want? Came to rub your victory in our faces?" Courtney murmured.

"Well, we still had some jello cake and gummy bags from the Tuck Shop. And we thought about sharing some with you all." Trent said nonchalantly with Beth presenting the gelatin with a grin.

"Speak for yourself. Owen stank up the cabins really bad and I am NOT sticking around in there for hours." Heather scoffed and waved off any vapors that seemed to follow them. Owen smiled sheepishly before scooting farther away.

"Also that." Gwen added.

"I hardly believe you are giving us that just to be nice. You can go right ahead and turn around with your treats." The CIT girl tried to wave them off, only for Katie to stand up at the sight of the sweet treats.

"Are you kidding? That is fresh gelatin. Hand it over." Duncan made a motion with his non-bloodied hand, with the other hand poorly wrapped in cloth. Due to messing around with his knife too much, it had grazed the skin to make a decent cut.

"Actually, I'd like some of that." Katie smiled, and Beth's grin went wider as the Gophers slowly took their seats. The jello was halfway gone when she approached Courtney next. The CIT girl's eyes bulged as the treat jiggled in front of her, and she resisted the urge to push it away.

"NO! I-I mean no thanks. I'm good." Courtney quickly recovered with a nervous smile. Most of the campers looked at her with various looks of suspicion, and Beth shrugged to move on to the next teenager.

"Are you on a diet or something? What on earth was that?" Duncan pointed out, and Courtney whirled around to give a glare that is meant to shut him up.

"No. I just don't like green jello, okay?" She turned away.

"That is really weird." Beth commented and approached DJ with the small bag of gummies. However, the Jamaican jolted and quickly smacked the treat out of her hand. The farm girl recoiled in surprise and slightly hurt as he hastily scoot back.

"Snakes!" DJ shouted. 

"DJ, it is okay! It is a gummy worm, see?" Cody picked up the gummy and presented it with a confused, but cheeky grin. The Jamaican slowly calmed down as the geek quickly munched on the remaining treats.

"Quite the jumpy lot, aren't you?" Gwen pointed out.

"S-Sorry. Snakes have always kind of freaked me out. Their expressionless stares and slick looking bodies. It makes me squirm every time." DJ slouched while clutching his arms.

"I feel you man. Chickens freak me out as well." Tyler slung his shoulder around the gentle giant as a reassuring gesture. Duncan and Gwen glanced at him with confused expressions, but Duncan's face slowly turned to a teasing smirk.

"Wait a minute. You are afraid of CHICKENS?" The goth pointed at him.

"Wow. That is...really lame, man." Duncan chuckled, with a bunch of the campers joining him.

(Confessional: Tyler)

"They are laughing now, but they don't know at all. You pick up an egg once at a petting zoo, thinking it is a pretty stone, and suddenly you have over twenty of the little monsters trying to remove your eyeballs!! Demons. All of them." Tyler whispered while shivering.

"Well I'm sure some of you got crazier fears than I do!" The jock huffed at the others. All of the campers glanced at one another, waiting for someone to come out with their greatest phobia. Beth squirmed before taking a nervous inhale.

"I'll admit I am scared of bugs. All of those freaky eyes watching me do everything, and the buzzing of their wings when they buzz by. How they skitter along the ground and around your skin. And they bit and sting you before you can see them coming! I mean, why do mosquitos and wasps have to exist anyway?" The girl went on a tangent until Leshawna raised her hand.

"I can agree with you on that one! Spiders are such creepy little things! Why does something have so many legs and eyes!? And some of them have venom to make me lose my limbs! Why?!" The black exclaimed, shivering with tightly shut eyes and Beth quickly agreed with her.

"I would say those are pretty rational fears." Cody said.

"Over 25% of the world population are said to have varying degrees of entomophobia, the fear of insects. Similarly, 15% of the population is estimated to have arachnophobia, the fear of spiders." Harold spoke up in a matter-of-fact.

"See?" The geek responded.

"And I am scared of ninjas." Harold decided to say his fear, and everyone looked at him like they were seeing an alien for the first time.

"Really, Harold?"

"Hey. They were masters of espionage and were well known for the most important assassinations in feudal Japanese history. Their most common methods were stealthily slitting the throats of their targets, hiding as one of your trusted individuals, and poisoning your food and water without leaving a scent or trace. Can you even imagine how you could be just living fir one second, and then dead without even knowing what happened? Without knowing you took your life, or not even knowing their face or name?" The dweeb argued but no one seemed to mind. Heather gazed at her own body with a empty stare and murmured under her breath, to which Leshawna and Lindsay took notice.

"Come again Heather?" Leshawna pointed out to the mean girl. Heather's eyes darted around at seeing everyone looking at her, and she sighed into her hands with her ears turning pink.

"I am afraid of sumo wrestlers." She said louder.

"Um...why?" Gwen raised a brow.

"Don't want to talk about it. Don't want to bring it up. I am done." Heather waved her off before taking another piece of gelatin. Gwen shrugged as the teenagers turned to look at her next.

"What's my worst fear? I guess it would be being buried alive." The goth shrugged. A few of the others nodded in agreement and with nothing else to add, the conversation was moved to Lindsay who seemed uneasy.

"Mine is walking through a mine field. In heels." She whined with a sad look.

"And I thought your fears were the most ridiculous." Duncan elbowed Tyler with a mocking grin, but the jock was not amused by the teasing. If it was a fear that the blonde had, then she should be reassured instead of mocked.

"Flying, man! I will never understand how you all can handle it!! You are thousands of feet in the air! That is some crazy stuff!" Owen's eyes were wide open in fear as if he was imagining being in the situation being described.

"I also wouldn't go up in a plane. Ever." Izzy added out of nowhere but dove into the rest of the gelatin to avoid any questions. Luckily, no one seemed interested to question the redhead and moved to Geoff instead.

"I'll admit hail has always scared me. When I was six, there was a sudden hailstorm that devastated most of my town. Tiny but deadly." Geoff explained with a somber tone. Bridgette and a few of the campers looked at him with sympathy. Although they hardly encountered a hailstorm, they could sympathize on the impact seeing such a storm at that young age would be.

"I've already voiced my opinion about the woods. Katie?" Bridgette glanced over to Katie, who had been quiet during the phobia sharing. The preppy girl gripped the edges of her seat and inhaled slowly.

"If I messed up making an outfit and had everyone staring at me, I feel like I would shrivel inside." She murmured. She saw Lindsay gasp dramatically and shake her head in horror.

"Oh, I change mine! That is more scary than walking through a minefield in heels!" The blonde exclaimed.

"Hm. Having to...disable a time bomb...under pressure." Cody tapped his chin in contemplation, piecing his sentence together slowly. Noah raised a brow, along with most of the guys. The girls seemed confused as the geek's face turned red.

"You totally pulled that out of your ass." Duncan rolled his eyes, and Cody seemed ready to defend himself. 

"I'm not really afraid of anything." Courtney suddenly interrupted. She held a cocky smirk as the rest of the campers looked unamused, except Duncan who immediately coughed out a sentence.

"I call baloney."

"Oh yeah? Well then, what exactly is your phobia Mister Know-It-All?" Courtney dropped the smirk and crossed her arms. The delinquent went quiet as his eyes darted across the whole campfire.

"I...uh..." He stuttered. He looked ready flee the campfire until DJ gripped his shoulder.

"Come on dude. You've been teasing us constantly. Spit it out." The Jamaican said.

Duncan looked around nervously as each teenager had different levels of anticipation. Geoff seemed a few minutes away from dozing off if an answer was not given, Harold looked way too curious to hear the tough guy's fear, and Tyler glanced away with his arms crossed due to the previous teasing on Lindsay. The Gophers seemed more excited for his answer, with Gwen giving a teasing smirk, Lindsay and Owen looking lost and invested at once, Trent and Cody smiling between each other for some spoken gold, and Izzy and Noah seemingly staring into his soul. 

"C-Celine Dion music store standees." He buried his face in his hands. There was silence around the circle of teenagers until a snicker erupted from Cody.

"Pfft! Ex-queeze me? I don't think I quite got that." The geek teased holding his ear.

"Dude. Did you just say Celine Dion music store standees?" Trent couldn't help the grin on his face as Duncan's face grew red.

"Y-Yes." The delinquent murmured. His face exploded into a cherry color as the whole group exploded in laughter. "Hey! Stop laughing! All of you!"

"I love Celine Dion!! Wait, what is a "standee"?" Lindsay clapped her hands together before turning to the musician.

"Its those human-looking cardboard cutouts that are in music stores. It's like a life-sized by flat version of Celine. Staring into your soul. Right, Duncan?" Trent explained, with his voice lifting to a teasing tone towards Duncan once more. He chuckled as Duncan failed to recover his composure as several teens continued to chuckle.

"Dude! Shut up!"

"So if we got a cardboard standee right nooowww..." Courtney teased. Contrary to everyone else, her smile was softer as she saw how embarrassed how red the delinquent was and her laugh silenced to a smile.

"ALL OF YOU SHUT UP!!" Duncan shouted with his ears covered. As soon as he couldn't hear anyone laughing, he sighed in defeat and slumped over. "Fine. I'll stop teasing. What about you two?" He pointed towards Trent and Noah. 

"I hate mimes. Like a lot." Trent shrugged and did not add anything else.

"I would rather not share." Noah stated and stared into the fire.

"Oh come on, Noah! Everyone has shared their fears, so now its your turn to cough up yours!" Izzy pressured him by pushing against his shoulders. To her dismay, he simply pushed her away.

"Ever crossed your mind I have the right to refuse?" The cynical nerd crossed his arms. 

"It is probably something ridiculous like Tyler's or Heather's." Courtney pointed out.

"At least I am admitting I have one, instead of trying to be 'I am not scared of anything' high and mighty CIT." The nerd glanced over at her and narrowed his gaze. Courtney refused to meet his gaze and rolled her eyes and her chin up.

"He's right. Cough it up Courtney." Trent agreed.

"Nope! Nothing!" Courtney insisted.

"That is not what she was like last night. She was screaming bloody murder because of, in her words, a completely made up story." Duncan murmured to DJ and Geoff, who smirked on remembering the previous night.

"Did you guys ever consider I was just humoring you and your stupid story?" Courtney said to the delinquent.

"No. Because I am smarter than you think I am, princess." Duncan unwrapped the cloth around his hand, letting the blood filled rag spread across the ground.

"Shut up!" Courtney snapped but said nothing else, glancing at the delinquent's bloodied hand and the fallen rag several times.

The group of teenagers had talked about various topics for another thirty minutes before Harold and Heather were the first to head to the cabins. One by one, each camper left their seats to go to sleep. Trent pat Cody on the shoulder as they started to follow their fellow teammates. However, the geek noticed Noah had stopped midway down the hill. He turned to see the nerd staring at the blood filled rag covered in kicked up dirt, as well as the droplets of blood that had dripped off of Duncan. His gaze was empty and didn't seem to acknowledge Cody's existence, even when the geek placed a hand on his shoulder. He noticed Noah's heart was beating so hard, it was almost twitching through his clothes.

"Are you okay, Noah?" He asked sincerely. That seemed to snap Noah out of his gaze and walked faster down the hill, with Cody following after him.

"I am fine."

In the following morning, every camper was eating a late breakfast silently, occasionally exchanging a sentence or two about the previous night. Noah and Owen seemed to be engaged in a conversation that was mostly carried by Owen, Geoff and Duncan were flinging their cooked sausages around, and Katie was straightening Bridgette's ponytail out. Suddenly, a whistle from the television host made them turn to his direction. Chris seemed to have a devious smirk as he spoke, "Good morning campers! You next challenge is a little competition that I like to call "Phobia Factor"! It is time for all of you to face your worst fears! The team whose has the most members pass wins the challenge for today!"

"Wait. What did he just say?" Leshawna spat out the sausage she was chewing, and Gwen looked around nervously.

"Heather. Meet me at the amphitheater. It is time for some sumo wrestling!!" Chris announced to the mean girl while glancing through a sheet of paper. Heather, who had been sipping on some orange juice, spat her drink all over an unamused Trent much to Izzy's enjoyment. "Gwen. You and me. At the beach. And a few tons of sand."

It was Gwen's turn to gasp in horror, and the rest of the teenagers quickly realized. Their faces either went white, sweat quickly formed on their foreheads, or covered their ears in hopes of this being some kind of prank.

"What?! No, you can't do this!" Owen yelled in fear.

"Wait, how does he know your worst fears?" Lindsay asked the goth across from her.

"Because...because we told them." Gwen groaned as she banged her head against the table. Lindsay and Beth only glanced at each other further, but Beth seemed more confused at Lindsay being confused.

"At the campfire last night." Trent added while patting Gwen's back.

"Wait, they were listening on us?" Lindsay stood up in shock.

"It is a reality show, Einstein. The cameras are always watching and listening." The goth seemed tired of trying to explain to the blonde in further detail.

"But I thought they are turned off for the night!" The blonde acted heartbroken as each camper reluctantly followed their host out of the lodge, all while Chris still had the same smile on his face.

(Confessional: Chris Mclean)

"Lindsay is right. We normally did that. But when we heard all of this juicy information, how could I NOT use that for a future challenge? Ha Ha!" Chris laughed within the confessional, before making a shush motion and exited the confessional.

The first chosen contestant was on the Gophers side, with Beth being presented a small inflatable pool. Inside the pool were thousands of squirming earthworms, and some seemed to be in half while others wrapped each other like little balls. Some of the teenagers swore they could see the slime dripping off the pink bodies. Courtney clung to Duncan's arm in unease and the delinquent didn't comment. Geoff and Bridgette didn't seem too bothered by the sight, but witnessing a worm ball separating into a blanket of slime made DJ kneel over to vomit.

The Gophers were just as disgusted, with Gwen, Leshawna, and Lindsay holding their breath as if the worms infected the air. Owen fainted without another word, and Heather looked pitiful staring at the pool. "Alright Beth! Yours is first! You have to completely dip yourself into a pit of worms and come back up without fleeing! Keep in mind, anyone is free to call off their challenge, but it costs their team the point." Chris announced.

"That is disgusting!" Heather said.

"Oh Beth honey, no." Leshawna murmured through her mouth. Beth, without another word, leapt into the pile of worms. Due to the thickness of the worms, she needed to squirm around to be completely enveloped, which only made everyone else gag more. After a few seconds, the girl rose from the pile completely calm and worm squirming in her hair. The Gophers cheered her own, while managing to hold their food in their stomachs.

"And Beth has started the bar for the Gophers! Katie and Lindsay, you will be coming with me." Chris gestured to the preppy girl and the blonde as they headed towards the main lodge.

(Confessional: Beth)

"I grew up on a farm. We have to see earthworms all of the time, so it doesn't bother me." Beth shrugged with a smile.

(Confessional: Noah)

"Is Chris aware that earthworms aren't actually insects?" Noah looked into the confessional camera emotionless, but there was a moment of disappointment.

Back at the main lodge, Katie squirmed at seeing the sewing machine next to a stack of mixed quilts. Most of the fabric were desaturated from age, had clashing types of materials, or were of poor quality. Lindsay held her shoulder as the host pushed her forward. "D-Do I have to do this?" She asked meekly.

"If you don't want to get voted off," Chris said, "All you have to do is make the ugliest outfit possible with these scrapped quilts, and then wear it around camp for at least three hours."

"I can't do this!" Katie was close to crying from the sight.

"You'll have Lindsay for company. Get quilting girls!" Chris waved them off but noticed Owen dancing with a piece of fabric like a dress while smiling. "Owen! Since you feel joyful enough to try and partake in other's fears, you get to share a plane with Izzy for a few hours as well! Chef, take them away!"

Owen dropped the quilt with his face drained of color, and he glanced to see Izzy being carried by Chef. Chef was wearing a flight attendant uniform but a blonde curly wig. Not far from the campsite was a small yellow bi-plane with flimsy looking doors and wheels that looked ready to fall off.

"It is gonna be a fun ride, kids." Chef chuckled and began to drag Owen by the ankle.

"NOOOO!!!! SOMEBODY, HELP ME!" The big boy screamed as he dragged his fingers across the beach, but there was nothing to grab to in order to avoid his fate. The burly man opened the door and threw the two teenagers in. The engine started to rumble as they took off within minutes, the screams of Owen still echoing down to the camp even from their increasing distance.

"RIP Owen. And Izzy, I suppose?" Gwen said.

Meanwhile, Harold was taking a break in the communal bathrooms reading a magazine. With Duncan constantly teasing him, and Courtney's continuous lectures about needing to win this challenge for the seventeenth time, he needed this moment of silence. The exclamations of his teammates needing to overcome their fears were muffled through the walls, but he didn't feel bothered. Not even when he heard the grates to the ceiling brake open. He inhaled slowly as he heard the sound of rope hitting the floor, along with three black clothed people descend to approach the stall.

His long time enemies have arrived.

He opened the occupied stall to see three ninjas staring him down, the intent to maim or kill flickering in their dark eyes. His heart was pounding against his chest, but he continued to breathe slowly as he revealed his weapon of choice. His mom would always tell him to be prepared to protect yourself, for there would be a time you'd be meeting your demons. And in his mind, you have to learn the demon's way of fighting to win. He pulled out his nunchaku with a smirk, and the ninjas immediately backed up with nervous looks.

"Fear is only in the mind. And I'm about to instill it in yours." Harold said with a dead stare. The ninjas didn't have time to move before he swung the nunchaku with decent precision, with the first two colliding with their face. The third one was hit in the stomach and curled into a ball quietly whimpering. Harold didn't realize what he did until the ninjas left through the bathroom door.

"Yes! Fear vanquished! OW!" The dweeb cheered and accidently swinging an end of the nunchaku into his face.

With exception to the flying Owen and Izzy, the Gophers watched as it was Leshawna's attempt to overcome her fear. Katie and Lindsay had returned from the main lodge with the completed ugly quilts. Katie's outfit resembled a country women's dress with twine and thin pieces of fabric acting as the straps, extending into a two piece with various quilts of multi-colored stripes, dark blue with bright yellow flowers, and deep red velvet. The preppy girl looked broken as Lindsay glanced over at her. The black girl trembled as Chris brought out a small box with a hidden label.

"Don't worry Leshawna. They are probably going to use a harmless jumping spider instead of something venomous." Cody called out to her, but she didn't seem to listen. The host unveiled the spider and every Gopher aside from Noah screamed at the creature's size. The spider was big enough to span both of the host's hands combined, and its legs reached for Leshawna expectantly.

"Wh-WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!" Leshawna screamed while quickly backing away.

"That is a Huntsman spider. Native to Australia and belonging to the Sparassidae family, it is the largest group of arachnids in the world including the legs, with the largest individuals measuring to twelve inches." Noah stated with fascination on his face, seemingly unaware of half of the team fainting.

"NOAH!" Leshawna shouted at him.

"What? They are not even venomous." The nerd shrugged. Chris approached closer with the Huntsman spider, and the arachnid's legs were inches from grazing her finger.

"G-G-Get it away from me!" She screamed and ran away.

"You have to touch it once to pass, Leshawna!" Chris called out to her, but the girl refused to come back. He shrugged and slowly put the Huntsman back into the box. "I guess that is a failure then."

Over at the amphitheater, Heather was quivering at the sight of the sumo wrestler standing in front of her. "Alrighty, Heather! You have to get the sumo wrestler off of the stage and you win!"

"I'm gonna crush you, little girl." The sumo wrestler said and rapidly approached her.

"Stay away from me, you pudgy freak!" Heather curled into a small ball still shaking. The sumo wrestler slowed down and hugged her hard enough to pop her back, and the mean girl went limp.

"And Heather loses the match!"

Farther away from any signs of teenagers, challenges, or the camp as a whole, Bridgette was sitting on a small tree trunk all alone. According to Chris, she had to spend six hours completely alone without any of the contestants as company. She came into the challenge with a calm attitude at first, making time for herself by singing the songs her mother would play for her. Small rodents such as squirrels and the occasional hawk would pass by her, giving her another outlet to focus on. However, the occasional screams from the contestants on the other side of the woods spiked her heartbeat.

"I can do this. I. Can do this..." Bridgette attempted to calm herself down as the minutes went by.

Meanwhile at the beach, Gwen was guided into a large heavy duty glass container within a pit, a large slate to open and close sticking out. Rising out of the ground next to the pit was a rock with a strapped timer. Chris slowly shoveled sand on top of the box as Trent leaned down with a comforting look. "Listen Gwen, there is enough air in this box for over an hour. You only need to do this for five minutes." He said.

"As long as we decide to dig you out." Chris added.

"You asshole!" Trent and Gwen shouted simultaneously with aggressive stares.

"Okay, okay! I was joking!" The host defended himself with a tight grin, and proceeded to shovel the sand faster.

"I will stay by your side the entire time. Just yell into the walkie-talkie in case you start panicking, and I will dig you back up." Trent passed a walkie-talkie through the slate hole into the goth's hand. Gwen gave a sheepish smile with a nod as the musician closed up the opening.

"Goodbye cruel world." Gwen whined as the last of the sand was shoveled around the box. The host clicked a button and the countdown officially began.

After the crew managed to pry Heather out of the sumo wrestler's grip and cleared the stage, it was announced for DJ to have his turn. The Killer Bass watched the gentle giant hesitantly walk up to the tank built into the floor. In the middle of the tank was a garden snake, and the Jamaican was twitching at the little reptile flicking its thin tongue in curiosity.

"Hey, you can do this buddy! Just one little tap and you will be all good! Besides, you gotta admit he is a little cute." Duncan cheered on the Jamaican with a encouraging smile, clapping each time the teen reached his hand in the tank. On his third try, he stared into the reptile's eyes and noticed something that made him jump back.

"Did it just blink?! How?! Snakes don't blink, or at least they shouldn't!!" He gasped.

"It is okay DJ. It is just curious of you." Katie reassured him from the bleachers.

"For the love of god, it is literally the smallest, most harmless snake ever! Just do it already!" Courtney called out annoyed.

"Courtney, this is harder than you are making it sound!" DJ shivered as he continued to have a stare-off with the garden snake.

"We need this point! Suck it up or you are the one going out!" Courtney stood up and snapped at the Jamaican.

"Too far!" Tyler interrupted her. Most of the boys on the Killer Bass seemed to agree as they shook their heads in disapproval.

"What? We are heading into loser-vile people. We cannot risk anything anymore." Courtney explained herself.

"DJ, remember how you taught me that breathing exercise to jog properly? Try doing that. One breath to reach in, and one to reach out." Katie suggested. DJ watched as she imitated a deep breath with the ugly quilt dress and slowly exhaled with her arm extended. She gave a thumbs up as he nodded his head.

"Okay..." He muttered. The snake was slowly crawling out of the tank as he approached with a pounding heart. Following Katie's advice, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He slowly opened his hand for the snake, waiting for it to climb on. He felt a sensation on his fingers and exhaled slowly, allowing the garden snake to wrap around the finger. He opened his eyes to see the snake resting on his open palm, and he smiled victoriously. The guys, plus Katie, cheered him on as he passed his trial.

"You see? Fear is only in the mind." Courtney said satisfied, though Harold pouted as she seemed to steal his line.

"Thanks Katie, that really helped." DJ approached with the tiny snake.

"You're welcome." The preppy girl replied.

"You still okay in there, Gwen? You only need to do this for three more minutes." Trent was spread across the warm sand as he spoke into the walkie-talkie, watching the timer carefully for the appropriate time to act.

"And then you will dig me back up, right?!" Gwen's anxious voice responded through the speaker.

"Don't worry. I am not going anywhere." Trent reassured her, and he could hear her breathing slow down.

"Thanks Trent. You are a really cool guy." She said. Although Trent couldn't see her, he swore he could feel the smile on her face. "Um, can you tell me another story? Like why you are afraid of mimes so much?"

Trent sighed and stood up from his spot, "Okay so...when I was four, my mom took me to this local circus to surprise me by seeing the trained elephants. I was so excited for it. But I was so busy marveling at them that I lost her, and I was running all around the grounds trying to look for her. I eventually bumped into this mime, but it was the most horrific looking mime I had ever seen. The makeup was all drippy and its mascara looked a lot like blackened blood."

"Jeez, you make it sound like it is a horror film." Gwen responded briefly but returned to silence to hear the rest of the story.

"To four-year-old me, it might as well been. I got so scared and tried to scream for my mom, but the mime was chasing after me mimicking all of my screams and movements. My mom found me within nine minutes, and she slapped that guy so hard he ran away crying. But I just never got over that incident." Trent finished with a shudder.

"He sounded like a creep to me." Gwen stated.

"Yeah it really...was..." Trent felt something tap his shoulder and he turned to see a mime inches from his face. The face paint gave its skin a ghostly complexion, and dark red lipstick giving it an uncomfortable look. A scream bubbled in his throat for a few seconds until it exploded outward, and Trent fled from the scene while dropping the walkie-talkie. The mime followed after him mimicking the boy's scream with eerie levels of perfection. "AAAAAHHH!!!"

"Trent?! Is everything okay?!" Gwen called out from the fallen walkie-talkie, but no response was given. The boy and the mime continued to run around the beach, unaware of the television host watching alongside Noah and Cody.

"All he needs to do is either tell the mime to go away, or another way to defeat him. Anyways, it'll be two more minutes until Gwen's timer is up. So you two are up." The tv host turned to the two teenagers.

"Wait what? I never said my fear." Noah stopped halfway through his yawn to look at the host with wide eyes.

"The cameras caught everything, bro. Including your reactions to a certain delinquent bleeding from the hand." Chris pointed out with a smile. Cody gasped after the second sentence clicked in his brain, as well as the events of the previous night, and he turned to see a nervous looking Noah as they approached a clearing in the forest.

"You're afraid of blood?" The geek asked. The cynical nerd didn't say anything before Chef pulled Cody in front of several garbage bins wired like a normal explosive.

"Alright Cody, this garbage bomb will be going off in exactly ten minutes. Everything you need to know to defuse it is on these schematics." Chris handed over a blueprint to the pale teen.

"What?! I can't do this!" Cody clutched his hair nervously.

"Then I suggest you find a good place to hide." Chris stated bluntly as he pulled Noah along.

"You are not going to even watch?" Cody asked shocked.

"Are you kidding? It may not be a really damaging explosive, but that is still a rigged bomb, dude!" Chris shook his head. As Cody started to nervously fiddle with the schematics, the host dragged the quiet Noah towards a replicated model of a unconscious human. If it weren't for the obvious creases in the joints, it would almost be mistaken for being real. "Alright Noah, this is your task."

"A hyper realistic looking body?" Noah raised a brow.

"And you will be needing these." Chris handed the nerd a large case of surgical tools. The tools ranged from a scalpel and scissors, then clamps and needle holders, to retractors. The nerd slowly grasped the scalpel and grazed the "skin" just below the rib cage. Suddenly, a small stream a blood started to pour out of the sides of the opening, which only became more abundant the more he cut.

"Ah!! What the-?!" Noah exclaimed.

"Your task is to surgically remove a fake kidney, liver, pancreas, and heart in this fake body within twenty minutes. It's not real blood, but it is the closest substitute to it. But you have to do it without backing out or fainting." Chris pointed out.

"You. Are psychotic." Noah stated bluntly, no longer hiding under a sarcastic mask.

"Get to work. Both of you." Without another word, the host left to attend to other matters.

The Killer Bass sat on the steps of their cabin as Duncan was presented with his fear. He stared blankly as a cardboard cutout of Celine Dion stared into his soul, and Courtney stood by his side with a smile. Harold and Tyler seemed to be mildly amused watching the tough delinquent act so scared of a inanimate object.

"You just need to hug her once, and that is it." Chris snapped his fingers.

"Come on. She is nice and pretty, don't you think?" Courtney gripped his shoulder comfortingly while gesturing to the cutout.

"And uncanny levels of real." Duncan added with a nervous gulp.

"Dude! She is literally made of cardboard! Get in the game, bro!" Tyler called out to him and Duncan grew more nervous.

"Hey...it is okay if you can't do it." Courtney said calmly, gripping his hand enough to ground him to reality. Duncan looked at her and the standee multiple times, before smiling and squeezing the hand back.

"Okay. I can try." He said quietly.

"You can do it." Courtney reassured him. Duncan took a deep breath and ran towards the standee with open arms, closing his eyes as he squished the cutout with great strength. Courtney erupted into a cheer as he realized what had happened.

"I did it! I DID IT!" He exhaled into a light laugh, and Courtney hugged him enthusiastically.

"Duncan, you are awesome!" She exclaimed, but quickly backed away when she realized what she was doing. Even then, she still carried her smile.

(Confessional: Katie)

"I know we are trying to win here, but I can totally feel the favoritism Courtney has for Duncan? How come she is so reassuring to him, despite arguing with him more than anyone else, but she gets to shout at everyone else with no consequences? That is so mean and unfair."

It had been over eight minutes and Trent was still running up and down the beach to avoid the mime. Unfortunately, despite going to the cabins and trying to lose them in the woods and gym court, the mime continued to follow him. Any time he screamed, the mime would do the same along with his pleading gestures. Finally, the musician was approaching the docks and the water splashed against the waves.

"Nothing is getting to this guy. But he is mimicking everything I am doing, so what if-?" Trent hypothesized to himself as he heard the mime quickly approaching. The strange man was within two feet of grabbing him until the musician dove into the water. He went a few feet from the dock and stared the mime with a cocky smirk.

"What's wrong pale face? Can not handle a little water?" He taunted the mime. The mime glared at him and took a deep inhale. It dove into the water and disappeared within the darkness. After a few moments, a regular man erupted from the surface and clung to the dock's boards. The makeup had completely washed off his face as he coughed up water.

"Ha. Haha. HA HA! Yes, you are no longer a mime but a simple man!" Trent pointed at the man, who simply shrugged and walked away from the dock. As the teen hoisted himself out of the water, Chris arrived with a small shovel.

"Nicely done Trent. You are certainly doing better than our buddy Geoff back at the cabins. As well as Bridgette." The host pointed out.

Meanwhile, the interns had quarantined the party teen in a unknown part of the camp. The challenge was for Geoff to handle being in an environment simulating a hailstorm for at least a minute without fleeing. They had grinded ice cubes to as small as possible to resemble safe versions of hail, and messed with lightning and fans to simulate a horrible thunderstorm. However, the "hail" had only begun for ten seconds before Geoff ultimately quit and failed the challenge.

"Thanks. Excuse me, but I have to go tend to Gwen." Trent grabbed the shovel and ran down the beach as fast as possible. The timer was at zero and was blaring an obnoxious noise, which turned off as Chris clicked a button. The musician threw massive piles of sand as he went deeper into the pit until it made a clang against the heavy duty glass.

"Gwen, you did it!" He smiled at Gwen, only for the goth to throw the walkie-talkie against his head.

"My challenge. Was over. SIX MINUTES AGO." The goth murmured, with her expression mixed with traumatic fright, exhaustion, and rage with each little sentence. Trent gulped as she glared at him while they stood in the pit.

"S-Sorry?" He said apologetically and she rolled her eyes. Suddenly, a massive shockwave echoed down the beach and the trees shook a little as birds fled. Additionally, there was the roaring of a plane engine rapidly approaching the other side of the beach. "What is that?!"

"If I had to guess, I would say Cody ran out of time. And Owen and Izzy have returned from their little trip." Chris glanced over to the plane. As soon as the doors flew open, Owen burst threw screaming until he barged into the Gopher cabin. Meanwhile, Izzy looked as calm as ever as she exited the plan with an exhausted Chef.

"That boy failed big time. Screamed the whole ride! She passed though."

Cody stood among the pile of exploded garbage and melted machinery, with his body covered in various pieces of garbage. A banana peel dangled off the right side of his head, and a nearly hollowed watermelon hugged his hair like a helmet, dripping sweet juices down his face. Other than a long piece of paper towel wrapped around like a scarf, his shirt and pants were coated with thick amounts of sweets, rotten fruit, and leftover grease. He felt leftover rice and a unused smore sticking on the soles of his shoes.

"Ack! Ew! So gross! Is anyone there?" Cody groaned as he tried to remove as much of the gunk as possible. He fiddled with the watermelon helmet until it popped off, pulled the banana peel out of his hair, and pushed the thick grease off of his shirt. The blob of grease, fruit, and sweets made an audible smack as it spread across the grass and the geek wiped as much juice out of his eyes as he could. Suddenly, he heard someone curse along with a gagging noise.

"Come on..."

"Noah, is that you?" Cody asked. He turned to see Noah still hovering over a hyper realistic body. The nerd's hands and arms were covered with a dark liquid resembling blood, along with the replicated surgery tools. To the left of the body were replicated versions of organs covered in the same blood-like liquid. As the geek came close enough to be on the nerd's side, he saw how wide yet empty Noah's eyes appeared.

"I'm literally thirty feet from you. Can't you tell?" The nerd stated with a hint of sarcasm.

"I'm covered in garbage. Kind of hard to see." Cody pointed out.

"Ah." Noah said before gagging at Cody's garbage-covered body, "God, you stink."

"So how are you faring compared to me?" The geek shrugged nonchalantly and continued to watch. However, he noticed Noah refused to look away from the body and his hands trembled barely grazing the open "wound", his breathing slowly becoming erratic as well.

"Dude? Are you sure you're okay?" Cody started to become concerned and scooted closer. It seemed as if Noah was reacting worse than he did with the bomb, and he almost had a panic attack throughout his own challenge.

"I am trying. But I can't focus. It's just all over the place." Noah quietly murmured. He tried to move the hair away from his face, but it only smeared the "blood" on his forehead.

"Do you...want me to continue talking? Maybe that will help you." Cody offered with a small shoulder bump, which managed to bring Noah out of his state. The nerd rolled his head but didn't shake the geek off.

"How cheesy."

"Hey, being cheesy is better than being scared." Cody pouted, but it was more of concern than resembling annoyance. Noah remained quiet before sighing softly.

"...Do it." With the permission to ask, Cody got into a more comfortable position and watched the "surgery" in progress.

"Okay. So where did this fear of blood come from? I never thought someone like you could have it. Gonna be honest, I thought your fear would be being separated from your books." Cody glanced over after the joke. To his surprise, a smirk cracked through Noah's nervous face and he pointed at a clamp to the left of the geek's shoulder. He silently handed it over as they went back and forth.

"Haha. You're not wrong about that." The nerd chuckled until his mouth tightened, "I am the youngest of a nine sibling family. My eldest sibling is ten years older than me, and she had gotten her first car when I was eight. My whole family was proud of her, and she went out on a evening drive. And then she got hit by a truck. Crunched her inside and glass embedded into her."

"Oh god." Cody shuddered as he took the clamp and retrieved the scalpel.

"Yeah. We got the call and rushed to the hospital. I was barely awake when we went in, and I caught of glimpse of her. Her arm was twisted the wrong way, the femur broke in half, and they had to slowly remove the glass pieces to stich her back up. She looked like a bloody mess. You can guess how that messed me up." Noah glanced at the geek for a little bit longer before going back to his task.

"Is...Is that why you don't like doing physical activities? Because you might get hurt like your sister?" Cody asked in a manner to be curious instead of demanding for an answer.

"I already hated physical activities before. That just solidified it." Noah stated. He suddenly felt a hand grab the opposite shoulder, and Cody hugged him with a small amount of pressure.

"I'm sorry." Cody whispered.

"Why are you apologizing?" Noah asked surprised.

"I don't know. I just...I can only imagine how scared you were. Thought you need the comfort." The geek explained as he held the shoulder hug.

"It happened eight years ago, but thanks. What about you? What's with the whole 'time bomb' fear? You know that doesn't exist." Noah turned his attention back to the body allowing Cody to lay on his back, his head facing the nerd's direction.

"You're right. I get very nervous when I am under pressure. Normally I'm very coolheaded and like to observe, but I fall apart when I am forced to do something. Interactions with people, tests, or deciding where to eat. I get very indecisive. It is worse when I am forced to pick a final decision at a certain time limit." Cody messed with his hands during the explanation.

"And that connects to a bomb...how?" Noah asked curiously and the geek handed him the clamp again.

"Well you know how in those spy movies, they usually have a time limit on when the main protagonist is supposed to flee a building or disable a bomb? And they play that really tense music that is supposed to keep your heart racing? I just thought of a time bomb off of the top of my head for the most stress inducing thing ever. Could you imagine needing to disable a bomb like that in real life? I would just die." Cody imitated an explosion while sitting up. A smile grew on his face as he heard Noah chuckle lightly.

"I guess you're right."

"Thanks." He smirked. Suddenly a gasp erupted from the nerd and he turned around. 

"I...I finished," Noah muttered.

"You did?!" Cody peeked around the nerd to look at the results. The body was smeared in "blood" around the abdomen, and the organs Noah was tasked to remove were laid in alphabetical order. The timer beeped with several minutes remaining, indicating he finished within the limit. The geek grinned, "YOU DID!"

"Finally. I was starting to lose it." Noah sighed in relief.

"Talking helped after all!" Cody grabbed the nerd by both shoulders and gave a full body hug. The boys stayed in that state for a while before Cody's heart stopped, realizing what he was doing. He pulled the nerd back, who seemed unsure how to react. "S-Sorry."

"It's no...issue. Let's get back. I could use a shower." Noah coughed to regain his nonchalant attitude. The two began to walk back down to camp, and were briefly startled when a startled Bridgette emerged from the woods after them. She screamed on seeing the "blood" all over Noah and ran down the hill, but the two shrugged and kept their pace. While their faces didn't show it, one of their hearts were beating faster than normal. Who it is was though couldn't be determined.

"You and me both." Cody sighed.

"Maisy! Are you in here?" A knock from the communal bathrooms startled Katie away from the window, and she quickly registered the voice as Lindsay's. 

"I-It's Katie, Lindsay. And yes I'm in here." She corrected the blonde as the door opened slowly. The dimwitted but kind blonde entered with a embarrassed smile as she sat on the sink counter.

"Oh sorry! Chris said our time is up so we can take the outfits off." Lindsay cheerfully said while kicking her legs.

"Oh okay. I can get rid of this now." Katie muttered and glanced at her ugly dress in the mirror. However, Lindsay noticed the glum look on the preppy girl and dropped the smile. She reached over and brushed her dark hair.

"Are you okay?" She asked honestly.

"Sadie would normally be telling me how beautiful I am in these garments all day. Like she would be doing all she can to reassure me." Katie's arms began to shake as she clung to the cuffs of the dress.

"I thought you said you needed some space from her." Lindsay tilted her head.

"I did. But I guess I never realized how much...I heard her voice all of the time. She was always there. She was the voice that completed my sentences as much as we held hands anywhere we went. To be alone like this, without her by my hip all of the time, it is a little empty. I said I needed space, but I'm not sure if I like it." Katie explained with a unsure gaze.

"I don't quite get it. But you two were close, weren't you?" Lindsay brought her legs to a crisscross formation on the sink as she leaned over to Katie.

"Super duper close. We really only had each other in our neighborhood. Though it was hard to make any friends in our school. Girls mocked either one of eyes for being the most basic and bland human beings they ever knew. Other would say their was nothing to connect with when it came to us, except for how much we depended on each other. Most of the boys even said we would be lost without each other. Without the other, there was a "no one". I didn't think how right they were until now." Katie's eyes started to become glassy.

"Katie..." Lindsay tried to grab her attention.

"How much of myself is true and how much of it is because Sadie told me it is true? Am I actually as pretty as Sadie says I am, or is it because she was the only person who said it? Am I as great at making clothes as I thought, or because she was the only one who wore them and cheered me on without question? Am I...Am I even that kind to people if I pushed my best friend away after our argument? Am I a bad person for pushing the only connection I had away?" A tear fell down her cheek as she rambled on, until a pair of hands cupped her face. The hands directed her towards a sympathetic, but focused looking Lindsay.

"I may not understand what is going on with you two, but you are totally not a bad person. Even nice people can be a little pushy and demanding, and it sounds like Sadie was pushing hard on you. It is okay to love someone and yet want to be separated from them. It is how I am with my sisters. If Sadie really loves you, she may need to come to that conclusion." The blonde reassured brushing the hair out of Katie's watery eyes.

"And if she doesn't?" The preppy girl questioned, and Lindsay glanced away.

"I don't know. But I can tell you that you are very beautiful. Even if your fashion choice is...questionable, I have no doubt you are one of the most beautiful girls I know. And I would totally want to hang out with someone like you after this show." Lindsay smiled, to which Katie returned with a genuine smile. She stood on the edges of her heels to give a small hug from their positions.

"Th-Thank you Lindsay." She murmured.

"You're welcome Ludie...sorry Katie. Come on. On three we take off the quilts. One. Two. THREE!" The girls grabbed their quilts and ripped off the thin fabric in sync. Seeing their normal outfits made them both sigh in relief as they hugged.

All of the Killer Bass and Screaming Gophers were surrounding a small pen filled with chickens. Noah and Cody's hair were damp after their showers, Gwen was continuously wiping sand off her while ignoring Trent's apologetic stare, Geoff and Harold were rubbing their respective bruises in slight pain, and Lindsay had returned with a better looking Katie to watch the scene. A pale Tyler watched as the chickens clucked and pecked aggressively at each other.

"Alright everyone, we are in the last few innings. Tyler, all you have to do is spend three minutes in the pen with these live chickens." Chris attempted to push the jock into the pen.

"You can do this, Tyler!" Bridgette cheered him on.

"Unless you are too much of a 'CHICKEN'!!" Duncan mocked by mimicking a chicken's wings with his elbows. To half of the teen's shock and disappointment, Tyler lost all of the color in his face and fainted just before he entered. Chris attempted to knock him back awake, but the jock seemed to be out cold.

"Yeah...I'm not sure you'll be getting the point anytime soon." The host stated.

"Tyler, come on! Quit being a wimp and get in the pen! We are going to lose if you don't do this!" Courtney tried to shake Tyler out of his state, but it didn't seem to work either.

"Actually, we have to look at the math here. Our teams are drastically different in number of members, with the Killer Bass having eight members and ours having ten. The Bass had only four succeed in their tasks. Even though four of our own teammates failed, we are still ahead 6-4. So even if you and Tyler get the points, it would be a tie and no definite winner. So either way, it is a tie-lose scenario for you." Cody pointed out while running the towel through his hair. The other Gophers looked over to Noah, who confirmed it with a nod.

"There is still one challenger left, Courtney." The host emphasized the CIT girl's name, and she shot up accidently letting Tyler flop over.

"What? No, it can't be me. I never said-" She shook her head.

"Remember what Gwen said? The cameras catch everything, including your reactions to a certain jelly." The host chuckled seeing Courtney's face morph into pure terror, "And because Cody was kind enough to give this information, I'll triple the points for your team if you can manage to complete it. Just to make this interesting."

(Confessional: Cody)

"Oops. I guess I shouldn't have mentioned anything, should I?" Cody rubbed his head with a nervous grin.

(Confessional: Tyler)

"Why do I have to be such a...I'm not saying it." Tyler stared dead into the camera.

(Confessional: Noah)

"Thanks to Cody rambling about the scores, now Courtney is a legitimate threat to our success. Which means she needs to chicken out now before we worry about her later." Noah stated staring at the door, a small smirk peeking through a few seconds before the camera cut off.

The two teams glanced at the small inflatable pool that once held Beth's earthworms now filled with warm, melted green gelatin. Courtney looked horrified while the other teenagers seemed more grossed out by the melted jello. "That is so gross! It's like...slimy, jiggly, sugary snot!!" She complained.

"Courtney, your challenge is to just sit and lay in this pool of warm jelly for at least one minute. You are responsible for the fate of your team, so in your words...suck it up!" Chris announced as the girl slowly approached the pool, looking seconds away from vomiting.

"This is insane!" She continued to say as she got closer. On the Gopher's side, Trent and Cody seemed unfazed by the challenge, while Leshawna, Lindsay, and Owen seemed uncomfortable by how the warm jelly jiggled from the breeze.

"I can't imagine how that would feel on the skin." Gwen shivered with Heather nodding in disgust, and Noah smirked slightly before returning to a neutral face.

"Imagine a thick layer of melted marshmallows, except slightly smoother like peanut butter mixed with oil. It wouldn't quickly spill over you, but rather slowly lather on the skin and seep into every pore. It would hurt trying to rip it off, especially after it cools. It would become crusted and leave thin snotty colored flakes across your entire body." Noah went into great detail explaining the feeling. While Gwen and Heather gagged or shivered, Courtney halted having heard his over explanation and began to shake as she stared into the pool.

"Like you said Courtney, it is okay if you can't do it!" Duncan attempted to be comforting.

"Courtney, come on!! We need to win this!" Bridgette begged her. 

"I...I CAN'T DO IT!!!" She screamed and back away from the pool, hiding behind her hands.

"She didn't even get a toe in..." Katie pointed out as the Gophers erupted into cheers.

"And the Gophers win the challenge again!!" Chris announced to the camera.

"I'm sorry. How could I be so weak? I...I deserve to go home." Courtney murmured as Duncan rested his hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, don't say that. There is no shame in having a fear anyway. I'll see if I can talk to the team." The delinquent rubbed her back, and Courtney gave a weary smile. However, half of the team were watching with tired looks.

(Confessional: Leshawna)

"Who's the chicken now, Miss CIT!" Leshawna pumped her fist inside the confessional.

(Confessional: Katie)

"So she shouts at us all of the time during our challenges, but she gets sympathy when she can't even do her own? Favoritism is crazy." Katie huffed while slumped over.

(Confessional: Duncan)

"Tyler's been nothing but dead weight to the team the entire time. It is better to be him than the princess." Duncan made a "slit the throat" gesture.

(Confessional: Tyler)

"I think this is the end for me. I tried my best dad, but I guess I've been nothing but dead weight. Going home won't be so bad though. I can at least help you at the next tournament." Tyler tried to remain optimistic as he messed with his headband.

"There are three marshmallows left, and four of you were unable to complete your challenges today. One of you will be going home and never coming back. Ever. The next one up is...Geoff. I got to admit man, hail is pretty hard to overcome." Chris announced to the four remaining Killer Bass members. Bridgette looked nervous as the party teen grabbed his marshmallow in relief. 

"Yes!" Geoff shouted and high-fived Duncan and DJ.

"Bridgette. While you were unable to complete your challenge, you at least didn't 'chicken' out in the very beginning." Bridgette smiled and her hands slightly trembled as she clutched her treat. Tyler and Courtney glanced at each other as the last marshmallow was up.

"And the final marshmallow goes to..." Chris droned on to carry the suspension. Tyler was sweating bullets as he curled into a little ball, while Courtney started tapping her foot anticipating for her name. Chris smirked seeing the two being so antsy and took a comically deep breath.

"Tyler." He blurted out. 

"Wait what?!" Tyler and Courtney synchronized their shock. The host didn't elaborate as he plopped the marshmallow into the jock's lap. Tyler's shock quickly morphed into silent joy as he devoured the marshmallow.

"Who voted for me?" Courtney looked over her team. Duncan had a surprised look on his face as he confirmed it wasn't him, Geoff shrugged his shoulders, and the rest simply stayed quiet.

"Come on Courtney, it is time for you to go." Chris gestured to the Boat of Losers.

"Fine! But this isn't over!" The CIT huffed as she made her way to the dock, ignoring the disappointed look on the delinquent's face behind her.

Chapter Text

The past couple of days had a strange energy between teams, and no one was attempting to amend it. The Killer Bass felt more somber than usual, to which only a few Screaming Gophers took notice. Courtney's unexpected elimination had spread by morning, and Duncan's attitude seemed to worsen over several hours. He had snatched his pocket knife early in the morning to go stab trees. But he didn't carve them at all. The less confident girls found it intimidating to walk around the camp to find trees looking like they were stabbed beyond recognition, all caused by a teenager going through conflicting times. Tyler had barely managed to evade the delinquent's rough shove during breakfast, but was left alone shortly afterwards. The other Killer Bass debated telling Duncan about their final decision, but DJ convinced them the tough teen needed time to breathe.

On the Screaming Gophers side, Gwen had been an undesired center of attention between Cody and Trent. After she had conquered her fear in the Phobia Factor challenge, she returned to being silent towards Trent. Even when the musician tried to get her alone, she would respond with being busy with something else. Trent would ultimately leave her alone, but Cody was being a little more difficult. He had snuck glances at her whenever the group was quiet, but he always looked away when she caught him red-handed. The day before he tried to approach her several times, but chickened out and slammed into a large tree afterward. Heather was taking the opportunity discuss something with Lindsay and Beth, but neither Noah or Leshawna bothered to listen. As much as Noah didn't care for personal drama, this tension in his alliance is starting to get out of hand.

"Why must everyone makes things overcomplicated?" The nerd murmured to himself after watching Gwen and Trent bump into each other for the tenth time in the distance, only to dart in opposite directions.

"Love is a complicated emotion, my fellow genius. It clouds the mind of the world, yet makes you sharp to your desire's actions." Izzy responded to him by swinging from the tree above with her legs. The crazy redhead had seemed to take a liking to Noah at some point after the phobia challenge, with her often hovering over his shoulder or within sight of a tree. The nerd had wondered why she stuck to him like a magnet, but questioning the methods to her madness would take too much energy.

"And slow on the competition." He sighed closing his second book.

"You should play wingman. You could be pretty good at it if you try." Izzy dangled herself from the tip of the tree, allowing herself to dip lower until they were a foot apart.

"As if." Noah scoffed and nudged her away. The girl giggled while the push created a light swinging motion, "Although now would be the proper time to fix things. The last thing this team needs is hormonal indecisiveness to dictate our next plans."

"You are very bizarre. I like that kind of person." Izzy declared with open arms but Noah stopped her from hugging him.

"Back off Brainiac."

A loud speaker echoed throughout the woods, and Chris's muffled voice announced everyone to meet him at the beach. Both of them glanced at each other before heading towards the docks. Izzy made a deep inhale as she waved Noah bye, before tightening her face to the wide smile most of the contestants were familiar to. Noah nodded as both the Screaming Gophers and Killer Bass encircled the television host. 

"Bass. Gophers. Today's challenge will be a true summer camp experience for all of you. We are going on a canoe trip." Chris walked the teens towards several color coded canoes barely touching the open water.

"Oh this should be fun!" Owen hollered while some of the Gophers covered their ears.

"You will be paddling your canoes with a partner across the lake towards the isolated BONEY ISLAND!! From there, you will portage your canoes to the other side of the island! Hope you guys have decent shoes, because it will be two hours of hiking through dense, unregulated jungle!" Chris droned on the name of the island in a typical "spooky" voice towards the camera.

"We got to pour what?" Geoff suddenly interrupted. DJ and Bridgette, who had been conversing between each other, slapped their foreheads at the party teen mishearing the word.

"Portage, Geoff. It means "walk with your canoe"." Chris sighed while making quotations with his fingers.

"Oh, I get it now." Geoff went silent for the host to continue.

"Once you arrive at the other end of the island, you must build a rescue fire that will be judged by me. The first team to paddle home and return their canoes to the beach will be winners of the challenge! Now with that being said, MOVE ON CAMPERS!" The host pointed to the canoes, and the teenagers began to run towards the boats. However, halfway to their desired boats, Chris called out to them from the hill.

"Oh wait! I forgot something! Do not, under any circumstance, take anything from the island! Legend has it that whoever takes anything off of Boney Island will be CURSED!" Chris shouted the last word loud enough for every teenager to hear. Some members on both teams looked at each in unease by the sudden news.

"A cursed island?! That is so cool! Right, guys?!" Owen pumped his fists excited by the news. He glanced at everyone to see if anyone else was sharing the enthusiasm.

"No." Everyone said deadpanned.

"Oh." The big teen dropped his arms in silence. Everyone started to break into teams of two, with exception to Duncan having Katie and Harold due to the uneven numbers. The dweeb gulped seeing the delinquent approach, only to sigh in relief when he entered the canoe without a word. Suddenly, Beth ran up to Chris's side with a long strand of toilet paper dragging from her shoe. 

"Sorry! What did I miss?!" She exclaimed while panting.

"Canoes that way, Beth." Chris gestured to the boats down the hill and the girl quickly followed the group.

From the Screaming Gopher's side, Cody watched as Izzy dragged Leshawna by the arm towards a canoe, Beth and Lindsay teamed up leaving Heather to reluctantly take Owen as her partner. He saw Trent descending the stairs with a glance towards the goth. Gwen seemed to smirk and glance away, only for her look to darken upon seeing the geek. Cody was ready to run in the opposite direction only to feel someone grab his arm. His mind went blank as Noah approached his side.

"Oh! Hey dude! What...what is up?" Cody played it cool.

"You need to patch things with Gwen." Noah stated with little emotion. 

"I, um, don't really-"

"Look. The longer everyone is playing the silent treatment, the worse our performance is going to be. It is for the best if it gets resolved tonight." Noah explained as he nudged the geek closer to the goth, who was continuing to stare at the musician.

"What if she says no?" Cody murmured as his cheeks turned a light pink, and Noah couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"At least she'll be talking to you. But if you want proper motivation...if you don't say something, then I will tell every girl in our team about your little thing with Owen." Noah leaned close enough with a whisper no one but the two could hear. Cody's face exploded red as he whipped around, and a satisfied look was across the nerd's face at the reaction.

"Wh-What?! No dude, come on! That is not fair! How do you even know about that?!" Cody stuttered grabbing his shirt's fabric in where his heart would be, and his face looking seconds away from emitting steam.

"It's amazing how everyone forgets your existence when you are quiet." Noah explained still satisfied until he nudged Cody more toward Gwen. "Do it."

"F-Fine. But please don't tell anyone." Cody muttered and quickly calmed down enough to poke the goth's shoulder. Gwen looked surprised and slightly uncomfortable seeing the geek at her side. "Gwen! I, um, wanted to ask if you could be my partner! For the challenge?"

"I was going to ask Trent-" Gwen started to object before Noah approached the musician first.

"Trent, I need you as my partner." The nerd left no room for objections as Trent was dragged to another Gopher canoe.

"Oh, fine. But I am in charge. Got it?" Gwen sighed and continued towards the final canoe, with Cody following close behind.

"Yes, ma'am!"

(Confessional: Cody)

"Chris had said to pick up a paddle partner, and Noah is right. I've been needing to talk to Gwen about the whole...thing from the talent show. If I can just get her alone for five minutes, then I'm sure I can ease this tension in no time!"

(Confessional: Gwen)

"I'm still conflicted on Cody. He landed on my breast from the whole talent show fiasco. And he's been consistently within my line of sight. Then again, he's also been avoiding me like the plague. He is almost like an annoying younger brother. Well, so much for trying to break the ice with Trent."

"Uh...anyone want to switch with me?" Leshawna started to sweat nervously as Izzy hopped into her spot.

"Don't worry Leshawna! If we just follow my technique, we will win this thing! Fun fact, but I am about 1/87th percent Cherokee on my mother's side. Which means the tribe could register me as one of them and take me in at any time!" The redhead girl grinned.

"I wish they'd do it today..." Leshawna murmured to herself as she pushed the canoe into the water with ease.

Meanwhile on the Killer Bass, Bridgette watched as her teammates began to pick partners. She caught a glance of Geoff looking over to her, sending her a wave and a smile. As much as she tried to hold the smile, she grew nervous as the party teen approached. Before the two became within hearing distance, she managed to see DJ approached from the side without a canoe buddy.

"DJ! You want to be my partner?" She asked.

"Of course Bridge." The Jamaican smiled and descended the stairs towards her. Geoff watched on with a look mixed with hurt and uncertainty.

(Confessional: Geoff)

"I've been trying to find a way to talk to Bridgette for a while, but it feels like she is avoiding me. D-Does she know about what I did? Nah, there is no way she does. Get it together Geoff, you'll find a way." Geoff puffed his chest out to seem confident.

"Geoff! I need a partner!" Tyler called out to the party teen from a canoe, with his head somehow stuck in one of the lifejacket arm holes.

"Sweet! Coming bro!" Geoff pumped his fist. He quickly ran to the jock's side to adjust his life jacket appropriately.

"These seem pretty solid. Looks like they'll hold for the entire trip! Hopefully with no rough currents." Bridgette looked over the canoe's conditions for any possible cracks and holes, but was relieved to see nothing.

"Funny you say that. I remember the coastal waves over in Jamaica being really rough compared to this." DJ pointed out as he pushed the boat into the water with no problems.

"Really? I wish I got to visit Jamaica during my trips." Bridgette smiled. DJ grabbed her hand and held the boat stable so she sat safely, and then hopped in to adjust himself accordingly. Meanwhile, Cody was struggling to pull the canoe more than a foot across the sand.

"Cody, do you need my help?" Gwen spoke up slightly impatient.

"No it's okay! I got this!" Cody tried to yank harder, but lost his grip and flung himself into the cool waters. Gwen rolled her eyes as the geek sprung up spitting out water. "Okay, I need it."

As Geoff adjusted the canoe, the small currents began to rock the boat with decent force. Tyler clung to the boat's sides instinctively, and his knuckles to turn white as Geoff jumped enough to land in his seat. The party teen smiled while handing over an oar. "Tyler bud, it is okay. We are going to be fine."

"If this canoe's a-rockin, don't come a-knockin!!" Owen was yelling on the boy's left. In contrast to everyone staying calm in their boats, the big boy was too busy standing up and down on the front end of the boat causing large waves. Heather was wobbling and hitting the sides as the boy continued to mess around, seemingly laughing as water splashed all over them and the inside of the canoe. The mean girl became flustered as she quickly hit Owen's butt and head with the oar. "OW!"

"If you flip us over, I will kill you!" Heather said through gritted teeth. Everyone was staring into the horizon of Lake Muskoka and could barely make out the silhouette of Boney Island in the distance. A click came from behind as Chris pointed a small pistol into the air. 

"On your marks! Get set! GO!" The host exclaimed as the bullet exploded into the sky, and the teenagers paddled into the wide lake waters. Moments later a large thud came from Chris's feet. To his surprise and slight horror, a dead golden eagle was sprawled across the sand with a small bullet hole through the chest. "Ooohhhh, that is going to create a lot of angry emails. And legal paperwork." He grimaced.

The teenagers rowed with a quick but patient pace as the island holding their campsite became distant. Bridgette and DJ were adjusting accordingly current's flow, with Izzy and Leshawna close behind them. Trent and Noah were tied with Owen and Heather, with Owen's weight tipping their canoe forward to the edge of the water. Duncan, Harold, and Katie were barely beating Geoff and Tyler, and Gwen was trying to focus on the island ahead instead of the geek behind her.

"Hey Gwen. Could we talk about the uh...well me landing on your-" Cody stopped between rows to ask sheepishly.

"No." The goth shot down the question immediately. 

"How about our feelings on the matter?" Cody insisted.

"How about...NO." Gwen stated with more force.

"Even just an apology?" Cody peeked over her shoulder, and Gwen turned her head to keep eye contact.

"Bold of you to assume I would apologize for you landing on my boobs-" Her eyes squinted suspiciously. She was about to curse him out seeing the pink blush on his cheeks until he vigorously shook his head.

"No! I'm sorry that I landed on top of you. I just wanted to be friendly with you, but I made things awkward instead. And that was on me. I wanted you to know that..." His voice trailed into a murmur, his gaze downward into the water.

"Oh." Gwen blinked in surprise and sighed softly, "Well, thanks for admitting it."

"But, I've also kind of noticed the tension between you and Trent? Are you two dating or-?" Cody stopped when the face of Gwen's oar was inches from his crotch, the goth barely peeking over with wide eyes.

"Drop it. Now." She said, and the geek quickly made a 'zipping lips' motion to continue paddling. On the other side of the canoes, Noah watched the scene and Cody for several seconds before paddling harder for Trent to keep up.

(Confessional: Cody)

"Operation: Apology was conducted and succeeded! Now if I can work on Operation: Hook Up, then I'll be golden!"

(Confessional: Noah)

"For someone who is smart in gadgets, Cody lacks it in social intelligence. But at least Gwen is keeping it together." Noah nodded to himself.

"And then these bushmen found me and my brother, and taught us how to properly catch and cook crocodile nuggets! As well as bear stew, frog legs, grub jam, koala-" Izzy was continuing some form of story for Leshawna as they waited for the rest of their team. 

"Hold up, isn't killing and eating a koala bear illegal?!" Leshawna exclaimed in horror.

"I don't know, actually probably. Yeah." Izzy chuckled with a nonchalant shrug. Leshawna started to internally pray to whatever god was listening that she would be spared from this chick.

"DJ, you wouldn't believe what I found on my bed this morning! I came back after brushing my teeth, and there was this weird bulge underneath my blankets. I lifted it up, and there was a tiny surfboard made out of piece of painted wood and twine, and a sail that was made from old plastic. At the bottom of it was a note that said: "Though we sail on different waves, I keep colliding into you. Signed, Geoff." " Bridgette was gossiping to the Jamaican behind her with a flattered look mixed with nervousness.

"Oh. That is something." DJ stated with a blank stare.

"I know right?" Bridgette said slightly louder, "I don't know how to react with that. I've never had anyone have a crush on me before, let alone enough of a crush to do...that. And don't get me wrong, Geoff is a cool guy. But I've only talked to him, like, five different times these past few weeks."

"Hm. I would try to talk to him about it at some point. If you feel the same way, then you two should figure it out. If you don't, you should set some boundaries but still keep it friendly." DJ suggested which seemed to ease the surfer girl. Meanwhile, Geoff was staring at her longingly and sighed before turning to the jock behind him.

"Hey Tyler, something has been eating me up and I need to talk to someone. But you need to promise not to say anything." Geoff stated. Tyler stopped mid-stroke as his face grew pale, and his eyes were wide seeing the seriousness on the party teen's face.

"Uh...can't you tell DJ or Harold? Or Bridgette? I've been seeing how you look at her." Tyler tried to draw attention towards one of the other Bass members, only for Geoff to shake his head aggressively.

"Exactly why I can't tell them. Please, man?" Geoff pleaded.

"UH..."

(Confessional: Tyler)

"I...I am not good at keeping secrets. Like at ALL." Tyler looked unsure of himself as his leg bounced rapidly, which was enough to vibrate the lens on the confessional camera.

"Look Gwen, I've been seeing the way you look at Trent at camp. And how you are avoiding his questions. But Trent has a blooming affection for you too, but he doesn't know whether you are still embarrassed or don't share the same feelings anymore. I...I can put in a good word for you. So the tension can be cleared between the two of you. If you want, of course." Cody took a deep inhale and explained in a calm and reassuring voice. The goth's posture stiffened at the first mention of Trent, but gradually loosened as the geek continued to explain. She turned around once he mentioned backing her up with a soft look unlike her previous appearances.

"For real?" Gwen asked in a surprised but touched tone.

"Yep!" Cody smiled.

"I...thanks Cody. That is really cool of you. If we manage to back to camp on time, I owe you one. Okay?" She genuinely smiled, and Cody blushed at seeing the smile being directed towards him.

"Great. And uh...I have an embarrassing favor." The geek suddenly looked flustered as the blush deepened into a scarlet color, and he messed with the sleeve cuff on his shirt.

"What?" The goth questioned.

"Owen forced me to make a stupid bet this morning." Cody's voice was barely audible.

"What was the bet?" Gwen looked unsure as Cody steadied his breathing.

"If I managed to get one of the girls' bras by the end of the day, he would be forced to wash the team's dishes for the rest of the week. And if I didn't, then vice versa." He explained and covered his face in embarrassment. He expected to hear Gwen screaming at him again, or feel an oar board slam into his body, but only heard a begrudging sigh and the boat moving forward.

"I will think about it." Gwen murmured, and Cody took that as the best answer possible.

"Uh, was that fog there earlier?" Beth spoke up nervously as a thick blanket of fog floated over the canoes.

"I don't think so?" Owen replied as everyone slowed to a stop. As the thickest of the fog blew away, jagged rocks were revealed erupting from the coastline except for a decently sized opening to the beach. A large cliff faced the open water with the rock formations shaped into a human skull, the trees appeared twisted and thorny, and dark clouds hovered over the sky. 

"Did you see that skull imprint on the cliffside? How cool is that!? It is like the place is screaming haunted vibes!" Izzy hopped out of her canoe like a little kid and a howl timed perfectly with her sentence, causing Leshawna to shive in fear.

"Come on Cody. Let's get this over with." Gwen ordered the geek, who immediately flipped the canoe over for the two to carry.

For the first mile and a half, the two teams were racing each other with the canoes bashing against low tree branches. The Gophers seemed to keep up with each other, even as the smallest members were growing tired of the nonstop pace. The Killer Bass were not far behind, but Katie struggled to keep up with pebbles and twigs getting stuck in her shoes. Suddenly, a full grown fell just to the right of the two teams and a low chattering vibrated through the air.

"Wh-What was that?" Cody asked everyone. Suddenly, beavers the size of a small grizzly bear with tusks overlapping their teeth stomped through the undergrowth. The beasts stared down the teenagers as they erupted into screams. "Monster beavers!"

(Confessional: Chris Mclean)

"More accurately, a remnant of the late Pleistocene Era, the woolly beaver is a day-active rodent indigenous and endemic to Boney Island. Oh yeah and they’re carnivores. I'm pretty sure they don't eat humans, but they didn't need to know that."

The Screaming Gophers had fled down the path they previously came with the Wooly Beavers close behind, while the Killer Bass had ran further into the forest. Most of the Gopher's heard the stomping of the beavers closing in, but the options to flee were quickly growing smaller. Noah and Beth panted hard as their stamina was running out, and Owen yanked the canoe out of Heather's grip to carry it himself. 

"I'm going to have to change my underwear after this!!" Owen exclaimed.

"Gwen, stop for a second! I have leftover breakfast bars!" Cody commanded the goth. The canoe dropped with a hard thud as the geek searched through his pockets, the loud chattering of the beavers getting closer. As the first Wooly beaver same within two feet, he threw squashed breakfast bars across the ground. The giant beasts halted their approach to like up the jam and sprinkles. With their opening available, the Gopher team picked their canoes up and went back to the path.

"Come on guys, the race isn't over yet! We still need to burn stuff!" Izzy hollered.

A little farther ahead, the Killer Bass had reached a fork in the pathways. The left side had snags and dead branches hovering just enough for their heads to pass, while the right was wide but had thick brush with thorns. "Where do we even go?!"

"Totally the right path! Left things have always been regarded as cursed!" Katie suggested, barely catching the canoe from falling on her.

"I hope you're right Katie!" Bridgette said and the team ran down the right pathway. Moments later, the Gophers approached the forked pathway and stumbled.

"I saw the Bass go right. Let's go left everyone!" Trent ordered and everyone began to follow single-file. In contrast to the Bass, they took it slow as the tree snags brushed and scraped against the canoes. Noah and Beth spat loudly as flakes of bark slammed against their faces, and Lindsay and Heather were starting to grow hot from the humidity. However the line quickly stopped as Noah seemed to lose control over the canoe, and fell flat on his face.

"You okay there?" Lindsay asked.

"Why did you stop?" Heather demanded the nerd, but an increasingly panicked voice from Trent stopped Noah from answering.

"Um guys. Don't want to panic right now, but I AM SHRINKING." The musician exclaimed, with his body sinking quickly to his waist in a pit of quicksand.

(Confessional: Trent)

"Before anyone starts mocking me, how the hell am I supposed to know what quicksand looks like? It is in the name!" Trent sat in a confessional with a thick layer of dried mud all the way to his neck.

(Confessional: Chris Mclean)

"C-Can you believe they fell for that?! I set that trap up as a joke! I didn't think they would walk right into it!" Chris was barely holding back a cackle as he stared straight into the camera.

"Trent! I am coming!" Lindsay exclaimed as she tried to reach for the musician, who was quickly sinking to his chest.

"Lindsay! Don't..." Trent reached his hand out but the blonde managed to fall over, and her arms and legs quickly vanished under the mud while trying to get up. The girl seemed shocked into silence as they continued to sink. The other Gophers frantically looked for items for them to grab, but there were only thin thorny vines not worth much to help. Suddenly Izzy made a scream and started to scurry up the trees like a squirrel, her arms and legs scratching against the thick branches as she dangled over the pit. She plunged her hand into the quicksand and felt Trent's hand grip hers. She did curled upwards in a sit-up motion, and the two teens flew out of the pit into the hard dirt a few feet away.

"Thanks Izzy. Your skills saved us after all." Trent thanked the redhead as she descended from the trees.

"Where did you learn to do that?" Lindsay asked astonished.

"Oh I learned gymnastics from the local orangutans at the zoo when I was 7. I got some tips." Izzy shrugged with a pleased smile.

"This is very touching everyone, but we've got a challenge to win." Heather spoke up with assertiveness, and the team sped up down the pathway once more.

The Killer Bass continued to move down the right path as the sound of the coast was heard. Half of the team's eyes were filled with hope as they caught their breath, until Geoff started to scream and flail around. He started to slap and scratch at his legs, with dozens of tiny insects biting against his calves. Tiny red does quickly swelled as he continued to scratch at them. "AAAH! WHAT IS THAT?! GET THEM OFF! GET THEM OFF!" He yelled in pain.

"What is happening!?" Bridgette exclaimed in shock.

"Bites from a colony of Eutrombicula alfreddugesi, a common species of chigger insect reported to live in Canada. It is rarer in dry conditions, but in favorably humid conditions like this, a colony can create large welts that quickly turn into dermatitis." Harold determined while staring at one of the insects on his finger. He flicked it away as Geoff continuously slapped his calves.

"Shouldn't have worn your sandals today, dude." Duncan spoke up for the first time all day before returning to a glum silence.

(Confessional: Geoff)

"I didn't know whether I was going to make it! These freaking stink!" Geoff murmured while clutching his reddened legs.

The two teams had arrived on the other side at the same time, but the Bass had opted to lay Geoff on top of one of their canoes. Trent, Lindsay, and Leshawna had already gathered decently size sticks to stack up, while DJ and Katie plopped a small piles of twigs in a pathetic display. Heather rapidly spun another stick against the pile along with Leshawna clicking two rocks to produce sparks. Unfortunately, a spark did not produce as the mean girl pouted by the fail. She glanced over at the Bass and gasped on seeing a flame quickly growing stronger.

"How are they doing that so quickly?" Heather questioned, but she seemed to be answered by Duncan catching his personal lighter in the air.

"Technically he isn't doing anything illegal with it, and there is no rule that says otherwise. Thus, a fantastic edge to the Killer Bass!" Chris called out from a helicopter a few dozen feet from the shore.

While everyone was struggling to make their fires brighter, Beth was looking around the forest perimeter for sticks. However, a glimmer of light erupted from a bush and shone into her glasses. She looked into the bush to notice a small human-shaped totem. "Nice! A lucky charm!" She grinned and snatched it from the thick brush.

"What are you doing?" A voice came from behind. She screamed briefly before realizing it was Noah with a raised eyebrow.

"N-None of your business." Beth bristled.

"Is that some kind of totem?" Noah pressed glancing at the totem several times. 

"Yes! And it is mine!" Beth argued while clutching to the totem like a lifeline, much to Noah's annoyance. As if he would take something as childish as a piece of carved rock, much less from a girl like Beth.

"You are not allowed to do that, you know?" The nerd crossed his arms, and Beth felt frustration build up.

"Nuh-uh! I see you carrying your little book all of the time! So I am having something for myself! S-So you can butt off." She huffed.

"Fine. But your little leader might not approve." Noah shrugged before beginning to walk away.

"She...she wouldn't do anything." Beth attempted to reassure herself as she continued to glare at Noah.

"Whatever your little mind thinks." He waved her off, barely missing her voice calling out one final word as she sped walk away.

"Jerk!"

On the other side of the beach, Trent was resting against a boulder as Cody pulled out a lukewarm can from his pocket. "Hey Cody, what is this about? You wanted to talk to me about something?"

"I'm just looking out for a friend. Want a sip?" The geek offered the can to the musician, who cringed at the smell and push it away.

"N-No thanks. I'm not much of a root beer person." Trent declined politely.

"I wanted to talk to you about something. It is about Gwen." As soon as Cody mentioned the goth's name did Trent's body grow slightly stiff. The musician's mouth went straight and his eyes watched Cody's every move. The geek took it as a sign to keep talking and continued, "I've talked to her a little bit before coming here, and she really likes you. And I've also mentioned how there seems to be this tension between the two of you, and how she is not sure how to talk to you about it. Or if you felt the same about her still. So I was being the straight man and..."

"Cody. You are not doing this just to get on her good side, right? That is not how to talk to girls." Trent's voice went strangely parental, as if he was ready to set Cody's feelings straight. There was a lack of anger but rather concern and creeping disappointment if the assumption was right.

"N-No! I have no reason to get between the two of you. Besides, I'm the one who told her you liked her too." Cody defended himself and Trent's gaze softened again.

"Oh. So, what did she say about it?" He asked nervously, rubbing his hands in a rhythmic manner while counting slowly.

"I promised her I would get a word in. But if you really want to be real with her, here is what I would do..." Cody leaned in to whisper in the musician's ear, making sure to be quiet enough for no one to hear.

"Oh...you're good." Trent smiled with a approving stare.

"If you two are done gossiping, we are in the middle of a challenge. Remember?" Heather cut in not far behind them. The two boys flailed onto their feet and rejoined the campfire building. Meanwhile, Geoff continued to slowly scratch his legs from the chigger bites while the rest of the team gathered more sticks. He cringed as the bites seemed to get bigger and his calves twitched at every itch.

"Bridgette. You have knowledge on first aid, right? Maybe you should give Geoff a look. He might develop dermatitis like Harold mentioned." DJ offered. The surfer girl seemed reluctant but soon knelt by Geoff's side to check the bites. Geoff glanced over at the Jamaican, who gave a small nod as he tended to the fire.

"We need more firepower! Anybody got more sticks!" Heather turned to her team. Everyone shook their heads as the site was cleansed of all sticks, until Izzy showed up with a large orb of tree sap smothered with various objects.

"I've got something better. This is a handmade fire starter I made with methane trapped in tree sap, moss, natural coal fragments and wax. Stand back guys, this is going to be BIG." Izzy had a grin that was growing wider as everyone started to back up, fear written all across their faces.

(Confessional: Noah)

"That girl is going to kill someone someday."

Izzy stepped closer to the fire like a villain and casually tossed the orb of sap into the flames. Several cracks were heard before the campfire exploded into flames. The fire barely grazed the redhead's face as it billowed up like mushroom cloud, ending within a few feet of Chris's helicopter. The host laughed in surprise as the fueled flames continued before fizzling into a plume of ash and scorched sand.

"And we have our fire building winner for the century!! Nice job Gophers!" Chris screamed over the sound of the helicopter.

"Where did you learn that?" Heather asked the redhead astonished.

"I spent a summer training at the nature reserves. I got into some trouble there from blowing up the kitchen as well as burning three acres of protected land, which is why the RCMP has been on my ass for the past several months! I am currently AWOL!" Izzy laughed with wide eyes while clutching to a nervous Heather. With the campfire building section of the challenge over, the Gophers raced to the canoes to win the final part of the challenge. However as Trent was ready to hop into the canoe with Noah, Cody called out to them with a nervous Gwen behind him. 

"Uh guys!" Beth and Lindsay took notice of the conversation and briefly stopped their paddling, "Since some of us are still shaken up about the quicksand, how about I go with Noah instead so Gwen comforts Trent?" The geek offered.

"What? But Trent is not shaken up at-" Beth was about to voice her opinion but Noah shrugged as he grabbed the geek's shoulder.

"I'd love that idea." The musician smiled as Gwen took his hand. The goth glanced over Cody with a grateful smile, and he returned the gesture with finger guns. The moment seemed to be cut short as Noah paddled with enough force for him to fall backwards. He cursed in pain but said nothing else as he began to paddle as well.

"Our paddles got incinerated by the explosion! How are we going to get back?" Bridgette held the charred oars with a sad expression. Izzy, who stopped paddling with Leshawna, looked at the Bass with a small smile.

"A good method is to get one of you to swim behind the boats and push them. I did that once for this sixty-foot yacht; the whole crew had to flutter kick for eight days to get to shore. And like, four of us got eaten by sharks. I didn’t though, but it was still crazy! And-!" The redhead girl continued to rant before she flew back by Leshawna rowing harder.

"IZZY! STOP GIVING THEM IDEAS AND KEEP ROWING!" The black girl exclaimed in frustration.

"That could work though! Is anyone good swimmers?" Geoff said, having finally been able to stand with welts across his calves. The Bass looked at each other to see who would participate. Suddenly each member felt themselves be lifted and placed in a singular canoe, with DJ putting on a life jacket with a determined gleam in his eyes. 

"I'll kick the boat! Everyone, hold on!" Everyone got into a secured position as DJ ran into the canoe with full force, getting it deep enough in the water to start kicking. Within a few seconds, the Jamaican was kicking with enough force to rival a horse and the Bass were flying through the water. Geoff cheered him on leaning against the canoe's front, Duncan leaned over with an impressed grin, and everyone one was screaming in joy as they rapidly passed the Gophers. He continued to keep rowing until the boat collided with the shoreline and further into some rocks.

"THE KILLER BASS ARE THE WINNERS!!" Chris called out from the dock. A few minutes later, the Gophers arrived to the shore on time to hear everyone else congratulating DJ for his effort in the win. 

"How did we lose?" Lindsay whined.

"Why don't you ask Psycho-Izzy over here giving them ideas! You are dead!" Leshawna turned to point at Izzy angrily. However, her anger grew into concern as the redhead burst into laughter, and Izzy kneeled over against the black's girl shoulder to stop falling. "Wh-Why are you laughing?"

"Heh, you are so lucky that my license to legally kill is expired. See you all at the ceremony!" Izzy murmured loud enough for everyone to hear. She managed to run away before anyone could question her statement.

"There is something SERIOUSLY wrong with that girl." Leshawna groaned tiredly.

(Confessional: Noah)

"I was going to propose booting off one of Heather's little henchmen for the challenge. But Leshawna is really insistent on Izzy. I guess Miss 'Psycho Hose' really got to her. I don't like it, but keeping the team together is crucial."

Later that night, the Gophers had gathered around the campfire as Chris presented the marshmallows. Izzy was joyfully kicking her feet and avoiding Leshawna's glare. "And now, the always anxiety-inducing marshmallow ceremony commences. When I call your name, come and get a marshmallow."

"Beth." The glasses girl clutched her marshmallow protectively and ate it without another word.

"Trent. Gwen." The two teens smiled at each other as they took their treats.

"Cody." The geek rocked back and forth nervously before grinning at his name called.

"Owen." The big teen gasped victoriously.

"Heather." The mean girl said nothing while filing her nails.

"Leshawna." The girl smiled as she walked to receive her marshmallow.

"Lindsay." Lindsay clapped in joy and she received a marshmallow. Noah and Izzy glanced at each other as their names had not been called yet. 

"One last marshmallow. The person who doesn’t get this marshmallow will walk off the Dock of Shame and take a ride on the Boat of Losers. Who’s it gonna be?" Chris smiled and began to hold the tension of the last vote. However, the sound of a helicopter rapidly approached from above along with the screeching of a megaphone. A beam of light shone on the teenagers as Izzy's grin grew impossibly wide.

"What the hell?!" Chris exclaimed.

"Izzy! This is the RCMP! Give yourself up and come back with us, now!" A man's voice echoed through the megaphone.

"Wait! You mean to tell me that all of that stuff you were spouting about was true!?!" Leshawna glanced at Izzy with her eyes full of terror.

"You are part of the Navy-joe's?" Lindsay asked unaware of not only naming the wrong native tribe, but also mispronouncing the wrong tribe.

"Learning from orangutans?" Trent asked vaguely surprised and concerned.

"The shark yacht?!" Gwen gasped.

"The fire starter origin?! Beth exclaimed backing away fast as if Izzy's entire body was on fire.

"The bushmen crocodile nuggets?" Cody asked with a gleam of admiration like he found the coolest treasure ever.

"You are allowed to KILL?!" Heather yelled at the redhead, and every teenager quickly backed off realizing the implications of the last one.

"About half of those are true, yes! I gotta go! See you guys!" Izzy waved at everyone politely before whipping around to face the helicopter. "TRY TO CATCH ME MIGUEL!! I AM STILL NOT IT!!" The girl burst into hysterical laughter as she ran into the woods of the island, and the helicopter followed her while the man screamed her name in desperation. The Gophers watched on speechless as the host coughed into his fist.

"I...guess that wraps it up. Good night everyone." Chris rubbed his head in shock.

"That girl is awesome!" Cody exclaimed with bright eyes.

"More like psychotic." Noah added.

The night quickly passed on with Izzy's impromptu departure, and male Gophers were retreating into their cabin to sleep. Noah was already leaning against the wall to read, Owen was finishing the last of his snacks. Cody was fluffing his pillow until he saw black bra folded underneath the blanket corner. The geek's eyes glowed as he clutched his chest. "Oh thank god. I got to thank Gwen later."

"Ooooo, is that a bra~?" Owen laughed.

"Yep! Good luck with dish duties dude." Cody had a smug smile as Owen's grin dropped.

"Wait, I lost?!" The big teen gasped as the other boys flopped against the blankets.

"Mhm!" Cody confirmed to soak in his personal victory.

"Hey." A soft voice cut through Gwen's thoughts as she looked into the deep, dark waters off the dock. She glanced over and smiled seeing Trent approach with his guitar.

"Hey." The goth replied.

"Can we talk? For real this time?" Trent sat down next to her, starting to strum a different cord as the cameras clicked off.

"Yeah."

Chapter Text

Over the quiet campsite, small rabbits and birds were scampering across the unmaintained grass when a thundering noise approached the cabins. The rabbits ran for it as a helicopter remained stationary just above the Bass cabins. Duncan, who had been in a deep sleep, sat up abruptly with wide eyes and bounced off the top bunk.

"HIT THE DECK! They found us!" Duncan called out and dove into the slit between the bottom bunk and the wooden floor.

"Dude, chill. It is just Chris again." Geoff yawned as the rest of the boys woke up.

"Ow! Okay, that dude is getting on my last nerve!" Leshawna declared from the Gopher's cabin, having slammed her head against the top bunk again.

(Confessional: Leshawna)

"Thanks to that Izzy psycho, I am in so much pain from all of that canoeing, pulling, and running around. The last thing this girl needs is some grown man floating a helicopter disturbing my beauty sleep!"

Leshawna spent fifteen minutes grumbling to herself getting some appropriate clothes on, before walking out to the communal bathroom. However, she quickly noticed all of the girls lined up against the door. All of them seemed to be in pain of holding their business in. "What is going on here?"

"Heather is taking forever in the bathrooms!" Katie sighed in pain.

"She said she needs her private time." Lindsay added.

"Why did you give her the bathrooms and showers first? She didn't even need it, and it's been thirty minutes." Gwen demanded Beth, who the main girl at the front of the line. The glasses girl tried to defend herself but grew sheepish as more eyes stared her down. Her mouth clamped shut and couldn't look at them.

"Screw it. I'm going lumberjack style." Gwen concluded and sped walk to the woods.

"Campers! I hope you are ready for the most challenging challenge yet! Breakfast in three minutes at the campfire pit!" Chris's voice echoed from somewhere with the campsite.

"Someone come in and lotion my back! It is peeling in here!" Heather's voice erupted from the bathroom. Every girl's face grew pale as they started to jog away, leaving Beth behind.

"She's all yours!" Leshawna called out from the distance. Beth sighed in defeat as she reluctantly opened the door. A few minutes later, every teenagers took their seats around the campfire as Chris arrived alongside a grumpy Chef.

"Are you ready for today’s extreme max impact challenge?!" The host attempted to hype the group up while pumping his arms.

"Yes we are!" Owen cheered while laughing.

"Boy, when are you going to realize that is not a good thing?" Leshawna shook her head at the big teen.

"Breakfast incoming, you rats." Chef announced with a crate of canned beans. While each teen seemed more confused with receiving a single can, Heather was the only to be visibly angry.

"Um, no. Breakfast is crepes, croissants, even crappy burnt eggs from Chef." She scoffed and Chef's eye briefly twitched at the backhanded insult.

"Today's challenge is all about survival. All of you will be hunting for some deer." Chris moved on from the conversation by presenting a neon green gun. Duncan perked up at seeing the gun while Owen began tearing open the cans of beans.

"Oh, that is more I like it!!" The delinquent grinned.

"Chris, isn't that a paintball gun?" Harold pointed out while pointing at the gun.

"Quite observant Harold." Chris grinned. Suddenly he pointed the gun at the dweeb and pulled the trigger, a glob of blue paint splattering across his chest.

"So we are luckily not hunting any actual animals today." Bridgette sighed in relief as Chris confirmed.

"What a buzzkill." Duncan pouted and said nothing else.

"This is the first ever paintball deer hunt in the show. I’ll announce the team’s once we get into the woods. So… finish breakfast while you can."

The teens reluctantly opened the cans with their teeth and slurped up the contents. Some managed to finish their "breakfast" within a few minutes, while others took longer. However, a loud burp caught their attention and saw Owen go through his twelfth can and sauce dripping down his chin. "You guys got any more?"

"Now that breakfast is out of the way, we must assemble the teams. The Killer Bass hunters are Harold, Tyler, Geoff, and Bridgette. Locked and loaded with blue paint. And using orange paint are the Gopher hunters; Leshawna, Beth, Owen, and Lindsay. You also get these stylish glasses and wicked camo caps! The rest of you are now deer. Here are your antlers, noses, and little whitetails." Chris handed out the hunting "equipment". Each hunter was handed a neon colored gun with a strapped pack of hardened paint orbs with a texture of jelly. Harold and Geoff smiled at the bright red guns handed to them, Tyler grunted pain as the gun bopped against his head, but Bridgette seemed unsure as she struggled to properly hold the gun. The Gopher hunters seemed more enthusiastic to hold their guns with Owen snatching the cap and glasses with a grin.

"Awesome! Just like with grandpa!"

"Excuse me? I am NOT wearing these." Heather gestured to the deer antlers, white tails, and red button noses.

"Ditto. This sucks." Duncan nodded.

"If any of you take these off, then your team automatically loses." Chris added. Heather and Duncan sighed as they tightened the antlers and tail strap around their forehead and waist. Duncan appeared embarrassed as the tail poked from underneath his shirt, contrasting sharply with his dark and tough look. A laugh made him whip around to see a smug looking Owen staring at his tail and nose.

"What're you looking at?" The delinquent demanded rather than asked.

"Oh nothing...Bambi." Owen smirked. He reached for the waist strap and pulled back enough to snap against his butt. A second didn't pass when the big teen felt a grip twist a good portion of his neck flab, and his smirk instantly disappeared at seeing a red faced Duncan. The delinquent twisted the neck flab enough for the big boy to wince. "AH!"

"You miss your shot and I'm coming for your ass." Duncan threatened with a low hiss and Owen felt sweat run down his face.

"All of the deer have a five minute head start to spread out. Well what're you waiting for? SCATTER!" Chris shouted with a grin, and the "deer" campers started to disperse into multiple directions.

"You guys go on ahead. I'll be roamin'." DJ announced to the rest of his fellow "deer" and leapt into a trees with surprising amount of grace. Duncan gawked at how fast and effortlessly the Jamaican disappeared into the brush.

"Woah. Wicked roleplaying, dude." Tyler called out while preparing his gun.

"I take back what I said with the sleeping challenge. This is by far the most humiliating thing I've done. I sure hope Julian isn't watching this." Gwen sighed as she adjusted the antler headband to a comfortable tightness. Noah and Leshawna remained close behind as he seemed to whisper something into the girl's ear. Leshawna grimaced and questioned him quietly, but seemed to relent from the nerd's stern look.

"Hey Gwen. Look at this." Trent called out from behind. Gwen turned around but didn't see the musician at all, but a small 'pst' from underneath startled her. She looked down and barely withheld laughter as Trent was sprawled across the grass, twitching and gagging to represent a shot deer. He ended his little display by blurting out a 'bleh' and went limp.

"Pfft. Okay, now that is lame." The goth smirked.

"Mean." Trent opened an eye to look up at her, still smiling.

"I'm going on ahead. Try to not get killed. Or contract CWD." Noah called out to the both of them as he walked through the brush, though he seemed to keep his gaze at Heather with the last sentence.

"Back off, nerd!" Heather spat while sitting on a stump.

"See you guys! Catch you later!" Cody ran towards the direction that Noah took, but not before waving to his fellow "deer" and disappearing into the trees. 

(Confessional: Cody)

"I'm pretty good at hiding from people. I may be small, but I'm very nimble. Useful when dodging spitballs, left hooks from jocks, girls whipping their purses...footballs and cars..." Cody started off confident with his chest puffed out in exaggeration, but slowly started to deflate and look defeated as the ramble continued.

(Confessional: Leshawna)

"I was so looking forward to pelting Heather with these, but Noah told me he has already created a rift within Heather's little "team". Whatever that is supposed to mean." Leshawna pouted while glancing at her gun, "Oh well. Might as well actually hunt some 'deer'."

As Trent and Gwen began to walk into the woods together, the goth stopped to notice Heather wasn't moving from her stump. In fact, the mean girl whipped out a nail filer and stared towards the direction of the camp. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to wait for Lindsay and Beth so they can protect me for the whole game." Heather stated with snobby confidence, her nails being filed to a uncomfortable length.

"Your going to make our hunters protect one single deer? You? I'm pretty sure that is cheating." Gwen raised a brow through the orange-tinted glasses, and Trent seemed to agree with a stare.

"Cheating, bending rules, whatever! Worry about your own fluffy tail!" Heather scoffed and returned to filing her nails. The goth and musician shrugged at each other before jogging farther upland.

"And break! Let's catch some deer guys!" Tyler hollered joyfully to his fellow hunters as they pumped their ammo. Harold flicked his glasses with a smirk, while Geoff glanced over at Bridgette while filling his gun. However, Bridgette seemed unsure as she stared at the gun. 

"I don't know about this..." She murmured to Harold, who slowly gripped her shoulder.

"Okay, I know you don't like shooting things but you do realize this is just a game, right? And this is paint and not actual bullets? So say if you want to get back at someone...like Heather-" Harold slowly pointed out the positions of the Gopher team. Suddenly Bridgette's eyes snapped open as she heard the mean girl's name, and grinned while putting on the glasses.

"Wait, Heather is a DEER?" She asked excitedly and Harold nodded with his own smile. She pumped the paint gun and the two went their separate ways, with Harold teaming with Tyler and she was alongside Geoff. "Oh, it is SO ON. I've been wanting to find an excuse."

"Alright everybody! The team that shoots all of their rival's 'deers' wins the challenge! Start your paintballs and happy hunting!!" Chris announced through the camp's megaphone.

"Let's bang some deer!" Beth hollered to the other Gopher hunters. Owen was removing lids of small glass containers holding a strange yellow liquid right behind the girls.

"I am down with that." Leshawna chuckled to the other girls. Suddenly, all three smelled something horrendous as Owen splashed the yellow liquid all over his face.

"What the heck are you doing?" Beth asked.

"Masking my scent so the deer won't smell me coming!!" Owen responded confidently as he splashed a second container all over his shirt. The smell was starting to become overbearing as Lindsay and Beth backed up.

"Masking your scent? Wait...OH GOD, tell me that is not pee you poured on yourself!?" Leshawna gagged in disgust, with the two girls screaming in horror.

"Yes it is! I have a spare container-" Owen was about to grab a third container but was startled by the three girls screaming 'no' at once. He stared as Leshawna and Lindsay looked two seconds away from vomiting, and Beth looked at him like he was crazy.

"Ew! Owen, we are hunting people disguised as deer, not actual animals! You just poured pee on yourself for nothing!" She exclaimed. It took a few seconds for the realization to kick in for Owen, who promptly through the last container of pee into the woods in frustration. The girls took this as their cue to leave the big boy, but not before Leshawna shot a disapproving glance.

"Dude, you are some kind of nasty I don't even want to know!" She murmured before running into the woods.

An announcement had passed throughout the camp that an hour had passed, and no 'deer' on either team had been tracked down yet. DJ had long disappeared into the untamed wilderness and was weaving through the canopy with ease without detection. Katie and Duncan had stuck together for the first thirty minutes, but the preppy girl had at some point gotten separated. The delinquent hesitated on finding her before ultimately heading further north. It seemed as if he was not ready to be spotted by anyone yet from his team or the rival team.

Heather had to briefly get up and move to a more secluded stump to avoid detection, but she was quickly growing impatient on waiting for her alliance members. Cody and Noah seemed to adapt to the 'deer' role the quickest out of the Gopher team, and were taking fifteen minute breaks between running into deep trenches or thickened brush. They kept talking to a minimum, but were able to communicate through personal hand signals. Meanwhile, Trent and Gwen were chilling under a tree in a unmarked clearing. 

"See anyone yet?" Gwen asked the musician, who promptly scanned the whole area and shook his head.

"Nope. I think we're good."

"Great. I hate these little things." Gwen sighed and scratched her head. The headband seemed to make her skull itch from the material.

"Eh, it is not so bad. You think we can ram into people's butts with these antlers?" Trent smirked and demonstrated by lightly jabbing a tree with the fake antlers.

"Pfft!" Gwen giggled softly.

"Come on, you totally thought I was all pacifist didn't you? I got a mean side." Trent crossed his arms playfully as the goth stood up from her spot.

"Oh, I have no doubt 'Heartstrings'. Or would 'Rudolph' be better?" She teased pointing at the red button nose. A light blush creeped in Trent's cheeks from the nickname, but shook it off instead to clutch his heart dramatically.

"Oh no. Sappiness. My one weakness." He groaned as if he was in physical pain.

"Sh-Shut up! Haha!" Gwen burst into laughter. Suddenly, she felt something nudge against her head hard enough to make her flinch. She looked to see Trent with a smirk as he tapped her head with the fake antlers.

"Bap!" He audibly timed his noise with the antler nudge.

"Agh! Hey!" Gwen smirked and nudged him back. However that didn't stop him from pushing with the antlers more aggressively.

"Boop! Bap! Boop!"

"Oh don't you try. You haven't seen how aggressive I am." Gwen challenged as she got into a wrestling position, and Trent followed suit.

"Bet." He responded.

"Alright then! Come here!" She shouted and lunged at him.

Trent laughed as they traded light blows pretending to be wrestling one another, their button noses falling off in the middle of the tussle. Every time Gwen landed a light smack, he would return with light jabs against her sides without injuring her. However, Gwen had rose up too fast and their antlers quickly became intertwined. Their faces were inches apart as they took a few more jabs before realizing how close they were. Trent's face went pink as he tried to sit up away from her, only for Gwen to be pulled with him and staring into each other's eyes. The goth's face quickly turned red as they pulled harder in a futile attempt to remove the antlers.

"Oh, well this is awkward." The musician murmured in a embarrassed tone.

Suddenly, both teenagers felt several objects splatter against their sides and faces and thick paint dripped down their chins. With whatever room they had, they turned to see a victorious Tyler and Harold a few feet away. However, Harold stopped cheering to himself and just stared at the awkward display with his own cheeks becoming flushed.

"Got you guys! Uh...did we come at a bad time?" Tyler cheered but his face turned neutral once he realized what he was looking at. Gwen tried to find the words but could only stare at Trent's face with red cheeks.

"Not at all! Harold, could you give us a hand?" Trent sheepishly asked the dweeb teen. The two Bass shooters nodded and promptly dropped the guns, with Tyler holding Gwen in place and Harold fiddling with the headbands. After the few minutes of awkward silence, the antlers bent just enough to release the Gophers from their compromised positions. Gwen quickly brushed off dirt and the Bass shook their hands.

"We must never speak of this." She murmurred quickly.

"Agreed." All three boys synchronized with various degrees of reddened cheeks.

"GWEN AND TRENT HAVE BEEN SHOT DOWN! THE KILLER BASS ARE OFF TO A GOOD START!" Chris announced on the megaphones throughout the island. Beth and Lindsay, who had quickly grown tired of walking around the woods, sighed in exhaustion from the announcement.

"Man, we have been walking around for an hour and have not found one 'deer'!" Beth whined and Lindsay nodded halfheartedly. A harsh overexaggerated cough made both of them snap up and look to see a peeved Heather sitting on a stump with crossed arms.

"Where have you two been? I have been WAITING." The mean girl demanded.

"Were...were you expecting us to come looking for you?" Beth asked surprised and slightly annoyed.

"Duh Beth. An alliance, remember?" Heather rolled her eyes at the stupid question which made the farm girl's stomach twist. She pointed into the woods and glared at a clueless Lindsay. "Lindsay, get me some blueberries. I am starving. Now."

"Wait. Shouldn't we be hunting for 'deer' though?" Beth questioned as Lindsay followed their mean leader without any further questions.

"Did I ask for your opinion? Now get me some chips from the dining hall. And you better not pick barbeque!" Heather snipped.

"But I-"

"Now!" She shouted and a frustrated Beth slinked towards the main campsite tightly gripping her paintball gun.

(Confessional: Beth)

"Okay, I thought an alliance would be a good idea. But Heather is...so bossy! And mean! And stupid! DEER don't have the Hunters fetch THEM FOOD! I can't believe I signed myself up for this!" Beth gritted her braced teeth together almost hard enough to crack.

Far away from the other 'deer' and hunters, Owen was slowly pacing around with an exaggerated focused look and holding his paintball gun like a military man. "The hunter is a finely tuned machine, his senses heightened by the thrill of the chase." He monologued loudly. Suddenly he sniffed the air and noticed movement to his left. He dove into a thick bush and caught a glimpse of DJ walking through the woods with silent grace. The gentle giant within two feet of the bush and didn't notice Owen, stretching out his muscles and breathing in the fresh air.

"Suddenly, our hunter finds a magnificent buck in a clearing. If he is to succeed, the hunter must express patience and control." Owen spoke as he prepared his gun, only to see DJ stare directly at the bush. 

"First of all Owen, you need to keep your thoughts to yourself big guy. Secondly, even if I can't see you, it is hard to ignore someone that smells like fresh pee. You might want to take a shower." DJ stated as he prepared to run away.

"Wh-What?!" Owen sprang from the bush with red cheeks, dropping the gun as a result.

"See you buddy!" The Jamaican waved at him as he burst into the woods.

"No wait! Get back here!" Owen demanded. He struggled to reach for the gun but DJ was already gone by the time he repositioned himself, "Dang it."

Meanwhile, Cody and Noah had repositioned themselves in the thickest pile of bushes they could find. Noah moved enough branches to act as a watching guard without blowing their cover.

"Man, this kind of sucks. I was really hoping to be a hunter." Cody sighed to himself. He opened his eyes when he heard Noah scoff, but it sounded more teasing than the normal apathetic scoff he had grown accustomed to.

"Wow, you really hate the others that much? What, were you gonna shoot me first? After everything? I'm hurt." Noah placed a hand on his chest in a sarcastic motion, and Cody laughed softly.

"Haha! Nah, I just love shooting games. I was top five in online 'Fall of Bounties" for a few years, you know." The geek pointed out with a proud smile.

"Fall of Bounties. I haven't heard of that game in a while." Noah hummed and leaned over to avoid the antlers poking out of the brush.

"Yeah it kind of fell off after the third installment, but the second one's online mode is still pretty popular." Cody nodded. Noah kept glancing down at the geek, his eyes peacefully closed as the area was filled with songbirds and brief screeches of the scattered megaphones. Due to his eyes closed, Cody could not see how Noah stared at him longer than he usually did with the other campers.

"Didn't expect you to be a gamer." The nerd said with honesty. It caught Cody off guard as he repositioned himself to face the other boy.

"Really? Okay, well what genre of game do you do?" He asked in a genuine tone. 

"Fantasy." Noah answered bluntly in a sigh, but he was surprised to see Cody's already bright blue eyes shine brighter by the answer.

"Fantasy...do you happen to play Dragon Assassin?" The geek smiled.

"Perhaps. Kosmic Kaos is my child though." Noah crossed his arms. He noticed Cody went quiet and looked up, only to nearly jump out of the bush from how close the geek was to his face. This kid was quieter than he thought if even HE couldn't hear him coming.

"Oh my god. You are a dork like me." Cody whispered. Noah didn't answer him but he need to as a wide grin spread across the geek's face, "YOU are a dork like me!" He said joyfully slightly louder.

"Scream that into my ear, why don't you?" Noah rolled his eyes.

"S-Sorry." Cody slapped his mouth shut and scooted back. He was ready to move on from the conversation, but Noah waved his hand dismissively and leaned back into a comfortable position. His apathetic look relaxed into a teasing gaze as he stared at the geek.

"I was joking. Please, entertain me with your thoughts on the greatest fantasy franchise of all time." Noah smirked as Cody choked back a chuckle.

"Arguable." The geek said but eased into a conversation on gaming titles. The two teens had settled into a conversation about the details of their favorite fantasy game, from the worldbuilding and characters, to the small details of symbolism in the story and meaning of each character's story. Noah would occasionally slip in a fact that he would claim only he knows, only for Cody to snap back with his personal take on the facts. The nerd found it irritating for the first couple of times, but slowly eased up on the attitude. Both of them didn't notice that an additional thirty minutes had passed as they went back and forth. Noah even let out a laugh at a outlandish suggestion Cody made for a future game prediction.

It was a small, but ultimately comfortable conversation.

However, the situation was anything but comfortable for a nervous Beth as she hid underneath the main lodge's stairs. The main door flew open as Chef, who was undressed except for a pair of swim trunks and a floatie, whistled peacefully as he made his way to the dock. Seeing her opportunity, Beth raised her head too fast and hit the top of the stairs. Chef briefly stopped to hear the noise but continued to walk away. Beth quickly opened the door and flew into the kitchen, opening and slamming several cabinets until she saw the chips. She quickly grabbed the first bag she could see and dove back into the bushes. She panted quietly as she saw a grumpy Chef returning to the lodge, muttering about forgetting sunscreen. The door clicked shut as she tried to walk away as silently as possible. However, that option dissipated as Chef's enraged voice exploded throughout the campsite.

"What the-WHICH ONE OF YOU RATS STOLE MY BAG OF CHIPS!!" The burly man shouted. Taking that as her cue to run, Beth sprinted through the brush and didn't stop even as the shouts of the scary man became distant. Unbeknownst to her, the bag of chips had already been previously opened as crumbs were scattering across the ground, attracting small critters and wildlife to the main hunting site.

(Confessional: Beth)

"So I'm running from this psycho Chef when it suddenly hits me; I am doing all of this for HEATHER!? I don't even like her anymore!"

"Dude, you are getting way too into this!" DJ shouted as he sprinted as fast as he could, while trying to ignore the crazed panting from Owen behind him.

"Just stand still so you can become a burger, DJ!" The big teen's eyes looked crazed like an animal, his gun raised high into the air.

"That doesn't make any sense!" The Jamaican argued as he saw one of the island's main rivers quickly approaching. He leapt over the clearing perfectly and continued to run, not realizing Owen failed to make the jump and promptly hit his crotch against a jutted rock. The big boy growled as he watched DJ gain more distance, and clutched the gun until his knuckles turned white.

Beth was slowly making her way back to her "beloved" leader with the open bag of chips, her face permanently settled into a angry scowl. She could hear chuckling and incoherent whispers from a cluster of bushes to her right, but she didn't bother to stop. She kept eye contact with the bushes and sighed, which made the whispers stop completely. "Whoever you are, go ahead and shoot me. You can't make today suck any more than it already has."

To her surprise, Cody and Noah stepped out with confused looks as the geek caught up to her. Noah waited a few seconds before joining in as well, "You are a hunter and we are deer. That is a bit of a food chain issue, don't you think?" Cody questioned.

"Nice Anderson. We need to find new cover now." Noah pointed out to the geek, who rubbed his skull in embarrassment.

"Oh, it is you two. You haven't been shot yet?" Beth asked Cody but didn't turn to look at Noah. Noah didn't seem to mind it.

"Nope! How is your progress?" Cody exchanged the question.

"Looks like you are having a stellar time." Noah stated with apathy, and the geek had to stop himself from chuckling at the unintended pun based on their previous conversation. 

"Back off. Between risking my life for this stupid bag of chips and being a slave for Heather, I am so done with this game." Beth sighed in frustration as she whipped the bag around. The two boys glanced at one another with their brows raised as the girl's words sunk in.

"Wait, you are bending backwards for Heather? That...is not a good idea." Cody stated bluntly and Noah quickly nodded along.

"I am starting to figure that out." Beth said.

"Key word; starting." Noah added and Beth turned slightly to glare at him, but he gave no reaction. Before she could say anything else, Heather's signature scoff grabbed all of their attention.

"What. Took you. So long?" She demanded like a little kid, still sitting on the same tree stump.

"Just take it. I want you to know I risked a lot to-" Beth handed the bag over but was interrupted by Heather snatching it. She look into the bag and her face scrunched up in disappointment. She then sniffed the contents of the bag and gagged, and Beth winced as the bag was thrown within inches from her.

"There is, like, eleven chips in this bag! And they are barbeque!! I told you...you know what, go exchange it for dill pickles instead!" Heather huffed.

"Are you serious?" Beth's voice went frighteningly low and calm. Noah watched as the farmer girl's expression went blank and gave a slight smirk that no one seemed to notice. He tapped Cody's shoulder to grab his attention and pointed in the opposite direction.

"I'm leaving." The nerd left before Cody could say anything.

"No." Beth blurted out and stomped the bag until it was nothing but a crinkled ball. Heather's eyes snapped open as she glared into the farmer girl's soul, and Cody felt the tension grow too thick for his liking.

"What did you just say? Take it back now." The mean girl growled.

"You know what? I'm just going to go with this. Bye!" Cody smiled nervously and grabbed the bag of chips, not bothering to wave to the girls as he sprinted across the clearing.

"I'm not taking it back." Beth repeated again in the same calm but cold tone.

"Beth, you are going to regret-" Heather began to threaten.

"Nothing! I am regretting nothing! You are one of the most vile people I have ever met, and I am tired of being your slave! Now if you are done, I actually have a challenge to win!" Beth snapped and jabbed the gun's tip into Heather's stomach, leaving her shocked at being talked back to. The mean girl didn't get to snap back as Beth slung the gun over her shoulder and stomped into the brush. After a few moments did Heather's cheeks grow red as she ran into the brush as well.

"Beth!"

Meanwhile at the cliffside beach, DJ was beginning to pant heavily as he ran up the cliff with decent speed. Owen remained hot on his 'tail' firing the paintball gun repeatedly attempting to get a hit, but to no avail.

"The...hunter's courage...and desire will not...be stopped!" Owen panted hard but still had a crazy gaze in his eyes as they were quickly running out of space to run.

"Okay dude, I am starting to think there is something wrong with you." DJ sighed in frustration.

Suddenly his stomach dropped seeing the edge of the cliff where the contestants jumped off in the first episode. He stopped running and looked over the edge, Owen laughing in elated exhaustion as he cornered the Jamaican. DJ closed his eyes ready to accept his untimely fate.

"You're mine now, deer." Owen pointed the gun at DJ's head and pulled the trigger. However, the big boy had forgotten to check how many paintballs he used during the "hunt". Over seven miles worth of running and firing paintballs had used all of his reserves, and his luck was out in the final confrontation. He could do nothing but blink and hold the empty gun.

"Huh?" DJ opened his eyes in realization, and his face quickly dropped into an exhausted scowl. He slowly approached the big boy as the gun continued to shoot no paintballs.

"Uh...the hunter knows that the prey will stay right there for a moment. Out of fear and respect...while I try to fix...the gun." Owen stuttered while fiddling with the gun, trying to avoid DJ's judgmental glare. It was only when the Jamaican towered over him did he drop the gun and give a nervous smile. "Come on man, the deer cannot best the hunter. Hehe."

"You want to know how deer defend themselves from maniacs?" DJ asked. He didn't let Owen answer as he grabbed his shirt and threw him off the edge with ease. The big teen screamed as he fell into the cool lake waters, the wave splashing against the cliff edge. The Jamaican hummed in recognition before walking down the cliff in exhaustion.

(Confessional: DJ)

"Okay, I admit throwing Owen into the lake from the edge of the cliff was a little overkill. But you don't understand how it feels to run over seven miles across the island without stopping, all while a 200+ pound teenager keeps screaming and comparing you to prey and food. I was tired at that point!"

Heather sped walked through the woods with a permanent scowl as she followed Beth's trail. Suddenly, Lindsay quickly approached her with a smile and a handful of blueberries. "Heather! I got you the blueberries like you asked!"

"Follow me." Heather scoffed and walked past her, not giving the option of questioning why.

A little farther down the path, Beth crouched low to the ground and pointing the gun at an unsuspecting Katie eating some berries. The farmer girl grinned as she lined the lens with the preppy girl's backside. Suddenly, Heather's obnoxious voice cut through the silence. "BETH!" Katie spat out the blueberries and quickly noticed the three girls not far away. She gasped and bolted deeper into the woods, and Beth rose up in frustration.

"Oh come on! I had her!" Beth shouted to herself, turning to see a livid Heather and confused Lindsay.

"We have been talking about your unacceptable behavior-" Heather started.

"Wait, we were?" Lindsay questioned and Heather pointed at her as an order to shut up.

"Zip it, Linds-idiot. We have decided to give you one last chance to keep your alliance intact. All you have to do is take back the N-word: No." Heather crossed her arms. To both of the girls' surprise, Beth scoffed and slung the gun back over her shoulder.

"Uh, I am not taking back anything. You deserved my crash out." Beth repeated.

"May I remind you that without me, you are nothing in this competition!" Heather snapped while pointing at herself.

"My god, do you even know why this team seems to be so tense with each other?" Beth remained calm even as Lindsay looked several seconds from crying.

"Because they are all incompetent idiots?" Heather scoffed but a paintball was jabbed into her stomach again.

"The only incompetent one is you! You spend so much time being mean and snobby that you don't even try to be good at the game! All that goes on in your head is how to be a total weasel who complains about everything and yet can't stomach their own insults! Even NOAH is more competent than you, and all he does is read books and takes jabs at us!!" Beth ranted angrily, spit spraying from her braces as she thrashed her gun around. The atmosphere had turned cold as Heather's eyes were as wide as golf balls. Lindsay covered her mouth in shock, and Beth stood her ground as the mean "leader" approached her silently.

"One. More. Word. And I will make your life HELL here." Heather hissed under her breath.

"You already have!" Beth retorted.

"G-Girls..." Lindsay spoke up quietly.

"Shut it Lindsay!!" Heather snapped but didn't turn around to face the blonde. Unbeknownst to the three girls, Leshawna was slowly approaching with her frizzy hair and fogging glasses from sweat.

"Two hours of sneaking around in this dank forest, and I haven't shot a darn thing. What kind of person actually does this for fun? Huh? What the-?" Leshawna complained. Suddenly, she caught sight of Heather, Beth, and Lindsay staring at each other in cold silence. She glanced at her gun and Heather multiple times before smirking.

(Confessional: Leshawna)

"Sorry Noah sweetie. I know you said not to, but the moment was too good. And it felt great."

"Ow! Who did that?!" Heather exclaimed as a orb of hardened orange paint smacked against her head. She whipped around to see Leshawna approaching with her hand over her mouth. To anyone else, she was covering her mouth out of shock of accidently hitting her own teammate. But to Leshawna, she was desperately hiding the grin on her face.

"Oop! I knew I should've checked in with my optometrist before I left for this camp. So whatcha girls doin?" She lied with a smile and soaked in Heather's flustered face.

"YOU! Give me your gun!" Heather yelled to Beth. 

"Okay!" The farmer girl grinned. However instead of giving Heather the paintball gun, she pointed at her upper thigh and fired point blank into her. She yelled as she fell backwards, clutching to her leg in pain.

"You crazy, girl." Leshawna chuckled.

Owen slinked through the forest drenched from head to toe, with sand clinging to his clothes. He winced as he took off a shoe, and poured a decent amount of water as well as a crab out. "You can leave the hunter with less ammo than he thought he had. You can throw him off a ledge into lake water. You can even leave him with a case of toe-crabs. But you cannot break his spirit!!" He shouted as he threw down his shoe.

Suddenly, a twig snapping caught Owen's attention and he saw a glum Duncan walking towards a creek. "Hehe, fresh meat." He grinned and sneaked closer to the delinquent, who slowly drank the water through his hands. Duncan didn't notice the big teen slowly approaching from behind.

"This shall be the shot of the day. One paintball, and the hunter and prey's mutual destinies will be fulfilled." Owen whispered to himself as he pulled out a spare paintball. Loading it into the gun, he aimed it perfectly for Duncan's head and slowly pulled the trigger. However, he felt a small fart slip and Duncan bolted up with a stone cold look.

"Beans and piss? Owen! There you are, farticus!" Duncan turned around to see a nervous Owen, and he gave a wild grin as he yanked the gun out of the boy's hands.

"Agh! D-Duncan wait! The hunter needs his-" Owen pled. To his horror, Duncan reached into his pocket and pulled out dozens of blueberries and tiny acorns.

"I warned you bud. And I have been waiting for something to vent on!" The delinquent grinned. He overloaded the gun with blueberries, and Owen could only scream as the tough teen aimed.

Meanwhile, Cody was chilling close to a massive blueberry bush eating a mixture of fruits and leftover chips. Crumbs and juices were dripping across his shirt, but he did not mind getting a little dirty. He crumbled the bag and shoved it into his pocket as devoured the last of the crumbs.

"Mmm barbeque chips. Whoever says it is the inferior flavor don't know what they are talking about." He said through his stuffed mouth. Suddenly, a snapping of large twigs on his right caught his attention. He jumped up to hear if it is one of his fellow deer, or a hunter that he needed to run from. But no voices erupted from the brush.

"Noah? Gwen? Is that any of you?" The geek nervously asked. A low growl was his answer and the culprit revealed itself. Cody's heart jumped into his throat as a full grown brown bear stood on his hind legs, watching him with hungry black eyes.

"O-O-OH. Uh, h-hi buddy! Just, uh, step away and I'll leave you be!" Cody stammered with wide eyes, his limbs feeling numb despite his brain and heart screaming for him to run. To his horror, the bear growled hungrily as it quickly approached him. Not only did he resemble of the bear's natural food source, but the berries and chip crumbs splattered across his clothes made him appear like a treat for the furry beast. He couldn't even run away before the bear tackled him down, saliva dripping from its gums as it revealed dozens of sharp canines. "N-n-no! I'm not food! I'm not-!"

Cody's pleading turned into screams as the bear clamped its jaws against his sides. Canines pierced the shirt with ease and plunged into his soft skin, and the feeling was like instant daggers ripping through him. Cody screamed loudly as he tried to punch the bear, but the beast was not deterred. It repeatedly bit into his sides and its front claws grazed his shoulders. He could feel skin being torn away as blood quickly stained his shirt, and the bear withdrew as he punched the eye. He tried to get up only to fall over and scream clutching to the ripped sides. He heard the bear approach again and he turned around in time to see claws slap across his face. The upper part of his left cheek stung like a hot iron was stabbing his skin, and the bear took another swipe at his upper chest and lower waist. Cody screamed in pain and terror as he curled into a ball, the smell of berries quickly mixed with fresh blood. He could feel the bear swatting at random parts of his helpless body. His legs were numb but seared like fire, his stomach and sides burned with fresh blood, the other side of his lower cheekbone was nipped and ripped slightly, and he couldn't feel his arms anymore. He didn't even know when he started to cry, but he let it flow as he heard the bear coming in for the final kill.

And then a gunshot fired above him. Cody's vision started to fade in and out as the thundering footsteps of the bear receded. There was another gunshot before a deep voice hovered over him. It was Chef, but the burly man looked worried as he put a shotgun next to the geek's torn body.

"Kid? KID? Groan or something so I know you're breathing. Come on!" Chef's voice wavered the longer he stared at Cody. The boy wasn't moving even as the burly man gently lifted him without exposing the worst wounds.

"H-Help..." The geek's voice was quiet, soft, and sounded like a mixture of crying and pleading. But he was alive. Chef stared at him before pulling out a walkie-talkie and pushed a button.

"Chris! Get the emergency equipment! We've got a kid in critical condition!" He commanded into the device as he ran towards the camp, Cody's quiet body secured in his arms.

"Well we managed to get Gwen and Trent. Has anyone seen the other 'deer'?" Harold asked the rest of the Bass hunters.

"Nope!" Tyler shook his head in a cheerful demeanor.

"Wait, do you hear that? Is that Heather?" Geoff pointed out the shouting and cheering from the other side of the clearing.

"Oh, let me get her!" Bridgette piper up as they erupted from the clearing.

To their surprise, Heather was fighting amongst a grinning Beth and Leshawna who were taking turns firing paintballs across her entire body. Lindsay was cowering at the scene clutching to her own gun. The Bass hunters glanced at one another with grins as they assaulted all of the girls, hunter and deer, in blue paint.

"This is for our friends!" Bridgette called out.

"That is so cool!" Tyler hollered.

"Why you little-!" Heather hissed at them thoroughly covered in blue and orange paint. The screeching of the megaphone stopped another argument as Chris's voice exploded through the speaker. However, the teenagers noticed his voice seemed to sound more urgent and lacked the typical joyfulness associated with the host.

"ATTENTION HUMAN WILDLIFE AND HUNTERS! THE CHALLENGE HAS BEEN PREMATURELY ENDED! REPORT BACK TO THE MEDICAL TENT TO TALLY THE SUCCESSFUL HUNTS! NOW!"

"Oh man..." Beth whined.

"Wait, did he just say the medical tent? What happened?" Bridgette pointed out and no one had the answer.

"Alright Cody, just remain still for a second." Chris said softly to the bandaged Cody. Lydia was quickly sorting through as many medicine bottles, painkillers, and first aid kits as possible to reduce the bleeding and pain. Chef stood by the entrance as a bodyguard if the rest of the campers were to arrive, and the host gently wrapped the thick bandages around the boy's head. The host had a distant but sympathetic gaze as the geek squirmed as whimpered through the muffled bandages. "I know kid. It hurts like the seven rings of hell. But I need to make sure nothing reached the bone. How is the back and abdomen region Lydia?"

"I...uh..." The intern administered hydrogen peroxide to the cut on Cody's cheek. The cut bubbled and fizzled a white color and Cody shut his eyes as a silent scream a few seconds later. She winced and gently stroked his cheek as an apology for the lack of warning.

"Come on, I need some reassurance here." Chris tried to smile to lessen the tense situation, but he couldn't hold it for more than a second. The intern had a empty look as she gestured to the outside. The host and Chef followed her out as Cody watched them through the opening, even though he couldn't move thanks to the wheelchair and wraps.

"Well, no vital organs have been ruptured and there is no visible bone. He can still see and hear, thank god for that. But there are several gashes that are almost to his muscular tissue. His sides have holes from the canines, the front claws barely reached his jawline, and his arms are torn to hell. Not to mention he can't really talk because of the cut on his neck. It is a miracle he didn't suffer more injuries from his size." Lydia stated before getting choked up.

"Damn it. I really thought the bears weren't going to be an issue." Chris muttered as he rubbed his temple.

"It must have gotten closer to the camp than Kyle thought." Lydia explained.

"I checked the perimeter. It looks like that was the only bear in the area." Chef added in before turning to see Cody, a saddened look in his eyes contrary to his normal look.

"Chris, I don't have enough materials that are for injuries this bad. He needs to leave to get proper medical attention." Lydia stated firmly to the host's face.

"The Playa de Losers has good equipment. I can get some doctors from the mainland over there to look over him until he is done." Chris nodded.

"Sure. But he needs to leave the game for good." The intern persisted with urgency written all over her body. Chris sighed until all three heard muffled sniffling. Lydia rushed inside to see Cody shaking within his bandaged state, and fresh tears pouring from his eyes. She leaned over and slowly stroked his cheeks to wipe the tears, and the geek seemed to relax at the reassuring touch.

"Shh. It is going to be okay." She spoke softly. The geek steadied his breathing to be less painful as Chris slowly entered the tent, his normally joyful face replaced with concern and professionalism.

"Okay Cody, here's the deal. I can't really keep you in the game in this condition. So I'm going to check the votes tonight and manipulate just enough to get you out "legally". You'll be getting treated outside of the show afterwards, you understand?" The host stated.

"Trust me squirt, you do not want to get sepsis from that. It is not fun." Chef added quietly. Cody whined through the bandages as several pairs of footsteps came within range. All of the Killer Bass were unharmed and lacked paint anywhere on their bodies, while most of the Screaming Gophers were splattered in paint. Heather's red face managed to show through the layers of orange and blue paint, while Beth, Lindsay, and Leshawna seemed bummed of the challenge ending early. Gwen and Trent stared at the ground with red cheeks refusing to look at each other, and Owen had miniature bruises from pelted acorns. Noah seemed to be the only Gopher not covered in paint or injured in any way. However, the nerd froze instantly at seeing the bandaged geek a few seconds before everyone else looked up. 

"What is this...about-" DJ stopped mid-sentence and everyone stared at Cody's state. All of the girls, including a shocked Heather, either gasped or screamed at seeing the geek's bandaged state. The guys gawked at the boy displayed in front of them, with Trent and Noah seemingly frozen in place and not breaking eye contact.

"HOLY SHIT-is Cody okay?!?" Leshawna yelled, and Cody couldn't bear looking at the others any more.

"What happened to him?!" Katie's eyes were welling with tears. 

"Oh, nothing for all of you to worry about. Let's talk about your 'kills' today though." Chris slipped into a smile as he blocked the others from seeing the geek any further.

"A little birdie told me that someone stole some food from Chef. A hunter decided to become a berry gatherer rather than fresh meat. A 'deer' had gained command over the people meant to HUNT and ordered for food. Owen being the worst hunter ever in the history of hunters. Do you know what I am seeing looking at all of you? I see an undisciplined group of unfathomable proportions. I see a disgraceful mess and a complete waste of paint. And I gotta say...that was even better than I thought!!" Chris cheered with almost too much enthusiasm.

"Is he serious? What about Cody?" Trent mumbled to himself.

"So since five of the Gophers are dripping in paint-" The host started only for Lindsay to turn around exposing her backside covered in blue paint, "Make that six. And half of those aren't even DEER, it is clear who our main winners are! Gophers, I'll see you at the campfire ceremony. Again." The host ended his part and quickly pushed Cody into the medical tent. No one moved for a few minutes, listening to Cody's muffled yells of pain peeking through the curtains, but they started to walk back to camp one by one. Even the more reluctant Trent and DJ had to be pulled away by their teammates. Only one remained in place staring at the curtains for ten more minutes, listening as the yells quieted down into delirious murmurs. Noah stared at his hands for several seconds and back at the tent, the image of Cody in bloodied bandages being burned into his skull.

He sighed and walked away in silence.

"Seriously? Losing twice in a row? I cannot wait to see Beth get kicked off. I just wish I could vote off two people." Heather grumbled at the campfire ceremony glaring into Beth's skull. Chris sighed in frustration as he grabbed the marshmallow plate.

"Let's see how well you talk with no teeth!" Leshawna glared.

"Leshawna, we already have one team member injured. No need for an another, admittedly desirable, casualty." Noah spoke up and the black girl reluctantly relented, but his gaze seemed more distant than normal. He, along with Trent and Gwen, glanced at Cody in his wheelchair positioned farther away from the team.

"I heard that!" Heather snipped.

(Confessional: Leshawna)

"As much as I wanted to vote that annoying snake Heather, my heart sinks for little Cody. No one deserves to be in a cast like that on national television. Well, except for Heather but a girl can dream, right?" Leshawna mumbled.

(Confessional: Lindsay)

"I don't understand why Bell had to say all of that stuff to Heather. She is so dead now!" Lindsay placed a hand over her 'heart' area.

(Confessional: Noah)

"I...hm. This was the perfect opportunity to get Heather out of here, or at least one of her lackeys. Then again having Cody...like that...is too much of a risk. For him mostly, but also our team. It only makes sense if he is gone. Shame though. I was looking forward to our Kosmic Kaos match." Noah's expression seemed to fight between his apathetic gaze and sadness.

"There are only nine marshmallows on this plate. Well I call your name, come up to take your treat. The camper who-" Chris started to go down his normal speech but Gwen stepped in.

"Does not receive the marshmallow must immediately return to the Dock of Shame, catch the Boat of Losers, and leave. We know the song and dance by now. Can't we just get this over with already?" The goth finished the speech.

"Are you done?" The host asked unamused.

"Yes." The goth answered honestly.

"Good. You're not the only one having a stressful day. Trent." Chris rolled his eyes as he threw the first marshmallow at the musician, who grabbed it in midair.

"Lindsay." Lindsay zoned out momentarily and snapped back with the treat patting against her forehead.

"Noah." Noah glanced away from Cody as the marshmallow landed on his lap.

"Beth." Heather gawked in surprise as Beth sighed in relief grabbing her reward.

"Gwen." The goth provided no response as she caught her treat.

"Leshawna." The marshmallow was off by a couple of inches and landed away from her, but Leshawna had no desire to pick it up.

"Owen. Campers, this is the final marshmallow tonight. And it goes to Heather." Chris cut to the chase and presented the mean girl her marshmallow. Heather snatched it up and glared at Beth as she devoured it.

"You were lucky today Beth! VERY LUCKY!"

"Please! The only reason you are not out is because Cody literally cannot move! So zip it!" Leshawna argued and the two girls were sending death messages through their eyes.

"Alright Cody. I'll get the boat for you." Chris walked away from the campfire as the geek sighed through the bandages.

"Uh-I'll help take him there." Beth offered and began to hastily push the wheelchair to the docks.

"Spineless little-" Heather murmured.

"Bye Cody." Lindsay sheepishly said as the rest of the Gopher's waved him off.

"Get better, buddy." Leshawna tried to offer a comforting smile.

As the two teenagers approached the edge of the dock, Beth sighed deeply before giggling to herself. Cody could only utter a confused whine as she patted the handles. "I can't believe I stood up to her either! It feels amazing! Like I'm on top of the world right now!" She said. Cody tried to say something but only muffled noises were the end result.

"Oh don't worry about me! With my good luck charm from Boney Island, there is no way Heather will get farther than me!" Beth waved him off as if she could understand what he was saying. Cody's eyes shot open as he gazed at the totem peeking from her pockets, his muffled yells being confused for excited noises. She smiled more as she patted the geek's shoulder and ran back towards the cabins.

"See you Cody!" She called out. However by patting his shoulder, she had slowly pushed him towards the water. The bandaged geek could only scream as the bandages were too thick to move and stop the wheels. He could see the moon's shine exposing the dark waters as the wheels began to lean. He closed his eyes to prepare for a cold water to hit him, only for a pair of hand to hold the handles. He turned slightly and was surprised to see Noah pulling him back. 

"Seriously? Does no one in this camp have situational awareness?" Noah sighed. Cody gave in inquisitive look as the nerd leaned against the top of the chair, the two looking out in the dark waters.

"How are you feeling?" The nerd asked quietly. Even if he couldn't see it, he swore the geek was giving an unamused stare. The image made him chuckle halfheartedly "Sorry. Stupid question."

Even though the two weren't exchanging words, incapable of doing so in Cody's case, the silence was comfortable as the boat's lights slowly approached. "Hey...um...I'm sure you are going to be okay. Chris said no one would be dying at this camp, so he'd be the biggest dumbass in the world if he let this slide. Shame you had to leave this way though." Noah murmurred honestly. The amount of honesty in his words seemed to surprise Cody as he raised his head enough to stare. His bright blue eyes shone in the moonlight as Noah secured the wheelchair to lean further without pushing him into the water.

"I'm sure you could have made it far. Perhaps I should have brought you into an alliance. Oh well I guess, right?" The nerd continued with a shrug, and Cody joined in with a muffled murmur. He blinked when he saw not only did Noah see him, but was smirking at the gesture. The nerd reached into his pocket and pulled out the book "The Count of Monte Cristo" and a small bottle of adhesive cream. The geek made a confused noise as Noah walked around to face him and gently placed the book and bottle on his lap.

"Here. I don't do this a lot, but I finished several days ago. When you're done healing, then you are free to read that as long as you want. But bend the spine and you are dead. Okay?" Noah's voice went stern at mentioning his book, but it quickly softened when the geek nodded as much as he could.

"This also helps seals the skin from cuts. Figured you need it more than any of us do." He added and patted the only part of Cody's knee that wasn't bandaged. The Boat of Losers tapped the tip of the docks as Chef peeked out from the wheel.

"I'll take it from here, scrawny." The burly man murmurred, and Noah seemed to nod in agreement.

"Catch you later Cody." Noah said. However before he completely left the docks, the nerd brushed his hand against Cody's forehead and slicked the exposed hair back. He didn't bother to look back as he made his way back to the cabins. On the other side of the wheelchair, Cody's face was wide with red cheeks and a pounding heart over the sudden touch. He stared at Chef, who seemed to smirk at the boy's reaction, until he let out a muffled scream as the burly man brought him aboard. The boat disappeared into the darkness with the flustered boy, who could only think over what had just occurred.

Chapter Text

It was a quiet morning around the campsite, with not a single critter or fish making noise. Most of the campers were still in deep sleep, but there were a couple who chose to wander around the grounds to pass the time. In the boys side of the Killer Bass cabin, Geoff's snore were being muffled by his oversized beach hat, Harold was smiling despite his body partially dangling off the edge, Tyler had wrapped himself in the blanket like a burrito, and DJ muttered between his snores. Duncan stretched as he hopped off the top bunk, absentmindedly benching down to stretch his back. However, he smelled something foul mid-stretch and opened his eyes. He exclaimed loudly at seeing a dirtied pair of underwear inches from his face. The noise promptly woke the rest of the boys, with DJ and Geoff chuckling at the delinquent's disgusted look.

"God damnit, Harold! Keep your shit on your side of the floor!" Duncan cussed out the dweeb angrily. 

"That's...that is not mine." Harold stared at the pair of underwear with a distant gaze.

"Yeah right! That is the fifth time I've found your filthy gitch on the floor!" The delinquent pointed at the dweeb, his face quickly growing red in frustration.

"It's not mine!" Harold continued to deny with his arms crossed, but avoided staring at the undies. Each of the boys rose out of the bed and surrounded the dweeb with different expressions.

"Yeah it is, dude. It is really nasty." Geoff sided with Duncan unamused.

"You don't have proof!" Harold challenged as he hopped off the bed.

"Harold, none of us have that brand of underwear. Plus there is a hand-stitched embroidery of your name on the back." DJ explained through tired eyes and gestured to the label on the undies. The dweeb seemed to shrivel at the explanation but continued to keep his head high as he reached for an extra pair of shirt and pants.

"I...I'm going to take a shower! Don't bother me!" Harold exclaimed before rushing out of the door. 

"As if I am touching your shit!" Duncan spat at the door.

"Dude, calm down." Tyler attempted to reach out to the delinquent, only for his hand to be slapped away.

"Shut it. Even you have to admit this is disgusting. He needs to learn to keep it to himself." Duncan huffed and kicked the underwear under Harold's bunk. He sighed before a smile creeped in his face, "You guys up for a little karma?"

"Uh I don't-" Tyler began to object only for Geoff to hug the delinquent's shoulder with a mischievous smile.

"I'm down man!"

"But-" The jock tried again only for DJ to clutch his shoulder.

"Just let them have this Tyler." The Jamaican murmurred in clear disapproval. However, he noticed the jock tense up as he stared down at him. Sweat quickly dripped down his forehead before lightly shaking him off. "Hm? Hey, are you okay?"

"Oh yeah! I'm just thinking!" The jock exclaimed before rushing out of the door, leaving a confused DJ behind.

(Confessional: DJ)

"Tyler has been acting really strange this past week. Ever since the canoeing challenge, he has been more quiet than usual. And I'm not just talking about his little crush on Lindsay. Wonder what's up with him."

Both of the Gophers and Bass lined up the beach together on Chris's orders. A large delivery truck was parked behind the host, which only served to confuse the teenagers. They were pretty sure there was no access to a supermarket or boats to transport vehicles. Where did it even come from? No one had an answer as the host cleared his throat for the cameras.

"Alright campers, today’s challenge will test your minds, your teamwork, and your skills in the kitchen! You’ll have five hours to cook a three-course meal and serving it to me for tasting. The team with the most overall points will get a handsome reward and the losers will send somebody home. Each team will appoint a head chef to plan the theme of the meal and to oversee the team's cooking. As for the cooking, you'll need some ingredients." Chris gestured to the delivery truck. Molly the intern opened the back doors to reveal crates of assorted fruits and vegetables with aromas slamming the teenagers' senses. Assortments of bread, both white and wheat crusted, lined the corners with lines of canned fruits and sauces mixed with minced meat. Large slabs of red meat and whole fish were tied and dangling from hooks on the car's ceilings. Although no one was hungry, they marveled at the delicious foods presented to them.

"Woah. We could totally do a killer Italian theme!" Geoff grinned at the boxes of pasta and assorted breads.

"You know Italian cuisine?" Bridgette asked the party teen, to which he smiled at seeing her attention directed to him.

"Of course! We get tourists all of the time during the summer!" Geoff nodded.

"Looks like we found our head chef." Duncan raised an eyebrow with a smirk as he hopped into the truck.

"Wait, seriously? Why not let DJ be it? He's the one with excellent spice taste." Geoff pointed at the Jamaican behind him.

"I'm cool man. Take the reigns." DJ put his hands up.

"Alright! Let's get grabbing." One by one, each member of the Killer Bass passed out ingredients in a line. Tyler, who had opted to be the second last person in the line, continuously glanced at Bridgette as the food started coming.

"H-Hi Bridgette." He blurted out as he handed the crate of eggs.

"Hey Tyler, how have you been?" The surfer girl, who had previously zoned out, smiled warmly at the jock. Tyler gazed up at her, his mouth opening as if to say anything, but he felt a pair of eyes burning into his skull. He glanced to see Geoff staring while holding large bags of baguettes, but the party teen was not making any expression.

"G-Good. It's all good. Yep." The jock quickly muttered and turned back to the truck. Bridgette didn't catch how Geoff quickly turned back around to hand over food, nor the sweat dripping off of Tyler when she tapped his shoulder. The Gophers were approaching the truck next as the Bass finished gathering supplies.

"Head chef! Called it!" Heather called out from the team suddenly.

"Wait what?" Beth turned to her, suspicious of the sudden behavior.

"Got a problem, traitor?" Heather glared and Beth shared it back as the rest of team hopped into the truck. The farmer girl felt a tapping on her shoulder and saw a nervous Lindsay staring down at her.

"Beth, maybe you should apologize. Before it's too late." The blonde whispered.

"Heck no, Lindsay. I'm not regretting anything." Beth responded with her chin up.

"B-But the alliance. You could be gone." Lindsay stuttered but Beth smirked confidently as she hopped into the truck.

"I doubt it! You don't need to worry about me!"

(Confessional: Heather)

"Our team is on a losing streak, so someone had to step up to take the leadership role. And I was NOT going to let goth girl or Leshawna take the reigns. And now with Beth betraying the alliance, she is useless to me. The others are pretty useless as well except for...HIM. Beth mentioned Noah being more competent than me. Yeah right. What does she see in that nerd that I could possibly be missing? I got to get ahead of the game." Heather filed her nails while monologuing, only to snap the filer at the end of the confession.

(Confessional: Bridgette)

"So first Geoff has this crush on me that I don't know how to talk to him about, and now Tyler is acting all avoidant? Tyler is one of the most extroverted guys here. What is going on around here?" Bridgette muttered to herself.

(Confessional: Tyler)

"Don't tell her. You can't tell her. Don't tell her. You can't tell her. I can't...I have to...YOU CAN NOT. Dad didn't teach you to be a liar! Why is this so hard?!?" Tyler clutched his head as he exclaimed at the floor.

"Let's hit the road guys!" Geoff commanded his team as they headed towards the main lodge.

"Leshawna; mangoes. Beth; pineapples. Lindsay; macadamias. Trent; molasses. Gwen; tomatoes. Owen; oranges. And Noah; ribs and sauce." Heather commanded the Gopher team, who all emerged from the truck with the specific items.

Back at the main lodge, the Killer Bass aligned all of the ingredients in categories of types of food. "Okay. We need to do three courses and we have six people excluding me. So everybody break into teams of two for each station." Geoff tossed the final sauce can towards Harold, who almost dropped it to the floor.

"I can do the pasta sauce. Add some herbs and spices, and this will kick any taste bud." DJ smiled and pulled out four spaghetti boxes.

"And I'll make the best pasta ever!" Bridgette made finger guns. Geoff had to restrain himself from smiling at the surfer girl's mannerisms.

"Katie and I will go crazy on the antipasto!" Harold offered a fist bump to the preppy girl, who reluctantly returned the gesture while staring at the fruits and vegetables.

"I admittedly don't know how to make this." She admitted to the dweeb.

"No problem. You can leave the arrangements to me. You can consider me a black belt by how I cut cheese." Harold made karate movements in the air, but noticed half of the Killer Bass including Katie burst into giggles.

"Pft! Harold!" Katie snickered lightly.

"Why are you laughing?" The dweeb questioned but no one gave an answer.

"So that leaves me with Duncan on the cannoli." Tyler finished with a downward expression.

"Welcome to the rough side, bruise-a-lot." Duncan made a side glance to the jock with no visible emotion.

(Confessional: Tyler)

"Okay Tyler, just don't talk much or look too much in his general direction. And maybe, just MAYBE, you'll have half of your teeth by the end of the day." The jock reassured himself.

"Alright. Gwen, Lindsay, you’re on the citrus macadamia upside down cake flambé. Owen, you are on ribs with Trent. Leshawna and Beth, you are on pineapple skewers and mango dip." Heather commanded the rest of the Gophers, having donned a white apron and small clipboard as if she was a judge. Lindsay murmurred to the goth asking if she knew what the dessert in question was, only for the goth to only offer a shrug. Owen had begun to stare at the raw slabs of ribs with slight drool, only to Trent to quickly snatch it and set it down on the table. Beth carried the crate of pineapples to the far counter with Leshawna staring at the fruits nervously.

"You're forgetting someone, Queen B?" A tired voice erupted behind her. Her smirk twitched slightly as she glared down at a exhausted Noah, who seemed too tired to return the look. He didn't even create a snarky comment as she plopped the crate of oranges at his feet.

"Ugh, you are responsible for skinning the oranges. Is that stimulating enough for you?" She scoffed and turned away.

"Whatever." He murmured and began his peeling process.

"Girl, switch me out with Noah and let me do the appetizer. I can make a spicy mango chutney that would knock the socks off of the devil himself." Leshawna perked up and puffed out her chest with pride. Heather felt her face twitch aggressively and tightened her smile.

"Oh really? Well that's great. But I am the head chef, so we're sticking with my plan."

"I am allergic to-" Leshawna tried to point out her glaring issue only for Heather to get inches from her face.

"And MY PLAN is pineapple slices with sticks through them. So get started!" The mean girl ordered and everyone reluctantly went to work.

The first half hour had went smoothly for both teams, with only the high-strung complaining from Heather quickly getting on the girls' nerves. DJ and Bridgette had opted to get the spices and meats for the pasta sauce ready before the main dish, and Duncan watched as Tyler slowly created the paste. Unfortunately, halfway through making the custard for the cannoli's, the jock had tripped and splattered the paste all over a irritated Harold. The dweeb was displeased and a smiling Geoff had allowed him to leave to retrieve new clothes. 

"Stupid Tyler and pouring the custard on my good shorts. Let's see...ah, I knew I had extras!" The dweeb smiled at the undergarments at the bottom of the drawers. He quickly undressed and slipped into the thong, before digging around for the shorts. However, his face quickly morphed into embarrassed horror the more he shuffled through the drawer. "Where are all of my shorts?!"

Back at the kitchen lodge, Bridgette was slicing through the meat for Katie's antipasto dish. She could hear Geoff's whistling past her as he checked on the boiling pasta. The party teen snuck glances at her before stirring the pot again. "DJ, Geoff's looking at me again." She whispered to the Jamaican next to her.

"Did you talk to him about the gift?" The gentle giant asked her.

"Not really. He never did it again so I thought-" Bridgette explained but heard the party teen slowly approach. He glanced at the two's sliced dishes and made a warm smile to the surfer girl.

"Hey Bridgette, you are doing a nice job on the pasta spices. Or just cooking in general." The party teen pointed out.

"Oh. Thank you Geoff." Bridgette blinked and offered a small smile for the compliment.

"Yeah, it kind of reminds me my friend Evan's really hot mom."

"What does that even mean?" Her smiled dropped instantly at the comment, and Geoff quickly darted around to find an escape route. Luckily, it came in the form of Tyler struggling to lift an oversized pot and relying on Duncan to lift it.

"Tyler! How's the custard going?" The party teen quickly retreated leaving a slightly offended Bridgette and DJ slapped his forehead.

(Confessional: Bridgette)

"One minute Geoff is all sweet with his words. The next minute he says out of pocket stuff like that. What is up with him?"

(Confessional: Geoff)

"WHAT. IS. UP. WITH. ME?" Geoff banged his head against the confessional walls in sync with each word, the impact strong enough to shake the camera lens.

(Confessional: DJ)

"Dude, Geoff really needs to take a lesson in flirting." DJ sighed with second hand embarrassment.

On the Gopher's side of the kitchen, Trent was smothering a thick layer of sauce over the ribs while Owen watched with hungry eyes. Noah was on the other end of the table silently skinning the oranges, and the foil wrapped around the ribs into the oven. The musician could barely catch the fingers reaching for the bones poking out, and he absentmindedly smacked them away. Owen whined pathetically as he set the timer. "Don't you think about it. Heather will have your head if you touch it."

"I know man! But it looks soooo..." Owen groaned before Noah plopped the bowl full of skinned oranges on the main counter. "Oh, hi Noah."

"Hm." The nerd hummed and slid the top half of his body against the table.

"You look exhausted." The big teen added unaware of how he was rubbing salt in an already open wound.

"Funny." Noah groaned.

"Bad night?" Trent patted the nerd's back. Even though he didn't get a verbal response, he felt the muscles tense for a moment from the question. "Okay. Just sit tight and I'll finish the-"

"I can carry my task Trent. Just focus on yours." Noah lightly shook off his hand and went back to skinning the fruits. Trent stared for longer than normal but nodded regardless to tend to other tasks.

(Confessional: Trent)

"Noah has been acting off ever since Cody had to leave to heal. I guess it makes sense. Little dude was messed up to hell, and Cody did mention Noah hates visible blood. Unless...oh. OH." Trent pondered with his hand muffling his words. Just as he uttered the next few words, his eyes slowly grew wide and a little smile poked through the hand covered mouth.

Duncan was slowly rolling the dough into a large circular shape, while Tyler was stirring the bowl of cream. "Yo clumsy ass, careful you don't curdle the custard." The delinquent suddenly shot a comment towards the jock.

"I haven't even done anything to mess it up for an hour." Tyler retorted equally annoyed. Duncan made a small noise but was startled by the bowl harshly clicking next to him. Tyler was staring in his eyes with a serious glare. "Dude, what is your major deal? Ever since Courtney left the game, you have been a real jerk. Like more than usual. Like not even the funny kind."

The comment seemed to catch the normally tough teen off guard, and he did not have an answer straight away. And it seemed as if Tyler was not going to bend easily, which was contrary to how easily the boy injured himself. "It's...none of your business." Duncan murmurred and went back to rolling the pastry.

"As your teammate, it might as well become-oh lord Harold, what happened to you?!" Tyler argued but turned to see an unholy sight at the front door. Harold, who had not managed to recover any shorts, was wearing a thong as bright red as his own face. Duncan couldn't help the snicker escape his mouth as the dweeb scanned his team.

"Some idiot took all of my shorts!!" Harold exclaimed. Out of his range of vision, Geoff snickered to himself as he shoved the collection of shorts into a small cabinet while Katie looked dismayed by the bullying. To add to the humiliating scene, the door burst open as Chris walked in and caught a glimpse of dweeb's thong and private parts. The host cringed and quickly averted his eyes.

"Ah! Harold for the sake of my show's ratings, find something normal to wear! Also, four hours and counting guys!" The host called out and retreated back outside.

"Harold, please give me a hand! I don't know what I'm doing!" Katie called out to the dweeb while trying to keep her eyes above his waist. The dweeb silently walked over to arrange the cheese and fruits. Suddenly, all of the Killer Bass looked over to the sound of increasing arguments between the Gophers.

"These slices are totally uneven. Switch places with Leshawna." Heather ordered an irritated Beth, who was busy cutting the pineapples. Contrary to the mean girl's claims, the slices seemed to be normal to the average person's eye.

"I don't think I will." Beth huffed and crossed her arms.

"Beth." Heather growled.

"Girl, they are fine. You are the only one making a big deal out of minor mishaps like Noah's orange slices or how much sauce Trent used for the ribs." Leshawna joined in confronting the mean girl.

"I didn't get to be head chef to have my team show nothing but poor presentation!" Heather argued and pointed at herself. Suddenly, Leshawna approached her fast enough to be inches from her face.

"Excuse me?! You got to be head chef because you called it before anyone else could! And by the way, who you do think you are fooling with this crispy ass white apron power trip you are on?!" The black girl gestured to Heather's white apron aesthetic, and the mean girl's face quickly grew flustered.

"I am trying to keep the group together for this!" Heather argued again.

"Seems like the opposite to me..." Gwen murmured to which Noah nodded in agreement. Lindsay could only glance away as the voices grew louder, and even the Bass started to look uncomfortable.

"So are you going to be a team player or not?! Switch!"

"I am all for being part of a team, but I am also allergic to pineapples!" Leshawna glared.

"Leshawna," Noah's voice cut through the argument, and Leshawna looked over to meet his eyes. Heather watched and was confused to see their expressions still yet seemed to carry a conversation on its own.

"Fine." Leshawna grit her teeth and moved towards the pineapples.

"Thanks girls!" Heather piped up with a smug smile.

"Two-faced, bossy little..." The black girl murmured as she began to slice the pineapples. However, both her and Beth quickly spotted the hives growing from her hands and up the arms. Beth gasped in surprise as Leshawna growled to herself and looked towards their 'head chef'. "Yo. What'd you recommend I do for this?" She presented her allergic reaction.

"Yo. I recommend you scratch AFTER we win. Now get back to work." Heather scoffed and walked away. Leshawna's eyes twitch as she continued to slice the fruits.

A few minutes after the heated argument, Harold was in the process of cutting the salami for the antipasto while Katie stacked the fruits in a beautiful display. Suddenly, he heard the mocking snickers of Geoff and Duncan behind him. "Dude. You gotta put some clothes on. It's unsanitary to work in something so...small." The party teen smirked.

"So give me back my pants, jerk!" Harold whipped around to jab the teen's chest.

"Harold's right, Geoff. There should be a fresh pair of underpants and shorts underneath your blankets." Duncan nudged the dweeb out of the door.

"Idiots..." Harold murmurred to himself.

"I'm not the only one who thinks this is wrong, right?" Katie turned to DJ and a nervous Tyler.

"Nope." DJ confirmed.

"But we are not doing anything." Tyler added.

"Unfortunately, this is between them and Harold. Either they get bored, he gets them back, or he stops leaving his junk everywhere. The result is up to him." DJ sighed and the three teenagers went back to their tasks.

On the Gopher's side, Gwen and Lindsay were staring at the upside down cake solemnly. Heather seemed to notice and was quickly at the blonde's side with her arms on her hips. "What is the holdup with the flambé?"

"Gwen and I have used all of the flambé start, but it refuses to flambé." Lindsay explained.

"Not even when you lit it?" Heather asked genuinely confused.

"...oh..." Lindsay muttered, and Gwen slapped her forehead in resignation.

(Confessional: Heather)

"I swear it is like talking to an eggplant." Heather glared like she was burning a hole through the camera lens.

"Alright. Let's go through these simple steps to flambé. Step one, you must pour the flambé liquid, which I'll give you credit that you did manage. Step two, LIGHT IT." Heather explained to the girls as she pulled out a lighter. Out of the two, Lindsay was staring intently at the demonstration while Gwen rolled her eyes. Suddenly, the flambé burst into a fireball that barely grazed Heather's face as the small flame made contact. The two girls gasped for a moment before Gwen started bursting into giggles. 

"Oh! You okay, Heather?" Lindsay tried to cover the smile on her face.

"Why are you laughing goth girl?" Heather groaned rubbing her eyes.

"Y-Your face..." Gwen wheezed and offered a mirror. Heather's face morphed into horror when she saw a chunk of her bangs, as well as the eyebrows and ponytail, had been singed into a ashen mess.

"MY EYEBROWS!! OWEN!" She screamed for big boy.

"Is it lunch time now?! I am star-" Owen ran over so excited that he almost knocked Lindsay on top of Gwen.

"No! Got get my makeup bag in the cabins!" Heather commanded him through a barely restrained breakdown.

"B-But we are not supposed to leave-" Owen complained only for a pan to miss his face by inches, and he reluctantly ran out of the door.

"NOW!"

"Excuse me, I need to use the bathroom! I am breaking out in hives here!" Leshawna called out again. Her hives were starting to spread to her shoulders in dark red splotches, and Beth seemed ready to throw up.

"Well evidently I need new eyebrows, but we don't always get what we want Miss Ghetto! I swear I am on a team of morons!" Heather yelled and retreated farther into the kitchen.

"Did she just call me...Miss GHETTO?" The air went cold as Leshawna balled her fists.

"Oh she is dead." Trent uttered out.

(Confessional: Leshawna)

"That. Is. IT. Someone needs to teach Miss Queen B a lesson in respect." Leshawna glared.

Leshawna quickly pulled Beth and a quiet Noah into a circle, murmuring something that the other Gophers couldn't catch. They briefly heard hums from the nerd, as well as muffled snickering from Beth until they broke off. On the other side of the kitchen, a defeated Harold burst through the back door with orange pajamas covered in horseback embroidery.

"Nice pajamas." Duncan commented with a smile.

"It is all I could wear that wasn't smothered in hot sauce. Thanks for burning my nuts by the way. So if you sickos want to see me buck naked, then give it your best shot." Harold said deadpanned.

"I'd rather not!!" Katie blushed flustered at the thought.

"Well stop leaving your underwear everywhere and we'll back off." Duncan genuinely offered.

"Dude, just admit your guilt already." DJ patted Harold's shoulder almost desperately to save the dweeb's dignity. To his dismay, Harold continued to shrug off the sentences.

"I told you it wasn't me!" The dweeb glared at Duncan, who only shrugged in lighthearted defeat.

"Here man, have a sandwich of apologies." Geoff approached with a plate of sandwiches. Harold sighed and took the first one he could see, not aware of a evil glint in the party teen's eyes. He took one bite and his face instantly scrunched up in disgust and spat out the sandwich. 

"Tastes like...lotion! GROSS!" The dweeb yelled as he saw the peculiar white "cream" lathered over the bread.

"You are making it too easy at this point." Geoff and Duncan smiled.

"Boys..." Bridgette sighed in disappointment loud enough for the party teen to cease smiling for a moment. He looked over but saw her increase the distance between the rest of the group.

Ten minutes had slowly passed before a panting and hungry Owen burst through the door. Leshawna, Noah, and Beth glanced at one another as Heather stomped her away to the big teen.

"There you are! Give my makeup bag now!" She glared. Owen had no energy to walk more than a couple of steps and opted to throw it her. Before Heather could grasp it, Leshawna ran forward and pushed her. The mean girl exclaimed as the black girl held the bag with a mischievous grin.

"Oh no you don't! Beth, grab it!" Leshawna then tossed it to the farmer girl as Heather shoved her out of the way. 

"You give it back right now!" Heather exclaimed as she tried to grip Beth's arms.

"I don't take orders from you, remember?" Beth smiled as she attempted to throw it to Noah, but missed and hit Lindsay instead. Contrary to the other girls, the blonde looked unsure of what to do even as Heather slowly turned to her.

"Lindsay, give. NOW." She commanded lowly with a finger snap and Lindsay felt her heart drop.

"I...um..." In a moment of fear, she gave the purse to Noah who could only smirk at the horror on Heather's face. 

"Oops." He said as he threw the bag into the opened oversized fridge. Heather yelled as she ran into the fridge, and she heard the door slam shut with a click. 

"You assholes! Let me out right now! You can't do this to your head chef!" Her muffled screams through the other side of the door, with half of the Gophers listening in on their team effort. Leshawna and Beth smiled in satisfaction at the results, while Noah and Lindsay seemed more indifferent to the situation.

"Nice job Noah!" Leshawna complimented the nerd, but he shrugged and went back to join the others.

"Um, won't Heather be really mad with us?" Lindsay questioned, listening on the mean's girls attempts to break the door down.

"Girl needs to chill for a few moments. We'll let her out then." Leshawna reassured her and guided her back to the cake flambé.

Duncan hovered Tyler's shoulder as the jock slowly, but delicately squirted the creamy paste into the openings of the hardened cannoli shells. Even though some of the shells had a inconsistent amount of cream, the delinquent was impressed with how the jock was handling himself. Tyler stuck his tongue out as the third tray was done and stacked the pastries on top in a pyramid formation. "Alright. Just a few more pastries and we'll be good." He smiled.

"I'm impressed bruise-a-lot. You are actually decent with pastries." Duncan commented. The jock jolted aggressively and turned to him with a shocked but grateful look. "What?"

"That's the first compliment regarding anyone I've heard come out of you. It's refreshing." Tyler smiled which only seemed to confuse the delinquent more.

"What do you mean refreshing? I'm supposed to be the tough guy here. It's my whole thing." Duncan attempted to argue.

"Yeah and I'm a jock, and yet you don't see me being boastful or an asshole to anyone. Gwen is a goth and yet she's one of the most chill people here. Even Lindsay is not as dumb as everyone thinks she is. She just needs some guidance. The only ones I've ever seen you be decent with is DJ and Courtney." Tyler noted how Duncan's eyes widened at mentioning the CIT girl, before they turned sad as he looked away. The jock sighed and put down the last tray of pastries. "Is that why you are on edge recently? Because she's gone?"

"So what if I am? I didn't get to thank her for helping me overcome my fear. Why'd you get to stay over her?" Duncan looked over to Tyler. The way the delinquent was talking was less of the typical "tough guy" act, but more like a child that hasn't realized they liked someone until they were gone. And they have no idea how to process it normally. Tyler blinked as the question settled in and sighed again.

"I can't say for certain, but maybe it's because no one likes stingy assholes? You gotta admit she was a little extra and a bit of a jerk. And it is not like you are any better. You think you are funny, but I don't hear anyone laughing at your "pranks" except for Geoff. Have you even noticed that?" Tyler questioned. Duncan seemed shocked at the level of honesty from the normally dimwitted jock and didn't have a immediate answer.

"Thirty minutes left campers!" Chris's voice echoed in the kitchen and ultimately cut their conversation short.

"Crap! The cannoli!" Tyler squirted the last of the cream into the pastries and Duncan shoved them into the oven.

As the last five minutes rolled around, Geoff and Beth quickly set the dining table for their host. While Geoff opted to light the candles, Beth used her artistic liberties to arrange the fake flowers and lighting into a comfortably warm but quiet atmosphere. Chris was guided to the table and was ordered to wait in place, to which he didn't seem to mind. Meanwhile, the Gophers looked over their food display with hungry eyes but the potential award held them back.

The pineapple skewers and mango dip were arranged in a arrow-like formation with a napkin on the side neatly folded into a swan. The ribs were immaculately roasted with the thick layer of sauce and slices of oranges hugging the sides of the tray. Finally, the cake flambé was preserved in a glass casing to avoid the icing hardening. Owen's mouth watered at the smells erupting from the ribs, and Leshawna looked over her team with warm pride.

"You did a really good job with the arrangements Beth." Trent complimented the farmer girl.

"Haha, we might just win this thing yet, y'all! We just need to set the mood. Trent, I need you to guard the food." Leshawna ordered the musician and the Gophers quickly left to retrieve their props.

"Alright then." Trent smirked. A few minutes into the trials, the musician heard the boisterous voice of Geoff announcing his team's turn.

"I present to you: La grande specialità italiana!!"

"Bring it in, kids!" Chris said cheerfully. Anticipation was creeping in Trent's nerves as his leg began to bounce, and his heart started to go at an unsteady beat. Luckily, he seemed to notice it and took a deep breath. While holding his breath he tapped his fingers in a rhythmic pattern as if he was counting. He exhaled slowly as he internally counted the taps during the exhale.

"Seven...eight...and nine. Okay. I'm good." He finished and felt his heart slow and nerves calm down. He suddenly heard a loud creek behind him, and he was surprised to see Owen hovering over the table nervous but not guilty of being caught. "Owen? What're you doing? You're supposed to be preparing with the others." He asked suspicious.

"Oh I...uh...Leshawna told me to come guard the food with you?" Owen smiled but there was something off about it.

"Leshawna told YOU to guard the food with me? No offense bud, but she's smarter than that." Trent added not convinced of the boy's explanation.

"Hey!!" Owen exclaimed.

"Why are you really back here? And get away from the ribs." Trent lightly pushed him away from the rib display.

"I just...want a little nibble. I mean I'm starving! I haven't had anything all day!" Owen explained as he kept staring at the meat. Trent quickly realized that Owen has not once looked over at him, but instead all their cooked food.

"So have the rest of us though." Trent tried to reason but Owen didn't seem to listen.

"How are you not dying smelling all of this?! It looks so good..."

"I mean Chris promised the reward would be good-OWEN GET AWAY FROM THE RIBS!!" Trent suddenly yelled as he saw Owen leap for the ribs. He tried to hold the big teen back as much as he could. But there was only so much he could do against a guy that was Owen's side. And Owen was not about to let this opportunity goes to waste in his hunger-filled state.

"JUST A LITTLE OFF THE SIDE! COME ON MAN! LET ME GO!!!!"

"Mmm! Harold, Katie, your antipasto has passed the test-o! Nine points! Next stop; the pasta!" Chris complimented the named teenagers with a thumbs up as the bowl of pasta was presented.

"We did it!" Katie cheered and gave Harold a tight hug. 

"Wow. On a scale of one to ten, I would give it a fifteen if I could! Ten points! Gophers, time for you to present your dish." Chris devoured the pasta quickly and the Bass cheered at their high score. The Gophers lined up in single formation with Lindsay and Gwen holding palm leaf props, Beth holding the bowl of pineapple skewers, and Leshawna being the main leader. Even though the Bass were confident in their score, there was a hint of nervousness of what the competition was going to be.

"Alright Trent honey, bring it out." Leshawna called out. However, there was no response except for the sound of shuffling and clanging in the kitchen. She called out again confused, "Trent?"

Suddenly, there was a explosive crash from the kitchen that made everyone including Chris jump. Pots and pans sounded like they were rolling on the ground, the cracking of table legs, and the groans of a teenage boy in pain.

"What was that?!" Gwen called out.

Leshawna burst through the kitchen and gasped in horror at the scene presented to her. There were crumbled wooden crates littered across the floor, a heavily damaged table that once held the ribs, and Trent sprawled across the floor clutching to his head in pain. The musician groaned in pain and locked eyes with her, before he silently pointed to the main culprit. Owen hovered over the tray of ribs, which were mostly destroyed except for a couple of spare pieces, and his chin smothered in meat strips and sauce. 

"I can explain-" He began to panic as the girl turned into angry "mom mode".

"Tell me YOU DID NOT just eat that ENTIRE PLATE OF RIBS!!" Her yell could be heard by all of the teenagers as she kicked Owen out with the small plate of spare ribs. The boy said nothing as he presented the mostly devoured main dish. 

"Yeah. This looks eaten. Do I look like I'm blind?" Chris glared at the bone-filled dish.

"Not all of it. I mean there is still a small chunk of meat on that...bone." Owen sheepishly tried to defend the ribs' state. Chris reluctantly plucked the small piece of meat from the bones and chewed for a second. He swallowed and shrugged at the taste.

"I've had worse, but that is not a compliment Owen. Two points. Bring out your side dish." Beth quietly presented the skewers and the host quickly grabbed the stick, shoving the fruits into his mouth. "Mm! Better than the ribs. I'd say nine points. The Bass are ahead nineteen to eleven. Let's see what you put into your desserts."

Tyler decided to hand the plate of cannoli to Duncan on the change he would trip and ruin the dish. The host whistled at the desserts and bit into one. Duncan and Tyler waited in anticipation as Chris finished the cannoli and wiped the cream off his chin. He stared for a couple of seconds before offering a small smile. The smile was enough to make them sigh in relief.

"Hm...a little soft but still enjoyable. Six points." The host complimented.

"Good job Tyler." Duncan complimented the jock. Tyler smiled and a blush creeped into his cheeks as he saw Lindsay clapping for him on the other side.

"Alright Gophers, this cake flambé genuinely looks good." Chris gazed at the flambé that Gwen presented. However, the cake quickly gave away its extremely burnt nature as the host took a bite. He gagged and hacked the piece back up, exposing a mushy black ball encased in a crusty outer layer. The Gophers cringed at the sight as the host presented what nearly killed him.

"Lindsay, you told me you saved the dish." Gwen quickly murmurred to the blonde.

"I did. I saved it and shielded it with pretty icing." Lindsay responded.

"We are done for."

"What the hell is this?!" Chris exclaimed.

"It's Heather's personal recipe. Wait-oh my gosh, we still left her in the fridge!!" Lindsay exclaimed and ran into the kitchen. The host gawked at the rest of the Gophers for the action they took to restrict Heather.

"What? She was making us frustrated." Beth shrugged. The group heard shivered growling behind them, and gasped on seeing Heather's skin a pale blue and her eyes bloodshot. Even in her nearly hypothermic state, the mean girl glared into Beth's soul.

"OH, WAS I? YOU ARE SO DEAD. Is it over yet?" She glanced over at the host.

"Yes. The Killer Bass win 21-12. And it's not just because I almost died from an ash covered hardened cake ball. The "ribs" Owen presented sucked too." Chris explained and the Killer Bass erupted into cheers.

"That...is...just...great!" Heather snapped through gritted team.

"Alright Killer Bass. As promised, your reward for tonight will be a five-star dinner under the stars. Congrats to all of you." Chris bowed before exiting the main lodge. The Gophers sighed in defeat as each Bass member congratulated one another. Gwen, Leshawna caught Noah helping a groaning Trent outside and followed, leaving Heather to argue with Beth and Lindsay. The teens followed him until they reached the Gopher cabins, and Trent was leaned against the railing edge.

"We all need to talk about eliminations tonight." Noah started and the alliance members nodded in agreement.

"Agreed. Who are you thinking?" Gwen hummed.

"Well I don't know about you, but Heather needs to go. Girl crossed several lines today and I am just about done." Leshawna groaned while squishing her face.

"As much as I want to get her out of my face, I thought Noah was planning to get rid of her alliance first. They are the ones kissing up to her after all." Gwen interjected with her own point, and Leshawna took it into consideration.

"I want Owen out of here." Trent suddenly spoke up with a cold anger that caught both of their attention.

"Woah honey, are you okay? I never heard this much anger out of you." Leshawna asked with her hand brushing his head.

"You didn't see it, but the dude was thrashing me around everywhere to get to those ribs. I tried to calm him down and he slung me over a table, kicked the orange grate full force into my stomach, and then hit me with the tray holding the ribs when I tried to grab it. And I don't want to hear "I was hungry" as an excuse." Trent glared at the ground still clutching to his head. Leshawna and Gwen made silent gasps at the information revealed.

"Oh, I am so sorry. I should've asked if you were okay." The black girl murmurred with a shoulder hug.

"Well what do you think Noah? You're the mastermind here. Noah?" Gwen looked over to see a lack of the nerd's presence in the cabin area. However, the teen rounded the corner a few seconds later with a pack of ice and a small Benadryl bottle. He extended the ice pack and bottle to Trent and Leshawna respectively, and Trent gratefully pressed the ice against his head, while Leshawna gasped with a smile at the bottle. She poured a tiny cup and gulped down the medicine as they waited for his decision.

"As much as getting Heather out is a necessity, Owen cost us the challenge. His usefulness is over. We will deal with Heather another day. Plus she's already wrecking her own alliance anyway. They'll betray her sooner or later." The nerd concluded. Gwen sighed in frustration but agreed to the decision, and Trent made a thumbs groaning at the numbing pain.

"Ugh. Three more days girl, just three more days." Leshawna prayed to herself.

Meanwhile at the communal restrooms, Heather was tracing fake eyebrows against her head while mumbling incoherently. Lindsay was quietly handing over each makeup item to the mean girl's orders. "Here you go."

"You know Lindsay, I should just leave you for dead after the stunt you pulled today. Giving Leshawna and Noah my purse, locking me in the fridge, and forgetting to let me out. I could leave you out to dry. The team wouldn't let you stay for more than a day." Heather spoke eerily calm but refused to make eye contact with the blonde. Lindsay felt the atmosphere grow tense as she struggled to make out words.

"Heather, I-" She tried to speak but a finger closed her mouth.

"But you were the only one to get me out of the fridge in the end. So I'll give you one last chance if you stick with me the entire time." Heather pointed out.

"O-okay." Lindsay murmurred. The mean girl leaned down with a sickeningly sweet smile.

"And if you ever try to team up with anyone else on Leshawna's side again, I will cut all of your hair off while you're sleeping and scramble your makeup. So the whole world will see your ugly, bald head." Heather finished and left the bathroom door, leaving a scared Lindsay clutching to her hair.

(Confessional: Heather)

"Deciding on today's vote was really hard, but only because there was so many annoying people to choose from. Leshawna is a royal pain in the ass, Beth is a filthy traitor, Noah is a wildcard that I can't seem to keep track of, and Owen completely screwed up everything!" Heather slapped herself in the face.

(Confessional: Lindsay)

"Heather is starting to scare me. I don't want my hair shaved off, but I don't want to be gone from the game either. I don't know what to do." Lindsay hugged her legs close to her chest. Despite her face being obscured by her knees, a tear can be caught glistening for a second before the feed cut off.

The Gophers sat in a uncomfortable silence as they waited for Chris to start the elimination ceremony. Leshawna stared down Heather, who was too busy glaring between a nervous Beth and a confused Owen. Gwen tapped her head as a signal to Trent to ask of his condition, to which he made a semi-thumbs up. Meanwhile, Noah had his head in his hands staring into the fire and a quiet Lindsay hugging her knees against her chest. The host lightly coughed to grab their attention as he brought the plate of treats.

"There are eight Gophers sitting in front of me, but only seven fluffy bits of sweet savory treats in my hands. When I call your name, come up and take a marshmallow. Leshawna." The black girl dropped the glare towards Heather for a soft smile as she plucked the marshmallow.

"Gwen. Trent." The two teenagers smiled at one another as they took seats with their treats, though Trent quickly pressed his ice pack back on the bandaged area of the head.

"Lindsay." The blonde quietly took her marshmallow, but she visibly winced at the glare Heather made towards her.

"Noah." The nerd made no effort to get up so the host simply tossed it into his lap.

"Heather." The mean girl smiled as the marshmallow plopped into her lap as well. Beth and Owen's eyes shot open as they stared at the final marshmallow.

"Owen and Beth, we are down to you two. Whoever doesn't get the marshmallow must immediately walk the Dock of Shame and leave on the Boat of Losers. Forever." Chris smirked at the sweat dripping down the teenager's faces. Beth double crossed her fingers as the tension dragged on, while Owen was starting to bite through his nails. Heather was glaring daggers into the back of Beth's skull, which made Lindsay hug herself tighter.

"The final marshmallow goes down to...Beth." Chris finished. The farmer girl gasped in joy even as Heather made a half-enraged scoff. However, Owen had a more vocal reaction to the announcement as looked at the group shocked.

"What?! I'm out?" He proclaimed.

"Why are you acting surprised? You cost us the challenge." Gwen questioned not dismissive, but not shocked either.

"I'm sorry! I just couldn't help it! I was hungry!" Owen exclaimed.

"Owen." Trent's eerily calm voice cut through everyone's rambling like a knife and Owen ceased his excuses. The musician stared through the big boy and lifted the ice pack to show the dried bloodied bandage on the right side of the head. Trent didn't need to say anything for the boy to realize what he was implying. But he felt the need to anyways,

"Look at me, at my head, and try saying that again." The musician murmurred.

Owen's mouth hung open but no noise dared to make another excuse with such a clear demonstration of Trent's condition. All he could do was deflate and walk down the hill towards the Dock of Shame without another word.

"That is it for tonight. Good night to all of you." Chris said to the Gophers and the cameras clicked off.

Chapter Text

The morning was quiet within the main dining lodge, and Noah quietly approached Chef for his meal. The burly man looked up to see the nerd and seemed to smile as he presented a new dish distinctly different from the soggy slop the others were gifted. There were benefits to having several food allergies. "Here you go scrawny. Today's breakfast is Italian pasta with mashed vegetables." Chef handed the tray over.

"In other words, the leftovers from the previous challenge and the Bass's five-star meals?" Noah questioned not quite ungrateful, but not going out of the way to show happiness at the unintentional favoritism.

"Yes. Is that a problem?" Chef narrowed his eyes.

"As long as it won't kill me, then no." Noah shook his head, and the burly man nodded before receding deeper in the kitchen. On the other side of the Gopher's table, Heather was wrapped in a thick blanket with a tissue box and warm drink from Lindsay. The thirty minutes of her trapped in the cooler had slammed her with a cold after the cooking challenge, leading to her being stuck sick for three days. On one hand, the last two days were the quietest the mean girl had been towards the Gophers. They seemed to appreciate that. However, that meant Lindsay was responsible for tending to most of her needs. By this morning, the blonde looked visibly tired and went to go put makeup on. The mean girl sneezed repeatedly with sunken eyes as Leshawna and Gwen took their seats.

"Need a little echinacea for that?" Gwen smiled.

"Haha. You are SO. FUNNY. You think that you can just lock me up in a freezer for thirty minutes and get away with it? Because you are so gonna regret that you ever met me." Heather glared at the two girls between sniffles.

"That happened the moment you arrived here. Just saying." Leshawna waved her hands innocently. Heather was prepared to spit back an insult before she coughed up a storm. Leshawna and Gwen back up a few feet to avoid the flying mucus.

"I hate this place!" Heather murmurred to herself.

Meanwhile on the Killer Bass's table, Bridgette stared at DJ presenting a small plate for his pet bunny. The Jamaican gently stroked the critter's ears as it munched on a bowl of greens and grass seeds, "Here you go Bunny. Perfect blend of everything you need."

"You really are so sweet with animals, DJ. It's adorable." Bridgette smiled at the gentle giant as Bunny nuzzled into her hand.

"Thanks Bridge. I always wanted to have pets but couldn't afford them for the longest time. So I opted to work at a pet store once." DJ smiled taking small bites out of their sloppy dish.

"Aww..." Bridgette replied.

"I got fired shortly after though. Someone didn't train their dog properly and started to lunge at me as presented a lizard to a child. I panicked and smacked the dog away, and the owner got really pissed about it. Harassed the manager so much that they kicked me out." The Jamaican sighed sadly as he finished explaining.

"That's a shame. You could be great with a career in animals." Bridgette shared her thoughts as the two took turns stroking Bunny. Tyler peaked over to the two just beyond the front door. His palms grew sweaty as he looked towards the surfer girl and the main exit.

"No come on Tyler, you have to tell her. Bro code or not, this is unacceptable. You ARE telling her. Today." The jock reassured himself by smacking his face. He forced himself to act cool as he whipped the corner. However, instead of a door handle was Geoff staring at him. And he was smiling. But the smile felt slightly forced as he redirected him outside, closing the door quietly enough to not alert the others.

"Telling her what buddy?" The party dude asked.

"G-Geoff!" Tyler stuttered.

"I certainly hope you weren't thinking of the personal secret I told you. You promised not to say anything." Geoff crossed his arms and remained keeping eye contact with the jock's.

"I...look dude, I understand if it would be any other embarrassing secret, but I can't just let this go. You did something horrible to our own teammate, and didn't even regret it until Bridgette got sad about it!" Tyler stomped his foot down which surprised Geoff out of his stare down. The party teen glanced back at the entrance to make sure no one heard Tyler, and then slumped his shoulders. His face morphed into a mix of sadness and desperation as he leaned closer to Tyler, who remained unmoving.

"Come on dude, I finally have a chance to talk to her myself. She's not avoiding me anymore. She actually approached me again during the buffet after last challenge. I can't let this go." Geoff explained. Flashes of the buffet's events flashed through his mind. The buffet was a beautiful mix of Italian and Hawaiian styled dishes, with the later making Bridgette smile in delight. She had listed off each of the Hawaiian dishes in fascination and presented them to the party teen asking his thoughts on it. He was tempted to say something relating to a flirt, but toned it down to simple questions regarding the dishes. And then she answered him back, and it felt like a barrier was lifting. Before either of them knew it, they were talking for an hour regarding their favorite foods and places to find such dishes. Geoff never felt more happy than he had before seeing the one that caught his eye talking to him. He was prepared to ask her more questions regarding herself when he caught Tyler's gaze. The way jock looked at him in disapproval, and his gaze calculating Bridgette's face longer than he felt was normal, he knew what the sporty teen was prepared to do.

"She still deserves to know. She cared about him. DJ and Katie cared about him." Tyler spoke firmly.

"She'll never talk to me again!" Geoff exclaimed in desperation.

"Then you shouldn't have done it in her favor! I didn't like what he said at first either, but I wouldn't have gone as far as you did! That is your own fault!" Tyler matched his energy and attempted to reach for the door. However, Geoff quickly gripped his shoulder and pulled him back towards him.

"Tyler. Please. You promised." He murmurred.

"No! There is too much toxicity in this place and it is choking me!" Tyler shook off the hands holding him back.

"Choking? Do you need help, Tyler?" The voice of Lindsay erupted from behind them, causing both of the boys to jump. The blonde looked confused as they wiped off their clothes to not seem suspicious.

"N-NOPE! I'm good! I promise Lindsay." Tyler waved at her with a small blush.

"Oh. Okay." Lindsay smiled back.

"Everyone finish breakfast and meet me at the docks!" The voice of Chris suddenly came through the speakers, and the sound of shuffling could be heard through the door. Lindsay waved at the two guys before walking to the docks. Tyler took this opportunity to dodge around Geoff and follow the blonde.

"Tyler, wait!" Geoff called out.

"Gotta go! Bye!" Tyler did not turn around and quickened his pace. Several minutes later, all of the campers lined up along with the edge of the docks on opposite sides. Chris took glances at all of them and cleared his throat for the hidden cameras.

"Okay, so I have noticed that the last few challenges have sparked some...hatred and distrust between your team members. Some Gophers are wishing others immense harm, and I'm starting to sense some tension between the Bass too. So today's challenge is going to be centered around building trust. Because all good things begin with a little trust, or lack of one for drama. There will be three major challenges that will have to be completed by two or more members of your team. The team that completes at least two out of three will be the winners. However, there is a little twist for today. Normally, we would have the campers choose their partners, but not this time!" Chris explained to the contestants. Harold snuck a rib shot into Duncan's side, who immediately responded by nudging him harshly to the floor. Meanwhile, Heather glared at Gwen and Leshawna as she blew the last of her sinuses clean.

"Shoot. I guess we can't predict anything for this challenge." Gwen sighed as she looked to her alliance group.

"Chill girl. We will do alright. Trust me." Leshawna gave her a side hug with a wink.

(Confessional: Noah)

"For the sake of my health, I hope to god I don't get paired with Heather. Or Lindsay...I think I would rather prefer Heather. I can beat her in an insult match. I've been practicing." Noah spoke with his arms crossed.

The campers and Chris looked at the sharp incline that jutted out of the forest. While the cliff was barely half the size of the tallest cliff by the beach, it had a decent slope with exposed roots and sharp rock formations poking through. "For the first challenge, you’ll be doing an freehand rock climbing adventure! DJ and Duncan will be paired for the Bass. Heather and Gwen for the Gophers. Here’s your belay and harness." The host presented the equipment to each of the teams.

"If you think I am trusting Heather to keep holding me up, you are nuts. She'll probably crack my skull open the first chance she gets." Gwen grumbled towards the Asian girl, who seemed to be shocked and insulted by the comment.

"Oh please. As much as I hate you, I'm not just gonna go kill anyone for revenge." Heather rolled her eyes as she prepared the harness and belay system.

"One camper on the team will pull the slack through the belay as their partner climbs. If the climber falls, the belay will stop them from crashing. And the catch? Both the side and the base of the mountain are rigged with a few minor distractions like…blunted nails and root snags, slippery oil slicks, relatively non-life-threatening explosives, and other things." Chris looked away from the teens with a teasing smirk.

"You're really going to threaten our lives after what happened to Cody?" Trent spoke up and the atmosphere went cold for a moment. Most of the teenagers either winced or looked to the floor at the geek's name. Chris's body went stiff before inhaling deeply to loosen the nerves.

"Cody's...incident was out of our control and unintentional. We have tested these props to make sure no one gets hurt by our hands." The host's voice went low before he returned to his "host" smile, "Now let's get started! Belay holder, you must harness up your partner. It is all about trust people. And remember, DO NOT let go of the rope. Your partner's life literally depends on you."

"Spread them goth girl." Heather commanded.

"Don't you ever say that again." Gwen shivered at the comment.

"I guess I can add rock climbing to my completed bucket list. Have you ever done something like this Duncan?" DJ created small talk as the delinquent strapped the harness around the hips.

"Oh yeah, the druggies in my juvie used to come up with the craziest ideas to make the most dangerous climbing structures." Duncan commented as he prepared the clamp to the rope. Suddenly, he went still as Bunny emerged from DJ's front pocket. A small smirk graced the punk's lips as he stared at the critter. "Huh? Where did you-?"

"Sorry Bunny, but this is a little too dangerous for you to join me. Anyone want to hold him while I'm gone?" DJ presented his pet to the group. Before anyone could react, Tyler emerged and gently scooped the bunny into his arms.

"I'll do it!" The jock volunteered.

"Thanks, T." DJ patted his shoulder.

"He's adorable!" Katie squealed and gently scratched the rabbit's chin.

"He...sure is." Tyler smiled but it dropped when he saw Bridgette approach on his side, and Geoff not too far away staring into his soul. Nobody noticed the sudden tension with exception to DJ, who continued to stare even as Duncan finished the harness.

"Hey, are you sure you're okay? You've been acting off." Bridgette placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"I'll tell you la-" Tyler started but the booming voice of Harold cut him off immediately.

"GO DJ, GO!"

"What is the second rope for?" Gwen questioned her harness placement and noticed there was a second rope attached on the lower clamps.

"Oh, you don't need to worry about that." Heather smiled as she turned around. The moment the mean girl wasn't visible, Gwen whipped around to face Noah staring at her.

"Noah. Check me." She whispered low enough for him to hear.

"Looks all good here." The nerd responded quietly as he looked through the harness system. He didn't seem to notice anything wrong either, which gave the goth more comfort than when Heather said it. Once the chosen climbers were ready, they placed themselves just at the base of the small cliff and the belay holders went far enough for the rope to be tight.

"On your marks, get set, CLIMB!" Chris called out. 

The first few minutes of the climb was smooth with exceptions to DJ slipping on a small oil-slicked stone, Gwen's rope getting snagged by a blunt nail, and Duncan briefly missing his footing. The other teenagers watched on as the goth gained more high ground compared to DJ. The two climbers had focused glares as they chose their next steps, carefully dodging the cliffside obstacles. Suddenly a minor explosive went off to the side, creating a small shockwave that knocked Gwen off her feet. The rope slacked as she started to fall in mid-air, and DJ shouted her name with an outreached hand. He missed as she continued to fall until her rope snapped tight and she harshly bumped into the ledge.

"I got you goth girl!" Heather called out from below having tightened the belay system. Gwen shivered in shock before continuing to climb, as well as DJ who resisted the temptation to look down.

"I did promise a few more surprises such as...Habanero pepper sauce!!" Chris suddenly announced with a large squirt gun filled with hot sauce. Without warning he shot a stream of sauce to Heather side. The sauce splashed upwards into her eyes and she yelled in pain at the stinging sensation.

"Ow! What the hell, Chris?!" She exclaimed. In her desperate attempt to wipe the sauce off, she briefly let the rope slip to use her elbow. The rope quickly unraveled as Gwen quickly started to fall again.

"HEATHER!" All of the Gophers screamed at once, which managed to snap Heather back into focus. She used her only good eye to find the rope and stop Gwen's rapid descent.

"Shit! My bad. Truly." She murmurred, still wincing from the hot sauce. Chris turned to a unresponsive Duncan next and squirted the hot sauce. However, the delinquent turned at let the sauce fly into his mouth. The spicy sauce dripped off his chin as he swallowed it down with a grin.

"Is that the best you can do, old man? I've tasted hotter." Duncan taunted. Despite being made into a joke by the teen, Chris made a teasing smirk back and wiggled an eyebrow.

"Heh, that is going to make some girls flustered." The host teased. Some of the teenagers burst into laughter as Duncan's face briefly turned red. Though it was not due to the spicy sauce.

"Not like that!"

Gwen and DJ were quickly catching up to one another as they reached the final quarter of the climb. DJ's arms slowly grew tired as he struggled to grab the next rock, while Gwen controlled her breathing between push-ups. Suddenly, she could hear the devil-like teasing from Heather below. "Come on Gwen, you don't want to left BE-HIND do you?!"

"What are you-AH! YOU LITTLE BITCH!!" Gwen felt a sharp motion come from her waist. Suddenly, the lower part of her waist felt light and weightless. Like the air was hitting bare skin. Her eyes went wide as she glanced to her harness, and screamed when she saw her underwear exposed for everyone below to see. The second rope and clamp was no longer there, along with a large piece of her clothing. DJ's face went wide and he eyes darted downward.

"Oh, avert your eyes!" Someone among the crowd of teens exclaimed.

"Huh. You don't see that every day." Duncan commented blankly staring at the unexpected view.

"Dude! Have some respect!" Geoff shouted from the Killer Bass group.

(Confessional: Heather)

"I said I wouldn't let her die. I never said I wouldn't humiliate her." Heather smiled cruelly into the camera.

(Confessional: Noah)

"Truly this girl's depravity knows no bounds."

"Oh my goodness!" DJ said when the piece of ripped fabric landed on his head.

"DJ, don't look at me!" Gwen shouted trying to cover her butt from the cameras.

"I can't help it, Gwen! We are both climbing at the same time!" The Jamaican argued helplessly.

"Give me the fabric!" The goth stretch out her arm to the gentle giant. He stretch as far as he could, not noticing his rope being snagged by a tree root a few feet below. Gwen climbed as fast as possible while gripping the ripped fabric, and DJ was ready to follow until a sharp snag pulled him back. He tried to pull again but the root was snapping back harder. Duncan tried to pull the clamp back to loosen the rope, it was no help to the climber.

"I'm stuck!" DJ exclaimed.

"This bites..." Duncan slapped himself, having given up on the task. Gwen grabbed the ledge of the cliff and hoisted herself up, panting heavily as she looked down at her cheering team.

"And the Gophers win the first challenge!" Chris's voice barely reached the top of the cliff.

"Yes!" Gwen cheered with a smile before realizing her butt was still visible. She immediately covered it while glaring at the smirking Heather below, "Crap! I'm going to kill you, Heather!"

"Whatever!" The mean girl's voice erupted below.

Over fifteen minutes later, four teenagers filed into the main dining lodge on opposite tables. Geoff and Bridgette were representing the Killer Bass, while Trent stood beside a nervous Lindsay on the Screaming Gopher's side. The two teams stared at one another as a intern proceeded to do an impressive front flip into the camera's view, disappearing behind a podium. Chris erupted from the podium brushing himself off as if he was the one to do the front flip. It was clear to the teenagers the host decided to add that for dramatic effect to be edited later.

"And now on to the second challenge! The extreme cook-off!" Chris grinned but glanced to the side. The intern was slowly crawling his way towards the exit at an awkward pace, "Uh Kyle, could you move a little faster?"

"Sorry sir." Kyle murmurred before bolting out of the door. Chris shook his head and cleared his throat to continue the challenge.

"To get started, one of you must choose which one cooks while the other eats." The host gestured to each pair of teenagers.

"Do you want to cook again, Geoff? You were pretty good as the head chef last time." Bridgette offered with a bright smile, which Geoff quickly blushed at the attention.

"Yeah, but I don't want to you make seem irrelevant. I want to see you shine too." He offered back to the surfer girl, who nodded in approval with any more questions. Trent glanced over at Lindsay, but the blonde girl seemed lost in her own world. But it wasn't the same innocent lost thoughts commonly associated with the girl.

"Do you want to give it a shot, Lindsay?" Trent offered out of nowhere.

"Huh? Me? You're...trusting me with this?" Lindsay's blue eyes brightened.

"Of course I am. I believe you can do it." The musician smiled.

"I...Okay! Yeah! I can do this!" Lindsay grinned and hugged his arm, to which Trent smiled back with a small hug.

(Confessional: Trent)

"Sure, Lindsay's not a Baron Ramray-level chef, but who is? I trust her with this. She seems kind of down lately and I wanted to cheer her up."

"Today you will be handling, fileting, and cooking a dish out of a highly venomous fish and serving it to your teammate. Originally we were going to go with Fugu sashimi, the traditional Japanese blowfish, for our chosen meal. However, the prices were too dang high and even the most highly skilled chefs can have lethal poisonings. And none of us want to get sued! So we went with the second best option; the Luna Lionfish!" Chris explained as Chef pulled a cart holding a tank of spiny, colorful lionfish. The cook grinned like a madman as he pulled the live fish, and squeezed hard enough to kill them instantly.

"Fishes, meet your makers!" The burly man presented each team with a dead lionfish.

"Oh fun!" Lindsay clapped.

"Although not fatal to humans, the spines of a Luna Lionfish can deliver a neurotoxin that causes severe pain, swelling, nausea, paralysis, or respiratory distress. So make sure to cut all of them properly! Good luck to you!" Chris finished the explanation as he started to play games on his phone. Bridgette sharpened her knife as she quickly delivered a clean chop through the fish's head. Geoff gagged at the crunch but continued to watch the surfer girl at work. Before Lindsay could start on her filleting, Trent gently gripped her shoulders.

"Lindsay, you have filleted a fish before, right?" The musician asked a little concerned.

"Yes! My daddy taught me!" Lindsay smiled and began to remove the scales of the fish. Thirty minutes quickly passed as the two girls raced to get their dishes set. The spines made satisfying crunches as the knives separated them from the body, the thin layer of scales and flesh sliding across the boards. Both of the boys watched as the fish were sped fried by Chef in the background until they were a crispy texture. Lindsay sprinkled her dish with citrus juices, while Bridgette handed hers with flakes of various herbs to Geoff.

"Done! Here you go Geoff." The surfer girl offered a shy smile. Geoff, who looked unsure but keeping a smile, plucked a piece of the lionfish and threw it in his mouth. Chris, Chef, and the teens watched as the seconds rolled by with only chewing noises. 

"It...is delicious! You are the best chef I have ever known." Geoff complimented and a faint blush creeped on Bridgette's face. The host and co-host turned to witness Lindsay's attempt at cooking the lionfish. Trent stared at the fish, with its edges slightly burnt with flakes and more herbal spices than what he felt was appropriate. He restrained any grimace in his face with Lindsay looking scared for herself. He broke off a large portion of meat and chewed it thoroughly, and the flavor seemed decent despite a little mysterious crunchy texture. He swallowed and waited for a few seconds, which seemed to give the blonde hope.

"I think I'm f-AAAAH!" Trent suddenly yelled and clutched his stomach painfully. His legs felt like they were being stabbed with needles as he uncontrollably collapsed on the floor. Geoff looked uncomfortable by the display, while Lindsay and Bridgette stared in horror as Trent quickly lost feeling in his face.

"TRENT?!" Lindsay exclaimed.

"I th-thought y-you knew how to fillet f-fish." Trent managed to force the words despite his numbing tongue.

"I did! I cut all of its little fins off!" Lindsay defended herself, only for Chris to present a partially chewed anal spine poking through the cooked meat. 

"Ooh, it looks like you missed a spot. That is some tough luck, huh?" Chris said.

"Oh no! Trent, I am so sorry!" Lindsay covered her face behind her hands.

"I-It's good. Um...someone h-help me." Trent murmurred and Chef slowly carried him out of the lodge.

"Calm down everyone. We luckily have the proper medication back at the tent. Chef will take care of him while we move on to the next challenge. The Killer Bass take this win!" Chris waved them off as the teens left the main lodge, and Bridgette rubbed circles on a guilty Lindsay's spine.

Meanwhile, the rest of the teenagers were sprawled across the grass enjoying the sun. While half of them were peacefully resting, an embarrassed Gwen was being consoled by a composed DJ. "I promise you Gwen, I did not take the flashing personally." The gentle giant whispered.

"I know. I just can't believe everyone got a free view of my ass." Gwen groaned trying to slap the redness off her cheeks.

"If it makes you feel any better, half of the guys averted their eyes." DJ tried to see the positive in the situation, which managed to ease the goth slightly. At least some of the guys here had decency. A whistle startled the resting teens awake as Chris came into view with Lindsay, Bridgette, and Geoff. Gwen glanced at Lindsay as a silent way of asking where Trent was, which Lindsay returned with a smile. Gwen raised a brow at the unconfirmed answer but didn't have time to go further.

"Alright everyone, we are now onto the third main challenge. But since you all passed the first two challenges with ease and we have plenty of time left, we are going to break this challenge into three smaller ones. The three "Blind Challenges" as I like to call them!" Chris grinned watching everyone's faces slowly turn into nervousness.

"How original." Noah rolled his eyes in sarcasm.

"The challenges in order will start with a game like the blind William Tell, followed by the blind trapeze, and culminating in the treacherous blind toboggan. For the William Tell, you will be knocking arrows off your partner’s head with crab apples through a slingshot. Oh, but the shooter will be blindfolded while making the shots." Chris demonstrated by balancing an arrow on DJ's head and walking away fifteen feet.

"I'm pretty sure it is the other way around-" Harold attempted to correct.

"Hush Harold. The person who knocks off the arrow while causing the least amount of facial damage to their partner wins. Beth, you will be paired with Noah. And Tyler, you will be paired with Katie." Chris demonstrated the challenge by slinging the apple perfectly through the arrow, and the speared fruit slid off DJ's head. 

"Tyler, I'm sorry in case I hit you somewhere bad." Katie pointed out as she tied the blindfold on her head, and stumbled reaching for the slingshot.

"It'll be alright." Tyler offered a thumbs up despite Katie being unable to see it.

The two teens prepared their slingshots as Noah and Tyler glanced at one another. Beth fired the first shot and the apple flew above Noah by several feet, instead splatting against a tree. Katie fired the next shot and Tyler cringed as it slammed into his gut, but he refrained from yelling in pain. Beth prepared the second shot but she still missed her teammate by a foot on the right and smashed the apple on a rock. Katie fired again and the apple made an audible bonk against the jock's skull, making Tyler hiss in pain. The two girls repeatedly missed their partners or the fruits collided with different parts of the boys' bodies.

"Do you not know how to aim?" Noah hissed as the tenth apple missed his cheek by inches.

"Just shush! I can't tell where you are!" Beth spat back attempting to grab the final apple.

"I'm taller than you by a foot. Use that information however you want." Noah responded with an eye roll.

"I don't understand how you haven't been voted off for being a big ol' jerk!" Beth gritted her teeth as she pulled back the slingshot.

"Luck?" Noah said, and he noticed that the girl lowered her slingshot from a rapid exhale. And it was lining up perfectly with the arrow. Without another word, Beth released the apple and the fruit slammed into the arrow and subsequently flew off into a tree. The Screaming Gophers erupted into applause as Beth ripped off the blindfold.

"Wait! Did I get a bullseye?" The glasses girl asked.

"You sure did! The Screaming Gophers win the first round of the third challenge!" Chris announced.

"Oh man. Sorry Tyler. Are you good?" Katie took off her blindfold and cringed seeing Tyler covered in large bruises on his waist and face. Despite the injuries, the jock held a thumbs up as he rounded the corner.

However as everyone else was heading towards the next challenge, Duncan noticed Tyler had not returned from the corner. As the minutes ticked by, the delinquent grew annoyed at the hold up and whipped around to face the jock. However, instead of a sheepish or clueless Tyler excusing himself for taking too long, the jock was sprawled across the ground with panicked eyes and labored breathing.

"Dude. What the hell are you doing?" Duncan blinked in surprise.

"I-uh-can't find Bunny." Tyler murmurred while staring at a patch of grass.

"Wait what?" Duncan asked confused, and Tyler wrapped his own hair around his fingers threatening to pull strands out.

"I can't find him! I put him down for one second to do the challenge, and then I came back and he was gone!! What am I supposed to say to DJ?! He loves that little guy to death! I can't just say he went away or got eaten by predators!! It'll break his heart and-" Tyler started to panic until the delinquent gripped his shoulder, spinning him around to see bright blue eyes.

"Jeez, shut up already. If I help you find him, will it stop your whining?" Duncan rolled his eyes but seemed more considerate than before.

"I...yes..." Tyler blinked.

"Good. Go help our team out, and I'll be right back." Duncan didn't offer any more conversation as he walked into the woods, leaving a surprised Tyler to chase after the rest of the Bass.

(Confessional: Tyler)

"Did Duncan just admit he wanted to help me? Huh. I guess I hit a nerve with the guy."

"And now to the second part of the third challenge; the blind trapeze!! To avoid serious injury, the trapeze has been set up over this pond, which contains numerous amounts of crabs and lobsters!! You two will stand blindfolded on the platform until your partners tell you when to jump." Chris demonstrated the trapeze course. True to his word, the pond splashed with dozens of crustaceans snapping their claws against the water's surface. 

"And then what?" Heather questioned with her blindfold while Bridgette was handling hers.

"Trust that they will catch you. Otherwise that is going to be one painful, claw pinching, crustacean bite-filled swim. Harold will be paired with Bridgette, while Heather will be paired with Lindsay. Hut hut, everyone!" Chris pushed the mentioned teenagers to the ladders. Harold and Bridgette nodded to each other on opposite sides of the trapeze, but Lindsay was unsure.

"Wait, I don't think I should-" The blonde murmurred but quieted down by Heather's glare.

"You are not getting out of this." Heather whispered and joined the opposite side.

Harold breathed slowly as he hooked his legs around the trapeze swing. He quickly gained enough momentum to swing to the other side, where a blindfolded Bridgette was hovering off the edge with shaky knees. The dweeb counted his inward and outward swings before glancing up to the surfer girl. "Okay, Bridgette! Jump now!" He called out with outstretched hands.

To his dismay, Bridgette seemed to grow cold feet and backed up against the ledge. He silently cursed himself and reached out in a more brotherly manner, despite knowing Bridgette could not see. "Bridge, if we’re going to win, then you have to trust me. I wouldn't let a fellow teammate down."

"Sorry! Next time for sure!" Bridgette steadied her breathing and tip-toed forward until she felt the tips of her shoes dip downward.

"Okay; one, two, three! JUMP!" He ordered and the surfer girl leapt forward on command. At first, she felt light and empty air hitting her face and body. Suddenly, she felt a strong grip wrap around her arms and she curled into a ball. The two teens swung through the air and managing to miss the pond of crustaceans, and Harold unhooked his legs as they reached the end of the swing. The two of them flew off and landed on the matt at the other side of the pond. He quickly took off Bridgette's blindfold, who quickly hugged him realizing they won the challenge. He returned the hug back.

"Yes! She did it!" The Killer Bass cheered her on. However, Geoff glanced to see Tyler attempt to approach Bridgette. The jock froze and backed up with a nervous but determined look.

"And now it is the Gopher's turn!" Chris announced to the last two teens. Lindsay hooked her legs as best as she could around the swing, and it took her longer than Harold to get the momentum. Heather stood still as the blonde reached the apex of the swing.

"Okay! One, two, three! J-j-jump-oh wait NO WAIT DON'T-!!" Lindsay screamed realizing she mistimed her swings. Unfortunately, Heather jumped on impulse and plunged into the pond of crustaceans. Screams of pain erupted from the water as the mean girl scrambled out, and dozens of oversized lobsters clamped around her neck, face, and legs.

"OH! That's a point for the Killer Bass!" Chris grimaced, while Gwen and Beth looked on with satisfied smirks.

(Confessional: Gwen)

"I know it is mean to smile but after everything she's done to me, sometimes it feels nice when the universe gives a freebie." Gwen grinned and looked towards the confessional roof, giving it an approving thumbs up.

(Confessional: Beth)

"That felt incredible to watch!" Beth giggled.

(Confessional: Lindsay)

"Why am I so bad at being helpful?" Lindsay's voice was muffled by her clasped hands.

"And now for the final part of the third challenge; the blind toboggan race! Each team will have a driver and a navigator as they race down the top of the beachside cliff all the way back down here. The driver steers their sled while the navigator shouts directions so you don't collide into trees. And in case you haven't figured it out, the driver will be blindfolded! Leshawna and Gwen will be paired for the Gophers, while Tyler and DJ are paired for the Bass." Chris explained while handing Leshawna and DJ their blindfolds.

"Wait what? Uh, can I take DJ instead?" Geoff offered as he noticed Tyler look relieved to not stand beside him anymore.

"Nope! Sorry bro, but I am the one making the teams here! No take backs." Chris denied and pushed the teens towards the cliffs.

"Yeah! We'll be okay Geoff." DJ said and hooked his arm around Tyler's arm, dragging him up the cliff in a faster pace than the girls. After ten minutes, both pairs noticed oversized toboggans with Chef oiling their bottoms. 

"DJ, you are clutching onto my arm very tight." Tyler pointed out and the Jamaican let go, allowing blood to flow through.

"Sorry, but I needed to ask you something. And you can't run away from this anymore." DJ apologized.

"O-Okay?" Tyler prepared himself for the conversation. Though he was confused about what the gentle giant had to say.

"Is Geoff bullying you? Like he and Duncan did with Harold last challenge?" DJ asked sincerely, and Tyler had to do double take.

"Wait what?" He asked. Did he think the problem involved him instead of the other way around?

"Tyler, you know you can trust me with anything? I care about everyone on this team, even the ones I don't get along with. If Geoff is bothering you about not getting payback on Harold, then you should tell me. I can get him to back off." DJ put his hand on his heart like an oath, and the other hand patting the jock's shoulder.

"It has nothing to do with me, and I'm being honest. It's about something else." Tyler shook his head.

"What?" DJ tilted his head. Tyler breathed in and was ready to spill his secrets until Chris's whistle startled them into taking their seats. The jock groaned, realizing he had been foiled again, and hooked his arms around DJ to avoid falling off.

"On your marks! Get set! And-!" Chris counted down before blowing an airhorn. The two toboggans picked up speed at an unnatural rate, and the teens became living bullets riding down the cliffside. Tyler tried his best to keep his eyes open as he instructed DJ to avoid small boulders and dead logs. Gwen hugged her head against Leshawna as support, as well as keeping the black girl's ponytail out of her face. 

"Right! I said right!" Gwen instructed and the girls' toboggan barely missed a small pine tree.

"Head down!" Tyler screamed and heard the whistle of a tree limb skim his hair.

"WOOOHOOO! Girl, we are flying!!" Leshawna cheered, bumping on a boulder and gaining more air than Gwen felt comfortable.

"More literal than you think!!" Gwen couldn't hide the fear in her voice as the boys gained more ground.

"Look Tyler, we are going to meet up with the rest of the team in minutes! If something is going on that is really serious, you need to say it now!" DJ's powerful voice managed to cut through the intense winds battering their ears. Despite his nerves buzzing with fear, Tyler's eyes gleamed as he hugged the giant's back.

"Fine! It is really not about me! It's about Ezekiel!!" He shouted as loud as he could.

"Wait, Zeke? What about him?" DJ asked with a mixture of confused and intrigued.

"I know how he got his peanut allergies!! Geoff!! He-HE SMOTHERED HIS BOW AND ARROWS IN PEANUT BUTTER BEFORE THE TALENT SHOW!!" Tyler screamed fast enough to direct DJ in avoiding a large boulder. However the Jamaican didn't respond back and Tyler quickly grew worried. Suddenly, his arms felt every muscle tighten and the giant's breathing became erratic. But it was not the erratic breathing from fear, but as if an enraged person was readying to fight someone. 

"HE DID WHAT?!?!" DJ snapped and ripped the blindfold off his face, and a cold rage burned in his eyes and stared into Tyler's soul. If it weren't for the toboggan sliding down the hill, Tyler felt the need to flee from the giant's cold gaze.

"Y-Your blindfold-!" The jock stuttered, but DJ wasn't listening as he started to steer the toboggan on his own. He felt the need to stay quiet as the minutes rolled by, and DJ tensed up seeing the Killer Bass cheering them on. He didn't notice Duncan was holding Bunny in his arms, but his vision zeroed on Geoff gazing at a oblivious Bridgette.

"They are coming!" Katie cheered.

"Uh is it me, or are DJ and Tyler going unnaturally fast?" Harold pointed out as the toboggan quickly lost momentum and collided against the tree. Tyler was seeing stars as DJ quickly brushed himself off. The Killer Bass were congratulating them on the win, while the Screaming Gophers were consoling one another as Leshawna and Gwen apologized for their loss.

"Nice job ma-" Geoff raised his hand for a high five, but his eyes grew wide as DJ cornered him.

"YOU. WHAT DID YOU DO?" The question, full of cold energy alien to the Jamaican, silenced every teen on both sides. The Gophers, shocked into silence, watched the scene unfold and the Bass glanced at one another. Katie hugged Harold in fright and Duncan stroked a stressed Bunny to ease the critter. 

"Wh-What?" Geoff stuttered.

"To Zeke?! How could you do that to him!?" DJ repeated, and Bridgette seemed to perk up hearing the homeschool's name for the first time in weeks.

"S-Sorry Geoff. But it was for the best that they knew." Tyler muttered.

"DJ, maybe we can talk about it private-" Geoff tried to calm the giant, but DJ was deterred as he smacked the hand away.

"No! I can understand being mad at someone's sexist comments towards girls, even it was unintentional. I can understand wanting to give a little payback for Harold leaving dirty underwear all over the floors. But smothering Ezekiel's bow and arrows in peanut butter?! For something that was already resolved?! For something he apologized for?! Now THAT is too far, Geoff!!" DJ glared into Geoff with so much anger that the Gophers fell silent. Katie gasped from the revelation at what was being said, and Duncan seemed surprised by the knowledge as well.

"You did what?!" Bridgette exclaimed in anger and taking her turn to face Geoff, "How could you do that?! Ezekiel could have died from that!!"

"It was supposed to just be a prank! You know, for hurting all of the girl's feelings on our first day here." Geoff explained but failed to hide the panic in his body language.

"A prank?!" Bridgette and DJ synchronized their anger and surprise.

"I really didn't know he had an allergy. But I saw how broken you were from the comments and I thought he was getting off too easy. I just wanted to help you-" Geoff started but Bridgette seemed to grow hysterical the more he explained.

"HOW would that have helped me?! How would that have made me HAPPY? Did I look happy when Duncan and Eva were starving him out in the woods? Did I look happy when Eva threw a dumbbell into his ribs?!" She pointed at Duncan at the beginning of her rant. Normally, the delinquent would have rolled his eyes about someone's reactions to his behavior. But the shock of Geoff's actions, the high emotions from his teammates, and the complicated feeling inside himself made him uncomfortable. Perhaps shameful, even.

"I-I realize I made a mistake-" Geoff stuttered at seeing the surfer girl's teary eyes.

"When did you? Because you surely didn't look fazed when he was vomiting on stage or covered in hives up to his throat!!" She spat back.

"I didn't know how to bring it up." Geoff scratched at his arms, and Bridgette scoffed in response. The scoff made him feel worse than before.

"Because you were never going to, were you? You were ready to sweep this under the rug the moment you got to talk to me, didn't you? Does anyone else know? Duncan? Tyler?" She glanced over at her team but none of them looked at her in the eyes. Katie's cheeks were stained with tears, Harold looked disgusted with Geoff, and Duncan simply gazed back at Bridgette.

"Don't look at me. I am just as surprised as you." The delinquent stated.

"I've wanted to tell you." Tyler shared a sad glance with her.

"Oh my god. You...just YOU." Bridgette's shoulders slumped and she couldn't look at the party teen any more.

"Bridgette, I'm so sorry-" Geoff's hand gripped her arm. Suddenly a loud smack echoed in the clearing, causing most of the teens to grimace or gasp. Geoff clutched his red cheek with a stunned look, and Bridgette had a betrayed gaze as she whipped around back to DJ.

"Stay away from me. I mean it." She grumbled.

"Um, Killer Bass? I didn't know when to intrude, but you guys did technically come in first place. But I made it very clear this was supposed to be a BLIND race, and DJ took off the blindfold halfway down. Because of that, you have forfeited the match and the Screaming Gophers are the final winners." Chris intruded on the tense atmosphere and announced the Screaming Gophers. However, no one seemed to celebrate their win and just stared into space.

(Confessional: Beth)

"Is it me, or is the summer heat awfully cold right now?" Beth pointed out the obvious.

The campfire ceremony was eerily quiet, and no one was looking at each other as Chris presented the plate of marshmallows. "Who wants a treat? A tasty goodie that represents exemption, security, and peace of mind from-" The host started.

"Look Chris, we are going through a whirlwind of emotions right now. Can we skip to elimination please?" DJ asked politely, but tired.

"Alright! One for Duncan and DJ. One for Harold and Katie. And one for Bridgette. Looks like we only have one left for either Tyler or Geoff. And the final marshmallow goes to...Tyler. Can't say I'm shocked Geoff. Even for me, this was messed up on your side." Chris stated as he handed the marshmallows to every named teen with exception to Geoff.

"Man." The party teen murmurred. As he stood up to leave, he glanced back at his team and his eyes rested on two people. "Bridgette, DJ, I really am sorry. I was...I mean I-"

"After what has been said Geoff, you will need to do a whole lot of right to make up for what you almost got away with. But this, US, is not going to happen." Bridgette sighed as she gestured between the two of them. Geoff face shattered but he nodded slowly as he retreated towards the Dock of Shame.

"Move along party pooper. And the rest of you are safe for now." Chris shooed the part teen away and closed off the ceremony. The cameras finished their feed, allowing the glum Killer Bass team alone time to recover from the information.

Chapter Text

The birds chirped quietly at nine in the morning while most of the Gophers and half of the Bass conversed. Leshawna was brushing Lindsay's hair for a luscious ponytail, while Noah and Trent were in a tense match of checkers. In reality, Trent was playing horribly for the last three rounds that Noah had to restrain himself from wiping out the teenager again. Finally Duncan was pinning Tyler against the tree on the left side of the Bass cabin, slowly tracing his knife inches from the jock's body into the bark.

"To be clear, you aren't aiming for my neck right?" Tyler asked holding his breath.

"I will be if you don't keep still." Duncan responded halfheartedly as he finished tracing the head and ready to tackle the arms. Suddenly, the boy's Bass door flew open as a flustered Harold turned toward the boys holding underwear dripping in chocolate. The dweeb's face froze at the position they were in but returned back to a frustrated glare.

"First; what are you doing? Second; why are all of my underwear smothered in layers of spicy chocolate?!" He demanded.

"That was not me. That might've been Geoff's work before he got eliminated. As for...this, I'm carving an outline to practice knife throwing." Duncan explained with a shrug. He began to crouch to start tracing the jock's waist and legs.

"And you're choosing Tyler because...?" Harold asked slowly calming down from the explanation.

"He has the face and physique perfect for target practice." Duncan smirked.

"Thank you...wait a minute-!!!" Tyler had a smile in the first part of the sentence, until the sentence settled in his brain. He was ready to make a retort until the camp's megaphone made a high pitched screech.

"Listen up all maggots! I want all campers to report to the Dock of Shame in preciously 0900 hours." A tough authoritative voice commanded over the speaker. All of the teenagers glanced at one another confused by the different voice.

"Wait, is that Chef? Where's Chris?" Trent asked while scratching his head.

"THAT MEANS NOW SOLDIERS!!" The voice of Chef commanded louder and sounded briefly angry. The teenagers erupted into a sprint by a hidden fear deep within their guts. Little did they know today would invoke a fear of the man that would be training them. As the teenagers formed a single line along the Dock of Shame, Chef strutted up to them in a army uniform that seemed too genuine to be a costume.

"Line up and stand at attention! You call this proper formation?! Knees together!" Chef commanded as he slapped Harold's legs with a small baton.

"Ow!" Harold yelped as he immediately corrected his legs.

"Arms down!" Chef continued slapping Duncan's crossed arms.

"AH!" The delinquent exclaimed in pain and adjusted his formation.

"Eyes forward and head up!" Chef whirled on Heather and smacked her lightly on both her forehead and lower jaw.

"OW! HEY!" The mean girl yelled but quieted down by the third smack.

"Well this already looks like it'll be fun." Gwen whispered to Trent who quietly snickered. However, the moment was ruined by Chef rushing up to her until he was inches from her eyes. She felt her heart drop at the close proximity of the two. The burly man was so close that she could make out the veins crossing his forehead.

"What did you say to me, soldier?!" Chef growled.

"N-Nothing. Sir." Gwen responded meekly.

"And you will continue to say nothing until I allow you the freedom to say something!! You understand? Today’s challenge will not be an easy one. In fact, I do not expect everyone to come out alive." Chef stepped away from the goth to explain the challenge of the day. Some of the campers glanced at one another as he continued to talk.

"He's joking, right?" Tyler questioned, only to get a baton to the buttocks. He winced but managed to bite down an exclamation of pain.

"My orders are to make sure that all of the babies presented in front of me drop out of this boot camp except one. The last one standing wins for their entire team!" The burly man examined every teenager while pacing down the dock like a general.

"Uh… what happened to Chris?" Heather murmurred and winced as Chef whipped around to face them.

"Not important! Rule number one; you will address me as Master Chief! Have you got that?!" He ordered the entourage, who all had various degrees of fear and uncertainty on their faces. 

"Yes, Master Chief!" They all synchronized their response.

"Rule number two; you will sleep when I tell you to sleep! And you will eat only when I tell you to eat! Is that clear?!" Chef ordered as he jabbed a finger into Noah on the first sentence, and moved to jab Duncan on the second part.

"Yes, Master Chief!" The teenagers said in unison again.

"And rule number three; when you are ready to give up, you will walk to the end of the dock and ring the bell. The first day of your "training" does not end until we get one quitter! Which means this task will take all day if I have to make it that way! Now get your butts down to the beach, soldiers! Now, now, now!" Chef yelled and every camper frantically bolted towards the safety of the sandy beaches, some screaming in fear along the way.

(Confessional: Gwen)

"Okay, whoever’s sick, twisted idea this was to put him in charge of this challenge, I have to say…I’m a little bit impressed." Gwen admitted with a small smile.

(Confessional: Kyle, Molly, and Lydia)

The three interns to Chris's show were crammed within the small space of the confessional in various positions. Kyle, who was the tallest of the three, had his back against the wall and extended his legs until they there pressed on the opposite side. Lydia opted to stand up to avoid hoarding any more horizontal space, and was luckily barely touching the roof of the confessional. Finally, Molly was squatting into a comfortable position so she was visible to the camera while avoiding touching the messy floor.

"The opportunity was too good to pass up when Chris asked us what the next challenge should be." Lydia smiled with a shrug.

"It certainly gives us a break from all of the labor to build these sets. My back and shoulders are starting to hurt." Kyle added and stretch out his limbs while avoiding hitting the two girls.

"And Chef seemed a little down being in the kitchen all of the time. We might as well give him a little power today. I just hope he doesn't shatter the kids, metaphorically and literally." Molly had a blank face as she thought of the potential challenges awaiting the campers.

"Ten dollars for Beth being voted out today?" Kyle started a bet while bringing out a ten dollar bill.

"Twenty for Heather." Molly added to the pile with a mischievous grin.

"Amateurs. I go with thirty for Tyler." Lydia finished and showed thirty dollars to add to the greed, to the shock of the other two.

At one of the camp's beaches, the teens lined up in their respective teams while Chef presented two canoes. One canoe was a deep red for the Bass, while the other was a mossy green for the Gophers. "For the first part of the challenge, each team must hold the canoe over their heads for as long as your puny, fishbone bodies allow you to! If I catch one of you taking your hands off of the canoe, you can kiss your scrawny little asses goodbye! And no one eats, drinks, or sleeps until someone drops out! Now...CANOES UP!!" Chef commanded with his voice ending in a slight screech. 

Both teams arranged themselves to lift the canoes as easily as possible. For the Gophers, the shortest members such as Noah and Beth were placed on the opposite ends to allow the taller members more weight. Meanwhile the Bass had most of the weight handled by DJ, but the Jamaican lowered his arms enough for his teammates to carry their own weight.

"This doesn't seem that hard." Tyler pointed out.

"Don't jinx us, man." Duncan whispered harshly and the jock quickly shut up.

Time went by slowly as the teenagers continued to hover the moderately heavy boats over their heads, and their energy seemed to wane by the third hour. While the Killer Bass tried to remain as quiet as possible, Katie whined pitifully at her arms cramping up. Bridgette offered her a look of sympathy, but couldn't pat her in fear of automatic elimination. The Gophers were not doing much better with many members growing hungry from the lack of snacks.

"Oh, my stomach is hurting y'all." Leshawna groaned only for a heavy weight to bang on the top of the canoe.

"Come on you little sissies! It has only been three hours!!" Chef's voice spoke above them. The teens glared seeing the burly man sit on top of the boat, adding even more weight to their suffering. On the Killer Bass canoe was Kyle writing in his personal journal.

"They don't look too good, Master Chief. If I didn't know any better, I would say they are starving." The intern pointed out.

"Nonsense fellow soldier! Maybe they just weren't hungry enough! Unless one of you have the willpower of a baby and want to drop dead now." Chef said with a dangerous smile. Beth, who had sweat dripping down her hair and glasses fogged by hot breath, seemed to contemplate letting go of the canoe. She loosened her grip and immediately caught Heather glaring into her skull.

"Don't you even think about it." Heather snapped quietly, and Beth gave a bigger glare.

"Try me." The farmer girl dared. However, before either of them could escalate, Gwen forcefully grabbed Beth and placed her behind Heather. The farmer girl looked shocked at the authoritative looks from the other alliance team.

"Now is not the time to be petty." Gwen whispered firmly and Beth swallowed a retort to hold the canoe again.

With exception to Beth and Heather's brief argument, the teens continued to stare into the distance as the hours continued to pass by. The sun slowly dipped into the horizon and the sky created a glaring light that temporarily blinded everyone. They resorted in closing their eyes or staring at the sand until the rays were no longer a problem. The night sky was filled with the sound of crickets, cicadas, and the crackling of a makeshift campfire illuminating Chef along with Kyle and Molly. The two interns seemed invested in a story involving Chef's experience in a battlefield, while the teenagers began to fidget in their positions.

"Twenty-five of us ended up going into the jungle that night. By the first rays of light, only five of us came out. And even the survivors didn't return without a missing limb or two. We didn't have time to recover the bodies before the next task. I hope one day to return there and give them the peace they deserve." Chef spoke in a low, but oddly emotional tone.

"Horrible. What war were you in Chef-sorry-Master Chief?" Molly questioned.

"You don't want to know child, or you wouldn't look at your country the same way again." Chef shook his head slowly.

"There is no way he was in a war." Gwen sighed through her yawn and Chef immediately snapped back into a general-like glare.

"Did I ask you to speak?! Because I didn't ask YOU to speak!!" The burly man jabbed her arm. Before the goth could argue with him, an exasperated groan came out of Noah as he let go of the canoe.

"I can't do this anymore." He groaned and quickly approached the docks. Chef's eyes went wide as he smiled, the Killer Bass had hopeful looks towards their win, and the Gophers watched on horrified as he reached for the bell.

"Noah don't! We need to win this!" Trent called out desperately.

"I cannot feel my arms anymore, Trent. This is not worth the permanent blood loss." Noah argued with barely any energy. He nudged the bell as it wrang an ugly sound, and the Gophers groaned in defeat as they released the boat. The Killer Bass threw their canoe down seconds later with wide grins.

"Listen scrawny. You have nothing to be ashamed for...EXCEPT FOR BEING A LITTLE BABY WHO LET YOUR TEAM DOWN! You are out for the rest of the challenge!" Chef acted reassuring to Noah only to almost scream the second part in his face. Even then, Noah was too tired to retort with a sarcastic comment and took the yelling. The burly man then turned to the physically exhausted teenagers around the boats. "The rest of you head down to the main hall for dinner!"

"Open your ears, maggots! You've got ten minutes to eat before we begin your night training!" Chef explained to the teens around the empty dining tables.

"But Master Chief, where is our food?" Gwen asked genuinely confused, and Chef had a smirk as he gestured to the garbage cans.

"You are looking at it." He said. Tyler reached over and opened the lids to reveal leftovers from all food groups. From half eaten fruits riddled with gnats, to specks of hardened meat and stale bread crusts, the state of the leftovers made most of the teens gag.

"This is the leftovers from our breakfast this morning." Tyler stated matter-of-factly.

"Damn right. In war, you don't get the luxuries of well cooked meals. You take what you get! Now get feasting!" Chef affirmed the teen's statement. All of the campers groaned as they began to rummage through the garbage.

"What about us, Master Chief?" A female spoke up from behind. The burly man turned to see the three interns looking up expectantly. Though the cameras didn't catch it, the man's eyes softened a bit before snapping his fingers, causing them to straighten their posture on reflex.

"You three are coming with me to craft services. Fresh meals are on Chris." He said.

"Hell yeah," Kyle pumped his fist.

"Sorry kids," Molly could only offer a sympathetic smile at the gawking teens watching them leave with a slap on the wrist. Heather glanced between the exit door and the Gophers rummaging through the garbage before slamming the tray.

"I am so not eating this! I deserve more high quality food than disgusting garbage!" She scoffed as she left the main lodge. The rest of the teens shrugged as they scavenged for any scraps. A few minutes later Duncan brought a plate of a relatively unscathed chicken breast, a half eaten chicken leg, an unopened juice box, and a bag of mismatched trail mix to Tyler and Harold.

"Here guys. I managed to scrounge through the trash for the best food items. You can flick off what you don't want and eat the rest." The delinquent stated and split the food between the three.

"Oh thanks!" Tyler grinned as he tore off dirty parts of the chicken. However, Harold did not seem convinced as he pushed the plate of food away.

"What is the catch?" The dweeb asked.

"Catch?" Duncan tilted his head.

"Are you going to lace the juice with apples, or coat the chicken with hot sauce again?" Harold reiterated with a eye roll, which Duncan seemed to copy with a scoff.

"Oh grow up Harold. Geoff is gone and I'm over it. You should too." Duncan sighed and opened the trail mix. Harold glared hard as he poked a hole through the juice box and finished it in one gulp.

(Confessional: Harold)

"Yeah right! He hasn't even apologized to me once! I'm not buying anything from his grubby hands! GOSH!"

As soon as everyone was done with their makeshift meals, Chef reentered the main lodge with a two foot long stack of blank papers. The papers made a loud thump as he handed out four pages to each camper. "For your next challenge, you must complete a three hundred word essay about how much you love me in thirty minutes. Anyone who falls asleep or fails to complete the challenge will be eliminated!!" The burly man explained.

"I just want to sleep..." Gwen groaned.

The clock had begun as the teens tried to gather their thoughts into words. However, as the timer reached nine in the evening, some of the teens could not last before passing out. Heather, Duncan, and Beth absentmindedly scribbled words as the latter started to drool through her braces. Tyler and Bridgette slapped themselves lightly to stay awake, while DJ had fallen asleep early into the writing. The timer went off and Chef slammed it into a wall. He quickly gathered everyone's papers and had to practically yank it from Harold, who furiously scribbled a few sentences.

"No wait, I wasn't done!" The dweeb exclaimed but Chef didn't seem bothered as he grabbed Duncan's paper. The delinquent had a tired but smug smile as the man read the paper out loud.

"I love Chef Hatchet because he is very very very very...very...this is just one sentence with three pages of the word "very" in-between!" Chef said in a disappointed tone.

"Well duh. It's three hundred words exactly. Count them if you need to old man." Duncan chuckled. His smile was wiped off as a slap contacted with his chin and made a red mark, "OW!"

"You are lucky you are not my kid, otherwise I would smack you hard, you'd have blisters for weeks." Chef grumbled before turning to see a dazed Lindsay messing with her hair. He slammed the edge of the desk, making her yelp and turn to see his glare. "SO! You think tending to your hair and nails is more important than writing, huh?"

"I...I was distracted. I feel all sweaty and gross." Lindsay admitted pathetically.

"Oh boo-hoo! Survival is hard, girl! Deal with it or I'd leave you behind to the animals! As for you, let's see why you panicked so hard!" Chef mentioned to Harold as he silently read the paper. However, the longer he read the paper, his eyes seemed to become shiny through the military styled glasses.

"I was off by a sentence sir," Harold admitted.

"...Well done boy. I'll let you pass, as well as regrettably your teammate. For you two slackers, you are out!" He nodded to the dweeb while mentioning the elimination of Lindsay and a unconscious DJ. He coughed hard to hide the emotion in his voice and turned to exit the main lodge. "The rest of you, get to bed and report to the playing field at 0500 hours."

"What does that mean?" Katie asked to anyone in the room.

"He means five in the morning." Tyler responded, but he noticed an emotional Lindsay bolting out of the door without saying anything.

(Confessional: Tyler)

"I'm worried for Lindsay. Her bright blue eyes seemed to have lost their shine."

None of the remaining contestants had a good night's sleep. Combined with the barely edible garbage dinner, their stomachs growled throughout the night and early morning. Some of the girls contemplated over accepting Chef's disgusting sloppy meals over the physical torture of their bodies. Lindsay had not returned to the cabin until an hour later, but the girls were not in a good mood to try and hold a conversation. By the time Chef burst into their cabins to start the next challenge, everyone was wide awake and followed him without another word. They wanted to get this done and have Chris back. 

But none of them would want to say that.

Chef turned to gesture to the obstacle course built over a massive mud pit. Across the mud pit was a climbing wall, small ramp that led to a rope swing into another ramp, a stand holding two tires upright to promote squeezing through, and low hanging swinging logs meant to be crawled under. The less athletic teens gulped quietly as the man began to talk them through the challenge.

"For your third challenge, every one of your degenerates must complete this course under one minute. Anyone unable to complete it will be automatically eliminated!! NOW MOVE IT MAGGOTS!!" Chef commanded.

The first of the teens to begin the course was Gwen and Leshawna. The goth gathered every ounce of energy she had and scaled the wall with little difficulty, with Leshawna struggling to haul herself over. She gained distance from her teammate by throwing herself over the next two obstacles, but Leshawna slowly regained her time by copying her alliance member's tactics. Although the low hanging logs encased them in thick layers of mud, the girls high fived each other with fifteen seconds to spare on the timer.

The next two were Heather and Tyler, with Heather gaining a significant lead on the jock. She had managed to make it to the swing but somehow got her arms tangled within the rope. As she yelled to herself within her entanglement, Tyler hoisted himself to the top of the wall with all of his energy. Unfortunately, his arms quickly gave out and he found himself falling face first into the mud pit. The thick liquid bubbled as he gagged and made a awful gargle within his throat.

"Hey General Crazy. We have got a situation here." Duncan noted as he saw Tyler clutch his stomach in pain.

"You better have a good excuse, you useless sack of boneless chicken!" Chef crossed his arms.

"I think I inhaled mud..." Tyler murmurred like a little toddler. The teenagers that had yet to go either grimaced or gagged to themselves, and Chef nodded while pulling the jock upright.

"Report to the infirmary! You are temporarily dismissed! But I expect you to come back to proceed with the rest of the challenge!" Chef shooed the jock towards the medical area.

The other contestants had varying degrees of success throughout the obstacle course. To the Gopher's frustration, Heather had managed to untangle herself and finish the course with a remaining five seconds. Katie did not have the arm strength to make it past the wall and ended up quitting before the timer ran out. Bridgette last until the tire hole and couldn't make it through on time. By some kind of miracle, Harold aced the obstacle course and made it through with twenty seconds to spare. On the other hand, Beth felt her glasses slip while she crawled under the swinging logs. As she reached for them, Duncan quickly crawled over her and subsequently pushed the glasses further into the mud.

"What in the hell is wrong with you?!" She exclaimed burying her hands in the mud pit.

"Survival of the fittest, right?" Duncan shrugged not realizing what he did. The timer went off and Beth was declared out of the challenge, much to her frustration.

(Confessional: Lydia)

"And here I was thinking I would have the day off. But of course this boy finds new ways to visit me..." Lydia groaned while holding a bottle of medicine.

"I've tasted mud three times in my life, and it never gets better." Tyler groaned walking out of the medical tent, fresh saliva dripping from his mouth. Lydia sighed as she closed the tent doors. The jock could barely hear the exclamations of his teammates and the rival team struggling to finish the obstacle course. He recalled that Master Chief told him to return after dealing with his problem. But he felt his stomach continue to turn even after emptying out the nonedible mud. He wondered if it was healthy to expose his frail stomach to the thick earthy liquid in a short period of time. Not to mention Lydia seemed exasperated at seeing him enter the tent to throw up, and the process was not clean to put it lightly.

Maybe Chef would forget about him if he stayed quiet. He slowly made his way into the woods until the outline of the camp was barely visible. A perfect getaway spot from the others. But not in the way he hated them, rather more he knew Heather or Duncan would be demanding he should come back. Suddenly, he heard muffled huffing and sniffling from a tree behind him. His heart leapt a few inches as he saw a small spot of blonde hair tied back by a blue bandana.

"Lindsay? What are you doing here?" He spoke up causing the blonde to squeak in surprise.

"Tyler? What are you doing here?" She asked him meekly with visible tear stains.

"Oh, I swallowed some mud back at Master Chief's little obstacle course. I just got checked out." The jock explained.

"Oh my gosh. Does it hurt?" Lindsay wiped away her stained tears.

"A little, but the important thing is I haven't been eliminated yet! Chef saw it as important enough to where I could be dismissed, but not ruled out! So I still have a chance!" Tyler cheered quietly enough so he couldn't be heard from the camp.

"That's fantastic." The blonde murmurred with a sad smile.

"Yeah. I may be a klutz, but I think my teammates are finally starting to see my potential in the game. Duncan has been...decent to me these past few days, Harold has been complaining less, Bridgette, DJ and Katie are doing well. And ever since Geoff and Courtney have been gone, my anxiety has been in a all-time low. I see good things coming. Right?" Tyler smiled and turned to her. However, he noticed her gaze become distant when he listed his teammates' names and her lips start to waver.

"Lindsay, are you okay?" Tyler asked softly but she didn't seem to want to answer, "Are you upset that you got eliminated from the challenge? Or is it...something else?"

"I think...I think my team hates me." Lindsay choked out a sentence with her fingers wrapping tightly in her hair.

"Wh-What?" Tyler blinked while dumbfounded.

"I've tried to be friends with anyone on my team. Bell, Heather, Gwendolyn or Trent. I thought that if I was friendly, then we could all have a good time here. That everything would be alright. B-But it's not! They all hate me. And I don't know what to do..." Lindsay no longer held her emotions back as a few tears dripped down her cheeks. The sight of the tears twisted Tyler's heart as he reached for her cheek.

"Lindsay. Nobody here hates you. That is just not-" He started but Lindsay gripped at her bangs aggressively.

"Heather hates me!! I don't know what I did to make her hate me, but she does! Beth doesn't talk to me anymore ever since she broke off from our team! She looks at me like I'm an extension of Heather instead of...well ME. Gwen and Noah do not ever talk to me at all, and the best I've gotten is that they are busy. And Trent...Trent probably won't approach me after last challenge. He trusted me to cook him a meal out of a fish for him, and I poisoned him!" She cried into her hands and rambled about her team for minutes. Tyler helplessly watched as his crush expelled all of her repressed emotions, and her rambles grew quiet as she gasped for breaths.

"Heather was right. The others probably want to get rid of me the first chance they get. They are planning it already. Why can't I be useful...?" She started to cry once more until a pair of hands lifted her head. She looked into Tyler's eyes as he stroked her cheeks, causing her to blush slightly. He used the sleeve of his jumper to wipe away the tears threatening to spill, and then brought her into a tight but warm hug.

"Lindsay, you are not hated by anyone. Noah and Gwen probably ARE busy trying to win the game. It doesn't mean they hate you. I mean...have you ever seen them get angry at you?" The jock asked slowly to help her calm down.

"N-No?" The blonde responded as he held her head.

"Have you ever seen Leshawna get mad at you?" Tyler asked again. From what he had seen of Leshawna's behavior towards others, it never seemed as if she held hostility towards Lindsay. She only held anger for Heather, but hardly extended it to Lindsay. And the blonde seemed to piece it together as she stopped sniffling.

"No."

"And Trent? I saw him in the medical tent after the challenge a few days ago once they dealt with his poisoning. He said he was alright and he wasn't angry at you for it. In his words, "sometimes things just happen". Whatever lies Heather is feeding to you about your teammates, it is probably not true. If she does hate you, then why should you take anything she says seriously?" Tyler made a point to state the last sentence. Lindsay's eyes widened as the sentence settled in, but any words she wanted to say kept dying in her throat.

"You are not dumb Lindsay. You just think very highly of the others and don't want to disappoint them. Just like me! And I have been disappointed by people I think of highly. Like Geoff, Sadie, and other people I know. But I also am proud of others I think of highly like DJ, Katie, little man Cody....and you... I-In fact, I may have had...a crush...on you. I just never knew what to say." He murmurred the last part. To his embarressment, Lindsay heard it and their faces bloomed red.

"R-Really?"

"Yeah." Tyler admitted.

"How long?" She asked.

"For a while." Tyler responded.

The two dimwitted teens stared at one another with stars shining in their eyes, and the last of the morning fireflies flying around them. Lindsay cautiously moved her hand towards Tyler's until their fingers touched. Fingers slowly intertwined until they were in a comfortable position. The only noises they could make out were the sounds of crickets and their hearts pumping loudly in their ears. However, a new noise erupted through the beautiful scene as Chef's militaristic voice blasted through the trees.

"Attention all maggots! The next evolution of your training begins at 0800 hours! Will boneless chicken Tyler make his way towards the next challenge! Don't make me drag you by the scruff if I have to, boy! Or else you are eliminated!"

"Shoot, I guess I have to go. But um...do you want to have a picnic later? Just the two of us?" Tyler turned to Lindsay as they stood up.

"I-I would love that!" Lindsay exclaimed with her blue eyes returning to their bright shine.

"Cool! See ya!"

The remaining six teenagers were tied with three members on both teams, with Duncan, Harold and Tyler versus Leshawna, Gwen, and Heather for the Gophers. All of them were dangling off of two tree branches by the legs, their eyes forced to watch the ground from ten feet up. Their arms dangled helplessly as they felt the blood rush to their heads. Duncan already didn't look too good as his eyes began to cross and his face turned a purplish-red.

"What you are experiencing is an ancient form of torture. By now, the blood has begun rushing to your head. The next stage is nausea, followed by dizziness and a flushed appearance as the blood begins to pool your eyes. You may experience fainting spells such as right now..." Chef explained as he watched Duncan's legs stop holding him up. The remaining Bass flinched as his head collided with the ground, and Bridgette ran up to check his pulse.

"It's okay guys! He's okay!" The surfer girl confirmed with a thumbs up.

"I can't do this. I'm done." Heather stated with a blue face and slung herself off.

"Me too. Sorry Gwen..." Leshawna fell off the tree as well, but unfortunately collided with an angry Heather. Tyler suddenly heard a groan come from Harold, and the dweeb felt his legs grow weak.

"I'm really feeling the blood now. I think I see sounds..." Harold whined and gradually slipped away.

"Harold! Don't leave me here! You are more worthy than...me..." Tyler reached out pathetically as Harold fell to Chef's feet.

"I expected more out of you than anyone else soldier. Then again, that is on me for being unprepared for disappointment." Chef said with his arms on his hips and Harold didn't have a comeback ready.

"Tyler, I know you suck at sports but our survival is in your hands." A recovered Duncan called out to Tyler.

"You suck at inspirational speeches!!" Tyler exclaimed in frustration.

"You have got this in the bag girl!" Leshawna encouraged Gwen.

"I can hang here all day. My pal Reaper challenged me to do vampire impersonations all of the time." Gwen smiled as she maintained eye contact with Tyler.

"Yeah? Well I...have gotten myself stuck o-on basketball nets uh-upside...down more times than I...can count. I...got...th-this...." Tyler started to breath heavily in a effect to remain conscious. However, the blood was rushing to his head faster than he predicted and he collapsed into the ground.

"Oh! That is going to leave a mark." Bridgette grimaced as the Gophers erupted into cheers at them winning the challenge. They caught Gwen falling from the tree and surrounded her with compliments. Suddenly Chef coughed and gestured her to come closer.

"Congratulations solider. I'd gladly go to war with you anytime." The burly man saluted her.

"Um...thanks. I'll keep that in mind when choosing my career." Gwen saluted back awkwardly as she joined back her team.

"You do that soldier. You do that." Chef grew emotional mid-salute with a tear falling down his cheek.

(Confessional: Molly)

"Those kids don't know it, but they made Chef's day." Molly smiled

The fire was crackling in a bright fire as Chris finally arrived with marshmallows. "I only have five marshmallows on my plate. And these marshmallows represent the campers that will continue to remain campers. You have all cast your votes for elimination tonight. If I do not call your name, you must immediately go down to the Dock of Shame, catch the Boat of Losers and go home. And you can't come back ever. Do I make myself clear?" The host stated.

"Yes, Master Chris." The Killer Bass said synchronized.

"Wait what? Where did that come from-?" The host jolted in surprise, causing the the Killer Bass to grow flustered.

"Sorry! Force of habit!" Katie spoke for her team.

"Ooookay. Anyways! Duncan. You are up." The delinquent made a fist bump as he retrieved the marshmallow.

"DJ." The Jamaican smiled as he came to get his treat.

"Katie. Bridgette." The two girls smiled at one another as they grabbed the sweet treats. Harold and Tyler straightened their posture as only one marshmallow remained. "Campers, this is the final marshmallow of the night. And it goes to..."

"Harold. Tyler is eliminated from the game." Chris finished. Harold sighed in relief at the same time Tyler fist bumped him.

"Sorry man. We really didn't want to but-" DJ tried to explain but Tyler's smile caught him off guard.

"It's cool. I cost us the game anyway. At least I got farther than I thought I was going to." The jock shrugged.

"You were decent in the game, Tyler." Duncan said from his seat.

"And you are not as much of a jerk as you think you are." Tyler added on to the delinquent.

"Come on Tyler. We don't have much time." Chris called out and Tyler waved everyone goodbye as he ran towards the Dock of Shame. The Boat of Losers was already prepared for him and he hopped in without another word. Chef was starting the engine to leave the island until the two men heard a girl's voice running toward him.

"Tyler! Tyler, wait!" Lindsay called out and Tyler stood up from the seat.

"Lindsay! Can you wait for a little longer?" He asked the burly co-host. Chef groaned but nodded in a manner that said "make it quick".

"Are you really going away? After our little...well..." The blonde messed with the tips of her hair, her cheeks tinted with a light pink.

"Yeah. But I won't be gone forever. I'll find a way to get in contact with you again." Tyler reassured her with a grin.

"Do you promise?" Lindsay made a equally joyful smile.

"Of course I do. Through all of the concussions, I never forget promises." Tyler leaned over the edge of the Boat of Losers without slipping off. Before anyone could stop him, his lips grazed hers in a light kiss. Lindsay's brain stalled as the boat began to drive away hastily, almost causing Tyler to be thrown backwards. He looked over to see her starstruck face growing distant. 

"I'll see you later Lindsay!" He waved her off the farther they went.

"B-Bye!" Lindsay stuttered in joy. Though Tyler was far enough to not hear her, the message was clear in both of their hearts.

Chapter Text

The morning was peaceful as the teenagers slowly rose from the comforts of their bunk beds. Harold was curled in a fetal position in his blankets, while Duncan dancing with his headphones at full volume. Leshawna was snoring loudly until a loud rumble shook the cabins' ceilings, startling both sleeping and half-awake teenagers.

"What the hell?!" Everyone exclaimed at once.

Wanting to see where the noise was coming from, everyone rushed outside and looked towards the sky. They recognized the orange bi-plane that was used for the phobia challenge flying wildly. The plane was dangerously close to the ground as it made a barrel roll.

"HIT THE DECK!" Someone screamed and the teens dispersed into different directions, and the plane made a rough landing in the middle of the campsite. As the dust cleared, laughter could be heard inside the plane. The door flung open as Chris hopped with a joyful smile.

"I cannot wait to get my license!!" The television host exclaimed.

"Is he even supposed to pilot that?!" Leshawna looked towards an approaching Chef. Judging how the co-host had veins popping out of his neck, the reality was clear that Chris was not supposed to have access to the plane.

"Sorry about that kids. I was just stretching my muscles for today's challenge!" Chris announced to the remaining campers.

"Wait, is this another one of those short days where we have to take the challenge early?" Gwen asked while rubbing the tiredness out of her eyes. 

"Perceptive Gwen! Chef took up one of your break days for his challenge, so we need to catch up on schedule again. So today's challenge will be a short but risky one! The EXTREME SPORTS CHALLENGE!!" Chris pumped his arms in excitement.

"I was going to sleep," Noah groaned.

"Today you’ll participate in three parts of the challenge. First one will be extreme paragliding! Contestants will try to paraglide from one side of the beach coastline to the other and safely land in that floating target in the water. The second challenge is extreme rodeo moose riding! A contestant from each team must rodeo ride the great Canadian bucking moose for eight seconds or they will get hooved into a giant pile of socks from the lost-and-found! And finally, extreme mud skiing! One contestant will mud ski a race course grabbing as many flags as they can before crossing the finish line, while a member from the opposing team tries to throw you off!" Chris explained the three challenges in short but extensive detail.

"Hold on, you don't expect us to ski over rocks and mud, do you? What about all of the water?" Heather asked sounding appalled from the last challenge.

"Do you want me to answer truthfully, or what you want to hear? It is possible though, just extremely hard. Hence the name. Anyways, I'll let you all have a little power here and decide who you want to go for each challenge. You'll have twenty minutes to discuss it over breakfast before we get started. I want to get this footage done by this evening!" Chris waved off the teenagers before anyone could intervene. 

As Chef slapped a chunk of thick oatmeal onto each contestant's plate, Gwen caught the looks her alliance were giving and quickly moved outside. She closed the door enough with as little noise as possible. Meanwhile, Duncan whistled for his team as they made a circle around the table.

"Okay, who do we want to send out for the challenges? Is anyone good at flying?" The delinquent asked.

"Let me do the first challenge. I did kite surfing across the coast of Peru when I was eight. Paragliding should be no problem." Bridgette volunteered with a confident smile, and a bunch of the Bass appeared impressed by her description.

"Damn you are good." Duncan nodded in approval and then looked to the gentle giant, "Hey DJ, do you mind doing the moose riding? You are physically the strongest out of all of us."

"I can give it a shot." The gentle giant shrugged with a smile.

"And I'll do the mud skiing!" Harold suddenly interrupted with fiery eyes.

"You sure about that?" Duncan raised a brow but relented when he saw the look the dweeb was giving, "Alright then. I guess I'll be the driver to knock off the poor sap paired against me."

All of the Killer Bass nodded and brought their hands together. They made a cheer as they exited the main lodge, barely missing Noah and his alliance team shutting up as soon as the door opened. One by one, the members disappeared to meet up with Chris. Eventually Noah coughed to bring the alliance team's attention back.

"You got a plan dude?" Trent asked quietly while gulping down the oatmeal.

"The Killer Bass right now are highly efficient at physical tasks. Just look at Duncan and DJ alone. There is no guaranteed we are going to win, so we need to play at our worst." Noah concluded. Gwen, Trent, and Leshawna's faces froze as if the nerd's words did not compute for a moment.

"I'm sorry, but did you say we need to suck?" Leshawna blurted out.

"Yes. Think about it. Heather and Beth are at each other's throats right now, and Beth is more than willing to lose in order to get Heather out. But Beth is too much of a wildcard because she is not listening to anyone, not even Lindsay or us." Noah explained and gestured to the farmer girl in the distance, who was getting into another argument with Heather.

"True. She did nearly snap at me when I told her to settle down last challenge." Gwen nodded to herself.

"Heather is determined to get her out too. So play at your worst for today. Sabotage yourself, or give yourself an incompatible challenge or anything else. Make Heather realize the severity of her situation and cause her to panic. And then do the twist reveal and get Beth out instead." Noah finished his explanation.

"Are you sure?" Leshawna was unsure about the plan. She knew that Noah had not been wrong in the few times he has planned someone's elimination, but this is the first time they were blatantly losing to get someone off. She was ready to do anything to win. But she was taught to give it your all in order to win, so doing the exact opposite to win was foreign.

"Beth has no further use here. She already outed herself from the only safety blanket in this team. And plus...do you really see her offering anything useful to our alliance?" Noah raised a brow as if he was challenging anyone to give him a counterpoint. He smirked when the three shrugged with no answer. 

"So I get to do psychological warfare on Heather for today? Count me in." Gwen made a devious smile as the group disposed of their oatmeal.

"Me too girl." Leshawna added, and the two girls shoulder bumped each other.

"And what about Lindsay?" Trent asked but Noah shrugged in response.

"Keep her out of the loop. We don't know yet of her current situation with Heather." The nerd said nothing more as they left the bowls on the table. However, as Gwen was about to leave, a light tap on the shoulder made her turn. To her surprise, Bridgette waved at her with a flustered but bright smile.

"Hey Gwen! I need to talk to you for a second!" The surfer girl said.

"What is up Bridgette?" Gwen asked.

"I found this near the cabins." Bridgette presented a small folded paper covered in light pink hearts. She opened it and allowed the goth to read its contents. The silence was awkward as Gwen was enveloped in the writing. The longer she read, her face quickly flushed a bright pink through her makeup. Bridgette couldn't help but chuckle at the goth's face before she shut the paper.

"Woah. That is one...spicy haiku." Gwen fanned her face with one hand, and the other clutching her chest where her heart would be.

"I know right? I was wondering who it could possibly be for. I think it is for you." Bridgette smirked and offered the letter.

"Wait really? Why do you think so?" Gwen blinked in shock, and her face retained its pink from the teasing look the surfer girl gave.

"Gwen, I have seen how you and Trent look at each other. Everyone knows you two have a crush on each other. I have caught him constantly smuggling a blueberry muffin for you when Chef makes them. And he is a songwriter so he probably wrote that for you." She said. Gwen could not get rid of the blush seemingly stuck to her face from all of the examples of the musician's affections.

"You make a good point, but Trent is not really a poem person. Maybe it could be for you?" The goth offered the letter back to the surfer. In contrast to the goth's blushing cheeks, Bridgette's face became strained at the mention of a crush.

"I don't know about that." Bridgette chuckled with no real energy, which caught the goth off guard.

"Why not?" Gwen asked with a small frown.

"After the whole thing with Geoff, I don't know how to feel about any other boys in my team having a crush on me." Bridgette explained with a disappointed scowl as she mentioned the party teen's name. Gwen quickly remembered the information that was revealed to both teams a few challenges ago, and she cringed hard at the memory.

"Well why don't we figure out who wrote it for whom? A little mystery of our own here at camp?" Gwen changed the topic and nudged the surfer girl's shoulder.

"Sure. Deal." Bridgette quickly got out of her glum mood, fist bumped the goth, and buried the letter into her pocket.

The two chosen contestants stood at the edge of Wawanakwa's cliff, their bodies facing the brutal high winds. Bridgette was finishing strapping the last of the harness straps, while Trent gulped hard at the sound of the paraglide wing flapping behind. "So our chosen paragliders are Bridgette verses Trent! Remember that you need to paraglide across the entire coastline! And be careful with how you land, otherwise the water will be no different from concrete!" Chris shouted loudly through the winds.

"Wait! Shouldn't you give us a tutorial first?!" Trent exclaimed in alarm.

"You should have thought of that before volunteering yourself for this! Prepare to use your risers!" Chris gestured to the straps over their shoulders. Bridgette smiled confidently as she pulled the risers, and her paraglider wing started to bulge against the current. Trent's anxiety increased as he did the same, and he felt the tug become so strong it was ready to pull him away.

"Three, two, one, GO!" The host exclaimed, and the two teens floated off with great speed. The wind blew Trent in a upward trajectory while Bridgette eased herself into a smooth downward path. The breeze pushed into the wing roughly and they resorted to pulling a string to open the sides, allowing a more intense decline. 

"Woohoo!" Bridgette cheered as she adjusted her course. She felt a sharp turn towards the right as she rounded the coastline, and she could see the small Killer Bass's small forms cheering on. Her hair flapped rapidly and excitement rushed into her veins as she made half-flips in the air. The air flowed as if it followed her lead, making entire barrel flips without potential crashing. She laughed blissfully as she opened the flaps towards the giant floating target. The waves slapped against her legs while barely coasting the surface, and she rapidly jogged to catch herself from flipping forward. The lines slagged and the paraglide wing filled with the surrounding water. The Killer Bass screamed various cheers at the impressive display, with Duncan offering an approving thumbs up and DJ clapping rapidly with a warm look.

However the moment was ruined by Trent screaming an unknown curse, a harsh slapping sound that carried in the open water, and a chorus of cringing teenagers. Bridgette turned to see a paraglider getting swallowed by the water, followed by Trent erupting from the surface coughing harshly. She offered a hand to the musician and he cringed clutching his sides.

"Looks like Trent descended too fast and missed the mark! Gophers lose, and the Bass gain a point!" Chef announced beside the two teams.

"Nice going Trent. You didn't even hit the chalk outline on the target." Heather said in a disappointed scoff as the two contestants reached the shore.

"Heather, I don't care." Trent stated with brutal honesty. The mean girl didn't seem to care as the group moved on to the next part.

"Hey Trent, you like to write songs. Do you happen to be into poetry too?" Gwen nudged him slightly but the musician seemed confused.

"Gwen, I told you I suck at poems." He whispered to her.

"Knew it!" Gwen pumped a fist to herself.

"Why'd you ask?" Trent asked her next.

"No reason. Thanks." Gwen smirked and walked slightly faster.

(Confessional: Trent)

"I will never understand why girls need to be so secretive. It's not like I was going to spill anything." Trent shrugged with a lighthearted expression.

(Confessional: Gwen)

"Okay, I could have been more straightforward with him about it. But if it was him...then the lyrics would be...it is hard okay? 'For the girl with smoldering eyes.' God, my face is exploding again!!" Gwen squished her reddened face aggressively.

"Okay, cowpokes! Let’s officially start the rodeo moose challenge! It is DJ versus Leshawna." Chris announced to the campers through a megaphone. DJ and Leshawna offered a handshake as the Jamaican went first.

"Wrangling a moose shouldn't be that hard. It is like wrangling an upset donkey. You just need to have patience and match their energy until they are tired." DJ spoke to the Killer Bass while climbing on a ladder. The moose had a dark look as the gentle giant hooked his legs around its shoulders.

"You can do it DJ!" Bridgette cheered on. Gwen did not know whether it was her own adrenaline kicking in, or if it was the angle, but she saw the faintest tint of color on the Jamaican's face. She couldn't help but smirk towards Bridgette, who did not notice her.

Chef approached the gate holding the moose nervously and slowly unlatched the lock. The moose heard the snap of the lock and all it saw was red. Before either DJ or Chef were ready, it rammed its way threw the gate and thrashed around wildly. DJ, who had not managed to hook his arms correctly, screamed as he flew threw the air into a thick pile of socks. Lindsay and Duncan cringed as the giant shook as many socks as he could.

"Ow. Not like a donkey at all." DJ groaned.

"And DJ is out surprisingly?! Big stinker for the Bass; only 3 seconds! Leshawna, it is your turn to dance!" Chris turned to the chosen Gopher, who was already being placed on a barely restrained moose.

"Alright big boy, you be nice now. You wouldn't want to make me angry." Leshawna challenged the moose with a head pat.

The moose appeared to snarl and veins flared in the corners of its eyes as it reared up. Chef screamed and jumped out of the way before the moose started to do cartwheels midair. Both the Killer Bass and Screaming Gophers gasped and anticipated for the black girl to be thrown off into the pile. However, to their shock, the girl continued to taunt the moose and cheer as the seconds rolled by. Chris watched on astonished as she even resorted to punching its forehead. The moose started to run past the area and towards the final challenge mud skiing arena, and the entire group of teens and staff followed suit. Finally the moose whipped hard enough for Leshawna to land at the edge of the mud pit, and the two glared at each other. The girl made a motion to dare the moose, but the beast seemed to slowly calm down and walked towards a bush of berries.

"And Leshawna has skyrocketed to the top with 43 seconds! Gophers take the point!" Chris laughed elated by the outcome. Leshawna brushed off the twigs as each of the Gophers, with exception to Heather, gave her high fives. However she caught the look Noah was giving and leaned over to mute their conversation.

"What happened to needing to do your worst?" The nerd whispered in disapproval.

"Don't worry honey. We got this." Leshawna reassured, and Noah secretly hoped she was right.

"So we have a tie! Whoever wins the extreme waterskiing challenge wins for their whole team! Duncan will be paired with Beth, while Heather is paired with Harold." Chris announced the chosen the contestants. Heather had a grin directed towards Harold as she held the keys, while Beth held her head high staring Duncan down.

"C-Can I be in the challenge? I want to help." Lindsay raised her hand, but Trent gently put it back down.

"It's okay Lindsay. We got it all covered. I promise that you will not be going home." The musician reassured her and the blonde nodded.

(Confessional: Trent)

"I couldn't tell her about our plan, but I didn't want to embarrass her in the challenge. It was the least I could do in that situation." Trent explained.

(Confessional: Harold)

"Alright, we are tied for the win. "Bad to the bone" Duncan is driving Lindsay. And I’m skiing for the Bass against "Queen B" Heather. Winning is inevitable here. It is time to put my game face on!" Harold said while wearing dark sunglasses

"Okay so Trent has been ruled out as the haiku writer. That leaves Duncan, Noah, Harold, or DJ." Gwen listed off each boy's name with Bridgette just outside of the confessional.

"Duncan is out anyway. He has been crushing on Courtney despite how much he tries to deny it. Harold is...well-" Bridgette explained. As if on cue, Harold erupted from the confessional with his pants half down due to the sunglasses obscuring his vision. He tried to greet the girls only to trip on his pants, and he fell face first into a stray mud puddle.

"Yeah. And Noah? I cannot picture him being corny enough to make lyrics like THAT. So I guess that leaves DJ." Gwen grinned as Bridgette's face slowly tinted pink.

"Wow. I...that is a lot to take in." The surfer girl glanced towards the Killer Bass.

"I mean I can see it. You two have been pretty close throughout our time here. You should try approaching him about it." The goth rubbed her shoulder as they approached the mud pit.

"I guess you're right. It would not hurt to ask." Bridgette smiled while blushing.

Suddenly, an all too eager Heather revved up the jet ski as Harold undressed himself to his swim trunks and taped on glasses. The dweeb teen had a confident look as he grabbed the rope tied around the jet ski. "You are so dead, Alpha Geek!" Heather grinned.

"Here are the rules...THERE ARE NO RULES! So good luck out there!" Chris cheered as he backed up in his miniature jeep. Meanwhile, DJ looked at the competition about to take place until a light shoulder tap caught his attention. He looked over to see Bridgette at his side but not making eye contact.

"Hey DJ. Um, do you happen to share any feelings for any contestants? Something that is on your mind?" The surfer girl stuttered slightly, which was uncharacteristic for her. Her heart pounded inside as she barely kept her cool.

"What do you mean?" DJ tilted his head.

"Like are you the type to write romantic poetry to someone you admire?" She added on to the question. The realization of her question finally hit him as he stared into her soul, and Bridgette felt like crumbling inside. She was ready to turn and walk away until a hand gently gripped her shoulder. She turned a little too quickly to see DJ smiling at her with bright eyes.

"If I were to show my admiration for anyone Bridge, it would not be through words but my actions. If that answers your question." The Jamaican smiled and gave her a small shoulder hug. Her heart raced for a few seconds until she hugged back, her smile not visible to the giant but to Gwen. The goth offered a thumbs up before looking towards the racing contestants. 

"It is enough. Thank you." Bridgette murmurred as the two broke the hug. DJ still had his hand on her shoulder as she pushed back strands of hair.

"Ready, set, GO!" Chris called out and Heather floored the gas on the jet ski. Harold was almost pulled off but he tightened his grab on the rope, even as mud slapped against his face. The dweeb exclaimed that mud flew into his mouth but kept his cool as a small ramp rapidly approached. Heather increased the ski's speed to its maximum over the ramp to try and whip Harold off. To her dismay, the dweeb straightened up and snatched a flag off the ramp's edge.

"Flag one for the Killer Bass!" Chris announced over the megaphone. Duncan gestured a casual thumbs up to Harold, while Katie offered high-fives to the other members.

"WHAT?! NO!!" Heather screamed and noticed a certain nerd in the pile of Screaming Gophers looking smug. She glared and whipped the jet ski as aggressively as possible, her attempts growing increasingly desperate. Unfortunately Harold adjusted himself accordingly and grabbed three more flags. He had a pleased smile and Heather's heart dropped at the approaching finish line.

"And now it's four flags! Heather now has to cross the finish line or be disqualified! But no matter what she does, Harold will take four flags to victory for the Killer Bass! Unless she finds a way to buck him off!" Chris said over the megaphone and the mean girl gasped in realization. 

"Victory is mine!" Harold exclaimed in joy. Heather's face grew red as she reached into her skirt pocket, and everyone gasped at seeing a small knife glinting in the sunlight.

"Where the hell did she get that?!" Leshawna gasped.

"Game over guppy!" Heather snipped at Harold as she leaned over to cut the rope dragging the dweeb. Harold's face turned white as she grinned madly. However, neither of them had noticed a decently sized branch dangling just above the speeding vehicle. The branch caught onto the bottom of Heather's top and she was pulled out of her ski. Harold ducked in time and the driverless jet ski continued on until it hit solid ground. The dweeb stood up triumphantly as the Bass crowded around him.

"AAAH!!" Heather screamed which caught everyone's attention. The mean girl was scrambling to her feet with her torn off top. The branch had ripped her top clothing in half, exposing her breasts for everyone to see.

"And Harold crosses the line with four flags towards the Bass team! Can the Gophers find a way to surpass them?!" Chris announced while ignoring the half naked Heather bolting towards the cabins.

(Confessional: Heather)

"This...is so...demeaning!!!" Heather growled while hastily putting on a shirt.

(Confessional: Gwen)

"An ass shot in exchange for a full viewing of Heather's breasts to the entire world? Suck it." Gwen grinned.

(Confessional: Harold)

"...Boobs..." Harold murmurred with stars in his eyes.

"Ready, set, ride it like it’s sweeps week! Go!"

Duncan floored on the gas as Beth attempted to stay upright. Just like the earlier Heather and Harold, the farmer girl managed to grab the first flag on the ramp before Duncan whipped around aggressively. The delinquent hopped on the ski to make unstable bounces, which caused Beth to lose her balance and miss two flags. She glared and squatted low enough to grab three more trinkets. Duncan grinned madly as he sped up more, but missed Beth grabbing another flag sticking out of another ramp.

"And Beth has grabbed five flags! All she needs to do is grab two more and she'll be winning for the Gophers!" Chris announced over the megaphone.

"Wow...Duncan getting outsmarted? My expectations were set too high." Noah spoke up loud enough for the tough teen to overhear through the ski's engine. The delinquent saw red and saw a large boulder jutting out of the rock.

"Says you, nerd! I am not going out like this!" Duncan growled and started to go full speed towards the rock.

"WHAT ARE YOU-!?!" Beth screamed but was cut off by the jet ski sharply turning at the last second. The rope was fully exposed to the boulder and snapped under the pressure. She managed to miss the rock but the momentum was instantly lost as she face planted into the mud. She skidded for a little longer before sliding into a thick bush.

"And Beth has been bucked off and loses all of the flags! The Killer Bass win the challenge!" Chris declared through the megaphone and the Bass erupted into joyous cheers.

"No!" Heather, who had just returned with a new shirt, exclaimed in horror.

"Sorry kid! It wasn't personal!" Duncan ran past the mud and thorn covered Beth and towards his team.

"I don't believe you!" Beth called out from the brush.

"The Gophers went belly-up and will now decide which one their friendly teammates to ship off, while the Bass scored some much-needed showers." Chris finished his part of the script. Suddenly all of the Gopher's heads shot up and look to the television host.

"Wait a minute!! What showers?" Leshawna demanded.

"Oh, did I forget to mention that this morning? Whoever won the challenge would be rewarded with a Multi Massage Mobile Shower." The host gestured towards the cabins.

In between the Gopher and Bass cabins was an oversized truck that transitioned into a mobile shower system. The insides of the shower truck included five brands of shampoo and conditioner, a steam system option, a hair scrubber, and extended shower heads. The Killer Bass, except for Bridgette, ran towards the showers like it was a lifeline while the Gophers grew heartbroken at the loss.

"Noah! We could've used that!" Leshawna whined to the nerd but he didn't seem to be too upset.

"A small sacrifice for a better reward." The nerd murmurred.

"You better be right." The girls of the alliance muttered pathetically, and Heather glared harshly at the nerd before stomping away. The Gophers began to glumly walk away towards the cabins to prepare for the elimination, but Gwen caught sight of Bridgette waving to her. The surfer immediately caught up with Katie and walked side by side with the goth and Leshawna.

"So if our only lead DJ didn't make the poem, then who did? Could it have been one of the girls?" Gwen sighed.

"What are y'all talking about?" Leshawna asked and Katie nodded in agreement, wondering what the big fuss was. Bridgette pulled the paper out of her pocket and showed the girls the contents of the love letter. Leshawna's face melted and Katie burst into manic giggles, confusing the goth and surfer girls.

"Oooh, it looks like another letter for you Leshawna!" Katie squealed softly while hugging the black girl.

"The letter was for you?!" Gwen and Bridgette exclaimed in synchronization.

"Yeah! Leshawna's been getting admiration letters for a few weeks now! You must've just grabbed it by accident." Katie explained cheerfully.

"You three know someone else here with a booty as luscious as an apple?" Leshawna said before the two girls walked away, leaving a shocked Gwen and Bridgette alone.

"But then who wrote the poem if it was for Leshawna?" Gwen asked and her friend did not seem to have an answer.

(Confessional: Heather)

"I saw him when that dweeb was catching all of those flags. He was so SMUG at watching me fail. All of them did! He was planning all of this, wasn't he? Trent failing, picking BETH of all people to ski?! How long has he been planning this...I am going to find a way to take. That. Nerd. DOWN." Heather growled snapping her third nail filer.

(Confessional: Beth)

"This is it! Heather is up for elimination now! There is no way she can possibly escape this! Everyone here hates her, except for Lindsay! I can be free of her FOREVER!" Beth cheered to herself.

"Gophers, it has been a while since you made your appearance here. But I'm sure you all know how this works about now. If you do not receive a marshmallow, you will be forced to walk the Dock of Shame and you will never ever return to camp. Now for the chosen people, Leshawna is safe." Chris offered her the black girl a marshmallow.

"Lindsay, Noah, and Gwen." The blonde had a nervous look while the other two nodded at one another after grabbing their treats.

"Trent, you are safe too." The host threw a marshmallow onto the musician's lap, who offered a smile holding two ice packs against his sides. "And now that leaves Heather, who failed to buck off Harold and exposed some nice assets to national television."

"I want that footage deleted!" Heather growled at the brief snickers from Gwen and Leshawna.

"And Beth who failed even bigger in holding the flags and flying into a thick brush of thorns and mud." The host gestured to the farmer girl.

"But that was not my fault! He was really mean about it!" Beth explained but the host didn't seem to care as he presented the marshmallow.

"And the last one for the marshmallow is...Heather." The host pointed to Heather, who snatched the marshmallow at astonishing speed. She seemed shocked as she held it before grinning at a shocked and mentally destroyed Beth. The farmer girl stood and quickly turned to the other Gophers.

"Wait what?! Why!? Everyone knows how mean she is! You could've gotten her out!" Beth pointed to the mean girl who continued to grin and glare. No Gopher offered an answer before Heather started to scoot her away.

"Move along now traitor. The Boat of Losers is that way." Heather pointed towards the docks. Beth's mouth hung open before her cheeks turned red, and she slapped the marshmallow out of her hand. The mean girl scoffed as Beth hastily ran down the docks without another word.

"And that is it for tonight. Get some sleep kids, because the next challenge tomorrow is going to be a doozy." Chris said ominously and walked off the set, the cameras clicking off a few moments later.

"It sucks that we haven't been able to find out who made the poem." Gwen murmurred as they began to retreat towards the cabins, and Bridgette came up from behind. She dropped the letter as they split off with several "goodnight's". 

"We'll figure it out at some point." Bridgette reassured her and the doors clicked shut.

Several minutes passed into the night as lights turned off one by one, and all of the campers settled into their beds. All except for you. Close to the campfire ceremony, one teenager erupted from the brush and snatched up the letter. His ginger red hair shone in the flickering fireplace as he quickly folded the paper.

"There you are!" Harold whispered to himself and scampered off into a different part of camp, a pile of blank papers and pencils sticking out of his pocket.

Chapter Text

The morning was pleasant with a flock of geese flying overhead and barely missed a hanging camera. In the main dining lodge, Chris leaned against the open doorway with Chef as the remaining teenagers came in single file. The two men smiled at one another with sneaky glances.

"Where is the breakfast?" Trent rubbed his head in confusion at the lack of prepared meals. The host could barely keep the chuckle in his throat as more teenagers noticed.

"Oh don't worry buddy, there will be some food later on." Chris reassured the musician, and Chef let out a deep chuckle. The noise prompted him to join with a snicker as he leaned against the burly man's shoulder.

"What're you bozos all giggly about?" Leshawna yawned as she was the second to last to enter.

"Nothing." The host snapped into his host persona.

"Congratulations to our remaining eleven campers for reaching the halfway mark of our competition! By next week, the two teams will officially become one and all team-based alliances will be over! It will be every man, and woman, for themselves!" Chris announced with a wide grin. Katie was the only one with a reaction by rapidly clapping as applause, much to DJ's endearment. 

"But before we get into the challenge, all of the girls will be moved into the Gophers cabin and all of the guys will be based in the Bass cabin. So Katie, Bridgette, Noah, and Trent will need to gather their belongings and move out fast." The host continued with the explanation. As soon as the Bass girls were mentioned, Heather glanced over with a conniving squint. Meanwhile, Lindsay's eyes brightened at seeing Katie look toward her. Duncan's eyes widened at seeing Trent staring back at him, but immediately scowled once Noah stood up to join the Bass.

"Wait what? But that's so sudden." Leshawna interrupted. Noah rounded the corner until he was close to her ear, and he leaned over to avoid Heather catching his words.

"You heard him. The alliance is over. You were...appropriate members to work with." The nerd paused at the last sentence and his eyes glanced away to avoid eye contact. Leshawna blinked in surprise and a warm smile crossed her face.

"You're not too bad yourself." She patted the nerd's back, causing him to stumble forward until both boy Gophers joined the Bass.

"This challenge is as old as history itself; the Battle of the Sexes! I'll announce the challenge once everyone settles in, and you will have a...bite to eat." Chris finished the explanation and started to chuckle along with Chef. The teams looked on confused as the prementioned Bass and Gopher members left the main lodge. Noah and Trent entered the old Gopher cabin with the door snapping shut, while Bridgette and Katie quickly gathered as much belongings as possible. Even though Chris would more likely be sending the rest of their items after the challenge, they couldn't risk the boys finding something personal.

"This will be different. Moving in with the other girls. I'll almost miss being with the guys." Katie murmurred in a passing conversation.

"It won't be so bad, Katie. We can still talk to them after the challenge." Bridgette pointed out as she zipped up her personal bag. The two girls smiled as the surfer reached for the door. However, the doorknob suddenly turned and the tall figure of DJ stepped into the room. The two stared at one another before they snapped back to reality, both taking an immediate step back.

"Oh!" DJ commented.

"DJ!" Bridgette exclaimed softly. 

"I'll give you two some space." The teasing voice of Katie filled the room, but neither of them could stop the preppy girl from slipping through the door. She disappeared and they were the only people in the room. The scene felt awkward as Bridgette set her bag down.

"What is up?" She asked.

"I just wanted to see you off. It certainly won't feel the same once you and Katie are gone." DJ explained

"Yeah. It was nice being around you. You are a good guy DJ, and I hope you do well in the competition." Bridgette scratched at her arms nervously while still avoiding eyes contact. DJ slowly stepped toward her and left the border of the door, and he continued to cover the distance in silence until they were inches apart.

"About your question yesterday...I did mean it. About using my actions instead of words." The Jamaican murmurred.

"Oh yeah. You did mention that. Why do you-" Bridgette cut herself off as she felt a light peck at the tip of the forehead. Her eyes shot open as she saw DJ lean over and promptly backed up. 

"Good luck on the competition, yeah?" The gentle giant said.

"Y-Yeah." Bridgette stuttered with her cheeks blooming red. Her heart sped up as she reached for the doorknob, and promptly swung open to jog out of the situation. However, she glanced back at DJ at the same second she started her sprint. Something slammed into her side and the two bodies fell into the cabin's outdoor floorboards, much to DJ's shock and her embarressment. She groaned and realized her body hovered over another boy from the opposite team. Noah was sprawled across the cabin floorboards with no intention of getting up while she was still above him. She hastily returned to her feet allowing the nerd space to move, "S-Sorry Noah!! I didn't notice you!"

"Ow." Noah stated bluntly.

"I'll get going n-AH!" Bridgette was prepared to leave the situation with nothing but bruised knees and embarressment, but the nerd gripped onto her sleeve. She looked at him confused as his expression turned serious but confident.

"We need to talk." Noah murmurred and began to whisper into her ear.

(Confessional: Katie)

"I was...nervous going into the Gophers cabin for the first time. You spend so long just being one of the guys that you forget you're not one until you leave! But Bridgette gets along with Gwen and Leshawna just fine! And Lindsay will be there! It cannot be that bad!"

Katie inhaled slowly and thrust the Gopher door open, but a sudden shout from Leshawna knocked the air out of her legs. The scene inside the cabin was something out of a high school movie, with Leshawna close to Heather's face with barely contained frustration. On the other hand, Heather had her nose high up in a defiant manner and her arms crossed, as if Leshawna's argument was beneath her. Gwen and Lindsay watched on with silent glances to one another, as if neither knew whether to break up the argument or not.

"No one is leaving until I find out who took my pudding pockets!" Leshawna gestured to the entire cabin.

"I ate them. There. You happy?" Heather huffed and pushed the black girl away.

"What?! That is my food! No one eats out of my food!" Leshawna gawked and her eyes twitched in barely contained rage. Katie still clutched the doorknob and wondered if she needed to flee the scene before fists were thrown.

"Deal with it! It serves you right for leaving your junk everywhere, like THAT! That has been bugging me!" Heather whirled around aggressively to point at a royal purple bra dangling off of Leshawna's bunk. Katie couldn't help but stare the color of the cloth. She was not one to pay attention to arguments, but she could admire beautiful shades of colors for future clothes.

"Girl, there ain't anywhere else for me to put it! And it would bug me too if I didn't have anything in the front or the back to shake!" Leshawna argued, emphasizing the last sentence by gesturing her breasts and butt.

"God, you've got so much junk in your trunk, your jeans should include a trash compactor!" Heather growled loudly which caused Katie to quietly gasp. She had considered Leshawna to be one of the most beautiful girls here, despite having wider proportions compared to everyone else. Lindsay glanced over at the door and finally noticed the preppy girl, to which they shared a nervous wave.

"DO YOU WANT ANOTHER LESSON?" Leshawna's voice cracked as she loosened her arms to punch the mean girl's face in. Katie whimpered at the potential fight happening before another hand gently nudged her aside. The preppy girl felt relief in the room as Bridgette plopped her bag down, and the two arguing girls were silenced by her presence.

"What is going on here?" The surfer girl asked.

"Bridgette! Katie! It is good to see you! Welcome to our cabin!" Heather snapped into a friendly voice as she hooked a arm around Katie's shoulder. The preppy girl smiled as Heather pulled her along until she was side-by-side with her and Lindsay. Bridgette stayed at the door with a confused and suspicious look.

"Our big and heavily dysfunctional cabin." Gwen murmurred with her hands against her chin. Lindsay smiled brightly and tightly hugged the preppy girl, and the two stayed in the hug for several seconds until Heather pulled them apart.

"Katie! Welcome to the club! You'll fit in just fine...as long as you do everything Heather says." The blonde murmurred the last part and felt her foot pressed harshly by Heather's shoe. The Asian glared but quickly returned to a faux smile pulling Katie to the bunkbeds.

"Anyways! I made sure to put your bunk next to mine so we get to know each other just fine." Heather continued with the tour. She threw Katie's bags on the blankets, which conveniently knocked some of Lindsay's stuff onto the floor. The blonde twitched nervously watching all of her cosmetics rolling around, to which Leshawna and Gwen looked at each other with sympathetic glances.

"Uh-huh. And what about me?" Bridgette crossed her arms.

"We can make some room for you, girl. You don't gotta worry." Leshawna waved her off and offered a fresh unused bunk. 

"Oh I worry. For her." Bridgette whispered to them as Katie adjusted herself to the new bunk bed, and Heather giving them sneaky glares that could burn through skulls.

(Confessional: Bridgette)

"I hold grudges. And I also remember everything Heather has done to the others. She can't get to me that easily." Bridgette stated.

Meanwhile in the Bass cabin, most of the boys were goofing off in the barely insulated walls. Noah had chosen to chill on the outdoor rail as guitar chords rattled the screen doors. Inside the cabin, Trent was creating different chords into a vaguely rock-like song while Duncan adjusted the volume using an amp system. Harold was getting into the music and headbanging, and DJ cheered the three teens on enthusiastically.

"Come on Trent! Crank up the tunes!" DJ challenged the musician who seemed to grow more excited by the request.

"Oh alright, I'll crank some tunes!" Trent warned accordingly and played the hardest song he knew. Noah, who was still outside on the rail, felt the vibration inside the cabin increase by tenfold. The noise startled dozens of birds into the sky, and he was knocked into a bush barely concealing the ground. He could hear the triumphant laughter of the other boys through the guitar strings quieting down.

"Nice one brother!" DJ yelled.

"The girls better finish soon..." Noah groaned pulling off as much plant burs as he could see.

In the Gophers cabin, tensions were still high as Bridgette unfolded all of her clothes while being shielded by Gwen and Leshawna. Katie, who hadn't been able to breathe without Heather by her side, conditioned herself to patiently sit on the bed. Heather opened a flower box and revealed the contents with dozens of cosmetics and makeup. Katie, and by extension Lindsay, gawked at the brands of makeup that only rich people could afford.

"Here you go, Katie. What is mine is now yours. Nail polish, scrunchies, earrings, anything is all yours for the taking." Heather smiled too sweetly as Katie grabbed a eyeliner and lipstick. The preppy girl got up at the same time Lindsay leaned over to see the box.

"What? But you never showed me-" The blonde commented but the box slammed shut by Heather, who glared at her in a manner to shut her up.

"Here Bridgette! These are high quality brands!" Katie offered by eyeliner to the surfer girl, but she politely declined and gave it back.

"No thanks. I like to keep a natural look." Bridgette explained. Heather seemed to not take the answer seriously as she opened the eye liner, and leaned over enough to start tracing on the surfer's face. Bridgette became uncomfortable and attempted to turn away, only for Heather to pull her chin back with her fingertips.

"Oh come on, don't be shy. My mom always says a lady can always use a little boost in the looks department." The mean girl squinted.

"And my momma told me ain’t nothin’ free in this world without a catch. Any sweet words she's sharing with you has venom, Katie. You better watch yourself." Leshawna butted into the conversation with enough authority that it halted Heather's impromptu makeup session. Gwen nodded in agreement and Bridgette took the moment to back away and wipe the eyeliner off.

"Would you mind your own business already?" Heather hissed with a twitching eye, but Leshawna did not appear intimidated. 

"We are on the same team and live in the same cabin! Anything that goes on in this group is all of our business!" The black girl kept her authoritative tone which seemed to tick Heather off more.

"You want to be that way, fine! Lindsay, give me that tape now!" The mean girl snapped towards the blonde, who immediately opened the closet with duck tape without another word.

(Confessional: Heather)

"Okay, I might've acted a little impulsive there. But I have had it to here with everyone. Leshawna and Gwen are creasing me, Lindsay is blanking out more than usual, and now there is no doubt Noah is conspiring with the guys to vote me out! I needed some control here!" Heather pointed at the confessional wall as if she was pointing to the girls outside.

Heather attached the end of the duck tape to where the floor met the outside, and began stretching it all of the way across the room. The tape made a perfect border splitting the space in half as she ended it at the window in the center. "Oh real mature, Rina Bacon. Just know that the second you cross that line, I'm gonna smack you down." Leshawna huffed at the mean girl's pettiness.

"This is my side and that is your side. You two can choose the weirdos if you want. But the moment you do, you are not allowed on our side." Heather explained like she was the boss in the room, causing Leshawna and Gwen to glare harder.

"But what if I need more space?" Bridgette asked without any real emotion.

"You. Are NOT. Allowed. Right, Lindsay?" Heather emphasized and crossed her arms waiting for the blonde to agree.

"I...guess..." Lindsay murmurred pathetically and stared at the ground.

"But I don't want to be anyone's enemy! Can't we just talk things out?" Katie pleaded with outstretched arms, but Heather was not budging to the preppy girl.

"Sorry, but there is no talking to Heather. Just being her slave." Gwen interjected. Katie looked back between the goth and black girl, and then to Heather and Lindsay several times. She made eye contact with Bridgette, who seemed content with being on Leshawna and Gwen's side of the cabin. Finally, she made an apologetic look as she moved to Heather's side.

"At least Katie made the right choice." Heather smirked and left the cabin first. Lindsay and the other girls followed behind her and left the new girls alone in the cabin.

"I'm sorry. I could not leave Lindsay alone..." Katie murmurred and Bridgette gave a small hug.

"Just don't let her get to you." The surfer girl whispered.

All of the teenagers finally made their way into the main lodge where Chris and Chef awaited them with clipboards. "It is time for the challenge to begin!"

"Hold up. Where is the breakfast?" Leshawna pointed out to the empty tables, and the two hosts burst into a light laughter. 

"Stop giggling and spill it already!!" Heather snapped having had enough of their giggling.

"Alright I'll tell you. Today’s challenge is… The Brunch of Disgustingness! You’ll be getting a nine course meal, where the teams must have the most members eat and finish each dish for a point. The team with the most points wins the challenge! Our beloved Chef and intern Molly spent several days gathering ingredients for the most exotic, slightly unsettling, and gross dishes you will ever find in the world! Try not to curse them out too much." Chris winked at the camera hidden within the lodge.

"Chris, tell them what the reward will be for today." Chef interrupted with a little too much excitement, which further unnerved the teenagers.

"The winning team will spend two days on a five-star resort and yacht where they’ll be pampered, eat gourmet buffets, and be given antibiotics against anything they may have contracted while participating in the challenge! The losing team will spend the next two days here. On Camp Wawanakwa. With Chef." Chris pointed to the burly man, whose face made an evil grin while waving.

(Confessional: Heather)

"We. Are Going. TO WIN!" Heather said.

(Confessional: Bridgette)

"I'm just hoping our stomachs will be able to handle the pressure. I mean, I'll try anything once. Except for red or white meat. I will suck it up for seafood, dairy, and eggs. But anything else is against my principles."

The girls and boys took their appropriate seats as covered plates were presented to each teen. Leshawna and Gwen sat across from each other and were far enough where Heather could not hear them. "So if Noah and Trent are officially on the guys team, I guess it is just you and me Gwen. Sisters for life?" Leshawna offered a fist.

"Sisters for life." Gwen smirked and returned the fist bump. The two girls noticed Noah staring from across the tables, and the three exchanged nods as a nonverbal conversation. 

"Take a whiff, losers! This will be all you'll be getting while we will be getting gourmet!" Heather taunted the boys as the last of the covered plates were placed on the tables.

"Please, juvie has offered worse dishes in the past. How bad can this be?" Duncan taunted back.

"Let’s begin the challenge! First dish…is some Hors D’oeuvres. Rocky Mountain Oysters." Chris spoke up as Chef revealed the first dish. The dish resembled the typical chicken tenders, from the deep fried color to the breaded texture. However, the meat appeared to be sliced thin and flexible in the teens' hands. 

"Fried oysters? Jeez, you had me worried for nothing." Duncan spoke up as he took the first bite. He hummed at the odd texture and the boys slowly bit into it.

"But as the people down in the states would call them..." Chris continued with a devious smile.

"Cowboy caviar, or fried bull testicles." Chef finished the explanation and presented the "oysters" in their true form. A small bowl held dozens of bull testicles that still contained veins and a thin membrane.

"What." The girls murmurred in shock, and the boys' hearts dropped as Duncan quickly spat the chewed meat onto his plate.

"WHAT?!" Most of the guys screamed and Harold clutched his pearls under the table.

"Th-These a-are...testicles?" Trent felt sick in his stomach.

"Fresh out of the frier too!" Chef continued to make the situation worse, and chuckled at the horror on the boys' faces. The first few minutes were awkward as the boys attempted to muster up any form of courage. Trent was the first to try and bit half of an "oyster" in half, but his face scrunched up as if he was biting into his own jewels. DJ tried to throw an entire oyster into his mouth, but looked like he was ready to throw up the more he chewed. Harold's eyes became shiny as he silently stared into the plate, to which Chris patted his back with faux sympathy.

Meanwhile, the girls grabbed a fried bull testicle with determined stares. Gwen bit into her oyster with little hesitation, biting off a chunk and caused half of the boy's squeaked  as if their balls were chewed on. Leshawna threw the testicles into her mouth as if it was a bag of chips, and Katie and Lindsay slowly took small bites.

"Oh...this is so gross. But I really could use a pedicure at that resort. My corns are growing corns." Lindsay groaned but continued with her dish.

"I'm closing my eyes and eating." Katie shuddered and stabbed into the third "oyster".

"What are you doing?! Why aren't you eating?" Heather suddenly accused Bridgette, who pushed her dish away to the center of the table.

"I'm a pescatarian. This goes against my principles." Bridgette explained to the mean girl.

"Are you doing this just to spite me?! Cause I saw you eat those filthy hamburgers on the first day!" Heather continued the interrogation which aggravated the surfer even more. Off to the side, Leshawna and Gwen smirked at one another and wordlessly devoured more testicles.

"The meat was tofu for mine!" The surfer girl continued to argue. Suddenly, the synchronized screams of the boys startled them out of the conversation. They watched as Noah was not only done with his plate of bull testicles, but seemed to grab a couple more from other plates and bite into them. He appeared to almost savor it until Trent's horrified exclamation snapped him out of it.

"What? First of all, it is not even raw. And secondly, the average hotdog has more processed and disgusting ingredients than anything this dish has to offer. Some ingredients include-" Noah shrugged in a nonchalant manner before Trent rushed over faster than anyone could stop him. The musician gripped his shoulders firmly and shook him slightly.

"Don't you dare! You already ruined chicken nuggets for me! Do not ruin hotdogs for me too!" The musician pled and Noah silenced himself without further argument. Moments later, each of the boys spat out their chewed meat like a domino effect.

"I can't do this." Duncan murmurred.

"Looks like the guys lost this round. Who knew little man Noah has more balls than the rest of you? The first round goes to the female side!" Chris rubbed salt in the wound towards the guys and the girls erupted into cheers. Chris gestured to Chef to bring out an oversized bowl billowing steam from the top, "And now on to the second course of the Brunch of Disgustingness. Quick question; do you kids like seafood?"

"I could go for some," DJ nodded.

"I'm allergic to shellfish." Noah interjected while not affected by the glare Duncan was giving.

"Then how about you try a dish made from Japan?" As soon as the country of choice was named, Harold's eyes went wide and bright as he started to bounce in his seat. Leshawna looked at the boy's gestures and could not help but find the behavior endearing. For a moment, he was acting like an excited young kid. 

"What is it?! What is it?!" The dweeb anticipated.

"San-nakji & Goong ten. Otherwise known as raw octopus tentacles with live dancing shrimp smothered in spicy sauce." Chris explained as Chef revealed the contents of the oversized bowl. Octopus tentacles squirmed in and around the bowl like oversized worms, and the shrimp skittered in the thick sauce in a desperate attempt to escape. The texture of the sauce made it appear like the shrimp and tentacles were smothered in blood.

"This can't be real..." Heather murmurred among the group of horrified females. Harold seemed to get more excited by the dish and shoved the plate towards Chef.

(Confessional: Harold)

"I have wanted to try a piece of Japanese culture for years! This is my one chance to do that, and I am not letting it be ruined! It...It is a dream come true." Harold's eyes shined with barely withheld tears.

The girls shared various expressions as their plate was given. Heather was cringing at the tentacles reaching for her fork, Leshawna gagged at the shrimp sluggishly moving as if was molasses. Lindsay looked ready to cry at the squirming dish with Gwen offering a rare sympathetic glance. 

"I...I can't do it! It is not even dead!" Lindsay cried out and was ready to flee the table. Heather gripped her shoulder and forcefully shoved her into her seat, causing Gwen and Leshawna to glare in disapproval.

"Oh yes you are! I am not missing out on an indoor pool just because you can't handle a few...AAAAH!!!" Heather threatened until she saw several shrimp jump from the plate Lindsay was holding. The tiny crustaceans skittered up her arm and clamped onto her neck and shirt. She felt a couple of shrimp skitter under the fabric of her clothes, and erupted into a high pitched scream. The boys and girls flinched as she slammed through the front door and disappeared into the woods.

"She's gone. Do your thing." Gwen said to Leshawna, who nodded and held Lindsay's face.

"Lindsay, sweetie. I know this is out of your comfort zone. But we all see how Heather is making you very uncomfortable, and you don't want to be with her anymore. If you help us gain the points, then we can get you away from her for good." The black girl kept eye contact with determination in her eyes.

"But I don't think I can do this..." Lindsay felt touched by her words but continued to murmur.

"Lindsay, all of us are digesting a bull's cojones right now. If you can handle that, then you can handle this." Gwen interrupted which finally snapped the blonde out of her stupor.

"Here. Follow my lead. You'll need to get into lotus position first." Bridgette suddenly said as she guided both of them into a lotus yoga pose. As the girls settled into the pose, Lindsay imitated the surfer's deep inhales and timed her exhales. The two blondes hummed every other hum as Katie inched forward with the dish. She picked up a decent chunk of the dish and plopped it into Lindsay's open mouth, and she chewed on instinct before swallowing. The process repeated several times until both blondes were done with their dishes.

"Nice! That is how a team works! Slide me those fingers!" Leshawna exclaimed and all of the girls exchanged high fives. However, the cheers of all of the guys cut off their personal celebration. The male team, except for Noah, held up their empty bowls to show off their victory.

"And the winners of this round are the guys!" Chris announced while gesturing to the opposite team. Lindsay deflated slightly but Leshawna looked determined as they settled for the next dish.

(Confessional: Chef)

"I was looking forward to this dish if not just for the chaos." Chef chuckled mischievously.

"Who is ready for the third course...anchovies!! Well actually, these are river snails and worms heavily dried and salted into a crusty anchovy-like state!" Chris explained the smoke-smelling plates to the grimacing teens. Hundreds of worms and snails were wrinkly as if they had been baked for several days, with a thin layer of skin peeling off at the slightest breath. Duncan looked over to Trent nervously, who seemed two seconds away from vomiting on the table.

"I have a weak stomach. I'll be right back." The musician explained calmly. He rose from the table with a calm bravado before rushing out of the door at a frantic pace. A couple minutes passed as half of the boys were slowly finishing their dishes. Noah watched on as Duncan and Harold took massive bites and nearly choked swallowing. Lindsay screamed at the state of the worms, stating she hated anchovies despite the dish being nothing similar to the fish. Bridgette managed to gather the strength to swallow the dish like pasta. The nerd pieced together that only two members of each team had devoured their dishes, and the musician was quickly needed. He nudged DJ's side nonchalantly, who seemed to nod at his nonverbal statement.

"I'll go get him." The Jamaican stated and rushed outside. Fortunately, Trent was not far and leaned over the railing. The musician gagged loudly and saliva dripped off his chin. "Are you ready, Trent?" DJ rubbed circles across his back.

"Yep yep. Just give a moment." Trent huffed a deep breath and wiped his chin as they took their seats. Duncan and Harold presented blindfolds for the two boys, who eagerly took them as they grabbed their bowls.

"It is just anchovies. Just. Anchovies." Trent murmurred as they stabbed into the dish. In order to spare themselves future torture, the Jamaican and musician rapidly swallowed with so much speed that the slimy skin barely grazed the taste buds.

"Done!" The boys team all exclaimed.

"And once again, the round goes to the guys who are now ahead 2-1!" Chris announced to the girls' dismay.

"Onwards to the fourth course. No nine course meal is complete without a good old soup! Behold; Polish Duck Blood Soup!" Chef presented the oversized bowl of soup. A brownish-red liquid bubbled with intense steam, and multiple kinds of dried fruits floated across the surface. 

(Confessional: Bridgette)

"Where are they getting the ingredients for this stuff? This is not an easy dish to make." Bridgette asked with wide eyes staring into the camera.

(Confessional: Molly)

"So many late night phone calls and deals..." The intern groaned while massaging the bridge of her nose.

"I know my friend Pixie Corpse always joked about being a vampire, but drinking actual blood? Hardcore." Gwen commented while swirling the dried fruits in the liquid.

DJ was slowly slurping small quantities of the soup, but started to grow uncomfortable with the taste. Duncan, Trent, and Harold gagged either from the strong vinegar taste within the blood, or just from the knowledge that they were drinking actual blood. Leshawna and Bridgette seemed unsure how to approach eating the dish in a way to encourage the others, until they caught a certain nerd grabbing his bowl. Noah breathed deeply and dipped the bowl into his mouth, and he began to drink it like water. He timed each slurp with a gulp until his bowl was empty, leaving only soaked dried fruits left. The boys gawked at him as the two girls nodded to one another.

"Girls, drink the blood like water. Trust me. And don't tell Heather." Leshawna ordered the rest of the team, who nodded without question. Katie and Lindsay timed each other as they drank as fast as possible, and Gwen started to enjoy the bitter flavor of the soup. Bridgette was the only one who didn't touch the soup due to her principles, but Leshawna didn't seem to mind as the boys gave up on their soup bowls.

"I didn't even taste the blood." Lindsay commented with a smile.

"The girls win by a landslide!!" Chris cheered.

"Seriously? We need more effort, people." Noah said with his mouth dripping with sarcasm and leftover soup.

"Is your stomach made of titanium or something?!" Harold exclaimed, but the nerd only offered a shrug.

(Confessional: Noah)

"When you have eight older siblings with vastly different appetites, and one of them is travelling across the world in order to become a chef, you tend to be open to more dietary options." Noah explained casually while writing in an empty pocket journal.

"Only five meal courses left in the competition. Bon Appetit!" Chris bowed as the next dishes were presented.

The next thirty minutes went fast yet painful for the two gender teams. The fifth round had come in the form of two wheels of cheese, until Harold had the guts to pry a piece of cheese off. His action revealed bunches of fly larvae eating their way through the inside, leaving behind porous fluffy bits. DJ and Duncan fainted at the maggot filled sight, while Katie and Lindsay screamed clutching to each other. Noah grew uncomfortable at watching the maggots squirm and put his plate away. Although Harold gulped at the sight, he swallowed his pride and attempted to eat as much of the rotten cheese as possible. However Leshawna, Gwen, and Bridgette quickly beat him by splitting the wheel of cheese into thirds, and further crumbled it into small bits to chew. The dweeb had quickly given up and the girls were declared the winner of the round.

The sixth round went deep into insect territory as plates of fried grasshoppers and tarantulas were presented. DJ and Harold slowly bit into the crunchy exterior of the arachnids, only to shiver when their teeth felt the gooey interior of the insects. They barely but managed to finish their plate as Gwen and Bridgette tried to eat through the grasshoppers. Unfortunately, none of the other girls had the courage to eat the crunchy bugs before Noah devoured his plate with minimal complaints, earning the guys another victory.

The seventh round's dish was a large plate filled with dozens of fried duck tongues. While Leshawna and Lindsay grimaced at the stretchy and chewy texture of the meat, Harold, Noah, and Duncan exchanged nods and shoved as many duck tongues in their mouths as they could. They were declared the winners as soon as the girls spat their samples out.

Finally, the eighth dish was given as one sea pineapple to each teenager. The round was over quicker than all of the others as none of the boys wanted to cut the tunicate open, while Bridgette informed the girls the proper way to eat it. Half of the girls were done with their dishes before Chris announced them as the winners of the round. As the announcement was made, Heather had walked back into the lodge with new clothes and bumps riddled around her waist and arms. She did not say a word as Chris looked around the area with the same smile.

"We are down to the last course and all of you are still tied! I'm pretty impressed! But good luck on this last one!" The host announced as Molly and Kyle gave each contestant a plate containing one egg. The teens looked confused as they peeled the shell open, and the sight of a lifeless bird squished between the shell and yolk made half of them jump. The other half wordlessly placed the egg down looking like they were shot.

"It is Balut. A street food first made from the Philippines, this dish is a fertilized duck egg steamed or boiled alive in order to eat from the shell." Chris explained.

"What?! You boiled a baby bird alive?! Why?!" Bridgette exclaimed with shiny eyes barely withholding tears.

"This is messed up." Duncan murmurred while poking at the deceased bird within the boiled egg.

"What are you doing? It is already dead. If you don't eat it, then we don't win." Heather glared at the surfer girl.

"No, I can't! How could someone boil alive something so precious? It hasn't even seen the world yet!" Bridgette stared at the egg.

"EAT IT!" Heather snapped and hovered over the surfer girl. However, she was surprised as the blonde shoved her back with decent force and tears spilling out of angry eyes.

"NO! You can't pressure me! Besides, you're the one who fled the scene for seven meals because shrimp hopped into your shirt!" Bridgette retorted to the mean girl.

"I'm with you, Bridge. I'm not eating no baby bird." DJ announced from the other side of the lodge. The Jamaican crossed his arms as the other boys joined in the "strike" one by one.

"Ditto," Duncan added.

"I'm allergic to duck eggs." Noah murmurred, and the delinquent started to grow annoyed at the constant allergy excuse.

"I...I won't eat this." Lindsay pushed the egg to the side, and kept looking away from a surprised Heather staring her down.

"LINDSAY?"

"Me neither." Katie agreed with her friend.

"What do I want to go biting a cute little baby bird's head off for?" Leshawna sounded heartbroken as she pushed her dish away.

"Okay everyone, enough. We'll solve this with a speed round instead. Choose your contestant for the final round." Chris suddenly interrupted with some annoyance at the holdup.

"Noah the know-it-all should go." Duncan made the final decision before anyone else could intervene.

"Wow. Original. But fine." Noah rolled his eyes and stood up. Heather glared daggers at the back of his skull once she saw he was the chosen contestant. She stood up with so much force that is startled Lindsay and Katie out of their conversation.

"I am going. No one is stopping me."

"Not gonna fight that." Leshawna stated and let her through the opening to the other side of the table.

(Confessional: Chef)

"I fought over a dozen ducks to get those eggs. No appreciation!" Chef scoffed angrily while throwing his hands in the air.

(Confessional: Heather)

"I want to see that little nerd's face when I win this thing. He has had this coming for a long time." Heather smirked confidently.

(Confessional: Duncan)

"If he does end up losing, I would rather want to stick with dorkus Harold than that sarcastic bookworm any day. At least Harold has actual physical capabilities. Eugh, I cannot believe I said that." Duncan stated but started to shiver as he finished the second sentence.

"Since you've disagreed to take the Balut option, we'll go with a more...creepy-crawly direction. Ten small bowls contain fried silkworm pupae mixed with chutney made out of red ants and their eggs! Quite a crunchy, and stingy, combo!" Chris said with the devious smile as twenty bowls were filled with the dish. The chutney resembled a thick chili with dozens of ant limbs, stingers, and heads squished together with egg chunks. The larger worm pupae twitched occasionally as if the insects in the cocoons were still barely alive. Knowing how this challenge worked, the silkworms were most likely barely alive.

"Uh...UH...Wait, I want to switch out-" Heather's smirk devolved into a horrified frown.

"Too late! Whoever manages to eat through the most bowls will be the winner! On your marks, get set, GO!!" Chris wasted no time announcing the challenge. Noah and Heather glared at each other as they swallowed the first three bowls. However, Heather's face contorted in disgust as ant bodies crunched against her teeth and stingers lightly grazed against taste buds, delivering a mild shock with every chew. She gagged by the fifth bowl when a large amount of unchewed pupae squirmed down her throat, and she forced herself to stomach it.

"This is disgusting." Heather complained as she shakily held the next bowl.

"Come on Queen B. You want to prove your worth keeping in the game, right?" Gwen taunted from the sidelines.

"Shut...up..." Heather glared but cringed at the taste of a pupae splitting open in her mouth.

"I think Noah has disassociated. He's not saying a word..." Harold spoke up while staring at the nerd. Noah was silently starting at the three leftover bowls on his left, not responding to anyone talking to him.

"Oh? Is Noah calling it quits?" Chris leaned over with an anticipated grin.

"That...all y-you got?" Heather barely swallowed the sixth bowl as they were tied in their scores. She taunted him with whatever energy she had without throwing up, and the nerd began to push the bowls away. She felt hope creep into her heart as he pushed more bowls away, and Leshawna seemed horrified at the implication of him losing. If he lost, then Heather would still be in the game.

And then he started to pour the three remaining bowls together. The slightest smirk escaped his lips as he devoured the rest without another word, to the shock of the mean girl and the audience.

"HUH?!"

(Confessional: Noah)

"Checkmate."

(Confessional: Leshawna)

"YES!" She screamed joyfully within the confessional walls.

"That's...ugh...impossible!!" Heather gagged and tried to grab the seventh bowl. However her stomach finally turned against her as she vomited red chutney on the floor.

"And Noah wins! The guys are big winners for the resort for the next two days!" Chris announced the winners of the challenge. The boys cheered and surrounded Noah in a tight circle, though he quickly squirmed out of the tight space.

"Aw man. I was looking forward to the resort." Katie whined.

"Well I, for one, am very happy right now." Leshawna's face glowed alongside Gwen as they watched Heather empty her stomach all over the floor.

"I am looking forward to this." The goth murmurred.

The campfire ceremony was quiet as the girls waited for the host to present the marshmallows. Chris tapped his foot impatiently as Kyle clicked the camera on just out of view. "To all of the girls here, I shall make this elimination short so you can get all of the exotic ingredients out of your system. There are only five marshmallows on my plate, so the girl that does receive one must take the Boat of Losers and never come back. Ever. Now the picks are...Leshawna." The girl smiled at her name called.

"Gwen." The goth smirked at a grumbling Heather as she took her treat.

"Katie. Bridgette." The preppy girl clapped to herself as she quickly retreated to her seat with the marshmallows for Bridgette.

"Lindsay, Heather, the road finally ends here for your team. The final marshmallow goes to...Lindsay." Chris smiled as Lindsay exhaled in relief. The blonde clutched to the final marshmallow like she was holding her life.

"This is unacceptable!! That filthy book nerd set me up to fail!!" Heather snapped.

"Technically, you played yourself. Off to the Boat of Losers you go!" Chris taunted and nudged her towards the Dock of Shame. The mean girl's face was red as she stomped down the hill with her failure in her head.

"Later Rina!!" Leshawna called out before turning to the blonde still gazing at her treat, "Hey Lindsay, thank you for voting her off with us. I know that must have been difficult."

"I've never felt more scared in my life. But now, I just feel relief!" Lindsay genuinely smiled.

"We are still stuck here with Chef's cooking though..." Bridgette sighed sadly.

"We'll tank it, because now that girl is gone and we can relax." Leshawna hugged most of the girls surrounding her. They happily chatted away as the host turned to the distant camera for the final time for the day.

"The guys are the big winners for today. And the girls achieve their own victory in the end. A toxic bond has been severed in favor of sisterhood...for now. What shocking surprises will await our campers as they head into the merge in three days? Tune in next time on Total Drama Island."

Chapter Text

The two Heather-less days were a calm serenity over Camp Wawanakwa, and the girls had relished in it. As soon as the mean girl had departed the island, Bridgette and Katie had ripped off the duck tape splitting the Gopher cabin in half. With the boundary officially cancelled, the females were able to comfortably spread out and intermingled with one another. Bridgette had returned to the coastline to loosen her nerves in the waves, while Katie and Lindsay soaked in the sun for tans. The blonde seemed to be less stressed without the constant beratement of her ex-leader, to which brought joy to Katie. Leshawna took the big sister role by washing everyone's laundry as best as she could with available resources. Finally, Gwen had taken her time sketching as much of the sights as possible. From birds to trees, the curling of the lake's waves to the horizon sun, to some of the girls' requests for personal sketches. While they did have to deal with less than stellar food by Chef, the burly man was less aggressive with their dishes due to the laidback days.

However, as the third day and upcoming challenge approached, the girls' started to grow antsy for the boys arrival. Gwen hung out at the edge of the dock with her legs gently swinging in the currents. Bridgette was cleaning her surfboard of leftover weeds and sun damage, while Leshawna ate through a oversized chip bag.

"Could you pass the sunscreen, Lindsay? I think I'm missing a spot." Katie asked as she gestured to her mid-back section.

"Sure thing!" Lindsay chirped and spread the lotion to the missing area.

"Don't you get hot in that, Gwen? That is three layers." Bridgette glanced while gesturing to the multiple black clothing layers enveloping the goth.

"Nah. They are breathable for the most part. I just don't move around too much. I am more so questioning how you are not sweating bullets with that hoodie on." Gwen responded with a smirk, which only widened at the stupefied look on Bridgette. 

"Fair point." The surfer shrugged. Suddenly, a horn reverberated across the sky at a volume that it startled all of the girls from their activities. A yacht that was the size of a three-story building rapidly entered the docks as several of the boys were chilling on the front deck. Lindsay and Leshawna watched the scene in shock as the main platform collided with the docks. One by one, the boys slid or ran toward them with elated looks.

"Looks like the boys are home." Gwen smirked at the group of males.

"What a damn good weekend!!" Duncan hollered.

"Somebody looks like they had fun." Bridgette gestured to DJ giving multiple high-fives to Harold. 

"Dude, that was so much fun. I didn't expect the movie theater to be so large. I could have spent the entire two days just being in there." Trent explained to the girls first as he caught his breath.

"Don't forget about the food, gosh." Harold added.

"Hello? What about the spa treatments? All of my knots and alligator elbows are completely gone! I do not think I have ever felt so relaxed before!" DJ pointed out while rotating his shoulders and wrists. The boys nodded in agreement as Noah was the last to come off of the boat.

"It was a nice experience." The nerd murmured with a small but relaxed smile.

"No need to be humble, Noah. I saw you chilling in the spa and sun deck all day." DJ smiled with a comeback, with the nerd not offering a response.

(Confessional: Leshawna)

"On one hand, Heather is gone. I'm happy about that. On the other hand...I wish I had my alligator elbows treated." Leshawna pouted while scratching at her own arms.

DJ seemed to notice the glum looks on the girls' faces, and pulled out a small pink box. He opened it to reveal balled up sweets coated in a thick layer of chocolate, as well as various sprinkles.

"Don't worry. We managed to save you all some desserts on the way over. Care for a chocolate covered cherry blossom?" He offered.

Leshawna immediately perked up at the request and quickly threw a treat into her mouth. The rest of the girls followed her example and devoured the treats, with their faces widening at the sweet taste.

"This is delicious. You weren't kidding about the food." Gwen hummed between chews.

"Right?!" Trent exclaimed. Suddenly, a loud screech made DJ drop the remaining cherry blossoms to the ground. The teens clutched their ears as Chris's overenthusiastic voice echoed through the megaphones once again. They had grown accustomed to the quiet that the host's vocal presence slammed their minds back into reality.

"First off, I would like to say welcome back to all of the guys! But secondly, as of right now all teams are officially null and void! From here on out it is every. Camper. For. THEMSELVES!" The host announced.

"Bring it on Chris!" Leshawna challenged the voice of their host, while the boys nodded to one another about their "status" as friends. Or lack thereof from the moment.

"I like your spirit, Leshawna! You'll need it for this surprise!" Chris laughed and the horn of an upcoming boat cut him off. The guys and girls looked towards the horizon as a figure stood at the edge of the smaller vehicle. Their hair flapped in the wind like a whip, ready to snap at any of their necks. As the girl's face became visible, Gwen and Bridgette gasped in shock.

"Surprise...oh. Oh no. OH NOOOOOO!" Leshawna slapped her mouth with her hand as if she was ready to vomit. Behind all of the girls, Lindsay watched as the girl in question hopped off the docked boat. Her mind started to swarm, her heart raced so fast it was almost bursting from her chest, and her voice felt like it was being crushed. She could barely make any expression other than a panicking frown as an Asian girl walked up silently, and a glare scanned over her body ready to burn her alive.

"Aw man, what is SHE doing back here?!" Trent exclaimed as the guys were speechless by the arrival. Noah was frozen on the spot as the girl stared back at him.

"Back by popular demand, say hello to HEATHER!!" Chris spoke up for everyone.

"Hey everyone. Bet you didn't see this coming, huh?" Heather smirked but didn't say anything more as she approached the Gopher cabins with her bags.

"Wait a damn second, you said that no one would come back into the competition!" Gwen turned to the megaphone in frustration, and Bridgette nodded alongside her.

"I did?" Chris said in a confused manner, which only made the confused teens angrier.

"And once you leave on the Dock of Shame-" Gwen started the explanation.

"Hop on the Boat of Losers-" Duncan continued after her equally frustrated.

"You are never EVER-" Leshawna emphasized the last word in her sentence.

"Allowed to come back. Ever." Harold finished the final part with a matter-of-fact tone.

"Oh wow, you all do have a good memory. Well, I lied! Sorry." Chris snickered over the megaphone, leaving the group of teens in shock at the turn of events.

"You cannot do that! It's unfair to the rest of us!" Gwen growled until Leshawna patted her shoulder.

"Girl, give it up. You are trying to reason with a loudspeaker. I do not like this either, but we will have to find another way to deal with her." Leshawna sighed in defeat.

"She was really an audience favorite?" Noah turned to the megaphone with surprise shining through his eyes.

"Maybe not to all of you. But she brings great ratings! Also returning to camp...IZZY!! COME OUT TO PLAY!!"  Chris announced the second camper's name and everyone's hearts dropped at once.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Leshawna, Lindsay, and Gwen yelled at the same time. A loud bubbling erupted from the edge of the docks that quickly made the girls back up against the boys. An arm erupted through the surface and scratched against the dock boards, and it was followed by another weed covered limb. With one hoist, the body of Izzy flung through the air with multiple front flips until she landed directly between Bridgette and Leshawna. Despite the water draping her fiery red hair over her face, her bright green eyes stared into their souls with interest.

"Hey guys, it is good to come back to camp! Even though I never truly left the island!" Izzy greeted with a smile after flipping her hair.

"Wasn't the RCMP hunting you down the last time we saw you?!" Gwen pointed out surprised.

"Oh yeah, Miguel was very persistent, but I managed to avoid capture and lived in the woods for weeks! Once I was safe among my animal brethren, it was just us and the harsh elements of the wild! The beavers were very kind to let me sleep with them, and we provided each other with nuts and berries! Care for raw salmon?" Izzy explained enthusiastically. She switched between multiple poses while explaining her isolated experience but kept going at a speed that left the others speechless. Suddenly, she pulled out a salmon the size of her arm to demonstrate before biting clean into its head.

"No!" The girls exclaimed while trying not to gag at the fresh juices flowing out of the fish. Izzy grinned and threw the carcass in the waters of lake Muskoka, before she caught a certain nerd staring into her soul. A genuine smiled graced her lips as she skipped over to Noah, gently patting his head until he brushed it aside.

"Oh, hi Noah! You're still in the game? How's it going with you?" She greeted the nerd, who only shrugged in response. She took that as the best answer possible before Chris's voice came through the loudspeaker again.

"Alright campers. Enough with the reintroductions. Report to the amphitheater where you'll learn about today's challenge. Mclean out!"

With the shock of Heather and Izzy's arrival heavy in the air, the contestants slowly made their way to the designated area for the challenge. As they walked in silence, Trent was the only one to notice a certain blonde missing from the girls' group. He turned around to see Lindsay clutching her arms tightly, and her eyes wide with fear. Her lip quivered as he slowly approached with an outstretched hand.

"Lindsay, are you okay?" He whispered softly.

"I...um...I got to go." Lindsay murmured and quickly walked past him without another word.

(Confessional: Lindsay)

The blonde stared into the camera as she tried to find the right words to speak. However, she couldn't make a sentence before making a whimper and rushing out of the confessional door.

As all of the teens made it to the amphitheater, they could make out a large podium designed with elevated seat rows. To the left of the podium was a large wheel with eight sheets of paper displaying different drawings. The structure was made in a manner to resemble a game show, so each teen took their own seat. Chris hopped onto the stage as the cameras started to roll.

"Welcome to your next challenge! The time-honored game of torture; "Say Uncle"! You are all about to be put through a test of endurance so insane that it sent one of our interns to the medical tent for a broken leg!" The host explained much to Lindsay's concern. In the far distance, away from both the cameras and the teen's ears, Kyle clutched his mostly healed leg with a disapproving stare while handling the last challenge's footage.

"Asshole..." The intern murmured.

"If you back down or do not last the required ten seconds to pass, then you are out for the rest of the challenge! If you manage it through one challenge, then you will be safe until the next round. Once we get down to two contestants, it will be an automatic elimination round. The winner will not only be safe from elimination but will earn this mobile trailer that you get to take home after the show! And the loser will go home without any votes needed!" Chris finished the explanation by pointing to the mobile trailer across the clearing. The teens had to admit it was a decent sized mobile home that could easily house two people. 

"So, what kinds of torture are we talking about?" Leshawna questioned.

"Why don't you try asking our lovely assistant?" Chris grinned and gestured to Chef, who had donned a creepy hockey mask and comically large machete. The teens shut up quickly as Chris ordered the burly man to pick the first contestant. Duncan tensed up as his arm was tugged forward and the host started to spin the wheel.

"Duncan, you are first up! Let's see what the wheel of misfortune has in store for you!" Chris smiled. The wheel rapidly rotated fast enough to blur all of the hanged pictures into a colorful smudge. The delinquent waited in anticipation as it slowed to its final destination. The picture it landed on was a drawing of a turtle displaying a strong, sharp jaw.

"Turtle puck shots?" Duncan murmured confused.

"Over the last few days, our interns waded around the water to gather the crankiest, grumpiest, hungriest snapping turtles on the island. You must stand in front of the goalie net on the opposite side completely unprotected, and you must manage to stand for ten seconds while Chef fires off turtle snap shots." Chris explained while pushing the quiet teen in front of the goalie net. On the other side of the amphitheater stood Chef, whose smile poked through the mask and holding a hockey stick above six turtles. The turtles snapped their jaws together with enough vigor to echo across the stage, which made some of the boys' grimace in pain.

"This is messed up." Duncan whimpered having dropped his tough persona.

"Yeah. If I were you, I would protect my balls. It could get ugly." Chris nodded with a shoulder pat.

Before the delinquent could say anything further, a loud buzzer went off, and Chef whacked the first turtle. Duncan yelped as the turtle flew past his cheek and into the net. However, he didn't notice the second flying turtle until it bit into his shoulder. The teen screamed in pain and immediately fell to one knee in a desperate attempt to get the turtle off. The teens shuddered as the buzzer for failing the challenge went off, and Chef bent off to pry the reptile off. Duncan's shoulder displayed a ripped hole in the shirt dripping with fresh blood, but thankfully nothing more.

"And Duncan is out! You likin' this, buddy?" Chris said through a tight smile.

"Oh yeah. It is a HELL OF A RIOT." Duncan growled through his teeth while clutching to his wounded shoulder. The host glanced over to see Lydia with an aid kit, and she nonverbally asked if the delinquent needed assistance. The host shook his head and the intern disappeared behind the curtains.

"Harsh." Harold murmured.

"Tell me about it." Leshawna agreed with the dweeb, but she didn't notice the boy's cheeks tint pink as she glanced at him.

The next teen chosen was Lindsay, who remained quiet as Chris rotated the wheel of misfortune. The wheel continued to rapidly spin until it landed on a photo of an uncooked marshmallow on fire. The host smiled as the blonde was directed to a low-quality chair, and Chef quickly came with a bucket of thick, white liquid. "Lindsay! Your torture is...marshmallow waxing! We are going to wax every part of your body with a thick layer of melted marshmallows. If you can take the pain without screaming for ten seconds, then you will pass the round."

"I so need this! I have been dealing with nasty stubbles for weeks and would love a proper waxing! Please make sure not to rip my hair out." Lindsay smiled and closed her eyes for the melted marshmallows. Chris waited for a second to add to the suspense, before giving the Chef the signal to start pouring. The melted sweets encased her body in seconds as she bit hard into her lips. As the marshmallows reached her legs, she balled up her fists and emitted a silent scream. Her body had become nothing but a steaming case of marshmallows, and the teens could only watch on with various degrees of pain and horror on their faces. Even Heather and Noah couldn't stomach watching the hot, steaming sweets drip off of the blonde.

"Holy moly!" One of the teens exclaimed.

As soon as the marshmallow stopped steaming, Chef grabbed the edge and quickly peeled the endless sheet of treats off. The cast ripped simultaneously in one piece and emitted a loud sound that resembled a pop and snap at once.

"Ah!" Lindsay said but immediately bit her tongue to prevent further noise.

"I know I definitely would have screamed for that one. How do girls handle pain like that?" Trent winced as he leaned down to meet Gwen's eyes.

"Oh Trent, waxing is nothing compared to actual childbirth." Gwen smirked at the musician's cluelessness.

"You've got a good point." He hummed and returned to his seat.

"Wow, it is so smooth! Thank you so much Charles!" Lindsay complimented the host as she rubbed at her smooth but still sensitive skin.

"It is Chris." Chris corrected her, causing her to cringe at the incorrect answer before turning to the other teens, "Anyways...Lindsay, since you didn't scream once in your round, you get to choose who does the next challenge and their torture."

Lindsay scanned over each of the contestants before settling on a glaring Heather. A pit settled into her stomach as she looked over the wheel of misfortune, and then back at Heather several times. The Asian said nothing but the look she gave could burn through the blonde's skull. "I... I choose for Heather to soak herself in a barrel of lake leeches." Lindsay spoke quietly.

"Times-a-wasting Heather! Hop into the barrel!" Chris ordered the surprised Asian.

As she walked past a nonresponsive Lindsay, Chef plopped an oversized barrel with dozens of leeches squirming across the surface and falling over the edges. Leshawna and Bridgette gagged as Heather reluctantly slid into the barrel. At first, she made no expression as the timer went off. However, her expression turned into a horrified look and her lips quivered intensely. Her body started to shake as dozens of leeches latched on from neck to calves. Finally, the mean girl could not take it as she hopped out of the barrel with a scream.

"Close shave Heather. Nine and nine hundred one thousandth of a million...well you get the point! It is not ten! You are out!" Chris explained while showing the timer.

"Can't you round it?" Heather complained as she pried off as many leeches as she could see.

"Wrong game for that! You may take a seat." Chris pushed her back to the podium. Lindsay shrank in her seat as the mean girl growled to herself, and Leshawna couldn't help the snicker escape her lips.

"Oh, that is good." She smirked.

"It won't be when you end up eliminated." Noah interrupted her. She was surprised to see a glint in the nerd's eyes that was not there before, and he scanned the wheel of misfortune intensely as if he was scanning an essay.

"Getting competitive now?" She stared into his soul.

"We are not in teams anymore." Noah explained without any further detail, and a competitive energy began to rise in Leshawna once more as the painful challenges continued on.

Harold was the next to go up, with his challenge being to wear wooden shorts strapped against his waist. At first, the dweeb put them on with no questions and even dared to challenge the host on its difficulty. The cocky attitude was wiped away as soon as Chef presented a woodpecker and crouched to knee level. To everyone's shock, the woodpecker started to peck at the waistline at astonishing speed. Harold quickly deduced where the woodpecker was aiming to drill into and quickly screamed that he quit leading to him being out.

Katie's round did not last too long as she rolled the marshmallow waxing torture like Lindsay. She was able to handle the melted marshmallow applying to her skin but couldn't stop her screaming as a piece of her hair accidently pulled off. She was considered out of the game shortly afterwards.

DJ came down the podium immediately after Katie, and his torture was to spend ten seconds being in a snake's embrace without panicking. "A snake, huh? Are we talking about like a small ball python? I think I can handle that..." The Jamaican asked slightly wary. Even though he had passed his phobia challenge several weeks back, that did not mean his fear was completely gone.

"Hm. Nah." Chris shrugged and presented a large python twice the length of DJ's body. The gentle giant's face paled as the serpent quickly trapped him in its coils from legs to neck. The snake flicked its tongue nonchalantly while gradually squeezing the boy's body. DJ found it harder to breathe and his heart started to pound in panic.

"I quit! Get me out of this thing!" He exclaimed. Chef quickly delivered a punch to the snake's neck, and the Jamaican scrambled back to his podium.

With him being out of the game, it was Bridgette's turn for the wheel of misfortune. Much like DJ, she was given an animal challenge involving having an entire bee colony crawl all over her. As the box containing the hive opened, the surfer took calm breaths as the first bees clung to the arms. More bees followed suit and spread their colony across her entire hoodie, even overlapping to her backside and sleeves.

"They are not even attacking. It's like I'm their queen." Bridgette commented.

"You are a queen, Bridgette!" Katie exclaimed from her podium, causing the surfer to chuckle slightly. She had to stop herself before the chuckling aggravated the insects too much. As Chef began to slowly scoop the bees back into the crate, Chris spun the wheel of misfortune until it landed on a drawing of an animal footprint. The host chuckled as he gestured to a box as tall as half of the amphitheater itself.

"Our next challenge will be spending ten seconds in a box with a bear! But not just any bear! Chef?" Chris turned to the burly man who halted his bee scooping.

"This bear has been a menace towards all of you for a while. Especially to one little geek in particular." He hinted and the whole podium went quiet. The ex-Gophers looked at one another as they pieced together who Chef was talking about, while the ex-Bass seemed nervous to speak up. However, Izzy stood up and waved her hands to gather the host's attention.

"I want a go with it!!" The redhead exclaimed with a dangerous grin.

"Oh? I was going to let Bridgette choose who she wanted to send in there-" Chris pointed out until Izzy suddenly came within inches from his face.

"Nah it's okay!! I want to feel its fangs burrow into my shoulder. I want to feel claws hit my bare skin, and muscles become visible as we stare into each other's souls, and-!" Izzy started to explain in explicit detail, which made some of the girl's feel squeamish.

"OKAY IZZY! I'll let you go in if it means you spare the creepy fantasy!" Chris interrupted with harsh authority while gripping to the redhead's shoulders. The girl only giggled as she approached the oversized box, the snarls of the bear welcoming any poor soul to join its fate.

(Confessional: Noah)

"As much of a crazy bird Izzy is, she would be the one to fight against a bear and win. If for a fact her life stories have some level of credibility to them." Noah nodded to himself.

As Chris readied the buzzer, Izzy took a fighting stance as she pried open the box. The bear's snarls were increasingly erratic and malicious before the buzzer began. The redhead screamed and closed the box's opening. Within seconds, the box began to shake violently as the screams of the bear and the girl mixed together in a horrifying melody. Gwen and Leshawna flinched as the bear's snarls quickly devolved into shrieks uncommon for a bear to even make.

"Uh..." Chris murmured as they reached the final few seconds. Suddenly, the opening burst open as Izzy skidded across the floorboards. Everyone gasped as the girl sprung up with blood dripping down her arms and specks of the internal fluids across her shirt. Minor cuts stretched across her arms and calves, but they were not deep enough to need a visit to the medical tent.

"Holy shit." Gwen said.

"Well Izzy, you were unfortunately kicked out of the box at the last second. And, uh, someone might want to clean up the inside. Let's see how much farther we can go!" Chris glanced inside the box and quickly turned around with a sickened look. Everyone simultaneously agreed that whatever he had saw in that box was not worth asking about. 

"Look at these scars!! So gnarly! But not as bad as beasty in there! HAHA!!" Izzy laughed as she took her spot on the podium.

(Confessional: Leshawna)

"That's it. It is official. That girl is all kinds of psycho!"

The next few rounds were relatively quick for the other contestants. Trent had been tasked to hop over poles overhanging several of the smelliest skunks in Wawanakwa, and to not fall over due to their scent for ten seconds. He had managed to hop over the first two skunks until the third one was startled by his presence. The mammal emitted a horrible scent attack straight to his face, which caused the musician to fall off with his face green.

Gwen could have sworn this torture was made for her, as she was forced to listen to the "new age" music trend for ten seconds without bailing. But the very concept of her being engaged in the genre was an assault to her ears. She barely lasted five seconds before ripping the headphones off her head, and she shook violently as she quickly sat beside Trent. The musician rubbed circles on her back as the next contestant was up.

Lindsay was the next teen up for the wheel of misfortune. Due to her immunity from her previous challenge being nullified, she had the task of enduring a poor haircut by Chef for ten seconds. But like the goth before her, she couldn't handle more than five seconds before fleeing back to her podium and declaring herself a loser. Heather smirked at seeing the blonde deflate but said nothing further as Bridgette was next in line. The surfer was tasked with plunging her teeth in the freshest scoop of frozen ice cream and not move for ten seconds. The girl's face scrunched up in pain as the cold stabbed through her gums. She managed to hold it in for six seconds before slamming the spoon away to clutch her head.

"And we are now down to two steely competitors and the sudden death round. Noah and Leshawna, come on down for your final torture." Chris ordered the last two teens standing. Noah, who had been in a sleepy daze for most of the challenge, snapped awake as the two faced the host. The man glanced between the two of them before giving a small smirk.

"Your final challenge is the Honey Locust log role!"

"The honey loco-what?" Leshawna stuttered.

"Excuse me?" Noah raised a brow in concern.

"Take a look. The honey locust tree, or the thorny locust as I like to say, can grow thorns up to eight inches long in sprouts on its bark and branches. These thorns are very sharp, very sturdy, and VERY PAINFUL when stabbed into your skin. You two must last as long as you can on the log while avoiding the countless thorny sprouts at random points on the bark. The camper who falls off the log into the water will be automatically eliminated without any votes required." Chris directed the teens to a large log just off the docks. The log was of decent size and thickness to hold two people on both sides, but small straight thorns littered random areas of its surface.

"If you really want to Leshawna, you can back out now." Chris tempted the girl.

"Are you kidding me?" Noah questioned the host at the seemingly obvious favoritism.

"No way! I have seen worst scars, cuts, and injuries on the streets than this! I am going in!" Leshawna slapped herself as the two slowly hopped onto both sides of the log.

(Confessional: Noah)

"...Shit." Noah dropped his composure with his head resting in his hands.

(Confessional: Leshawna)

"I did not make it this far into the competition just to quit now. That trailer is bank, and it's got my name written all over it. Sorry pipsqueak, but this is my trophy for the taking."

"And GO!" Chris triggered an air horn as the signal, and the two teens began to roll the log. Leshawna stuttered to herself as she tried to get the advantage by speeding up the log's rotation, while Noah tried to avoid as many of the thorns as possible. The teens on the loser podium looked in anticipation as the seconds rolled by with no clear winner or loser. Chris watched his timer as the boy and girl continued to try knocking each other off. However, Leshawna gained an idea again and started to run in the opposite direction. While she was running forwards, Noah was forced to run backwards without a clear visual of where the thorns were.

"Ah! Fuck!" The nerd exclaimed in pain as a thorn roughly grazed his exposed leg and leaving a shallow cut.

"Language Noah! My ratings, remember?" Chris called out from the docks, but the nerd couldn't focus on a retort as Leshawna continued to speed up. As he was blind to the thorns from behind, he winced repeatedly as small, but thick thorns pulled at his skin and stumbled through the pain. His lack of focus allowed Leshawna the opening to stomp on the log for a full stop, and Noah tripped by the sudden halt. He cursed as he slipped and fell into the cool lake waters around them, before resurfacing and clutching to the dock's floorboards.

"And that is how I roll!" Leshawna cheered to herself.

"Leshawna wins! And that means Noah is out of the game, while she has invincibility for tonight and has earned the mobile home trailer!" Chris announced for everyone to hear.

"My fellow genius!" Izzy cried out sadly, which caught a majority of the loser teens off guard.

"YES! Gimme that trailer, baby!" Leshawna ran past the docks and towards the trailer. She hugged the trailer before rushing inside to check out all of the features. Meanwhile, Noah hoisted himself out of the water and walked to the Bass cabin without a single word to the other teens. There was no need to anyway. They all knew what this meant now.

(Confessional: Noah)

"Bring the impulsive Heather back in exchange for the only one who actually thinks around here? Probably for an increase in ratings or something trivial like that. Completely unprofessional. But I'm out, so what does it matter anyway?"

The campfire ceremony was quiet and somber as the host made himself present. However, there was a lack of marshmallows which confused some of the girls there. Meanwhile, Noah hung back farther away from everyone with his bags by his side, and he kept his gaze at the ground to avoid seeing their reactions. "So everyone, I have a quick but unfortunate announcement. No marshmallows will be given today since it is an automatic elimination round."

"Are we actually supposed to be sad about that?" Heather rolled her eyes.

"And secondly, due to losing the final torture challenge...Noah, it is time to go. I see you already have your bags and stuff in order." Chris gestured to the quiet nerd in the corner.

"Let me just get on the boat with dignity." Noah murmured with no emotion in his voice, and the host gave a simple shrug as a response.

"Alright. Say goodbye, everyone!" Chris said as he directed the loser down to the docks.

"Later Noah. It was a fair game." Leshawna gave a small wave, to which he gave a nod of acknowledgement.

"Don't bore everyone to death too much." Gwen teased.

"Ah ha ha. Screw you, Gwen." He responded but there was no real maliciousness behind his sentence. The walk was quiet until he was within two feet of the Boat of Losers. As soon as he tossed the bag into the vehicle, he heard a cough behind him. He turned and immediately rolled his eyes at seeing Heather with her arms crossed.

"You should have kept to your books instead of trying so hard to get me out. Putting Beth and Lindsay against me was the final straw. Now I have a chance to win this again, while you get to wallow in defeat." Heather attempted to sound smug while staring down the nerd, but the annoyance and distaste was clear in her body language. As if the conversation could not get more insulting, the mean girl poked at the boy's jacket vest in a mocking manner. As if on reflex, the nerd smacked the hand away with decent force.

"If you think I am intimidated by someone who fits every stereotype of a privileged "woe-is-me" rich girl, then you are less aware of people than I thought." Noah scoffed.

"What are you talking about?" Heather asked while on edge.

"You are about as open to read as a diary written by a self-conscious ten-year-old girl. You constantly try to flaunt your authority as a way to gain control in your otherwise spiraling life. You try to seem more intelligent and cunning so that the "sheep" will worship you. You have all the newest stuff so you stay relevant in the fear of being forgotten. But when someone is more confident about who they are, and what they do, they make you realize that you are not the "main character" of your story. And you hate it. You hate Leshawna for that. You hate Gwen because she sees through your bullshit too. I didn't convince Lindsay to vote for you. She did that of her own accord, and you will no doubt hate her for that now. But if you think everyone will magically forget what you've said and done like some kind of romcom, then you are stupid for that. We may be on a reality television show, but this is reality Heather. And the reality is...you are the villain. And no one will be rooting for you." Noah explained with a calmness that made the insult affect Heather the more he spoke. By the end of his explanation, the mean girl could only stare with an open mouth as he hopped into the boat. The vehicle was halfway across the bay before Heather's voice faintly reached his ears.

"Go jump in a lake and drown!!" She had yelled before stomping down the docks and into the distance.

"At least I actually did jump into water." Noah murmured to himself and slumped against the chairs. However, he felt a pair of hands jerk him back as he stared into the green eyes of Izzy.

"HI NOAH!!" The redhead exclaimed.

"Izzy! For the love of-can you stop doing that? What are you even doing on the boat? This is leaving the island, you know." Noah explained while clutching to his chest.

"Oh, I know! I just wanted to tell you something." The girl giggled and dangled halfway off of the boat.

"Say it then." He sighed. To his surprise, the girl dropped her manic smile into a calm gaze. Her hands lifted his chin so he kept staring up at her, and he couldn't move his head without her readjusting his head to continue looking at her. 

"I'm going to be real, my fellow genius. You and I are two sides of the same coin. We both think on a level different from everyone else, but I embrace the chaos while you cling to reality. Now that you are no longer in the game, I shall continue the chaos for you. No one will truly understand what hit them. And I will make everyone regret taking the one person I respect away from me." She explained and patted his head. The nerd felt confused by the sudden affection, as the redhead he commonly associated with being chaotic for the sake of fun was being so reassuring. 

"Uh...thanks." He blinked.

"Oh, and also the place you're going to is actually not that bad. I've been there before, and there is a certain geek that is just waiting to talk to you again." She grinned as she started to hop over the railing, and the water of lake Muskoka slammed against her legs.

"Been to? Geek? Wait...were you even in the woods?" Noah began to question her, but the girl only made a "shush" motion.

"Later my fellow genius!! I shall miss you!!" She exclaimed with outstretched hands before diving into the waters.

"Wait a second!! IZZY!" Noah called out to her repeatedly, but it was for nothing as the redhead made it back to the campsite and disappeared into the woods.