Staged

by GwennieBlack

[ONESHOT] It's Thursday evening and every teenager in Canada is ready to watch another episode of the most popular reality show on air: Total Drama Island. If they only knew the show was as real as their grandmothers' teeth: very few people knew the whole thing was scripted and performed by talented young actors. Still, that doesn't mean all of it is a lie...

Sorry, forgot about the Disclaimer.

I do not own Total Drama, blah blah yadda yadda yadda. Enjoy.

PS: I suck at this, I know.

Gwen approached the skunk hole carefully. The last think she wanted was to get the skunks out and be a victim of their defense mechanism. 'Uuuugh!' she exclaimed, disgusted by the smell.

Someone was approaching behind; she turned around as she saw Trent walking towards her.

'Are you okay?'

'My key's in that skunk hole! Skunks totally freak me out!' she confessed to him as she covered her nose from the smell coming out of the skunk hole.

'Listen, I've already got my key. Let me help ya'!', Trent offered politely, showing Gwen the key he had obtained from the neck rope of a shark earlier.

'But this is practically impossible…' the girl replied.

'You could just put water down the hole', the boy suggested 'and flush 'em out.

'Skunks swim?' Gwen asked, bewildered.

'Totally.'

'Cool' she said smiling, drawing her hand away from her nose, which she immediately regretted after sensing the awful smell of the skunk, and covered her nose again. 'Ugh!' she cried once more.

'Wait here. I'll go get a pail.'

Gwen sat down on a rock nearby and waited for Trent. She wanted to get done with the skunk once and for all; after having attempted to get the damn key several times, she was already scented with the skanky odor.

Trent walked into sight carrying a pail full of water, and Gwen got up from her seat to go help him with it, holding the other side of the pail, having to walk backwards towards the hole. Then, they poured it on the hole and ran away, dropping the pail, and hid behind the bushes; two seconds later the skunk was struggling to get out of its hole, the poor creature soaking wet. After the skunk went away, both ran towards the hole and Gwen kneeled to take her key. When she finally got it, she showed it to Trent, triumphantly, and he smiled at her.

Without hesitation, Gwen got up and kissed the boy. Just then, they heard a voice screaming:

'CUT!'

'Again?' Gwen complained with a hint of frustration, detaching her lips from Trent's.

'Why yes, again, Gwen' the woman who interrupted the kiss said angrily. 'Trent, REMEMBER you're not expecting her to kiss you!'

'I know that!' Trent insisted, walking towards Macy, the coach director.

'No, apparently you don't' she reprimanded him. 'Jim, show him the scene.'

The cameraman played the scene they had just recorded –for the seventh time that day—showing it to Trent.

'See' Macy pointed out, flopping down on her director's chair 'see the way you welcome her in your arms. Yes, it does look like you're not expecting it, but for a second you do make believe you know it's about to happen.'

'It's just a second…we're tired Macy, we haven't eaten…'

'To the trained eye that little second IS noticeable' Macy retorted, lighting a cigarette. In the meanwhile, the prop guys left the now dried skunk in the hole once again and filled the pail with water.

'Oh c'mon, trained eye? Only teens watch this show…'

'Trent, we're in a reality show' Macy raised her voice, standing up and pushing a finger on Trent's chest. He was getting done with her, with her demands and with the way she seemed to constantly emphasize two out of three words that came out of her mouth. 'You gotta make it look real! Do you want the press to realize it's faked? Because they saw you anticipating the kiss?'

'Oh c'mon, the only show that talks about Total Drama is Celebrity Manhunt and they're on this business just as we are' Trent let out cheekily.

'Make-it-real' she told him, sitting again and putting out her cigarette on the arm rest of the chair, and Trent walked back to Gwen 'Oh, and do the smile thingy again. Very nice touch.'

'Oh my god. Macy just said I did something right? I must be dreaming' he pointed out to his workmate, who was reading her script, holding the stack of papers with one hand and scratching her head with the other.

'Don't mind her. She'll just coach us for this episode only because we're the main topic of this week's episode. She'll be all over Bridgette and Geoff next week when we shoot the bike race and she'll leave us alone –well, she'll leave me alone. Sorry, Mr. Unemployed.'

'It's okay' Trent replied, picking up the empty pail from the floor, 'I overheard they'll be shooting an especial episode about the losers in the hotel. That'll give me time to audition for something else.'

'Up from the pail part. ACTION!' Macy shouted, and Trent walked back to the position from where he enters the scene carrying the pail. Again, for the eighth time that day, Gwen went to help him, both walked to the hole, they poured it in the hole, the skunk got away, Gwen took out the key…

'Oh' she said with her hand still in the hole, 'oh my god. Guys, I think it's stuck.'

'MY FREAKING LORD!' they heard Macy complaining in the distance. She had thrown the script to the floor in frustration, as the prop guys helped Gwen to get her arm unstuck. 'CAN'T ANY OF YOU DO ANYTHING GOOD?!'

It had been a long day, but luckily now it was over, as the sun was already hiding under the lake and the light shone on the water. That was the signal for everyone in the island, including actors, sceneshifters, cameramen and makeup crews, which indicated that the day was over and they wouldn't shoot anymore unless there was a scene that had to be specifically shot at twilight. Like campfire ceremonies, but they were to shot Trent's elimination the night after, so everyone was done for the day.

They had finally managed to make Macy happy with the way the scene turned out. The kiss came out nicely and sweet –Gwen and Trent had had to kiss about seventeen times during the day-, the key was obtained and the scene was done and ready to be edited. The cameras were put back in their cases and the actors were heading to the section where the trailers were. And the skunk had been dried again and put safely in its home, never to be bothered again. Several crew members apologized jokingly to the skunk as they left the woods on their way out.

Gwen and Trent got out of the woods first than the rest of the crew, who were busy unplugging stuff and putting things in cases and carrying them to the props room.

'I swear, when Courtney told me she was a pain in the ass, I was all like "maybe she just had a bad day", but now, now I've seen it by myself. I pity the next guy who has the main character spot next episode, because they'll have to put up with that bitch" Trent complained to Gwen as they walked under the orangey light of the sunset coming through the trees.

"Tell me about it. Remember Basic Straining?' she asked, referring to the episode where Chef made the campers do military stuff as a challenge. 'She was all over Geoff and me when we had to hang from that tree. I was having a headache both because of being upside down and directed by her' Gwen complained too, scratching her hair. 'God, this wig is itchy' she said as she took it off his head, revealing her natural short brunette hair tied in a ponytail which she quickly untied.

'You know what's funny?' Trent said, laughing, 'you guys will have to put up with Macy directing the finale episode. Not just one scene. The whole episode. You'll have a tough week.'

'Shut up, I made it to the finale and you didn't' Gwen bragged about the triumph of her character jokingly, as someone joined them in their walk back to the trailers. 'Hi Heather.'

'Hey guys! So how was the kiss scene?' she asked enthusiastically, drinking from a bottle of apple juice. 'Want some?' she said handing the bottle to Trent, who accepted it and took a sip.

'Ugh, we were just talking about it' Gwen replied 'We had to kiss seventeen times.'

'I think my lips are sore' Trent commented laughing, giving Heather back her bottle.

'You make sure we get the scene right tomorrow' Heather demanded to her workmate, 'my boyfriend's still not okay with me kissing other guys. Even if I get paid for it.'

'We'll have Macy directing our scene. I think you're in for a long afternoon of kissing.'

'Macy? Oh no' Heather cried. 'Please tell me this is a mean joke. She made my life miserable during the Awakethon!'

'Sorry Heather, but the three of us are kind of the big deal during this episode' Gwen explained as they reached the cabins, 'Macy's the one in charge of shooting the most important scenes of the show...bitch's a talented director.'

She was interrupted by the sound of a woman shouting somewhat close to them. As usual, Bridgette was arguing with the cameramen next to the Screaming Gophers' cabin.

'And if you take ONE MORE, just ONE MORE close-up of my butt I will have you ALL fired! I mean it! I can do that!'

'The day's not finished if Bridgette isn't having a fit', Gwen commented sarcastically. 'Anyways, who did you shoot with today, Heather?'

'We shot with Mark!' Heather answered almost ecstatically, as if she had won the lottery.

'Oh my god, isn't he the best?' Gwen replied cheerfully.

'Yeah! I had to shoot this scene where I'm hanging from a rope in Chef's kitchen and I fell and hit my head' she explained as Trent and Gwen watched Heather with a concerned face and let out uuhs and aahs, 'and Mark had the whole crew stop shooting until I felt better.'

'I could kill you right now' Trent said, staring at her through narrowed eyes as a joke. 'Macy has had us all day without eating.'

'I know the feeling of that. She had me awake all night without giving me anything to eat for the Awakethon.'

Gwen and Trent nodded accordingly, as they had been one of The Awakethon's main spotlights like Heather, Lindsay and Beth and their scenes were also directed by Macy. Just then, a squeaking voice interrupted their conversation as Lindsay was coming their way running.

'Hi guys!' Lindsay said as she joined the group, 'I'm so tired! Wasn't today's challenge soooo difficult?'

Everyone in the cast knew it was no use to repeat to Lindsay for the fifth time they were acting the challenges, not taking part of them; so Trent, Heather and Gwen just let her be and agreed, and the four kept walking.

'We should have one of those carts to move around the set', the blonde girl suggested, 'my boots are killing me!'

By seven o'clock everyone was gathered round the tables under the tent that served as a dining-area, and the whole crew was sitting eating dinner. A cheerful conversation was to be heard in the actors' table, where the remaining "contestants" were enjoying softly-mashed mashed potatoes with steaks after a tiring day of pretending. Trent and Gwen were the only ones who decided there was still room for dessert –after the second serving, of course –apart from Owen, naturally. They hadn't even had a proper breakfast in the morning because they had been woken up really early to get working on their makeup and such. Both got up from the table and headed to the catering table to get one of those delicious-looking brownies that were piled up forming a pyramid of chocolate. They met Duncan getting green jelly in two bowls.

'Is it me or this doesn't taste as good as our usual dinners?' Duncan asked the pair as they approached to the table, procuring not to be heard by the guys in the catering staff so he wouldn't sound rude.

'No, it isn't just you', Gwen affirmed, picking the brownie at the top of the pyramid and putting it on her plate 'Chef took a one-week vacation. He's off to the Maldives with his wife.'

'Really? Well, the guy certainly deserves it', Duncan remarked. 'I mean, not only does he act but he also cooks, he takes his role as a chef very seriously.'

'Yeah, but I miss his french-fries', Trent joined the conversation, 'hope he comes back soon. Dude, how's the piercing thing going? Has it healed?'

'Ugh, no' Duncan complained with a disgusted look on his face, 'had I known these things were going to infect my skin, I'd have asked for fake piercings. I can't wait for me to get kicked off the show to get rid of 'em.'

'A couple more weeks and you're done. Hang in there!' Gwen cheered with her mouth full of chocolate.

'Oh man!' Duncan exclaimed, 'talk about a couple more weeks! This is your last week here with us, man!' he continued, patting Trent's shoulder.

'Yeah, it is' he replied with a somewhat downhearted smile, 'it is. I'm gonna miss you, man.'

'Gonna miss you too, bro. It's been awesome. God, time flies. We have to do something about it' Duncan proposed with a stern face, 'let's ask the catering guys for some beers. The occasion is worth it!'

Duncan put the two pots of green jelly on the table and walked over to one of the men serving dinner and they spoke.

'With the whole Macy thing today I had completely forgotten you're leaving tomorrow' Gwen mentioned, and Trent smiled at her the same way he had smiled at Duncan. 'What am I gonna do without my better half?' Gwen asked, resting an arm around his neck. 'It's gonna feel lonely without your pranks here…I'll miss you, man.'

'Me too' he smiled at her, but this time his smile was more of a happy beam. 'You've been an excellent better half' he answered, laughing, as they both had nicknamed each other "my better half" since the reading of the script for the Awakethon, when they found out their characters were probably going to end up together. Gwen smiled back at him.

Just then, Duncan returned by their side with three beers, and handed two to Gwen and Trent. Then, he put his hand around his mouth so as to make himself heard.

'Hey dudes! Hey! A toast going on here, c'mon!'

As usual, every week one actor left the crew because their characters were voted off the island, and the fashion to say goodbye to them was to have one of their closest friends in the crew to say a few farewell words before the night when their characters were taken to the other island where they were supposed to stay until the competition finished. This time, Trent would be the one leaving.

'Well, as we all know' Duncan began speaking, holding the can of beer in his hand as the catering guys handed cans for everyone in the tent, 'one of us must go this week, and this week we're kicking this fella's butt' he continued, looking at Trent. 'What can I say, bud. It's been awesome. You'll be missed. Who'll put rat traps in the girls' shoes now?'

'THAT WAS YOU?!' LeShawna inquired from her seat, with a joking hint in her voice. 'Well I say let's kick him out right now! Just kidding baby, love ya'.'

'Owwww Trent!' Lindsay, who had stood up from her seat and had gone to hug him, squealed. 'I'm so sorry Heather set you guys up! You didn't deserve…oh wait' she stopped suddenly, her eyes wide open as she stared at the vaccum. 'I-I wasn't supposed to say…BYE!' she managed to say before she darted out of the tent. Outside, everyone in the tent could hear her say: "Heather's soooo killing me! Oh my god she's gonna cut my hair!"

Everyone laughed, and then Duncan continued.

Slowly, one by one went to sleep to their trailers. Some lingered around practicing their lines for the scenes that were to be shot next day while others preferred to get their eight-hours beauty sleep, so they left the dining tent. Gwen told Heather, whom she shared her trailer, to leave the door unlocked; she was going to stay in the tent to practice her lines with Trent. Since the scene also involved Heather they invited her to stay, but she considered it was too late already and preferred to go to sleep. 'Otherwise not even the makeup department will be able to make something about my dark rings', she said. By eleven, they were the only ones in the tent. They both were reading their scripts and acted their lines as they read along.

'Well, since Heather isn't here we could skip your scene at the dock…unless you want to go over that again?'

'I'd like that. I want Macy to shove her remarks up her asshole tomorrow. Could you act Heather's part?'

'No probs buddy' she replied, standing up. 'So, I'm standing here crying' she read, leaning on one of the columns that supported the tent 'and you come in that direction. I'm not gonna cry unless you want me to because that would be lame.'

'Nah, I'm fine, I can do it without you having to cry' he replied, and took a look at his script. 'Ok, so here we go. Heather, what's wrong?' Trent said approaching to "Heather", and Gwen turned around to him.

'N-nothing', she replied faking a hurt voice, still leaning against the column, standing with her back against Trent.

'No, tell me…' Trent insisted as he took a peek of his script.

'Well…I don't want to sound like a suck or anything' Gwen continued, reading Heather's lines from the script as she turned around to face Trent 'but…Gwen's just being so mean to me…and I don't get why!' she finished with her crying voice, resting her hand on Trent's shoulder. 'I…I don't think I can go on!'

'Gwen's just a hard girl to get to know' Trent reassured her, 'that's all! Don't take it personally.'

'I'm so surprised to see you supporting her' Gwen said suddenly embracing Trent, as the scene required, 'you know, after all the horrible things she says about you and…' Gwen stopped to perform a puzzled face. '…ups.'

Trent pushed her away and grabbed her by the wrists. 'What? What do you mean?' he asked with an expression of both concern and seriousness.

'I, I feel terrible telling you this…I promised I wouldn't say a word, but…you should know' Gwen began, taking a step forward to him, 'that Gwen confided to the girls that she doesn't stand you, and thinks a total cliché…'

Trent played the most shocked face he could pull as he looked into Gwen's eyes with his wide open and with his jaw dropped as she talked.

'Your music stinks' Gwen continued, 'and she's only stringing you along to get further in the game…'

'But…I thought that…Gwen and I had a real connection' he replied, still shocked, but now with a hint of disappointment and sadness, taking a step back as if he felt dizzy and unsteady after hearing the "news".

'Gwen is just playing you for your vote. She's played us all, and you're just so nice that I can't watch you fall for it anymore!' she read Heather's lines putting expression to the words, covering her eyes.

'Wow…and all this time I thought she liked me…' he continued, hurt. 'She really said my music stinks?'

Gwen nodded, looked at the script and added, now using her normal voice tone: 'and this is the part where Lindsay signals Heather, blablabla…' She turned the page, and grabbing Trent's face with both her hands, she continued the scene: 'Maybe Gwen thinks your music stinks' she began to say softly and using a sweet tone of voice, 'but I, think you're really talented.'

After that, Gwen pulled Trent's face slightly forward in order to kiss him out of the blue like Heather was supposed to do in the scene. She locked lips with him, procuring to kiss him long enough since Gwen –her character—had to see them kissing. She kept doing it, and she thought she might as well add a little tongue, as Heather would do. The scene required a less sweet and more sort of passionate kiss, as Heather was like, a professional in the matter or something. It had to be sort of tense, rough; so she clasped her hands on his shoulders tightly as she took a breath. How long had they been kissing? Was it enough? The script didn't specify how long they were supposed to sustain the kiss…

Slowly, Gwen relaxed her grip, and her shoulders sunk. The tight embrace loosened as Trent placed his hands on her waist and held her, moving her closer to him; and she moved her hands to his neck from his face. Without interrupting to take short breaths, they kept kissing, now more enthusiastically and energetically.

Slowly the kiss stopped, and they both detached lips, falling into reality, one step at a time. After the sudden realization that they had been kissing for longer than two minutes, they both took a step back and stared at each other's confused faces. Then, Gwen burst out into laughter.

'We let go', she told him, and he started to laugh. 'Are we that drunk?'

'Probably…' Trent answered, although he was pretty sure he was conscious.

'It's never happened to me', Gwen said, still laughing, sitting at the table. 'In all these years of studying drama I have never let myself go. Funny.'

'Still, it happens to all of us, it's pretty normal' Trent said, standing still.

'Completely normal' Gwen agreed at once, staring at the table. After that, no one else said a word. When both of them had decided it was enough, both tried to un-awkward the atmosphere and tried to talk at the same time.

'Maybe we should stop…' Trent spoke, taking a step towards the table.

'It's been a long day, we should…' Gwen started, turning around on her chair.

Trent smiled coyly at Gwen and walked back to the opening of the tent. 'I'm gonna go back to my trailer, now.'

'Guess I'll see you tomorrow' Gwen replied from the table, with a poker look on her face, her lips pressed, her cheeks slightly pink under that pale skin of hers.

Trent waved goodbye as he disappeared into the night, and Gwen just stood there, looking at the spot where they had just rehearsed the scene. How odd. It was usual for an actor to let go in a kiss, but it had never happened to her. Maybe it was the booze.

Or maybe, just maybe, it was that one little thought Gwen had been refusing to acknowledge for weeks, that certainty on the back of her head she had been trying to ignore, calling it nonsense. Sometimes, when you're acting the role of one character for so long, you end up acquiring some of its traits, every actor knew that. It had been like two or three months since she started to play the role of her homonymous Goth girl, and she had found some of the things she used to fake now were a part of her: Gwen's sarcastic comments and her eye-rolling every time someone said something quite stupid, for example. Which only proved her theory right: perhaps she felt like she was attracted to Trent because during all these weeks she had had to pretend she was crushing on him. Besides, it was hard not to see anyone could have a little, innocent crush on him. He was tall, handsome, had stunning green eyes under those strong, thick eyebrows that gave him that unique look, and his voice was soft and calm, and he was in really good shape. And he was one of the most laid-back guys Gwen had ever met in her whole career. He was funny and nice to everyone, it was pretty hard to be blind to his charms, which were obviously something that couldn't be ignored by girls and boys the same…

It was definitely that.

Still staring at the wooden table, bearing all of this in mind, Gwen woke up out of her heavy over-thinking and got up from the chair. She walked around the empty tent and went to the cooler to get a fresh beer to clarify her thoughts.

He had picked up little pebbles on his way to the dock and kept them in his pockets, so he had something to do with them as he sat down and thought about everything. Things that he had been pushing back all this time.

Now it was time to go, and he couldn't sleep, so he had all the time in the world to reflect on everything. The summer sky was clear and the stars were shining dimly above him. He was going to miss looking up and seeing the sky and the stars, he thought as he looked up and threw another stone to the lake. The good thing about shooting a series in an isolated island, chased all day long by mosquitoes and having to live in crappy, small trailers, was the landscape. It was a beautiful island, and since it was so far away from the city, not one light ruined the sight of a starry night.

'Maybe I should go on holidays after this' he thought to his insides. Another stone was thrown into the water. 'Far away from the city. Maybe I should buy a cabin in the mountains.'

He smiled sadly at the thought that popped out immediately in his head. His mind had tricked him again, thinking about the one person he would carry along to a holiday away from everything and everyone, someone who knew wouldn't tag along for that. She had no reason to accept. Yes, they had grown quite fond of each other during the shooting of the series, but they were just workmates and that was it, really. Perhaps he could suggest to some of the crew to go on holidays together, as a group, she couldn't refuse.

For a second it looked like she wanted it, he thought as he threw another stone and watched it hop three times before it sank, leaving small circle trails. They had like, grabbed each other's bodies tightly and the kiss was firm, and everything. Maybe she did want to, but she probably didn't and this affection was barely one-sided, it didn't go both ways.

He had discovered he felt stuff for Gwen weeks ago, sometime between the episode when they shot that talent contest episode and the canoes one. And much unlike Gwen (although he wasn't aware of this), he had accepted it as a fact. What was there not to like about Gwen? She was smart, she had that hoarse but clear voice, and big black eyes under those heavy eyelashes of hers. For a while he couldn't quite tell if he was in love with Gwen, the character, or Gwen, the real person who embodied the Goth girl with the heavy makeup that suited her so well. He found out the answer to that question shortly after, as he studied her every move in and out of character. When they were sitting on that very same spot on the dock in their swimsuits, listening to her rant on and on about everyone at camp and how annoying they were as they were acting the scene, and when they were both chilling in the cabins' decks, talking about how tiring it was to pretend to do a physical challenge, swinging and running and hiking around. Gwen and Fake Gwen were pretty much the same person, with the exception that the real one didn't fancy the gothic look, although she didn't hate it either, and was a vegan in real life. Other than that, they shared the same personality, the same cute smiles, same everything.

Not falling in love with Gwen had been the hardest of things he had ever had to do, and he had failed miserably at it at first attempt.

But every hope of staying in touch after this faked competition was fading as hours were dying. Trent had learnt Gwen was planning on leaving to Paris as soon as the shooting of the series finished, to take a course on Film Directing. During all this time Trent had tried to get her to like him back, but it had been futile. Apparently Gwen didn't like him as anything else than a really good friend. Every attempt at romance Trent had risked, Gwen had avoided. Every move he made Gwen had repelled. It wasn't meant to be, and now their ways were going to part. Of course they could always reunite and catch up, at least.

He was going to miss her, he thought as he lay on the dock, having run out of pebbles to throw. It was cold already, but he didn't want to go to bed, he wanted to think about all the good stuff that happened to him on the island. The great friends he made most of all.

Just then he heard steps on the dock. He didn't bother to lift or move his eyes, but when the figure walked next to him and lay on the dock, he couldn't help but be surprised at the sight of that person.

'I can't sleep either' Gwen confessed.

'You should be able to; you're not getting kicked out tomorrow night.'

'That's precisely the reason why I can't seem to stop tossing and turning in bed' her calm voice said, staring into the sky, side by side with him, as Trent felt one cold hand grab his. Shocked at the touch, he looked down at it, then looked up, and met Gwen's face staring at the sky with relaxed eyes. 'I'm losing my better half tomorrow night.'

'We should meet outside the competition' he suggested.

'course we should' she agreed. 'Meet up in some cozy little café in the city. All disguised up so people can't recognise us.'

Trent laughed. He often forgot he was famous now, because life on that island had been so easy and quiet he couldn't get accustomed to the idea.

'Think they'll chase us down the streets?'

'It probably would be wiser to meet up during night, then' she said. 'In a dark bistro, under the candle lights.'

That was what was so annoying about Gwen. Trent often felt she gave him mixed signals. But Trent was too relaxed and at peace to do anything about it. The soft breeze of the island's biome and the quietness of the night had a tranquil, drowsy effect on him.

'I like the sound of that. Think you'll be leaving the island soon?' he asked, looking up at the sky again.

'I could lose a challenge in purpose to get kicked out, one of these days' she said with a very calm voice. 'I'll let you know.'

'I'll be looking forward to it, so don't forget about it when you get famous and stuff.'

'I pinky-promise. I'm freezing. Mind if I cuddle in?'

He lost hold of her hand to welcome her in his arms, and he rested his chin on her head when she snuggled in and rested her head on his chest. The daylight seemed so far away from them.