Not Everyone's A Dweeb
If any of you have read my story Not Exactly What You Think, then you'll find that this story is quite a bit like it. This version is about Jo, the strong girl of Total Drama Revenge of the Island and Total Drama All- Stars. This takes place in her debut season and after the elimination of Staci. As with all my stories on this site, I do not own the original work. Credit for Total Drama belongs to its creators. I own nothing but this fan fiction, so ya'll can't sue me.
It was early morning on Wawanakwa Island, the sun just barely peaking over the horizon. Once again, the near remote isle became inhabited by a slew of people, each holding a different rank of responsibility. The popular game/ reality show, Total Drama, had been reborn once more by its producers and host. This time, however, the torturous program's usual unwilling participants were replaced by a set of fresher faces. This season, Total Drama Island had become Total Drama Revenge of the Island, complete with thirteen new competitors and crazier challenges. Since the land mass had been out of commission for the past two seasons, and Chris thought it would be a good idea to rent it out for radioactive dumping, this place as even farther from unsafe as it had been in the first season.
What animal that stayed on it were quickly turned into mutant beasts the likes of which had never been seen. Squirrels had laser vision, sharks grew legs, and the plant life was larger and extremely bloodthirsty. The whole situation was utterly ridiculous, but, what could the teens do now? They had signed on the dotted line and were trapped in this hell hole for who knows how long. While there were plenty in the group who did nothing but whine and complain about their situation, there were others who decided to make the best of it. One such person stepped out of a cabin, stretching her arms and legs while inhaling the crisp air.
The blond teenager sighed before jumping off the stoop and starting a jog across the dusty path. Jo, as was the girl's name, scrunched her face up in concentration as she started her sprint around the island, trying to increase her maximum mileage by at least two that day. This was how she always started off her mornings, except back home; it would be a run around her neighborhood and not a toxic dump. Oh well, it didn't matter much to her, a work out was a work out and this one had the potential to be more exciting than her usual. This place certainly did offer a lot more challenges, with plenty of opportunities to test her limits to the fullest. Not to mention to help clear her clouded mind.
Ever since her arrival on this miserable excuse for land, Jo had to put up with some of the most annoying people. A bunch of whiners and weirdoes all assembled around her and, if she had to be honest, she didn't like ant of them. She was placed on a team with an uber geek, farm rat, spray tan-aholic, a social whore, an army brat, a red headed Mary Sue and an actor who couldn't keep out of character. Of all the people in the world who could have signed up, why did it have to be these people? Of course, as she thought about it, it could have been much worse. She could have been stuck on the other team with that fat girl who talked too much. What was her name, Tracie, Lacey, oh what did it matter, she was gone now and that's what was important.
As the blonde jockette continued her run, the dusty camp grounds giving way to a more forest like landscape, her thoughts shifted on the more specific attributes of her teammates. That red head, Zoey, would be far too easy to manipulate. She was so desperate for friends that, if Jo played her cards right, she would do anything if she thought it would help her keep her friends. The thing was she didn't really have anything that Jo thought was useful. Sure, her cuteness would get her far in a few challenges, so would her willingness to help, but once that was used up what would she do? Bat her eyelashes and ask nicely to be let to win?
The mere thought made the blond want to laugh and throw up at the same time. Besides, it was highly evident that she was into that human hedgehog since she got off the freaking boat. It was a weird attraction that could only happen between two people who had never been in a relationship before and had nothing to base themselves off of. Perfect definitely didn't describe their relationship but if one thing was clear, it was that they wouldn't give up on it. That would put a major jam in her gears if Jo decided on partnering up with the shy girl. She would either have to work extra hard to convince Mike to join them or tell Zoey to forget about him all together.
Jo really didn't want Mike to be in an alliance with her because she felt that he had no personality. Well, at least he didn't when he wasn't in character. That old man he did was just down right annoying, almost causing the rough and tumble girl to sock him then and there. Then, if she told Red to drop him, there was no doubt that she would refuse the offer and wind up being in her way. So both of those two were out, not that they would be her ideal choice anyway. Although, compared to some of her other team members, they would be an improvement. The violet eyed blond thought about attempting to work with the other blond in her group.
Dakota: a complete waste of space, time and nerve capacity. That girl was nothing but an irritant that just wouldn't stop. If she wasn't busy hogging all the cameras, she was plastering make up on her face or texting on her phone. She neither did nor knew anything, just a pastel pink pain in the butt. Jo couldn't wait to get rid of her and her stupid pretty face. Wait, where did that thought come from? The tough girl didn't really like to give out comments like that; it just made her feel this weird feeling in her stomach. It was kind of like a twisting knot in her gut, which then felt like her stomach had dropped down to her feet. The feeling wasn't anything truly new to Jo, as she had experienced it quite often when she was younger.
It was the creeping feeling of old insecurities bubbling back up to the surface and gnawing at the edge of her mind. The realization caused the girl to slow in her steps, her sprint slowing to a jogging trot. Thinking back on past memories, Jo remembered when she was a little girl, trying to access a world that seemed so foreign to her. She was raised by two loving parents, her kind and gentle mother and her strong and tough father. She was an only child, which made growing up pretty lonely, almost cold. Even though she loved her parents, and they loved her, they seemed to always be too busy to pay attention to her. Especially her father. It wasn't a secret to Jo that her dad had originally wanted a son, if all the boy items in her room were anything to judge by.
At first, it bothered her that her father didn't seem to like her that much and that he was always trying to make her act like a guy. He bought her footballs, basketballs, even boxing gloves at one point. Each time, she would always shoot him down and then proceed to pout for the rest of that day. It wasn't until she had tried to make friends that she finally changed her mind. She had walked up to a group of girls and asked if she could play with them. After they huddled, exchanging whispers and giggles, they agreed to let her join in. This would soon be the biggest mistake of her life. They had led her to some strange clearing and said that they wanted to play hide and seek, with Jo being it. The small girl saw no qualms with the decision and proceeded to count. Once she was done, she went in search of her new friends.
She searched high and low for them, but couldn't find them anywhere. Jo began to worry, if they had left her or that she would never find them. She somehow managed to find her way into a clearing in the middle of the wooded park they were playing in. That was when her sunny skies clouded over. High pitched, girly giggling surrounded her, making her feel nervous until she saw the faces that the laughs belonged to. She was happy to see her friends again until she saw their faces. They were scowling, but, why? Had she done something wrong? Did she not find them quick enough? A piercing whistle broke through the air, and that was when her hell began. Balls of mud, collected from the puddles left over after the night rain, flew through the air before connecting to their target.
Jo shrieked and squealed for the girls to stop, that she didn't like this new game they were playing, but they wouldn't listen. This treatment went on for around fifteen minutes before the deluge slowed to a halt. The young girls then came from behind the trees and rocks that they were shielding themselves behind and stalked towards their prey. All Jo could do was look up at them with watery eyes, each one glistening like a polished amethyst stone. Her face and dress were caked with dirt and scratches, as some of the mud balls contained small pebbles. 'Why,' spoke the look in her eyes, wanting to know what she had done wrong to receive this abuse.
The leader of the girls, a porcelain faced brunette, stepped forward and issued the worst verbal beating that Jo had ever had. They said that she was too weird and ugly to ever be friends with them. That she was at the bottom of the social food chain and nothing she could do would ever help her climb up the ladder. Then, they chimed in with a comment so terrible that it still haunted her to this day. They had asked her why she didn't just play with the boys, especially since she already looked like one. That last one had stung, badly. When the group had parted far enough to create a useable gap, Jo took off sprinting, trying desperately to remember her way home. She could still hear their taunting laughter to this day.
That day was the blackest day in the jockette's life, and the day that turned her into the cold husk that she was today. The memory proved to take its toll on the sports fanatic, as she stopped to sit on a log that jutted out in the middle of the dense wilderness. She knew it w2as risky to rest here, what with all the man eating animals out here, but she had to. Just thinking about that day caused her strong physical pain. She then thought of when she had returned home, hoping to find someone there to console her. The house was empty, which happened a lot to the young girl. Sulking upstairs to the bathroom, tears fell from the girl's cheeks and splashed against the velvet covered stairs.
She pushed open her door and walked into the lemon scented room, approaching her sink and stepping up on her step stool. The sight that greeted her wasn't pleasant. Some of the cuts had started to heal, the dried blood sticking to her ruddy face in a similar manner to her tears. Dried mud had crusted in her hair, the gold locks clumping together in a filthy mess. Jo jumped down from her stool and made her way to her shower, turning on the warm water to rid her body of the scum that stuck to her. She cleaned the blood and soil from her body, but no matter how long or hard she scrubbed, she couldn't erase the memory.
The feelings of betrayal and anguish washed over her in waves, making her feel as if she were drowning in some emotional sea. She fought the new tears that threatened to spill from her eyes, letting the leaks wash away with the falling water. It wasn't until she stepped out of the shower and adorned her robe that she finally came to a conclusion. So, they thought she should act more like a boy huh? Alright, if they wanted boyish, she'd give them boyish. From then on, Jo only wore track suits and sneakers, stowing away her dresses until she grew out of them and had to throw them away.
Her mother had given up trying to get her little girl back, and her father was over joyed to have someone to play ball with when his friends were busy. She had pushed herself hard to achieve the goals that would make her father proud and those girls shut their mouths. From track to martial arts and even a little football now and again, Jo was going to show everyone just how strong she could be. Of course, this meant that certain things had to be given up or isolated. No make-up, designer clothes or boys would get in her way.
Then again, there were the times where she would wish that those things were her major concern. It's not that she didn't want to; it was just the principle of the thing. She had to keep this up in order for her not to get hurt again. Ugh, how could she let herself get distracted by these stupid thoughts and memories? Judging by the position of the sun, she could almost be done with her run by now. Standing up, Jo sprinted through the forest, intent on not stopping until she met her goal. Her mind then began to return to her gaming strategy, trying to see if there was anyone here who she could put up with long enough to form a partnership with.
Tan- in- a- Can was immediately ruled out due to her personality alone. She was lazy, talked back and would only listen to her own ideas. Besides, she didn't trust Jo anyway so why bother with kissing her butt to win. There was always that toothpick weenie, but she wanted someone with physical prowess that at least matched her own. Yeah, he was smart, but she was not about to lug him around like a dead weight simply because he would be the first one eaten in one of these challenges. Scott? No way, that guy was way too slippery to be trusted; he might as well have been an eel as far as Jo was concerned.
Then there was Brick, the cadet with a serious momma's boy mentality. However, he did have some good qualities in him, mainly his strength and loyalty. He seemed that he would be willing to follow orders if he saw someone as a superior, it did come with being in the military after all. Yeah, he would be a quite useful in her plan to the million, up until the point where she had to beat him. It would be too easy, like taking candy from a baby. If only she had a real challenge, someone who wanted it just as much as she did. Someone who was all too glad to do anything to take their chance and win. Someone almost like that guy Lightning.
Now he was more up Jo's alley. Strong, competitive and, best of all, as dumb as a sack of mulch! If they were on the same team, it would be all too easy to gain his trust and then break when she was done with him. If it did come down to her being in the final three, he would be one of the two people she would hope to be up against. The third, as much as it annoyed her to say, would have to be Brick. It would only be fair that the three of them battle it out in the finals. Sure she'd win in the end, but it would be more fun with more… entertaining rivals. As she continued to think, a vision of Brick kept popping up in her head, confusing her more than helping.
Why on earth was she thinking about him now? It's not like he was too significant in her plans anyway; just a pawn to be manipulated for her desire. Yet, it was something about him that made him unable to be removed from her mind. He was just so, different than what she usually saw in the guys around her. Back home, practically all of them saw her as a rival or companion, a buddy and nothing more. Sure, they would ask her to hang out with them, but that was only because they needed an extra player in their pick-up games. It hurt to know that she would never have a guy like her just because they considered her as one of the boys. But, for some reason, Brick was different.
When he first saw Jo, he actually knew that she was a girl and not a slightly effeminate boy. He treated her with the respect that she always wanted and was able to challenge her without being a jerk. He was nice and kind, albeit a little sappy sometimes; but everyone had flaws. Even when Jo made fun of him for his bed wetting and his baby like tendencies, he never took them to heart. He'd always be ready and waiting for her the next day, up for any race or taunt that she would throw at him. It was strange; he was just so… different. But, it was a good different.
Chuckling to herself, the blond began to fantasize about the reasons of why Brick was so nice to her. It could be that, he wanted to throw her off of her game so that he would be able to win the million dollars. That was just laughable; like Brick, one of the softest contestants on the island, could even think of doing anything devious. It could be that he wanted to be friends with her. Like a legitimately genuine friend. That was just as likely as the first option. Against her better mind, Jo began to entertain the thought that maybe, just maybe, Brick liked her. It would explain a lot of things and, honestly speaking, it wouldn't necessarily be frowned upon.
Feeling her blood rushing up to her cheeks, Jo shook her head to banish that thought from her mind. Compared to that, the friendship and evil plan reasons seemed all the more possible. No one, no matter how nice and friendly they may be, would ever love her. She wasn't the girl that everyone looked to date; she wasn't the one that you would be seen with on your arm. She would NEVER be anyone's girlfriend, even if she did change. A scowl plastered itself on the teen's face as she made her way to the camp grounds. She had made a full run around the island without even noticing.
Her steps resounded heavily upon the wooden stairs, but to Jo, they might as well have been nonexistent. Her thoughts were so clouded that she probably wouldn't have even heard or felt a point five earthquake. She hated feeling like this; it was so degrading and made her feel weak. Just like when she was a little girl. Whipping away the small tears that trickled down her face, Jo did all she could to get herself together. There was no way that she would let anyone see her at her weakest moment. With her luck, it would probably be Lightning and she would have to sit through him telling her that "real guys don't cry. Sha-Lightning!" Oh, if he thinks that real dudes didn't cry, Jo would love to see his reaction when she hoofed him in the kiwis.
Once she had reigned in her emotions enough to pass herself off as ok, Jo entered the girl's side of the cabin. Just in time too, the rest of her teammates were beginning to wake up and, not wanting to be last in the showers, Jo booked it for her things. She grabbed them and proceeded to make her way out and towards the communal washrooms. Ok, so, her life sucked due to her lack of love and friends, no big deal, right? She didn't need anyone, she was fine the way she was. Besides, it like the expression says, "It's lonely at the top." And, if being a little lonely was the price she had to pay for success, then so be it.
The violet eyed blond had just reached the showers when she felt something slam into her. Although, now that she thought about it, it felt more like someone rather than a something. Looking up, violet met gray as Jo found herself gazing into the eyes of the person who had been haunting her thoughts just moments ago. Brick. Of all the times and all the places she could have run into him, why did it have to be now? Dusting of her jacket, the fiery jockette was prepared to unleash a royal tongue lashing at the cadet. That is, until she noticed his choice of clothes; or lack thereof. An army green towel was wrapped around his waist, that and his dog tags being the only things that kept him somewhat decent.
Well, this was just Jo's day now, wasn't it? Hastily turning her head, the strong girl shoved the boy from in front of the door and practically ran inside. After shutting and locking the wood barricade, Jo found her back leaning against and a sigh escaping her lips. Now that just had to be the most embarrassing moment of her teenage life. But, thinking back on the view, perhaps it wasn't all bad. Whatever, no guy was going to get in her way of one million dollars, no matter how attractive. Jo was going to show that a girl could win this time without some dude holding her back; and with a lot more clothing on. Oh yes, this season belonged to her, so look out everyone else. Here. Comes. Jo.
Well, this was my story for Jo and I hope that you guys liked it. She isn't one of my favorites, as I personally believe that she's just an Eva knock off, but I believe I'm on a roll here. Heck, I think I made her more likeable; at least to me. Well, this one is done, if you have any requests, feel free to PM me. I'll see if I can make it happen. By babies, come back soon. Mwah.