Chapter 4: Flaws

A few days later, the cast members were getting breakfast while waiting for Chris. Heather got her food and stared at it. "Now I know how starlets stay thin", she said. "Wish Chef would let me in the kitchen", Harold told her, "I've got me some mad culinary skills." Heather ignored him and sat down at her team's table. At the other table, Cody and Lindsay were feeding each other and Trent spilled salt all over his scrambled eggs. He sighed, picked a handful of it up and threw it over his shoulder, hitting Heather in the face. "Well, nothing a little pepper won't fix..." He poured some pepper on the eggs but the lid fell off and it all poured out. He picked a handful up and threw it over his shoulder, hitting Heather again. She started running around and sneezing, while Lindsay and Cody laughed. Gwen came over and hugged him. "Sorry about your breakfast. If you want, I'll trade you mine." Trent shook his head. "No, it's fine. Besides, I've got nine pieces left, so that's good." Gwen smirked. "You're lucky I like weird guys", she said.

Then, Chris walked in with sunglasses on and carrying a surf board. "Hang onto your coconuts, players, cause we're going back to the beach!" Bridgette gasped. "Oh my gosh, this is gonna be awesome!" She, Geoff and Owen cheered. "Ever seen one of those fifties era surfer movies where they kids get up to neato fun before the big bonfire twist-athon, and the bully kicks the sand castle in the nerdy guy's face?" Bridgette raised her hand, and the others just looked at Chris. "Well at least that's one of you. Today we're gonna recreate one. Two challenges, followed by a tie breaker if necessary. So, grab your swimsuits!"

The cast members got changed and then followed Chris to a building which had its AC cranked up. They stood shivering while Lindsay tried to apply sunscreen. "When did you move the beach to Antarctica?", she asked. "As some of you can see", Chris said, "we're actually in the shooting studio. All the cameras and lights get so hot they need the AC on, and my agent says 'sweaty' isn't a good look for me. Your challenge: hang ten this deck into the big blue without swallowing tail in the soup." "Talk normally!", Eva yelled. Bridgette rolled her eyes. "He means we need to stay on the board and not fall into the water tank." "Exactamundo, groovy cats!", Chris said. "The team that wins will get a half hour head start on the next challenge, and given tonight's reward, you should be fighting really hard over who gets that head start. So, who's goin' first?" Bridgette ran up. "Me, pick me! I love surfing!" "Alright then, get on the board."

Bridgette climbed up and balanced on it, on one leg. "And, here's some season one fan favorites: the sharks!" A pair of sharks jumped up to bite Bridgette, but she dodge them. "Whoa, seriously!" They tried to attack a few more times, but she kept avoiding them. "How long do I have to do this!" "As long as you can, Bridgette!", Chris said. She stayed on the board another ten minutes before jumping off. "Okay, that's long enough." Her team applauded. Trent sighed, pulled out Gwen's necklace and kissed it nine times. "Okay, we can still do this..." Eva walked up to Cody. "What's the deal with Trent?" "Heck if I know. Guess he really likes that necklace." Next up was Lindsay. She stayed on the board for a minute, but then Chef turned on some giant fans and she got blown off the board. DJ lost his swim trunks to the sharks on his turn, and Owen broke the board during his. He fell in the pool, launching the sharks into the air. "Oh, sorry shark dudes!", he yelled. "Reeeeally sorry!"

Next up was Harold's turn, while the sharks were on their break. "Sweet", he said, "my mad surfing skills can be used to their full potential now!" Then, Chris got a seagull Gatling gun and began shooting at Harold. He dodged the birds, karate chopping a few of them, until Chris ran out of ammo. Last up was Eva. Chris got some more ammo for his gun and started launching the birds at her, but she punched them all away. "Ha! Is that all you got?" But, she lost her balance and fell into the water. Lindsay gasped. "Oh my gosh, is she gonna be okay?" She got her answer when Eva hurled a shark out of the tank. Her team cheered and Chris applauded. "Beating up a shark? Very cool", he said. "But, thanks to Bridgette and Harold, the Gaffers win this round." They cheered and the Grips groaned. Trent pulled out the necklace again and shook it a few times. "Five six seven eight nine..." "Excuse me?", Owen said. "Four five six seven eight nine!" "You're being really weird, bro." Trent glared at him. "If being weird brings us good luck then, yeah, I'm weird. Besides... Gwen likes weird."

Then, the campers took a bus and then a boat to their second location: the island from last season. "Yes campers, we're actually back at your old stomping grounds", Chris said. "If you need to take a moment and reminisce about the great times you had here..." Everyone started laughing. Chris frowned. "Fine, we'll skip the good memories montage. Screaming Gaffers, you've got a thirty minute head start on the sand castle building contest, to be judged by our resident king of the dunes, Chef." Chef put a sand castle hat on his head. "Make like prop masters, guys, and give me something awesome. I really don't want the tie breaker to have to go down... don't think legal's quite approved it yet."

The Gaffers got to work, with Harold giving orders. "DJ, get wetter sand for the castle! Bridgette, pack it firmer!" After working for a while, he stood up to admire the impressive results. "Now how 'bout some props for my fine buttresses?", he said. Geoff chuckled. Then, Chef pulled out a trumpet and played it. "Screaming Gaffers, your thirty minute lead is up. So, Grips, get castling." Owen yelled "Water! We need water!" He ran around screaming and Trent yelled "Quiet! We need a plan, and I've got one." They got building. "Yeah that's right, nine towers, nine doors, Cody- add one more moat so we have-" "Nine, I know." A hermit crab crawled over and Lindsay picked it up. She drew a Killer Grip symbol on it with nail polish and put it on the castle. "Now we have a flag!" Izzy pulled off part of her dressed, tied it to a stick and shoved it in the castle. "And now we have a better one! I hereby claim this castle for the great nation of Escopia! All hail queen E-Scope!"

Meanwhile, Harold finished the Gaffers' castle. "The Taj Maharold. Perfect!" The others admired it. Back at the Grips side, Trent was making eight hermit crab flags. "Dude, we already have a flag, you can stop with the nine thing. Come on, you're gonna break it!" Trent laughed. "No way, just one more and it's perfect!" He put it in and the castle collapsed. Cody sighed. "We're doomed." Eva pulled off her wrist bands. "How 'bout we use these to hold it up?" "It's a sand castle building contest", Cody said. Eva glared at him. "He said to make like prop masters, so let's make like stinking prop masters! Anyone got a problem with that!" Everyone shook their heads. "Good!"

Confession Cam: Eva

"Trent's a decent guy, if a bit crazy, but he's no leader. It's a good thing I can take charge, otherwise there'd be no way we could win. Those guys owe me, majorly."

They finished it and Trent check it over. "Nine of everything... great. I dub thee 'Casa dos Gwen.'" Gwen watched this from her team's side. "Now he's naming buildings after me? I think Trent's obsessed... wait. Last season he told me he ran out of his meds on the island. He didn't forget to bring them this season, did he?" Bridgette walked up and put her hand on Gwen's shoulder. "Hey, calm down. He's gonna be alright, just you worry..." They waved at Trent, and he waved back nine times. Bridgette facepalmed. "Okay, maybe not." Meanwhile a flock of seagulls came and landed on the Gaffers' castle. Harold ran up and tried to shoo them away. "No, there's birds in my belfry!" DJ kicked at them and they flew off, but the castle collapsed. "Dang, DJ, you busted my buttresses!" "Sorry..." Chris smiled. "We have a winner! Eva's plan and the Grips' castle win this round, which means we need a tie breaker. One that's legal... hmm." Chris scratched his chin for a minute, then smiled. "Gather some wood, campers, for a fire of the bon variety.

Trent ran into Gwen in the forest while looking for wood. "Hey! How's it going? I feel like it's been ages since we had any, you know, quality time together." "Yeah, I know..." Gwen looked away. "I kinda wanna talk to you about- are you carrying nine sticks?" Trent nodded. "Of course! It's my lucky number." Gwen began backing away. "Listen Trent, I'd love to stay and chat, but I really gotta go help my team. See ya!" She ran off, leaving Trent behind. He sighed. "There's gotta be something I can do to make her happy... but what?"

After sundown, it was time for the challenge. They came back to the beach and there was already a bonfire set up. "Why did you send us out to get firewood?", Heather asked. Chris glared and thrust his hand at her. "I needed some alone time. You think these hands manicure themselves? Anyway, the tie breaking challenge: an old school dancing contest! Teams, choose your best warrior for battle!" Bridgette ran up. "Ooh, how about me? I know a lot of surfer dances!" Gwen nodded. "You go for it, girl." "I vote for Trent", Lindsay said. Trent looked at his team. "Really?" They shrugged and nodded. "Sure, why not? But only if you guys say my name nine times", he said. They sighed and did so.

Chris turned on a boombox and the dancers walked up to each other. "May the best dancer win", Trent said. Bridgette smiled. "Don't worry, I will." They both started dancing. Trent did okay, but Bridge's old school moves left the other teens staring in confusion.

Confession Cam: Heather

"I'm trying to tone down my insult level, but this time I just can't. Those lame surfer moves are NOT made for land. That was total flop. I know ballet, so I know I'm right when I say she's a balleri-no. Get some new tricks, Bridgette."

Trent kept dancing and the Grips cheered him on. He looked at Gwen, and she looked away. He looked at Cody, and Cody shrugged.

Confession Cam: Trent

"Most people like winning. So, Gwen probably wants to win, and if Gwen wants to win, why is it unethical for me to help her? I'm Trent first and a Killer Grip second... Oh, can we erase that?"

Trent started moonwalking and tripped on a stick 'by accident.' The Grips gasped. "Dude, get up!", Eva yelled. He tried, but fell back down. "Ah, I think I sprained my ankle!" Chris shook his head. "Well that's just sad. Looks like the challenge is over! Bridgette and the Screaming Gaffers win! And your reward: the greatest beach party ever!" The Gaffers cheered. Trent stood up and looked at Gwen, who smiled and motioned for him to follow her to the woods.

"Congrats on winning", he said. "How do you feel?" "Pretty good", Gwen said. "You know, you're a really good dancer." Trent chuckled. "Yeah? You like that?" He moonwalked over to her. "Your ankle seems better." "I'm weird like that", he said. "You sure are." They both leaned in for a kiss, but then Owen popped out from behind a tree. "You guys gonna make out now?" They responded by hurling sticks at him. They went back to the beach, where the Gaffers were already partying. Chris walked up to Trent and the Grips. "Well, we're staying here tonight, so you guys just have to watch your rivals gorge on victory. And poi!" They ignored Chris and went to the edge of the beach, where Owen started eating their sand castle. "How is it, Omar?", Lindsay asked. "Eh, I've had worse." He kept eating while Eva looked at him. "I'm not sure who has more issues here. You, Lindsay, or Trent."

Back at the bonfire, Heather danced over toward Harold. "Hey", she said. "Hey", Harold replied. "I was wondering... what would you think of joining my alliance this season?" Harold smiled. "Sounds great, milady!" Heather smirked. "Perfect... now I just need to find one more."