Chapter Four: Second Thoughts

Bridgette's POV:

I was confident Duncan and Courtney could do this 'raising a raccoon' thing. I read in Reader's Digest that babies bring the parents together. Except I was taking a risk… Courtney and Duncan weren't exactly married. Damn they fought like a married couple, but they denied liking each other. The problem was they DID like each other, but they're both too stubborn. Well, Courtney is stubborn because she gets mad every time Duncan is perverted and makes a pass. But Duncan should know not to tease Courtney and he always does it.

Oh crap… maybe they can't do this. Maybe Courtney and Duncan will screw this up. Sure, Geoff and I never clarified what 'screwing up' was, but it was clear that if the two start fighting and can't stand each other by the end of summer that the boys won.

Double crap! They already can't stand each other! No Bridgette! You have to believe that Duncan and Courtney can pull through this and survive each other. Because yes, practically every time we're with the two they bicker. But there's something else there… an attraction… a spark. I must have faith in that spark within the two. Or else Gwen, Izzy and I will be snooping through Chris and Chef's underwear drawers and swinging them wildly on the roof. Ugh I do not want to do that.

"Good morning campers," Chris chimed as he walked into the Mess Hall. "I trust you all had a nutritional breakfast this morning?"

"Why do you care?" Heather shot up. Heather had a good point, why does Chris care? He loves seeing us in pain. He's Chris the Sadist.

"I care plenty Heather," Chris replied. "But especially today because of today's CHALLENGE."

(A/N Okay to explain this better, all the campers came to Chris and Chef's summer camp and are put through torturous acts like on the show, but it's not on camera. And after each challenge the winner is rewarded, so think of it as what regularly happens without the cameras. Oh, and there's no million dollar prize at the end, which is why everyone isn't obsessively competitive. *cough like Courtney cough* back to the story XD )

"We're still getting over the pain you put us through yesterday!" Harold exclaimed.

"Harold, getting shocked by electric eels only brings out more of your character," Chris said.

"It also brought out my allergic reaction, gosh!"

"Whatever Harold, no one cares. Anyway, all you campers are going to have a canoeing race from one end to the lake to the other. You'll be in teams of two and the winners' get- Hey! Where are Duncan and Courtney?"

Everyone at our table froze. I hit Geoff's arm, "Say something!" I hissed.

"They're uh…" Geoff stammered. "Right over there!"

We all turned our heads to the door where Courtney and Duncan had just walked in. They were both dirty and covered in mud, with harsh looks on their faces. "Well what happened to you two?" Noah asked with more sarcasm than concern, "Take a bath in mud?"

"Ooh I love mud baths! But the kinds from spas, not the mud from nature, that's just gross," Lindsay commented.

"No, we did not take a mud bath. We fell down a mud hole while coming over here," Courtney answered with anger dripping from her voice. She glared at Duncan, "Because somebody distracted me from looking where I was going."

"Oh you're blaming me? Well it's not my fault my good looks distract you babe," Duncan shot back.

"Okay stop you two. Just got sit down and let your teammates fill you in," Chris said. Courtney sat next to me, and Duncan sat across from her next to Geoff.

"Wow. You can literally feel the tension aha it's so funny!" Izzy laughed.

Geoff gave me a smug look. You haven't won yet Geoff! This isn't over!

Izzy's POV:

So Chris told us to get out to the lake dock so we can have our partners picked and start the canoeing race. I was first to run out to the dock and I jumped up and down in anticipation. Finally all the other slowpokes showed up and I jumped over to Noah. "Hey there!" I exclaimed happily. Noah didn't acknowledge me. "I said hey there!" I repeated. He still acted like I wasn't there. "POKE!"

"Don't poke me!" he exclaimed.

"I poke you because you don't respond," I replied with a giggle, continuing to poke his arm. "Hey how come you're so flabby?"

"I am not flabby," Noah responded. Cody, Tyler and Owen started laughing.

"No, I'm pretty sure that's flab I'm poking," I replied, poking his arm harder. "My god Noah, do you work out?"

"Stop it!" he growled. "And no, working out isn't me forte."

"Well I think you should work out. You can ask Eva to help you out!" I exclaimed.

Now Cody, Tyler and Owen were laughing their heads off. Noah slapped his hand to his head. "Kill me now," he moaned.

"Are you using sarcasm again?"

"No Izzy, that time I was serious."

Courtney's POV:

Everyone had finally caught up to Izzy and reached the docks. I was standing a good ten feet away from that ogre. Ugh I can't believe him! We were walking to the Mess Hall and we fell in a mud hole because he was blocking my vision and I couldn't see. I was so not checking him out like he accused me of doing! Though I did notice he had a few tattoos on his-

"CAMPERS!" Chris exclaimed loudly as he stood in front of us. "Today's challenge each of you will be partnered in two groups, and you two have to get in a canoe, race to one end of the lake and back. Whichever team wins gets a prize."

"What's the prize?" I asked.

"You will find out if you win Courtney," Chris answered. "So hmm… how should I pair you up? Oh! Okay all of you have five seconds to find a partner! Ready, set, GO!"

"Ah!" we all screamed in anticipation. Okay think Courtney, there's only one person I don't want to get teamed with and that's Duncan. Avoid him! Avoid him like the plague! I quickly ran over to Bridgette about to grab her arm to pick her as a partner. But as I reached out Bridgette turned around, making me miss her and fall over- on Duncan.

"Oomph!" we both huffed as I landed on top of him. As soon as we hit the ground we rolled into the lake water. Everyone started laughing.

"Well it looks like you two found each other," Chris snickered.

"Could've asked Princess, I would've said yes," Duncan smirked.

"Uh! I was trying to get teamed with Bridgette!" I yelled.

"Well now you're stuck with me."

"Story of my life."

"Look on the bright side."

"What?"

"At least the mud is washed off us," Duncan grinned. I rolled my eyes.

Bridgette's POV:

Okay, so maybe it was a little mean to purposely turn around as Courtney reached out for me. But I really wanted Courtney to be partnered with Duncan so they could bond! But instead they fell in the lake and started arguing. Maybe that wasn't such a smart move. I ended up being partnered with Geoff (A/N predictable, I know XD).

After we had all gotten in our canoes I could hear Duncan and Courtney argue as they paddled their boat ahead of us. "Feeling nervous about our bet?" Geoff asked.

"Don't be too sure of yourself," I replied. "Camps not over yet."

Author's Note:

Sorry it took long to update D: Internet was slow because the weather was stormy. Weather can be a bitch sometimes. Anyway, please review, thank you for reading and next chapter will be up soon!