DISCLAIMER:
Hello, chapter 20 released, wow we are now in March, so is 4 full months I begin to write, time sure fly when you have fun.
As always, if you feel like it, please leave a review or mark the story as a favorite, that is the only way I can know you like the story, I am very excited because chapter 19 had a lot of reviews, so I did something right (or wrong), so let's answer them.
Aoi Usa: First of all, even if it's "my" story, please give me your thoughts and opinions, I write a story, but the true happiness is making someone laugh or cry on the other side of the screen, so feel free to tell anything you don't like about it.
And about Gwen and Courtney, as I see it, Gwen, at first, was seeking forgiveness, the problem was when she needed to forgive Courtney, this is when she cannot overlook this action, she cannot forgive herself for being betrayed and her "friends" for betraying her. Is the difference between to forgive and to be forgiven, I hope that makes any sense.
queeniecourtney: I know, that line on all-stars make me cringe, but for this fanfic All-stars happened, so I embrace all, even that continuity mishap ;D. I'm very happy you like the lions' scene.
guest: I hope you enjoy the battle, that must be the hardest part to write of that episode.
M: Thanks as always, let's find out were thinks are going, but Gwen is not the only one that has a lot of things to think about.
Total Drama belongs to Fresh TV and his creators. I don't own anything from the properties used in this fic
El bunny supremo.
Last time on The Ridonculous Race, Lady Luck took us to Las Vegas baby, the Goths made some magic happen and snatched first place, and more drama with the Drama Team, break down taxis, magic tricks, Trent fed Gwen to the lions and they came in the last place, but that wasn't all.
The real drama was when the musician confronts the goth for so many things I totally lost count, but lucky for them it was a non-elimination round, so they will still compete together after the meltdown. Aw-kward.
Who will breakdown this week? Let's find out, it's time for the Ridonculous Race.
Yesterday Chill Zone is today Starting Point, and the Drama Team will begin from the last place, Trent is already waiting for Gwen, but the goth hasn't arrived.
Just as she comes, both took a quick awkward glance at each other, and then looked to the floor, not saying a word.
Confessional: Now what?
(Trent is talking to the camera, with a worried expression and with his hands on his pants' pockets)
"I know, yesterday I said too much, but I simply can't see Gwen repeating the same mistakes over and over again, even if she is a loner, she does not want to be alone," Trent looks at the sides and rubs his left arm.
"I'm not sorry for telling her what I feel, but in the heat of the moment, I chose the wrong words," Trent seems pained, as he talks, he began to hit himself on the head, "stupid, stupid, stupid," and then stops.
"Only three hits, not more, I am not the one I used to be, I changed," he says, looking at Gwen, "I only hope she also can change herself, and maybe forgive me."
The race starts, Gwen and Trent go to the Don Box, Trent pushes the button, and Gwen reads it, in a neutral voice.
"Take the chicken bus to Acapulco Mexico, where you will find your next travel tip," Gwen finishes, and don't look at Trent, walking to the bus a few steps ahead of the musician.
Gwen sit on the left side of the bus, Trent thought about sitting at her side, but decides to go and sit in the last row of the bus, he was so distracted that don't notice that the little bus was full of chickens, true live chickens everywhere, as the bus started its journey, a familiar face take some selfies with the birds before sitting next to him.
"Hello Trent," Kitty greets him, "Are you ok? Because you don't look well."
"Hi, Kitty," Trent replies with a sad smile, "I'm ok, don't worry."
"Oh! C'mon, we are friends, you can trust me," insists Kitty smiling, "Did you had a fight with Gwen?"
"Eh? No, of course not," he lied, his eyes wide surprised by Kitty insight.
"You know, for someone so famous, you are a pretty bad liar," the Asian girl smile and sits closer to him, "what happened? Maybe I can't help you, but at least I can lend you an ear."
Trent feels he could trust Kitty and tells her everything that happened, the discussion, how he felt she couldn't forgive herself or others, and how she now hates him.
"I should have told her all this in a better way, but seeing Gwen repeating the same mistakes time and again, and how she was repeating it once more, was too painful to watch," he looks at Gwen from afar, with a worried expression, she was taking a nap.
"Uff, you have some heavy stuff there," Kitty looks stoic, then put her arms behind her head and lean back in the seat, "but I'm sure she doesn't hate you."
Trent looks at her with a doubtful expression, but his green eyes were sparkling, "How can you be so sure?"
"Because if she hated you, she would already quit the race," she answers, with a smile that shows her teeth.
Trent feels like an idiot, Kitty was right, Gwen sure was angry, but she didn't hate him.
"That's true, I can still make up with her," Trent says with a big smile, "Kitty, how can I thank you?"
Kitty stands up, and take a selfie with Trent "I have something in mind, but me and my sister promise to focus only on the race, maybe I will tell you later," she then winked and go to sit with her sister.
Trent go back to sit next to Gwen, he wanted to speak with her, but they couldn't, she was sleeping, and he fell asleep when she woke up, the 18 hours travel went before they could have a meaningful conversation,, and finally, the seven teams arrived at Acapulco.
The teams began their race getting out of the bus, the Drama Team pushes the Don box to get their next travel tip, Gwen rolls her eyes seeing it is dressed in a poncho, but don't say anything.
Trent reads aloud "All In: who loves pepper and who loves dip: a team member must eat one hot pepper from the food cart, once eaten wave the corresponding flag color, then the second team member must make like an Acapulco cliff diver, and dip from the rocks into the water to find the next travel tip in the canteens at the bottom of the bay, along with milk to suit the peppers burning mouths, it sounds hard, I will dive."
The hot pepper cart had three baskets with peppers, the mildest one with a yellow flag, the mild one with a green flag, and the hottest one with a red flag. Hottest the peeper, lower the height the diver must jump.
Gwen looked toward the cliff and says "You eat the least spicy one, I will jump from the highest one."
"Are you crazy?" Trent asks her, but she ran toward the cliff and began to climb up the stairs, the musician couldn't see her face as she climbs.
Trent went toward the hot pepper cart, he takes one of the hottest pepper and put it in his mouth, but as Gwen and he knew, It was impossible for him to eat it, Trent breath fire from his mouth, began to sweat profusely, and his now bulging eyes were irritated. The musician runs to the water, trying to quench the burning sensation in his mouth, and he doesn't bite it!
Gwen shouts at him "Don't be a hero, eat the mildest one," and resume climbing, Trent didn't know what to do, so as soon as he quenched the burning sensation, and his eyes stop tearing, he will eat the mildest.
Gwen walks toward the edge of the highest point in the rock and tells herself, "I'm gonna die now, I'm totally dying now."
In the edge was Ryan, the big and strong guy of the 'Daters now called Haters' team, Stephanie ate the mildest pepper and forced Ryan to jump from the highest platform, Gwen smile at the irony, she and Trent were the inverse, she forced him to eat the mildest.
"You still haven't jumped? Are you waiting for nightfall to have high tide?" she says snarkily.
"Nope, I am procrastinating, I usually put off things that could make me dead, kind of weird that way," he then looks down toward the water.
Gwen chuckled, "Won't your teammate be mad?".
"She's never no mad, so well," the giant shrug and smile.
Gwen laugh again "Well, I have to wait a little until Trent eat the pepper, so we can hang out until then if you want."
"Sure, sounds more fun than leaping to my death," both of them laugh at Ryan joke.
"And why are you jumping from the highest? Maybe your friend could eat the middle pepper?" asks Ryan, curious about someone wanting to jump from there.
"I need to prove something to myself," she answers looking down "You know everything started with a jump like this one, a few years ago that looks like a lifetime, now I am being a smartass," she keeps looking down, lost in her memories.
"So, you are jumping because you like to jump to your death?" Ryan looks at her raising an eyebrow. His kind voice doesn't show any hint of mocking.
"No, I want to find something I lost when I grew up," as she answers, Trent began to wave the yellow flag and shouts something, but Gwen couldn't hear him.
"You could pretend you didn't see him," Ryan says, still too afraid to jump.
"Are you waiting for the high tide after all?" answers Gwen chuckling, "But really, we have to jump sooner or later, do you want to do it together?"
Ryan doubts a little and answers with a short "Ok."
Gwen takes his enormous hand and counts "one, two" both of them looked down nervously, Ryan gulping, "three."
Both scream all the way down the cliff, Gwen feels like a déjà vu, this sensation so familiar and still so dreadful, that still makes her scream from terror.
Many meters lower, the Ice Dancer makes a perfect jump from the middle cliff, Josee falling in the water almost like a professional diver, emerging smiling and raising both arms.
"Oh Josee, you are perfection!" exclaim excited Jacques in his authentic French accent while clapping.
But their celebration was sort lived, as Gwen and Ryan fall upon her head when they impact the water.
Trent's eyes widened, was she jumping with Ryan holding hands? The musician doesn't know what to think about it.
Gwen goes out of the water with the canteen and the travel tip, she gives Trent the canteen and read the travel tip while he drinks.
"All in: Burro or alive: Ride one of the burros in the enclosure two miles south to find the Chill Zone, you must take your burro all the way, a burro is a donkey, right?" asks Gwen raising a brow.
"Let's find out," Trent began to walk, his mind still on the jump.
As the Drama Team goes to the enclosure, other people walk out of the water, Josee had a big bump on her head, thanks to Gwen falling on her.
"They are so gone!" said Josee clenching her teeth, but still smiling, "Jacques put the Drama Team on our blacklist."
"They are already on our blacklist," tells Jaques, looking at her bump.
"Then put them in bold letters, they will pay for this!, but first we had a bigger fish to fry," she and Jaques laugh as he caresses Loki, the goth bunny that they had stolen from the goths, but that is a story for another time.
Unaware of that development, Trent and Gwen enter the enclosure, it was full of burros, that as Gwen said, were smaller donkeys, the haters were also there, choosing their donkey while arguing because Ryan took too much time to make the jump.
"Trent, I have something to tell you," Gwen rubs her arm while seeing the musician walking toward a burro.
"They look a little drowsy," Trent examines the burro, then quickly jumping to ride it, this startled the animal that began to jump and buck, in a moment Trent was flying in the air and crashing headfirst against a pole.
"Trent!" shouts Gwen while running toward him.
Ryan hears her and leaves Stephanie, she looks at him, narrowing her eyes, as the giant runs toward the goth.
"Is he ok?" asks Ryan as he kneels at Trent's side, next to Gwen.
"He doesn't seem hurt, but he is unconscious," says Gwen worried.
"Let me help," Ryan then lift Trent and put him carefully over a burro, "maybe we should tie him, just to be safe."
"Ryan, can you hurry up?" Stephanie yells, already riding her burro, folding her arms with an irritated expression on her face.
"Go ahead without me," replies Ryan sending her off with his hand "I'll catch you fine."
Stephanie wrinkled her nose, "see you at the finish line then," and goes ahead in her burro.
Gwen looks at her, riding away, "thanks, Ryan, but are you sure? She seems pretty mad."
"As always, don't worry," Ryan took the reins of his and Trent's burros and began to walk, "Also, thanks for helping me jump," he smiles as both began to walk to the Chill Zone.
Ryan and Gwen didn't ride the burros, they walk alongside them to take care of Trent and make sure he didn't fall, they talk about many things, Gwen told him about her dream of becoming an artist, and Ryan talk about his time in the university and his half-time job as a fitness model.
Meanwhile, Stephanie and her burro were arriving at the carpet of completion, where Don waited for her.
"Stephanie?" says Don confused "Whe- Where is Ryan?"
"He is slowing me down again with his ridiculous do goodiness," Stephanie fold her arms and frown.
Don raised his brows surprised by her answer, "So you let him help another team stay in the race and potentially win the million instead of you."
Stephanie clenches her teeth angrily at that realization and now have to wait for Ryan so their team can be officially counted.
Going back to Gwen, Ryan, and Trent, the last who was still unconscious, they were still walking and chatting, now about Stephanie.
"Wow, you should really like her, like a lot," Gwen says, hearing Ryan talk about her in a kind and tender tone, "I almost had a sugar overdose hearing you," she chuckles.
"Hehehe that's right, I like her," Ryans laugh, "this race has almost killed me several times but also made me appreciate Stephanie in a whole new way," he smiles, and his face brightening as he said this.
"I don't want to be a downer, but how can you forgive her? I mean, she is so harsh and violent toward you," Gwen takes a breath, the question being too important to her "How can you came back together and know it would not happen again?"
The fitness model smiled, showing her teeth "You don't know," Gwen was clearly disappointed by the answer.
"But," he added "forgiving her is also forgiving myself, is give us both another chance, you cannot run afraid of the problems, you need to have the courage and try again, only when there are not more options you can give up, but not without putting a fight," Ryan looks at Gwen showing a dimpled smile.
Gwen felt warmth hearing his answer, the rare type of warmth she liked (usually she preferred darker and colder feelings), she smiles and her determination growth, the goth now knew what to do, but she had some doubts about what will Ryan do.
"So, that means, you and Stephanie are going back again?" Gwen made a smirk and looks at him with bedroom eyes.
"I'm not sure what you called," Ryan answers with a confident smile, "but we're definitely not off."
Before Gwen replies, they almost run over a person standing in the way there with their burros, they realize he was Don as he began to shout.
"Sorry to interrupt, but you are on a TV show," says the host to a confused Gwen and Ryan, "Ryan and Stephanie, Gwen and Trent, you are tied for 4," the two new friends celebrate their placement, but Stephanie looked at them harshly.
"Took you long enough," Stephanie says in a blaming tone. Ryan closed his eyes and prepare himself for the lash out, but before his ex-girlfriend could speak, they were interrupted.
"I can't believe this," Gwen looks down at Stephanie with icy eyes "you are fourth, you are already in the next stage, why are you treating him like that? if you should blame anyone, that would be me because I am the cause he came later."
Trent awake feeling groggy, the stink of the burro made him nauseous, he then hears Gwen, she was yelling at someone, to his surprise she was defending Ryan from Stephanie, and Gwen was serious about it.
"Ryan is one of the nicest men I have known, and you don't know how lucky you are to have him as a partner, but if you don't treat him better you will lose him, you are not the first person I know that gives their partners as granted…" Gwen was really into her speech, trying to pay Ryan for his kindness, not only for helping with Trent but also for the advice he gave her.
Trent untie his ropes and stand up, he doesn't understand what was happening, but when he heard Gwen words, he felt a burning sensation in his arms, he was surprised by the scene, and worst of all, for a moment, the still dazed musician saw Ryan with a green mohawk in his head, knowing what this means he began to walk out of the Chill Zone.
Gwen sees Trent walking away, and leaves Stephanie and Ryan to go after him, leaving the haters' girl with a confused expression, she looks to Ryan and only says "Let's go, we need to rest," Ryan smile and wave at Gwen, before going behind Stephanie.
"Trent, are you ok?" asks Gwen as soon as she catches with him.
"Yes, thanks, but I need to rest, I still feel a little weak," he lies in a neutral voice, trying to sound nonchalant.
"Let me help you," Gwen put his arm around her shoulders, "then I will bring a doctor."
"Don't worry, I only need some sleep," both keep silent until they came to the front of Trent's room.
"I need to talk to you about something important," said Gwen as he opens the door.
"Can it wait for tomorrow? I really need the rest," he replies, doing a small smile, Gwen bit her lower lip but nods.
Gwen looks for a doctor, but while searching she heard Don speaking to some team in the Chill Zone "I thought I will be saying this on day one, but here it is, you have been eliminated." tell them the host "I wish you luck in whatever circus or cult you end."
The goth couldn't believe it and run toward them, Crimson and Ennui were eliminated! When she was face to face with them, she could see the frustration and anger on their faces (well, or so say Gwen, anyone else would see them with his normal stoic expression).
"Crimson, Ennui, I am sorry, but it was a pleasure to meet you," Gwen tell them as they were going out of the Chill Zone.
Both of the goths shrug, Crimson in her cold voice replies, "Same."
Ennui took a step toward her and put his hand on her shoulder, "beware of the Ice Dancers," as he says the name, Loki began to snarl, the Ice Dancers kidnap the bunny, so the goths lost time looking for him, when the bunny escape and return to them it was too late.
"Good luck," adds Crimson as they began to walk away from Gwen and the competition, the now only goth was angry, she didn't like the Ice Dancers, but it was only because they looked so fake, but now they were on her list.
Later, the doctor examines Trent, he was alright, but it would be for the best if he doesn't hit his head anymore. Trent thanks him, but he already knew he was fine, he only lied to avoid Gwen.
Trent sits alone in his room, looking at the mirror, he saw his green eyes, but in them, something familiar and that he despised with all his might, jealousy.
When he saw Gwen talking about how nice was Ryan, he was jealous, because this stranger was in better terms with her right now than him. He didn't want to feel like this, after all, they aren't dating anymore, and his jealousy was why they break up.
But Trent cannot help it, he wants to talk with Gwen, to resolve this issue, but he was too afraid to do it, it was silly, because as Kitty said, she doesn't hate him, but still he was scared of knowing how she really felt.
The hours pass, and he didn't found his answer, and after a while, he fell in a restless sleep, tired more of his internal conflict than the accident with the burro. He was still afraid of speaking with Gwen, but he promises himself to talk with her tomorrow, he cannot let this situation keep going, for the sake of both of them.
Mexico is over, and now Trent is the one that needs to make some introspection, will they resolve their issues before it's too late?
Episode 20 was surprising, I didn't want to remove Ryan friendship with Carrie, but I feel that it work even better with Gwen, I don't know why, but they work pretty well together. Also, it was an excellent opportunity to explore another of Trent's weak points, and the one I haven't explored yet his jealousy.
Fun fact: From las Vegas to Acapulco in a bus, the duration of the travel would be 35 hours, not 18, I keep the 18 to not make night stops.
Teams eliminated: the Larpers, Tennis rivals, Geniuses, Vegetarians, fashion bloggers, Mother and daughter, Adversity twins, Step Brothers, Rockers, Father and Son, Reality TV Pros, Goths.
As always, thanks for reading and I hope you like it.
