DISCLAIMER:
Chapter 21 released, as always thanks to all of you for reading this chapter, I hope you enjoy reading it as I enjoy writing it.
And if you feel like it, please leave a review or mark the story as a favorite, this helps me to know what did you like (or not) about the chapter, and will not only help me here but also help me on my future stories. Now let me reply to the last chapter reviews.
Aoi Usa: I'm glad there are more fans of Gwen and Ryan's friendship, as I was writing it, I began to like it more and more. I really think they make great buddies.
guest: well, I hope Trent gets a hold of himself, but there is still some more story to be told.
Total Drama belongs to Fresh TV and his creators. I don't own anything from the properties used in this fic
Ca Noodling
Last time on The Ridonculous Race things got spicy in Mexico,
Gwen searched for herself, risking her life, and instead found a new friend. The Ice Dancers were headed for gold until once again MacArthur's glutes got the job done.
But the Ice Dancers did succeed in ousting those creepy Goths, who will disappear this week? Find out right now on the Ridonculous Race.
Yesterday Chill Zone is today Starting Point, the teams will start in the order they finished yesterday, and Gwen was already waiting in the 4th position while talking with Ryan, their teams both tied in that place.
"So yesterday she didn't insult or kick you? Ryan, that's great," Gwen congratulated him.
"Yes, but she was bothered about something else. It's like walking in a minefield, but without stepping on any mine," Ryan said, smiling at Gwen.
Then Stephanie comes to them and interrupts their conversation, "can you stop hanging with the enemy? We have a race to win!" screams the model, grabbing Ryan by his arm and dragging him away from Gwen.
"See you later, Gwen," the giant says just as Trent came into the starting position.
"Hi Trent, how are you feeling?" Gwen asks him with a small smile.
"Hi, feeling great," Trent said, flexing his arms "we are going to rumble today," The musician sounds pretty excited, but something was off with his attitude.
"Are you sure you are all right?" Gwen asks, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course, don't worry," he makes finger guns at the goth and smiles. Gwen was not sure but decided to not pursue the matter as the leg was about to start.
As Don gives the signal, the teams start racing. Gwen presses the Don Box and reads the next travel tip "Travel to Acapulco international airport and get on the Mexico-San Francisco-Seoul-Da Nang flight to Can Tho, Vietnam, once there go to a village near the Mekong River. Five stops? Really? Owen is lucky for being eliminated."
"Let's get in first place this time!" shouts excited Trent, taking his goth partner by the hand, "come on, let's call for a taxi."
Gwen runs with him, and they found Ryan and Stephanie also waiting for a taxi, the ebony girl glare at the goth while Trent tried to not look annoyed for their meeting. Fortunately for both, the Haters get the first taxi.
"Wanna share?" asks Ryan smiling, and before Trent or Stephanie could say something, Gwen was already getting into the taxi.
"Sure, thank you, Ryan," answers Gwen, Trent, with a defeated expression going behind her.
The travel to the airport was awkward. Gwen, Ryan, and Trent were making small talk, but the musician only did it to dissimulate his dislike toward the fitness model, Stephanie meanwhile looks out of the window, clenching her teeth and occasionally looking daggers at Ryan or Gwen.
As they arrive at the airport, the teams part ways, but in the end, they and the other four teams are on the same flight to Can Tho International Airport, as Gwen fear it, it was a looooooong way to Can Tho.
At last, the flight arrives in Vietnam, and the six teams start a race toward the taxis, unsurprisingly, the Haters and the Drama Team didn't share the cab this time.
Taxi confessional: Good morning Vietnam
(Trent is sitting at the left side of the taxi, resting his head on his fist as he looks out of the window, Gwen is on the right side, folding her arms and looking with a serious face at him.)
"Ok, we are alone now, would you tell me what's happening?" asks Gwen looking at him narrowing her eyes "You are strangely competitive this time, and your attitude feels fake."
Trent keeps looking out of the window "Look! The floating markets, amazing, you can feel the Vietnamese spirit looking at all that people buying and selling," he smiles, but Gwen rolls her eyes.
"Trent, are you trying to distract me with those boring tourist comments to avoid answer what is bothering you?" she asks, raising an eyebrow, "because number one, is not working and number two, that is really uncool."
"Maybe," Trent face the goth with a sheepishly smile, "Sorry Gwen, but I was-" he suddenly stops and points toward her window, "Is that Kitty pedaling one of those tricycle taxis?"
Gwen turns, and her eyes went wide, "Yes, oh my god, see how quick she is going, would she be ok?"
Trent smiles at the camera, relaxed after avoiding the question, he should thank Kitty later.
After leaving the city, the taxi outruns poor Kitty and arrives at the next Don box, the Police Cadets and the Ice Dancers were already on a large boat, and the Haters taxi arrive at the same time as theirs.
Trent and Gwen reach first the Don box, Gwen takes out the travel tip, "Super Team Challenge: Living Bait: 3 Teams must go catfish noodling together (noodling is a local fishing technique where you use your fingers as bait), and catch six fishes in order to get their next travel tip. If you catch the branded RR catfish, your team can skip the next challenge and go directly to the Chill Zone. Hey, we could work together with the Daters," the goth and Ryan smile happily because they work well together in the past two challenges.
"Yeah, it would be nice at last be part of a team," replies Ryan looking down at Stephanie.
"Are you sure, Gwen?" Trent didn't want to show his real feelings, but it will be too awkward to work with the big guy.
"Of course, look at him, with those arms he can catch the fishes two by two, he is bigger and better looking than Wawanakwa's bears," she smirks at Trent while Ryan began to pose and flex showing his powerful arms and big muscles.
Trent force a smile, and Stephanie rolls her eyes until MacArthur, the police cadet, shouts at them, "We need a third team."
Finding her chance Stephanie runs to the Don box, and takes the travel tip "Ryan they are calling for us!" she ignores the Drama Team and runs toward the boat, Ryan looks at Gwen with an apologizing expression before going into the boat as well. Trent feels as if they take a weight off his shoulders.
The Drama Team must wait for the other teams to arrive before starting the challenge, Gwen had mixed feelings, working with Geoff will be pretty fun, but she was not sure about the Sisters, especially Kitty, there was something about her that Gwen simply didn't like.
When Geoff and Brody came and read the travel tip, both cheered, the blond one run and hugged Gwen and then gave a high five to Trent.
Then the Sisters also arrive, Kitty looked tired, breathing heavily and with sweat marks on her shirt after riding the cycle all the way from the city. Emma go down and take the travel tip, she didn't look as thrilled as the Surfer Dudes by the super team idea, but either way, Brody hugged her, welcoming them on the super team.
The six of them navigate the river to catch the catfish, Trent was busy with the Surfer Dudes, and Gwen was on the other side of the canoe with the Sisters.
"Gwen, did something happen between you and Trent?" asks Kitty in a worried tone, "he looks dishearten."
"Kitty! don't mess in other people's problems!" Emma scolds her sister, "also, he is fine" just as she says that Trent takes off his shirt, the older sister blushes, looking at him with wide eyes.
"I'm telling Noah!" teased Kitty in a melodic tune.
"Stop talking nonsense, I mean he is fine fine, not fine as hot ahm, ugh" Emma was flustered and would kill her sister if Gwen didn't speak at that moment.
"No Emma, Kitty is right, something happens, he is not acting like himself, and I don't know how to deal with it," Gwen words were more honest than she intended to be.
"Gwen, there are moments in this life when you don't think, simply act, if you feel something is wrong, tell him, nothing good will come from overthinking," Kitty says it with a serious tone that contrasts with her usual happy go lucky attitude.
"Wow, thanks Kitty, that was deep," Gwen's eyes go wide "I will follow your advice."
"You're welcome, but now may I ask you something?" Kitty looks at the goth with a quizzical smile.
"Of course, anything," replies Gwen, not thinking too much about it.
"Did you come back together?" Kitty's big eyes were sparkling as she asks.
Emma scolds her again, "Kitty! That's a private matter, mind your own business," the big sister had recovered of her past blunder.
"But maybe it's my business!" Kitty looks at Gwen with a defiant look on her eyes, Gwen wasn't sure if she was trying to provoke her to act or she was sincerely interested in Trent.
"We are still only friends," replies Gwen smiling.
"Of course you are!" replies Emma, "there is no place for love in a competition, if you let your heart interfere, you lose," she folded her arms and put her chest out, proud of her answer.
They all laugh as the boat stops. It was time to catch some fishes.
Emma immediately took leadership and began to organize the super team.
"Geoff and Kitty, you cannonball off the stern to scare the fish toward Gwen and me, on the bow we'll do the noodling thing to catch them, Trent and Brody you take the caught fish and put them on the boat."
"It's better to put Trent on the noddling, he has nimbler fingers than me," says Gwen smiling at him, "also, he already took off his shirt," she shrugs.
Kitty and Geoff cannonballed into the water pretty happy, as the fishes began to bite Emma and Trent.
"ugh, ugh, ugh, I got one," says Emma narrowing her eyes at the strange sensation of her hand inside the enormous fish.
"hahaha, it feels awesome weird, it so nasty," Trent laughs but also looks repulsed at the same time. Then another fish jumped out and hit him on the face.
In a short time, the team had already taken the six fishes. Gwen goes to bring the judge, an old man, dressing a gray ao ba ba set (shirt and pants made of silk), and a traditional non la (conical hat). The judge gives them their next travel tip.
"This super team alliance work pretty well, should we make it permanent?" asks Kitty pretty excited by the excellent work.
"Sure," replies Trent.
"We are in!" answers Brody, at that moment, the three teams alliance was born.
Gwen smiled, she wasn't so sure about the alliance, but in this challenge, it worked fine, so she will not ruin it, instead, she takes and reads the next travel tip.
"All in: get lost and found underground: Take a cycle taxi to the wartime tunnels and lookout for the next Don Box with instructions on how to get to the Chill Zone. Careful, there may be some traps down there. Ok super alliance let's go!" said Gwen in an almost excited tone.
After a short travel, the three teams were entering the underground cave maze, unknown to them the teams still in the fishing challenge found the RR catfish, ending the challenge, so now the Surfer Dudes, the Drama Team and the Sisters were the last teams on the race and in the chopping block.
The six walk deeper into the tunnels until the underground path divides into three independent ways.
"Ok, each team takes a different path, the first to find the Don Box make a signal," tells Geoff pretty happy to help his allies.
The Sisters and the Drama Team have second thoughts about the alliance, after all, only one team could win, but Geoff insisted.
"When you found it scream 'coocko' 'coocko', ok? Good luck," he adds, then he and Brody go in the path more to the right.
"Good luck," says Kitty going in the center cave with Emma.
Gwen and Trent went into the last way, the goth was anxious, it was not as bad as being buried alive, but walking in an underground tunnel without any escape routes was stressing her.
The path was dark and full of obstacles, but the Drama Team found a torch. They had to avoid a couple of traps, but compared with some of the challenges of Total Drama, it was not that dangerous.
"You have to be grateful with this Ridonculous Race producers," says Gwen driving away some spiders with the torch, "this could be worst."
"That's right," Trent answers, feeling guilty about his jealousy toward Ryan and his attitude to Gwen.
"You know Trent, I wanted to tell you something," even if she was afraid, Gwen thinks what Kitty told her and follows her instinct, "I'm sorry."
Trent didn't know what she was talking about, "Sorry about what?"
"About what happened in Las Vegas," she continues, "you are right, I always act like I am completely right, and end taking decisions that end hurting myself and others."
Gwen sighs, she is not sure of how to express her feelings, so she continues talking about what was in her heart, "I'm not sure if your 'give up' is the correct for describing my attitude, but is true that I never think about giving others a second chance. That makes me a loner and ended hurting me, but more important hurting you, one of my closest friends."
She continued, the darkness of the cave hiding her and Trent's expression, "I believed that everyone was leaving and betraying me, but the truth was that I was the one that was pushing all of you away, I know I don't deserve it, but, do you want to be my friend again?"
Trent was flabbergasted, when he was sure that Gwen hates him, the truth is that she heard him and understood everything, he felt so small and petty, worried about his feelings for others, and not thinking what she was feeling.
"Gwen, you don't have to ask, I have always considered you my friend, " he speeds up, walking next to her, "I should be the one making apologies, I told you all those things without thinking about your feelings."
"Trent, don't start one of those 'I am sorrier than you' arguments, this time it was my mistake," as she was talking to him, both enter a narrow gate and become stuck.
"Ok, this is now officially weird," says Gwen feeling Trent's body pressing her against the wall.
"No problem you go," Trent blushes as he felt Gwen's body also pushing him against the wall.
"I can't, maybe you can," she tries to move forward to no avail.
Then they laugh, it was not only an awkward situation, but also, they felt free from all their inner demons. Trent walks a step away, and that free them.
"Thanks, Trent," Gwen blushed and came into the new chamber, it was bigger than the tunnels, so she felt more relaxed, or maybe it was that she talked with Trent that make her tension go away.
In the middle of the chamber, it was the familiar machine they were looking for.
The Drama Team come close to it, Gwen pushes the button and takes the travel tip. "It doesn't say anything. It's a map, and it surely leads to the Chill Zone."
"Awesome, then there is only one more thing to do before we go," Trent says, then he takes a big breath and screams a loud "COOCKO, COOCKO."
Gwen jump scared at the sudden scream and looked at him with wide eyes "What the heck are you doing?"
"Signaling our allies," answer Trent, not understanding Gwen's question.
Gwen made a smirk. She forgot that Trent had a big heart, so when he accepted the alliance, he means it.
The Sisters and the Surfer Dudes came and took their maps to the Chill Zone, and then the three teams began a race the carpet.
As they were running, the Surfer Dudes slow their pace to let the Drama Team overtake them, this doesn't pass unnoticed by either Trent nor Gwen, who were slower as Gwen had to fight her apprehension while running on the underground tunnels.
As the teams enter the carpet of completion, the bad news about the RR catfish was made evident.
"Sisters, you are in fourth place," says Don in his potent and familiar voice "that means the fifth place is for the Drama Team (Gwen eye still twitch.)"
"Well, man, hit us with those negative vibes," says Brody as the surfer dudes walk toward the carpet of completion.
"But you are still not out of the race," Don tells them.
"Really?" Asked Geoff with a wide smile, he and Brody stepping on the carpet of completion.
"Now that you step on the carpet, you officially are out," Don Laugh at his joke and leave the poor Surfer Dudes with the cold news.
Trent and Gwen go to their side "Geoff, why did you let us pass?" asks Gwen with a frowning.
"Because you deserve it dudette, you found the box," Geoff rubs his neck and smiles sadly.
"You are so stupid," Gwen says as she hugs him, "Bridge is truly lucky."
"Don't worry dudette, now you only have to win," answers Geoff, "and if you want, you can give us a cut of the million." he smiled, looking at her with sparkling eyes.
"Hey, don't divide my million before I win it," she said, chuckling and giving him a soft punch in the arm.
"Boomer dude," says Brody, then they go out of the Chill Zone.
"Trent my man, good luck, take care of the dudette," tells Geoff, touching his own hat and walking away with Brody, Trent nods quietly.
"It looks we are the only ones from island still standing," says Trent looking at them as they walk away.
"Smartass," she smiles, "now we have to win, otherwise, Bridge will kill me," she says joking, "are we still in alliance with the Sisters?"
"I don't know, I will ask Kitty tomorrow," Trent looks at the sunset with Gwen. It was beautiful, the sky had some clouds, that seems to be burning in various shades of orange and red, both keep watching it until the sun disappears on the horizon.
After dinner the Drama Team goes their separate ways, Gwen went into her room, take out her sketchbook and drawn the Vietnamese sunset she saw with Trent, she didn't stop for a full hour, her hands moving freely in the paper.
After she ended she looks into the sketch, it was beautiful, maybe her best landscape, Gwen smiled and put away her sketchbook and prepare to sleep. Now that she was back, no one could stop her, she was sure they will win the million.
Vietnam is over, and Gwen is back on her own feet, it seems the race will become more interesting.
Episode 21 was a little tricky to write because it happens too much, but at the same time the plotline of the Best Friends was too specific to use, so I have to improvise, I hope you like the final result.
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, Surfer Dudes.
Thanks to Aoi Usa for pointing the error in Seoul in the first draft :D
As always, thanks for reading and I hope you like it.
