So this chapter is dealing with the reveal of Izzy and DJ returning and how it affects people. Also some Bridgette and Cody thrown in there. So without further ado, here's the next chapter.

Chapter 25: An Awkward Reunion

Mess Hall (Cody P.O.V)

The tension in the air was thick as we all walked up to the Mess Hall everyone as we were walking up everyone was hoping for different people to return. For me I was hoping to see Owen return and heck even Izzy. But obviously everyone had someone different, as besides Noah no one was really clamoring for Owen or Izzy to return. Sadie wanted Katie and Justin to return would be my best guess but how Sadie had been acting lately. I don't know there was something off about her and I got the sense she was someone that needed to be taken out sooner than later. Tyler probably wanted DJ back to make things up with how DJ's elimination went down. Lindsay probably wanted Beth back. Heather probably didn't want anyone back at all but likewise with Sadie where something in Sadie is making her more evil, something in Heather is making me think she is starting to become less cold and distant but that also confused me greatly as Heather's whole bitchy persona was a lot more toned down.

Then my thoughts per usual drifted back to Bridgette who still seemed upset after the whole breakup with Geoff and I imagine all she wanted was for Geoff to return but one could tell from when Geoff left last night that he was someone who wasn't keen on returning.

I opened the door to the Mess Hall as I led the pack of people and as I did I mumbled "I'm ready." But what was bizarre is that when I said it, it felt like an out of world experience like once again my body wasn't in control. There is something wrong with me it feels like and I wanna know why any way possible. But how I was going to do it, I had no idea.

When I opened the door we all saw DJ and Izzy there. While I was sad that Owen didn't return, it was great to see Izzy again despite her crazy antics and I wanted to get to know DJ a bit more.

"Hey guys." DJ said looking somewhat excited and nervous as he greeted us.

"DJ! Oh my gosh you're back!" Duncan said out loud it seemed like the delinquent was happy to have a friend in the game given how things have gone for him for a while now. Izzy bounced around and landed next to Noah.

"Hey Nono how's it going?" Izzy said.

"Nono? Since when did Izzy refer to you Noah as Nono?" I asked, chuckling at his misfortune.

"She hasn't until just now I guess. Also she won't anymore right Izzy?" Noah asked, sounding increasingly annoyed.

"Aw but Izzy likes messing with his Nono?" Izzy pouted.

"I don't care what Izzy wants. It's what I want" Noah shouted out.

DJ sensing the tension between the two decided to step in "Hey guys, just calm down. Today is a good day. Izzy and I are back in the day and we should all relax. If anyone needs me I am gonna go to the bathroom. We had to eat disgusting food to come back in the game." DJ explained to us.

Soon after DJ left to go clean his mouth from the disgusting food, Heather and Lindsay went to the Gophers girl cabin to talk and I presume strategize. Tyler looked nervous as I got the sense he wasn't thrilled to see DJ back. Soon everyone left the Mess Hall except Noah and I. I needed to talk to him after the whole Duncan shoving Noah into the ground situation. Luckily Duncan decided to hang out with DJ and catch him up on some of the stuff while Gwen was consoling Bridgette after the whole Geoff breakup. I was gonna hang out with her tomorrow but I needed Noah to get his head on straight and I was gonna try my best to make sure.

Note I said I was gonna try.

After looking to see if the coast was clear I smacked Noah upside the head.

"What the hell was that for?" Noah asked, sounding clearly annoyed.

"Hmm, I don't know maybe it's the fact that you got your ass handed to you yesterday from Duncan and it's clear from your glaring at Duncan you haven't learned your lesson." I told Noah doing my best to contain my anger.

"What are you gonna beat me up?" Noah taunted me. "You and I both know that you're too much of a softy to beat someone up." Noah told me.

"I'm not gonna beat you up dude, you're my best friend. But if you keep this up I am not gonna work with you in this game anymore as all you are doing is alienating your allies. The more you do this the more you are gonna get your ass handed to you. Lay off on Duncan he can beat the shit out of you and I both know that." I told him as I was getting more annoyed.

"Cody. I am smarter than you as we both know. I know what I am doing. Trust me, I got this under control. Anyways how are things going with Bridgette?" Noah told me but I wasn't about to let him change the subject so easily.

"Don't go changing the subject. If you really want to know I am gonna be consoling her tomorrow since her heart is broken. But back to what we were discussing. Noah you may be smarter than me intellectually but I just know in my gut that what you're doing with Gwen is gonna end in disaster." I told him.

"As if you know anything about love Cody. You've never even had a girlfriend" Noah told me.

"I may not have a girlfriend but I don't alienate people at every damn turn like you have the past week. Look it's clear I am not changing your mind. So I'm going to bed. Maybe realize what you are doing is wrong" I snapped back at Noah who was clearly annoyed.

"Fine." Noah said, sounding annoyed as I flipped him off for acting like such a child.

Confessional- Cody

"I swear. Noah is getting more and more infuriating by the day. What he is doing is wrong, but he's too damn arrogant to see it."

Meanwhile

Gophers Girl Cabin (Not Cody P.O.V)

In the girls cabin were Gwen and Bridgette. Lindsay and Heather had both decided to go to the bathroom to get ready for bed. Meanwhile Izzy was bugging Harold trying to entertain him as Harold was still feeling like an outcast. Meanwhile in the cabins, Bridgette was still upset about Geoff breaking up with her, but her roommates Adam and Larry's words did make Bridgette feel better. She was going to hang out with Cody tomorrow in hope that he'd make her feel better. Unfortunately Bridgette couldn't even dwell on it too long as Gwen was ranting about her kind of boyfriend Noah, and Bridgette was only half listening but she could tell Gwen was pissed.

"I am so pissed at Noah what do I need to show to him that I am not into Duncan?" Gwen asked an uninterested Bridgette.

"Gwen I don't know. How do you even feel about Noah and Duncan?" Bridgette asked back trying her best to sound interested.

"At this point I don't know how I feel about Noah." Gwen said looking out the window. "I care for him I really do but if he is going to continue this bullshit he is doing with being jealous when Duncan so much as looks at me I am gonna break it off for the time being." Gwen said as she ranted on.

"Why not give him an ultimatum." Bridgette told her friend. "Tell him that either he has to accept you being friends with Duncan or you'll break up with him. Simple as that."

"Do you really think that will work?" Gwen asked.

"Do you have a better idea. The more Noah continues this the worst things are gonna get for both of you." Bridgette told Gwen. Gwen however wanted to change the subject matter.

"Right. I'll consider it. How are you holding up, you know with the whole Geoff thing? Feeling better?" Gwen asked.

"I'm trying too. It's just hard you know. Geoff was someone I so desperately wanted to pursue a relationship with him and I was gonna tell him I love him. With him gone I just feel so lost. I know I have you and Cody as allies but I still feel all alone in this game."

"Well look. Just because Geoff is gone and broke up with you, that doesn't mean it's the end of the game for you. You just need to get back out there and show everyone how great you are at this game. Bridgette I know you miss Geoff but whatever guy will date you will be lucky. Trust me you are a lot nicer than me and will find a great guy." Gwen said, trying to comfort her friend.

"Thanks Gwen. Cody told me on the way to the Mess Hall he was gonna try to make me feel better. I don't know what he has in plan but hopefully it's good. Where is he anyway?" Bridgette asked Gwen.

"He's tearing Noah a new asshole. Probably trying to get it through his head that I'm not into Duncan." Gwen said.

"Yeah. I swear Noah and Cody are attached to the hip in terms of friends." Bridgette said having a light laugh. "Not gonna lie it is nice to see how much they care for each other. I just don't get why they are good friends."

"Well let's see they are both a bit dorky and wimpy but both are also pretty nice and have similar personalities." Gwen said matter of fact. "Then again the same could be said for Noah and I. As I never expected to be dating him."

"Really how so?"

"I mean it's just back home where I live Noah is the type of guy I normally wouldn't be caught dead dating. Think about it. He's a bookworm who besides Cody and I is anti social and cynical to everyone he meets. He's not typical boyfriend material. I do care for him a lot though. I just pray this Duncan bullshit stops soon."

"Well good night Gwen."

"Night, Bridgette."

Unknowingly to both girls someone overheard the whole conversation in the shadows and it wasn't who Gwen and Bridgette would think.

"Interesting" the voice said.

Next Morning

Screaming Gophers Cabin (Cody P.O.V)

I woke up in the bed early in the morning as in like 7 in the morning, I took one look around, saw Noah sleeping and decided to walk out as right now I didn't really want to deal with him. He's my best friend and all but he was also pissing me off lately still and it seemed like my words weren't helping.

I walked out of the cabins and I saw Bridgette walking back from the beach and I decided to walk up to her.

"Isn't a bit early to be surfing?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"Nah, surfing is something that I always do at any time I feel stressed or down." Bridgette explained to me.

"Still feeling sad about the whole Geoff thing?" I asked her.

"Yeah, it's uh, I'm doing better. Not great by any stretch but better." Bridgette told me. "Do you have any ideas on how to make me feel better?" Bridgette then asked me trying to sounding interested.

"Hmm, we could just take a walk around the Island since it's the day in between challenges, I have some ideas I wanna do to see if they can make you smile. If you're down?" I asked.

"Eh sure what the heck." Bridgette shrugged her shoulders as we began walking around the island.

Meanwhile

Killer Bass Boys Cabin (Not Cody P.O.V)

The air in the Bass boy cabin had an air of tension to it. Even though Harold and Duncan had left the cabin, mainly Harold trying to avoid Duncan and be by himself the tension was still there.

No the tension was from Tyler and DJ. Tyler had still beat himself up for sending DJ out the door as DJ was the first real friend he could trust and he let him leave. That and Tyler was beginning to feel a weird feeling when he saw DJ he couldn't explain but it was a feeling he didn't want to feel.

Tyler walked up to DJ in the cabin but before he could say something he just ran out of the cabin as he couldn't look DJ in the face.

Duncan soon walked back in as he lost track of where Harold was.

"What has jockstrap all emotional?" Duncan asked.

"I….. I don't know. He walked up to me looking like he was about to stay something but then he just bolted. I mean I hold absolutely no animosity. You know me Duncan, I am not a vengeful person." DJ explained.

"I get it you are practically a saint. To be fair we just had the whole talking to the family stuff so maybe he got some bad news or had a rough home life." Duncan said putting emphasis on the latter.

"Oh Duncan who'd you get to talk to back home? I am still jealous you guys got that opportunity. I wish I could have talked to my mama." DJ asked remembering what the reward was for others.

"DJ if you don't mind I'd rather not say. Sorry buddy." Duncan said putting a hand on DJ's shoulder.

"No it's fine." DJ reassured Duncan.

Confessional- Duncan

"The less people know about my home life the better. I don't need anything from my home life being used against me here. This game is already crazy enough. It's not worth talking about as everyone would just take pity on me and I don't need anyone's pity."

Stage (Back to Cody P.O.V)

I decided to take Bridgette to the stage as I had a plan to try and make her laugh with a stand up routine. See, growing up as this luckily never changed. I always had a fascination for comedy. Specifically stand up comedians, when I wasn't focused on making weird contraptions, that is. Now in my freshman year of high school I had entered my school's talent show initially to play keyboard. Unfortunately the day of the talent show my keyboard malfunctioned and I had to leave it at home while my parents sold it for money and I had to buy a replacement asap. I was still signed up for the show as the closing act and since I didn't have anything with me I decided to do a comic stand up routine making fun of myself and some of the typical high school stereotypes. Mainly the type I internally hated growing up, valley girls, jocks, and anyone who was just an asshole. I ended up getting first place which was nice. Didn't change the fact that people at my high school picked on me, but I didn't mind as for a moment I felt on top of the world even if it was fake.

Now I know what you are all thinking, if I hated the typical popular guys and girls then why did I try and act so cool in the first timeline. There was a part of me that was envious of those people and figured if I was to ever make a name for myself in life, I had to act like them. It was only when I was shot down by Gwen constantly for both Trent and later Duncan did I realize my cool persona I was trying to convey was both not working and was alienating people all around me.

See a thing I haven't mentioned, is that after World Tour but before I left everyone behind in the original timeline, I decided to try and act like my natural self and focus on my school work realizing the cool facade was a bust. Unfortunately where I lived everyone had preconceived notions of me and no matter what I did nothing I could say or do was gonna change their minds.

I walked up to the stage and grabbed the microphone "Hello to the audience of one! How are we doing today?" Bridgette however didn't say anything but instead looked down sad.

"Tough crowd today. Well as they say humor is the best medicine. I mean look at me I am probably one of the biggest walking punchlines ever. I have a permanent missing tooth as I suck on my thumb when i sleep. Man judging by my appearance and me sucking on my thumb in my sleep you'd assume I shouldn't even be here as I could be mistaken for a ten year old at best."

Bridgette giggled at the comment and I knew I was making her feel better. "I mean ten year old me, was thinking I was hot stuff and cool. The school even told me I was a special type of special whether it be the teachers or my peers. What they meant, I still don't know but I thought when they said that 'Bow Peasants! Bow before King Cody!' The nickname I gave myself at a young age. Everyone was below me and I stood tall. Whether it be the valley girls who talk like-" I took a deep breath and tried to sound as vain and bitchy as possible "OMG like totally. Like even though I'm ten I am so much cuter than every other girl here.' or the young future jocks who all talk the same going 'Sports! I need to play sports! My whole life depends on athletics!'" I said, which got Bridgette to full on laugh at my jokes.

I got off the stage soon after and walked up to Bridgette, "Feeling better?".

"Much. Thanks Cody. I had no idea you were such a comedian? How'd you even learn to do that stuff? I never pegged you as that kind of guy" Bridgette asked me.

That was when I told her about the whole talent show comedian thing. She seemed interested in my story from start to finish.

"Thanks Cody. I needed that pick me up to make me feel better." Bridgette reassured me.

"What are friends for if they can't help you make you feel better at their own expense." I chuckled, holding my arm and looking away.

"Well then King Cody where should Bridgette the court jester be taken too next." Bridgette jokingly said and despite how much I wanted to call her a princess or the queen I saw her as I decided to keep quiet about that stuff.

"Wanna head to the cliff and just look out at the sky?" I asked Bridgette.

"Sure you royal highness." Bridgette smirked at me once again making me blush.

So for the rest of the day Bridgette and I headed out to the cliff and just looked out to the sky silently. It felt relaxing and I could tell what I was doing was making her happier. As badly as I wanted to ask her out, I knew in my gut it wouldn't be the right time but this still felt nice.

Dock Of Shame (Narration)

Tyler was staring out at the water on the dock. Ever since DJ returned last night Tyler just felt so guilty about voting him out again and was trying to do his best to avoid him. Unfortunately for Tyler, DJ wanted to speak to him and he saw him sitting on the dock.

"Hey Tyler how's it going dude?" DJ asked startling Tyler.

"DJ. Please just leave me alone. I don't wanna talk right now." Tyler said not looking at the water.

"Look, if it's about the vote I forgive you." DJ tried to reassure.

"Yeah you may be able to forgive me but I can't forgive myself. DJ I know you're a caring guy and have a heart of gold. But I just want some space because I need some time to myself. If you respect my wishes you'll give me the space I need." Tyler told DJ emphatically.

"Well then when do you want to talk about it?" DJ asked.

"I… I don't know when I just need time to myself honestly." Tyler said as DJ walked away understanding his friend's request. But he sensed there was something wrong with him beyond just voting DJ out.

Confessional- DJ

"Look if Tyler doesn't want to talk to me I understand, but the way he was talking to me makes me think he's hiding something more and while normally I don't pry into people's personal information. Tyler is still my friend and I want to make sure he's okay."

Confessional- Tyler

"I know that DJ is just trying to look out for me and he holds no ill feelings towards me voting him out. But between DJ coming back, everything going on with Lindsay, and seeing my aunt. These past few days have just been a roller coaster and it's brought back feelings I am not supposed to have. Feelings I have buried for quite some time."

Killer Bass Girl Cabin

Sadie was sitting alone in the girls cabin, besides Katie she was kind of thrilled to have the whole room to herself. She was excited to make the merge and was ready to dominate and show everyone how much she was gonna dominate and for the world to recognize her as a threat. Sadie was in deep thought thinking of the game and how to get control.

Confessional- Sadie

"So right now in the game it's 5 Killer Bass and 7 Gophers. As much as I don't really want to work with my former teammates I feel like for right now I have to as they are all useful to certain degrees. Harold has no one so he will do what I say, and for now Duncan and I are still not targeting each other. Luckily, I know who from the Gophers are the easy targets while I prepare for something bigger, those being Gwen and Lindsay. Gwen because her whole thing going on with Duncan and Noah, and Lindsay is so easily manipulated that I could do it in my sleep. Worse case scenario, If I can't get the votes on Gwen or Lindsay I can just dispose of Harold if need be. But that will be a last resort."

Screaming Gophers Boys Cabin (Back to Cody P.O.V)

After spending the day looking at the sky with Bridgette and eating unrecognizable junk for supper. I decided to head off to bed. Noah was already asleep, as it seems like he was still in a sour mood as his face had a scowl while he slept. As I laid in bed there was a voice ringing in my head that just sounded deadpan but the tone was of no one here and yet I knew it pertained to someone here.

'Thank you for being there for me when no man has ever been there for me'

What was said haunted me into the night as it felt similar to what happened right before Trent left except this time I couldn't even identify the voice at all. Then I remembered tomorrow was the first merge challenge and despite the challenge before being the No Pain No Gain challenge something in me sensed it would be something different.

So another chapter in the books. This chapter was meant to continue to set up some more stuff with Noah and Gwen. Not to mention Tyler as all I could say is that he is hiding a secret that will come out eventually as he is someone who has a lot more depth than you may expect. I also wanted to include another Bridgette and Cody moment. Lastly I wanted to include Sadie as her role is gonna be interesting coming up.

Next chapter is the challenge that is typically No Pain No Gain, however I have a different challenge in mind that will incorporate parts of that challenge but another challenge idea I had as well.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter and if you can please leave a review.