CONFESSION
Junior: Since I got here, mornings have been rough. I usually wake up early to Addison singing loudly right outside the cabin and I've also slipped a couple of times since Landon doesn't ever pick his clothes up off the floor. Since Liam's come back… it's been tense. So, it's worse. Which isn't fun for me since, even though I'm not involved, I still have to listen to it.
END
As the sun rose over the swampy island, the boys in the Gopher cabin started to get ready for an upcoming challenge.
"Hey Landon," Addison asked his mopey friend, "When we make it to merge, can I move beds and share a bunk with you?"
"Landon isn't making it to merge." Liam butted in from the other side of the room.
"What, did you come from the future or something." Landon gibed, "Or did you just hit your head on a rock at the loser island?"
"No, Landon, I just don't really want you around that much. I think you cheating out your brother was kinda gross and I don't think you'll be a strong competitor on your own."
As the awkward silence fell in, Addison whispered to Junior aside, "I told you they'd fight over me."
"My brother?" Landon deflected, "Who even are you to get into my family matters. From what I've heard about you, you seem like a shitty son."
The two boys glared at each other for a brief moment before the PA systems chimed over the campgrounds, "Meet me by the fire pit in 10 minutes for the challenge briefing."
CONFESSION
Landon: I'm not particularly offended that Liam wants to vote me off. I just don't understand why he has to drag my brother into it. Liam didn't have to grow up with Aiden for 17 years. That dude's shadow is about twice his size and I don't want to be known for sitting under it.
Junior: While I wasn't a fan of what Landon did to his brother either, I'm confused why Liam of all people is going after him now. I know Ivonne told me the dude was going through it; I just need to decide if I want to get involved or not. Ya know, try to figure out what's really going on.
Liam: When I was at the loser island, Aiden had only good things to say about his brother. It's frustrating that Landon has such a kind sibling and that he takes him for granted. He can deflect by calling me whatever he wants; I know what I am.
END
Outside the dining hall, Ike and Mordecai were chatting in the grass when they saw their teammate skipping past them.
"What's going on Cam?" Ike called out jokingly.
"The Earth is singing on this glorious day," Cameron resounded "I'm basking in it while I can."
"What are you, Sara?" Mordecai teased, causing Ike to laugh.
CONFESSION
Cameron: I haven't slept this good in years! Not having a certain thorn in my side here anymore has made this competition all the more enjoyable. I still have to share a room with Ike and Mordecai which is weird but I'll take it over sleeping in a room with Malik any day.
END
"So, your parents really didn't know?" Mordecai asked, continuing their conversation as their friend trotted away.
"No," Ike explained, "Guess they'll find out now though. Before it was just a few members from my hockey team. I guess it makes sense that the people you party with know all your secrets."
"I can't keep any secrets, mainly because of my brothers," Mordecai joked, "They're like little rats getting into everything."
"Well, that's just a part of being a big brother. They probably just look up to you a lot."
CONFESSION
Mordecai: Ike and I have been talking a lot and I guess I'm still confused as to why he likes me. I've never had someone confess to me like that before. I'm actually not good at this sort of thing at all. He's kinda throwing me off my game but thanks to blabber-mouth, there isn't really much I can do now. Everyone knows what happened so pretending it didn't will just end in the others picking on me or something.
Ike: Yeah so, a couple of years ago I made the realization that I just didn't like girls like that. I never really talked about it with anyone because I've been dealing with some other issues back home. I'm not sure if I'm relieved or mortified over what happened with Malik. I'm hopeful that the others aren't as nosy as Mordecai thinks they'll be.
END
Back at the campsite, the 13 teens huddled around Bobby who was standing in front of a large tarp.
"As most of you should know, today is all about building trust. However, the rules will be a bit different this time..." Bobby explained.
"What's with the big tarp?" Mavis asked, interrupting the host.
"Oh yeah," Bobby remembered as a group of interns unsheathed the tarp to reveal a set of bleachers, "Guess it doesn't have to be a secret now."
"You brought our parents back, didn't you?" Mordecai asked unenthusiastically.
"Turns out your parents wanna see how trustworthy you kids are. I'm assuming they've seen a lot of unflushed toilets in their time."
"So, what does this have to do with the challenge?" Rosie complained, "You're just going to make them intimidate us?"
"Oh, you'll want to be careful," Bobby cautioned, "Team that loses tonight's challenge will fall fate to our peanut gallery. The next camper that walks the dock is completely their call. The least trustworthy camper will be sent home. So… just be trustworthy and you'll be okay."
CONFESSION
Cameron: Well, trust is a strange one. I don't really know why I'm trusted to look after my siblings all the time, but I can't be trusted enough to pick out my own deodorant at the store. I'd put myself at maybe a six out of ten.
Rosie: If my team loses, I'm gonna end up going home. All I can really do is show my team that I'm trustworthy. The only issue is, I don't trust them. Sophie's my exception. But come on, would you put your life in Addison's hands?
Jacey: I don't trust myself only when I'm at the Lego store. I've probably eaten like $60 worth of blocks. Maybe I'm a wanted criminal in North York. Well, if there are no Legos in the challenge, I should be okay.
Addison: This will be great because I'm my parent's most trustworthy child. Piece of cake.
END
The contestants watched awkwardly as the original campers flooded into the bleachers. As Rosie looked away, she noticed Junior waving back at the crowd.
"You're just okay with this?" She whispered over to him to which he responded with a silent shrug.
"Okay we get it," Zarra complained, "But what are we actually doing for a challenge?"
"Riiight" Bobby drawled, "For today's challenge you'll be-" The host was interrupted by the shrieks of a large siren that echoed the campground. The teens scrambled, looking to the host and covering their ears. "Stay together and run to the cabins!" He shouted as the teams followed orders and fled away like a flock of birds. The 6 Bass ran into the girl's side of their cabin while the Gophers ran into the boy's side on their cabin. The teams huddled nervously around the floor while the sound of the siren surrounded them. In a moment of unknown terror, the noise stopped.
"Everyone doing alright?" Bobby called out on the PA system.
"What's going on?" Juliette asked with concern.
"Welcome to today's challenge."
The teams in both cabins groaned in annoyance.
"You almost gave us a heart attack!" Sophie cried as the teens started to lift themselves off the floor.
"If you look around, the windows to the cabins have been boarded up." The host explained, "All you have to do is be the first team to escape your cabin to win. Oh, and Mavis, underneath one of the bunks will be an envelope that contains your advantage. We'll be watching you out here on the screens, good luck teams!"
In the bass cabin, Mordecai started to take orders, "Mavis get the envelope, Ike check the door."
"Who put you in charge?" Zarra scoffed. Mordecai glared back at her before checking the boards on the windows.
Ike broke the tension by shaking the old wooden door, "It's locked up. But it looks like there's a combination lock holding it shut."
"You mean there's really no way out?" Cameron fretted.
"Woo slumber party!" Jacey celebrated much to the annoyance of the team.
Mordecai sighed "Listen Zarra, as much as I'd love to pick fights with you, I'm probably the best chance we got."
CONFESSION
Mordecai: I love escape rooms. I've gotten pretty good at the one by my house. Though, getting trapped in a room with my team is not nearly as fun.
Cameron: Still happy Malik's not here but I also have a small bladder! Nothing says trust like peeing your pants in a room full of weirdos...
END
In the gopher cabin, Rosie began frantically pulling on the wooden door.
"They jammed it." Liam noted.
"Yeah, I know that," she grunted, "I just thought maybe I could break it free."
"Allow me, weakling!" Addison gloated, pushing his teammate aside before struggling to open the door.
"Maybe try the window?" Juliette suggested.
As Junior started heading toward the window, Liam made a realization, "There's a combination lock under the door."
"I knew that!" Addison deflected, "I just like pulling on doors for three minutes." Liam bent down to look at the spinlock which had 3 sliders, each ranging from 0 to 9.
"So, we need to figure out the 3 numbers for the lock."
"Oh no, it's one of those escape room things!" Sophie laughed nervously.
"What's an escape room?" Juliette asked her team.
Landon explained, "We have to find clues to figure out the combination on the lock. It's like a party game but more annoying. Aiden used to drag me along to them with his jazz club." Upon saying his brother's name, Landon could sense Liam glaring over at him.
"Well, if you actually tried to have fun with your brother maybe you'd be a better help for this challenge."
CONFESSION
Landon: Liam needs to drop it and just do the challenge. I don't care about him. I don't need him to defend my older brother just because he thinks I offended him. Liam's had what? A few days' worth of conversations with my brother. Aiden and are twins so I've known him since the womb; Liam's just making himself into a fool trying to mess with me.
END
Back by the bleachers, Bobby sat in the grass controlling the dual monitors and holding the PA microphone. The original campers watched him curiously as they began to comment on his hosting.
"So, dude, what's it like being the new Chris?" Trent asked to break the ice.
"Please don't call me that…"
Heather chimed in, "You like mini-Chris better?" the group chuckled as the host recoiled in annoyance.
"Alright everyone let's calm down," Bobby deflected, "Let's just sit back, watch the drama, and hope Addison or Jacey don't accidentally burn down the cabins."
"Well, what happens if they need out for an emergency?" Courtney inquired.
Bobby clarified, "I know the combination for each lock. If there's a serious emergency I can intervene."
The host grabbed the PA mic and began talking over the campgrounds, "Teams let's not make this longer than it has to be…"
In the Bass cabin, Mavis looked under her bed and grabbed the envelope Bobby had promised her. She looked at it for a moment before handing it to Mordecai.
"You're just gonna let him take the lead?" Zarra gibed.
"Well, the Total Drama Lords know it can't be me."
"Ugh," Cameron complained, interrupting the conversation, "Why does it smell like lavender and death in here?"
"Jacey likes to spray room freshener every morning." Zarra explained.
"Hey, it smells good!" Jacey deflected.
"Hush hush," Mordecai shushed while he looked at the paper inside, "Okay so we have three clues, I'm assuming there's one for each lock."
"What, are we deciphering cryptic messages?" Cameron chuckled. Mordecai held the note up and read the clues aloud to the group:
"The green goblin still lurks in this room. Knowing, seeing, reading. Watch where you lay your pretty heads, for the creature might find you.
It's good to look back sometimes to remember important dates or forgotten memories. Hold them close like a soft blanket and never let them go.
It's all in the name. The friend that keeps you on his back at all times. After finding this clue, the letters go click, click, click and that friend is set free."
The room fell silent for a moment before Jacey intervened, "Can you read them again?"
"Why don't we go through them one at a time?" Ike suggested.
Mordecai nodded, "The green goblin lurks in this room… Well, that's probably Zarra."
"Great." She sighed.
"What does this have to do with finding a number?" Mavis complained.
"Once we figure out the clue, we should see the number somewhere." Mordecai explained.
She rolled her eyes, "Well I'm gonna lay my pretty head on that pillow over there." She sat down on her bunk and placed the pillow over her head.
CONFESSION
Mordecai: The only person on my team I can trust is Ike. Zarra just complains Mavis doesn't do anything, Jacey's insane and you saw what Cameron did to our chili. Ike and I will have to take the lead on this one.
Mavis: I did not sign up to be trapped in a room with Mordecai and his bad attitude. The sooner they unlock the door the better.
END
"So, we need to find three clues?" Sophie pondered with the rest of the Gophers, "I guess we can start tearing up the place. Also, someone should write everything down."
"I have tracing paper we can write on." Liam suggested as he pulled a thin notepad out from the end table. Before he could open the book, Rosie snatched it and began flipping through the pages.
"How do you write on these?" She complained, "They look like they're made of tissue paper."
"Well, I'm sorry you didn't notice the front said tracing paper and not normal ass notebook paper."
Aside with the rest of the group Addison snickered quietly, "Rosie likes him."
"Shut up Addison!" She snapped back, "He looks like Mike Teavee after getting stretched in the taffy puller, why would I like him?!"
"Guys, let's not fight." Juliette sighed while she walked towards the others to calm them down. As she made small steps across the wooden floor, her foot touched one of Landon's dirty shirts causing her to slip.
"Oh geez," Landon ran over to her to help her up, "I'm sorry about that!"
"It's okay…" Landon picked up the shirt and was shocked to find an envelope underneath.
"A clue!" Sophie burst.
"Landon picks up his garbage so infrequently they made it a hiding place for a clue." Addison pointed out jokingly.
Landon flushed with embarrassment as he opened the envelope. Inside he found a small strip of paper with a short paragraph printed on the front and a small number on the back. He squinted at the paper for a moment before handing it to Juliette.
She read, "It's okay to stop and take a breath. It might cost you an arm and a leg but try looking underneath the cursed one. You might find something worth counting."
"I nominate Landon for checking under Addison." Junior chuckled, raising his hand.
"Come on," Rosie nagged, "Let's not be stupid. Now, what could the cursed one even mean?"
"Wasn't DJ cursed that one time?" Sophie remembered, "Maybe we have to find something relating to him."
"Wasn't it a dog that cursed him," Junior recalled, "Addison has a stuffed dog thing on his bed."
"He's not a 'dog thing'," Addison deflected, "It's Colonel Woofers III, and he is of higher rank than any of you!"
"Addy, just grab the dog already!" Rosie demanded, causing Addison to run up to his bunk. He shuffled around for a moment before coming back empty-handed.
"I didn't see anything worth counting." He noted.
Junior suggested, "Well, why don't Landon, Sophie, and I look for the other envelopes while you four work on deciphering the first clue."
"We can manage that." Liam responded as Junior handed him the clue.
CONFESSION
Junior: I'm like… really bad at riddles. Mystery and clue type of stuff never really interested me. Finding things in strange places I can do. When I was like 8, I found a DS I had been looking for forever underneath a stack of newspapers. Ya know, maybe that's not a good example as I probably was the one who hid it there and forgot about it.
END
"Okay," Ike addressed to his team, "I have an idea about the first clue. It could be talking about season three. Seeing, knowing and reading could be Sierra and 'watch your pretty head' could be Alejandro."
"I don't know who either of those people are." Cameron admitted.
"It's fine," Mordecai dismissed before looking over and noticing the jewelry box on top of one of the dressers. Inside was a small airplane that would spin if the dial was wound.
"Whose jewelry box is that?" Mordecai added, "The world tour clues could be referencing the plane."
Jacey ran over and grabbed the box, "It's mine!" As she handed the box to Mordecai, Cameron made a different connection.
"Could green be talking about my sister? She lived in this room."
"Good point!" Ike added, "Maybe resting your head is talking about her bunk. Someone should-" Before he could finish, Ike recoiled in and put his hand on his forehead. Mordecai looked over and noticed he was in pain.
"Everything alright?"
"I got really dizzy all of a sudden." He explained. Mordecai handed him the clue paper and pulled over a wooden chair.
"Just take it easy..."
"Hey," Zarra nagged, "Help your boyfriend later, we gotta win this challenge." Mordecai glared over at her for a moment before digging through Jacey's jewelry.
"Nothing." He sighed, "Cameron, check Sara's old bunk. Maybe she left something behind." Cameron climbed up the flimsy ladder and shuffled through the blankets. Upon lifting the flattened pillow, he gasped at the sight of an unsettling glyph.
"You got something?" Mordecai asked.
"This is so exciting." Jacey whispered aside. Cameron slid down the ladder and revealed to the group a tarot card left on his sister's bed.
"It's the Eight of Cups…"
"Perfect!" Mordecai exclaimed, "The first number must be eight then."
"Good job Cam!" Ike encouraged from his chair.
"No listen," Cameron cautioned, "This card signals bad news. Betrayal and injury. We should not have found this…"
"Come on Cam, you don't really believe in that magic stuff, do you?"
CONFESSION
Cameron: Do I believe in magic stuff… I don't know. It doesn't really matter because I believe in my sister. I also don't want to be the victim of betrayal, especially during a 'trust' challenge.
END
"Try looking under the cursed one…" Rosie read the clue again quietly. "What could it mean?"
"We could try Landon's dirty socks." Addison suggested. Rosie sighed with annoyance before looking next to her and noticing her teammate with her hand over her face.
"Jules what's wrong." She asked.
"Well, I was trying to stop and take a breath but it just smells like feet in here."
"Maybe that's the point of the clue." Liam insinuated as he continued to think it over.
On the other side of the room, Sophie was pulling items off the end table when she spotted another envelope laying under a lamp.
"I found one!" She exclaimed, running over to Rosie.
"It wasn't until the 48th day. A slow and long fall led into a world of chaos. Over 25,000 degrees of fire rained from the sky."
"Sounds like a fever dream." Juliette noted.
Junior recalled quickly, "Sounds like Hawaii."
"That's a good point." Rosie noted, "Maybe it's referencing the volcano."
"Hold on a minute." Liam interrupted, "I think I figured out the first clue." The group halted and looked over at him.
"An arm and a leg… I think it's talking about my arm."
"Liam's the cursed one, I knew it." Addison called out.
CONFESSION
Juliette: Landon and I haven't seen that much of the show so we're probably not the best for this challenge. I'm impressed at how smart Liam and Rosie are. Though, I wish Petunia was still here. I feel like she'd have a field day with these clues.
Addison: I'm probably the most trustworthy person on the team right now. I've been very helpful with these clues. Whether the team wants to trust me or not is up to them.
END
"Alright next clue," Mordecai repeated as he held up the paper before his team, "It's good to look back sometimes to remember important dates or forgotten memories. Hold them close like a soft blanket and never let them go."
Jacey laughed as she shook her sleepy teammate, "Any ideas Mavis? You're the expert at blankets."
"I don't know," She complained, "Try Zarra's photobox. Might be a forgotten memory in there."
"Oh no." Zarra sighed.
"Just grab it so we can find the next number." Mordecai demanded before looking over to his confidant and noticed him with his hand back over his head.
"Ike…" Mordecai hesitated as he squatted down beside him, "You holding together?"
"Yeah," He reassured, "I want to help as much as I can. Sorry, I just don't know what's going on."
Zarra rejoined her group and presented to them her box of little wallet photographs.
"Important dates could be referring to a photo with a date on it." She suggested, "I'll sift through them myself."
"That's fine." Mordecai replied as he continued to squat beside Ike. Cameron wandered over to the other boys and placed his hand on Ike's forehead.
"You don't feel warm," He stated, "You could be dehydrated."
"I have cherry soda in my bag." Jacey intervened.
"Please." Mordecai accepted before standing back up and looking at the final clue, "It's all in the name… I think I've seen clues like this one."
"Is the clue one of our names?" Cameron questioned.
"Possibly." He explained, "We can decode the letters into numbers using the alphabet, I'll grab some paper." As Mordecai went to the dresser, Jacey came back and handed Ike the beverage.
"Thank you, Jacey." Ike smiled.
She bent down and chuckled quietly, "Think your boyfriend will get mad I helped you?"
"Oh, Mordecai's not my boyfriend," He clarified, "I think he appreciates your help though."
CONFESSION
Ike: Mordecai has been very nice to me lately. I hope he doesn't feel obligated to. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the attention.
Cameron: Mordecai is being nice to Ike which is nice but Ike is still my best friend in this game. If he breaks Ike's heart, I am legally allowed to break his teeth.
END
In the Gopher cabin, 5 of the teammates huddled around Liam who had made a realization about the first clue. They all waited in excitement with the exception of one bitter camper.
"Right, because Liam thinks it's all about him." Landon mocked as he continued to search for the last clue. Liam glared back at him for a moment before removing his hoodie and setting it on his bunk. He had on a simple grey t-shirt that seemed too big on his shoulders and the skin of his arms was covered in small inked etchings that intimidated the rest of the group.
"Well, if anyone knows the cost of an arm, it's Liam." Sophie chuckled.
"Maybe I have the cursed one…" Liam pulled up the sleeve on his left shoulder and revealed a memorable island icon.
"Oh yeah," Addison recalled, "The toilet tiki."
"I'm gonna pretend you didn't say that."
Rosie grabbed Liam's arm and jerked him forward, "So what do we just count all the tattoos underneath it?"
"No," Liam advised, "I think it's just the roses. The first part of the clue said to stop and take a breath; it could be referring to stopping and smelling the roses."
"Wow, Liam's the riddle genius!" Sophie cheered as Rosie inspected his arm.
"There's six of them, you don't have to actually count them." Liam noted.
"Alright then," Rosie announced, "one of the numbers is six."
"I noticed a small number on the back," Juliette held up the note revealing the small '2' printed on the opposite side, "I'm assuming it's the second number."
"Perfect," Junior exclaimed, "What do you guys think about the next clue?"
"Well, we were thinking it had something to do with the volcano eruption in Hawaii." Sophie clarified.
"Okay but I don't think World Tour took place in 48 days." Liam acknowledged, "Also, lava is only about a thousand degrees. Not 25,000."
"Man, this is a weird one." Juliette sighed.
"Hey guys," Landon called from the other end of the room, "I think there's a clue jammed in the board of the window." Landon ripped the envelope out from the boards and handed Rosie the slip of paper.
"His eyes stay open but he still cannot see. Lying awake every night as the production still haunts him. Petunia didn't die for this."
CONFESSION
Rosie: It's strange… usually the team is always bickering but this time around it actually feels like we're working together. Hopefully, we can keep this up until merge.
END
In the Bass cabin, Mordecai rejoined his friends with a sheet of paper and a blanket.
"Okay," Mordecai instructed, "So there's six of us, and the name has to refer to one of us. If we take my name M-O-R-D-E-C-A-I we can decode it as 13-15-18-04-05-03-01-09. What we have to do is figure out who the message is talking about and how to figure out which letter in their name is the right number for the lock."
"What's with the blanket?" Cameron asked, dismissing everything Mordecai had said.
He rolled his eyes, "I brought it in case Ike wanted it."
"Oh, thanks!" Ike smiled.
"Do my name next!" Jacey exclaimed, looking down at the paper.
"I'm gonna do everyone's name!" He snapped, "Jacey, yours would be 10-01-03-05-25."
"Yes, yes." She laughed, "Click click click and we're free!"
Mordecai sighed and continued to write everyone's name on the paper. He laid on the floor beside the feet of Ike's chair. As he looked up, he noticed Mavis laying back in her bed and Zarra sifting through the photos.
"Psst, Cameron." He whispered, "Check on Mavis and Zarra for me." Cameron nodded and walked over to Zarra. He looked over her shoulder and saw her staring down at a single photo, holding it loosely in her hand. The photo featured a small toddler and, to Cameron, an unfamiliar man.
"You doing okay?" He asked casually.
"I never really get to look through this box often." She explained, "It's interesting to see what's in it."
She handed him the little photo and he examined it briefly, "That's you and your dad?"
"My step-dad," She clarified, "He used to play at these open-mics often and I'd always try to go with him."
"Oh, that's nice," Cameron commented before looking over at Mavis, "Hey you awake?"
"Yes," she groaned from her bed, "You guys haven't found anything yet so I'm waiting."
Cameron shook his head and rejoined Ike and Mordecai.
CONFESSION
Zarra: Who even made these clues? They would've had to go through my photobox to find a specific picture? Bobby's way too lazy to come up with these clues so I'm blaming Chris and the production team.
END
"Petunia…?" Juliette inquired.
"Petunia's dead?!" Addison shouted.
"Dead as in eliminated. She's not deceased." Rosie corrected while shoving him away.
"Well, she did eat a lot of those fishtails with Addison," Junior remembered, "Plus the eye not seeing could be Addison's missing eye."
"How's my eye open if it's not even there?" Addison asked.
"It's not Addison." Landon revealed. He pointed up at the haunting symbol that lurked over the boys in the Gopher cabin.
"The Chris painting?" Rosie laughed, "Why do you guys still have that?"
"Cause Junior's a sucker." Addison teased. Liam removed the painting off the knotted wooden walls and inspected the backside of the frame.
"Usually there's a production number on items like this." He noted before revealing the small sticker tag to the group.
"003…" Juliette read, "So the answer is 3?"
"It better be." Rosie looked at the back of the clue, "So far we know the first number is 3 and the second is 6."
"We're so close!" Sophie beamed, "I bet we're doing twice as good as those Bass!"
CONFESSION
Sophie: It's really nice to feel like a part of a group. Maybe we're a bit dysfunctional at times but that's what makes it fun.
END
"Okay," Zarra announced, "I finished sifting through the pictures, there were only about 20 with dates written on them. Also, I noticed a few that had blankets in the picture." She laid out the selected photos for Mordecai to inspect.
"It needs to be clear which photo the clue is referring to…" Mordecai explained. He looked through the photos and noticed a picture among the pile of a young Zarra and a boy that appeared to be her age.
"Who's this kid?" He asked her, holding up the photo.
"That's Linus," She clarified, "He's my step-brother. I swear I saw like a thousand photos of him in that box."
"Aww," Jacey teased, "Zarra loves him."
"I love him like a brother." She corrected. Mordecai looked down at the picture again, then back at the rest of the pile.
"This is the picture." He announced, "It's the only one with him in it. 'Like a soft blanket' is a reference to the Peanuts character. I think that was the one with the blanket."
Zarra nodded, "Right. Looks like the date on it is November 4th. Okay, then we have two numbers. 8, 4, we just need one more…"
"Mavis," Cameron squatted down by the bed, "You wanna try to figure out the next one?"
She sighed, "You guys have been doing well though." The room fell silent for a moment as the teens pondered the final solution. In a split moment, Mordecai turned his head around and noticed Ike throwing up his pop onto the floor. As the group stood around in shock and disgust Mordecai ran over to his friend for aid.
"Maybe you need to lie down." He advised while trying to lift him out of the chair. Mordecai helped him into an unoccupied bunk and pushed a trash can next to him.
"I'm sorry…" Ike murmured to the girls, "I still wanna help." Jacey, in an attempt to mask the horror, grabbed her lavender spray and re-fragranced the room.
Cameron complained, "Great now it smells like lavender and vomit."
CONFESSION
Jacey: If you learn anything, it's that any smell can be covered with room spray. I had a dead squirrel in my room for two weeks and I didn't even know it was there! I did feel bad though after my sister found it and screamed.
END
Back in the gopher cabin, the team sat around and made attempts to decipher the final clue.
"A slow and long fall…" Landon pondered, "What does that mean?"
Rosie recounted, "Well if they are talking about Hawaii it could be referencing Ezekiel. Though that doesn't explain the other numbers."
"Maybe 48 is his two placements added together." Addison suggested.
"Okay…" Liam noted, "That makes 40. Not 48."
"Well then maybe the last number is 8."
"Addison, don't be stupid." Rosie rolled her eyes.
Juliette noticed the struggle and gloom that started to fill the room. She tried to lighten the mood a bit and asked, "Who ya think is going home in case we lose?"
"Probably me," Rosie sighed, "My mom would probably convince the others to vote me off."
"Okay," Junior joked, "But have you met Addison? He walks in a room and death feels inevitable."
Addison nodded, "You make a good point."
"Are you guys not paying attention," Liam called out as he sat up in his bunk, "Landon was the one at the very beginning that backstabbed his brother, don't you think they'd remember that. It's his ass that should be worried."
Junior quickly tried to diffuse the situation as he noticed Landon getting annoyed, "Maybe we can have this discussion another time…"
"But he told us Aiden was sick." Sophie recalled.
"That was a lie." Liam explained, "I talked to Aiden at the loser island and he told me otherwise."
With his frustration at a boiling point, Landon grabbed Junior's duffel bag from off the floor and smashed it across Liam's face. Juliette pulled Landon away from the rest of the team and removed the bag from his hand.
"Get off my back, Liam!" Landon shouted from the other end of the cabin as Juliette tried to hold him back, "You have no moral high ground over my relationship with my brother if you're gonna be a distant piece of shit to everyone around you. I doubt even that father you like living with so much would trust you. All you like to do is hide behind that silly mask. Your sister would probably be better off with a brother like me because at least I'm not a coward!"
"It's okay Landon." Juliette comforted her friend while the others stood shocked in horror. Junior looked back at Liam and noticed him reaching for a luggage case stashed under the bunk. He very promptly and quietly squatted down beside his clearly angered teammate and removed the case from his hand.
CONFESSIONAL
Junior: I'd never seen Landon get so loud but if I wasn't standing right there, I think Liam would've busted his head open. That dude was shaking, he was so upset. I was nervous to grab him just because I thought I'd catch on fire or something.
Juliette: I feel bad for Landon and Liam. They probably both have their own issues going on but Liam probably shouldn't have egged him on and Landon shouldn't have said what he did. I don't know it's just hard cause they're both my friends.
Liam: That "father" that Landon thinks I like living with so much, he's my biological father but nothing else. I live with him because I have to provide for my half-sister since he's incapable to do it on his own. I have no trust and respect for that man and just being here is hard because I don't know what's happening there. I don't care if Landon wants to call me a shitty son, maybe I am, but I know damn well that I'd never go behind my sister like he did. He's pathetic if he thinks I'm not a good brother because I lost everything just so I could be a brother.
END
"We need to get out of here fast!" Zarra emphasized to her group.
Mordecai nodded, "You're telling me…"
Cameron looked down at the paper Mordecai was scribbling on and began to read it, "26, 1, 18, 9, 11, 5, 3, 13. Ugh, it's way too much."
"What's the clue again?" Mavis asked as she sat up in her bunk.
"It's all in the name. The friend that keeps you on his back at all times. After finding this clue, the numbers go click, click, click and that friend is set free."
"A friend that keeps you on his back…" Zarra pondered, "Maybe someone has their initials on their shirt or something."
"That's not a bad idea." Mordecai concurred, "It doesn't necessarily have to be a first name either."
"I know!" Jacey exclaimed, "We spin the last dial and see which number works!"
"Bobby would probably disqualify us." Zarra countered. Mordecai tapped on his head with both hands quickly. His annoyance lengthened with the difficulty of the clue. Ike, who was laying on the bunk behind him, tapped on his back softly.
"It's okay… we can figure it out." Mordecai took a deep breath and nodded. He looked around the room one more time to find his team thinking about the final clue. He noticed Zarra, Mavis and Jacey sitting by Mavis' bunk conversing with one another. What really made him jump was when he saw Cameron, who was staring down at the wooden floor, with his eyes wide open and his hand over his face.
CONFESSION
Cameron: So… that last clue. Keeps you on his back. I knew it was talking about my belt pouch. It has a big 'E' written on the backside since I've had it longer than my name. It just shocked me because I hadn't thought about that name in a while. Like hell, I was gonna give my team that clue.
END
Back outside the cabin, Bobby sat with the crowd and watched the drama unfold in the Gopher cabin.
"Chris is probably gonna love this." He muttered under his breath while rolling his eyes.
Courtney stepped off the bleachers and joined the host in the grass, "Bobby, at what point do you consider it an emergency?"
"If it gets serious, I can unlock the door," he explained, "no one's gotten hurt yet."
She scoffed, "Are you serious?"
"Poor Liam got hit in the face." Lindsay cried, "And what about Ike?"
Gwen chuckled, "Wow, maybe you are turning into a mini-Chris."
Bobby groaned as he grabbed his microphone, "Okay fine I'll fix it."
"Hey Gophers!" He called out on the PA, "Can you guys please stop fighting, it's upsetting the peanut gallery."
In the Gopher cabin, Sophie stepped over to Liam and put her cold fingers on the side of his cheek.
"Looks like it's starting to bruise..." She noticed, "Are you okay?" Liam shook his head quietly and put his trembling hand up to hers.
Juliette pondered "What could've been in that bag anyway?" Junior thought about the items he packed along with him. Through all the socks and shirts he stuffed in that bag he thought about the hefty but meaningful book he always carried with him, knowing it was the cause of the injury. It was at this moment that Junior came to a realization.
"Oh oh!" Junior burst, "I know how to find that last number! Read the clue again!"
Rosie repeated the clue while Junior shuffled around in his duffle bag, "It was on the 48th day. A slow and long fall led into a world of chaos. Over 25,000 degrees of fire rained from the sky. What did you just now realize from that?"
"It's referencing the Bible." Junior flipped quickly through the book, "We were right that the message is talking about Ezekiel but that's also the name of a book in the Bible."
"How many chapters are even in that book?" Sophie cried, "It could take forever to find the right reference."
"Well, the '48th day' is actually the chapter number. And Ezekiel 48:8 says," Junior read, "Adjoining the territory of Judah, from the east side to the west, shall be the portion which you shall set apart, 25,000 cubits in breadth, and in length equal to one of the tribal portions, from the east side to the west, with the sanctuary in the midst of it."
"25,000..." Juliette echoed
"So, the last number on the lock is 8." Junior confirmed.
"I told you guys!" Addison nagged.
CONFESSION
Junior: Solving that last riddle was probably the biggest confidence boost I've had this whole competition. Maybe Bobby will stop calling me Big-mouth. Ah, what am I saying?
END
"...Cameron…" Mordecai hesitated while walking over to the stunned teen.
"The last number is 5." He admitted, still looking at the floor, "8 4 5."
"Woo!" Jacey celebrated.
"How do you know?" Zarra inquired.
"Please trust me."
Mordecai ran over to the lock and started to spin the dials. Meanwhile, in the gopher cabin, Rosie was spinning the dials for their own lock.
3...6...8…
8...4...5...
She felt the pressure and encouragement from her team as she quickly spun the dials. Upon locking in the final number, the combination lock clicked and promptly dismantled.
"It worked!" She exclaimed, shortly before busting the door open. Addison and Junior quickly followed her out of the cabin where they were greeted by the host and the daylight.
"My retina!" Addison cried as he exited the dimly lit cabin. At that moment Mordecai knocked through the Bass door and noticed the Gopher team standing outside.
"No!" He shouted.
"Congratulations Gophers," Bobby announced, "You guys won the challenge. Although it's hard to say if there was really any trust in that victory…" The three teammates looked back and saw Juliette with Landon slowly leaving the cabin, "Sorry Bass, looks like the peanut gallery will have a fun time picking one of you to send home."
CONFESSION
Cameron: I let my team down. I wouldn't be surprised if they sent me home. If I told them that I knew the last number sooner we probably would've beaten the other team.
Mordecai: I will give Zarra a bit of credit. She did actually help us in the challenge. Jacey and Mavis were a bit questionable though. My main concern is if they decide to vote off Ike. I mean, it wasn't his fault he got sick.
END
As the Bass team waited around the bleachers anxiously, Rosie snuck back into the boy's cabin to see Sophie putting ice on Liam's face.
"Sophie," Rosie asked, "Can I have a moment?" Sophie winked and left her alone in the room with Liam. She bent down next to him and noticed the left side of his face was reddened from the impact.
"What happened there?"
He looked up at her, "Don't act like you weren't there."
"I mean I know what happened, but…"
He interjected, "I feel like I went blind for a moment. Landon doesn't know me."
"Okay, you idiot. You don't know him either!" He shook his head before Rosie helped him back on his feet. They stepped outside and noticed everyone surrounding the bleachers.
"Alright," Bobby announced, "The votes are in. Mordecai?"
Mordecai looked up at him nervously, "Yes?"
"You received the smallest number of votes. So, congrats I guess."
Zarra interjected, "Just tell us who's going home please!"
"Alright, alright! And the big loser of today is…
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
"Mavis."
Mavis chuckled, "I saw that coming."
"Oh no!" Jacey cried, "I will miss you!"
"Really?"
"Tell Malik I don't miss him!" Cameron called out to her as she started heading away.
Zarra shrugged "Well I guess we can tell Ike what happened later." At the mention of his name, Mordecai looked up and over to the medical tent.
CONFESSION
Mordecai: I'd never really had anyone like Ike before. Growing up with all my brothers made me feel like I had to toughen up and I was always pushed into being great. Ike's very patient and accommodating and sweet. It's strange but at the same time, it's nice. I just want him to know that I appreciate that and that I'm trying to do the same for him. I swear that dude is gonna throw me off my game.
END
"What will become of our campers next time? Will the teams be able to hold themselves together for the next couple of challenges or will they self-implode before merging? Will Landon and Liam ever make amends? Will Ike feel better before the next challenge? Find out next time on Total Drama Island!"